#and there was a huge earthquake when i was born

[faecaribou]

i love taking those Percy Jackson "Which Greek God is your Parent" quizzes but I usually get Poseidon and I need to know if I'm a basic bitch so

obviously when the quiz is like "choose: do you like the SEA or the COLD EXPANSE OF DEATH" and its super obvious I pick other options or leave the quiz but when they are actually subtle with the choices, I get fucking Poseidon

also! i did not put Hera or Hestia or Artemis as an option on purpose. Other means im expecting to see like minor gods.

[nanamis-bigtie]

kindest lies

"It's… rather urgent." Next to exhaustion there's hesitation in the assistant's words. As if she dreaded sharing the data with you. "There's a huge risk of civilian casualties. We suspect it might be an act of jujutsu terrorism."

Five people get cursed under atypical circumstances. For the tracking and locking properties of your cursed technique you're requested to assist Atsuya during the investigation. Following the curse user's trail, you sink together into the world of izakayas, night clubs and love hotels. And you do everything in your might to not think about last summer's day that has irreversibly changed the terms between you two.

Written for gender neutral reader. No gendered language, no body descriptions, they/them pronouns may appear as pronoun placeholder if necessary in dialogues. Y/N used as a name placeholder.

↬ kusakabe atsuya x gender neutral reader

↬ cw: coworkers to lovers, mutual pining, slow burn, canon-typical violence, investigations, hurt/comfort, alcohol, forced proximity, self confidence issues, eventual smut, MINORS DON'T INTERACT

↬ chapter directory: chapter 1 (you're here) | ...more to come

↬ word count: 3,138

↬ a/n: The idea for this fic got born out of secret santa prompts given by @clumsyraccoon. It was supposed to be a simple one-shot but it just kept eating my brain space, until it couldn't be contained within a single chapter - and then waited for the right time (aka when I'll refill strength after a massive burn out & stop being such a chicken). It's been almost a year but it's finally here. Coony, I hope you will forgive me this extremely long wait 😅

Chapter 1

It feels like you've barely closed your eyes when the phone vibrations under your cheek force them open again. 

Darkness around you only adds to the impression; the curtains you always keep shut tight for the night deal even with full noon light, making it impossible to estimate the time right. With a groan, you turn your head to the other side and press it into the pillow, hoping it's just a dream, wrong number or a pushy call center, not an emergency or worse—another mission. Hell, you would take even an earthquake warning, if you wouldn't have to crawl out of your apartment because of it.

Luck is not on your side. Vibrations cease only for a few seconds, just enough for the stubborn person on the other side of the call to choose your number again. Dull buzzing starts anew, bright light from the screen sneaks under your tortured eyelids, and finally jolts you awake. You sit and wipe your face, then squint at the clock and the name of the insistent intruder. You can't match it with a face but there might be only one kind of a person who would scramble for attention this early in the morning.

5 a.m. What sins did you commit to deserve it?

"It better be something important." You screech into the speaker instead of a greeting. When clearing your throat doesn't help, you put the phone on the speaker and reach for the half-empty bottle left on the bed stand.

It's lukewarm and tastes of plastic.

"Y/N? I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" The woman on the other side sounds as miserable and tired as you. She must have been heading home from the night shift or forced out of the bed even earlier than you. The peak cursed season doesn't discriminate, it sucks everyone dry, from the bottom to the top of the sorcery ladder and is probably the closest to the fair share you can experience in this damned profession. Everyone is perpetually exhausted and looking forward to September when the tension will mellow down to the usual levels.

Thinking back, you feel a little sorry that you couldn't bring yourself to be at least a little nicer to her. But you bet the woman doesn't resent you for being grumpy. She definitely heard worse than your exasperated lack of manners.

She introduces herself and gives you her identification number and the code confirming she indeed is an assigned assistant. She's specific to a fault and you're grateful for that. You're not sure if the scrambled remains of your brain would be able to pick the crucial information if she beat around the bush.

"Sorry, I think I'm out of commission for now," you say quickly right after fulfilling your part of the greet-and-identify ritual. You don't want to take this job but at this point you won't fall back asleep, so you sit down and firmly place your feet on the cold floor to chase the drowsy feeling away. You need a shower and fresh clothes; it was a little before 1 a.m. when you crawled into your apartment, stripped to your underwear and fell face down into the bed. Hell, you could use some breakfast too...if there was anything left in the fridge. You can't remember the last time you ran groceries.

"It's a personal request." The assistant cuts in before you can continue with your excuses. Her voice is as apologetic as determined to deliver her part of the job—or at least to fight hard enough for the higher ups to not hold her responsible for your refusal. You can't blame her, really.

"An assistance?" You take a wild guess. 

Peak season meant also peak mortality, leaving the "lucky" survivors with huge gaps to fill regardless of their specialization, which leads to many frantic reshuffles when the situation turns out to be too risky for a blind escapade. This demand touches especially the sorcerers whose skills can cover a wide range of crises, like you. Hard tasks are almost always assigned to heavy hitters—and heavy hitters look for support on their own account. For help with barriers and rituals, for cursed technique boosters, and for all the technical details that don't look as impressive in the CV as The Big Strong Cursed Techniques do, but often require even more skill to be performed safely.

Unless you are Gojo Satoru, sooner or later you will run into a mission where you need a helping hand to be able to use your own cursed technique.

And unless you have one of those Big Strong Cursed Techniques, you will play the helping hand role more often than doing your job solo.

The math is easy and, at least in your opinion, weirdly fair when it comes to covering the pay gap. Being a second grade, you would need to cover thrice as many solo missions to climb to the same financial level as those from the top. Depending on the person calling for assistance, support can be paid almost the same as an average solo for your grade—or even more, if it's the first grade who tend to overuse their privilege of getting round the path through the officials. There's also more regular contact with those on the top—who can whisper a word where it's needed, spiraling your chances for a promotion.

If only it wasn't so fucking exhausting once the peak season hits...

"Look, I would love to—" Your strategy is to not let the assistant pull you into discussion. They have their tricks to manipulate reluctant sorcerers into taking new missions. And you hate to admit some of them work on you every single time. "—but I've just come back. I have twelve hours of rest protection secured in my contract. Ask someone else, it's Tokyo, there's definitely someone—"

"I've checked." Now it's her turn to butt in your word. "I know you're under protection, I looked through the agendas of every sorcerer active from here to Miyagi, and everyone is already assigned. I did what I could, Y/N. There's literally no one else to replace you."

"Postpone it?"

The situation is dire. If an assistant—who's usually on the sorcerers' side in this everlasting game of tug of war between them and the higher ups—says nothing can be done, it really means it. At this point you know you're taking it, but negotiations won't hurt. It's not your first rodeo, you know with high demand comes incline towards meeting halfway and bandying bonuses around.

"It's… rather urgent." Next to exhaustion there's hesitation in the assistant's words. As if she dreaded sharing the data with you. "There's a huge risk of civilian casualties. We suspect it might be an act of jujutsu terrorism."

You don't answer immediately, weighing words and options. The deeper you dig, the thicker this cesspool becomes. But before you find a way to fend off this stick, there goes the ultimate carrot, "It's paid extra, too."

"How much?"

You swallow that bait as if she coated it with your favorite dessert—and you curse yourself in thoughts for letting that question slip. You don't think of yourself as a greedy person, but hardly anyone does this job out of a kind heart.

"We haven't got official approval yet but given the circumstances and the request itself? That's gonna be the standard rate, not support."

"So, you're sending me somewhere in Miyagi?" You sigh into the silence on the other side of the speaker. The assistant said everything she had to say and is just waiting for the inevitable, her determined chirping replaced now by the hum of the car and subdued music on her radio. You can't recognize the band playing but you can tell it's one of the older western ones.

"Okay. Who's calling?" You give up when the quiet gets awkward. There's still some water left in the bottle; you swirl it a few times before bringing it to your parched lips.

"Kusakabe."

Your hand trembles, some water spills down your chin and neck. You haven't choked but your sore throat still answers with coughing. Fighting against the spasms, you even forget the shock that caused everything, at least until the concerned assistant snaps you back, "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah." Nothing is alright, it's just gotten significantly worse, but you'd be rather cursed than return to negotiations—even if you've just become even more reluctant to take this mission. "I just took a weird sip."

"I'll be at your place in about thirty minutes, will you make it?"

Trying to stuff the panic at the very back of your exhausted brain, you do a quick run through the mental map of your current state. You should find some fresh clothes. Coffee? No time for it but there should be an emergency bottle of green tea somewhere. Breakfast? No chance, even if you by miracle saved something in the fridge. Shower? Yes, this one is possible.

"Yeah, if you grab me a sandwich and something warm and caffeinated."

"On it."

You want to scream.

First few minutes of your precious time you spend lying flat across the bed and staring at the ceiling. You're nothing but a pile of refusal and exhaustion far different than physical. Why him, of all possible options? Why not Nanami and his dry demeanor, professional to a fault and ready to throw hands for the sake of even pay? Why not Usami who wouldn't exchange a needless word and let you work in peace? Hell, you would take even Mei and the risk of being abandoned with the slightest inconvenience over...that.

How are you supposed to work in those conditions? How are you supposed to look him in the eyes after what happened between you two?

The solitary life of a sorcerer has, despite everything, its perks—comfort of avoiding people you don't want to see the biggest of them. Unless you get called on the carpet or are forced to partake in a group mission, you rarely see anyone other than randomly assigned assistants and windows. Meetings outside the work are easy to avoid and since that day, you've become a master of excuses. You worked hard for the distance between you two, almost a year now since you've exchanged more words than sparse greetings while passing by. Not even once your eyes met, his flying far above your head, as if you were made of thin air, yours stubbornly boring into the floor as you quickened your pace and hid behind the first corner possible, before anyone would see, before either of you two would get a very bad idea.

At the beginning, he tried. He tried but you were faster than his incoherent attempts of starting conversation. He once even caught your wrist and pulled you as you started walking away—but released you as soon as your eyes met for the last time.

You would love to claim that you forgot, both that day and the look in his eyes before he turned on his heel and retreated. Up to now], if you closed your eyes, you could recall the feel of the anguished clench of his hand.

You peel eyes off the ceiling and look at your wrist, half-expecting bruises shaped like his fingers, but your skin is as clean as ever. Just in a desperate need of a shower.

Twenty-five minutes to go.

Hope dies last. You peek into your box with coffee pods (empty), into the fridge (empty bar a moldy tomato), into the cupboard (empty, no emergency tea left). You gather dirty clothes you find on the way to the bathroom and stuff them into the laundry basket (overloaded). You don't have time to wait for the right temperature, so you jump into the shower (dirty) right as it is. It's more energizing than you thought but you must get out right as it warms up to the right level and your mood immediately drops back.

Soapy stains on the mirror diffuse your reflection: parched lips, pale unhealthy-looking skin, red eyes and gigantic shadows under them. If you survive both Kusakabe Atsuya and whatever cursed crap he's called you for, you're going to call the contract cleaners and spend the forced day out in a hotel with a spa. Maybe a set of good sushi, too. Or a night out with friends, to drink and forget whatever awaits you—and something tells you it's going to be one hell of a pile to wash down.

"It better be a really good pay", you mutter to yourself with half a heart.

You hate this day, you hate this job, you hate yourself for how mushy you feel right under the layer of exhaustion and panic.

The only clean clothes you have left are worn-out jeans and a nerdy t-shirt you use for your no pants days. You're going to regret this when the summer reaches its peak later that day, but so far, it's still somewhat crisply outside. Perfect time for coffee...if you had it, that's it, you recall not without an irritated huff as you lean against the lantern in front of your apartment complex. The streets are empty and silent, life around is barely starting and stretching its limbs. In moments like this you almost like Tokyo.

The assistant surely takes her time and by the time she finally finds you, sleepiness has already crawled back on you. In your current state you stand out like a sore thumb next to that damned elegant car all assistants are driving, at least until you collapse on the backseat and realize the inside is no better than your apartment. Under other circumstances you wouldn't be thrilled to drive all the way to another prefecture next to empty McDonald's bags, with empty energy drink cans between your feet, but at this point you just don't care. You're going to pass out soon anyway.

"Yeah, a total state," the assistant hands you an iPad before your drink and sandwich. You're not sure if she meant her car or whatever awaits you in the case files.

Screen brightness is set to maximum; you squint your eyes, suddenly painfully aware that sand under your eyelids is rather a glass wool at this point. It's impossible to read like this but you grin and bear it, with, hopefully, an expression not as miserable as you feel. At least you can tell that the notes were taken in a hurry, they lack the typical formatting and order, making the job much harder for you, of course, but you feel less shitty for giving up and relying on the assistant and her explanations.

Coffee is black, strong, and with an ungodly amount of sugar. Oh, she knew what kind of boost your brain would need.

You're waiting for the perfect moment to attack with questions when a call comes, almost shaking the car with the volume alone. Assistant flounders in an apology and hands you a tissue but you don't bother to wipe those few droplets of coffee off your pants when that name peeks at you straight from the car's touchscreen. A solid 3/10 you were giving this morning so far has dropped far below zero, together with your heart, rolling now somewhere between Monster Energy cans.

"Nakagawa, is Y/N with you already?" Atsuya's voice is all around you, tacky, drowsy, with that characteristic hoarseness of a pulled all-nighter. You wish you hadn't known him enough to imagine how he looks now so easily. Maybe your body wouldn't react in such a... pathetic way. 

Wagging your tail like this just at the sound of him so close? Do you have no shame?

"I'm here." For once you're glad you're so tired. Tension in your voice can easily pass as dryness of the throat—and you add to it with a hearty cough. "Morning."

"Oh. Hi." There's a change in how he sounds. A slight but still is. Oh, how you hate yourself for being able to pick it up. "Good morning."

There's a click of an opened can, a few deep sips, and a long, relieved exhale—that has little hairs on the back of your neck stand up. You hear gravel under his feet, an eerie feeling of being approached; you tense shoulders and let a peek to the side slip, as if he really, physically came to you, about to casually tap your back, that infuriatingly casual habit of his.

Before you even liked how straightforward he is. After just a thought of being touched fills you with a maelstrom of conflicted feelings. You haven't even gotten rid of his fingers off your wrist yet. You wouldn't wipe that comforting—impertinent—tap off for ages.

"You can scratch the risk of civilian casualties out." Atsuya's steps finally still, he either sits down or leans against something with a little groan to it. "One guy just tapped out."

You hide an awkward grunt behind another sip of coffee. People get cursed and die every day, in a job like this you're getting used to it fast—or you tap out yourself. It doesn't get any easier to hear about it, though, even if it's better to pretend otherwise.

"A corpse in a resume even before I seriously started. Fucking crap. I wanna go home." Atsuya doesn't care and it's something you still envy him. To shake it off just like that, to treat human life like another paperwork to deal with instead of spending the night in an izakaya or in front of tv. "This is going to get ugly really fast. That woman from number two... When did it happen? Eh, whatever, Nakagawa will give you the details. But I don't think she'll make it, we found her pretty late, too."

There are five names on the list; the signs are blurred for your tired eyes, but you can tell as much. You highlight the first line and mark it red.

Four cursed ones remain.

"Grab some sleep, if you can." Atsuya's voice grows softer, bringing out that mushy, soft feeling that's been lurking at the edges of your mind. "I'm gonna catch up, too. I'm counting on you."

He leaves the car in silence, thick like tar and having your muscles painfully tense. You need a deeper breath but you're afraid you're going to betray all your thoughts and emotions, so you run on short, barely audible ones.

"Kojima Eitaro, forty-six, salaryman." Nakagawa tries to pull your attention towards the case, but she could as well just speak to the wall. "Found unconscious by the door of his apartment on Thursday, August 3rd, around seven in the morning. The source of the curse: unknown."

ao3 version // jjk masterlist // kofi // dividers by @/saradika-graphics

[maximwtf]

izzy x reader fluff plpease. maybe first kiss????. i am thinking maybe starts off in angst where the reader is rly tired and distancing themself but izzy finds them and is really nice and supportive and shit. bonus points if reader runs off at some point to hide in stede's closet.(idk i find the idea of reader who wears black all the time secretly fucking loving stede's pastels to be amazing) sorry if this made 0 sense

Izzy Hands x Reader

Words: 2440

Google docs pages: 4

Warnings: self doubt, drinking, that’s about it?

Opening: You’re doubting your skills as a pirate, making you distance yourself from anything that reminds you of the life given to you. Izzy notices this, and tries to change your  mind. 

AN// Reader can be any gender. Thank you so much for this request! A good ol’ angst with comfort at the end !! I’ll probably take a small break from ofmd after this because the urge to write a couple of genshin fics is high because I can’t find anything else but smut for that fandom. And while I can certainly live with that, I must add some angst into the mix (as I usually do :”D) Requests are only open for genshin for a bit !^^

“Skilled enough to keep running…”

Being a pirate wasn’t just a title given to some that automatically turned you into the stereotypical barbarian. While it did sometimes awfully seem like some were born to a life such as this, you felt more like a scared mouse at times. That was an underestimate, not even at times. Most of the time. Sailing, cleaning the decks, cooking, sharpening swords and all the other small tasks you usually took were easy. But whenever a more serious situation came about, you froze. You were useless. 

What kind of a pirate doesn’t know how to hold a gun properly without having your hands shake like you were going through an internal earthquake? Or one that didn’t know how to have a proper grip of their sword, so that the opponent could just smack it out of your hands? All of that and more was the norm for you. And no one even dared to tell you how useless you were. 

You would have left this life a long time ago if you could have. But where would have you even gone? You had no home, other than the sea. And you couldn’t be at the sea without a ship. And a captain you could never be, you barely survived as a crew member. At times it felt like the others just pitied you, making them not want to tell you that they saw the way you struggled to even handle a sword. And it wasn’t like you hadn’t asked for lessons for both guns and swords. But even those hadn’t helped. Something in you told you to keep running whenever something bad was about to unfold. 

So you scurried away like a mouse whenever you felt useless or when the rest of the crew handled a battle perfectly fine without you fiddling with a sword in their way. Without even noticing you started doing this even when there was no need for it. 

The evenings usually spent with the crew; talking, drinking, and laughing turned into you sitting at the bow of the ship alone. Watching as the waves hit the ship and as the droplets joined back into the huge body of water. The nights usually spent with Izzy, arguing over who would eventually take the look out shift, when both of you knew you’d sit in the crowsnest together the whole night turned into you hiding away until he gave up looking for you before making your way to the mast. At least you were in no one's way. 

And oddly enough, most of the changes didn’t bother you. After all, it felt like this was how things were meant to be. But those look out shifts became something you soon started to miss. Especially when you had to wait for him to stop looking for you before going to the mast. You could hear him search for you, even if he was never loud with it. You knew the first mate would never admit to willingly spending those hours with you. So it hurt to ignore him like this. 

But as time went on, the man became more persistent, a trait you admired. Of course he had noticed that your absence wasn’t simply exhaustion from the small tasks you always insisted on doing, saying that it was the least you could offer. Which he never understood, because in his eyes you had potential. Like raw marble that hadn’t been shaped into a statue yet. But every time he had tried to teach you, you had shied away. 

So he took it upon himself to catch you and ask what was going on. Not only for his own sake, but the captains had been asking about you and what kind of a first mate would have he been if he didn’t know where the crew was. Especially when one of them had seemingly disappeared, apart from the cleaning still being magically done. Knowing it was you. 

So another night, he looked for you as had become a habit. And as per usual tradition, you were nowhere to be found. No amount of lantern light on the murky deck would have given out where you could have been, and searching the whole ship at such an hour would have been a waste of time. But this time you made a mistake. 

While trying to shift positions in the comfort of a deep shadow, you slipped onto the wet deck. Not badly, but enough to make a noise. If it hadn’t been for the lantern in the first mate’s hand, you wouldn’t have been able to tell that he was coming towards you. His clothes blended so well into the night. But so did yours, something you thought was boring. Though, it gave an advantage and allowed you to slip away for a moment, still aware that the first mate wasn’t stupid. He’d sniff out your tracks like a bloodhound in no time. Especially with where you were now. 

Stede’s quarters, the lights now dim and the soft snoring of the other captain audible every now and then. Izzy wouldn’t have to do more than peek through the small window to see you here. The dim lights even cast a shadow on the wooden flooring, determining your presence. 

Your heart was pounding, just like it always did when you fled from a fight. And you did so now even when you knew the person after you was someone you should have had respect for. Pouting, you realised you should have never stepped a foot on a ship. Who by accident disrespects the privacy of their captain and the commands of a first mate? 

Biting your bottom lip to keep the thoughts at bay and the tears far away, you pushed a closet door open, slid between the soft fabrics and closed the door the best you could. You crouched down, sitting alone in the closet like a scared child. A fast breath escaped, determined not to call it a sob. That would have been the last straw for you, if you cried now they might as well have you thrown overboard tomorrow morning. 

But even if the tears never came, the sob was heard. The door opened, but no one stepped in. He was smart enough not to barge in, unlike you. After what sounded like he had determined safe entry, the first mate finally stepped in. He called you silently by name, knowing the outcome but still tried. To his usual style, a few curses left him as Stede’s breathing pattern changed momentarily. Soon the dim light of the lantern shone right towards the closet, a straight line of light making its way right beside you through a crack. You didn’t feel like trying to run anymore. “Fucking, get out of there.” A snappy whisper came from the other side of the door, making you hug your knees. What a stew you’d brewed for yourself.

A groan rumbled from Izzy’s throat as he slowly opened the closet door, shining the light in only to find the person he’d been looking for at the bottom of it. He wanted to be mad, to tell you that he wasn’t a nanny and you weren’t a child. But the sight of you made him hold back slightly, offering you a hand. “Get up.” He said silently, you staring up at him before taking his hand. 

He led you out on the main deck, making sure to close the cabin door silently not to wake up Stede. He stayed silent until he’d brought you to the railing to which he leaned on, as a deep sigh left him. He brushed back his hair, leaning back ever so slightly as he turned to look at you. You held yourself, gaze avoiding his, not sure if he was mad at you. 

He’d always been better at you at the whole pirate thing, not that you’d known him for more than a year at maximum. But for some reason he chose to spend time with you. Which you’d never understood. Wouldn’t have it been more entertaining for him to talk to someone who understood him? “You know, I’ve fucking hated being here too.” He started, breaking the silence with a comment he was hoping to land somewhere near the reason why you’d been avoiding him. And the attempt somewhat worked, gaining your attention as your eyes finally moved to his form. “After Stede came along, and his…crew” He left the terms ‘fucking useless’ out for now, adding them in only in his inner monologue. You took a step closer, leaning on the railing, copying his mannerisms. “But you’re not useless.” You sighed, turning to look at the water, not wanting to see how he looked at you after. “I was to Edward for some time.” He replied, turning to one of the wooden containers on deck, rummaging through it, knowing there were a few bottles at the bottom of it. And he was right, of course. “You don’t need someone to be useful. I can’t even be useful to myself.” You shrugged, feeling somewhat better now that you were talking to him again, though still tense. “What use is an unused first mate?” He asked, giving you a look as he seemed to notice you weren’t picking up on what he meant, now that he’d finally caught up with the problem. It had been the fact that you kept fleeing after every minor failure. The first mate opened the bottle, the cap of it falling somewhere on the deck, the sound of it slowly rolling away as the ship swayed audible for a moment. 

You turned to look at him once more. “But you’re still skilled. Surely there is someone who’s in need of someone like you.” Izzy sighed, wanting to groan out of slight frustration because he wasn’t used to comforting people, but he kept that to himself. And he told himself that it was simply because you intrigued him, still a part of him knowing it was because he actually cared. But that was an emotion yet unknown to him. “At some point in sailing with the same crew, they become too close to leave behind. No matter how they treat you.” ‘That's family for you’, you thought to yourself, not having many other family dynamics to compare this to. But then again, he was correct. And something in you had known that this whole time. That’s why you hadn’t left the crew, but instead turned to hiding away. Because the crew had formed into a family. 

You fell into a silence, a comfortable one. Izzy followed along, offering you the rum bottle to drink from, not knowing many other ways to ease the feelings he knew all too well. He hadn’t been born with a sword in hand either, and he had the scars on his back as a reminder of who he had had to become in order to survive and live the life he’d been given. But if he could offer you an easier way to ease into this life, he could try. Wouldn’t have been the first time for him to find someone who just needed a little sharpening. 

You took a swig, placing the bottle on the railing, still holding the neck of it. You saw the crew in a better light now. Being able to kill someone wasn’t something that gained you respect and made you useful, that was only a skill most here knew only to survive and protect the family they’d found. The more you thought back to what you usually did for others, they always seemed to be thankful. It was the small tasks, the ones that no one else bothered to do that made the crew respect you as one of their own. But one thing was still unclear. Why did Izzy care? 

You handed the bottle to him, tilting your head. “Why do you care? Care enough to come look for me now..?” You asked, confused. Sure, you’d spent time with him and he was by far the only person from the crew you knew this well, but by the way he acted towards others you would have never guessed he would have been the person to come looking for you so persistently. The first mate took the opportunity to shut himself up before anything slipped past him by taking a long swig from the bottle. Though, eventually having to put it down. He cleared his throat, extending his time to think of an answer even he didn’t know. The air was tense now that he’d used all his getaway cards. 

A breath of the cool night air and he spoke. “Because I feel something for you”, shattering the silence from earlier. You stared at him, watching him take another swig, all words gone from your mind. Your mouth hung agape, wanting to tell him you felt the same but none of that came out. He’d helped you enough for tonight, you didn’t want to watch the poor man suffer any further. 

You took a hold of his hand, the one grasping the bottle oddly tight. Your touch eased the hold, making him turn to you. “And if you still want, I can-” He attempted to escape, but you knew by now how that always ended up. No one could run for forever, no matter how skilled they were. You gently took a step closer, awkward but still somehow leading. He wasn’t resisting, so you got closer. Still no words in mind, you thought this would have told him more than any of your stuttered words could. You kissed him, awkwardly, but it was the meaning behind it that mattered. It didn’t last long, not as long as similar actions in the future did. Yet he would continue to look at you with the same expression he had on his face now. One of melancholic surprise, like he was sad yet still caring. Confused. You both had something to work on, together. 

AN// Shoutout to clocks and time fr, it’s 5am again :”D Anyway I’ve healed from a fever and what I think was a sinus infection or still is??? Not sure man but I’m still holding on, trust. We'll see whatever ache attacks me next :"DD If this was proof read funny, I apologise. I'm tired xd

[enha-hirose]

ENHYPEN KAI HIROSE'S PROFILE

Personal Information:

Stage Name: Artemis

Birth Name: Kai Hirose (히로세)

Date of Birth: April 17, 2001

Position: FOTG, Main Rapper, Lead Vocal, and Main Dancer.

Nicknames: Riri, Ari, Rosey, Hiro, and Kai

Zodiac Sign: Aries

MBTI: INTJ

Nationality: Korean-Japanese

Training Period: 2 and a half year

Blood Type: B

Facts about her:

Hirose was born in Tokyo, Japan but her family also maintains a residence in Seoungbukdong Village, Seoul, Korea, thus, allowing them to be able to travel back and forth between two countries.

Hirose's father holds the position of CEO at a prominent Japanese multinational investment holding company while her mother is a renowned chef. In addition, Hirose has an older brother who is two years older than her and who is also actively engaged in the business world.

Kai is a proud cat mom to two feline companions, Tsuki (Moon) and Hoshi (Star), who undoubtedly hold a special place in her heart.

She has a passion for baking pastries, using it as her love language to express affection.

Not only does Hirose demonstrate proficiency in classical instruments such as the violin, piano, and cello, but she has also delved into the realm of martial arts, having learned taekwondo and honed her equestrian skills through horseback riding.

She has a driving license and a pokemon collection (mostly pikachu).

However, it's Hirose's early fascination with archery that truly sets her apart. Starting at a young age, she dedicated herself to the sport, mastering the art to such an extent that she was able to compete at prestigious events like the Tokyo Olympics and the SEA Games, making her nation proud as she won gold medals in both events.

She is a huge fan of Red Velvet and BTS.

She was casted by Big Hit Entertainment when Hirose caught the eye of BANG PD himself during a BTS concert in Japan who recognize her overflowing potential.

She made a surprising lovely appearance in the BTS Highlight Reel, assuming the roles of J-Hope and Jimin's partner. Her exposure made her earn a substantial and passionate fanbase. From then, J-hope and Jimin immediately took her under their wing and treated her as their little sister.

She had a cameo and acted in the movie "The King" in her pre-debut.

She spent 2 years of intensive training with TXT which solidified the bond between Hirose and the members. The boys were actually hoping and looking forward for Hirose to be their female member.

She ranked 1st in the final episode of I-Land.

Hirose is often described as a tsundere, displaying a mix of a tough exterior and a warm, caring interior, revealing her softer side to those close to her. Despite her initial aloofness, her actions and gestures speak volumes about the genuine affection she holds for her friends and loved ones.

The I-Land trainees affectionately nicknamed Hirose as "Archer Siren" due to her exceptional talents, combining her mastery in archery with a voice so enchanting it's reminiscent of a siren's call. The trainees also acknowledge her as an all-rounder.

In the 1st episode of I-Land, Hirose and Heeseung were in a powerful sub-unit that left everyone in awe. Their synergy and breathtaking performance not only earned them full votes and set a high standard for the competition right from the start.

Hirose has forged strong bonds with all ITZY members, fostering particularly close friendships with Ryujin and Yeji, Aespa's Karina, IVE's Yujin and Gaeul, StayC's Isa, Viviz's SinB, and Red Velvet's Wendy and Irene.

Hirose has endeared herself to fans not just for her artistic talents but also for her pure and compassionate heart. Demonstrating her commitment to philanthropy, she donated 50 million won to aid the victims of a devastating forest fire in Gangwondo. On February 14th, 2023, she extended her generosity further, contributing another 50 million won to support those affected by the earthquake in Turkey.

Likes: classical music, mocha bread, rose tteokbokki, spicy and savory flavors, Harry Potter series, baking, traveling, coffee, photography, color green and blue, archery, and painting.

Dislikes: dust (she is allergic), tapping noises, injustice, unreliable and arrogant people, mint choco (she can tolerate it), loud crowds, disorganization, crying, invasive paparazzi or fans, and selfishness.

[ap-kinda-lit]

You know what they should have done in YuGiOh? You know what would have made a cool antagonist/monster?

This piece of work ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Apep (aka Apophis)

(aka Apophis) was a monstrous snake from Egyptian mythology. It’s not clear, but it seems like Apep has existed for, well, eternity. He was born from either goddess Neith’s saliva or Ra’s umbilical cord (no seriously). He’s just about always a snake (a creature normally respected and even admired in Egyptian lore, but not in this case…) and a big one. I mean, huge. Accounts vary, but he’s been described as reaching 16-120 yards in length (48-360 feet). Either way, he was a unit.

Egyptian mythology is fairly grey when it comes to good and evil, but when it comes to Apep…yeah no, they make it crystal clear that m*therf*cker was evil incarnate and every one feared and hated him. Saying his name alone was cursed, like Voldemort.

And for good reason, because Apep was a damn beast. Even the gods were nervous about him.

He created storms, earthquakes, and eclipses with his roar or just by moving. He could hypnotize people, mortals and gods alike, and he devoured souls, living and dead. The worst part of that, though, was that the souls would not die. Instead, they would be trapped in an endless void of darkness that was basically a hellish limbo. But, most of all, his favorite thing to do was pick fights with the sun god Ra and eat him alive. He would literally swallow the sun whole.

Yeah, that’s what he did. He would come after Ra, the god of the sun and king of the heavens, and they would do battle. Apep’s main goal was always to devour the sun, destroy Ra, and plunge the world into darkness and chaos. Sometimes, he would succeed in swallowing Ra, and it would take all the gods joining forces to free him from the snake’s belly. As a matter of fact, even Set—the literal god of chaos, an Egyptian Loki—would join in. Hell, it’s even said he stabbed Apep with a spear. Seriously. That’s how bad Apep was.

Priests would hold rituals every year to ward off Apep and the rituals consisted of going ham on a picture/sculpture of him. There was even a whole guide called “The Books of Overthrowing Apep”. Apep was essentially invincible, he could not be killed, even by the gods. All they could do was cut him to pieces and cast him into the underworld. But he would always come back sooner or later.

Apep was a bad, bad SOB.

So I’m thinking, how the hell did they not so much as mention him in Yu-Gi-Oh!?

He’s perfect! He’s a primordial kaiju that embodies chaos and eats gods like fruit snacks. Like, screw the Leviathan or Zorc, look at this guy. He makes the Leviathan from the DOMA arc look like a baby. Zorc is darkness incarnate? Bitch, Apep is right there. That job is already taken. Also, keep in mind that Ra was the first pharaoh, the forefather of all pharaohs. About every pharaoh in history was associated with the sun and Ra. Atem/Yami Yugi was destined to encounter Apep at some point.

I seriously wish there was an arc including Apep. Hell, I would sell my kidney to replace the goddamn Waking the Dragons arc with a different arc on Apep (in case you didn’t know, I don’t care for the DOMA arc).

Please tell me I’m not alone on this.

*bonus

Sometimes Ra (or Bastet or Hathor) would transform into a cat to fight Apep and it was shown in hieroglyphs. Here’s one of them.

I just think that’s neat

[disneytva]

Los Angeles Times Interviews Natasha Kline On How Her Chicano Culture On Los Angeles Inspired Primos As Well Reflecting On The Controversy.

Born in Los Angeles, Kline grew up in various towns throughout the Inland Empire (“Mostly in Fontana,” she says.) She says she was the quiet kid in class with a sketchbook open, concentrating on her drawing, and knew from a young age that she wanted to be an animator.

Kline had longed to make a show like “Primos” since she was a cartoon-loving kid in the ‘90s and realized she wasn’t seeing any chicano families like hers on TV.

“My family, like a lot of L.A. families, is multicultural,” Kline says. “My immediate family is bicultural. And I wanted to see that on the screen — the different skin tones and the different cultural threads that can be woven through in a huge family.”

“Primos” is set in a fictional L.A. neighborhood inspired by the Inland Empire towns that Kline and her art director Ivan Aguirre grew up in. Even the palette in the show is meant to resemble the hues they remember from the hazy summer smog days of the ‘90s, adding the specificity of their experiences and memories.

Because “Primos” is such a personal project, Kline acknowledges that the backlash the show received after its Theme Song were shared last June was “painful, at first.” Among the elements the online audience called out at the time were the theme song’s Spanish being grammatically incorrect, the name of the show’s fictional town being a reference to earthquakes and even the yellow tint of the skyline. The yellow coloring has often been used by Hollywood films and TV shows set in Mexico to establish a sense of otherness.

“I made the show because I did want to connect with my roots and with my heritage,” says Kline. “That was the first time I ever got feedback from the public, so it was very interesting. … But I think the way that people react to things is valid.” Rather than dwell on the negativity, Kline brushed off the experience as just another part of making a show. “That’s the nature of the beast,” says Kline. “When you’re an artist and you’re making something for the world, the hope is that you get feedback. I was getting feedback throughout the whole process … from execs [and] from my crew [and] if I get feedback, I’m going to be thoughtful about it and proceed with that in mind.”

Among the changes the “Primos” team has made since the release of the video last year is to make it more obvious that the show was set in an L.A. neighborhood. Tater’s hometown was originally called Terremoto Heights. The city is now named Hacienda Hills, as an homage to where Kline’s mother grew up.

“For me, this has always been an L.A. show about chicanos living there” Kline says. “So that was something we ended up tailoring because I love this city. I thought, if there’s anything we can lean into to make it more clear that this is what [the show] is about, then let’s do it. That was my original intent anyways.”

[screamingfromuz]

This is a bit of a ramble, sorry, but it’s been in my head for a while and I just needed to put it out

Both my parents, and my grandparents, grew up in Israel. My parents were born in the late sixties and moved countries in 1998, so they went through quite a bit, and my mum sometimes talks to me about what it was like to live in the conflict. One story that’s always stuck out to me was that once there was a missile warning, but they weren’t able to go to the shelters because this time it was suspected that there would be some sort of toxic gas involved, and it could get into the shelters. So my mum and dad had to stay in their homes, with the rest of their families, and the only protection they had was putting wet towels under the cracks in the doors and windows. At this point my parents were in their early twenties. Everyone was scared out of their minds. My mum was absolutely terrified, she knew that there was a good chance they could die in this. My parents stayed on the phone the entire time, trying to comfort each other

Luckily, it was a false alarm. There wasn’t any gas, and my parents are fine. But this story never fails to make me cry

I think one of the best ways to pull people away from extremism when they’re still in the ‘soft radicalised’ phase is to share personal stories. It’s a huge problem, the dehumanisation of both Israelis and Palestinians. People’s lives, and deaths, are reported through such a cold, detached view. Usually it’s just numbers and statistics. But almost everyone who’s lived in either Israel or Gaza have had experiences like my parents, and everyone has felt those core feelings that they have. And it’s so important to talk about this kind of stuff, to share personal experiences, because it humanises people. It forces these dumbass extremists to confront the fact that these are real people suffering, and that it’s not a fucking video game where there’s the Bad Guys and the Good Guys

I don’t think this would work on those who’ve been fully radicalised, they’re too far gone, and honestly they’d probably be happy to hear personal stories about the ‘wrong side’ suffering. But still, I think this kind of stuff can and does pull people back into reality. Idk, I just wanted to get this out there because I’ve been thinking about it lately

I still remember when it was mandatory to hold government issued gas masks. One of my earliest memories is my kindergarten teacher showing us pictures that explain how to put them on.

for a few years my bedroom was in the safe room. It was fun because I didn't need to get out of bed if there was a missile.

about a decade ago, due to a mechanical problem, a bus in Jerusalem exploded. People immediately went into "call and confirm mode".

the buses I would take back home from school wold have cracked windows due to people stoning them.

I was 10 minutes away from at least two stabbing.

in school we had an earthquake drill, fire drill, armed attacker drill and missile drills.

those are just the things on the top of my head

[faceglitchsworld]

In the 10th of July, 25 years ago, a big earthquake happened. An earthquake so strong and powerful that a mountain came out of it. Now that mountain is staring at us, only to be admired and loved.

All this huge and mighty intro to wish Happy Birthday to San! 🥳

Please, look at the collage I made for him 🥺

I know what are you asking "Teresa wtf, didn't you write birthday letters to Ateez last year wtf happened?"

Eeeeeeeh, last year, around this time, shit happened and I didn't want to write a letter for him but since I'm a completionist I wanted to remedy by writing the letter now. And also because it's been ages since I wrote a letter, I needed to practice a little 🤣

However, I suggest you to read the other letters I made for Ateez last year all in this very useful masterlist (pls don't read them, they're cringe).

Ok, did I say everything? Probably yes, so now you'll get the letter 😌

I think I should start with something very funny. Back in the day, when I was still trying to recognise Ateez's faces, San was one of the first ones that I immediately recognised. Probably his features helped a lot at the time, I don't know.

I know what you are thinking, "and? Ok, good for you but where is the funny part?". Well, the funny part is that I didn't associate his name to his face...at all.

Yes, exactly. Take some seconds to elaborate and also make fun of me for it. You're probably asking why I did this. And the answer is...I don't know? I'm a stupid fan at the end of the day. Probably at the time my mind thought that his name was not cool and I couldn't accept that someone with those recognizable and honestly cool features had such a simple name.

I wasn't used to Korean names, you can clearly see it. But don't worry, I overcame it. In fact, I call him "Sannie Sannie" now. You wonder why? Because I thought it was cuter than just saying "Sannie" once.

But anyway, apart from this funny anecdote of mine, you're probably waiting for something more. But if I tell you something more I should probably make an entire whole ass story of searching the bias in Ateez and no one wants to hear that because it's just me looking at video compilations and being unsure whether I should put two or even three people in the bias list. Those were dark times that it's better to not remember.

But jokes aside, there has been a time where I was clearly unsure about my bias list and San was a potential wrecker. It didn't help that at the time I was heavily focused on watching videos related to Wooyoung and I immediately got caught by the friendship San made with him.

Mind you, I think that his personality was also very fitting to me. I have a kind of soft spot for introverts and San was fitting a lot. The huge patient he showed towards Wooyoung was telling me a lot at the time. I love patient friends in general, they're something you don't find easily. And San surely has a lot of patience for bearing Wooyoung's chaotic nature and also Yeosang's jealousy.

I confess, I don't have the full picture because I didn't live those moments. I only heard stories about how this trio was born. I know there was some little jealousy, that probably is still there but it's just a cute rivalry right now. And I know that those three are closer than ever today. But apart from that I only heard stories. And all of these kind of confirm that San had a lot of patience dealing with a jealous friend who was afraid to lose his best friend. And not only did he bear it, he also managed to welcome him into a new, fresh circle of friends. It's something very sweet to witness.

Also, should I mention his "secret extrovert personality"? The personality that comes up in the exact moment he gets comfortable and starts bringing chaos in the room? Maybe it's not his actual personality and he should just not drink coffee at all but it's something that immediately caught my eye. After all, secret extroverts are another weakness of mine.

And last but not least, I think it's necessary to point out his caring and lovely side. The people who watched the majority of his lives will probably confirm or even use better words than mine. The way he talks with the chat, his soft voice, how he makes the entire situation comfy and lovely... it's surely something else.

Dear San, we reached the end of this letter. To be honest, I think you would have expected some praise for your dancing ability, your stage presence or how you like experimenting things. Problem is...I didn't want to. I wanted to highlight something more from you and I decided to spend all this time just to highlight your sweet personality and how caring and funny you are. It's unexpected? Yeah, but it's not a birthday letter of mine if I don't focus on unnecessary details, it's a habit of mine, hehe.

For your birthday wish, I actually have something very simple. It's actually a "recurring theme" in almost every Ateez birthday letter I made, I think that I became repetitive. But I wish you could enjoy this day resting and that your birthday will not be the only occasion to do so.

And also that you'll learn anatomy better because NO WAY you confused the hips with the butt for Sandeoki's hearts 😭 But don't worry, that's ok, no one actually learns anatomy... Unless you want to become a doctor. Or an artist.

Happy birthday, Sannie 🤍

[imsodishy]

For you. 👍 They were too late.

Couldn't stop Seven in time, not until she had thrown them all for a loop.

Led them to now, Max sitting curled up next to her unconscious brother as Dustin paces a hole straight through the floor. Lucas sat on the couch closer to where Steve was laid, Mike and Will crammed together on an armchair. Robin, Nancy, and Jonathan had run off with Joyce and Hopper to find more information, if anything.

What happened was this: They were all cornered by a few of El's siblings, who were out to bring El back home. Not that it is home anymore. Hasn't been for a few years. But they were strong.

The girl, which El called Seven, had the power of hyper empathy. Make others feel their base emotions, no smokes and mirrors about it. It was harmless when it was just the numbers together, their emotions not that developed to really cause a huge scene, but.

Here, in the open? It was far more dangerous to be ruled by your emotions.

And of course, idiots they were, Billy and Steve had gotten hit protecting them. Knocked them out cold the moment they hit the ground, El fending her sister and brothers off until the others could drag the limp bodies to safety.

Leaves them to now, where everyone was waiting for them to wake up.

Everyone wanted Steve to wake up.

Only Max wanted Billy to wake up.

"He could lash out at us! You remember what happened at the Byers, right? He could have killed Lucas then! Any of us, really!" Dustin argues when Max had refused to have her brother tied up in the shed for 'everyone's safety'.

"He apologised! Several times! He's been getting better!" Max rebukes. Mike rolls his eyes.

"Max, your brother is aggressive. And you remember what El said about Seven! She amplifies emotions! Your brother's base emotion is violence. He wakes up, sees us, and we're toast." Mike swipes his hand through the air. "We'd be safer if we put him somewhere else."

"What, like a toy? That's my brother you're talking about here! Would you like it if I asked you to put your sister in the shed?"

"Nancy isn't Billy, Max. She wouldn't hurt us like Billy will."

It was a losing battle with them. Only El was on her side, and the only one willing to sit so close to Billy besides Max.

"Do you want to risk it, Max?" Lucas questions. "I mean, he's been getting better, but do you really know him…?"

Max looks at Billy, his face slack and bandaged with Elmo bandages.

"I have to. He put himself in front of us. It's not fair to him if you guys want to lock him up like an animal."

"To be honest Max but-"

Dustin is cut off by a slight whine coming from the object of their conversation, everyone turning to face him. Even if Max was putting her trust in him, she can't help but tense up anyways, planting her feet to the ground.

"M… Max…?" Billy groans, soft. Max reaches out, shakes his shoulder.

"I'm here."

Billy suddenly shoots up, and it earns him some background noise as the party starts talking louder, warning Max and El to get away before he attacks them.

Except, that isn't what happens.

What happens is Billy immediately screams and breaks into tears, covering his ears.

It's enough to shut everyone up. Everyone stares in total confusion as Billy's gaze shoots between each and every single one of them, eyes wide and rimmed in tears.

"What- What's- Please- I'm sorry why- It's too loud, it's too loud- What- Don't attack, please- I'm sorry-" He curls into a ball, arms blocking his ears as he ducks his head. Shakes like there's an earthquake born inside of him, and Max reaches out a hand to touch him.

"Billy?"

Billy flinches the moment Max's fingertips brush against him, and Max pulls her hand back. Watches him curl up tighter, hands gripping his hair like a lifeline. Tearing out strands most likely from how hard he was holding on.

This isn't what anyone expected. This wasn't normal.

This didn't feel like Billy.

But he was hit by Seven.

This had to be Billy.

Then why did it feel wrong?

They didn't have long to ruminate on it when Steve rises from where he was on the couch. Dustin turns to Steve, already rushing over to him with a smile.

"Steve! Buddy, dude, are you okay you must be worried too but don't worry we got out-"

"You IDIOTS. What in the fresh hell did you think that was going to DO?!" Steve's voice booms, and Dustin stops in his tracks. Billy breaks down even more, El getting up to fetch a blanket. Drapes it over Billy until nobody could see him. Max can hear his shuddering breaths underneath.

"S-Steve? What-" Dustin was stupified.

Steve's head jerks to stare down Dustin, face red. "I was trying to tell you that no, going head first when we don't even have all the facts was a bad, STUPID idea! And then guess what!" Steve laughs, but it wasn't a normal kind of laugh at all. It was more mean, sarcastic. This was King Steve.

It felt so much like Billy.

"We got ourselves in TROUBLE. All because oh, it would be soooo much better if we just jump right into it, no planning beforehand! Everything will turn out fine, no worries! We've done this before, we'll just do it again! No biggie! What's the worst that can possibly happen?"

"Steve, you're scaring me-"

"Scaring you? Scaring you! Oh, oh that's rich, man. Really. Really." He stands up, eyes trailing over everyone once. Max can't help but lower her body just a little, try to stay out of whatever was happening to Steve.

Was this what he really felt?

Steve's hand curls into a fist, then settles right on the blanket mound that was Billy. Gestures to him. "And look what you've all done. You went and scared him. Bet you woke him up yelling at him. Screaming because you kids have no voice control. He didn't even ask for this. I didn't ask for this. You're lucky I don't want blood on my hands."

"We didn't- We thought he'd, you know-" Lucas tries to explain.

"What, bite? You wanted him to prove he's nothing but anger?! Is that it? You know he isn't! He's been hanging around us for months, but no. No of course not. Not like he's been driving you to the arcade when I can't, or making sure you don't die out there! He's not just-" Steve growls, spinning and kicking a fallen pillow. Quiets when Billy jerks from where he was hidden.

"I can't do this anymore." He says quietly, and heads upstairs.

Leaves everyone silently staring after him, save for Billy.

What was that.

It was almost like…

"They feel like they swapped." El says. "But they're… the same."

fic anon! thank you 💜

[youremyheaven]

https://www.tumblr.com/youremyheaven/751278003322060800/might-be-off-topic-but-i-have-moon-in-scorpio-in?source=share

Thanks a lot! ✨

There was an earthquake after a month of my birth. Nothing could be as bad as that 🥲

Anyway we shall overcome ✊❤

Bbg I was born a week late and several attempts to induce labour all flopped and my mom had to have a C section to have me. Since there seemed to be a lot of 'blockages' with me being born, my mom was hella uneasy in the days leading up to it. On the morning of my birth, my grand uncle passed away (a healthy man who died in his sleep that morning) and everybody told my mom to postpone her C section bc it seemed like a bad omen 💀🤡 and she, to everyone's surprise was absolutely relieved to hear that her uncle was gone 💀 because she felt like whatever bad juju was in the air, it was now cleared because he took it with him?? (lmao my mother is wildddd, I get my freak streak from her) and she said for the first time in days she felt like she could breathe easy and just relax and felt absolutely sure that I would arrive safely. Her whole family was against it but she insisted on going thru with her C section even though many relatives had to leave the hospital to go attend the funeral. But when they finally brought her out, she said there were like 50-60 people outside, who after attending the funeral deciding to come see the new baby and since she was drugged up, she thought I must've died 💀and they're all there to offer condolences (in India of 25yrs ago, esp in small towns, after C section, the baby is given away to relatives and manyyyy hours go by before the mother is released and put up in a room?? So my mom had no idea what happened to me lol) and said she was so pleasantly surprised that so many people would come and give me such a grand welcome (and gifts and money 🤑🤌🏼) and if it weren't for the funeral then that many people wouldn't get together??

The point is, it's all a matter of perspective. My mom thought of events most people would interpret negatively as a huge blessing and treated it as such so her experiences were as such but somebody else could have easily had a very different pov about all this.

The earthquake did not even have anything to do with you, you were already born and a month old, so why associate that with yourself? 🥺 Its like those stories from ancient India where before the main character is born or immediately after, some natural calamity or tragedy occurs and it's a cue to ✨their destiny ✨ because their energy is soo powerful that the earth literally shook up 🤌🏼life is all about perspective bbg, this is your cool origin story, isn't it better to think of it that way? 🥰

[chattegeorgiana]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ARASHI & KUSHINA UZUMAKI!!! ♋🎂🎉🥳 (Yes, I was waiting for the full piece to be revealed before sending a message)

This birthday piece is so BEAUTIFUL! I love it so much i can't put it into words! The new ocs look amazing as well! I think the Karin look alike with purple eyes is Karin's mother when she was young. I'm looking forward to knowing who the other two are. I've already seen the guy with the oni mask on the cover for "The ties that bind" and given what I've read in that chapter, he must have played a major role in the creation of the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. The lady behind those two though, I'm not sure but from the fact that she's in the front with the other Uzumaki's who are important to the legacy of the Uzumaki clan, I think she's going to be super important to the story as well.

Anyway let's talking about Arashi for right now. I'm super glad you got my message concerning his birthday commission, it ment so much to me. I was honestly somewhat surprised you responded but to be honest, I'm always surprised when someone answers my anonymous messages. Mostly because I don't expect them to answer most of the time. But anyways, Arashi just looks so cool and handsome! I think blue suits him perfectly! Is his long hair based on the old headcanon that Arashi would grow his hair out (on @kirabooksss-blog) and the old anon ask about him probably growing his hair out like Kushina when he's older on @askshinachiku? Because if it is, this is an amazing comeback. Personally, as a matter of preference, I prefer his short hair but the story of why is so sweet so I don't mind it at all.

You know? The staff Arashi has in his hand very much reminds me of a trident. Which is interesting because everytime I see something that looks like a trident, the first thing I think of is Poseidon who is the God of the sea (or water in general), storms, earthquakes, and horses. The storm part is what brought my attention because Arashi's name literally means "storm". I think it's fitting because the Uzumaki clan are associated with the ocean being that whirlpools form mainly in the ocean or wherever water is flowing which Poseidon has complete control over. I'm not sure about the shape it's supposed to be though. Fire? A seahorse? A crab? A dragon? A chair with Dolphins at it's sides representing the king of the ocean?? I don't know, I'm just guessing at this point, it could probably be just for design purposes but I like to read to much into things sometimes because it's satisfying. I feel as though my last guess could be it but I'm not to sure about it 😅.

I mentioned crabs before which brings me to something I want to say. Being that Arashi and Kushina's birthday lands on July 10th, their zodiac sign is cancer which it's animal symbol is a crab. I've read somewhere on the internet about the folklore that crabs are believed to embody the souls of fallen samurai in past battles. More specifically, the heikegani, which are a species of crab native to Japan, is representative of the samurais from costal battles whose souls were lost at sea. Legend held that the crabs were the reincarnations of samurai slain at the Battle of Dan-no-ura. This reminds me of the fact that Uzushiogakure was destroyed in times of war (which was a pretty huge battle if it destroyed a whole Hidden Village and majority of it's inhabitants), and large members of the Uzumaki clan went with it, only leaving a few survivors.

Cancer is said to be the house of Neptune (which is named after Poseidons roman counterpart, Neptune, and it's astronomical symbol represents Neptune's trident) and the exaltation of Jupiter (which is named after the Roman counterpart of Zeus, Jupiter, and is also the god of the sky, which storms usually occur, and thunder, which storms usually consist of), both astronomical bodies over those born under Cancer. Cancer also has a history of being in the sky as a crab was crushed under the foot of Heracles, and whose remains were placed in the sky by Hera, forming the Cancer constellation. In Roman variations of the story, it is Juno—Hera's counterpart in Roman mythology—who places the crab in the sky. Cancer is also a water sign which ties with Uzumaki clans connection with water.

I wanna say so much more but I just got off work, I'm tired and scatterbrained and I just got revealed to gods works so I need a nap 😭. But before I end this message, I gotta say you and Pumiih cooked. And when I mean you cooked you COOKED. Amazing work as always. Also, thank you for accepting my headcanon for Arashi's tigers name, very much appreciated. I also wonder if Arashi would ever meet Kaito at some point, I'm interested in them meeting. Anyway, awesome work, don't rush, take your time and rest, don't stress yourself, have a good day and I'm excited to see what Kaika has in store.

🌩️🌪️🌀🐯

Aaaaaaaaaaaaah, anon, whoever you are THANK YOU SO SO MUCH from the bottom of my heart! I'm certain @pumiih appreciates this as much as I do.

AND YES YES YES TO ALL THE THINGS YOU WROTE THERE. Omg you make me more excited about my own AU than I make myself. I LOVE IT the way you broke down all the things in this piece! Are you reading like MY MIND or something?? Of course, I got to admit, some of those things weren't intentional, but I knew they would match and since I love these kind of things I went ahead.

So, let's take it on turns...first... Karin's mother, because yes, that's Karin's mother, you guessed it right.

Her name is Izumo Uzumaki. Her name is very symbolic & related to a certain character attribute of Karin's. There's a lot I cannot unveil right now cuz it means I would spoil it BUT I have some great things thought about her. Some ties/connections that I can't wait to see how everyone will perceive. Nevertheless, I can't wait until I get to Izumo. Atm, she's only been hinted at in the story & there's a lot that Karin doesn't know and needs to find out.

So basically, as Karin will find out more and unravel about her Uzumaki ties/past, so will we. And like I said, I hope what I have in mind will keep people on the edge of their seats. Next... the guy is actually aaaaaaaaa girl, lol. She's the sealer lady, like I like to call her. I still haven't decided on her name though, that's why I'm keeping it low profile with her.

She, too, is a powerful type of sealer, since duuh, it's the Uzumaki descendance. Like you said, she has already been featured on chapter 11's cover in fanfic format. And not only that... if you have read chapter 11, you know there's a certain backstory involving Kaguya & the creation of the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. Welp, let's just say she's at the center of it. I'm honestly thinking of naming her Kaika Uzumaki because I want to make it a word's play with her mother... which is ba-da-bim-ba-da-bum...

The other lady: Ōhirume Uzumaki, the Uzumaki clan's matriarch. That is of course before Ashina's times. She is the weilder of a VERY VERY powerful clan technique. One that matches the godly powers of the likes of Otsutsuki. That's precisely when the whole Kaguya ordeal happens and Ōhirume & her daugther interfere, it creates a certain inner conflict within the clan, and the leadership changes, leading to the times when patriarchy takes over and men like Ashina get to lead, instead of the initial matriarchy that the clan has. Now onto BABY ARASHI WHO'S NOW A MAN! Look at him precious baby boy T_T (can't believe I'm this obsessed with him lol; it's like I'm watching my baby grow). And ofc I got your message! It is honestly a pleasure to talk to you about this. I've had this idea in mind waay before you wrote to me, but when you did, I was so glad you did because somehow intuitively it was like you knew what I was going to do haha. We "vibed" really well. Like I said back then, I felt guilty I didn't have anything for his birthday in the past, so I made sure this year I DON'T forget it! I wanted to do the boy justice and here we are today.

Btw, I don't usually answer messages here because most of the times I forget about Tumblr lol since it's sadly kind of a dead platform. But I do return to it from time to time like now, and I try to take my time in talking to you guys. It's just that now adulting life ya know, takes a lot of my time so I am always searching to balance everything out as best as possible.

Anyway, back to Arashi... Let's take it on turns:

Blue was meant to represent the whirlpools/sea aspect of the Uzumaki clan so ofc I had to have blue introduced in his design

The long hair was actually not inspired from there, it was a personal preference of mine given some costume inspirations i saw and the man had long hair (+ there were some details from my own heritage that i introduced in his costume hehe). BUT IS SO COOL TO SEE that other people thought about thiiiis. We, the NaruSaku fans, are truly on the same wavelength without even talking to one another, it's AMAZING T_T & still gets to me

The staff thoo... You know, I actually chose that one because it's part of certain weaponry the Japanese deity pantheon hold in their left hand (for example like the 1000 Armed Kanon that Kishi introduced in the universe). Those three forks are meant to represent the three jewels which I connected very much with the Uzumaki's past, present and future. And not just the Uzumakis, but the whole system in place for Naruto's universe. It's just that Uzumakis will be at the center of that change in the systems since they are the balance after all. SOmething I ALWAYS believed myself and Kishimoto gladly confirmed it with the last Minato One Shot. I'm sorry I can't say more but I DON'T WANT TO SPOIL ANYTHING T_T. BUT I LOOOOVE the way you're reading into this. WHO ARE YOU CUZ IT FEELS LIKE I'M LOOKING AT MY OWN MIIIIND! Lol, anyway, moving on.

OMG I didn't know about that folk tale but WOW IT FITS so well with the Uzumakis thoo and with something I plan on doing related to souls & water, GIZAZ I can't believe it! Sometimes I swear I feel as if I was meant to write this AU lololol. Like sure, it's just a silly AU play for me but to see so many things fitting when maybe I didn't even intended it to be this way it's just out of this world. AND YES, I KNOOOW, MY DAD IS A CANCER AND MY MIDHEAVEN IN ASTROLOGY IS IN CANCER!! I am OBSESSED with astrology so that's one of the reasons I wrote the Uzumakis having a matriarch in the past, because Cancers are water-element signs and it's the archetype of the mother. Mother - matriarch, ta daaa. So duuh, I said to myself it fits PERFECTLY the Uzumakis.

Anyway, I talked AAAA LOT! But if there's anything else that flows into your mind about this piece or any other, FEEL FREE TO DROP IN MY DMS ANY TIME.

I love talking with people about these things and you're just RIGHT ON SPOT with your interpretations!

Once again on behalf of @pumiih and I, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the support, for liking our work and for taking the time to write such a beautifully intrinsically introspective message. I FEEL SO BLESSED to have people like you that follow Kaika. All I ever wished is to have people like you that see what I'm doing with this story, and luckily my wish has been granted.

You guys are the MPV's! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for existing! Catch you on the next piece of art. :D

[magicaldogtoto]

Parallel Worlds Record Chapter Twenty-Two: Hope You're Ready For Doomsday

Rating: Teen

Genre: Magical Girl, Fantasy, Angst, Drama, Crossover

Word Count: Approx. 5,000 words

Summary: Yachiyo confronts herself and learns of an impending apocalypse.

Author’s Note: Finally, after four months, here's a new chapter!

Thanks again to @celesticnova and @evatriceakiyama

[YACHIYO]

Yachiyo stared back at Yachiyo who stared at that Yachiyo and smirked.

“Who–who–who are you?” Yachiyo demanded, straining in her bindings.

The other her stared back at her. “I’m you, or rather, a stronger version of you.” She grinned. “Or maybe, you’re just a weaker version of me…”

Yachiyo looked at the other her, then at the girl in the dark cloak, then at the huge vault she was in. “Where… where is this?”

“This?” The other Yachiyo gestured with her bare, pale hand. “This is a Witch.”

Yachiyo frowned. “This whole building is a Witch?”

The other Yachiyo shook her head. “No–this whole world is a Witch. Or at least, it was formed by a Witch, once.” She tugged the towel wrapped around her body further up. “I don’t think you can really say this is a Witch anymore. Not after everything it’s done, the worlds it’s swallowed into itself.”

There was a tremor that shook the whole place. Yachiyo yelped, while her other self and the mysterious girl braced themselves once more.

“Why do earthquakes keep happening?” Yachiyo asked.

The other her steadied herself. “The world outside–it hasn’t settled yet.”

“‘Settled?’”

“Hasn’t decided what it will finally look like. It can’t until it’s eaten more worlds.”

“And you’re okay with that?!” Yachiyo cried out.

The other Yachiyo scowled. “Why shouldn’t I be? It devoured my home–why should other worlds be spared?”

“There are people in those worlds! Innocent people!”

The other Yachiyo shrugged. “Everyone has to die at some point. People just go on putting off the inevitable.” She narrowed her eyes at Yachiyo. “Except you. And me. We go on surviving, don’t we?”

Yachiyo tried to say something, but the words died before they could reach the tip of her tongue. “So…” she finally said, “in your world… you made the same wish as me?”

The other Yachiyo nodded. “I wished to survive. And look at me now; I did survive. I outlived the very world I was born in. How many people do you know who can say that?”

There was a coldness in her words; Yachiyo recognized the sound. It wasn’t any different from how she spoke, not so long ago. How her thoughts still sounded, when she was alone with them at night.

The other Yachiyo took a deep breath. “Anyway, how exactly did you wake up? I was sure your soul was suppressed…”

She walked closer to Yachiyo, looking up at her.

Yachiyo stared down at her. “W-what are you doing?”

“They say the eyes are the windows to the soul,” the other her said. “So, which soul are you? And how did you get in there…?”

She looked intensely at Yachiyo, who had no choice but to remain on that cross.

Neither of them spoke for almost a minute.

The other Yachiyo tilted her head, curious. “Oh… so you came from that world. Interesting…”

Realization hit Yachiyo, and she glared at the other her. “It was you… you’re the one who took this Yachiyo!”

The other Yachiyo chuckled. “I take it that didn’t go without notice? Tell me, how is everyone back there doing without her?”

Yachiyo scowled. “They miss her. They have no idea where she went.” She turned her attention to the other Yachiyos around them. “And I’m guessing these are other Yachiyos that you took, from other worlds. Is that it?” Homura Akemi’s words echoed back in her mind– ”You’re in danger,” she had said. Had she been trying to warn her about this Yachiyo who lived in a Witch World?

“You guessed correctly,” the other Yachiyo said. “Tell me, my little experiment back there–how is she?”

“‘She?’”

“Mifuyu. I left her alive in that world. How’s she handling all this?”

Yachiyo frowned. “She’s seen better days. She just seems miserable all the time. The Yachiyo of that world nearly killed her during a battle.”

“So I heard.” The other Yachiyo ran her hand through her long, blue hair, admiring it. “I wanted to see what would happen if I just left Mifuyu alone. Usually when I kidnap another Yachiyo, I make a point of killing the Mifuyu who lives in that Kamihama, too. Assuming she didn’t get done in already.”

“What?” Yachiyo asked, her voice hard.

“I’m actually chasing after another Mifuyu right now,” the other Yachiyo said. “She got away from me, ended up in another world.” She clenched her fist. “A world with that damned Law of Cycles.”

Now Yachiyo was confused. “What the hell is the Law of Cycles?”

“Oh, they don’t have it in your world? Wouldn’t be the first time I heard of it.” She smirked. “Doesn’t matter, anyway. The Unraveling has already begun. It’s sure to start in the world that Mifuyu who got away is, too.”

“Don’t you dare hurt her!” Yachiyo strained against her bindings. Even if it wasn’t her MIfuyu, she didn’t like the idea of a girl with her face going around murdering them.

The other Yachiyo shrugged. “Sorry, but I’m doing her a favor, really. She’s always been such a weak girl. Putting her out of her misery seems almost merciful. Not that I don’t enjoy seeing the life leave her eyes, or the horror on her pretty face–hm, yeah, fun stuff.”

Yachiyo thought of her Soul Gem. It would be back with Glinda, in Oz. She hoped Glinda would be able to tell if it was being tainted.

She turned to the girl in the dark cloak. “You’re helping her with this?” she asked. “How can you?”

The girl in the dark cloak shrunk into herself. The other Yachiyo stepped in between the two of them, obscuring the other girl from Yachiyo’s vision. “That’s none of your business… but if you must know, she’s helping because she wants a place to call home. That’s what we all want, in the end.”

Yachiyo pondered what that meant briefly, before Homura’s words came back to her.

“Madoka Kaname.”

The other Yachiyo paused. She turned back to her. “What about her?”

“Madoka Kaname has something to do with this,” Yachiyo said. “Doesn’t she?”

“So you’ve noticed it, too, haven’t you?” the other her said. “Madoka Kaname possesses great potential in her. Her karmic destiny is unlike any other Magical Girl’s. It’s an energy that our mistress covets. Whoever has that energy–even just from one Madoka–can work all kinds of miracles… or curses.”

Yachiyo said nothing. She wasn’t sure what to say, really.

The other Yachyo yawned. “I’m done talking now,” she said. “Can’t give away everything to you. But thanks for letting me see which world you came from–I think when our mistress wakes up, I know where to tell her to go next.” She grinned. “Hope you’re ready for Doomsday.”

“Wha–” Yachiyo barely had a word out when the other girl suddenly transformed in a flash of light. She leaped into the air, before reaching Yachiyo and swinging her fist at her.

Yachiyo felt excruciating pain, before everything went black.

***

Back in Oz, Yachiyo shot up out of bed, gasping. 

“Yachiyo!” Glinda was immediately by her side. “Is everything okay?”

“G-glinda…” Yachiyo croaked. Sweat poured down her forehead, and her heart was beating against her chest.

The Sorceress handed her a glass of cold water, which Yachiyo gulped down immediately.

“Thanks,” Yachiyo said.

“It’s no problem,” Glinda said. “You were out for almost half an hour. What happened there?”

Yachiyo looked at the empty glass. She swiveled it around in her hands, the remaining drops of water riding around the bottom of the glass.

“Yachiyo…?”

“They’re going to destroy this world,” Yachiyo said solemnly.

Glinda blinked. “Excuse me?”

Yachiyo took a deep breath, and explained everything that she had seen to Glinda. She made sure not to leave any details out, despite the information she just got tripping over each other inside her head.

When she was done explaining, Glinda had a serious look on her face. “So… that’s what’s going on here.”

Yachiyo nodded slowly. “I didn’t get to finding out who their mistress was… but there has to be more than just the three of them.”

“And this girl they mentioned–Madoka Kaname–do you know her?”

Yachiyo nodded again. “She lives in Mitakihara. I knew her back in my world. I think the me from this world knew her, too. But when I arrived here, Kanagi Izumi said that both her and Homura Akemi vanished…” she remembered her whole conversation with Kanagi and frowned, “... vanished not long after the Yachiyo of this world did.”

“I see.” Glinda pursed her lips, thinking. “What kind of power does Madoka Kaname have?”

Yachiyo shrugged. “I don’t know. She can fire arrows of light, but that isn’t too uncommon for a Magical Girl. Nothing about her or Homura Akemi seemed too weird until a couple days ago. Now I’m starting to wonder…”

Yachiyo thought back to Homura’s shield, how it had been stolen from her. “Has Ozma contacted you, yet?”

Glinda shook her head. “I haven’t heard from her. Why?”

Yachiyo was about to respond, when a noise like a small alarm went off. “What was that?”

Glinda looked aside at a table nearby. “My magic slate,” she said, walking over to it. She picked up an object like the one Ozma had used when they were in the Emerald City’s gardens. She looked at the screen.

“It’s Ozma.”

Yachiyo immediately became alert. Glinda tapped the slate, and an image of Ozma appeared standing on the screen.

“Glinda…” she said. “Is Yachiyo there with you?”

Yachiyo walked up beside Glinda. “Hello, Ozma.”

Ozma started. “Oh, Yachiyo, you’re here…”

Yachiyo nodded, her mouth a firm line. “Is this about the shield?”

Ozma nodded, the kind of nod that precedes grave news. “I finally managed to speak to the Nome King…”

Yachiyo could feel a sense of dread creeping over the back of her neck. “And…?”

Ozma took a deep breath, gripping her scepter in her dainty hands. “He refused to return it.”

Yachiyo glared at the image. “What?! Why? Does he know what it is…?”

Ozma shook her head. “It didn’t sound like he did. He isn’t even sure which Nome took it–he’s not able to keep track of every one of them all the time. But he stated that if I wanted it back, it must be something important. And if it’s already in his kingdom…”

“Then he already considers it his property as well,” Glinda finished, unamused. “Wouldn’t expect anything more from Nomes. They can be very greedy.”

Yachiyo gripped the table. “So that’s it? We can’t do anything?”

Ozma rested her chin on the top of her scepter. “Dorothy and I talked it over. Right now we’re not in a position to send an army to him. Our relationship with the Land of Ev is… strained, at the moment. And we’re still recovering from the war…”

“But you have to get that shield back!” Yachiyo said, leaning closer. “I need to figure out how to use it or else…!”

Glinda’s hand rested on Yachiyo’s shoulder, gently squeezing it. That was enough to stop her.

The girl ruler of Oz frowned. “Or else what? What’s going on there?”

Yachiyo tried to find the right words. “Or… or else I won’t be able to return home.”

Ozma looked sadly at her. “I understand. I’ll see what else I can do. Maybe we can trick him into giving it back to us. That would be nice.”

“In the meantime,” Glinda said, “I’ll see what we can do on this end. Surely some of the books in my library have things about crossing dimensions…”

“Is that okay, Yachiyo?” Ozma asked.

Yachiyo slumped. “I… okay. I’ll stay here with Glinda.”

Ozma smiled. “Good. I’ll let you know if anything else comes up.”

They said their goodbyes, and Ozma’s image faded from the screen.

Yachiyo turned to Glinda. “I need that shield back,” she said firmly.

“I know you do,” Glinda said. “But we need to think this over…”

“What is there to think over? That other me threatened to send that… Witch… here! If we’re not fast enough, she could destroy this world!”

“I know that.” Glinda’s voice was hard. “But we can’t go against Ozma’s wishes. If she wants us to stay here for now, we’ll have to find some other way. To go against Ozma would be to betray her trust.”

Yachiyo wanted to do something. She wanted to yell, she wanted to throw a hundred halberds at something… but she knew Glinda was right. She took a deep breath.

“... Fine.”

Glinda removed her hand from Yachiyo’s shoulder. “For now,” she began, “it’s best we just call it a night.”

Yachiyo clenched her fist. “I don’t know if I can,” she said.

“There’s nothing else we can do. And if we work all night with no sleep, that won’t be productive either. Let’s sleep first, then we can think better in the morning.”

Yachiyo thought it over, then slowly nodded. “Okay, then…” She made a face. “I don’t know if I could sleep, though… not after what I found out.”

“Learning to sleep on pressing matters is something you have to adjust to as you grow,” Glinda said. “I could tell you stories.”

Yachiyo wondered what kinds of stories those would be, but she decided it wasn’t her right to ask. “If you say so,” she said. She did her best to relax. “Good night then, Glinda.”

Glinda smiled. She walked over and hugged Yachiyo tightly. She smelled of sweet flowers.

“Sleep well, Yachiyo,” she said.

“I’ll try.” Yachiyo broke the hug. She excused herself and headed out of the room.

By now the palace was quiet, and only a few torches and lights were on. Outside, the night sky engulfed the Quadling Country, and the moon shone out. Yachiyo made her way to the room she had been provided.

As she walked through the palace, she came across a couple of Quadling girls rushing in the dark. They had been giggling, and she wondered where they were headed off to. Perhaps they were heading to a room to spend the night together. Her thoughts wandered to Mifuyu, how she missed having her by her side.

She walked through the hall full of doors leading to different girls’ rooms, when she passed by the door leading to where Mifuyu had been. She found herself stopping in front of it.

She listened in. It was quiet, just like the rest of the hall. Was Mifuyu still in there, asleep now? And how many other girls were in there as well? Her mind tried to form an image of what it was life–Mifuyu, timid, pretty Mifuyu–in a bed surrounded by other, beautiful girls. What else could they have been doing in bed other than the obvious?

Yachiyo grimaced. Now was probably not the time to let her mind wander like that. She had to sleep, after all. The others were probably asleep by now, too, including Amare.

Amare… Yachiyo frowned as she recalled what Amare had done a few hours ago. This wasn’t getting anywhere good, she decided. Better to just call it a night.

Turning away from the door, Yachiyo went to her room and settled in for the night.

***

Sleep was a tumultuous time for Yachiyo. Not that she wasn’t used to that; she’d spent many nights tossing and turning as her past memories and regrets welled up inside her. Living by herself in Mikazuki, she had gotten accustomed to waking up in the middle of the night and having to get a glass of water, before going back to sleep.

Even in Oz, she found her sleep occasionally interrupted by her bad dreams. The idea of the world coming to an end, of her own reflection laughing at her, all of it was too much. Now and then she would wake up in pitch darkness, only the sound of her breathing to keep her company, before falling back to sleep.

The third time she woke up, she could already hear birds chirping outside her window, and the sunlight starting to peek through. She groaned and sat up in bed, her blue hair disheveled from tossing and turning. She got up and looked at the mirror hanging on the wall nearby. The sunlight hadn’t quite reached that spot yet, casting the mirror in partial darkness. She half-expected her reflection to reach out and grab her, pulling her back into that dark room with all the other Yachiyos having their life drained out of them…

She shuddered. “I need a bath to get my mind off things,” Yachiyo muttered to herself. Her reflection mouthed the same words back at her–at least it wasn’t another her.

She filled the tub with warm water and settled in, resting her head on the porcelain rim behind her. The warm water felt pleasant against her bare skin, and she leaned her head back, closing her eyes and enjoying herself.

Nearly half an hour later, she stepped out of the tub.

Glinda had provided her with some new clothes to wear while she was staying at the palace. She found a nice, red dress and put it on. Outside the birds continued their chirping–Yachiyo began to wonder if those birds were actually Glinda’s spies.

It was quiet as she stepped out of her room–too quiet and calm for the morning after finding out that a world-destroying Witch was going to come to this world soon. She figured most of the other girls were still asleep.

She needed a place to think to herself, and slowly made her way out to the gardens.

There was a mist hovering around the palace grounds that morning, and it cast an airy, gray haze as she stepped into one of the gardens. Finely cut bushes lined the path she took, and fresh flowers of different colors were everywhere. It was cool, but not cold like Winter; it was more like a Spring morning when the sun was just rising up from the East. Yachiyo breathed in the morning air, feeling at peace for the first time in a long while. She closed her eyes for just a moment, listening to the sounds of birds chirping, bushes rustling, feet hopping…

Her eyes snapped open. Feet hopping?

She looked over her shoulder. A shadow out of her periphery vanished around a wall of bushes. She thought she saw a flash of brown fur as it vanished.

Yachiyo headed across to the bush and looked at what was on the other side. No sign of the figure that cast that shadow. She tried to recall as much of what she gathered before the figure walked away.

Was that a kangaroo? Yachiyo thought. Her curiosity got the better of her and she walked down the path, trying to see if she could catch a glimpse of the figure again. She went some distance before it became clear to her that there was no trace of that creature anymore.

Where did it go? Why was it here in the first place? So many questions went through her mind.

When Yachiyo turned a corner towards a water fountain, she found herself in the presence of company.

“Yachiyo…” Amare stood in front of the fountain, wearing a white dress that went down to her ankles, and had long, white sleeves. She brushed some of her long, black hair aside when she saw Yachiyo.

Yachiyo stopped a few paces away from her. “You’re up early.”

Amare shrugged. “I slept a little early last night, so I can get up early. What are you doing out here?”

“Just going for a walk.”

Amare nodded, turning back to the fountain. “It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

Yachiyo looked up at the fountain. It was made of stone, and on top of it was the statue of the Fairy Queen as Yachiyo had seen her that night when she was on trial in the Forest of Burzee. The sculptor had made it so the Queen’s long tresses seemed to be frozen in place, and in her hand she held her wand. On her back were her wings, outstretched as if she were about to fly.

Yachiyo thought it was beautiful, but she couldn’t get the way the Fairy Queen looked at her that night out of her head. “It looks pretty,” she finally said.

Amare was still staring at the statue. “I used to like coming here when I worked for Glinda. I’d go here to be alone and think about things.” She turned away from the statue, and back to Yachiyo.

“How was your mission last night?”

Yachiyo thought about what she had seen happen between Amare and Mifuyu. “Before I get into that,” she said, “there’s something I want to talk to you about.”

Amare stiffened. “What is it?”

“Yesterday, when I ran into you and Mifuyu…”

Amare cringed. “Oh… that.”

Yachiyo frowned. “I know you and Mifuyu don’t get along, but you didn’t have to hit her like that.”

Amare scowled. “S-sorry…”

“What were you talking about anyway?” Yachiyo asked.

Amare looked aside. “I… Mifuyu was trying to apologize to me… and say that she understood what I was going through…”

“Oh? How’s that?”

Amare seemed to be thinking of something, before shaking her head. “Why are you so nice to her?”

Yachiyo made a face. “What do you mean?”

“What do I mean? She abandoned you! She ran away and joined that weird cult! It caused so many problems for you people; and you just… let her go on with her life?!” Amare was clenching and unclenching her fist, staring at the ground.

“If the Yachiyo Nanami of this world is anything like me,” Yachiyo began after some thought, “she’d probably tell you that Mifuyu is her friend. She just wanted her to come back home to her.” Besides, judging from what she saw of this world’s Mifuyu, whatever she was feeling was punishment enough.

Amare fumed. “Someone you know joins a group of people who hurt other people, and you’re just fine being nice to her?”

“Is that what your problem with Mifuyu is?”

“I just think you all were too easy on m–her!”

Yachiyo raised an eyebrow. “What was that?”

Amare for her part looked like she had been hit by a bus. “It’s… It’s nothing.”

Yachiyo pouted. “Amare, what’s really bothering you?”

“I said it’s nothing, okay?!” Amare looked aside, becoming suddenly interested in some pebbles on the ground.

Yachiyo took a moment to give her space, before speaking again. “Well… I think you should know that we managed to find where your Yachiyo went.”

That changed her tone. “Really?!” Amare was now looking at her, excited. “Where is she?!”

Yachiyo carefully thought about what to say. “She’s… in another world. She was kidnapped and taken there by a… a different Yachiyo.”

Amare blinked. “A… another Yachiyo?”

Yachiyo nodded. “She looks just like me, but… there’s something different about her. Like something inside her snapped a long time ago. But your Yachiyo isn’t the only one she’s gotten; there are others, from other worlds. She’s keeping them prisoner.”

“Why?”

Yachiyo hesitated. How much did she want to give away? How much did she want to burden Amare with that new knowledge? “She’s… I’m not sure why she is.”

Amare seemed to deflate a bit. “Whatever it is, it can’t be good…”

You have no idea, Yachiyo thought to herself.

“So how do we get her back?”

Yachiyo came out of her thoughts and focused back on the other girl. “What?”

Amare looked at her. “We need to rescue Yachiyo, right? And the others, too. How do we do that?”

Yachiyo hesitated once more, before answering. “We need my shield; you know, the one I came to this world with.”

“The one that Nome stole from you?”

Yachiyo nodded.

Amare crossed her arms. “Okay, so it probably would be in the Nome Kingdom. Have you heard back from Ozma?”

Yachiyo grimaced. “She said the Nome King refused to return it.”

Amare’s jaw dropped. “What? And she’s just taking that?”

Yachiyo looked aside. “Oz is still recovering from the war, and in no position to mount an assault on the Nome King’s realm. Ozma also said that international relations between Oz and the Land of Ev are at an all time low right now. There’s too much going on, I guess.”

Amare frowned. “And what do you think about that?”

Yachiyo shifted a bit. “I… I don’t know…”

“Yachiyo,” Amare said. “We need to get that shield back.”

“We do,” Yachiyo said. “But shouldn’t we wait and see what Glinda can come up with…?”

Amare furiously shook her head. “There’s no time! We need to rescue Yachiyo as soon as we can! You understand, don’t you?! I can’t just leave her to suffer there–none of them deserve that!”

Yachiyo bit her lip. She knew Amare was right; she’d have to be dense not to. And even more so, she knew there was more going on than even Amare did–there was something coming that was going to end the world. If Amare was already motivated to do something without knowing of an impending apocalypse, why wasn’t Yachiyo–who knew the apocalypse was coming–motivated to do anything?

“Yachiyo?” Amare’s voice brought her once again back to the present.

“You’re right,” Yachiyo said.

“Huh?”

“We need to go and get that shield back. It’s the only way we can solve this.”

Amare’s face lit up. “You agree with me?”

“I do.” Yachiyo grinned. There was the matter of fixing the shield, though–but Yachiyo knew just the Magical Girl who’d be willing to take a look at it. After getting filled in on the whole situation, at least.

“But we can’t do it alone,” Amare said. “We need to gather others to go with us.”

“I agree,” Yachiyo said. “Claudine and Tsuruno should be willing to help–maybe even some of the other Magical Girls here, too.”

As she said that, she noticed a red bird fly out from a bush and towards the palace. Yachiyo frowned.

“I need to go now.”

Amare tilted her head. “Where are you going…?”

“Just checking on something.” Yachiyo turned towards the palace. “Go ahead and start gathering the others–we’ll meet up soon.”

She started to walk, only to turn back and grab Amare’s hand in hers.

Amare seemed taken aback. “Y-Yachiyo?”

“We’ll get your Yachiyo back soon, I promise.” Yachiyo separated and headed back to the palace, the ribbons of her red outfit dancing in the wind. Momentarily, she thought about how Amare almost kissed her the day before.

She frowned, but stowed those thoughts away for the time being. One thing at a time; at least Amare was willing to cooperate for now.

***

The palace was slowly coming to life, and she started to see girls wandering the halls. She ignored them and went straight to Glinda’s bedroom. She knocked on the door.

“Glinda, it’s me,” she called out. After a moment, the door opened on its own.

“Come in,” the Sorceress’s voice rang out. Yachiyo did so.

Glinda was sitting in front of her mirror. She looked up at Yachiyo’s reflection when she entered.

“Yachiyo,” she said. “Morning.”

“Morning.” Yachiyo closed the door a bit and walked forward. Light streamed through the curtains, and she noted that Glinda’s bed was already made; it seemed big enough to hold five people if she wished.

“I’m still getting ready for the day,” Glinda said. She was already in another white gown, and it looked as if she had just stepped out of a bath. She frowned in the mirror. “My hair still has a few knots in it…”

“I can brush it for you.” Yachiyo wasn’t sure why she said that, but she went ahead and walked up behind Glinda. Glinda handed her an ornate hairbrush.

“Thank you, Yachiyo,” she said, smiling that smile that Yachiyo couldn’t help but like seeing.

Yachiyo nodded and began slowly getting to work, brushing Glinda’s red hair. Glinda for herself sat still, saying nothing for a while.

“So, Yachiyo…” the Sorceress said after a while, “what have you been up to this morning?”

Yachiyo tensed up. She thought about that red bird that flew away from the garden. “Just went out for a walk. You have some nice gardens around here.”

Glinda chuckled. “I’m glad you like them. And that red dress looks good on you.”

Yachiyo couldn’t help but blush a bit. It wasn’t often that she got complemented by a Sorceress. “Thanks.”

She went along brushing Glinda’s hair some more. Slowly the knots got untangled, and the Sorceress’s natural curls became more apparent.

“Did you see anyone out there?”

Another pause in the brushing. “... Amare…” The name slipped out of her mouth; she wasn’t sure whether it would have been best to lie (because then Glinda might know, because of that bird), or if it would be best to tell the truth (but still be able to figure out what else to say).

By now Glinda’s hair was just about taken care of. The Sorceress gazed at Yachiyo from the reflection in the mirror. There was something about that gaze that made Yachiyo think that Glinda could stare into her soul.

“Really? What did you two talk about?” Glinda asked.

Yachiyo put the brush down on the dresser. “... Just… things…”

Before she could say anything, Glinda had stood up and grabbed Yachiyo by the wrist, pressing her against the mirror. Yachiyo yelped, struggling in vain as the Sorceress held onto her wrists tightly. Yachiyo’s head leaned against the cold surface of the mirror.

Glinda looked her straight in the eye now. “You two were planning on doing something behind my back–and behind Ozma’s back–weren’s you?”

Yachiyo stared up at Glinda with her blue eyes. The Sorceress leaned closer, her usually calm demeanor replaced by a fierce expression that did little to make her any less beautiful than she usually looked. A strand of her red hair fell in front of her face, making her look a little disheveled.

“Y-you know about that…?” Yachiyo gasped out, eyes wide.

Glinda smirked. “I have spies all over the palace, remember? A little birdie told me.”

Yachiyo mentally swore. She hoped her face didn’t give away the mixture of emotions she was feeling.

“Well?” Glinda’s grip tightened a bit more. “Were you?”

Yachiyo gulped. “W-we were…”

“... I see.” Glinda kept her gaze at Yachiyo. Yachiyo herself refused to look away. She noticed that even their lips were almost close to each other.

The Sorceress’s pale hand reached out and brushed a loose strand of blue hair from Yachiyo’s face.

“Glinda…?” Yachiyo asked.

“... You’re a very independent girl. I find that admirable.” Glinda released Yachiyo and stood straight up. Yachiyo for her part took a few relieved deep breaths.

“You… you do?” Yachiyo asked.

Glinda smiled. “I do. It’s just the thing I would have done.”

Yachiyo blinked. “It.. It is?”

“We’ll have to work fast,” Glinda said, walking to the side of her room and getting her wand. “You’ll have to go in quickly and get the shield as fast as you can. Then you’ll have to make your way back to Oz. Are you and Amare planning on going alone?”

“No, we’re going to get a group to go with us,” Yachiyo said. She suspected Glinda might have had an idea of that, though.

“Good idea.”

Glinda stood in front of her, wand in hand. “We can get to work, then.”

“Can I ask you something?”

Glinda looked at her. “What is it?”

“Why are you okay with us doing this when you seemed to agree with Ozma last night?”

“That was a test, to see if you had what it took.”

“It was?”

Glinda nodded. “It’s nothing new to me. You know the barrier that protects Oz from the outside world?”

“Yeah?”

“I put it in place before Ozma came to ask me about it. I was already concerned about the outside world getting closer to us, and saw in my Book of Records that Ozma wanted the same thing. So I went ahead and cast the spell for her. I’ve been here longer than Ozma, the Wizard, and even Ozma’s own father, King Pastoria. And believe me, you don’t stay in power as long as I have without having to… take care of things.”

Yachiyo looked at her. “Things… or people?”

Glinda gave her an enigmatic smile. “Yes.”

Yachiyo reminded herself to never actually get on Glinda’s bad side.

“Now, you were going to go and gather your group?”

Yachiyo became more alert. “I was.”

“I’ll wait for you and Amare. The sooner you get them together, the sooner we can proceed.”

[southeastasiadiary]

Day Twenty-Three, Part Two: A Day in Chiang Mai

The trishaw ride ended at Wat Chedi Luang, site of an enormous pagoda that was partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1545.

A model illustrates how the pagoda originally looked.

Around the pagoda are more modern statues of the kings

and queens who played a major role in Thai history.

Cannonball Fruit trees (technically sala trees) were in bloom and laden within their massive fruit.

Now, I’d encountered Cannonball Fruit trees in Vietnam, but I hadn’t been aware of their significance then: It was under this type of tree that the Buddha is said to have been born.

We continued on to the Wat Phra Singh, where a huge golden stupa is supposed to contain relics of the Buddha.

Just as the Prabang pose was common to the Buddhas in Luang Prabang, so is the Buddha with the bhumisparsha mudra common to the images at the Wat Phra Singh. This mudra, formed with all five fingers of the right hand extended to touch the ground,

symbolizes the Buddha's enlightenment under the bodhi tree, when he summoned the earth goddess, Sthavara, to bear witness to his attainment of enlightenment.

A Buddhist monk was offering blessings to the faithful in that temple.

[charlesandmartine]

Wednesday 28th June 2023

Three surprises: firstly the Australian Pinot Grigio was ok, secondly an error message came up on the Toyota telling us we have a slow puncture, possibly, and thirdly it was 34 degrees today! In Canada!

Naramata was founded in 1907 by a highly successful Irish born soft fruit farmer, John Moore Robinson. He was offering acreage to people interested in fruit ranching. The new town was to be built for people of good character, no riff raff. And that is by all accounts pretty much the way it still is today. It is the thinking man's Penticton; large town down the road.

About the same time as all this, the Kettle Valley Railway was being constructed linking Naramata to Hope where we came from yesterday. The name of the town has a interesting story behind it. Our John Moore Robinson had a bit of an interest in spiritualism and the wife of the local postmaster, Mrs Anna Gillespie, was a prominent medium. In a seance she channelled the voice of the Sioux Indian Chief Big Moose. The Chief spoke of his dear wife 'Narramattah', calling her the 'Smile of Manitou '. Robinson was moved by all this and the name stuck. Naramata, not Big Moose. Interesting thing was that Mrs Gillespie was caught up in the San Francisco earthquake, so she clearly didn't see that one coming!

Well enough of all that. Naramata is a cumly little town and anyone with a few bob would find it highly agreeable. We just needed a few things to do in the short time we are here. The local museum equipped us with a little map and a few ideas. We rejoined therefore the Kettle Valley Railway trail just up the road and walked 7 km along it as far as the tunnels and then 7km back. A British engineer, Andrew McCulloch, apparently designed it in 1910 but the really impressive part of it is that a) it was built at all and b) the skill and sheer hard graft involved in building it. Men came from Italy, Scandinavia and central Europe and it is said it took black powder and muscle to build it. Today it is a fantastic recreational facility so high up above the Lake Okanagan with such great views across it. We were regularly overtaken by cyclists buzzing along the wide gravel avenue of Apache Pines. It felt very Mediterranean as the sun beat down and we were engulfed by the strong perfume of the pine forest which hung heavily on the breeze and all in peace and total silence save for the scrunch our feet made on the gravel path. Unlike the Mediterranean, there were no Cicadas chirping in the undergrowth.

High scores for bird watching. Red Tailed Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, Barn Swallows and a female Hummingbird!

Bryson, who always has high praise and a passion for Great Britain says that we might be a very small, over populated country but we all too often underate what we have. He says that we might not have the highest mountains, the largest lakes, the longest rivers, but what we have is an awful lot of fantastic stuff packed into a very small space. What we have witnessed here is a sort of Great Britain on steroids. Huge mountains, massive lakes and vast rivers. What we have seen so far is totally mind boggling and we can't wait to see even more.

ps. We went to get some more of the Australian Pinot Grigio from the local very expensive store and they've run out, completely!!!! So now we are down to cheap Australian Riesling!!! Not sure how Martine will cope with that!

We will have better economic choice when we can get to a saver supermarket.

pps No bears on the trail, but apparently we have something else to worry about now. Rattlesnakes have been spotted! I don't know about anyone else, but sucking venom from a third party backside would truly make it a memorable holiday.

[dybdahlsvisitportugalspainfrance]

More of Lisbon. Hey - it's a big place!

September 4, 2023

We spent the morning exploring parts of Lisbon that we haven't explored on this trip. The weather was not perfect - with lots of intermittent rain showers and wind, but it is never the weather that is bad - just the clothes you have on to deal with the weather. So we were OK!

We met our bus driver, Paco and watched his amazing skills as he navigated forward - and backward - places this huge bus should not go. Our bus is designed to comfortably seat 53 people - so the 17 of us are quite comfy.

We started with a small tour of some places Mark and I had seen on the Hop-on/Hop off bus and then started to explore other places too. We saw the Portugal Parliment but my picture taken through a rain spattered window was pathetic - so "hello my dear friend, Internet."

We worked our way to the one neighborhood that survived the earthquake, fire and tsunami of 1755 - the Alfama.

The roads are small and twisty and many of the roads cannot be transversed by even the smallest vehicle.

The place is built into hills - so steps are everywhere. (That is our sweet leader, Carolina. That is Car-o-leena. FYI.)

These houses were built in the 1500s. Many are covered with tile for easy maintenance.

St Anthony is the patron saint of Lisboa and he was born in the Alfama. This cathedral was built on his birth place.

So the buzz on St. Anthony is that he is the patron saint of match making. Women hoping to find the man or their dreams come here and light a candle. Also he is the patron saint of "missing items". Can't find the car keys? Light a candle and ta-da!

To get to St. Anthony's just grab a trolley.

Shortly after our St. Anthony experience we stopped for coffee and an egg custard tart - Pastéis De Nata - THE Portuguese treat.

And - I can eat these. YUMMY!!!

Our walk eventually took us to the main square of the city - the square where the palace of the king and queen USED to be before it was destroyed by the tsunami in 1755. The new palace was built far from the sea after that event.

We continued exploring in the rain and saw the elevator

We kept walking and got to the main square of the city - the end of the line from the traffic circle from Marquis de Pombol. Check out the patterns in the circle. It is an optical illusion - because it is flat. Weird!

Some our group headed back to the hotel and some of us stayed on to enjoy - a local favorite - Bifanas (pork belly on a bun with mustard.) I couldn't have the bun - but the pork belly was yummy!

As we walked to the Metro we saw this...

Carolina explained to us that this atrocity was a recent find in the hidden history of Lisbon. In 1506 in the middle of the Portuguese Inquisition a congregation of this church...

...mainly made up of "new" Christians - former Jews who had converted rather than die or be expelled - experience a "miracle." The alter was suddenly illuminated and the priest fell to his knees overcome by this miracle, but a parishioner said - HEY - WAIT - that is only the sunlight coming through that window. The priest was enraged and demanded that this "doubter" be killed - there and now. He was - and then the "real" Christians fell on the "new" Christians and killed them too. Then it was buried deep in the history books to be found quite by accident 500 years later.

Now, this church, has a series of bad events. Fire and other things have haunted this place for 600 years. Karma? Whatever it is, it has never had the same power as it experienced before 1500. To quote my granddaughter. when we are discussing history- or new jewelry, "I'm intrigued!"

From here we took the Metro to our hotel. PERFECT. Many people did many different things - but I took a nap. Only 40 minutes - but just the right amount of time to re-charge for dinner.

We took a lovely walk down the Avenue da Liberdade until we reached the funicular. The weather was perfect!!! We had some" technical difficulties" so we waited, waited, and waited but finally - we were headed up. We arrived at the overlook that Mark and I had visited yesterday. We felt so superior knowing exactly where were were...

At the top of the funicular we had a wonderful surprise from Carolina...

A cherry liquor served in chocolate cups. SWEET!!!!! Then on to our Welcome Dinner.

We had a wonderful dinner and a Fado performance. Fado is a Portuguese tradition and is a UNESCO intangible culture designation.

It was so much fun!!!

Check this out - (these are not the artists we saw - but it gives you a good understanding of this art.)

Tomorrow we will explore the city of Sintra. New discoveries await. I love my life!!!!

Stay tuned.

[claire-starsword]

Max’s Diary - Chapter 1

[Welcome to Max's very own Shining Force Let's Play! These diary snippets are spread along the actual strategy part of the guide, so there's one for each battle, except Dark Dragon since these guides tend to avoid spoiling final bosses. So it makes the ending a little abrupt sadly. They are also labelled "Protagonist's Diary" because this guide really didn't want to use Max's name for some reason.]

___

(1) Month of the Crimson Sparrow, Day 23

Is something happening at the Gate of the Ancients? Because of this and that, His Majesty entrusted me with this task, so we went to check the gate. When we arrived, a Rune Knight and some others were there, looking for a key to the seal. We have to drive these guys out before anything else...

Just as we were about to fight an earthquake struck. Our heads were spinning, so we retreated to a mountain hut. It was lucky, because Gong was in that hut and became our ally. Nice. If these things keep happening, even someone with little real experience like me might be able to do something. We went back to the gate and started the fight again. But, those dwarves swinging their axes are really scary. I really have no choice but to let everyone else do their best. That’s why I don't wanna stop being a leader anytime soon. Heheh.

___

(2) Month of the Crimson Sparrow, Day 27

I worried about what that Rune Knight said, so we left the Gate of the Ancients right away. But, Guardiana was already surrounded by Runefaust's forces. We had to hurry. His majesty was in danger.

I wanted to go back in just a couple of seconds with the carriage, but the one we took to the gate was nowhere to be found. I didn't expect to get robbed in a place like that. With no other choice, we had to go back on foot while fighting. And, going through mountain terrain sucks. Felt like we had used all our power before the battle even started. As I thought, by the time we got to the bridge near Guardiana, Lowe and Gong had already used up all their magic. No one can even hide how exhausted they are. Huh, what? Hans looks just fine though. Since he just shoots with his bow. It's kinda unfair.

___

(3) Month of the Crimson Sparrow, Day 35

We're chasing Cain who went to Alterone. This time Mae and Gort have joined us. Both are pretty strong, so that's a relief. But, we couldn't relax yet. There were Huge Bats. Their agility is high, and their movement is absurd...

If that wasn't enough, their fangs can infect you with something that puts you in a deep sleep. Because of that, people kept falling asleep on their feet again and again. I felt like we should have just booked a night at Hotel Guardiana if that's how it was gonna be. To counter that, I had Ken weaken them up with the Spear, then dealt the final blows myself. These combos born of mutual trust are what lead to victory after all.

___

(4) Month of the Green Swallow, Day 7

Unlike the other battles until now, we had to battle the Runefaust army within the city of Alterone. When I think of the people that are gonna have to clean all that up, my heart hurts a little.

But, we had to fight so of course it would cause a mess. That's just how it is.

In this battle, our dedicated mage Tao quickly got to Level 4, and learned how to use Blaze level 2. She can hit several enemies at once with it. That’s how I was thinking, but she got excited and used it a lot. Burning and burning. If you burn down enemies you burn down the ground they stand on as well. Or you might end up burning some houses. They weren't anyone's houses so it ended up fine but, we gotta be careful next time or we'll be in trouble.

___

Notes:

In both SF1 and Final Conflict, Max uses the formal first person pronoun "watashi". The other encyclopedia even remarks that he's well mannered. Here on the other hand he uses the casual and tough pronoun "ore", and mostly casual language. Keep this in mind for later.

(As an aside, the same goes for the GBA remake, where he tends to switch between “ore” and the more softspoken “boku” instead of “watashi”. I haven’t checked all the dialogue on that one though, so this is a general observation.)