#anyways i've been working on a thing that i'm surprised i'm making significant progress on

[miumiins]

dear

[manofbeskar]

mild spoilers below for the last few chapters of 'bang the doldrums' under the cut (in case anyone here wants to read it but hasn't lol) just talking about scenes/ideas i had but didn't end up using, and extra details that didn't get included in the story

i didn't end up having time (or opportunity) to put this in 'bang the doldrums' but i had an idea for the story that at one point shanks would get a sore throat (from sucking a certain someone off 💀 ) but can't sing during a concert, so mihawk has to take over singing for a night. he ends up changing "i" to "you" (and vice versa) for some songs — essentially indirectly letting shanks know he has always known the songs are about him. one example is him singing 'hum hallelujah' as "you could write it better than i ever felt it (...) just off the key of reason you thought you loved me, it was just how i looked in the light"

didn't end up having time to put this in—mainly with how the last few chapters were paced and what i needed to get done during those, and where shanks and mihawk are emotionally, it just wasn't feasible to put this scene in... but i thought i could share the idea with you guys anyway.

another idea i had but couldn't use was one piece meeting the members of corazon at the award show—because shanks and mihawk confess their love to each other then, there just wasn't time to put it in. i felt it would ruin the pacing especially since it would have contributed absolutely nothing to the plot by that point and i try to make sure everything plays a part in a story

i ultimately didn't get to one piece's third album. the tracklist would have been as follows:

the (after) life of the party

g.i.n.a.s.f.s.

the kids aren't alright

fake out

favorite record

7 minutes in heaven (atavan heaven)

miss missing you

pavlove

hold me like a grudge

flu game

jet pack blues — would have been written by mihawk

save rock and roll (ft. roger)

i've got a dark alley and a bad idea

most of these managed to appear anyway as loose lyrics, works in progress or unreleased songs. the story just didn't go long enough to fully use the album... and some of the songs probably would be swapped out for others

another idea that didn't get to see the light of day was shanks would've made mihawk record his own version of iconic songs like 'hum hallelujah'. just couldn't find the right place to put this in

another abandoned idea for the last chapter was that mihawk would have written 'the (shipped) gold standard' to tell shanks that one line "i want to scream 'i love you' from the top of my lungs but i'm afraid that someone else will hear me". he would have surprised shanks with it at a show (the same way shanks surprised him with 'the (after) life of the party' at vivi's party), and then shanks would have confessed his feelings after the show. ultimately didn't work out

i wanted a flashback of rayleigh asking mihawk to "take care of shanks's heart, he often chooses to ignore what he wants" right before one piece left for their first two-week tour. couldn't find a good place to put it in, so roger just brings it up in conversation when he and ray see the mihawk x hancock article

mihawk's absence was going to be longer, and last 6 months. didn't think he needed to be away that long, and that shanks can't wait half a year before telling mihawk he hopes he'll come home

originally, there would be no replacement drummer after buggy leaves the band (beck would help record drums, but drums would be played as part of electronic instrumentals during live shows). didn't think this was feasible long-term, and put yasopp in to replace him. i felt like shanks letting buggy go off on his own and finding a replacement so the band can move forward was a step in the right direction for shanks to accept some things don't work out the way he wants

some small details i had but didn't end up using as they had 0 significance to the plot:

uta, when she's older, would have signed with elegia, a record label

uta's touring band consisting of the east blue roster of the straw hats were just called UTA

hancock's band amazon lily is managed by shakky

but mihawk continues attending kendo classes once a week during college, while shanks ended up quitting to focus on school. this one was vaguely implied in one line when shanks remembers how mihawk still attended kendo when they were in college, but doesn't say "we" to hint he quit

the original birthday road trip mihawk was attempting to recreate in their big talk chapter was their 20th. a few months after it, shanks finished 'hum hallelujah', and then started writing 'immortals'

luffy is still garp's grandson. because garp works in the music industry, luffy meets many musicians and learns how to play the drums so he could tour with uta. luffy got obsessed with one piece and told garp about the band, so garp was very open to meeting and accommodating one piece. i didn't think this connection was very important in the end, so didn't bother including it

implied, but shanks and mihawk's only rules for stage gay was no actual crotch touching (grinding did not count) and no moves that would interfere with their guitar-playing

the band's social media handles are RedHairedShanks, OPMihawk, and BuggyDrums

here are all the songs shanks wrote when mihawk came home:

grand theft autumn / where is your boy

fourth of july

(coffee's for closers)

g.i.n.a.s.f.s.

the kids aren't alright

miss missing you

all appearing musicians and real-life musicians's discographies they used:

one piece: fall out boy (duh)

amazon lily: marina / marina and the diamonds

corazon: surf curse

buggy's delivery: crawlers

uta: ado (of course)

perona: tying tiffany

oro jackson: rolling stones

franky was undecided

anyway that's about all of it! thought it could be fun to put them all down somewhere

[elshells]

Recently I've been getting back into playing DND, and since I'm also trying to get back into interacting with people on this site, I'd figure I'd share with y'all my new-ish hobby of making dice!

For about a year I've been seeing a lot of Instagram reels of people pouring resin into molds and inking the numbers of their homemade dice, and I've always been inspired and mesmerized by these videos. And it just so happens that right before the new year I was gifted the materials to make my own resin dice! So here's what I've made in the last few months (lots of info-dumping/interest sharing under the cut):

This was my very first attempt, done specifically as a test run without any sort of pressure to look good. I was going for an oxidized copper look, but the dye cured much lighter than I expected (though it's a translucent dye so I really shouldn't have been surprised), so in the end I got more of an amber color, which I'm honestly not mad about!

I also mixed in some green glitter, since that was the only other additive I had received other than the dye, and it looks alright, but a lot of the chunkier pieces did sink to one side, so I haven't used it since. The numbers are green to compliment the glitter, and I'm happy with how it turned out, although honestly I could have gone with any other color and they would probably still look good!

At the time, I didn't have a pressure pot to cure it in, so there are some pretty significant bubbles (if you look closely you can see a big chunk missing out of the top of the d4), but there honestly weren't as many as I was expecting! Overall, while these dice are nothing special and aren't very interesting visually to look at, for my first set I'm very proud of them! 6.5/10 dice

At this point, I had bought a pressure pot, so I was feeling more confident in my ability to produce more polished dice. This set was inspired by my first ever DND character (who I recreated as my first Tav in Baldur's Gate 3), a wood elf barbarian/druid named Thaedhel. This reminds me that I haven't talked about Thaedhel on this account at all, which is weird considered I even commissioned some dope art for her, so note to self that I need to make a post gushing about her at some point XD

Anyways, back to the dice. This... was my fourth attempt, and I'm still not pleased with the results. That being said, my goals for this set are lofty, so it's still just a work in progress. This attempt has the best color; I was able to achieve a deep forest green that the previous sets lacked, and the white plumes (meant to represent moonlight for a moon druid) turned out beautifully! The white dye is not translucent, so I had issues before with cloudiness, but this is the best result yet. There's even a pinch of glow-in-the-dark mica powder in the white, so the dice actually glow blue once activated by blacklight! Unfortunately I don't have a picture of that, but maybe once I've perfected them!

Now, for the gripes. For one thing, there's a small red flower in the center of each dice, which unfortunately got swallowed up by the dyes and are only visible from specific angles. I now know that I should have included a clear resin window to keep them from getting lost, so that will be fixed in the future. But for the most part, I was happy with them; I had bought a new mold that included a barrel and crystal d4, and once I took them out I thought they had cured nicely, especially since there were no bubbles to be seen. That is, until I inked in the numbers. I wanted to paint all of the numbers copper except for the highest number on each dice, which is a nice bloody red to represent barbarian rage. But once I started to paint them, I realized how deformed these dice truly were; warped, uneven edges and rough faces that made it impossible to cleanly ink the numbers. The picture actually hides it relatively well, but in person these are some messy dice. Oh, well. Looks like I've got some work to do. 4/10 for the color scheme and not much else.

This is my magnum opus, and it's only about two-weeks old. Inspired by my current character, a tiefling bard named Enyo, I was so pleased with how these turned out, both structurally and in terms of color, that I've actually used them in the last couple of sessions (the d20 is 'moderately lucky,' according to my DM). By far, they're my favorite set!

This was my first time using mica powder as a colorant instead of dye, and it looks sooo good in person. I chose the red metallic powder for her Infernal heritage, and the purple powder is for bardic magic. It's color-shifting powder, too, so in person there's greens and reds that pop out of the purple if the light hits in the right way! But imo, inking the numbers is what really brings the set together, and gold felt appropriately classy and regal, plus it pops like crazy! The pictures truly don't do it justice.

This was made with the same mold as the Thaedhel set, and this time I made sure to give the dice some extra time to harden before I pried them out of the mold (I'm guessing that's why the first set came out so misshapen, I am not a patient person lol). It's not a flawless set; there are still a couple of bubbles despite using the pressure pot, but luckily they're not noticeable. And while I wish the two colors had interacted better (I wanted more of a fiery-pluming effect but they ended up mixing and pooling more than I wanted), I still think they came out beautifully and I genuinely can't stop touching and looking at them whenever I see them. Truly some shiny goblin rocks if I ever saw 'em. It's a 9/10 for me.

[insomniaccipher]

EDIT (24/3): so um, I posted this way way too early. In my sleep deprived state I guess I posted it rather than save it as a draft, since it's clearly not done. I'm not going to private it, people have already seen it so expect this to be updated with the remaining notes. Sorry and thank you for understanding!

(tw for mention of depression and a depressive episode)

After a few days of me being absolutely fucking drained and progressively chipping away at this, and having a surprise d3pr3ssiv3 episode

(seriously though, don't do what I did and work yourself into a depressive episode. I'm okay now, but I should have rested before I crashed.)

And I can finally present the original sketches, notes (internal dialogue included) and with additional notes provided by present me.

Thank you to the few people who showed interest in my little character for being patient with me, I know I wasn't super loyal with the time frame and kept having issues arise but here it is. I apologise for not having a full illustration of them, It's one of those things that I have to be 100 percent satisfied with and right now, it's not there.

Thank you so so much again and I hope you like them, please feel free to critique them or ask questions but try to keep it polite please. Love you all!

Page 1 (left) - Bits and bobs

- Originally I was thinking of giving Arc moving tattoos. This was because I wanted them to have a more clear connection to ink since they would already be around it quite a lot also I imagine it would have been funny for Arc, who is a very calm and collected person, to be in a frustrating situation but can't express it so their tattoos just fucking loose it showing that they are fucking fuming but looks calm as can be.

After I decided on the hat with a veil however I decided to scrap the idea, or at least save it for a different character, as I realized the character would feel too busy and between the two ideas I liked the hat and veil more.

- There was a short-lived idea of them having blackout tattoos but after a bit of research I decided not to ask I wasn't sure if they had any cultural significance, so better safe than sorry.

- Arc, as stated in the notes, is seemingly always calm. That doesn't mean they can't feel frustrated, sad, embarrassed it just means they can keep their composure and level headed. They're like one of those people that if you upset them they'll walk out the room yell and throw shit and walk back in calm as can be.

- Their role has by now developed more than just being an archivist, as now I see them as just a general records keeper. They find and keep old records and text organised, while also writing down new information and such. I'm not changing their name though, cause honestly I've just grown attached to their nickname.

Page 2 (right) - the first note and ideas

- Weirdly enough, the very first idea I had for this character wasn't their story or personality: but their hat and veil. Yup. I just liked the idea of a character with a big halo hat and a veil hiding their face.

- There was another character at one point or they might have been the same, I don't exactly remember and the details between them were similar enough that it's possible that they were just the same character just with minor tweaks. But that character was more connected to the band (again as in the personas/characters they play, not the irl people) while Arc is more of a solo unit.

Mentioning this other character is relevant because, and this is purely based on memory, I think the whole reason they were reworked/scrapped/whatever-the-fuck I did with them was because a hat and veil wouldn't be practical on stage.

- Anyway whenever they do take the veil off, either for more delicate work or they have to be in public, they'll put on a basic mask that covers the majority of their lower face.

- A lot of stuff I see, so forgive me if it's not actually a popular concept, seems to make the band members some form of inhuman. Which I fucking love, however to be honest the inhuman stuff was always kind of going to be part of them no matter what, even if I hadn't chosen the hat and veil concept (See top bullet point for the moving tattoos concept).

[lone-rhapsodist]

You know what... I don't have to do this. I don't have to get onto Reddit or Twitter for the purpose of sharing my project. I don't have to put myself through this. I am tired. Like, really tired. I don't mean physically -- forget the fact I stayed up late last night way past my bedtime -- I'm tired emotionally. Like, I have Twitter. I have a couple of Reddit accounts. I like certain aspects of those websites. I'm mostly a lurker -- I scroll a bit, I like a bit. Sometimes I retweet or leave a comment. But it's all very chilled.

On Twitter, I follow all the lovely Classics people I have met and/or admire for their very progressive work. I enjoy seeing what they're doing. Granted, there's a lot of academic stuff in it too. I'm not bitter about that. I simply lament the usual -- they're still there, stuck in their systems, pretending this is fine. Fair enough. I'd rather not engage with it. I'll stay there, lurking, waiting to see if and when the right thing comes my way. Something that resonates with my project. But I don't feel like venturing into the unknown.

I've already spent a significant amount of time and energy reaching out to people in my own name. I'm happy to keep trying, starting from my lecturer from uni, seeing how it goes. But I don't think I should, say, make a post about the project in my own name. I'm not interested in heated discussions started by randomers who clearly dislike my idea and therefore have no reason to interact with me but will do so anyway. And it would be even worse if I started talking about it under a pseudonym. I can feel it. Anonymity can be liberating. But it can also bring out the worst in people. I would rather not do that.

Similar thing for Reddit, but with a difference. I've actually been lurking on the main Classics communities for a bit now, and I've got to say, I've been pleasantly surprised by the general vibe of it. Everyone is very chilled, even in discussions about linguistics, which you wouldn't expect -- not if you're familiar with Textkit, at least (sigh). Today I even stumbled upon a post where I felt like I had something to comment for once, and it went down rather well! But then, if I wished to push my project onto these people? I don't know.

It feels stupid, wanting to promote a project like mine on Reddit, where they already have communities that do pretty much what I already do -- give feedback, advice, and a chance to socialise. When I think about this, a part of me even wonders what's the point of having a Discord server for the project when Reddit exists. But then, I realise, it's not the same thing at all. Because Reddit is Reddit and Tumblr is Tumblr, just like Twitter is Twitter and Tumblr is Tumblr.

The websites are just not the same. They are not at all interchangeable. There is a vibe, on Tumblr, that I have never felt anywhere else, and that is why I have been on this wonderful hellsite for over 10 years now (if you count the other blog -- "what other blog?" -- you will never know).

The websites have different personalities -- there's no other way to put it. Each has its pros and cons, but to me, Tumblr's pros vastly outweigh its cons. And most of these cons -- like the lack of forum-like functionality -- can easily be made up for... well, for example, in the way that I did. By creating a Discord server for like-minded mutuals. Like pretty much everyone else seems to be doing. And I feel like, if things have been alright so far with the server, it's because of the general vibe on this website, which is just its own wavelength. If I were to bring into the server people from Reddit or Twitter... it would be very different. And I don't want that.

I like sharing my Classics stuff here on Tumblr. I like finding like-minded individuals to extend friendship to and even invite to join the server if they wish. I like blogging about my life, my job, my project etc. But I don't want to break what works. So yeah. I'm just happy to keep it as it is. I am happy to keep Tumblr about what I'm doing here, and keep Reddit and Twitter about their own separate things.

And then if there is indeed a major breakthrough with the project -- say, for example, if something happens with that lecturer from uni -- then maybe I'll be happy to share it here on Tumblr, or on Reddit, or even on Twitter in my own name. But in terms of how I use these websites... I don't want to turn them into the 'marketing machine'. That whole having-to-tell-yourself spiel that is so widespread on the internet. The same evil spirit that turned blogs into a way to make money, a place to promote your business, a plaform for e-commerce. The thing that fucked up blogging to the point that any Google search about how to start a blog is now a hellscape filled with horror-buzzwords such as 'SEO' and 'monetisation'. You know, that one. I don't want to have to sell myself, or my soul. I don't want a fucking Carrd. Not until I can avoid it, at least.

So, for now, I think I'll just stop. I don't feel the need to push this any further. I'll keep Tumblr, I'll keep the server. I'll keep doing the things I do, and I'll keep it how I like it. And then, I'll finally feel free to move on to other things too. Things like that podcast which promises to be the solution to my writing problems. Things like writing poetry, which I restarted last year and would like to return to. Things like... music. Things that make me happy. Things that make me feel like I am doing something worth doing. Things that make me feel alive. I think that makes sense.

[multif0rmed]

Mmm. So that'd confirm it. Did it also confirm that Ansem had been defeated - or was he mingling about? But he didn't particularly feel like talking of his other, for now. Finding about his Organization had been enough - though he didn't mind having company of his others at any given time. The only one he would spend anytime with was his younger self, and it always depended whether or not they were busy. "Mmm, sounds about accurate,'' he replied, snorting lightly at that information. Vague memories - or reports themselves - had told him enough about how his Nobody had conducted himself.

Xehanort tilted his head as they went on, picking up their words carefully. ''I believe I've heard about that as well ..'' he murmured. Has he? Sort of - there had been a lot of information on Roxas left behind, considering he had been selected as a highly ideal vessel. little cliques, little friendship within the Organization wasn't surprising either - as he had seen it happen with his own.

''Yes, that would make sense - memory lapses are quite common sometimes, due to age or trauma, or otherwise .. Seems you remain in the present well enough." A sip of tea - it had been easy to sweep that under the rug, despite their pleasant conversation.

He blinked. Born like that? "Sounds like it is merely darkness being more potent, yes,'' he replied, after a moment of thought, his eyes trailing briefly onto the kitchen table. His mind had shifted throughout different within his memory. "But - it wouldn't also be entirely out of the realm of possibility of it taking a different form. Darkness can be transformed - it is very malleable." A pause - as more information sunk in for him. My apprentice ...

''Vanitas,'' he immediately supplied. ''The Sora-like boy's name is Vanitas." A name he knew from like the back of his hand. Gods, how could he ever forget? "That's merely his default behavior - most often than not,'' he said, a hint of a scathing tone.

He didn't mind the conversation - especially due to them being from another timeline. New things to learn, to explore ...

''Mm, they are from King Mickey's reserves ..'' he remarked, their names not quite connecting within his mind, at least not at the moment. He shrugged. ''Best to not involve yourself if you feel wary of the interaction,'' he advised, not caring for the idea. That would just bring complications for Xemnas .. ''Riku potentially has, but until then .. I'm sure you have more pressing issues to focus on than Sora, anyways." A little smear of frosting onto a cookie - before he popped it into his mouth.

He nodded - letting Xion know that he was listening. So, same information on that front as well.

"Vexen is quite brilliant -" Gods, if Vexen were here right now, Xehanort would never hear the end of it. Vexen probably would bring it up whenever he could ... "-so no doubt he'd figure it out eventually." A little snort. Quite impressive work - considering how his others were existing within this timeline with perfect bodies. "He's made significant progress as time went on."

"Yea, Xemnas is in charge, though Saïx is usually the one who hands out orders and stuff. Our boss is usually busy with whatever it is he's doing. We don't usually see him much, unless he wants to talk to everyone about progress... Sometimes, though, he does show up to our gatherings and little parties at the Castle!"

a pause, and they look at their tea again. "Thirteen or fourteen, huh.. Then the gap's a little bigger than I'd thought. I remember.. Most of before I left. Not so much the very beginning, because I don't think I was quite.. Ready? When I was first up and about? But I remember my first ice cream with Roxas, and then the next one with Axel, too. So. I don't think there's much I've missed there." it seems they don't have any problems talking about anyone they work with- seems they've decided they trust his claims of being their leader. and, to be fair, he does have golden eyes and the same skin tone as the leader they know. ..they kind of assume he's an older version of him, though. weird that he'd mention xemnas like he wasn't, though! they're ignoring that for now.

"Mixed? I don't think so- I think we've all just been like this! Maybe the Darkness is more potent where I'm from, or maybe it's just taken a different path. But all the Nobodies of other worlds are Beasties in mine. Though, I'm.. Not really sure what kind Xemnas is? I've never seen his Beastie form. And, um.. Sora and Riku aren't.. But there's a guy who kind of looks like Sora, he is! He's a dragon like Roxas and I are! He's a bit grumpy, though, and doesn't like to talk much." boy, it really just seems to flow out of them, doesn't it? maybe it just feels nice to be able to talk to someone about this kind of thing- stuff that their friends already know and strangers don't typically get to know. but he's feeling more familiar as they go on. it's fine, right?

"Yea, though, Sora's hanging out with his friends, mostly- I do think I saw him once! Him and a duck and a. Tall. Dog, I think? With a silly little hat. They didn't see me, though. I'm a little nervous to actually talk to him. Like. How do you even introduce yourself to someone like that? "Hi, you don't know me but I'm made from your memories"? ..I'm sure Riku's said something at some point probably, but still.." they shake their head some, clearing thoughts again. "..Roxas is a little older than me, but you wouldn't know it. And, um. Axel's older than both of us. None of them seem to have aged any, though. I think it's a Beasties thing. Or. Nobody. That's such a mean sounding name... Roxas is a little jealous of me looking a bit older, I think.. Hehe. But I'm a doll and he's a proper Beastie like the rest of them, so I can get tweaks they can't~ ..I don't think I look that much older, though. And I still get called a kid, so apparently there's only so much the tweaking can do for me."

[howyoutalktostrangers]

So,

Tuesday was my last day at work.

For the past five years I've been working in communications full-time, and I was fortunate enough to become part of an inclusive, fulfilling and inspiring organization that challenged me, valued me, and gave me the tools necessary to level up both as an employee and a human being. Though this latest development, being laid off without cause, is an unsettling surprise, what I'm feeling is mostly gratitude.

Since I first applied for this storyteller position in 2018, I've moved multiple times, gotten married and experienced the birth of my first two children. This employer is responsible for my current existence, stood by me through three significant mental health crises (including the death of my sister) and gave me the opportunity to spend every day creating content and sharing knowledge. We weathered the pandemic together, and I legitimately believe we made the world a better place in demonstrable ways.

It's true that I'm profoundly sad about this, because endings are sad, but I also feel intensely privileged that I was able to have these experiences (like taking the photo attached to this post at an Indigenous workshop about being "active for life"). Five years is the same amount of time we spend in high school, and now apparently it's time for me to graduate.

When I lost my job at the Nelson Star in 2017, it felt like the sky was falling. The multi-month aftermath was absolute chaos, and resulted in my first entanglement with the mental health system. Since that time I've done significant work on myself, built a family and established a home. As I went through my day today, writing an internal email to the staff team and discussing the reality of this with Kristina, I felt the familiar panic and financial despair but reminded myself that I have the tools I need to navigate those emotions and sort out the practical problems I'm now faced with.

The thing is, looking back at how my life has progressed since high school, I could've never predicted the various pivots and hurdles of the past 20 years. First there was a decade of lifeguarding, teaching swimming lessons and working at summer camp. I didn't know then that acting school would lead me to creative writing, that creative writing would lead me to journalism, that journalism would lead me to communications. I've slalomed from Vancouver to Victoria to Whitehorse, Nelson, and Scotch Creek then back to Victoria again, and now here I am in Duncan having come full circle back to acting in Shakespeare.

There's a peculiar cosmic math at play here, even if I can't quite decipher it.

There's a trick to all this. The primary thing I learned during my time working as a whitewater rafting guide at Adams River was the concept of fear management — which has benefited me psychologically in a variety of contexts. Every day I would face a Class 3 rapid called the Gorge, or the Canyon, that legitimately scared me. And every day I would master my fear, embrace the inevitable, and navigate my raft through it anyways.

So that's where I find myself today, drifting along in the current with the watery tumult ahead getting ever closer. This is where I convince myself that panic won't serve me, that the outcome will be better if I remain calm, and that I have the training necessary to make it through.

All that's left is to grab ahold of my oars, and begin to row. The Literary Goon

[procrastinating-story-writer]

Bonds that Bind Us

Chapter Two:

Summary:

Connecting with someone is not necessarily a bond with a significant other, or even a friend, but can be the indefinable - perhaps the rarest and most precious thing in life to find at all.

Donna Lynn Hope

Loki sat puzzled as he observed his 'overseer' as she paced the room she called the sitting area. After Omidah quickly took himself and Thor to his designated floor, she dismissed his brother, told him to get comfortable, pulled out some sort of talking device and ignored him ever since.

Next he couldn't wrap him mind around the fact she was being nice to him or why she didn't seem to be the slightest uncomfortable around his presence, and why she looked excited the first time she looked his way. It was confusing and it made him angry.

Omidah on the other hand was trying to get Fury off the phone as quickly as possible but it seemed that her efforts were futile. She could feel Loki's aura of boredom; this was not how she wanted to leave a first impression (which won't really matter to the royal trickster either way but its the thought that counts at least).

"Pennwinkle are you even listening to me?" She rolled her eyes "what else could I be doing since you just keep talking"

"Don't sass me woman, I can revoke your privileges and have you confined to the tower."

"Do that and I'll tell everyone what happened in Fiji."

"You wouldn't dare!

"Try me boss." She said in a sing song voice.

Fury started grumbling profanities under his breath. "Just keep me informed about your progress." Fury hung up.

Omidah moved the phone as the dial tone came on, watched the screen blankly and gave a small yet audible snarl. "Did that chili eating mother--ass just hang up on me!? I see. Alright Fury, we'll see who has more balls than the other."

Sticking the phone into her pocket, she turned her attention back to Loki. His facial expression was neutral but his eyes showed anger. Just great.

"I'm really sorry about that. My boss just doesn't know when to shut up."

Loki did not answer her. He got up, made his way to the shelves of books and picked out one, then returned to the couch. Omidah smiled at his choice 'William Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice' she loved that one.

"Are you hungry?" Silence

"Is there anything I can get you as you wallow in silence?" More silence.

"Have you always been so reticent? It will do you no good to just sit there and ignore me. I just want to help."

"Then don't mortal. You're very annoying."

"Is that the best insult you got? I already know I'm a mortal wise arse; you can do better than that your lordship. Come on throw another insult." Omidah's voice was dripping with sarcasm and a wide smile was on her face as she looked at Loki.

Loki on the other hand grew angry at her taunt and slammed the book shut.

"What's the matter God of Mischief, no come back? I must say this is a let down. Wuss."

Loki quickly walked towards the annoying female with murderous intent and grabbed her upper arms, lifting her off the ground.

"For the death of Odin, what is your problem you mewling quim!? Do you wish for me to destroy you? Do you have any idea who I am and what I can do to you?"

Omidah continued to smile as she looked into Loki's breathtaking blue-green eyes. Just being elevated at his eye level, she leaned in her face and planted a quick kiss on Loki's nose; giggling as she moved away.

All of Loki's anger vanished and replaced by utter confusion.

The look on Loki's face caused Omidah to burst into a fit of giggles. The sound spreading throughout the room, filling it and caused Loki's heart to do a weird flip but he quickly pushed it aside.

"I'm really sorry, I don't mean to be so happy but its just that, believe it or not, I've always wanted to do that if I ever got the change to meet you.

It's so good to finally say that I can scratch that off my bucket list; kiss the God of mischief on the nose." She said matter of factly.

Loki gave her that 'I-truly-believe-you're-really-dumb' kind of look.

"Now Loki are you hungry? I'm sure you haven't eaten a full course meal in quite some time and I'm happy to cook for you if you'd let me."

Loki just continued to watch the strange girl he was holding, trying to find something, anything, that would reveal if she was playing him for a fool; there was absolutely no way any sane person, who knows of his reputation would be happy to do anything with him. Alas, he could find nothing but pure glee in her hazel eyes.

"Come on Loki, as much as I enjoy looking into your eyes, I too am hungry. So, can you please put me down, lasagna is calling out to me."

Finally able to register her words, he slowly placed her down "What game are you playing mortal?"

Omidah arched a brow at his sudden question "I don't understand the question. If you're referring to why I'm not afraid of you, it's because I'm not."

"But you are aware of the things I've done or of the people I've killed on this pathetic planet, have you not?"

She could hear the irritation in his voice, whether it be from the realization that he is now on said planet he caused havoc or something else entirely, she wasn't sure.

"Yes, I'm fully aware of all that you've done and what you're capable of doing but I can't comprehend what that has to to with, why I can't be nice to you or simply talk to you." Sighing she crossed her arms and gave him her full attention.

"I want you to fully understand something. My world has people in it that has done a lot of bad things to good people, some still continue to do so. I work for an organization that kills those type of people and my hands are stained with the blood of a few.

"Everyone in this tower has killed someone, whether it's to save the lives of people, revenge, brashness and cockiness or in your case trying to concur this world. The reason you're labeled the 'bad guy' its because you chose to be all flashy about it; making yourself a spectacle, parading in front a crowd of people who recorded you and post it around the world and to put the cherry on top the ice cream Sunday, you went and brought an alien army through a large hole in the sky, attacking one of the largest cities in the world." Omidah let out a sigh.

"Look all I'm trying to say is, no one's a saint in this place, we all have our reasons for doing what we do. I just don't want you feel like you're the only screw up. The others may or may not be judgmental towards you and I know you won't give a dam but I want you to know that I'll be looking out for you, Okay?"

Loki snickered "I don't need a mere mortal to look out for me."

"Well you really don't have much of a choice. I'll be looking out for you whether you like it or not, plus you really shouldn't think little of us mortals, we can surprise you. Have you never heard the saying, don't underestimate your opponent? Now if you don't mind, please follow me so I can prepare dinner."

With that she turned on her heels and headed towards the elevator, which opened automatically for her.

Loki stepping in after her, each opposite the other.

"Good evening miss Penwinkle and Mr. Laufeyson, where can I take you."

Omidah smiled "J.A.R.V.I.S, good evening to you too and please call me Omidah, the formality is too much."

"If you wish miss."

"Thank you, will you please take us to the main lounge? I'm going to prepare dinner."

"I see. The others will be quite excited about dinner; would you like me to notify them the moment you've finished?"

"Sure that would be great, thank you."

At the end of the short conversation, they arrived at the desired floor.

"Your stop miss. Have a good evening."

Omidah chuckled realizing he's never going to address her by her first name.

"Thanks a lot JARVIS. Catch you later. Come on Loki, this is going to be so much fun."

Loki scoffed at her enthusiasm as they passed the seating area and headed into the large kitchen.

"I fail to see how cooking is fun. Its a maids' chore if you ask me."

Taking no offense, Omidah tied her hair with chopsticks and put on her apron.

"Just have a seat on the bar stool and here,"

Taking a book from behind her back, she placed it in-front for him. Loki realized it was the same book he took from the shelves earlier. How did she get it without him noticing?

"I've been told you love to read, so I organized for that library to be on your floor and while I prepare dinner this will help you pass the time."

Loki couldn't figure her out; She was strange. Then he saw her remove her footwear and placed them by the door of the kitchen; he was more puzzled.

Omidah saw his puzzled look as she returned back into the kitchen; she chuckled.

"This is something I do when I prepare meals; it warns everyone who walks into the lounge that I'm in the kitchen. I like cooking with no disturbances.....well unless I invite anyone. Now time to get to work."

"Why would you do something so trivial? It makes no sense."

She headed into the pantry and returned to the island, placing the ingredients onto it "as I stated earlier it's to warn the others. I started preparing dinner about two years ago because I strongly believe we here at the tower are a family and family should have home cooked meals."

Loki rolled his eyes and continued to read but still listened on

"So three months after I started cooking, Tony decided to be real jerk. I decided to make chocolate fondue and an assortment of treats in which you can dip into the chocolate; anyways Tony was drunk from the previous day, having thrown one of his extravagant parties. I turn my back for 10 minutes and when I returned Tony was face flat in the fondue, chocolate was splattered all over the kitchen walls, all the assortment s were gobbled down; it was a disaster."

Loki watched as she moved back and forth,

"Oh how wonderful it was to make him pay for wasting rich chocolate but that's a tale for another time"

Loki scoffed, "So do you have anything in particular you like to eat?" She asked.

Loki looked up from his book and watched as she mixed some contents in a bowl, while periodically blowing strands of hair from her face.

"None that you should concern yourself with,"

"Aww come on, I'm curious to know, so that way I can add your preferred dishes to the dinner menu."

Loki didn't like the feeling he was getting when she made that statement; she was showing an genuine interest in him and it felt weird. He decided not to respond to her and continued reading.

A comfortable silence fell between them and the only sound that emanated from the kitchen was the clanking of pots and pans. As some time passed, Loki would periodically glance at her from behind his book, making sure not to get caught.

"Here you go Loki" Omidah said while placing a small plate of chocolate chip cookies in front of him. Loki lowered his book and eyed the cookies with suspicion

"If you think they're poisoned, then think again. I like you, so i have no intentions of harming you in anyway."

Loki ignored what she said to try and subdue the feeling in his chest. He refused to take her words literally; no one cared about him and he had to keep reminding himself of that.

"How did you makes these so fast?"

Omidah smiled "we've been in here for well over an hour now. Dinner is almost done and I'm now preparing to clean up. Plus I tend to bake goodies first before doing the actual cooking."

Loki looked at the cookies and back at Omidah who already turned away to start cleaning up.

Cautiously he picked up one and bit into it. Loki suppressed a groan; he had never eaten a cookie that tasted so divine. The chocolate melted on his tongue, sending a tingling sensations to his taste buds. The texture was soft, fluffy-like but was still solid. It was one satisfying cookie.

Within a matter of minutes the entire plate was cleared and he let out a satisfying sigh. The sound of the timer was set off almost simultaneous and when he looked in Omidah's direction, she was removing dishes from the oven and quickly rushing to set the table.

He was surprised that she cooked so many dishes in such a short period of time. He wondered if they tasted as good as they looked and smelt.

"Hey Loki are you comfortable eating with the others around or would you like to go back to your floor?"

He scoffed "I refuse to dine with incompetent mortals."

Omidah puffed her cheeks like a little child and pouted.

"You're not fun Loki, I really wanted to see how well you work under pressure. Oh well, I'll prepare a plate for you in a few."

Before he could respond to her statement, Tony entered the kitchen with a glass of scotch.

"Hey river Nile, what's cooking good looking?"

"Tony Stark, what have I told you about coming into the kitchen when I'm cooking! Do you want a repeat of what happened the last time you were in here?"

Loki observed the two conversing and how sudden Tony became nervous; beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Just what did she do to him to cause such a reaction?

"Ah-am I'll just be in the lounge. Sorry Omidah." With that Tony quickly walked out.

Loki continued to observe the young woman as she finished setting the table. He was still trying to figure her out. Being able to analyse someone and tell the type of person they are was a specialty of his but with her it was somewhat difficult.

"Jarvis can you let everyone know that dinner is ready. Thank you."

"Absolutely miss."

Omidah continued to move around the kitchen, ensuring that everything was in order. Tony decided to stick his head through the kitchen door.

"Hey, did I hear something about dinner? Don't mind if I do."

Omidah sighed 'He is a sucker for punishment.' "Sure Tony come on in. Have a seat and wait for the others. I'm going to fix a plate for Loki."

Tony chuckled "let me guess, Reindeer Games thinks we're beneath him and chooses to dine alone."

Loki shot Tony glare and boy if looks could kill, Tony would have dropped dead by the one Loki was giving him now.

Completely ignoring him, Tony moved to the bar and poured himself a drink

"So what's on tonight's menu Omidah?" She smiled

"Egyptian cuisine. Remember I promised everyone I'd try something new every few months...."

Tony nodded "well I decided to cook dishes from my distant home land. I hope you guys like it. Please ask the others to send me their feedback."

Tony looked at her perplexed "wait a minute, aren't you joining us tonight?"

She shook her head as she continued her task "not tonight tin can. I wish to keep Loki company before I start my training."

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew that the mission would cause them to see less of her now that she had to watchman Loki but he wasn't expecting it so soon; he didn't like it.

Omidah laughed at Tony's antics "oh stop being dramatic, sharing is caring. You guys had me all to yourselves for these past few years, now allow me to delegate my time to someone else.

And before you say anything else, I want you to know that I'm not going anywhere, just that you'll see less of me from time to time. So behave and exercise some patience."

Tony walked over to her and ruffled her hair "You're right, just a bit paranoid."

Omidah quickly hugged him "best cousin ever. Thanks tin can."

Removing herself from Tony's embrace she returned to her task. After packing enough food and what she believed would full the Asgardian, packaged everything in a bag.

"All done. Come on Loki we'll eat dinner on your floor. See you later Tony."

Loki watched as she bounced happily out the room before quietly following behind her.

Tony on the other hand was puzzled and quickly pulled out his phone to call the others. There were a few things that needed to be discussed.