#but!!!!! i really wanted to use this ask as an excuse to draw keiko so <33333 shes so cutie!! :)

[sallymew4]

tome's gf's name is keiko! rei's the inaccurate clairvoyant who crushes on gay guys

crushes on gay guys YOU LEAVE THAT POOR GIRL WITH A FAULTY GAYDAR ALONE !! !! ! she is just Agirl

i would say "do you think she even knows what a gay is" but. look at her. she looks like she was on tumblr in 2014. and by proxy she KNOWS what a Gay is (and beyond)

but anywasy YOURE SO RIGHT THANK YOU. i cant believe i mixed those two up what is wrong with me im so angry. here. keiko as a gift

i havent read the reigen manga yet but she seems like a tired little thang....

[a-tale-never-told]

A Family Talk (Pt1)

Erika! May I ask you a favor?

S-Sure, what is it, Mr Hinata?

Could you please excuse yourself from this conversation? I have something very important to discuss with my son and wife. You can go upstairs if you want to.

Erm... sure thing. I'll let you guys be.

*Natsumi moves out of the living room and heads upstairs, leaving Hajime all by himself*

....

So... I'm sure you are all aware of what happened to me last morning, right?

Yes, but the point is are you okay, Hiroshi?

I'm okay, Keiko, really. I'm just a bit shaken up after that incident this morning with that psycho. I honestly still don't understand his motives for why he tried to murder me in broad daylight, but I can only draw hypotheticals, honey.

How did you escape? Considering he was on the verge of catching up to you only a few meters away, you could've been dead the moment you ran.

Let's just say that a train was approaching and I simply just... made a break for it. I managed to pass the train tracks seconds before the train came in. I didn't even look back to see the man, I just kept going until I was tired out.

Hold on, you drove through train tracks? Jesus, Dad! What if that train came in earlier? You could've gotten yourself killed just by doing that!.

I admit, it was certainly a risky move to pull. But what else was I supposed to do? That psychopath was coming straight at me with the intent to kill me, and I had no other way to escape!.

But enough about that, as I've got something to tell you all that is important to this conversation at hand *Clears his throat*.

About several hours ago, I got into contact with these anons, as they so call themselves by that, asking me to go make contact with the Yakuza and request that they give us protection from the killer. Despite my hesitations at first, I've given it a second thought and I decided to start getting help, despite my reservations.

Are you mad, Hiroshi? These are the same people that you despise and now you want to work with them?!

I know this sounds like madness coming from me, but it's the only choice we have left. All I need to do is to head for wherever their hideout is and just ask for their assistance. I came here just to tell you both so I can get your input.

Yeah, about that... that isn't happening any time soon.

What do you mean by that, son? Is there something wrong?

... They've refused to grant us protection from Simmon's killer or even get involved in our situation. In other words, no one is coming to help us. I'm so sorry, Dad...

[eunsthings]

Museums

Part 3 I Questions?

Part 2 II Series masterlist II Part 4

Back in your class. the professor in front of you was talking about parasites. The last lecture for the day had passed with a series of slides filled with “fascinating” illustrations. With your back hurting, you subtly stretch your body; careful not to draw unnecessary attention. It was a long day, yet it was only two in the afternoon.  

“Thank goodness I have time to relax,” your lazy self has emerged once again.  

The click of your dorm door and the welcoming presence of your bed was the greatest feeling ever. Painfully switching your attention, you prepare for a quick shower. You took your phone to put on your bed, took some clothes to change into afterwards, then proceeded to head to your floor’s communal bathroom.  

As the water was pouring down on you, thoughts invaded your head. It had been the other day that you were hired for a huge job. They still haven’t reached back out yet and you aren’t able to do anything regarding the job since you had no idea what to do. They… or Tsukishima rather, hadn’t contacted you despite saying he will­—within a day or two. It had almost been 48 hours.  

“Why am I such an over-thinker?”  

You recover and assure yourself that it was all fine. It’s out of your control anyway. They can message you anytime. After all, you had given him your number.  

Finished, you dry yourself up and change into your fresh clothes before heading out and back to your room.  

You're greeted by the presence of your roommate sitting on your bed—the bottom bunk.  

“Hey,” you called out to her.  

“Hello,” she replied, eyes not meeting yours, still occupied with her phone.  

Holding your used clothes, you proceeded to fold them and put them away to be washed along with your week-old towel. Now your self-relaxation can begin… but where was your phone?

Lazing around would not be complete without it, you needed to scroll through YouTube comments while watching a video.  

“Wait just a minute-,” you face your roomie. “Isabella…”  

Whilst sitting on your bed, she gave you a cheeky expression; caught scrolling through your phone. “Sorry. Couldn’t help it. It was just sitting there.”  

“How did you even know the password?” A kind of annoyed amazement washed over you. You had nothing to hide anyway so there was no major problem.  

“In case you forgot, I live up–” she gestured to the top bunk, “–there.”  

“Dumb. Dumb as hell,” You had been careless. She could peek from above.  

“Anyway… Who is this guy?” Her tone was teasing with a mischievous face to go along with it. It made you worried.  

“What guy–” Oh no. It can’t be. Can it?  You grabbed your phone from her and saw why the idiot was smirking. It was a message from Tsukishima.  

     The message was straight to the point and yet your blockhead roommate still kept giving you knowing looks. She didn’t even know the reason for the message. She was jumping leaps and bounds to conclusions. This, you felt, was not going to go away anytime soon.  

“I was hired for another job”  

“Yeah, yeah. Sure~” She got up from your bed and languidly went for her desk. “Just don’t mind me, I’ll be studying here...” She dramatically gestures to her small workspace.  Facing her, you couldn’t help but feel embarrassed yet wanting to take that grin off her face.  

On your bed, you go back to the message. “On Wednesday.” It is a few days from now.

Checking your schedule, you were free on that day and the morning after. The timing though. Well, it wasn’t as if you were complaining, in fact, it was very good news. One less problem for you.  

You replied to Tsukishima then. The anxiety was eating you. A simple reply yet so many ways to screw up.  

“WHAT. DID I SEND?! Did he really leave me on ‘read’? Anyway~” So that is done. Now to relax. No need for self-criticism.  

On Wednesday, nine on the dot, you arrived in front of the museum.  

Draped around your neck, you show your loaned ID to the guard and pass through on to the building. Inside, some big boxes and various pieces have been placed on the hallway’s floor.

That must be for the event... wow they are already starting this early on. It again dawned on you how big of an event it is; starting to make preparations this early on. The pressure was beginning to feel real.  

“Hello.”  

“Oh, that voice again” you turn around to greet him but you didn’t get the chance to.  

“(L/N), this is Kazumi Keiko, my fellow intern,” he gestured to the lady beside him. Looking up at her, she seemed friendly, motherly almost; her long hair tied back and with freckles on her face. Although you take it, she was older than you and Tsukishima.

“Hello, nice to meet you Kazumi,” you reply although softly. She smiles a warm smile at you.  

“So now we're just waiting for Kazumi’s partner, Ike--- never mind she’s here”

“Hey guyssss!” A female about your age was waving behind the glass doors. Kazumi was gesturing with her hand beckoning the girl to enter. “How come she gets to be partners with Kazumi and I’m with the boy Tsukishima? This will just be utter awkwardness from me I bet,” you try to see the reasoning why it couldn’t have been you partnered with Kazumi.

“Hey, I’m Ikeda, Satsuki,” she was very direct, it caught you off-guard.

“Hi. I’m (L/N), (F/N).”

 “Wow, nice name! It’s foreign, I like it. Do you want a Snickers?” Glancing down, she had in her hand a Snickers bar being handed out to you. “Uh, no, no, I’m fine. You--” you got caught off by Kazumi. “(L/N), you better just take that or we’ll be stuck here a long time.”

“Oh ok, sure. Thank you, Ikeda,” you take the Snickers bar from her hand giving her a tight but genuine smile. She returned the gesture. From what you observed, she has a pretty happy-go-lucky character and you realize why Ikeda might be partnered with Kazumi; it was to manage Ikeda, Satsuki.

Tsukishima continued, “So for today Mr. Yasuhiro instructed us all to divide the work and just find a plan around it...”

That meeting ended about 15 minutes ago.  Now, you’re walking the streets of Sendai, side-by-side, with the tall man of partner for work. How did it come to this...?

The central matter you discussed was how the work was going to be divided. You and Tsukishima were to handle the main big projection for the event while Team Kazumi will handle multiple small displays around the museum. You didn’t get into too much detail but for now that was it. The details were to be discussed by the pair. Great... By the time your gathering finished it was past noon; late lunch.

“There’s still the rest of the day so I’m bringing Ikeda with me to lunch. We’ll be talking about ‘this’ after.” Kazumi was definitely wasting no time. “How about you guys?” She faced Tsukishima.

Oh no...

“Uh...” he glanced at you. Oh no. No, no. “You don’t have anything to do this afternoon right?”

I have no escape from this. “Yeah, my whole day is free”

“Well, I guess we could all get lunch.” He asked Kazumi now, “Where are you guys going?”

“A Western inspired cafe just a walking distance from here, it just opened so I wanna try it out”

Tsukishima took his coat and bag then went for the door. “Let’s go then.”  

“Wait... I still have to buy some things along the way, I want Kazumi to come with me. Can you two go ahead and reserve seats for us?” Ikeda protested, as childish as ever.

Kei halted, “Uh, yeah sure. I don’t see how that’s a problem.”

Not a problem... right.

“(L/N), are you fine with this?” The ever-motherly Kazumi made sure to check up on you.

Without any excuse whatsoever, “Yes, I’m ok with anything guys.” Darn it. Social Interaction.

“Ehem...” After a rather long walk of silence. Tsukishima cleared his throat. “Are you fine there?”

“Hmm...” You glance up at him; not expecting any talk. “Oh yeah, I’m fine here. You?”

“Uh-huh. Same here”

Awkward...but still you continue to walk side-by-side.

“You know, I’m not really a talkative person,” Tsukishima started again, “but Mr. Yasuhiro told me to ‘make an effort’ because you ‘tend to be shy,’” oh, is that how this guy sees me too? Ouch.

“I get what he means but...” he side-glanced to see you, it made your eyes meet his for a small while, “…some people prefer not talking at all and some are uncomfortable doing so. In short... I’m asking you if you would be comfortable with me trying to talk to you...”

Ohhhh... man, this guy is considerate. What a nice person.

“Yes, yeah. I’m really fine with people talking to me first. I just don’t really like to initiate a conversation plus I don’t want to be a nuisance to them... and like you said, I ‘tend to be shy.’”

“So, are you fine if I ask you questions?”

“Yeah, sure. Of course.” You really felt delighted; a person actually respected that not all people are the same in terms of talkativeness. It’s not every day you meet someone like that.

Unbeknownst to you, it was Tsukishima’s goal in earnest to make you comfortable around him; to the best of his ability.  You do have to work on a project together after all.

A few moments of walking and you both arrived in the café. True to her word, what Kazumi said by “western inspired” actually really means an absolutely western café.

Tsukishima, the unexpected gentleman, opened the door for you as you both entered. You give him a smile in thanks; he returned a small smile too.  

Looking around, it seems like rush-hour has passed and the café is almost empty. That means you don’t have to worry about reserving seats for Kazumi and Ikeda, then.  

“Would you prefer seats by, or away from the window?”

You imagined eating by the window as others pass by... “I think away from the window”

“Same here.” He then led you to a table for 4 by the wall. He breezily pulled a chair and motioned for you to sit on it as if it were no big deal.  

Oh my. This is kind of flustering.

Tsukishima received a text from Kazumi saying that they’ll be late and to order and eat ahead of them; and so, you both did. A waitress handed you menus then left the both of you to choose your orders. He ordered smoked salmon while you went with lasagna. For dessert he asked you what you wanted but you’d told him you’ll have bobba instead; he got a strawberry shortcake.

“So, while waiting for our food, and Kuzumi, I do have to bring back the fact that we're going to be working together on this project and we barely know each other. So...” across from you, he gives you a “you get where I’m headed with this” look on his face.

You nodded. “Mhmm”  

“Right, should we ask each other questions?”

“Yeah, I think that’s the easiest way.”

“Ok, I’ll go first. You’re in university, right? What are you studying?”

“Oh, I’m a veterinary student”

“Oh, wow. That’s very impressive.” You responded with a smile and small chuckle, “Oh, no... not really.”

It was your turn. “If I recall correctly, you are in the museum as an intern. What are you doing if you’re not there?”

“Well, aside from attending school, I also have volleyball to face but that’s all.”  

Confused with his vague answer, “Volleyball?”

“Hm... uh,” for the first time ever since you met him, the usually stoic guy looked... bashful. “I play for V.League Division 2,” he looks unsure if you knew what it was and made an attempt to explain it. But when he saw your eyes wide with amazement, he stopped fidgeting with his hands. “I’m taking it that you know what that is...”

You didn’t really dabble too much in sports, volleyball was no exception. Sure, you watched an anime about volleyball; got addicted, and friends mention volleyball from time-to-time too, all that was enough to know what V.League meant. “Now that’s impressive.”

He grinned. “Heh. Well, I don’t really know about that…but now it’s my turn to ask. How did you get into animating?”

“Oh,” you let out a heartfelt laugh, caught unaware of the question.

Hearing it, Kei couldn't help but suppress his blissful smile.

“I always liked animating but it was a friend who forced me to actually do something about it,” remembering your laziness and your pestering friend was a goofy memory but a treasured one.

“Is this the same friend that left you in the museum?”

Joy came over you and you chuckled again, “how did you even remember that?”

“I mean, that was just a few days ago and who can forget someone who got left behind by a friend?”

“She isn’t bad, she just had to hurry out. I swear, she’s a reliable person most times.”

You haven’t noticed it but Tsukishima's goal was slowly realized as the air of awkwardness and tension gave out. You were too giddy to realize anything; you felt weirdly safe and became chattier.

In front of you, Tsukishima looked to be amused; a rare smile plastered on his face. “I had a somewhat same experience back in high school,” again, he sported a surprisingly charming smile on his face.

Curiosity overtook as you continued to prod, “what happened in high school?”  

“Well, simply put, I wasn’t overly fond of volleyball then. A lot of people paved the way to make me love it. In a way, I relate."  

“Wow, your friends were really good for doing that.”

“Hahaha.. yeah. I was kind of forced the first time around,” he muttered under his breath. “It’s your turn to question.”

“Oh, right.” Attention span of a goldfish. “What position do you play?”

“I... Am a middle blocker”

“Well, that’s fitting to say the least. Is it fun playing your position?"

“Yes. I find it fun especially seeing anguished faces across the net after a good block.” You cracked a smile at that, he didn’t seem to be the type to find fun in that manner.

 “My turn to ask. Are you comfortable talking to me now?” Upon asking that, he faced you with genuine concern, you didn’t even realize you were talking to him casually and without uneasiness.

“Yeah, I think so.” You finish it with a smile.

He flashed a quick smirk in response. For he, after a lengthy while, has finally made progress with the person in front of him.

Part 2 II Series masterlist II Part 4

Notes:

Y/N doesn’t really use Tsukki’s name in her head’s dialogue cause she’s still uneasy🤕

and yes we use messenger... pls don’t mind 🥺

guys this is a veryyy slow burn i hope you guys stickkkk around☺️

it’s been a very long time since the last. but better late right??😅😅

𝑨𝒍𝒔𝒐𝒐𝒐. 𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒈!!! ^-^

𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈♡

=tags below=

[myaekingheart]

For Thirsty Thursday. Tell me about your fav oc! Anything goes, ramble away! Infodump me, baby!

[thirsty thursday]

My favorite OC is definitely Rei 😂 But she's also the one I talk about the most and focus on the most, too, so I should probably pick someone else for this, but...

You're all gonna hear it again because I love her.

Basics are that she's the only daughter of Hana (née Yamanaka) and Yuruganai Natsuki, who own the local bookstore Kaminoki Shop. The bookstore itself was founded by Rei's grandfather, Oku Natsuki. She grew up in a little house on the outskirts of the village with her parents and her paternal grandmother, Teiko Natsuki, with whom she shares a really close bond. Their next door neighbors were Hana and Yuruganai's childhood friends Sakumo and Aijo (née Inuzuka) Hatake, so Rei and Kakashi grew up together and were super close. Rei really admired Kakashi and she desperately wanted to pursue a career as a ninja just like him, but she had very little support at home except for grandmother, who was actually the one who signed Rei's permission slip to enter the academy behind Hana and Yuruganai's backs. Kakashi supported her, too...until he didn't. When he started losing everyone, he did a complete 180 and basically told Rei "forget it, you're too weak, you'll never make it as a ninja so quit while you're ahead" and basically just detached himself from everyone. So that of course broke Rei's heart in pieces. Her childhood best friend, one of the only people who ever supported her, just leaving her in the dust. So she took this as an opportunity. She took that anger and hatred she felt toward him and everyone else who told her she wouldn't make it and she used that to fuel herself further to prove that she belonged there. And by the time she was 18, she was appointed into the ANBU. To train under Kakashi. Things were really tense at first as the two of them tried to navigate this abrupt reunion but ultimately, they couldn't avoid the fact that they still cared very deeply for each other after all these years. And as they grew closer, Rei discovered that sometimes things aren't always as they seem, that Kakashi never actually stopped caring about her, that he detached himself from her because he cared about her. That he tried to deter her from her dreams because he didn't want her to put herself in danger, he didn't want to risk losing her, too. Throughout the years, he'd peer around corners and from behind trees sneaking around to check on her and make sure she was safe. He of course missed her deeply and desperately wanted to spend time with her but he felt that keeping his distance was what was best. Now that she was in the ANBU with him, though, he knew that was no longer possible and neither was avoiding the way he felt about her. At 18 and 20 respectively, Rei and Kakashi ultimately had to admit their feelings to each other and started pursuing a romantic relationship.

Even when things seemed well and good, they were reunited after so many years and Rei had felt like she had finally proven herself to him and her family, things were still rocky. Rei lost her best friend in the line of duty, thanks to her own leadership skills, and spiraled into a deep depression that led her to temporarily break up with Kakashi under the excuse of needing space. It took almost a year for Rei to finally return to him and Kakashi decided quickly afterward to ask her to marry him. And even then, things still manage to go haywire as they try to prep for the wedding and cope with some very rapidfire changes that occur during this time, like their decision to try for a baby being very quickly scrapped by Rei making ANBU captain which is then in turn very quickly scrapped by Rei unexpectedly getting pregnant right after her and Kakashi decided to stop trying. And that's about the point in the story I'm at currently, but things are also about to get even more hectic for reasons I won't delve into now for the sake of ✨spoilers✨

But ultimately Rei and Kakashi do eventually get married and have six children together across a span of ten years: Nariko, Rokurou, Sutego (who is adopted), Katsuro, Keiko, and Kazuhiko.

Personality-wise, Rei is intelligent, a little sarcastic, guarded but also deeply caring, and []. Her paternal family's kekkei genkai is actually founded in empathy through a jutsu called chakra tethering. It's basically the ability to not just channel one's chakra into an object but lock it there so that you and that object are linked, and wherever that object is, you can sense what's going on around it--which is very useful for espionage. Rei can also use herself as a vessel to channel other people's chakra into objects, which is something she uses for a personal thing she has called chakra plants. Her chakra plant project is actually a deeply personal and special thing she reserves for only those she cares the most about like Kakashi, her family, and her closest friends. It involves a very intimate ritual of choosing the perfect flower to represent the aforementioned person, the perfect pot to house that plant in, and then the chakra channeling itself. Once this is complete, the cherished person and their chakra plant are intrinsically linked so that based on the chakra that's locked in the plant, Rei can estimate the morale of that cherished person no matter where they are in the world based on the wellbeing of the plant. So for example, with Kakashi, he and Rei picked a cornflower because it reminded her of scarecrows, she planted it in a pot, and then she siphoned a bit of Kakashi's chakra from his body, channeled it through herself and into the plant, and then locked it in the plant so now if Kakashi is off on a mission and he gets seriously injured, Rei will know something is wrong because the plant will respond to the wellbeing of his chakra and begin to droop or dry out or wilt depending on the severity of his injuries. I feel like it's all kind of complicated, and I should probably draw a diagram of something one of these days to make it a little clearer, but I'm doing my best 😅

And then training-history wise, Rei entered the academy at 6 and made genin at 10. She was placed on a team with her schoolmate and best friend Naru Fuzuki, the daughter of local socialites involved local government and finances, and her bully Sekkachi Fumeiyo, a girl from a downtrodden clan known for being liabilities in battle thanks to a chronic illness that runs in the family. Their sensei was Chikara, a wise and proper woman with a background in, believe it or not, dance. She used those experiences in dance, however, to strengthen her students' teamwork, espionage, and awareness skills by having them create a group alter ego as young idols/rave dancers and perform choreographed dances at a club where they learned how to disguise themselves, change the way they act, and discretely keep their eye on large crowds while doing something else. And of course the importance of being in sync both on the stage and on the battlefield. Despite the fact that they have all since grown up and grown apart in ways, however, they still keep in touch as best as they can. Chikara is out of the village often but she and Sekkachi, specifically, share an extremely close, sisterly bond so Chikara is always the first one Sekkachi goes to for advice or some tough love. And over time, Naru brought Rei and Sekkachi closer together, too, to the point where the two of them are now damn near inseparable and like sisters--they butt heads a lot but there's nothing they wouldn't do for each other and they are always there for one another which is great since neither of them have biological sisters themselves but they're close enough and have known each other long enough that they might as well be sisters. And in the future, Sekkachi ends up becoming sensei to Rei's firstborn, Nariko, as well as Mirai Sarutobi.

There's honestly even more I could say about Rei, her story, her relationship with Kakashi and my other OCs, etc. but by now I feel like this response has gotten long enough so I'll stop it there but the ask box is always open for even more information if anyone is curious enough 😅

[wittywallflower]

Merry Pranksters - Miles wants to play a practical joke on Julian while the doctor is off the station and asks Garak, of all people, for help.

(3,6k words, Miles & Garak gen fic)

Garak was just about to close up for the day when Miles O'Brien appeared quite unexpectedly. He was an infrequent visitor in the shop. The chief tended to leave sartorial considerations to his wife when he could get away with it. Outside of his holosuite costumes, that is, and in those cases he usually discussed things thoroughly with the doctor before letting Julian make the actual arrangements with the tailor.

"Good evening, Chief O'Brien," Garak greeted him as pleasantly as any customer. "How are those trousers I mended working out for you?"

"Fine, fine. Good as new," Miles said, but nothing more.

"Was there something you need?”

"You, uh... you want to help me prank Julian?" Miles asked.

-------------------------------------------------------

Garak was just about to close up for the day when Miles O'Brien appeared quite unexpectedly. He was an infrequent visitor in the shop. The chief tended to leave sartorial considerations to his wife when he could get away with it. Outside of his holosuite costumes, that is, and in those cases he usually discussed things thoroughly with the doctor before letting Julian make arrangements with the tailor.

"Good evening, Chief O'Brien," Garak greeted him pleasantly. "How are those trousers I mended working out for you?"

"Fine, fine. Good as new," Miles said, but nothing more.

"Was there something you need? Don't tell me young Miss Molly had another growth spurt again so soon? That would be most inconvenient to Mrs. O'Brien. I believe she said they would be on Bajor this month? There aren't many clothing shops in the mountains of Ray'laht."

Miles was surprised, and not sure how he felt about the Cardassian talking so familiarly, and knowledgeably, about his family like that. But of course Garak would know a bit about it. Keiko liked the man, naturally would she would chat with him whenever Molly's pants were getting too short again and she had need of his services. Keiko was a nice, engaging woman and most people liked talking to her. Miles wouldn't have guessed Garak would care enough to listen, but then the man was or used to be a spy. He probably filed away any bit of intel, no matter how innocuous, just in case it came in handy later.

"Not that I am aware of yet," Miles answered, and huffed a laugh. "Won't be long though, the way she's growing."

Now that he thought of it, though, he could remember Julian mentioning that Cardassians were real big on family and loved children. Both apparently being big themes in the books Julian read and discussed with Garak. Julian, bless him, didn't try to get Miles to read any of it, limiting himself to the very broadest strokes of the stories when recounting his weekly lunches with the tailor. And Molly was adorable enough to win hearts wherever she went. It was possible that Garak not only knew but had a genuine friendly interest (as well as a professional one) in not just Molly's measurements but things like her favorite colors and what she liked to do for play. Some of the stain-resistant fabrics Garak had tracked down were a godsend, given how much the girl loved to paint.

Miles might not spend more time with Garak than he had to, but that didn't mean the man was entirely removed from his life. Even if Julian wasn't friends with the man, he would still be there on the station. In his tailor shop, discussing orchids with Keiko and making a mental note that young Miss Molly O'Brien detested knitted sweaters and broke out all over in itchy hives no matter how soft the wool.

Garak looked at the human and tried not to grin widely at the man's reticence, knowing the chief would only interpret it poorly. Garak simply enjoyed drawing information out of people otherwise reluctant to give it away. That's what had made him so good at procuring information for the Order. An honest zeal for the work.

"I stand at the ready when she does," Garak said with his blandest salesman smile. Which was really the only one the chief was likely to trust. "I was just about to close up for the night, if there's no assistance I can offer...."

He trailed off, eyes widened expectantly. Obviously the human had a reason to come here. O'Brien more than most was no fan of Cardassian company. With any other potential customers Garak would have set up an appointment for the following day. But if the chief was here for a fitting it wouldn't take long and Garak suspected O'Brien would be just as happy to have to over and done with quickly.

Miles didn't immediately answer and Garak began to turn away before the chief spoke up.

"You, uh... you want to help me prank Julian?" he asked.

"Pardon me?" Garak's tone and expression were a little too politely confused by half.

"You know, a practical joke."

O'Brien didn't believe for one second that the savvy ex-spy had lived among humans for so long without learning about pranks. In fact, he was damn sure a species as naturally devious as Cardassians was already intimately familiar with the concept, so he didn't elaborate.

"Julian's back from his conference tomorrow," he said instead, "Thought we could arrange a little 'surprise' for him."

"We? As in you and I?"

"Sure! Pranks are more fun with an accomplice," Miles said with a slight smile, and squinted speculatively at him. "And you seem like you might know a thing or two about being a co-conspirator."

Garak didn't insult the chief with his usual protestations that he was just a plain and simple tailor who couldn't possibly conspire against a soul, except perhaps his fractious supplier of Orellian brocade. In truth, the oft-repeated denial of his former career was getting a little tired. One should endeavor not to repeat the same lie too many times. And he was quite sure no one else found it as amusing as Julian did.

"Why me?" he asked. The two men did not have a habit of spending time in each other's company.

"Why not you?"

Miles tried not to get annoyed by the interrogation. He knew it was only annoying because he didn't want to explain himself. He had made the decision to try to be more friendly towards Garak, to reach out and include him in some shenanigans. It was his own fault if that gave the fellow a chance to get under his skin.

And it was a fair question after all, given the usually chilly civility between them.

"Dax and I have pranked Julian a dozen times already," Miles said. "Who else am I going to ask? Sisko? He's my commanding officer. Worf's barely got a sense of humor. And Odo is the station's head of security."

"You expect to engage in acts of dubious legality then?" Garak raised his brow ridges as if scandalized, but there was definitely a hint of mischief in his gaze.

"I expect Odo would find breaking into Julian's quarters a bit dubious, yes." Miles nodded.

Hmm, interesting. Garak was already intrigued by the novelty of the situation. The chief inviting Garak of all people into his fun. There was a 'why' to be discovered there and Garak did enjoy a mystery. But even if there were any reason to suspect the chief's motives might be nefarious, the chance to snoop around the doctor's quarters a bit would still be impossible to resist.

"Actually Quark is pretty good at schemes," Miles continued on through the list, "but there's no latinum in this for him so he wont bother himself. And the Major... well, she's had a hard life. A real rough time growing up. I'm not sure she would see the point in this sort of... silliness. And it occurs to me now that might be true for you too." Miles finished awkwardly. "I mean, I understand if you aren't interested."

Miles, with the natural intuition of a man of similar age who had seen his fair share of trouble, had guessed that Garak had been through a lot in his life. Even if he didn't have any idea what exactly. Garak didn't worry about anything Julian might have told Miles about the former spy's life simply because Garak hadn't told Julian much of anything that could be confirmed as truth. Station gossip surprisingly didn't have much to say about him beyond the painfully unimaginative: that he was still a spy, loyal to Cardassia, in service of the Obsidian Order, here to steal highly classified information and disrupt Federation efforts. Largely negative, but not so bad as to stop the gruff human engineer from sympathizing where he thought they might have common ground of being victims of trauma. Garak could almost feel a sort of... camaraderie with him for it.

"Why Chief, are you implying that I'm no fun?" Garak pivoted, a playful smile served with the joke. Easing their mutual discomfort at the near brush with emotional honesty, and signaling his acceptance of the scheme.

Miles barked an honest laugh at that and grinned back, relieved and, yes, a little amused by the Cardassian.

"I'll get what we need while you close up shop. Meet me at my quarters and we'll walk over to Julian's together."

When he received a nod of acquiescence, Miles left, cheerfully whistling on his way down the Promenade.

Garak was quite sure O'Brien knew he was just as capable of breaking into crew quarters as the engineer. But the former spy lurking around on a habitat level not his own would definitely draw some suspicion from station security. He did have a history of going where he wasn't authorized to be when the situation called for it and a door lock had never stopped that. In the chief's company his presence was less likely to be questioned, but Garak knew how to handle any potential run-ins with Odo regardless.

"Hey," O'Brien greeted him when Garak arrived at the chief's quarters with a parcel under his arm. "What's that?"

"My excuse for being on this level this time of night." Garak handed the package to Miles. "For Miss Molly. They'll be a little big yet, but that hardly matters with pajamas."

"What, did you sew these in the 10 minutes since I left you?" Miles asked with mild astonishment.

"I already had the pattern cut and fabric pinned," Garak said with a dismissive wave. "they were just waiting for the updated inseam measurement. It hardly took a moment to run my handheld seamer over it all."

Huh. Prepared for anything, this one, Miles thought as he accepted the parcel with a nod of thanks and set it down next to two Starfleet issue canvas duffle bags. One of which he hefted, the other he handed to Garak.

"Shall we?"

They made short work of the walk to the doctor's quarters and even shorter work of bypassing Julian's lock code to let themselves in.

Garak crossed to a table where he could set down the bag he held. Next to a pair of data padds that he made sure to 'accidentally' bump so as to activate their screens, which he then just happened to glance at long enough to make note of their contents. All of which would have gone unnoticed even if the room had been crowded with people. Garak was very discreet.

"What's the plan, Mister O'Brien?" He asked, opening the bag to pull out its contents. Which he stared at thoughtfully a moment before he gave up guessing and turned to ask an explanation. "With all these...pieces of paper?"

The bag was crammed full with short stacks of small slips of paper in various neon hues.

"They're called Post-Its, or sticky notes back home. Not exactly a novel concept, I've seen similar things around the galaxy. They mostly fell out of fashion on Earth in the 21st century when people started carrying electronic devices everywhere. You write notes on them: reminders, messages, shopping lists. They have adhesive on the back so you can stick them wherever you need and they come in bright colors so you can't miss seeing them."

"So we're going to... write notes to the doctor on these little squares?" Garak ask skeptically. That didn't seem terribly amusing but then, it would matter a great deal what exactly was written.

"No." Miles eyes suddenly gleamed with a light that bore ill tidings for Julian Bashir. "We are going to stick every single one of these little squares to every single surface we can reach until the whole room is covered with them." As Garak caught on and began to smile, Miles smiled back. "Though, now you mention it.... it could be funny to write stuff on 'em."

"Not all of them surely?" Garak asked.

O'Brien eyed his own bag crammed full of as many Post-Its as he could replicate. His hand cramped at just the idea of all that writing and he made a face.

"Because" Garak hastened to suggest, no more enamored with the thought of that task than the chief, "I really think it would be more amusing to write only on a select few of them. Say, give each word of a sentence its own square and scatter the message around the room. This would force him to examine every last one if he wants to be sure he's found all them."

"Garak, that's brilliant!" Miles grinned. Okay, maybe now he could see how Julian found Garak's devious mind enjoyable instead of just worrisome. "He won't be able to resist finding the clues so he cant just sweep everything into the recycler, he'll have to leave it all up and stare at it until he solves the puzzle."

Miles chortled, pulling out a cube of sticky notes and handing it to Garak.

"You think up a message, I'll try to find you a pen."

"No need, Chief." Garak pulled an elegant looking pen from a discreet pocket in his trousers.

"You just carry a fountain pen around with you?" Miles asked.

Plenty of people still enjoyed the tactile feeling of writing, Jake Sisko to name one, but who actually carried such an old-fashioned writing implement? Most everything on the station could be handled through a computer or padd. And even a standard ink stylus would work more reliably than a fussy fountain pen. They never leaked and stained your uniform, for one.

"A tailor is always prepared for anything," Garak said with a smirk, unknowingly echoing Miles' earlier thought.

Miles shook his head but he was still smiling as he turned away to start covering Julian's chair.

They were both accustomed to working with brisk efficiency so it didn't take as long as either expected to work their way around the room in opposite directions, covering everything in a kaleidoscope of neon paper. Still, it would have bordered on tedious if Miles hadn't broken the silence with a few stories of past pranks. Garak warmed up to the subject as he came to find the other man could be delightfully inventive in his mischief. The prank they were currently engaged in, while diverting, was not particularly impressive by Garak's estimation. The chief agreed.

"This is a pretty amateur effort, if I'm honest," Miles said over his shoulder as he lined the doorway to Julian's bedroom with bright blue squares. "But it was all spur of the moment. I didn't have the time to plan anything more elaborate before tomorrow. Besides, Keiko would have words for me if she came home to find i blew a bunch of latinum to play a joke on Julian. This only cost me replicator credits."

Garak could understand the pressure of a deadline, and a budget. Sometimes an uncomplicated plan was best when one was in a pinch.

"I think the doctor will be amused, regardless of the simplicity," he offered as reassurance to Miles. "And if he happens to return exhausted from his travels, it will be a kindness for him that it's not something a great deal more involved."

Garak was thinking of one of the stories Miles had just shared about locking a particularly annoying Enterprise crewmate in the holodeck for several hours to play out an especially embarrassing scenario.

Miles for his part was thinking how interesting it was for Garak to be so considerate of Julian's comfort like that. The doctor was known for his abundance (some might say excess) of energy; all bounce-and-go. He wasn't exactly the type you'd ever think of as being in need of a nap. Fretting that someone would have a proper chance to rest after a long trip... that spoke of a certain level of caring, in his experience. What level exactly Miles wasn't ready to hazard a guess at. He couldn't read the Cardassian in the best of times, let alone when they were both at work with their backs to each other.

Huh. Willingly turning his back on a Cardassian, a known operative of the Obsidian Order, alone and in close quarters with no witnesses. Miles could honestly say he didn't trust the man. If Quark had a pool going, O'Brien would lay a bet that Garak had at least 2 weapons hidden on his person at any time. But he somehow knew Garak's deceit did not extend to doing violence in this sort of innocuous situation.

Their final task was to cover the shelving along one wall, full of Bashir's books and belongings. They worked their way up from the floor, with some discussion as to how to wrap oddly-shaped knick-knacks, until they reached the top shelf. And its lumpy, rather disreputable looking occupant.

O'Brien eyed it dubiously.

"I don't think Julian will thank us for messing with Kukalaka. The adhesive on these things is pretty weak but still... that bear is half dust, held together by nostalgia and stubbornness. I don't want to try sticking anything to that threadbare fur."

Garak regarded the teddy bear, largely ignored on his previous visit (intrusion) in the doctor's quarters. The chief was obviously well familiar with the toy and what it meant to Julian. Miles didn't offer further information but Garak could read between the lines and tell it important. Very important indeed. Sudden inspiration suppressed the burning curiosity he knew wouldn't be satisfied in the moment anyway.

"I think we can include... Kukalaka, is it? in on the fun without harming him," Garak smiled at the chief.

While O'Brien finished the rest of the shelf, Garak grabbed a cube of notes and began layering them until he had a large multi-colored sheet. Very carefully (the chief was right, the adhesive barely stuck to anything) he began to fold his creation. Spare minutes later Kukalaka was the proud possessor of a very dapper, day-glo hat. All sticky edges safely folded and tucked away.

"Huh, I didn't know you could do origami." O'Brien remarked as he took in Garak's handiwork.

"I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the term."

"Oh, its an art form from Earth's Japanese culture. Folding paper to create shapes, usually animals and flowers and the like."

"And hats?"

"And hats." Miles chuckled. "I'm not too bad at it myself. Keiko taught me, thinking with all the fiddly engineering work I do my fingers would be good at it. She was right, like she usually is."

"I would imagine several society with advanced paper industries have developed similar arts," Garak said, always interesting in cross-comparing cultures. "I'll have to ask Mrs. O'Brien to tell me more about this origami sometime."

"You should," Miles' smile was... actually genuinely friendly. It was not a sight Garak was used to seeing. "She'd enjoy talking to you about it."

They both looked around for a long moment, feeling satisfaction at the visible results of their efforts. Nearly every surface was decked in bright colors. They didn't have enough supplies to completely cover the walls so they settled for framing the doorways and viewport, and covering all the wall art. An armchair was a violent neon purple, the low table before it a yellow that hurt Garak's eyes to look at directly. The replicator in the wall was ringed in concentric stripes and Julian's desk was covered in no less than 5 different eye-searing shades.

"I wish I could see his face when he walks in," Miles chortled, almost boyish in his glee.

"I can send you the feed from my hidden surveillance devices," Garak offered with a straight face and level tone.

Any other day that line, delivered with that sort of aplomb, would have left O'Brien with a suspicious, questioning glare. Such a thing was by no means beyond Garak's capabilities or outside his morals, they both knew that. But, despite himself, the unique experience of spending this time with the chief did not lend itself to Garal projecting his usual aura of danger cloaked in affability. The engineer looked him over and he could practically see Garak radiating with a energy of what he could only describe of as.... fun.

So Miles didn't bother to take the joke seriously. Even if it was true and Garak did have illegal surveillance equipment set up, the chief would never actually get confirmation or proof of it so it didn't bear worrying about right now. If, later, Miles decided it was a credible threat he would mention it to Julian.

"C'mon," Miles said, almost going as far as giving the man a good-natured slap on the back but definitely smart enough not to push his luck. "I'll buy us a round at Quark's in the name of a job well done."

"I don't think we've ever had a drink together, Chief," Garak couldn't help but point out, because it was in his nature to stir the pot, to provoke a reaction just to see what he would get.

Miles shrugged that off, knowing it was true enough. But the whole night had been unprecedented anyway, and he for one had worked up a thirst.

"You can relieve Quark of some of that overstock of kanar he's always complaining about taking up space in his store room. The more you drink, the less I have to listen to him whinge about it," the human said.

Garak accepted that, and the offer of a drink; oddly more comfortable for it to be a matter of selfishness on O'Brien's part rather than an honest gesture of kindness from an acquaintance. What sort of life left a man unable to trust motives that weren't entirely devious and self-serving? Miles shook the thought off as they headed for the Promenade and the bar. He was much too tired to go digging around in anyone's psyche right now, much less the enigma of a man beside him.

[toogayforthistoday]

hey gabe! can i ask 3, 5, 6, 8, 11, and 14 for your yyh insert :0???

frgbshdfh Hi Benji!! Thank you for the ask!!

3. Who in their canon are they closest to? Who would they drop everything to come help, if anyone? Who’s the person they’re least close to? Who would they most likely not get along with, if anyone?

Gabe’s always been pretty close with Yusuke and Hiei. Yusuke ended up as more of an older brother to them, and was the first one they came out to when Gabe realized they were non-binary. And Hiei’s their mate, soo...

Keiko, Yukina and Gabe were the ones who usually ended up in trouble: Getting kidnapped, picking fights with the wrong people,

The one they’re least close to is probably Botan, but only because she wasn’t around that often. Being a Pilot of the River Styx keeps you rather busy.

The only person Gabe ever had an issue with, was Koenma, but only when they were younger. Being allowed to help Yusuke and the other on missions for the young ruler came with a lot of stipulations and rules, especially concerning their abilities, so the two butted heads quite a bit. Once they got older Gabe realized Koenma was doing what he could on his end to keep them safe while under his fathers rule.

5. Does your insert have any magical talents or otherwise special abilities? Are they passive, like the ability to befriend animals, or dangerous power that the villains want? Or if theyre evil - any powers the heroes want to stop?

About that same time I originally came up with my s/i, I was obsessed with Charmed, no shame. So, Gabe is a witch, from a long line of powerful witches. They came to Genkai’s temple so they could learn how to control their magicks, otherwise it would run wild; Spells would either fizzle out, or be 10 times more powerful than it needed to be. Their lack of emotional regulation also caused issues with their powers, making the spell backfire’s worse. That kind of power tended to draw the attention of people like the Black Book Club, who were obscenely rich humans who have their hands in many of Demon World’s pockets.

It’s also the kind of power that’s attractive to power-hungry demons that are convinced that if they eat someone with that kind of strength, they’ll gain it. Now, that’s true for psychics, not so much witches. But most of these demons are too stupid to tell the difference between the two.

6. Do they fight? What’s their weapon of choice? Do they stay on the sidelines? What would it take for them to get off the sidelines? Revenge? Saving a loved one? What’s the motivation for them to fight, or to stay OUT of a fight?

In the beginning, no, Gabe did not fight. They were afraid of using their magicks because of the lack of control they had, and generally stayed on the sidelines with Yukina.

Yusuke, being the big brother he was, taught them how to take a hit and brawl. When Hiei had started gaining an interest in them, he started teaching them basic defensive tactics, eventually moving on to team them swordsmanship. No need to rely on unstable powers there.

Once they’d gained control of their powers, Gabe fought more often, even going with the boys on some missions for Koenma. But because of the way King Yama was ruling, Gabe was very limited on what they were allowed to do, concerning their powers, causing Gabe and Koenma to butt heads rather often, Yusuke and Hiei siding with Gabe about the muzzle orders.

Gabe has a very short temper, similar to Yusuke’s, and a smart mouth with no filter, which gets them into quite a lot of trouble. They’ve ‘settled down’ over the years, in a way, taking a page out of Kurama’s book, and wielding their sharp wit to get Keiko and Yukina out of trouble from people looking to get at Yusuke, Kuwabara and Hiei, and turn the attention onto them so the girls can get away. Gabe can handle themselves in a fight with damn near anyone at this point, and whether they’re getting backup or not won’t stop them from fighting for their little family.

8. How do they fit into their canon world? What’s their role to play, if any? Do they have a big destiny? Or do they more live as a side character that’s helpful for the protagonists/antagonists?

They’re a side character. A pain in the ass side character, but there’s no prophecy to fulfill for them, no destiny to achieve. Just helpful to the main cast.

11. How easy is it to make your insert angry? Sad? How easy is it to twist their emotions into negative things? By contrast, how easy are they to cheer up? What can brighten a bad day?

It does not take much to make Gabe angry. They’ve gotten a better handle over how their emotions control them, yes, but it only takes a smart remark, or a wrong look before Gabe’s telling the poor schmuck off, or just getting into a fist fight.

Making them sad is a little harder to do. Gabe has their own inner demons they have to try and contend with, and if anyone thinks Gabe’s just gonna go ahead and let some uppity little nobody try and ruin their day when they were doing it just fine on their own? Now they just have an excuse to blow off some steam. And there goes their bad day.

To cheer them up, the girls usually team up and invite Gabe out for a Spa Day, Kurama sometimes tagging along as well if he’s back in Human World. Yusuke treats them to a bowl or two of ramen from his cart. Kuwabara’s go-to is to invite Gabe over to help him take care of his new foster kittens.

Hiei initiates cuddle time, and spending time with their mate will always make Gabe feel better, no matter how bad their day was.

14. Does your insert have any family relations? How do they get along? How do they disagree? Is it a biological family? Adopted? Or is it found family? How did this family come together, if it was one of the last two?

Gabe’s only living relatives are their cousin’s back in Canada, from the non-witch side of their family. They don’t really talk much, other than the obligatory “Happy Holidays, we’re still alive!” phone calls and cards. Their mother died from cancer, shortly after they came to Japan to train under Genkai, and their father died the same way shortly after Gabe and Hiei’s 3rd anniversary.

Yusuke, Keiko, Shizuru, Kuwabara, Yukina, Hiei, Botan, and Kurama all make up Gabe’s little found family, and they wouldn’t trade them for the world.

Self Insert Development Meme

[luckystarchild]

I Need More Kuwabara/OC

I’m not mad about it or anything, but there are only two Kuwabara/OC fics on AO3 (that are tagged as such, at least).

... OK, so maybe I’m a little salty about this, because WHAT THE HECK DO YOU MEAN, THERE ARE ONLY TWO KUWABARA/OC FICS IN THE ENTIRE AO3 ARCHIVE?

FFnet is a bit better.

There are… six.

Six Kuwa/OC fics in the entire archive that are searchable via the tagging system.

............. ಠ╭╮ಠ  Excuse me??

One is a drabble. One is a finished multi-chapter story (huzzah!) but it’s short (not a bad thing; I just really love long fics). The other four are unfinished multi-chapter stories, among them The Ghost in You.

… I’m not shocked. Kuwabara/Yukina is adorable and popular and basically canon so most people don’t have the heart to break them up. It’s the same reason there aren’t a lot of Yusuke/OC fics: Yusuke/Keiko is canon and popular. Not to mention Kuwabara got made fun of when the majority of the fanbase was younger and watching the show for the first time. Kuwabara’s amazingness has kind of only recently been realized by the fandom at large. He’s the goofball of the group and he’s not a bishounen pretty-boy like Kurama or a tsundere cutie like Hiei. People don’t look at him as a romantic interest, it seems.

So like I said: I’m not shocked by the dearth of Kuwabara/OC fics.

But I AM incensed by it.

Kuwabara is freaking fantastic and a model boyfriend. I’d date him first out of any of the YYH guys. My IRL boyfriend is basically Kuwabara made flesh and I love him so ding-dang much it hurts. Kuwabara SHOULD be the wish-fulfillment fantasy of most of us OC/Canon authors, but nOoOOoOooOoOo. He doesn’t have big green eyes or a bad attitude and therefore he gets the short end of the fandom stick. UNFAIR, NOT OKAY, I AM INCENSED BY THIS, WHY DON’T HIS GLORIOUS ABS DRAW IN MORE OF THE LADIES, I ASK YOU????

I MEAN???

JUST LOOK AT THEM???!?

(*deep breath*)

I’m mostly just ranting in jest, of course, but I wanted to bring this up because someone recently said to me, “I can’t imagine Kuwabara with anyone but Yukina so I don’t read Kuwabara/OC fics.” Buuuuut there aren’t many Kuwabara/OC fics to even read in the first place, so it’s like… how many opportunities have readers actually had to see Kuwabara with another woman?

Do we, as a fandom, even know what Kuwabara would look like paired with an OC?

We pair him with some of the other guys sometimes, and those yaoi ships are decently popular (and also very cute), but for some reason we never seem to pair him with women other than Yukina though I have seen a few rogue Kuwabara/Keiko fics out there, which area neat, because I can totally see that pairing. I feel like it’s hard to imagine Kuwabara with any woman but Yukina because no one seems to write him with any woman but Yukina. Hard to imagine something that hasn’t been done before, at least not very often.

There’s really no point to these observations. I’m just happy to be forging into somewhat unexplored territory with The Ghost in You. Hopefully seeing Kuwabara with a woman other than Yukina might help authors who like the idea of Kuwabara/OC start writing their own stories, or at least feel like there’s someone out there who’d read their work? Wishful thinking, probably, but I can hope.

Honestly, I just want some Kuwabara/OC to read.

PLEASE. GIVE ME SOMETHING TO READ. I’M SO ALONE. (*sobs into her shirt*)

also this post is definitely an excuse to use a lot of Kuwabara GIFs for my own personal amusement and joy SO DEAL WITH IT

[hanabigaildavid]

A Call for Unity

#WeHealasOne

We often hear this campaign against COVID-19 in the news, most of the time in the president’s speeches. It is a call to unite the Filipinos to do their part during this quarantine period to prevent the further spread of the virus. But how can we really achieve unity at a time when everyone wants to be heard? Last night, while I was browsing through my newsfeed, I was baffled to see people post their opinions expressing either admiration or dissent to the speech. I too am affected and could say that the speech made me angry - as to why I am angry is a different story. What I would like to share today are three biblical principles about unity which I have learned long before this global pandemic happened.

1.     Consider others better than yourself

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. – Philippians 2:1-4

I found this at Keiko Necessario’s twitter account: “as we all fear to be exposed with the virus, we all clearly forget that this virus is exposing us instead; our true intentions, our hearts, our flaws, our faith.” While it is true that we all need to be healthy to survive, we should also check our privileges and help those who are struggling. This verse applies not only to the ordinary people but to the government officials as well. It saddens my heart that many people are hoarding, for fear that they might run out of necessities while on a lockdown, while there are literally those who have no means and are struggling to put food on the table. It saddens me to think that there are frontliners who, despite risking their lives to save people and the fact that they can’t even stay at home, are struggling with discrimination because there are people who fear that they might be carriers of the virus. It breaks my heart to see some asymptomatic politicians run multiple VIP testing for themselves and for their families while there are those who die without even getting tested. It’s also disheartening to see people try to get ahead of others in lining up for rations while there are those who are literally forgotten by the government. What’s worse is that some government officials, instead of being quick to help the unprivileged, looks out for their own political interests and hidden agendas. You see, materialism is the enemy of unity. It’s really hard to achieve unity when no one is willing to be the last; when everyone wants to be served than to serve. Let Jesus be our best example, “who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:6-7).” We live in one nation. “If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it (1 Corinthians 12:26).”

2.    Focus on using your God-given spiritual gifts

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them. - Romans 12:6

There are diversities of gifts. Individually, the Lord has given us different or unique set of gifts according to His will. There are people who are good at leading, some are good at administrating, some are good at giving, some are good at giving encouragement and some are good at serving. One can’t have it all. Since we are created differently from each other, we might think that it could be challenging to associate ourselves to people especially to those we barely knew but, the truth is that, our differences draws us together as we are forced to depend on each other. I have been working for 3 years in a wellness and transformation destination in Alfonso, Cavite and for 3 years, I have been coordinating mostly team building events in the resort. One thing that strikes me the most whenever I sit-in in our head facilitator’s talks, is the statement “maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses”. Sometimes we tend to try to do both our strengths and our weaknesses because we do not want to ask for help. I am not saying that we shouldn’t try to improve on our weaknesses but to focus on what we do best and allow others with different set of strengths to help you with your weaknesses. I admire those mayors who are copying each other’s best practices. Let us be like them, who are not intimidated by another person’s strengths. If we are working as one body, we need each other’s strengths to succeed in our goal and for us to come together in unity. No matter how small you think your gift is, there will come a point when somebody will need you for that gift of yours. We may not be frontliners but simply obeying the policies s.a. staying at home would greatly help in flattening the curve. If you have the gift of giving and are good at organizing donation drives while using the social media as a platform, why not focus on doing it instead of trying to be a know it all on social media?

Lastly,

3.    Pray unceasingly.

More than relying on each other’s strengths, God wants us to rely on Him. It is true for me that what happened last night is frustrating and infuriating, that for the first time, it made me cry seeing the news. But as I pondered on what happened, I realized that there is no perfect government and that we aren’t perfect as well. I am not saying this so that the government (or we) can have an excuse to be incompetent, corrupt or ignore the injustices that is happening around us. What I mean is this: There is no great or little sin – only sin. This is one thing that is hard to admit, even for me, because the reality is that no one wants to be condemned. No one wants to be blamed. In fact, our nature is to find anyone who we can blame for the injustices that's happening around us. But this is the truth: There is no one righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10). We all sinned and fell short of God's glory. OUR sins are the reason why there is suffering and we all ALL bound to destruction if we do not repent. BUT to those who are willing to humble down, turn away from their wicked ways and pray, this is God’s promise: that He will hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14). God’s hand is not short that it cannot save and His ears are not dull that it cannot hear (Isaiah 59:1). What great comfort it is to know that we have an authority higher than our government who is righteous, just and is wise. It is indeed comforting that even though everyone of us is limited, we have one God who is sovereign. This is the hope that we have. Remember the parable of the persistent widow? Because of the widow’s continuous coming to trouble and weary the unjust judge, the unjust judge avenged her. How much more if we will be persistent in praying to a just God? Shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him? (Luke 18:1-8) We can speak out for those who can’t as much as we can, we can call out corrupt practices of the government and we can help the unprivileged with what we have but it can only do so little. We cannot do everything but I believe everyone can pray. That's why if we are going to be united, prayer is the best thing we can do as one. Assuredly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst if them (Matthew 18:18-20).