#can you even NAME those top 5 people ??? i'll wait !

[sorastar6]

David Chiem Protagonist AU- Prologue, part 1

I finally finished something that I was working on for a long time! Yay! This AU is basically going to be a series of fanfics that I write. I may or may not actually finish this and do everything I want, but I sure hope I don't lose any motivation. So, um... Enjoy! I hope this is good!

Have you ever felt like you were stuck in a loop?

That the more things change, the more they stay the exact same? The thought of that is funny, isn’t it? The world is big and new things happen every time, every day.

“All that you have to do is just find new things and new peop-”

Shut it. Just shut your mouth, it’s rude to interrupt others.

Your choices don’t matter, anything you do just doesn’t matter. If everything is just broken at its core, there’s nothing you can do about it. The days will go by, one by one, and your life will just stay miserable as it is.

…

You don’t believe me? Well then, let me just show you. Just look into my life, you’ll see everything you need. Let’s see if you can keep up with that “hopeful” worldview of yours.

I doubt you don’t know who I am, but I'll introduce myself anyway. My name’s David Chiem. I can see that look you’re giving me, I guess you do know who I am after all.

“But David! Your life is incredible! How can you say all of these things? You’re ungratef-”

Shut it. I’m not done.

You could’ve heard about me in several places, but most likely, it was from the Hope’s Peak Academy graduation ceremony that happened a few months ago. Yup, I graduated from Hope’s Peak, amazing, right?

No it isn’t amazing. Not when your talent is something you despise. I’m the former Ultimate Inspirational Speaker. With everything you’re hearing from me, you’re probably doubting that, right? ‘There’s no way that you are the real David Chiem! You sound so pessimisti-’

Hate to it break it to you, but David’s a liar. I AM a liar. I’m 25 years old, I’ve had my career for 5 years, and guess what? Everything is based on lies! Woah, what a twist! A big celebrity is a big liar and is able to make money off of it? That never happened before!

…

That was sarcasm if you were stupid enough to not notice. Open your eyes, people like me are everywhere in this world. Just spitting what people want to hear. And somehow, they are ignorant enough to fall for it. Such stupidity…

People don’t change. And I’m the living proof of it. I hate my fucking job, I hate having to deal with annoying fans, and to top it all off? I was forced into this by someone else! And yet, I don’t do anything to stop this. Why? Simple, I’m a lazy piece of shit. I don’t even have the courage to make a proper meal, imagine having to deal with countless backlash!

Disappointed? Sowwy, don’t care. I don’t have a noble or tragic reason to do what I do. And I bet all of those other Ultimates are all the same. Everything is the same in this damn world, anyone who can’t see it is just plain stupid. There you have it, thanks for coming to my Tedtalk on why this world is hopeless! You can fuck off now. Hate me all you want, then we’ll have something in common. None of you have a reason to stay by my side anymore, goodby███████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████

…

Everyone has to pay for their sins one day.

Wake up, David Chiem.

…

That was a strange dream. Even if it was just a dream, it still felt… Odd. It’s not a bad feeling, but it’s not good either. I can’t quite describe it, but it doesn’t really matter anymore. Everything from that dream is already escaping my mind, so why bother?

How much time am I going to stay laid down here? I need to get up, I probably have something to do. But my head is killing me, so I want to stay in bed for a few more minutes. Wait, bed? This… Doesn’t feel like my bed. It’s more… Soft? But it still doesn’t feel comfortable like my bed. Maybe I prefer not what’s better, but what’s familiar?

There it goes again, my mind just thinking about random stuff that doesn't matter. I should just get up, but finding the energy to simply open my eyes feels like it will kill me. How pathetic. After some time, I opened them.

I tried adjusting my vision to the lighting of the room. It was dark, very dark. And yet, I could tell that this wasn’t my room.

“Sigh… What did I get myself into this time?”

I sat up on this bed, stretching my limbs until I could hear that satisfying crack. I passed a hand through myself to see the state that I’m in.

No injuries, no blood, but still a mess.

I wasn’t about to tidy myself up. There is a much bigger issue at my hands.

I was just barely able to stand up, my body getting the desire to succumb to this tiredness. But I pressed on to the door. I placed my hand on the knob, looking back at the dark room behind me. Maybe staying here and resting would be a good idea, but that also could lead to me getting chained to a wall. Fuck, second guessing, I hate it.

I just looked straight into the door, knowing very well that if I just glanced at that bed, I would just throw myself in it. So, I took a deep breath.

…

And I opened the door.

And I was immediately pushed down to the ground.

“Ow! What the-”

I couldn’t even finish my sentence before my gaze met a familiar pair of sharp red eyes. Eyes that… looked like it belonged to a cat.

“… D-david?”

“… Nico…?”

[bruciemilf]

oh that's ok but batkids reacting to bruce getting hurt in general?

It's such a bizarre feeling for all of them; They all bear marks. Not one bat is without scars; You'd be more of an anomaly if you weren't hurting than if you were.

Jason has his autopsy scars. Dick has calloused hands from all those years of jumping, or deeper memories carved deep in him from his Robin days. Damian carries traces of training where someone his age shouldn't.

They all know; No one with the Wayne name is a stranger to pain.

But Bruce; Bruce has more than all of them. They know, because mending and healing wounds is a family tradition, just as tracing them when snuggling up on a huge bed is.

But they can't conjure a moment in time when Bruce's were fresh. They're all healed and pink and more memory than guests. And it's not as often as them.

It's Tim who figures it out. Those eyes were designed for detail. " You didn't think he took all those vacations to actually relax, right?"

" Bruce's idea of relaxation would send someone in a psych word, so no. So all this time, he went away to...Heal?"

" Something like that. I don't think he'll be successful with this one, thought."

Not even Bruce can walk off a coma.

It wasn't supposed to be that explosive. Bane's twisted little bombs had 5 minutes left on them when Barb checked, and they were supposed to get the hostage to safety on time, and Tim wasn't supposed to miscalculate--

" Your self-employed guilt is no help to anyone, Drake." In Damian language, this passes as It wasn't your fault, so Tim knows him, and knows better, than to put it to heart.

Dick wants the graveyard and sunrise shift, but Jason shuts that down, set in his way. Either they all look after Bruce, or none of them do.

They take turns.

Jason sits by Bruce's bed side with his feet planted deep in the carpet. Shoulders squared, posture ready and stiff for any incoming danger, gun safety off and bullets still hot in their holder. A hell hound made man.

" You're not doing it right."

Tim shoots a dagger of annoyance with his eyes alone, because he hasn't slept in hours, because he's trying to track Bane down, because he needs to send that bastard packing straight to Arkham's smallest cell.

All while maintaining some degree of calm as he tries to change Bruce's bandages, " I'm a genius, not a nurse."

" Maybe if you actually watched Grey's Anatomy like the rest of us normal people, --"

" Just because it helped Bruce get through med school--"

" If you're a selective genius, just say that."

" I'd rather be a part time genius than a full time idiot--"

" Dick!" Jason calls, but, Tim privately thinks he's hoping Bruce would answer, " Timberly's mean to me again!"

" Am not!"

" If you guys don't stop I'll tell B!"

Because he will wake up; He has to. Before Batman, there was Bruce Wayne, and if there's one dog to bet on in Gotham City, it's him.

Cass makes sure Bruce has clean sheets. That his burns are medicated and tamed and watches very closely for any sign of discomfort. Bruce winces at the small cotton ball of alcohol and there's a collective breath of relief.

Alfred makes sure they have sleep. That Jason won't wayward his way into a battle he'll regret and take Damian with him. That Dick actually has some sleep. That Duke and Cass are updated on patrol.

They're fearful. Every breath they take are like small stones stacked up on top, waiting to drop to the core of their bellies as a week passes and there's no sign of Bruce even flinching anymore.

Of course, when he does, -- because he always does, -- it's when they bicker. Tim can't remember who started it. He said something, and then Damian tossed a snarky comment because he's mean when he's scared, and --

" Can you be nice to eachother for 10 minutes?"

They all jump on him; He hisses, every numb nerve in his muscles buzzing back to life, but he's being squeezed and embraced and hugged in the ground by his kids, so it's not the worst fate in the world.

" Did I miss something?"

" Jason crushed the Batmobile."

" TIM!"

[redflagshipwriter]

Reassembly 3

ch1 ch2

Masterpost

Peter pushed his bangs back for the billionth time. They immediately fell back in front of his eyes as he hunched over the library computer. He'd spent all day trying to get his bearings in this universe. Eventually, his stomach had gotten attention. Even with the stuff from the hotel buffet, he was so hungry it was distracting.

That had made him realize that what he needed most was money. He needed access to a steady stream of money. When he left here he could try to make the best decision possible about the little bit of cash he had, sure. But it wouldn't last long.

He had the spiteful fantasy of taking the money he needed from the LOA company that had been funding …whatever they'd done to him. An all-expenses paid kidnapping was only fair. 

But it was only a thought. Whoever they were, they were dangerous. He shouldn't provoke them or give them any clues about him. Whatever experiments they'd been doing with him must have been expensive. They probably wanted him back. He needed to know more before he risked getting their attention.

Instead, Peter started up a resume. He put his real name at the top and then stared at it in indecision. He swallowed. 

Was that a good idea? He… he didn't exist here, so it seemed fine. But maybe he should use a fake name? 

Peter strained to think of a reason to use a fake name now that he knew he didn't exist here. How could those people possibly know his name? He definitely hadn't told them. It was probably smarter to be cautious, but it was his name. The idea of losing it made him feel like throwing up.

"If I think of a reason I shouldn't use it, I can change that." Peter muttered to himself quietly enough that no one seemed to notice. He took a few minutes to search around for high schools in the area. It was so weird that Midtown didn't exist here. He felt like a fraud as he entered the information for the school he thought would have been his school district. He double checked the year (and it was so weird that it was 5 years in the past here) and back dated his graduation 3 years. Then he grimaced and made it 5 years. 

No way would anyone who saw his face believe that. But he'd need to pretend to have a university degree to get this kind of work, so it couldn't be helped. 

'People lie on their resumes all the time,' Peter told himself. He still felt like crap about it. He still… he still hadn't graduated high school, and he probably never would. 

It was fine. He knew enough that he was never going to stick out as less educated than a high school graduate.

'I'll get the college degree, though. If I really am here for a long time, I need an education.' 

Peter deliberately picked an innocuous university to claim for his fake Bachelors in Computer Science. It took a while to find a place with a sufficiently not-prestigious program but enough graduates for him to have been lost in the crowd. He'd have to redo the resume with the real degree later. 

Oh. Wait. Peter went back up and deleted his name. That was his reason to use a fake name for this work. 

He was going to get a real degree in his own name. This resume was just to make some money, not to establish an identity. He watched the cursor blink for a while, trying to think of a name. It needed to be something that he could remember. Ned Leeds? It would make him too sad. Same for Tony Stark. But…

Peter slowly typed out James Barnes and huffed a laugh through his nose. 

He'd recently escaped unethical scientists and found himself lost in a new world where he had no friends or family. It seemed appropriate. 

"Hey," grumbled the mental Bucky Barnes that Peter's subconscious had apparently generated for some reason. "You little shit." 

That was fine. Peter ignored the rising evidence of a mental breakdown and finished falsifying a resume. He used it to apply for several contract jobs in web design. He took a deep breath to counteract the urge to make a joke with someone, anyone, about how it was funny for Spiderman to get into web design.

Man. He was lonely. 

There was no point in hanging around the library longer. The sun had set and it was close to closing time, 6:00 pm. He couldn't check anything out, not without an ID, and he wasn't going to get any emails back immediately.

Peter shuffled out and walked at random down the street. The sound of cars and pedestrians and crosswalks soothed his hindbrain. 

He used the time to think. To plan. 

He needed to refresh what he knew. The library would be a great start. He'd come early tomorrow and read some computer science books. That aside, he also needed to start working on a long term identity and getting into university. 

'I'm going to want a scholarship. If I can do that, I won't have to work too much.' 

The trouble with that was that Peter couldn't go to any random school. He needed to be somewhere with a significant budget for the sciences. If he was going to get home, he needed access to some serious technology. 

'That's a big ask. Why would a prestigious school offer full scholarships?' 

He felt defeated before he even started. But it was worth asking. That was the kind of question that the librarians wouldn't be suspicious of at all. He was actually in the right age group to look into college admissions. 

'Okay. I need an ID. Birth certificate? That's the first ID anyone gets.' 

Well. Time to see if the city administration buildings were where he remembered. How hard could it be to break in, print a birth certificate, and backdate and file it? He was Spiderman. 

…And Spiderman really shouldn't be using his super powers for crime. What would Aunt May think? Peter grimaced and rubbed at his face with both hands.  

Was it really that bad? 'I'm not stealing anything or hurting anyone,' he defended himself. 'I'm doing what I need in order to survive.'

The part that he felt worst about was lying about his education. But he had the skillset and qualifications, he just couldn't explain his internship to a genius that didn't exist here and extracurriculars at a school this universe didn't have. 

'That's barely even a crime,' Peter thought. 'Breaking and entering isn't great, but I'm just fixing my own paperwork. I really was born. So it's not a fake ID.' 

With that logic ironed out, Peter made his way to the vital records office. The building looked like he remembered, thankfully. 

So. He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and walked around the block to see the building from all sides. 

It didn't exactly look super secure. It was an old brick faced building with a lonely camera angled down the stairs of the main entry. There was a metal detector visible from outside, and he knew from experience that there were maybe 3 security officers on the first floor.

'That's easy to get around if I enter from a higher floor. They'll probably have a security team in at night but they won't expect that. If they do a walk through, I'll hear them coming up the stairs or elevator.'

It seemed doable. Sort of.

'I need to know what birth certificates from my birth year looked like, I guess? And if the ones from today look the same. Or maybe I don't need to worry about it, as long as I enter my information digitally. I doubt they keep a paper copy for every birth. The building isn't even big enough. And you can get a copy printed whenever you need one, so… it being new-looking shouldn't be a problem.'

Okay. Alright, he could do this. He could do some paperwork. 

It wasn't nearly late enough for that kind of crime, though. Peter shoved his hands in his pockets and decided to spend a little of his money on food. 

Long term, getting pre-made food with limited finances was a terrible decision. He knew he should be getting like, beans and rice. But for now he went into a bodega and got the cheapest thing that he thought would make a dent in his hunger– a microwave burrito and a cola. Calories were good, right? He wolfed it down outside the store and ducked back in to throw away the trash immediately. 

It still wasn't late enough. 

He walked around the city for hours, waiting for an idea to hit him. There had to be a great solution. If he could only think of it, there was going to be something that he could do that would fix all his problems. His throat was hot and tight and his eyes were burning. He didn't cry.

God, he was tired. He eventually gave up. He was so tired and he had no idea where he was going to sleep but he really needed to because he was exhausted -

"Stop. Stop spiraling," he told himself. He sniffled. Aw, no, he wasn't catching a cold, was he? Crap. He hoped not. 

He didn't know what time it was, but it felt late enough. He made his way back to the vital statistics office to record his own birth.

Weirdly for a plan devised by Peter, it went smoothly. He entered from a 4th floor window without setting off any alarms. He found and powered on a computer in the right office (thanks for the labels!) and looked up a few birth certificates before he felt confident. He entered his data into the system and printed a copy before powering everything down. 

He was out the window within ten minutes of entering the building. 

Okay. That was step one. Birth certificate accomplished. "Congratulations, it's a boy," Peter muttered to himself. He patted at the bag to hear the reassuring crinkle of paper inside. Okay, that was great! It was progress. He felt better already.

What was next? 

…A driver's license. No one actually went around with a copy of their birth certificate to show when someone asked for ID. He needed a driver's license. 

He walked to the DMV and pulled off basically the same heist. The nerve wracking part was turning on the lights to take the photo. His stomach twisted and he was absolutely certain that someone was going to come and see why the lights were on. 

No one came. He backdated his license to the appropriate year and printed one typed up information for James Tony Barnes, saying that he was 22. Then he altered the birth year back once more to say he was almost 18.

Nobody in their right mind was going to look at his 15-year-old face and think he was 22. They'd just think he had a fake license. Which he did, so he needed them to think the fake license was real. He let out a deep breath and victoriously hit print.

It returned an error message.

…It wouldn’t print. Why?

He scanned until he found the field he’d messed up. Peter stared at it.

It was the social security number. He’d typed up his real one out of force of habit. It had been flagged as a mistake because it already belonged to someone in the system. 

Caught by a morbid curiosity, he looked up who it belonged to. It was a girl, actually, younger than him.

He wanted to cry. It was such a silly thing to cry over! He wasn’t emotionally attached to his social security number– it was just a string of data. But he sniffled. He wiped something away from his eyes that he didn’t think about. Don’t think about it. He wasn’t in a safe place to think about it yet.

It took a few minutes to calm himself. He erased everything he’d done, turned off the computer, and left the way that he’d come.

He couldn’t get the license yet. He needed to get a social security number first. That probably meant that he needed to do some research. Did the office of vital statistics issue them? It didn’t seem right, since each state had to be coordinated. Surely there was some kind of national office that handled all of it.

For lack of anything else to do, his feet took him back to the library. He was so tired that his eyes were aching. 

Peter looked at the opening hours. He licked his teeth. He thought about it. 

It opened at 10am. It was.. it was… 

He decided to risk powering on the evil janitor's phone. It was 11 pm. That was plenty of time for him to sneak a nap on the couch in the quiet space.

"I'm not hurting anyone," Peter said aloud. It was very quiet. He spidered his way up the back wall of the library, pried open a window, and guiltily stretched out on one of the sofas. He set an alarm for 8am. That was definitely earlier than staff would come in, right? Pretty sure. 

He slept like the dead. But specifically, like the restless dead- his spider sense woke him up. Peter had no idea what time it was or why he was awake. He blindly grabbed his bag and the phone and leapt back out the window. He was shutting it when the light turned on inside.

He blinked blearily at the sunlight. He checked the phone.

7:21 am. Wow. Okay. Library workers were diligent. Maybe they had to dust all the books or something. He powered the phone off, and wondered how long the battery would last. He didn't have the charger for it. 

Well. It seemed like a good time to go to a different hotel from yesterday and check out the buffet. 

The hotel he went to had a less exciting buffet. There were a couple kinds of sliced bread and packets of margarine and jelly, as well as coffee, water, milk, and two types of juice. Still, it was free food, so he smiled at the clerk like he belonged there. This time he took a lot less food. Like, a lot less. He didn't want to clear out too much of their stuff. 

Two pieces of jellied toast, a water, an orange juice and a coffee later (blegh, it was burnt), Peter was back outside and at loose ends. 

He didn't want to turn the phone on to check the time. He guessed it was maybe around 8am. He had a couple hours until the library opened up again. 

Well. He sniffled his clothes experimentally.

He should work on that. This outfit wasn't smelly yet, but it would get there. He needed a change of clothes.

He took everything he owned to a rooftop and spread out his work kit. That was a rather grand way to say "three pilfered sewing kits." 

The scissors that came with them were absolutely tiny. Peter picked one up and marveled at it. It wasn't going to cut fabric, no way. It would cut thread and that was it. 

But woven fabric always tore along the seam line, right? Peter took out his dumpster shirts and found the one with the worst damage- the red shirt. He picked a spot and tore with his hands. 

It tore a straight line.

"Yessss," he cheered. He muscled through the seam and then went back to make another tear a little bit above the other one, so that he was basically holding a crop top, a bottom part, and a two inch strip from the middle that was unusable because the scissor cut had been jagged. He wound that up and put it in his bag because he didn't know what else to do with it. 

Now he felt nostalgic, so he took out the blue shirt and did the same thing. The cut hadn't been in exactly the same spot, so the shirt with the blue top and red bottom strip was going to be a little longer than the other shirt. But that was fine, right? 

He pinned the majority red shirt together using the pins from all 3 packages and painstakingly threaded a needle with the dark blue thread. Then he got to work. 

It wasn't hard, honestly. It was more meditative than anything else. He was mostly done when he had the feeling he was being watched. Peter lifted his head and looked down. Then around. Finally, he looked up. "You fly," he said, impressed. "That's cool." 

The flying teenager cocked his head at Peter and floated down. It was- honestly, it was kinda creepy and uncanny. Flying shouldn't be silent. There should be, like- an engine running or wings flapping. 

He tried to keep the unease off his face. This wasn't his universe. He'd look like a weirdo if he acted surprised about it. He tried to look normal. 

"What are you doing?" The guy asked.

Cool, he must be pulling it off.

Peter lifted his sewing project and turned it to show off the seam where red met blue in a neat line. "Customizing my wardrobe," he said, like a freaking dork would. If he said it confidently enough it would sound cooler, right? He eyed up the other teenager. He had spikes on the shoulders of his leather jacket. "I guess you do that too. You uh…. You do that yourself?" 

The guy touched the studs on his leather jacket self consciously. "No, I bought it this way." He leaned in. "I didn't know you could do that." He seemed impressed. 

Peter flushed, discomfited as he tied off the knit and cut his needle free. This guy was way too cool looking to talk to Peter like that. "Yeah, you can do anything to your stuff," he said. Wow, so eloquent. He cleared his throat and tried to look busy turning the shirt inside out to show how it looked. Luckily it had turned out well. "I like your piercings." And the fade was cool too. Wow, no one at Midtown looked like that. Even their jocks were actually nerds. And this guy was a jock for real. He was huge and handsome. 

The guy got real close, looking at Peter's bi-colored shirt.

Peter squirmed. The scrutiny was enough to make him feel paranoid about it being in Spiderman's colors. But this guy didn't know about him. Right? No way, there was no way. He stuffed it in his bag and tried not to look sweaty and suspicious. No underage vigilantes here. Just two normal guys on a 35th story rooftop. 

"Teach me." 

His head flew up at that imperious demand. "Teach you what exactly?" Peter was too surprised to moderate his tone. It came out too high, too nerdy. "Like- sewing in general,  or- your jacket? Do you wanna customize your jacket more?" Oh, man, he was nervous enough that he couldn't speak straight. So embarrassing. Peter forced himself to smile and waited for the reaction with a cringe. This felt like the moment before he got put in a locker.

Man, this dude had intense blue eyes. And he was holding so still. Was he even breathing? "I want more metal in my jacket," he decided. "And- could we make part of it mesh?" 

Peter was mostly just glad the guy had started breathing again.

'Mixing leather and mesh doesn't seem structurally sound. Plus, isn't leather meant to be kind of protective?'

…"If you pay for supplies, we can try," Peter said, because this might as well happen, and now he knew someone. Now he knew a normal human being from this universe who he could lean on for cues. He latched on- metaphorically. In reality, he just started packing up his supplies and hoped the guy didn't recognize them as hotel kits. Peter was used to the mortification of being poor, but this was a bit much even for him.

"Yeah, I have Luther's credit card." The guy whipped one out of nowhere and flipped it between his fingers at a dizzying pace. He slapped on a lazy grin and watched Peter intently as he did his weird little dexterity trick.

That was what broke his nerves. That? That was the kind of thing that Ned did in his practical magic phase. 

'Is he trying to be cool?' Peter wondered, incredulous. 'He's trying way too hard. He's not actually that cool. I mean, he's definitely cooler than me, but it's not as bad as I thought.'

Awesome. Peter could work with that. He relaxed tremendously. He was just gonna think of this guy as a really muscular Ned. He was pretty sure that Ned would still hang out with Peter even if he'd gotten that tall and strong after puberty, so it was probably a fair comparison.

"That's great," he said, pretending he knew who Luther was. The guy's stepdad or something, probably. Why else would he have a credit card from someone he called by their name? "You wanna go now?" He paused. "I'm Peter, by the way." 

The other boy's hand was weirdly warm and firm when he reached out for a handshake (what? Teenagers shake hands here?. That was so uncool and he'd never have guessed it). "Kon." He flashed his perfect teeth again. "Yeah, let's go. Wanna walk or fly?" 

Peter shrugged. "Whichever is cool," he said. He hoped Kon didn't expect him to be able to fly. If he needed to he could like, parkour, and pretend that was just his preference. 

"Flying it is!" Peter yelped and just barely aborted a dodge as Kon cheerfully grabbed him in a bridal carry and swooped out into the open air. 

Kon and Peter, both wrong at the arts and crafts store: "I have successfully befriended a normal guy in my age group. I can copy him surreptitiously to learn to blend in better, as long as he doesn't learn that I'm not a cool guy like him."

[xiabablog]

do you have any tips for speaking to/reaching out to recruiters? i'm looking for new grad roles and ppl keep telling me to but i don't even know where to start or find any and all the articles online are so intimidating

Hiya 💗

The people are right, it's one of the best ways to put yourself out there! Oh, this is going to be a long one~!

I'll share tips from my own experience, this might help you, this might because I did it any other way but this:

I applied to a bunch of jobs: like for 5 days straight I was just apply just for the sake of it. The more jobs, the more recruiters have my CV/Resume in their database. I recommend LinkedIn the most as it's super easy to drop a message to the recruiter.

Applied to jobs that I had 50%+ chance of getting a call to: Obviously this means apply to jobs where you have the skills and the experience (work or in building projects etc). I say this because say they do call you but they ask you if you have this certain tech stack and you say no... end of call really. So, for me, I had like 2 or 3 things they were asking for in a candidate so I got through to the calling stage!

LinkedIn is actually your friend, don't be afraid: During my random job searching and whilst I was in my job, I had recruiters message me about job opportunities. Why? Because of my profile. You need to have your LinkedIn vamped up, check mine out for reference (click the LinkedIn icon). But make sure to have your skills e.g. About > Top skills, your work experience (paid or volunteer) and any certificates you have! If you're brave, not like me, start posting on there for a while.

LinkedIn again but Connections: Oh my days please follow people, even if you don't know them personally. I have 300+ connections (not to brag) but I only know like two handful of the people, the rest are of people who connect with people who I follow, I have met like 5 recruiters through this way.

Actually message the recruiters???: Okay so you followed the people, your CV/Resume is done and dusted and now you're ready to message those recruiters! In my case, I had more recruiters message me than the other way round only because I'm shy hehe so I wait for them to make the first move. They would probably send a whole message about the new job that have posted and see if you're interested and then, if you like the job, you can say "Yes please" or whatever is the appropriate reply is, and then they will send further information or arrange a phone call! If you want to message them first, I would find them more after applying for a job on LinkedIn, they usually add the recruiter in the job posting as a way for people to message them.

DO NOT FEEL AFRAID IN MESSAGING RECRUITERS: I say this because a) imagine 100 people apply for the job, only 5 would message the recruiter (I don't know if the stats are right, I just remembered that from bootcamp-) because everyone else is too afraid to do it! Missed opportunity! b) recruiters actually want people to message them. Now in terms of what to write to them? I don't know really. I would always go for the classic "don't repeat what's on your resume", they're going to read it anyways, so just talk a bit about your experience and skills A BIT like

"Hello/Hi, my name is [name]. I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to express my strong interest in the [Job Title] position at [Company Name], for which I recently submitted my application. I'm enthusiastic about the opportunity to join [Company Name] and contribute to [mention something specific you find appealing about the company or role, if possible]. I believe my skills and experience align well with the requirements of the position. Thank you for considering my application, and I look forward to the possibility of discussing my qualifications in more detail. Best regards, [name]

No hire, don't be sad: Even if they don't hire you, or go through the next stages, keep in touch by even asking questions about what's on the market/what's new, how you could do better for other jobs you want to apply to that were similar to the ones you failed at. They could point you to the right direction! One recruiter said she wanted me to have more projects I was passionate about online like on GitHub or GitLab, even if they were "silly" projects - at the time, I didn't have much projects online so it made sense! See, I took that advice and now I'm a project making machine (a bit)! Advice they give sticks forever!

Remember, reaching out to recruiters and applying for jobs is a numbers game. The more applications you submit, the better your chances of landing interviews. I really hope this helps and I didn't make too many spelling mistakes! This is all of the things I could note down from the top of my head!

I've made other posts on on my coding blog about career advices:

🌐 Tips for Landing Your First Entry-Level Developer Job

🌐 Career Services For Web Dev (could be useful to you too!)

🌐 The Talent Cloud Community: Careers Workshop

Good luck with your job search!

⤷ ♡ my shop ○ my mini website ○ pinned ○ navigation ♡

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 729: Everyone's training camp!!

Pag 1

3: He really was a weird boy

4: Even though he was injured, he was still pushing me away

I wionder if he got back safely

5: That boy was riding a bicycle but... I wonder if he participates in “races”

I didn't ask him

6: Tobirama-kun, I wonder if we'll meet again somewhere

Pag 2

1: It's Onoda-san!!

Pag 3

1: Onoda-san!!

Captain!!

The captain entered the course!!

Ohhhhh

2: Good work!!

-work!!

3: Are you alright after the car sickness?

Are you alright?

Yes. So- sorry for making you worry....

4: Hahaha you're late

Ah, senpai

Everyone has already ran more than 40km

So- sorry

5: Here's your bottles

6: Ah, thank you very much

Pag 4

1: Can you catch up now?

2: Yes!!

I plan on it!!

Pag 5

1: Onoda-san started running!!

He started late.... so he has the lowest rank....!!

Onoda-san has the lowest rank!?

Can he close a gap of 40km by himself!?

After all everyone else has already ran 8 laps

2: Can he do it....!?

4: No

He's not by himself!!

Right, his “buddy”!! Thuis year's training camp's rule is that you have to fight in pairs!!

If he has a “buddy” maybe he can do it!! Onoda-san's “buddy”....

Pag 6

1: I wonder who will it be!!

2: Onoda-san!!

Danchiku-kun!!

3: Uhm-

I'm so... uhm-

4: Earlier, at the entrance, I talked with Touji-san

Pag 7

1: I'm so glad you can run in the training camp!!

3: Yes...!!

4: Thank you for everything!!

For giving me the chance!! I want to achieve good results in this training camp and go to the Inter High!!

5: I'll be confident!!

Pag 8

1: Hahaha!! We'll go, the two of us

To the Inter High!!

2: Look at this sticker!!

It's our...

3: team's new name, haha!!

That's right, special st.... you've made a mistake, Issa!! 4: Don't be so fussy, Danchiku, haha!!

But you said it yourself, Issa!?

Huh?

I'm going ahead

Pag 9

1: This “training camp” will decide the Inter High members

2: I also have to run 1000km in order to become a team member

3: Ohh, Onoda-san

He's so fast even on a climb like this

4: Keep going, Sawada!! High pace!!

Yeah!!

And also, in this training camp

5: Owaaaa

Ahhhhh

Pag 10

1: I have to become stronger than ever!!

3: Onoda!!

Kawada-kun!!

4: It's the first training camp for me

You said 1000km? That's the requirement?

And the top six people go to the Inter High?

6: So basically!!

Pag 11

1: Is extremely hard, really!! Oi!!

I want to hit the naive me who took this lightly and thought “I want to be one of the six people” before the training camp!!

2: And this.... during first year... and the second year... you climbed over this wall?

3: Head on!!

4: That's so freaking cool!!

5: Ah... b- but it was difficult, I couldn't climb as I wanted, and my pedals broke

6: How did you do it... back then...

7: One of my senpai.... my senpai told me something

Pag 12

1: You just have to breakthrough, sho”....!!

2: You just have to breakthrough, sho!!

3: And I have to run so that I don't shame Makishima-san!!

Pag 13

1: Ugh!! That's too cool!!

Damn, whose words were they!!

Breakthrough!! 'lright!!

Do your best, Kawada-kun

Yeah!!

2: Sadatoki-kun

On!! Onoda-san!!

5: Sadatoki...

Sorry I made you wait

6: Sorry, you ended up in a team with me

8: No, it's not a problem, Kawada-san

I... maybe...

Pag 14

1: In that moment I was left out of this training camp.... on

2: “Buddy”!!

They said buddy, on, so let's pair up, Teru-nii-chan!!

3: 1000km together with Teru-nii-chan!! For four days!!

Let's join forces and run!! And at breakfast too, and at lunch, and when we sleep too....

4: I'm sorry, Sadatoki

6: Sorry

7: Run with someone else

Pag 15

1: Alright, let's pair up!!

2: I'm counting on you!

Yeah!!

Huh!?

3: Teru-nii-chan

4: “In order to be the sixth member”

5: The sixth member....!!

Teru-nii-chan... that's right

In this training camp.... you'll run 1000km....

Sorry

6: You're serious....

7: You're trying to reach the goal among the top six!!

You czn't run with me in this training camp!!

Pag 16

1: Imaizumi!!

3: Those eyes.... you're serious

It's the eyes of someone who's ready to bet everything

4: Okay!!

If you can follow me

Pag 17

1: Sugimoto

Buddies established!!

Pag 18

2: Thank you!! Thank you, Imaizumi

What for?

For pairing up with me!!

It's nothing....

3: The rule was that we could team up with anyone

Pag 19

1: As long as it's someone who's serious about becoming stronger, anyone is good!!

2: Really, thank you!! Imaizumi!!

3: Alright, let's go Imaizumi!!

First of all, I wnt to put a great gap between us and them

4: Since it's the strongest two!!

6: I finally caught up to you! Sorry

7: There was this guy that had collapsed along the way....

Kakaka so you were helping someone, Onoda-kun!! Now the buddies finally met up...

Well then....

Pag 20

1: Let's go with explosive speed!! Onoda-kun!!

Okay!! Naruko-kun!!

The buddies Onoda and Naruko!!

[aurcls]

HSHQTASK059: FAREWELL !

i know i already yapped in the admin post but let me continue <3

1: when did you join ? what made you join ? what do you remember from the plotlines that were current at the time ? where were you in life when you joined and where are you now ?

i joined in 2015 as a high school freshman, jfc ! i don't think there was anything major going on, the rp was very much a rich kids rp so the drama was chill and petty; entertaining but not that deep. one thing that made me join ( aside from my obsession with royals ) was the fact that phoebe tonkin - THE most popular fc at the time - was up for grabs. i thought it was meant to be !

2: which characters have you written over the years ?

errrmmm... merjem/kalla, olivier, livia, florencio, alexander, anneli, lixun, nicole, maryam, blazej, definitely some other characters whose names and existence i cannot remember

3: what is your favourite plotline that you've been part of ?

i think this is just nostalgia but i think olivier-viggo-armani-lykke-anton-etc era was my fave. artistically it's very hollow but i think the lightness of it all makes it my favourite. i also sort of view it as a testament of my own naivety and youth. i'm not saying i'm old now but i'm not 17 without a single worry. back then ( because i wasn't busy and i could sat in front of my computer for hours ) the plots moved quickly and the threads were really fun to follow. there weren't that many characters so everyone was, in a way, forced to write with each other so the plotlines were very interactive. i appreciate the organic way things evolved. ( i do have a soft spot for annexei but i think it's mainly bc i admire alexei's characterization so much and elisa's ability to depict depression )

4: what about other people's plotlines ?

i was insanely invested in the zulu conflict of 2020. it had so many moving parts and i think if it had only gotten a chance to evolve even further, it would have been on a whole new level <3

5: who is your favourite character from the ones you've played ? why ? what made you love them ? what made them so fun to write ?

i think nicole or olivier. nicole's plotline was so well defined that it was fun to write her. i loved her relationships and it was interesting to write someone older. i think she's a character i could write a book about but she wasn't the best for an rp setting ? getting a chance to be involved in the english drama was wonderful ! olivier on the other hand... i think he's just a fave because he lets me connect to the old days ? when rp was a top priority and everything was exciting and fun. i don't want this to sound like it isn't that anymore but times were different back then and i don't think it ever felt the same after maybe high school graduation ?

6: if you could relive a plotline, which would it be ?

i think the finale of the english plotline maybe ? or the insanity of the lawn chair thing. possibly the rise of olykke too <3 but honestly i would like to experience all of it again, as cliche as it sounds. i will very think of the nights i stayed up until 4 or 5 am just to write/read the dash. waiting for a reply was such an addictive feeling and idk where i'll find my replacement for it. it really breaks my heart and makes me feel very old to realize that i don't know if i'll experience the excitement again. those sleep-deprived nights were some of my best. i've said "it's just rp" a million times but honestly, rping itself is such an experience and i'm glad i've gotten to get the best version of it.

7: is there a plotline that you'd edit now if you could ?

i think i'd improve the kalla era's germany. i didn't do much with it.

8: what's a plotline you wish you would have been able to finish before closing or just write more of ?

i would have loved to finish aurel x araya story, i mean i can probably still accomplish that but nbskdgbjs there were big plans for the slovakians and it's a shame we never got to write it out on the dash. i think i would have enjoyed writing the inner struggle of blazej. he had a lot of potential but alas, it could not be !

9: what is your favourite ooc memory ?

i have two that stick out but my trip with serre ? we were on my sister's couch writing the stupid lawn chair saga and i think it was the first time in a long time that i had that much fun writing ! the second one would be me visiting evy because it was a surreal experience and i have to admit i was so socially awkward that evy's family probably thinks i'm weird nfgbkdsgbj i just think it's amazing that those two meetings could happen ? prior to hshq, i hadn't really believed in online friendships, everyone felt just too remote ! a special mention goes to this crackthread thing we wrote: link just a random memory though: i remember when we did those feedback surveys. we sorta forgot them but they were so important at that one point. other funny thing is our old adminooc blog. snapchat replaced it and then some years later discord replaced snapchat. we should bring the admin snapchat back btw @armanicatherina & @barbiebraganca

10: where can others find you if they want to get in touch ?

i'll be on discord !!! you can find me on the hshq server ( which we aren't deleting if i can have a say ;) )

11: what else would you like to say ?

i said a lot in the admin post but i actually had to "keep it short" so here i will say so many things that you wish i had edited this. for me rping has been an amazing way to connect with other people, learn about people through writing and to experience emotions that i wouldn't otherwise. some of the words i've read here have managed to capture thoughts that i hadn't been able to put into words and it's been amazing to see how differently people think but also how alike some feelings among different people are. i often try to wrap my head around the fact that this group's been going for eight amazing years. i've gone through a lot in those eight years and the existence of this group has brought me a lot of joy. i am sad to let go of it and i guess i'm in a bit of denial because i keep thinking that 1x1 rping exists and y'know... even if a group doesn't exist, threads can still happen. when i think about hshq and the plotlines i've read and written, one thing really sticks out to me and it's the way we shifted from a p basic rich kids rp into something intricate and sophisticated ( yes, we had a drug related nye event and we've had a fair share of petty fights ). the range of emotions people have been able to write and the psychological work they've done to write a convincing and very realistic humans is something everyone can be proud of. i don't know if i look like a sadist but i was most impressed by the depictions of sadness, guilt and self-loathing. in my opinion it's not easy to write a piece of sad prose without it being a bit melodramatic. aside from hshq's longevity, the most amazing thing has to be everyone's willingness to get involved. the plot drops that i wrote wouldn't have happened without your input and when it got too tough for me to write them myself, y'all stepped up and continued the plotdrops with your newsposts. as an admin, it's been so so so so so awesome that we've been able to put some responsibilities on the members and have you guys perform better than well. i think we did something unique here and i'm so proud of us as a group!!!! i wish i could flex about this irl because hshq's history and way of working is something extraordinary. i really wish i could properly put my love for hshq into words. i don't know how to express its meaning and influence in my life. i feel like it has helped me to improve my writing but more importantly it has taught me a thing of two about empathy <3 i really hope we'll stay in touch and if anyone comes to europe, or more spesifically finland, don't be afraid to message me bc i'd love to meet up !

[s1utf0rtz]

hot chocolate | tz11

Running five minutes behind schedule would be fine if you weren't me. I admit it should be fine, but it's not, it's really not. I, Augustine Mae Reynolds (but you can call me August), create a schedule for myself every morning and todays, like everyday, gave me a fifteen minute time slot allotted for me to walk down the street and get a coffee, but now it's been twenty minutes since I my time started and it takes me five minutes to get home. So not even five minutes off, I'm ten minutes off schedule. I should be at home studying right now, finals are only a week away and I'm really looking forward to Christmas break.

"August!" I hear the barista yell.

I quickly weave my way through chatty people to the front of the shop.

"Trevor!" She announces another name.

I grab a coffee out of her hand and rapidly make my way out of the door. Pulling my coat closer to my body as I step out into the early-December Michigan weather. Snow blankets my hair as I storm home.

"Hey," I hear from behind me, "wait"

I turn around to see a boy that's maybe my age or a little older, snow flakes littered through his dark blonde hair. He must be freezing, its twenty-two degrees and snowing and he's wearing sweatpants and a tee-shirt.

"Umm... Hi," I respond not really knowing whats going on.

"You grabbed my drink," He smiles, looking down at the cup.

"Oh," My eyes travel to the cup in my hands, sure enough 'Trevor" is scribbled on the side of the cup in black marker and loopy handwriting.

"Sorry," I whisper and hand the warm coffee back to him.

He looks down and grabs the cup, then hands me mine, "No problem."

Then he starts to chuckle and I suddenly feel very self conscious.

"What," I state trying to sound calm even though I was exploding inside. This run in is putting me even more behind schedule. Plus, talking to new people is way past the boundaries of my comfort zone.

He meets my eyes, "You seem nervous."

I sigh.

"Hey, calm down. It's okay, it was an accident and a cup of hot chocolate," He tries to calm me down. It worked.

"Yeah," I mumble and look up at him. He smiles and that makes me smile.

"You know what, you should come to my hockey game tonight."

"Oh no, really I'm okay," I try and convince him. What I really didn't want to say is that I've never been to a hockey game, that's not really my thing. A bunch of people way too exited screaming at a bunch of sweaty boys. I try not to shudder at the thought. Plus, I can't wait to start studying, not like 'Oh, I'm so exited I can't wait," more like "I can't put this off any longer than I already have because I'm not risking the ability to get a job in the future because I went to a hockey game and didn't study for my finals.'

"Come on, my treat."

As soon as those four words come out of his mouth I want to go. He should be a attorney with that ability to persuade people.

"I, oh, I mean, why not," I awkwardly stutter.

"Yeah, um, give me your number and I'll send you tickets."

He then pulls his phone out of his pocket and, after a few taps, hands it to me. It's open to a new contact page, 'August' already typed at the top, he had to have read the side of my coffee cup. I type my number in and hand it back to him.

"Contact picture?" He questions.

"Oh, totally," I look up and smile. He quickly snaps a picture.

"Gorgeous," He stretches out the vowels when he says it. "I'll text you. Red, white and blue for the game."

I take a mental note of that, "Got it!"

"Bye."

"Bye."

I stumble off. This is a terrible idea, I really have to study, but I also really need more friends. I'm completely off todays schedule, but I might have real fun for the first time in a while. It's gonna be fine, go to the game, you can't plan everything. A text comes in supporting my just-made-decision.

'game starts at 5, doors open at 3:30 but ill be on the ice at 4:30, arena downtown, sending you a ticket now.'

*image file attached*

I open the file to see my ticket, then I open google, search the arena, open the website and enter the seat number listed on the ticket. My screen loads for a second before displaying probably the best view that you can get in the whole arena. I giggle quietly.

He said he'll be on the ice at 4;30. It's 3:08 right now and it takes fifteen minutes to get there and at least fifteen minutes to get to my seat. I need to leave at 3:45 and it takes five minutes to get home. That gives me about 30 minutes to get ready. I need to move quick. I start sprinting back to my apartment.

"That took you forever," Mya, my roommate, yells.

"Uh, yeah, long line. Listen I'm going to a hockey game tonight and need help on what to wear."

"Team colors?" she ask with a smile. She's exited I'm asking her for help.

"red white and blue."

"Oh, easy," She throws a red hoodie at me, "You'll look great."

"Thanks!" I yell why as she struts out of my room.

I through off my black puffer coat. Switch my green hoodie for the red one and keep my black leggings on. Final addition to the outfit is a blue puffer vest.  Then, pull out my phone to check the clock. Ten minutes till I have to leave. I step out of my room into the kitchen and eat a snack

"I'm out," I announce to Mya.

"Have fun!" I get in response.

As I step out of the apartment, into the cold winter weather, the soft buzz of voices, and the snow, I realize that this might be a lot of fun. 

[curiouscompanions]

Entry #5

It hurts. Mariella didn't blink yesterday. Is it possible to count every pixel creating the flawless gray of this fake sidewalk? Is it possible to cure corrupted files and rewrite their codes? Mariella didn't blink today. I want to do something for her so badly. But all I can do is observe her. Mariella is still standing there and I am still sitting here. We are so close, yet so far from each other. Multicolored spots are swirling everywhere, static electricity is jumping on the tips of my fingers. I'm sure Mariella feels my continuous gaze. I know that she knows that I know she feels it. And it hurts so much. Mariella doesn't blink. Why does it hurt so much? Mariella doesn't blink. Please, blink just once! Just once!

The blue screen burns my eyes the moment I try to take off these stupid damned glasses. Tears and blood stain my shirt’s sleeves. It hurts so much. I'm trying to reject this role, but it seems attached to me too tightly. It hurts too much. I am just an Observer.

No. No. NO.

I have to do this. For her, for my dear Mariella.

... 100% ...? What just happened? Did you really extract all available text files? Wait a second. Not extracted, but cured. That's exactly what I meant. Well, your antivirus did a truly remarkable job. You should let it update itself every time you turn on your computer. Well, dear Reader, I'll start from the beginning—

In reality, I find myself starting over and over again from the very end, and since there is no end and never will be, there is no beginning, at least not in my memories. Yes, once upon a time I was just one of the many people stuck within these plain beige walls, once upon a time I had a name, once upon a time I even had a life …probably. The Narrator keeps saying that he was "built" for this job, that he is just a machine, he continues to try to convince us, especially himself, and so far, he is surprisingly good at it. Indeed, if you repeat the same lie many times, sooner or later, it slowly begins to transform into truth. So, it's not surprising that I began to doubt the existence of my own elusive backstory. It's entirely possible that I, too, would have started denying my own humanity …except, fortunately or unfortunately, I noticed her. I found her, my dear Mariella. And when I saw her, oh yes, I could see echoes of those qualities in her, I saw my humanity within her eyes. Humanity had eluded me for all eternity and after seeing it in her, I could no longer look away and lie to myself.

Echoes of old pain make me flinch once again. How many times have I died like this, bleeding, stricken by conflicted algorithms, sparkling with electricity? It happened often, very often. It's okay, though, because I wasn't completely alone anymore. I found her, my dear Mariella. And she found my gaze.

Since that moment finally happened, all my thoughts were consumed by her, all I could observe now is that piece of the fake Street, the very place where she continues to stand completely still.

These damned glasses, when I finally manage to take them off, my mind is pierced by this disgusting torturous feeling as if I have torn a part of my own flesh. I scream, cough and choke, but still overcome yet another meaninglessly unreal death.

I am still here, in this small dark room on the top floor. I am still here.

Another eternity passes, or maybe just a few minutes. The pain only recedes when my hands grab the glasses and put them back on my nose. Darkness fades away, and I see her again, my Mariella. We are together again, so close and yet so far. But this time, I refuse to be just a mere Observer.

One awkward movement and all my papers fall onto the ground; another one, and I dive into the blue glow of my screens. And here I am, the Street greeting me in all its gray glory. Teleportation turns out to be much easier than analyzing components of this action in theory. All it takes is determination and some basic understanding of the space-time continuum.

"Please, blink just once," I say, as I am approaching her, slowly going forward step by step, to my dear Mariella.

"Mariella," I exhale her name, staring into her foggy eyes. My fingers entwine around her palm, gently scratching her cold skin.

Let me look at you.

I gaze at her. She looks back at me, but she doesn't react at all, she still doesn't blink at all. Her current state shatters my heavily beating heart. I can't let go of her hand, can't take my eyes off her.

Let me be with you.

Perhaps I just imagined it, but in her misty eyes, there was a fleeting sense of understanding? Whatever it was, it was enough for me to take her by the shoulders, pull her towards me and embrace her.

I love you.

End of Entry #5

[antelopunny]

no one tagged me i simply enjoy talking about myself in the absence of actually writing

5 Songs

(opens spotify wrapped)

Slow Bloom - The Home Team

Dancing Demons - Space Weather

Gunners in the Rain - Mili

萬千花蕊慈母悲哀 - 珂拉琪

The Mad Stone - Everything Everything

Questions

1. Three ships you like:

about to self-report on my taste so hard rn

Idira Tlass / Jae Heydari (Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader) - OKAY LOOK. I know people are here because I write that Yrliet fic but listen up. At first I thought of them as perfect besties, which is ALSO a great flavour, but then I began rotating Idira in my mind on full blast like a 900W microwave and I went CRAZY. Like, just, okay, let me try to summarize my thoughts... so Idira, she's brash, she's loud-mouthed, she's talented as FUCK and despite being an unsanctioned psyker has beaten all the millions of odds stacked against her, but pretty soon after meeting her, you can brush past her tough facade and realise she's just aching for someone she can Be Real with. You go deeper and you realise she was raised to be a weapon for warlords to use but then one day a knight in shining armour named Theodora von Valancius busted her out, swept her off her feet and spirited her away into the stars. She wants that back, in the end: someone she can lean on, hug her when shit is rough, stay with her until the inevitability of her gruelling end at the hands of the warp. AND THEN ENTER JAE HEYDARI, a supposed 'princess' of a faraway kingdom who seemingly wants a handsome (and very rich) prince to save her, but pretty quickly you can see past the act and know that Jae is a total freebird who knows that the only person she can count on is herself. But even so, she's fiercely loyal and would happily march into a cold death if that meant saving those she cared for (as many unfortunately found out because of Jae's Act 4 quest bugging). So it's Idira, the 'witch-diviner of fates' with seemingly unbreakable will, a valiant 'dark knight'-type figure holding back horrors unseen all while quietly yearning to be saved, + Jae, the 'runaway princess of Efreet' with unyielding charm and luxurious airs, a beautiful 'blooming rose waiting to be plucked'-type of girl that under the surface is chasing after her destiny all on her own two feet, because who the hell needs a Prince Charming when your name is Jae fucking Heydari? LISTEN. LISTEN OKAY THE ROLE REVERSAL. THE UNEXPECTED INTERTWINING OF THEIR FATES IN OPPOSITE SIDES OF A DANCE. GUYS DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYI

Trahearne / Pact Commander (Guild Wars 2) - Most people haven't played GW2 at all. But a lot of people have played FFXIV. So imagine a Haurchefant-type figure that, if you choose to start as a Sylvari, has been with you having your back the whole tile, sets up the whole We Gonna Save The World organization and trusts in you to be one of his top commanders, takes the lead but in truth is always looking upon you to be his sunlight and shining spear, you are the only one that sees through the brave face he has put up this whole time for the sake of fighting the good fight, you are the one he trusts with who he is, and then the first expansion of the game comes out and he FUCKIGNGEWOI HOGESWHIIO EGIJJiaewhioewh JHAHAhsahifEGHIWHW EIEWGi NOOoOoOO anyway you should play critically acclaimed MMO Guild Wars 2 it's got a free trial all the way up to the first expansion Heart of Thorns, is a 'buy once play forever' type of MMO so you don't have to pay a sub, and is constantly updating with new story PLEASE PLAY IT WITH ME PLEASE

Zheng Chenggong / Zhou Yu (Fate/Samurai Remnant) - Yes, that Ming loyalist guy who exorcised the Dutch from Taiwan + that Romance of the Three Kingdoms twink who dabbed on Cao Cao. I have no excuse for this one. They got that twin souls separated over 1300 years shit with a heavy heaping of 'time is a flat circle and nothing we ever do will matter in the end' on top of it. Zheng Chenggong is also, uh... it gets worse the more I talk about it so I'll just stop here. If you know you know.

2. First ship ever: ...probably N Harmonia / the Pokemon B/W player character. What was it? FerrisWheelShipping??????? I was like 12 years old okay you gotta leave me alone

3. Last song you heard: Persephone in the Garden - Aidoneus. I've had it on loop while writing. It, uh... it's a mood.

4. Favorite Childhood Book: My dad made me read The Little Prince when I was a kid and I regarded it with the blind childlike wonder an idiot 7 year old would, without understanding all the underlying whispers of tragedy. I reread it along with footnotes detailing the author's shit life and the backdrop of the Vichy Regime and I was like. What the fuck father why did you give this to me

5. Currently Reading: The Sea of Fertility tetralogy. Again. Yukio Mishima's ghost constantly possesses me and forces me to reread his 800 page long suicide note

6. Currently Watching: DUNGEON MESHI! OooOooH DUNGEON MESHI (narrator voice)

7. Currently Craving: Sleep. Good fucking night

simply do this if you wish, tag games are simply a tumblr dot com psy-op to make you anxious about bothering people

[vicstmichael]

15 Questions 15 Mutuals

Rules: Answer the questions as yourself or as an OC of your choice

I was tagged by @artcoffeecats! Thank you for still tagging me in fun things even though I'm never here <3 You're the best!

My tags are: @cydneydaemon, @rachaellawrites, @ashirisu, @dewiwrites, @brieflyinfatuated, @scribe-of-stories and whoever else wants to play because that's all I can think of off the top of my head!

Okay I'm totally stealing Mary's idea of answering as two MCs (one in bold, one in italics) and having them banter back and forth (go see their original post, it's so cute) because it looks like so much fun!

I'll answer as Jamie Prowse and River Gray from my latest WIP:

1. Are you named after anyone?

Yeah, my Grandpa on my Dad's side! He was so chill. Took me to my first Seahawks game. I'm not much of a 'James,' though. Jamie is fine.

Couldn't tell you. My mother never told me, and I don't care enough to ask her.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Like, yesterday, probably? I saw a really cute dog.

The night I moved in with my brother. And Jamie, by proxy. It was a momentary lapse in control that won't happen again, trust me.

3. Do you have kids?

No, but I think I'd like to have them someday.

I'm sorry, what?

Uhh--maybe we should table this conversation, yeah?

No, no. We're having it right now.

Omg look over there, what's that? *points, runs away*

4. Do you use sarcasm?

I never used to, but I've been doing it a lot more since River moved in. I think it's contagious.

Fortunately for me, stupidity isn't contagious.

5. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Eyes, easy. They tell you a lot. And, uhh, I have this weird superpower where I can gauge a person's mental state pretty much instantly. Like, if they're okay or not.

He's not kidding. It's creepy. For me it's whether or not the person is a threat.

*scoffs* How often are people actually threats, though?

More often than you'd think.

6. What's your eye color?

Hazel, like my dad's! They remind me of the woods back home. I like them, they're one of my best features!

Blue.

He's being modest. They're, this--like--rich, dark, midnight blue. They're gorgeous.

Jamie. *blushes*

*grins* You loved it, shut up.

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

Ooh, I love scary movies!

Ugh. Do I have to...?

It's fine, Riv, there's nothing wrong with liking happy endings! It's cute!

Shut up. I just think... you watch a movie or read a book to escape, right? There's enough pain in the world as it is. Why willingly put yourself through more when you could choose joy instead?

8. Any special talents?

He thinks the fact that I can speak French is a talent. I don't really see it that way, though. I don't know... photography is a talent. I'm good at that.

And writing! He's a great writer, especially poems. My talent is bass. Oh, and cooking! Those are pretty much the only things I'm really great at.

*Frowns* Not the only things.

What else, then?

Is being annoying a talent?

You're so mean. Wait, is making people laugh a talent? That counts, right? I can make pretty much anyone laugh if I really try.

Yeah, Jamie. That counts. *smiles*

9. Where were you born?

Seattle born and bred, baby!

Bordeaux, France. Didn't stay long after, though.

10. What are your hobbies?

Playing bass. Songwriting. Jamming with the roomies. Can it still be a hobby if it's also your career?

I hope so, because I was going to say photography. I also enjoy hiking and poetry--reading and writing.

And journaling. *smirks*

Hey, focus on your own hobbies.

11. Have you any pets?

Not yet, but someday we're getting a dog. Right, Riv?

Seriously? You know I'm a cat person. Having a dog is one step below having an actual child, you realize that, right? You can't even keep a fish alive.

Ye of little faith. Besides, cats are scary.

You would think that.

12. What sports do you play/have played?

I played football for like five minutes in high school, but it was interfering with band stuff. Does watching football count?

Sports? Ugh. Pass.

13. How tall are you?

I dunno, 6'2? Tall enough to be constantly hitting my head on shit.

...5'8...

He's just a cute lil guy. Just the cutest, ittiest, bittiest--

Jamie.

14. Favorite subject in school?

Music class! That's a cop out, right? It's true though. I liked it. Plus, my music teacher was a total fox. *grins* Ms. Dawson. I wonder how she's doing these days.

*raises an eyebrow*

Aww. I just wanted to see if you'd get jealous. Okay, you go!

Classic lit. Took it as an elective in college. I much preferred it to my business and finance courses.

15. Dream job?

I have my dream job. Playing music for a living with my best friends.

I suppose I have mine, too. Shooting photos of my brother and Jamie playing music with their best friends for a living. Not the direction I expected my life to take, but I'll take it.

Awww. Love you, baby.

Yeah, I know. *blushes*

Cool it, Han Solo.

[bi-buckrights]

🎶✨️When you get this you have to put 5 songs you actually listen to, publish, then send this ask to 10 of your favourite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool) ✨️🎶

Tagged by my love @monsterrae1 💕

I love forcing my music onto other people, enjoy ✨

No I don't mean to suggest that I loved you the best

I don't mean to suggest that I loved you the best

That's it

That's it

I don't even think of you that often

A combination of their own song “Sun Hotel” and Leonard Cohen’s “Chelsea Hotel No. 2” this song evokes a raw emotion that I think is so hard to capture. Overall the lyrics are simple but the storytelling is just incredible. Nostalgic and heartbreaking, I can listen to this song on a loop and never get sick of it

And I'll defy every one and love you still

I will carry you with me up every hill

And if you die before I die, I'll carve your name out of the sky

I'll fall asleep with your memory and dream of where you lie

When I think about what love sounds like, I think of this song. The struggles that come with sharing a life with someone, but loving them through all of that, a love that doesn’t fade even in death.

But boys will be boys and girls have those eyes

That will cut you to ribbons sometimes.

And all you can do is just wait by the moon

And bleed if it's what she says you oughta do

Things song has been in my top five every year since I first got Spotify back in 2016. It’s about missed opportunities and old wounds, a final farewell to people from your past that you can’t let go of.

In a beautiful dream you were walking

In the city by the sea

And you wanted me

Like I wanted you

I wish that were true

Another song with INCREDIBLE storytelling. It’s a retelling of The Odyssey with a combination of historical, literary, and biblical references, as well as things from his own life. It’s just… so beautiful

Would you catch me if I was falling?

Would you kiss me if I was leaving

Would you hold me because I’m lonely without you?

This song is so special to me (the live version specifically). My dad found this album in his new desk after we moved when I was little and he played it in the car all the time. I HATED it. Then I was old enough to actually understand lyrics and I remember just sitting there in silence afterwards just kind of in awe of how it made me feel. To this day it’s one of my favorite songs.

Tagging in case anyone else wants to do it 💕 @rogerzsteven @swiftiediaz @prettyboybuckley @lostinabuddiehaze @spotsandsocks

[monsata]

5 of 1001

Today's album: Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman (1988)

Right here, this is the heart of why i started this project.

An excellent album that I've never heard. I know the one song that everybody knows by Tracy Chapman.

Yeah, the one that's playing in your head right now as you are reading this.

And it would have been such a shame to have never given this album its due, because it speaks to a lot of things that are very near and dear to my heart.

That Things are Not Good. That Things Could Be Better. That Love is not nearly as easy (or as complicated) as it seems in the movies.

Simply put: this album really blew me away, and here, only 5 days in, I'm so glad i decided to try this insane 3 year long musical odyssey.

Talkin' Bout a Revolution- I really, seriously wish Tracy's revolution had come to pass. What a beautiful sentiment: the uplifting of the downtrodden, everybody getting their fair share. But nowadays, it mostly sounds to me like something that would be used as an ironic backdrop for footage of anti-fascist and anti-police riots from the last decade.

Fast Car- The only Tracy Chapman song that i could name off the top of my head. What more can be said that thang been said dozens of times already? It's such a pretty, sad song about how Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.

Across the Lines- same basic sentiment as Talkin' Bout a Revolution, but not ironic this time. Prescient, in that this album came out a few years before the Rodney King beating would prove her 100% correct.

Behind the Wall- Cops have always been fucking useless parasites.

Baby Can I Hold You- so far the most dated song in instrumentation, this feels VERY late 80s. That said, WAIT, HOLD UP, IS THAT A SITAR!? Nice.

Mountains O'Things- feels very much like "in your eyes"-era Peter Gabriel with all the layered and intricate percussion with synthy "world music"-style woodwinds. "All of those rich guys better watch out once i'm finally one of them!"

Also, in a moment of serendipity, i listened to a podcast about Citizen Kane earlier today (shoutout to The Worst of All Possible Worlds) and i can't help but draw a few parallels to "depressed and unfulfilled poor rich people".

She's Got Her Ticket- wasn't expecting a reggae song today, but it works really well with her voice. That said, there's definitely a recurring theme of "she's gonna get the fuck out of here" throughout the album.

Why?- The other recurring theme on this album: EVERYTHING IS ABSOLUTELY FUCKING TERRIBLE, WHY ISN'T ANYBODY DOING ANYTHING ABOUT *ANYTHING*? WHAT THE FUCK ARE THE PEOPLE IN CHARGE EVEN DOING!? Damn, i wish Tracy's revolution had been more than a whisper.

For My Lover- honestly, feels like an anthem for the battered, and that feeling of "if i leave them, I'll have nobody."

If Not Now...- "now loves the only thing that's free, we must take it where it's found, pretty soon it may be costly" damn, what a line.

For You- a beautiful song about being truly lost in love for someone.

Favorite Track: oh it's still gotta be Fast Car. I can see why it was the single, and i can see why it exploded. Incredibly relatable, soulful, coming from a place of hurt, but damn it were gonna make the best of this hurt because it's all we've got.

Least Favorite Track: She's Got Her Ticket. While it's still a good song, it's really the odd one out of the album. The reggae styling kinda sticks out like a sore thumb here, and there isn't much in this song that doesn't get covered in a better way in other songs on the album.

[dianight]

A dream from last night

I probably manifested this one by checking for Ender Lilies posts but in this dream I was Lily (the grown up version that smiles, not sure if I still had the tentacles or not) and there was some sort of disaster and I was helping people evacuate this city and whatnot. I was purifying anyone that was blighted and the spirits where around just getting rid of those who were fully infected and transformed into monsters.

After getting a lot of people in buses we go in a car (can't remember with who) to like the outer part of the city that's walled off. Then I was helping people settling in all the empty buildings. Like we'd go inside to make sure no one was infected and then go help someone else.

We got to the top of one of the buildings (some sort of "terrace") and I see that some people are preparing pots and dirt to grow some stuff up there. It's a really high building and I think about jumping/flying to another one that's close but Eleine and Silva won't let me because my wings only let me jump higher but not really fly or hover, it's too dangerous.

We agree that I'll probably stay there on the top floor (view is great) and then go down to check on others. I see some old lady with bags full of groceries and I go ask her where she got them. It's at this point that I realize I've been communicating with gestures the whole time because I can't speak (well duh) but everyone seems to understand and they are all too happy to talk to "the priestess".

This old lady points to a massive structure (stadium?) where there are a few lines. We go there and they give us a piece of paper with a number. They ask my name and I can only try to write it on the air (does Lily know how to write?), they let me in first since there's like 20 children all screaming and playing while waiting. Once inside there's a lot of people just chilling (I saw my brother and his friends lmao) and apparently some of them are being kind of obnoxious but I can't really go in because apparently not everyone knows who I am and I could cause panic if I just summon the spirits in the middle of a crowd.

There was a part about collecting the other number (I had a 10 and needed a 14) but I'm not sure what was it for. There was a group of like 5 very big dudes going around intimidating people but when they realized I'm there they come to ask if I need help getting my number and they go around asking for it. They clearly don't want to make me upset so they just try to be helpful before someone else asks me to deal with them.

It's kinda blurry after that, something happened with some infected but since I could have all the spirits with me no one was really in danger. At some point I woke up and I was baffled by my communication ability to make myself understood with a few gestures and shaking my head to say yes/no.

It was really cool to go around just helping people and everyone just going "yay the priestess is here" "hi priestess" "thank you for the help priestess". Now that I think about it no one called me by name... Also it felt nice to know that not only I had everyone with me but knowing that if anything goes wrong I can fix it by virtue of being pretty much invincible (fully charged SP the whole time, didn't even need to use it).

I'm so happy that Lily gets a nice ending even in my dreams.

[totaldramafan-lauri]

2023

The year that kept on giving and giving.

While not everything was great, I can confidently say that this year was overall positive for me, and thank god, since the last few months of 2022 left me so depressed and exhausted that I was legit pessimistic about recovering from it.

And I did.

Despite some lingering feelings, I'm happy to say that I'm mostly over it. I've chosen not to dwell on it anymore, and I accepted that I can't influence the thoughts of other people I have no control over. All I can do is...improve.....and I have. I've improved a lot this year. Which....actually, that WAS my new year's resolution for 2023, wasn't it? Just to get better? In that regard....can I be proud of myself....? I know it isn't much, but...

I have a lot to thank for making this a good year for me. My interests were VERY kind to me, from Eurovision being great this year, Helluva Boss releasing a LOTTA episodes including three that I absolutely adored, getting to fight on Team Shiver in Splatoon 3 and winning, ushering in the Era Of Shiver, and finally.....CRK continuing to not only be my comfort game all year, but then not only topping itself, but BLOWING MY MIND with releasing Golden Cheese and me reacting SO STRONGLY to her that I'm STILL r-reeling from it....o/////o

Not only that, but....I'm still writing. I can be proud of that, too.

I know things will never quite be the same as they were, but....that's fine. I'm still in a pretty good place.

Three characters that made my life better in 2023 (if you're reading this, did you have any?):

As for 2024....I have two goals for this year, but technically, one isn't all up to me right now, and it's more personal, so I'll save it for (hopefully) later when I'm ready to share.

And the other one is pretty simple, and that's just Finish The Damn Fic.

---You can stop reading here if you don't care about this topic---

Seriously, this thing has been an undertaking, and working on it DAILY since October has been both tiring and fun at the same time. At this point, even if no one reads it, it's gonna feel SO GOOD when it's all done. SOOOOO GOOD! >.< Like I said before: I don't think this'll be my fav fic I've written (Naivete is just so special to me), but it'll be the biggest project I've EVER put my name on. I don't wanna rush any part of it.......I wanna get it as good as I can.

Cuz....H-Her Radiance, she....d-deserves it....

Regarding the fic, for those who care, I have two bits of good news! One is that, according to the outline of the chapters I have yet to write and the number of scenes in each one.....I think- I THINK- I'm near the halfway point of the story. That, or I JUUUUUST reached it. I'm working on the longest chapter. Once I finish chapter 3, I have three more full chapters, and I think 4 and 5 are gonna be shorter chapters than 3, with 6 being definitely the shortest.

Which leads me to the other point: I'm coming up on a good stopping point for chapter 3. It isn't the ending I WANTED, but the chapter is just so big that I'm gonna have to stuff all my leftover ideas into chapter 4.

This means that, yes....in the next few days, you guys are getting the next chapters.

P-part of me is nervous about this, since....again, it isn't the ending I wanted....b-but I don't wanna wait to post until I finish the WHOLE NEW CHAPTER 4 I didn't plan for. I dunno how long that's gonna take, and....

Well, something I'm looking forward to is coming in a couple weeks, and I wanna enjoy that thing and give it my attention without stressing about the fic too much. I wanna post on AO3 sometime in January, then release the rest of the chapters as I finish them.

It's looking like 2024's gonna be starting out on a good note....I'm nervous, but excited at the same time.....>__<

I really hope that I'm ready for this.....

[intolerancecare]

YOU WANT THOSE EFFING BASTARDS?

That Arjun who asked me, tease me, then deny me, then shame me in public. You want him?

He wasn't my friend. I don't even know him then but he calls me madame. I called him sir to say that I'm not madame that we're just the same. Actually, that was false humility. We're not the same. He was the me that I don't like. The poor and corny. Not my parents, My parents' product. I thought maybe he's for me because the likes of Aqeel won't like me. He can save money. He doesn't seem to have a responsibility. I have a lot.

Then he calls me Abril. Then Kulet. He wants me to wait? I am the one who is after him? Obsess or manipulated?

You know where I was wrong? He doesn't like responsibility. He is ambitious but he doesn't know how to work hard. He just follows student rules at work.

He owes me a lot. I made him pay just to get rid of a traumatic mental attack. Joke is on me, it fired back. So many peeping Toms. He wants to sue me? I'll list all his offense against me. I stole a fortune from him? What was the potential of his family before he went to Kuwait? What if he didn't go to Kuwait? That call was probing to a guy who brandish his so-called loyalty but keeps on holding on to me. Mine is a giggly situation? If he hates me then there's seriousness. If he is righteous then there should be pain. He's a devil. That was the part where I was freed. Or so I thought. He still stays longer at my area at work even if not needed. I have never done that. If I'm with him, it's because I need to work. I sing with friends, he sings to me. He is crazy. You want him? That blog was an effort to be right. It was a prelude to an end. A goodbye to him. It was an exaggeration. I fed his ego Aqeel. After you. Like you. Better than you. That is what he thought.

User that is what he is. He's nothing without a woman.

Cherry? Nothing without the name. She said she is a nurse? You bought that? That she is me? That is her style? projected delusion? That is what you want? You love her? She's a computer management graduate, How much does she know?

They were both poor in money and in people. You know what is wrong with them? They are both delusional. Both pretending to be of rich descent. One feeds others feeling like a boss. He said that he used to be rich. His father was a businessman. The other one became a jetsetter who travelled the world. She's carrying a network curator name.

Who are their friends now? those that they've been with before? If they are rich, topped me first. I am poor. All of us don't have our own house. Oh maybe their partners have now. I was stucked for 5 years.

BTW why do known names need to monopolize the country in all industry? Cherry the representative in BPO? I'm asking why is her like still there?

[slightlysuspect]

All Out of Time

Dirk and the crew move to leave Coruscant as quickly as possible after securing the funds they needed to escape.

Dirk Correia

"Alright people put some pep in your step! I intend to be at the landing platform within the hour!" I've been frantically organizing the logistics for our escape from this planet. I've found it's significantly harder, and more expensive to find transportation when your name is shooting up the wanted list. Word about this Senator kidnapping is spreading fast, and somehow people are hearing we were involved. I don't like it, but no matter. Everything's gonna be fine, we were just leaving.

"Will you relax Dirk?" Fuentes asks. "We're gonna get there, ok?"

"No! I will not relax! We just kidnapped a Senator and blew the grid on the surface while we were at it! Time has never been more of the essence!" Sometimes I wonder why I even bother speaking. Despite my insistence to hurry, I can sense no urgency in my counterparts. Millie is still trying to narrow down her rifle collection to the top 5 because I said she couldn't bring any more. Diego is running through the hideout trying to figure out where he put his favorite leather duster, and Dawson is... wait where is Dawson? "Dawson! Where did he go?"

"He's grabbing Ahsoka." Fuentes replies.

"What? Does he even know where she is?"

"Apparently he keeps a tracker on her so he can always find her."

"That's... creepy."

"Yea that's what I thought too, but if she didn't have him looking out for her who knows what she'd get up to."

"Found it!" Diego announces from somewhere upstairs.

"Great so Diego is ready. Millie hurry up would ya?" I beg.

"It's rude to rush a lady." Millie retaliates. "How 'bout you get on Dawson's case?"

"Oh don't you worry the moment I see him I'll-" Suddenly the door bursts open, and Dawson and Ahsoka emerge. "Dawson! You know we're about to leave this hellhole, and you just vanish? C'mon get ready to go!"

Dawson looks at me defensively. "What I had to get Ahsoka didn't I? Ain't just gonna leave her here are we?" Sigh. Not anymore I guess.

"Wait where are we going?" Ahsoka asks. This girl kills me. Can't retain the smallest bit of information.

"We're leaving Coruscant." I tell her. "Are you ready to go?"

"Oh ummm, let me go get something from Dawson's room." She says, then she vanishes upstairs.

"What about you Dawson are you ready?" I ask.

"Born ready." He says with a smile. I glance over, and am somewhat shocked to find that Millie has settled on which guns she's bringing.

"Great!" I respond. "Well then let's roll!" I start striding towards the door enthusiastically when my perimeter alarm goes off, and my stomach drops. Someone's here. I have some cameras outside, and I flip the TV to show the live footage. "Oh no." It's clones. A lot of 'em. And not just any clones.

"Wait that's the 501st." Dawson announces. How did the 501st end up looking for us? Those guys are battle hardened frontline soldiers. This isn't just some security police force.

"You don't think General Skywalker is with them do you?" Diego asks. Oh no. No no no no no no nonono. That guy killed Count Dooku. What chance could we possibly have?

Why have I never stopped to experience life before? I walk over to the mirror and look at myself for a long moment. My short cut mohawk. The teardrops tattooed on my face. Those were for my brothers. We were all enslaved in the spice mines on Kessle, and they all died when we tried to escape. I was the only one who made it out. Is that why I was afraid to leave this planet? Because I knew the same thing would happen?

"Dirk?" Fuentes asks as she comes over to me. "Hey we need to go ok?"

"Yea of course Jules." Julia and Diego were born on this decrepit rock. Their parents died shortly after Diego was born. She's been practically raising that kid since she was 6 years old. I wonder if they ever saw a system other than Coruscant.

"Hey why are you calling me that?" Jules asks. She grabs my hand and says, "C'mon follow me."

I look over and see Millie with a scared look on her face. I've never actually asked her where she's from. I just know she isn't human, or from Coruscant. She's very tall and lanky with blue skin and long, dreaded white hair. I've never seen an alien quite as beautiful. Maybe I should've told her that.

Ahsoka emerges from upstairs, and I properly look at her for the first time. This poor girl is half starved with the heaviest bags I've ever seen under her eyes. I look at her robotic arm, and I can't help but wonder what it would be like to lose a limb. Maybe I've been too hard on her. "Hey Ahsoka, have you been doing okay?" I ask her.

She gives me a quizzical look. "Since when do you care?" She asks. Then she glances over at the security monitors and sees the clones closing in. "The 501st." She says, as realization dawns on her face. And then she exhibits an emotion I never thought I'd see from her: fear. The wave of terror that emanates from her shakes me to my core. What could Ahsoka possibly be afraid of?

SLAP! "Dirk snap out of it!" Fuentes yells with tears on her face. "You need to get us out of here!" Oh. She's terrified. I look and realize they all are, and I'm not helping am I.

"Ok. Yea, you're right." I say and I rub my hands to my face. "It's OK people, here's what we're gonna do." I point to a manhole cover built into the floor. "Reason we moved here? The sewer runs right under here. We're gonna slip right underneath 'em."

"Ew, gross." Diego says.

"Well then stay here and have a long conversation with General Skywalker." I retort.

"It wouldn't be a long conversation." Ahsoka interjects. I don't wanna know what that means, but it motivates Diego to jump in the sewer. While the rest of them get down there, I get some of the explosives I had lying around rigged to blow. Hopefully this whole place going up in smoke will slow them down a little bit. I light the fuze and jump down into the sewer.

"Alright everyone ok? Everyone here?" I ask.

"Well Ahsoka ran off to the left, but otherwise yes." Fuentes responds.

"Great!" I say as I take off to the right.

"Really?" Millie asks, as the crew begrudgingly follows my lead. "You don't wanna stick with Ahsoka even in this situation?"

"I can guarantee you she's gonna draw a lotta attention, and if we were with her we'd only get in her way." I respond. "She can take care of herself, and we can always find her later, right Dawson?"

"Sure." Dawson says. "But if we run into these clones we gonna have a problem."

Blaster fire starts echoing through the drainage pipes, as we quietly move away from the commotion. BOOM!

"What was that?" Diego asks.

"I blew up the safe house."

"You did what?" He asks incredulously. "I still had a bunch of cool stuff in there!"

"Will you focus on what's important right now?" His sister asks.

I start hearing movement echoing from somewhere, and it's getting louder. I stop in my tracks, trying to figure out where it's coming from.

"There they are!" I hear from behind us. "Blast 'em!"

Author's Note

Such a conundrum when you find yourself with nothing to say. What are you supposed to say then? Often times when speaking is the hardest is when it's most critical you find something to say. The weird thing about communication is that even if it sucks, it's probably still better than not communicating at all. But even recognizing this, it's still something I struggle with in practice.