#i've narrowed it down to 13 countries. i think.

[oodlyenough]

fic 20 questions

1. how many works do you have on Ao3? 127...! I have had the account since 2009, lol.

2. what's your total Ao3 word count? 707,519

3. what fandoms do you write for? Generally I only write for one at a time, which is currently Ace Attorney. Not counting the odd one-offs for ask memes over the years, the other big ones were Arcane, Borderlands, Doctor Who and the wizard books.

4. what are your top five fics by kudos?

Commutative Law (Arcane)

Window of Opportunity (Arcane)

Where the Air is Rarefied (HP)

Prestidigitation (Arcane)

Contingency Planning (Arcane)

Lmao, 4 of 5 written in 2022. You can see the power of writing m/m in a popular new fandom VS my entire other library at the time. Admittedly at some point I made a concerted effort to try and knock HP down from top spot, which was successful. For now. Jayvik fandom has quieted down a lot.

5. do you respond to comments? Yes. Sometimes it takes a while because if it's a particularly thoughtful comment I try to give a particularly thoughtful reply, and it can take time to gather my thoughts.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I'm going to discount oneshots because the tone in one-shots tends to be more consistent throughout the piece rather than being about the "ending" yknow.

So probably King and Country, a Doctor Who fic cowritten with @go-ldy way back when. Technically a happy ending if you factor in immense amounts of off-screen couples therapy lmao. But we had originally written something much simpler and happier, and it didn't fit the story at all, so we went back and wrote something heavier for the closing chapter, which is why it sticks in my mind.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I think probably Anachronism, the 95k Borderlands epic. I had always had a rough image of the four main characters happy together by the end, and it was also my swansong in Borderlands fandom, so I wanted it to be an optimistic, happy ending (especially in contrast to whatever the hell is going on in the canon there now lmfaoooo). Plus the rest of the fic was quite angsty, and the ending was hopeful and happy.

8. Do you get hate on fics? Not in recent memory. Once upon a time I got a couple disgruntled comments in Doctor Who fandom, and perhaps funniest of all found people complaining about my fic on LJ in French, unaware I read French.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Nope I'm a big baby who gets too embarrassed. I've written some pretty soft-focus M rated stuff but nothing I think could rightly be called smut.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? I wrote a short joke crossover between Doctor Who and Inspector Spacetime, the Doctor Who parody from Community. I don't think that one made the leap from Teaspoon to AO3 actually.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I'm aware of

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes, a number of times. It's very flattering. Mostly Borderlands fics and mostly into Russian iirc, but there's been a few over the years. Sometimes people ask, and I say "sure, drop me a link!" and I never hear back, so I'm not sure if they forgot to link or just never finished translating to begin with.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? My longest and best DW fics with @go-ldy way back when! Not so much since.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? I'm gonna be real it always just feels like whatever I'm into at the moment. And, actually, not necessarily something I write fic for -- like Pricefield is an all-timer for me, easy, but I have never written fic and I haven't read all that much either. If I were narrowing to tree, one of "each" lol, probably Doctor/Rose, Pricefield and Narumitsu.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Don't have any. I know I will never finish them (RIP Fixer-Upper and Silly Love Songs) as I've lost interest in those fandoms.

16. What are your writing strengths? I'd like to think I am good at packing emotional and/or character beats into a concise scene or story. Adding missing scenes or elaborating on canon scenes to give some additional depth or meaning without really deviating from the source.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Definitely plot. I will get stumped on the technicalities of things for ages -- I might know an emotional scene I'd like to write, but hell if I know how to get them there. It's why I primarily write one-shots. Also I struggle with any kind of scenery or set description.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I avoid it as much as I can. (Which so far has been entirely, lol.) I don't speak any other languages well enough to write dialogue in them and feel awkward relying on Google translate or hitting up random friends to do that work for me. I am more likely to use the "said something in [language]" approach.

19. First fandom you wrote for? I actually can't be sure but I think it was 101 Dalmatians. The animated one. When I was like, 7.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? I'm gonna cheat and do one per fandom:

Anachronism (Borderlands) -> biggest, most complicated, plotty fic I have ever written, with four main characters and every combination of relationship between them as the focus. Took 3 damn years. Very proud of it.

Unravel (Ace Attorney) -> total recency bias here but I'm very happy with it and it scratched a very particular itch for me, fleshing out a relationship and characters that exist mostly in the fringes of canon, something I used to do lots of but haven't in recent years

Contingency Planning (Arcane) -> an emotional sucker punch fic in my humble opinion, happiest with it

Out of the Howling (Doctor Who, with @go-ldy) -> actually I had a hard time picking a DW fic. But this was our last together and most complex, so it wins. Also the Master is fun as hell to write.

I am supposed to tag people! I am not sure who else has already been tagged. Do it or don't, I'm not your boss, happy new year 🎊 @annalyticall @heavybreathingcatt @sandboxer @mutxnts @tinsnip @tlonista @themirokai

[glitterpensupremacy]

Hi, big fan of your drawings! I've some of your stuff for your au, and I'm curious if you could help me with something. So I'm working on my own miraculous headcanon au with a whole miraculous order and Miracle council. The council has 13 seats, the Grandmaster of the order, and the Guardians of the 12 miracle boxes. Currently I have 11 box for different regions (China, North America, Central America, South America, Japan, Greece, the Celtic Regions, India, Egypt, Australia, and Iberia) currently I'm unsure of what to have as my 12th. I'm thinking either Russia or Canada (leaning a little more towards Canda). Which of the 2 do you think I should go for, or do you have any other recommendations? (Sorry if this is ranty, I have a tendency to do that. Sorry to put you on the spot it's just that I feel like you could be a big help since your Miracle Box system is kinda similar)

Sorry it took me so long to respond. I’m happy to help to the best of my ability and I don’t mind receiving messages of this nature at all.

While you could always go with Canada as it’s own box, the North American continent only has three countries to split the miraculous between (Canada, Mexico, US), so I feel having both a North American and Canadian box isn’t really necessary.

Russia isn’t a bad idea either; however, I feel like making your twelfth miracle box inspired by a country or region in Africa might add more variety to your Order. So far, the only box found in Africa is Egypt, and that’s far more closer to the European continent. (By that I mean that there are a lot of miracle boxes in that general area, which isn’t a bad thing at all, but it does mean that you might want to place your final miracle box in an area where there aren’t as many nearby boxes.)

As for where specifically, I’m not entirely sure, somewhere around west, central, or Southern Africa might be a good place to start.

(I understand how difficult it can be to narrow your options down to only twelve boxes, as well as the struggle to evenly distribute said boxes around the world, especially when every country, even ones right next to each other, has their own unique culture and identity.)

Thank you for the ask and I hope this helps (if there is something I wrote that I need to further clarify, feel free to message me again)! Good luck with your AU!

[foofyschmoofer]

I posted 3,895 times in 2022

13 posts created (0%)

3,882 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@nudityandnerdery

@zenyeetaa

@p1ratew3nch

@thunderxthighs

@sorchacahill

I tagged 1,055 of my posts in 2022

#critical role - 81 posts

#oh no it's cuuuuuuuuuuuute - 79 posts

#i should queue - 34 posts

#laudna - 31 posts

#imogen temult - 27 posts

#bell's hells - 26 posts

#orym of the air ashari - 20 posts

#our flag means death - 19 posts

#fearne calloway - 19 posts

#cr3 - 17 posts

Longest Tag: 135 characters

#wait why is this the first time in my 39 years on this planet that i've ever considered donald must have a sibling since he has nephews

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

OC Profile

Tagged by the fantabulous @alyssalenko. Thanks, lovely ❤️

Will tag @swaps55 @penthesilea1623 @goddesstiera @missmeggo929 @illusivesoul and anybody else who wants to do it

GENERAL-

Name: Rebekah Leigh Shepard

Alias(es): Bex (unless you're Hackett, if you call her Rebekah she will punch you), Half Pint (Zaeed's called her this since the day they met when she was six), Kid (likewise Wrex has called her this since she was actually a kid lmao)

Gender: Female

Age: currently 31

Birthdate: April 11, 2154

Place of birth: Vancouver

Hometown: Newcastle, Northumbria, UK

Spoken language(s): English, Krogan (mostly swearing), High Asari

Sexual preference: pansexual

Occupation: former Alliance commander, former Spectre, bounty hunter, general galactic menace (according to Sparatus probably)

APPEARANCE-

Eye color: pale blue

Hair color: naturally, blonde; currently, probably black or red

Height: 5'3"

Scars: small one through her left eyebrow from when she was shoved down a flight of stairs as a child, a c-shaped one beside and a bullet hole above her right eye from being shot in the face a la Zaeed's betrayal, a brand (like cattle brand) on her left forearm in the shape of the Blue Suns logo - all of these were done by Vido; a similar brand of the 10th Street Reds logo on the inside of her left wrist; innumerable tiny cuts on her face from the end of the Shadow Broker fight; six bullet wounds from Torfan; surgery scars on her left shoulder from the Battle for the Citadel; several burn scars from a house fire and from when she was set on fire by bullies at the orphanage when she was a child

FAVORITE-

Color: the pale blue of Hackett's eyes

Hair Color: dark brown

Song: Bugger Off, Fiddlers Green

Food: Chocolate chip waffles/pancakes

Drink: Asari whiskey

HAVE THEY-

Passed university: Yes? I think?

Had sex: Yes

See the full post

8 notes - Posted March 31, 2022

#4

I was tagged by @alyssalenko to share the music I've been listening to on repeat. Lately that has been my playlist for Katie Shepard. It's a mix of country romance and Queen

I'll tag @painterofhorizons @hot-elf @unnamedblight @hawkeykirsah @sorchacahill and anyone else who wants to do it

See the full post

9 notes - Posted June 15, 2022

#3

The Ties that Bind Us, Chapter 20

“Have you given any consideration to where you’d like your next posting to be?”

Katie shook her head. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around everything. Hadn’t even thought beyond today.”

“I would imagine you’ll be getting quite a few offers coming in, and you’ll no doubt have your pick of the lot.”

“I suppose.” She narrowed her eyes. “Are you hinting at what I think you’re hinting at?”

Anderson chuckled. “You caught me. My XO has tired of ship life and is taking a post on one of the outer colonies.”

“Interesting timing.”

“Indeed. Though when he first came to me, you were still an N5. I’d still have tried to recruit you if you’d left back then, though I knew you wouldn’t.”

“It was tempting at times.” Katie cracked her neck, still stiff and sore from the raid. “As is this offer. It’s… very tempting.”

“I sense a ‘but’ coming.”

She shrugged. “Not a ‘but’ exactly, and not a ‘no.’ More of a ‘can I think about it?’”

“Of course. I wouldn’t want you to go into any new assignment without sitting on it for a bit.”

“And now you sound like Dad.”

“I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or not, given how often you two butt heads over Alliance matters.”

“It varies, but in this instance, it’s a compliment.” She glanced over Anderson’s shoulder. “Speak of the devil…”

-

You can find the rest here. As always, comments, reblogs, etc. are very very welcome

15 notes - Posted June 11, 2022

#2

Trick or treat? 🎃

Treat, always 👻

20 notes - Posted October 31, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Head Over Tattered Sneakers, Ch. 62

It's been... awhile since I updated, becausse *gestures to life in general*

But here we are, a year and a half later, with more Bex shenanigans. Enjoy!

“Wow,” Kaidan began, clearly trying not to stare, “you, uh—”

“Look like you got stabbed in the face by a hundred tiny blades,” Morgan finished when he faltered. Bex stifled a laugh when Hackett reached over and smacked him on the back of the head. “Ow.”

“You’re not wrong, exactly.” She shifted from side to side, staring at her boots to avoid Hackett's gaze the same way she'd avoided Zaeed's. “The fight with the Shadow Broker was… intense. But that's one name crossed off the list of people who want me dead, so I'll call it a win.”

“Close call, according to Massani’s message,” Hackett said. “He mentioned that you didn't take your commandos with you.”

Bex rolled her eyes and finally raised her head to look at him. “We took them to the base, but the Broker had some sort of plan, and they got locked out of his office, so it was just us and Liara. Just me an’ her, actually, after he knocked Zaeed out cold.”

“Is he all right?”

“He joined in Karin’s post-battle nanny goat nagging, so yeah, I'd say he's just fine.” Bex shrugged. “A little sore, probably has a raging headache, but he'll be right as rain in a couple days. He'll be touched that you care.”

Morgan snickered and sidestepped when Hackett glared at him.

“So what can I help you gents with today? I know you didn't call just to stare at my face. Well,” Bex nodded to Morgan and Kaidan, “at least you two didn't.”

Neither even cracked a smile before they glanced at each other, at Hackett, and then took a step back.

Shit.

“We have a delicate situation,” Hackett said, “and we could use your help.”

“Steven, be serious. No one has ever put me and the word delicate in the same sentence unless they were taking the mickey.” Bex narrowed her eyes. “‘Sides, I'm not in the Alliance or a Spectre anymore. I'm not at the top of anybody’s Must Call list.”

“That may be true in most cases, but…” Hackett hesitated before continuing in a somber tone. “Garrett Kyle has reappeared on our radar.”

Bex stumbled back to sink into her desk chair. “As in Major Garrett ‘I got cold feet on the battlefield and ran like a bloody coward’ Kyle?”

“Yes. We don't know what happened after he was given an honorable discharge—”

“‘Honorable’ my ass,” Bex muttered, covered by a cough.

“—after Torfan, but at present, he's set up a commune for wayward biotics.”

She groaned. “Not again… Why’s it always fucking biotics?” She frowned. “Actually, wait… Why is it biotics this time? Unless he got dumped in a vat of eezo in the last six years, Kyle's not…”

“No, he's not. But we’re under the impression he… identifies with them.”

Bex stared stupidly at the screen for several seconds. “In what way could he identify with biotics?”

Hackett held up a hand. “I know, it sounds ludicrous. My own impression is less that he identifies with them, and more that he identified a group of outsiders who needed a guiding hand. Or something to that effect. In fact, he now goes by Father Kyle.”

“This should be bloody brilliant then.”

You can find the rest of this beast of a chapter here. Comments, kudos, reblogs, etc. are always welcome.

21 notes - Posted May 16, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[ammenvs3000w23]

Unit 9: What Amazes Me About Nature

Given the wide range of topics seen this week, I think it’s safe to say that nature provides an endless supply of amazement. While I’m sure there are many topics I could cover during this week's discussion, such as the different ways in which animals communicate or the beauty of the northern lights, I will have to narrow it down to one. 

For this week's blog post, I wanted to discuss the topic of medicinal herbs and plants. Growing up, the minute I would begin to show signs of sickness or stress my mother would come running into my room to turn on my diffuser where she’d mix different essential oils in hopes of providing relief. Not only was I met with oils but she equally had an array of recipes that could tackle any ailment. Have a headache? Don't worry, rub some peppermint on your temples. A little bit of a sore stomach? Peppermint tea should do the trick. 

Now given that I was a little science kid, I couldn't help but roll my eyes and ask for what I called “real medication”. As I've gotten older I've been able to develop a better understanding of the medicinal benefits of certain plants and develop a newfound appreciation for traditional medicine over pharmaceutical products.

To start, we will tackle Chamomile. Chamomile is an herb that belongs to the daisy family and is one of the oldest plants used in traditional medicine (Gupta, 2010). It contains terpenoids and flavonoids which play part in its medicinal properties (Gupta, 2010). This herb is commonly used for different ailments such as muscle spasms, menstrual disorders, stomach pain, and insomnia (Gupta, 2010). In old Russian tales, Chamomile is referred to as a magical cure-all herb and has been deemed the country's national flower due to its historical and medicinal importance (Woodward, 2023)

(istock image)

Another plant I wanted to discuss is the eucalyptus plant. Historically eucalyptus was used as a cleaning product given its antiseptic properties (Mount Sinai Health System, n.d). In addition to this, it was also used traditionally by Indigenous Peoples as a means of healing wounds and fungal infections (Mount Sinai Health System, n.d). Over time, this plant gained popularity making its way into traditional medicine and increasing its uses to include fever reduction treatment and a congestion aid (Mount Sinai Health System, n.d).

(istock image)

Earlier I mentioned developing a newfound appreciation for medicinal plants, and while this is still very true, my appreciation primarily involves its ability to rekindle humans with the gifts of nature. Traditional medicine has been used within different societies for centuries and while there is much controversy regarding its efficacy, traditional medicine has the ability to remind us of the ways in which our environment supports our existence. Understanding the environment and its interconnection with humankind can thus, largely support conservation efforts in society (beck et al. 2018).

References

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World. Sagamore Publishing.

Gupta. (2010). Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with a bright future (review). Molecular Medicine Reports, 3(6). https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2010.377 

Mount Sinai Health System. (n.d). Eucalyptus. Retrieved March 17, 2023, from https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/eucalyptus#:~:text=Today%2C%20oil%20from%20the%20eucalyptus,pain%2C%20and%20in%20some%20mouthwashes. 

Woodward, C. (2023, March 13). Discover the national flower of Russia: Chamomile. AZ Animals: Chamomile Plant. Retrieved March 18, 2023, from https://a-z-animals.com/blog/discover-the-national-flower-of-russia-chamomile/ 

[baereaved]

it’s that time of year again where i find myself frantically googling ministers, trying to figure out which fucking country sheril works for

[theycallmebecca]

Hey Becca! 👋 Hope you keep staying cool and the heatwave breaks soon.

So how about Chris getting done filming and coming to your place since your watching dodger. You’ve rearranged furniture and didn’t tell him. You are woken up to a bunch a thuds and Chris cussing.

Thank you!

I'm trying to stay cool.. thankfully it's starting to cool off already, we're down to 104 from today's high of 115! I've got my AC on and drinking lots of water and various juices to keep myself properly hydrated.

And I love this prompt! Haha you know I like me some comedy with my romance!

I’m accepting prompts thru July 4, 2021 for drabbles and moodboards. More information in this post.

Title: Crash in the Night

Pairing: Chris Evans x reader

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: language

Disclaimer: This work of fiction is not to be reposted, used or translated without my permission.

You didn't rearrange your furniture very often, but every now and then you got the urge to change things up. Most of the time, the changes stuck, but there were other times you questioned your own sanity for thinking the change was a good idea.

It had been three weeks since you had rearranged your living room and it was a change you liked. Your boyfriend's dog, Dodger, especially liked the having the lounge part of the sofa against the wall, so he could survey the room in between naps.

The only part of your rearranging that you weren't certain about was the narrow table behind the couch. You'd hoped it would help divide the living room from the entry way, but you weren't sure it worked. (Not to mention the number of times you'd stubbed your toes on it.)

Deciding to leave it for another few days, you and Dodger retired to the bedroom for the night.

With Chris out of the country for work, he'd left Dodger with you and the two of you had quickly formed a routine, which including starting your nightly routine with drawing an 'x' through the day's box on the calendar.

"Only five more days," you told Dodger as you put the lid on the pen. "And then we can show your daddy the changes!"

Dodger gave an excited bark and thumped his tail against the floor.

You scratched his head and then got ready for bed.

Knowing the two of you would miss him, Chris had brought you a pillow case to use while he was gone and had left an old shirt for Dodger to curl up with at night. While it wasn't the same as having him with you every night, it did make it easier to fall asleep.

It was sometime later when Dodger woke you with a loud bark. Startled and still half asleep, you sat up and glanced at the clock, noting that it was only two in the morning.

"Dodger, what -" you started, but stopped when he began to growl.

Then you heard a crash from downstairs that woke you up.

"Oh my god, oh my god," you panicked as you scrambled for your phone.

A shouted "FUCK!" echoed from downstairs and both you and Dodger froze.

Dodger was the first to respond, he let out a happy bark and ran to the door, pawing at it.

"I'm coming," you told him, forgetting about your phone as you got off the bed. You opened the door and followed Dodger down the stairs.

At the bottom, you flipped on the lights and found Dodger showering Chris in kisses.

"I'm ok, I'm ok," Chris said with a laugh from under the dog. "I missed you, too, buddy."

While they celebrated their reunion, you looked around the entry hall. Chris and his suitcases had clearly crashed into the table, which had only had a stack of books on it, thankfully.

Walking past the happy duo, you picked up the books and put them back on the table.

"New table?" Chris asked, having extricated himself from Dodger. The dog sat at his feet, leaning against his leg.

"Yes," you replied as you made your way to him. You used your hands to check his face for any damage, making him chuckle. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine," he assured you. "Just a little disappointed that you haven't kissed me yet."

"I didn't think you'd even noticed my presence yet," you teased, dropping your hand to rub Dodger's head. "You were otherwise occupied."

Chris chuckled and placed his large hands on either side of your head before drawing you in for a kiss. It started slowly but your hands grabbed onto his shirt as it deepened.

You were left breathless when it ended, a moment later.

"We're moving that table in the morning," Chris informed you before he led you upstairs to your bedroom to further celebrate his homecoming.

[morimakesfanart]

Sindria's Prophet #17

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]

[AO3]

*In this house we stan string theory and multiple dimension theory *Also, this chapter gets a little preachy, and delves more into my interpretation of the series so to make up for it I made a lot of art.

~POV Sinbad~ "If you're willing to talk about the future, does that mean you are finally ready to explain about those calamities you mentioned in Balbadd?" When Ja'far cut in he was in a rush; he didn't want to miss this chance. Sinbad had underestimated Ja'far's concerns; he had been too preoccupied with the Prophet. All the same, "I don't know if this is the time for that conversation. This is Mori's first meal with everyone after all." Wait. He knew that look. Ja'far wasn't actually asking to have that conversation now. He was pressuring Mori so she would have to agree to tell them soon. "I'm fine. I made a promise and I intend to keep it. As long as everyone else is willing to talk seriously for a few mins, I don't see the problem." Mori was wearing the same stern expression she had the morning of the coup in Balbadd. When Ja'far had cut in with his request he could have tried to sound a little nicer but it didn't warrant the cold response Mori gave in return. There had been rising tensions between Ja'far and Mori since Balbadd, but both seemed to get along most of the time. "Wait really? You're agreeing this easily?" Ja'far's shock also spoke for the King. She obviously didn't want to talk about the Calamities even when she promised to tell them, so why now? "A promise is a promise." Mori almost felt like a completely different person compared to the coy way she was teasing them all just moments ago. "Besides, this will just continue to be a point of contention until I explain."

--- King Sinbad was finally eating with his Generals and Prophet, but this was nothing like he had planned. Mori sat straight with both hands on the table interlocked. "The 1st of the 2 calamities occurs in about 2 years. As you know, there's a few countries that currently have rising tensions." Which countries? The Kou and Riem were prime contenders since they were already Empires causing trouble for other countries. There was also Magnostadt which has been becoming increasingly hostile to other nations, and seemed to be encroaching on the Kingdom of Actia. "In 2 years, 3 of them are going to go to war. A massive amount of black Rukh will be released, and the same type of magic used to make the Dark Djinns will be used to make a humanoid monster the size of a mountain." Of course, Al Thamen would be involved. "The amount of black Rukh it will have will make it a Medium for opening a black spot and letting Ill Ilah connect to the world which is Al Thamen's ultimate goal. Once Ill Ilah connects it will destroy all of the white Rukh in the world -bringing death." It sounded just like what Falon had described as her plan all those years ago. The same thing that happened in Parthevia a decade ago is going to happen again in only 2 years? "The Medium is destroyed before that can happen thanks to all of the current Metal Vessel users and assimilated Household Members coming together to destroy it. The world is saved but in the process one of the Magi will have to commit one of the ultimate taboos of this world. That taboo is what will eventually lead to the 2nd Calamity. If King Sinbad and the Metal Vessel users of the Seven Seas Alliance, which were the last to arrive, can show up sooner then that taboo and the 2nd Calamity might be something that can be fully avoided especially since I already know the Medium's weakness." It was clear that Mori knew more. Sinbad would have to talk to her about it later; he wasn't sure how much he wanted to talk about this tonight -they were supposed to be celebrating and getting to know each other light heartedly. However, there was one question he couldn't hold back from asking. "What is this taboo?” Mori sighed like she had expected that question. She looked to the ceiling. "Honestly, I didn't want to think it was a taboo when I first learned it, but after seeing what happens I get it now." She looked back at them. "I hope you can accept me not telling what it is. I don't want to even try to explain the 2nd Calamity because I'm not sure how without explaining the taboo. You see, the taboo involves information, so if I explain it to you I will be committing the taboo myself. I can only hope that the world isn't endangered because I know it." The air in the room felt thick. All of the Generals were waiting for his decision. Sinbad tried to read the Prophet's expression. It was serious, and determined; it seemed like fear and remorse were hiding right under the surface. What information could be dangerous on its own? "Alright," he agreed. "We don't want to take any unnecessary risks. However, if we are unable to prevent the taboo from being committed you will explain the 2nd Calamity." Mori attempted a half-hearted smile. "I was already planning to do that." She glanced around at the Generals. "Are there any other questions?" Sharrkan grumbled. "This is all really complicated stuff." "Yeah. Pretty scary, huh?" Pisti agreed. Drakon and Hinahoho were sharing a look while thinking.

"You still haven't told us where this is going to happen." Ja'far decided he would ask the next question. "Are you withholding that information on purpose?" Mori's expression was blank. "I'll tell you the countries involved after King Sinbad returns from the Kou Empire. I don't want to influence how the negotiation goes by giving him too much information he wouldn't normally have. I'm doing this for Balbadd..." Mori withholding vital information was the entire cause of Ja'far's distrust of her. "You took too long to tell us what was going to happen back in Balbadd, remember? If we know what their next target is then we can stop it before it ever happens." "The 1st Calamity has nothing to do with Al Thamen." "What?” that question was asked by all except the Prophet. Mori explained, "That country has refused contact with them and been building towards this for the past 10 years all on its own. All of the Black Rukh that has been accumulated there is like a trap waiting to be set off. The people currently in charge are not people who would be willing to accept change, or to listen to the arguments of the people here." That definitely narrowed it down. Riem was already having meetings with them, and it was only a matter of time before they formed an alliance. They already had the peace treaty with the Kou, and King Sinbad was about to go negotiate with them for Balbadd. That only left Magnostadt as the center of the conflict -the country they knew had increasing disparity between it's upper and lower classes. Mori was staring at him. He wasn't the one she was actually hiding this from. Since it didn't seem to be an avoidable Fate, she was preventing Yam from learning the Fate of her home country for as long as possible. Mori was trying to be considerate. "How is that possible?” "If they aren't behind it then how could such a thing happen??” Mori gave a sad smile. "It would be so much easier if all of the bad things in this world really were all caused by that organization. I had wrongly thought that was how this world works in the heat of the moment back in Balbadd, but I know better. I've read this world's Fate after all. Even in this world it is a mistake to hold onto the hope of total altruism too strongly." It almost felt like she was calling them all naïve with that last statement. She looked down at her hands. "Sentience, experience and free will make us all imperfect. All people are shaped by their past and everyone has a vice. There will always be people who think they are above everyone else, people who think they are right because of their feelings, people who think that they deserve something just because they want it or that they can do something because it is available to them," she looked back up and made direct eye contact with her King, "people that think that their luck or privilege is a sign that they were chosen by Fate, that they are the only one who can do something because they are special and that that means they are righteous and their failings mere stepping stones when in reality they are all normal people just like the rest of us." ///She knows nothing about being a Singularity. There's no greater proof of being chosen by Fate!/// Since the Fall of First Sindria, Sinbad had been hearing a voice periodically. It was like stray thoughts -many were opinions he didn't really have. The fact that the voice felt the same as him in this made a pit form in his stomach.

Mori gestured at him and continued. "Even his Majesty being a 'Singularity' is only something rare. You aren't the first, and you won't be the last. You know I can read the waves of Fate as well, so it's obviously not the type of thing that you or Al Thamen makes it out to be. There is no 'chosen one.' No one is immune to human fault or failing. 'Fate' is the history of how all of our decisions affect each other.” It was like she was reading his thoughts. There were other Singularities? Mori could also read the waves but- The waves in the room were over flowing. This was greater than when Mori changed things in Balbadd. They were far off topic now, but this was more important. ///She doesn't understand anything. I've read Fate!/// Those stray thoughts hated Mori and how she was changing things since the beginning even though when Sinbad read the waves around her he liked the direction they were going. Her waves wouldn't stop him from reaching his dream. If that voice was this against what she was doing then he had to know more. "Mori, please tell me, what makes you so sure? You say you've read Fate; how can you say there isn't a grand plan? Can you really deny that the Rukh guide us?" Would they have to agree to disagree? Was this something he could afford for the Prophet of his own country to not see his way? She watched him and the Generals as she thought. "There is a 'plan,' but it isn't absolute. I read more than one 'Fate' for this reality. If Fate was already fully decided then in Balbadd Judar would have defeated all of you instead of being crushed by Ugo, and Cassim would have married Princess Kougyoku instead of dying, but that didn't happen, now did it? When I read Fate, I read how it was changed from it's original design by the people of this world. And as I've already said, I couldn't be here if everything was already decided.” ((these are things that are said to be in the og draft of Magi, but got changed when actually making the scenes)) They had been changing Fate's course before Mori arrived? Was that even possible? Mori wasn't the type to lie out right over something like this. Between her demeanor and the waves, he could tell she wasn't lying. He had to know where this new path was leading and asked an obvious question. "Isn't it just as likely that those 'changes' were supposed to happen?" Mori scowled at that. "Anything is true somewhere. There are infinite realities where any Fate is true. Every moment infinitely more form to account for every possibility -every decision, and unexpected change, even an asteroid coming and destroying the planet. If you can imagine it, it is reality somewhere." Sinbad had read Fate in the waves, of course he knew about there being other possibilities. Were there really other realities where he had followed one of the other paths? Mori didn't wait for him to comment. "There's no way to know which destiny or Fate we are following until it's already happened. Being able to read the waves has helped me narrow it down to 2 or so of the Fates that I read for this reality, but it can't account for everything. Since I can't read my own Fate I can't know how my presence will affect things." Mori continued, "When I read this reality's Fate, I learned how it functions on a fundamental level. Everything is made up of Rukh and is dictated by the Rukh and magoi. The Great Flow of the Rukh 'guides' the living but it is also affected by the wants and desires of the living. It sees all those wishes and creates opportunities for people to realize those dreams based on how many want that dream to become real. But it's still up to the living how they react. The Great Flow creates opportunities and makes suggestions, but it can't make your decisions for you. And" Mori paused while looking for the right words, "and the more magoi directed at a certain wish the more likely the Great Flow will try to help." Mori waited for them to absorb the meaning of her words. That meaning made Sinbad nervous. If she wasn't lying... Drakon broke the silence. "That would mean that someone with

a lot of magoi would have a greater affect on the Great Flow." "It does." Mori confirmed. Was that really how the Great Flow of the Rukh worked? How Fate worked? Mori stayed silent again, reading them as much as they were reading her. The waves were still high. Yam was the next to comment. "I know the amount of magoi a person has defines how strong of a magician they can become, but it sounds like those born with a lot of magoi also have an amazing privilege when it comes to the Great Flow." "Exactly." Mori agreed. "The people that Fate seems to favor aren't chosen by Fate or particularly special. They are born lucky just like those born rich." She paused. "All Dudgeon Capturers have an above average amount of magoi. A Djinn won't select a King that doesn't even have enough magoi to use their power. The more Djinns a person has, the more magoi they need to have. King Sinbad, you were born with a rare ability, and the equivalent magoi of a large city or small county -even before all that Rukh merged with you in Parthevia. If you didn't, there would be no reasons for the Djinns to cut you off from trying to capture more Dungeons." "What?" Sinbad's question slipped out of him in an airy gasp. He knew he had more magoi than average, but this would make him no different from those that grew up as royalty thinking that they were inherently better than their poor subjects. He wasn't sure if he could believe her, but the waves of Fate had never lied to him. The Prophet's waves were overwhelming the space, encouraging him to believe her. It was obvious how this information would change things. King Sinbad had more than the waves, he also had a sharp intuition. There was something hidden in her words. Some truth about his future that she hadn't told them yet. Even if he had been intentionally given these privileges by Fate, Mori had already stated that his decisions were his own. When Mori had said there were people that conflated their privilege with a righteous roll given by Fate it definitely included him. But if he wasn't chosen by Fate, if they had been changing Fate all along, then what was what happened in Parthevia or Riem? Mori's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "Not being chosen by Fate and everyone having free will is a good thing if you ask me. It means when someone chooses to do right by others it is because they chose to, not because someone is forcing or directing them. I like to think that everyone thinks they are doing the right thing, and only act out against others because of strong emotions and ignorance. The cure for most negative emotions is a stable environment ((including medication for those who need it)) and the cure for ignorance is education. These are things that Sindria and the Seven Seas Alliance are able to provide. "All of you are using your privileges and talents to help people, and to bring peace to the world. Regardless of whatever mistakes you made in the past, this country and the current state of the world are a direct result of your choices. These choices you've all made are even more admirable because you made them on your own. Isn't that why so many have sided with Sindria already? It's also one of the main reasons I chose to become Sindria's Prophet in the first place. With your help, we can greatly reduce the disparity of this world and raise the quality of life for everyone." Her smile was soft and confident. Mori's waves overtook his own.

The King had a thought that shook him, but it was Hinahoho that asked it, "You didn't just tell us some of the taboo information, did you?" "What? No." Mori was shocked by that question. "His Majesty and others would have figured this out all on their own in about 5 years -not to mention those that already know it." He could try to deny it, return to the path he was on, but he would know deep down that she was right. And apparently, he would figure this out in the future anyway. There was no reason to hold himself back then. He could see that now -there was no going back. This was one of the changes he had felt in her waves from when he first met Mori. ///How can she say such foolishness?? This woman must die before she ruins everything!!/// A chuckle slipped out of Sinbad. That voice really did hate his Beautiful Prophet. His waves were changing. He was changing. But he still had the same dream: to create a world without war or poverty. Mori's goal was to remove disparity. Even their goals worked well together. Why had he been so sure that being a Singularity made him some special chosen one? When had that started? It was members of Al Thamen that had told him that. They were the enemy yet he still believed their manipulation so completely. Sinbad knew why deep down. If he was chosen by Fate then his actions would be righteous and the awful things he experienced were stepping stones. Like a child learning to take responsibility and step out of the shadow of their parents, in this too he would have to take ownership for his place in the world. He would be thinking about this a lot in the coming days. All of this information was invaluable. Why did Mori choose to follow him if she knew all this? There was no way she didn't know how he viewed himself and the world before this conversation or the mistakes he had made. Was it thanks to opportunities that the Great Flow gave him that he was able to seduce her to his side? No. Mori already knew what was going to happen. She knew the future more clearly than what the waves could show. She knew him and his methods as well. She knew that the Kou Fleet had been on it's way. That meant Mori would have been deciding where she wanted to go and weighing her options from the beginning. Mori made her decision, gave him a slow drip feed of what she was capable of, and made sure each request he had of her was given a price. She wasn't just withholding her help due to a lack of trust; she was leading him to make the best possible offer. She knew that he would try to bring her to his side if he knew her value. He had played into her hands not the other way around. Why didn't this realization upset him? This new information wasn't going to stop him from achieving his dream. In fact, now that he had a better idea of how the Great Flow worked he could consciously use it to his advantage. He got what he wanted and it was mutual -not simply Fate. They both wanted this. This was making him excited. The smile on her face was one he recognized. He had worn it when he was young whenever he had convinced others to his side. Mori was cut from the same cloth. She had agreed to have this conversation not just because of Ja'far's insistence; she was after the opportunity to clear up his misunderstanding about Fate. ((plz ignore that I forgot to draw my freckles in most of the shots and am too lazy to fix it.))

[kinglouiswasthekingoffrance]

Commonplace Book Project

Wed. 8-24 wk 1

"In the harbor stood a ring-prowed ship, glorious, by the mast. There were many treasures loaded there, adornment from distant lands; I have never heard of a more lovely ship bedecked with battle-weapons and war-gear, blades and byrnies." P. 85 lines 33-40 My thought while reading these lines is I would love to see this ship as it actually looked with all those treasures onboard!

"Then the work, as I've heard, was widely proclaimed to many nations throughout this middle-earth, to come adorn the folk-stead." P. 86 lines 74-76. I wonder what this 'middle earth is? Is it another unknown area unseen by most people?

"Long have I been the coast-warden, and kept sea-watch so that no enemies with fleets and armies should ever attack the land of the Danes." P. 88 lines 240-243. I wonder what the qualifications were to hold the position of 'coast-warden.'

8-30-22 Wk 2

"He fell in battle, it cost him his life, and now another has come, a mighty evil marauder who means to avenge her kin, and too far has carried out her revenge, as it may seem to many a thane whose spirit groans for his treasure-giver, a hard heart's distress-now that hand lies dead which was wont to give you all good things." P. 103 lines 1337-1344. It looks like someone is coming along soon for a revenge killing, which tells me as a reader to keep my head up for more scenes of combat.

"I will reward you with the ancient riches for that feud, as I did before, with twisted gold, if you return alive." P. 103 lines 1380-1382. I was just wondering if 'twisted gold' is more valuable or desirable than untwisted gold? Or, what is twisted gold anyway, it sounds intriguing.

"At last his portion of pride within him grows and flourishes, while the guardian sleeps, the soul's shepherd-that sleep is too sound, bound with cares, the slayer too close who, sinful and wicked, shoots from his bow." P. 108 lines 1740-1744. I like this passage because I think that it represents the eternal struggle we all face between the the forces that keep one on the right path, and the 'slayer' that seeks to brings all down a dark and narrow path of destruction.

9-6-22 wk 3

"I have never seen such rudeness-when someone's dogs make a kill, you don't set your own dogs on their stag! I call that rude. And although I won't beat you up over a stag, I swear to God, I will do a hundred stags' worth of damage to your reputation." P. 159 I read in the introduction to this story, that one's reputation was the one thing everyone wanted to uphold above all else. So, the thought of damaging his reputation was much more serious than physical punishment would be.

"King Arthur, the valiant and courteous, was staying at Carlisle on account of the Scots and Picts who were ravaging the country: they came into the land of England and repeatedly caused destruction there." P. 188 lines 5-10. These are some of the first few lines of 'Lanval,' and I found it interesting that King Arthur, a person I have always heard about, was mentioned 'holding court' against the Scots and Picts invaders.

"To the members of the Round Table-they had no equal in all the world." P. 188 lines 15-16 I always remembered that King Arthur had this Round Table, and it seemed like the centerpiece of the everything that happened in the tales about King Arthur.

Wk 4 9-13-22

"Sometimes he fights dragons, and wolves as well, sometimes with wild men who dwelt among the crags; both with bulls and with bears, and at other times boars, and ogres who chased him across the high fells." P. 245 lines 720-723. I like this passage because it puts an image in mind of of Gawain struggled to fight off all of these powerful beasts and wild men, it is just something I would like to see depicted in film.

"Still dressed in his armor they brought him into hall, where a blazing fire was fiercely burning. Then the lord of that company comes down from his chamber, to show his respect by meeting Gawain there. To show his respect by meeting Gawain there, he said, "You are welcome to do as you please with everything here; all is yours, to have and command as you wish." PP. 247-248 lines 831-837. I like this passage because it demonstrates how welcoming the noblemen of this castle were, and the way they had such overwhelming respect and honor for Gawain, as describes by the way they took him as a respected hero.

"And the good man Gawain lies in his fine bed, lying snug while the daylight gleamed on the walls, under a splendid coverlet, shut in by curtains." P. 256 lines 1179-1181. I just like the imagery of Gawain lying on his comfortable bed as the morning light shone through the windows.

Wk 5 9-21-22

"To bring me home some gay things from the fair

They were glad when my speech to them was fair"

I choose these lines using the modern translation of the 'Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale," I liked these lines because throughout this poem, there are such great end rhythms throughout the poem. I like the how the word 'fair' at the end of both of these lines use the same word but with different meanings.

"Lo, here is the wise king, Don Solomon; I think he had some wives, well more than one. Now would to God it lawful were for me to be refreshed here half so much as he!" I like these lines from 'Bath's Prologue and Tale,' because she is defending the fact that she has had 5 husbands, but that can't be as bad as Solomon from the Bible whom had many more wives then that.

"And when my husband from this world has passed, another Christian man will wed me fast; then the apostle says that I am free to wed, by God, where it most pleases me. He says to be wedded is not sinning; Better to be wedded than be burning." Now, this passage from 'Wives of Bath' was interesting to me because I was not sure what she meant in the final line about 'burning.' Was she speaking of burning at the stake, or burning in hell forever?

Wk 6 9-28-22

"Don't be so quick to repulse me, you'll get plenty of money from my hand." P. 661 This line from 'Welshman and an Englishwoman,' is interesting because it concerns the monetary transaction that this man is to make to the woman.

"In the old age black was not counted fair, or if it were, it bore not beauty's name." P. 894 Sonnet 127 I like this line from this sonnet because it kind of speaks the true about the fact that old age is still till this day not thought of as being 'fair'.

"Rich fools there be, whose base and filthy heart lies hatching still the goods wherein they flow," P. 732 stanza 24 of Astrophil and Stella is a thought which is probably timeless because there seems to be plenty of rich people that do foolish things especially as deals with matters of the heart.

Wk 7 10-6-22

"Father, you have devised well, and whilst our flock doth roam up and down this pleasant green you shall recount me, if it please you, for what cause this tree was dedicated unto Neptune, and why you have thus disguised me." lines 6-10 of Act I in Galatea. I like these lines because it serves as foreshadowing of what is about to come later in the story.

"The condition was this: that at every five years' day, the fairest and chastest virgin in all the country should be brought unto this tree, and here being bound (whom neither parentage shall excuse for honour, nor virtue for integrity) is left for a peace-offering unto Neptune." lines 47-51 of Act I in Galatea. This is great because it is the father informing the son of the five year ritual so that he can better understand by he is being disguised.

"It is a pretty boy and a fair. He might well have been a woman, but because he is not, I am glad I am. For now, under the colour of my coat, I shall decipher the follies of their kind." lines 21-24 of Act II in Galatea. It seems that Phillida intends to perform some research into the dudes in a covert manner. This could be interesting.

"That is my spirit, for my silver is so quick that I have much ado to catch it, and when I have it, it is so nimble that I cannot hold it. I thought there was a devil in it." lines 59-61 of Act II in Galatea. This is Rafe responding to Peter after he mentions what the first spirit is which is quicksilver. I like the quote because it does a good job describing the nature of mercury. It could also be a reference to the god of Mercury also.

"Virgin's hearts I perceive are not unlike cotton trees, whose fruit is so hard in the bud that it soundeth like steel, and being ripe, poureth forth nothing but wool; and their thoughts like the leaves of lunary, which the further they grow from the sun, the sooner they are scorched with his beams." lines 20-25 of Act III in Galatea. This is taken from the opening lines of Telusa and I like it because Telusa is saying that virgin hearts are hard hearted when they are children and when they grow to adulthood they don't have useful thoughts (like wool) and become crazy (with their leaves of lunary). This story is endlessly quotable!

Week 8

MARCELLUS: "'Tis gone. We do it wrong, being so majestical, to offer it the show of violence, for it is as the air invulnerable, and our vain blows malicious mockery." This line speaks a truth that you cannot hurt a ghost with violence because a ghost is like air which cannot be hurt. Act 1.1 P. 9 in Hamlet.

HAMLET: "His beard was grizzled, no? HORATIO: It was as I Have seen it in his life, a sable silvered. HAMLET: I will watch tonight. Perchance 'twill walk again." This back and forth with Hamlet and his guards makes me think that Hamlet were likely to believe anything he heard. I would have not believed them at all. Act 1.2 P. 20 in Hamlet.

HAMLET: "Thou com'st in such a questionable shape that I will speak to thee. I'll call thee Hamlet, King, father, royal Dane. O, answer me!" Now that Hamlet has seen the ghost of his father, it is clear from the way he addresses the ghost that he misses his presence in the here and now very much. I think I can understand that emotion. Act 1.4 P. 28 in Hamlet

Week 9 10-20-22

POLONIUS: "I will be brief. Your noble son is mad. Mad call I it, for, to define true madness, what is't but to be nothing else but mad?" I like the way that Polonius reports to the Queen the condition of Hamlet. He says a lot of stuff but doesn't really say anything much at all is what makes it entertaining to me. Act 2.2 P. 46 in Hamlet

HAMLET: "You are welcome. But my uncle-father and aunt-mother are deceived." GUILDENSTERN: In what, my dear lord? HAMLET: I am but mad north-northwest. When the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw." I wonder if being mad in the north but perfectly sane in the south has something to do with something which is happening in those directions. Otherwise, it makes no sense and it therefore would reinforce the notion that he is in fact completely mad. Act 2.2 P. 54 in Hamlet.

KING: "And can you by no drift of conference get from him why he puts on this confusion, grating so harshly all his days of quiet with turbulent and dangerous lunacy?" I feel like the king would sincerely like to know if there is any way to cure is crazy delusions like seeing his father's ghost and they having conversations together. Act 3.1 P. 62 in Hamlet

Week 11 10-30-22

"Take you a course, get you a place, observe his honour, or his grace, and the King's real, or his stamped face" lines 5-8 of The Canonization of page 916. I like these set of Iines because I think it speaks to something we should all strive to do. Namely, go get yourself a good job and make good money, and let the image of the King or whomever is on money inspire you to continue to make more of it.

"Of Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal tast Brought Death into the World, and all our woe, With loss of Eden, till one greater Man Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat, Sing Heav'nly Muse, that on the secret top of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire." pp. 1017-1018 lines 1-7 of Book I Paradise Lost. I like this line because it seems to paraphrase the essence of the one thing that happening in the Garden of Eden which lead to them being brought out of Paradise, namely eating from the tree of life. It also provides an idea of what this tale will be about.

"If then His Providence out of our evil seek to bring forth good, our labour must be to pervert that end, and out of good still to find means of evil; which oft times may succeed so as perhaps shall grieve Him" P. 1020 lines 162-167. The way I read this excerpt is that its good to seek of God's help to stay on the right path of good, but that even though we may be on the working hard to stay on the righteous path, evil always finds a way to divert our attention and cause us to take a detour back to the road of sin.

Final Week

"The wind that wantoned in her hair, and with her ruffled garments played, discovered in the flying maid all that the gods e'er made of fair. So Venus, when her love was slain, with fear and haste flew o'er the fatal plain." from lines 125-130 on page 1233 of "The disappointment" by Behn I like the way the the words rhythm in this section, I think that it demonstrates the imaginative writing which has a way of putting images in ones mind as to what she is describing here.

"He was therefore no sooner got to his apartment, but he sent the royal veil to Imoinda, that is, the ceremony of invitation." p. 1240 "Oroonoko" The reason that I chose this passage is because I found it interesting that they had apartments in those days. I always that they were more modern places to live.

"We are almost a nation of dancers, musicians, and poets. Thus every great event, such as a triumphant return from battle or other cause of public rejoicing, is celebrated in public dances, which are accompanied with songs and music suited to the occasion." p. 1723 "Interesting Narrative..." by Equiano. I do really like this passage, because it provides some interesting insight into the culture. I do find it interesting that they tend to have a dance ceremony for important events that happen with them.

[darcymariaphoster]

hey! happy (early) birthday! i love getting to know the little things about people. so...

what’s your favorite color? favorite food? favorite band/artist/music genre? do you collect anything? what’s your favorite fanfic you’ve written and/or read? (hetalia or anything else) how long have you been writing?

no pressure to answer all or any😊 just throwing some stuff out there

Thanks! 😊 And thanks for taking the time to ask! I love the enthusiasm here. Lol. (I'm very sorry that this answer is so long. You hit a couple of good questions that I went off on. 🤪🤣)

My fave color is blue -- like, pretty much every shade except navy and that area. I don't really have a fave food? I can't cook worth shit so I kinda just have go-to things that I like. Lmao. I'm worthless there.

Ok ok. Imma go off on my music. I have no specific fave genre because I'm generally hella picky and eclectic so attempting to narrow it down is a waste of time. If I were to play everything I have on my mp3 (yes, I am old school) without putting it into playlists... it's kind of a mess. My mom always laughs because she never knows what's coming when we're on car rides (which is the only time she tolerates my music). I have country, pop, crap pop, 80s, 50s, punk, rock, techno, and stuff I can only describe based off vibe. 😅 I love music so much. I think I'd die if I lost my hearing. So my standards to be my fave artist is that I have to like one full album from start to finish and only 3 artists have ever managed to do that: Linkin Park (A Thousand Suns was the album), Of Monsters and Men, and Dermot Kennedy. ❤

I could probably keep going off on music, but I did wanna answer the writing question, because I'm also passionate about that.

I've been writing fanfiction since I was 13/14 so around 16 years now. I always loved writing before that, and my aunt got me a "make your own book" kit when I was, like, 8 that I loved. I loved writing assignments in school where I could just let my imagination go. (Although, I distinctly remember an assignment in elementary school where we wrote our own books and my teacher criticized the length of the title and I think that's where my fear of creating titles comes from tbh. 🤣) I think finding fanfiction was a plus/minus for me. On the one hand, it really helped me grow and evolve. On the other, I haven't managed to write anything else, really. And nothing with the same passion or enjoyment. As for my favorite personal work? I think I really love "A New Record" from the Sherlock fandom. Idk why exactly. I don't know if I did the topics that I covered in it justice, really. But I think it's just kind of peak emotion and maybe relatability that I'm not sure I've managed to reach in my Hetalia fanfics yet. (My second fave is probably "I asked for Coffee and Got You", from the Hetalia fandom. It's relatable in a different way and it was so much fun to write.)

Anyone else's? It's hard to name a fave because I think my standards are as high as my music, and I'd consider a fave fanfiction one that I'd go back to regardless of what fandom I'm currently in. And nothing comes to mind, unfortunately. (I'm so picky about my tastes. Lmao.)

[gravelish]

Bike Touring and Bikepacking

13 June 2021

I was really happy with my bike and my gear for the ride back from San Francisco. I had considered taking my Surly with the touring gear, but opted instead to take the Warbird and the bikepacking gear. Both would have worked, but I think the latter was simply more enjoyable.

The distinctions between bike touring and bikepacking are nuanced, debated, semantic, and sort of irrelevant, but to me touring implies riding long distances over many days on the road, whereas bike packing suggests more an off-road bicycle equivalent to backpacking. But the line between these two pursuits is blurry. In addition, bike touring and bikepacking are associated with different types of bikes and different ways of carrying gear - a touring bike with paneers versus a mountain bike with soft luggage. But again, the lines are fuzzy.

My 2019 cross-country trip was pretty classic touring. My Surly Disc Trucker is a classic touring bike and I was loaded with panniers, duffels, and a handlebar bag. But during the past year and a half, my Salsa Warbird has become my go-to bike for both day rides and 3-4 day overnight trips. It’s a lot more fun to ride than the Surly. It’s lighter, it handles better, and frankly, I really like indexed shifting at my fingertips. The Salsa is very much a gravel bike with wider tires and is comfortable on both pavement and on rough gravel roads. On the other hand, the bike requires a completely different approach to packing.

One of the things that makes the gravel bike/bikepacking setup work is that you can’t carry as much stuff, so it’s lighter (it helps that the bike itself is much lighter, too). This not only makes pedaling uphill easier, it makes it easier to maneuver the bike around obstacles or carry it up steps. Combine this with the way the weight is distributed - higher and narrower - and the fact that the bike itself handles more nimbly than a touring bike, and the result is a much more fun and versatile touring rig.

BIKE

The bike is a Salsa Warbird with a 61cm carbon frame. It has Shimano GRX components with 2x11 gearing. It came with an 11-34 rear cassette, which I've swapped out for an 11-40. This gives me a much-needed granny gear for steep, loaded climbs. I had to tighten up a loose derailleur hanger early in the trip, but besides that the only problem was noisy gears as the grit and the crud built up on the chain, the pulley wheels, and the chain guides. Occasional attempts to clean things helped, but it was hard on the road to do a very thorough job.

TIRES

The tires are 700x42s. The front tire is the Teravail Cannonball that came with the bike (4000+ miles), still with the same tube. The rear tire is a relatively new Teravail Washburn set up tubeless. They both worked well - no flats and and few signs of wear over the 1200-mile trip. I topped off the air a couple of times (larger tires means I run fairly low pressure - maybe 45psi).

ATTACHMENTS

A Wahoo Bolt bike computer (and a cadence sensor on the crank). A rear blinker. I had a good headlight, but kept it stowed the entire trip, since there were no night rides and no tunnels. I have bottle cages on my forks and under the down tube. A Salsa Cradle is mounted to the handlebars, to which I strap my sleeping gear. I have an improvised porteur rack above the front wheel (the carbon forks are not intended to carry a traditional front rack) that provides some extra stowage for light stuff and a mounting location for the headlight. All the other luggage is soft stuff strapped to the frame.

LUGGAGE

Handlebar roll. A good compression dry sack holds my 'sleeping system.' It straps into a cradle on the bars.

Utility bag. Easy to unclip and bring with me when I'm away from the bike. Holds electronics, toiletries, spork and knife, other odds and ends. An additional pouch served as a holster for my iPhone.

Two stem/feed bags. Easy access to snacks, layers, and a little spare space for a bottle of Gatorade, a defrosting burrito, or in one case, a chocolate milk shake.

Gas tank/top tube bag. Small camera, handkerchief, buff, face mask.

Seat bag. Clothing, outerwear (when not strapped on elsewhere), a small cook set, a little food. I strap on a pair of sandals which serve as camp shoes, town shoes, and for potential water crossings.

Frame bag. Tools, spare tube, parts and supplies, water filter, stove, tent poles/pegs, a small daypack, a small towel, and so forth. It’s a good place to stuff frozen burritos, extra napkins, sweaty arm warmers, and other stuff during the day.

GEAR

It’s impressive how much stuff I squeezed into a pretty compact suite of luggage. This photo shows everything I took off the bike when I got home, including the clothes off my back, the helmet and glasses off my head, and the shoes off my feet.

Shelter/Sleeping. My ‘sleeping system’ fits in a small dry bag on the handlebars. It includes a lightweight tent, a down quilt, and an ultralight air mattress. The combination works to the mid-30s and if it’s colder, I can wear my down jacket. The tent poles and pegs live in the frame bag.

Clothing. A change of bike shorts and socks, a short and long sleeve jersey. A set of lightweight clothes for off the bike. A rain jacket, rain pants, and a light down jacket. I’ve got both fingerless and full-finger gloves. Two headbands, one for sweat, the other for warmth. Arm warmers. Leg warmers. A rain cap. A baseball cap. When I'm on roads and not wearing my rain gear, I usually wear a lightweight yellow vest - both for visibility and as a windbreak.

Cooking. I have an MSR pocket rocket stove in my frame bag and a compact cook set in my seat bag (small titanium pot, fuel canister, lighter, rubber scraper, and a stove stand). I don’t cook much, but mornings are better with boiling water for coffee and oatmeal. I occasionally cook a dinner, such as a dehydrated backpacking meal.

Food. Unlike backpacking, where you carry food for days or weeks, biking involves resupplying as you go. When expecting to camp, I tend to buy a sandwich or packaged burrito earlier the day, though I always have some sort of backup meal in my gear. I carry instant oatmeal packs and instant coffee for mornings. I keep an assortment of snacks - nuts, string cheese, pepperoni sticks, candy bars, gels, energy bars, fig newtons. Things that cover a range of cravings and nutritional needs and that can be easily restocked at gas stations and general stores.

Drinks. I carried three water bottles, one on each side of the fork and another under the down tube. Whether I use all of them depends on conditions and availability of water. I can typically make room in a stem bag for more water or a large bottle of Gatorade when I expect a long dry stretch. I have a small collapsible water bag and a water filter so I can resupply from natural water sources.

Tools and supplies. The lower portion of the frame pack holds bike tools, supplies (Gorilla tape, super glue, a patch kit), and spare parts (brake pads, chain link, zip ties). An extra tube, a small pump, tire sealant, and a small bottle of chain lube. I keep my good bike multitool and a small knife/scissors in a pocket on one of my stem bags for easy access.

Electronics. iPhone. Bike computer. Rear blinker. Headlight (not used). Canon SX720 camera (small camera with a good zoom). All USB rechargeable. A good 13mAh battery (I can go three days on phone, blinker, and bike computer with this). And a spare 6mAh battery, just in case. A corded five-outlet USB charger/adapter. An SD-lightning adapter to load camera pics to phone. And several microUSB cables and a lightning cable for phone (this can fail and is critical, so a spare makes sense). Cables and charger live in a pouch in the utility bag. It didn’t happen on this trip, but on long days I can charge phone and bike computer while I’m riding.

Other Stuff: First aid kit, TP, a small fast-dry towel, shower wipes (wish I’d discovered these years ago). Wallet (in jersey or shirt pocket), a bunch of quarters for showers and car washes. A few paper maps for old times sake and souvenir stickers I pick up along the way. The mesh pockets on the stem bags hold a bike multitool, a small knife/scissors, a small bottle of DEET, hand sanitizer, and sunscreen. I have two sticks of Burt’s Bee’s Wax - one is for chapped lips and the other is for my pedals to keep my cleats/shoes from squeaking (I try to keep the two straight). It’s nice to have this stuff easily accessible and not buried deep in larger bags.

[smileyoongle]

•••(Ａ ＢＴＳ Ｏｎｅ Ｓｈｏｔ Ｓｅｒｉｅｓ)•••

nσtє: thíѕ wσrk íѕ purєlч fíctíσnαl. thє fαctѕ ѕtαtєd hєrє mαч σr mαч nσt вє truє. plєαѕє dσ nσt tαkє σffєnѕє tσ ít. mαч cσntαín ѕlíght mєntíσnѕ σf dєαth αnd вlσσd. αlѕσ, wíll prσвαвlч єnd up вєíng ѕupєr lσng вut wσrth ít. чσu mαч prσcєєd.

Pairing: Demon Yoongi×Reader

ƤƛƦƬ ƬӇƦЄЄ: ƇƦƛƔЄ

-(Mɪɴ Yᴏᴏɴɢɪ- Dᴇᴍᴏɴ)-

Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ｏｎｅ

You stared at your thighs, your fingers clenching around the thin lace that covered your body. The room was dark apart from the moonlight that shone from the windows, your eyes constantly going over the black mark on your wrist.

It wasn't just any mark though. Only those who were chosen by demons had it. And you had a bigger and more prominent mark. Because you weren't just chosen by any demon. You were chosen by Min Yoongi, one of the two sons of the present high lord who ruled the world. He went by the name Asmodeus all around the world. 

The world that was once under humans had now become a feeding ground for demons. They ruled the world, all countries having their own demon kings. But Min Yoongi?

He was the future high lord, the king of all demons. And to become a king, he needed a queen. A human queen so that humans didn't rebel against the king's rule. You didn't know how you ended up here but all you knew was that the black ink on your wrist had been there since you were 13.

You still recalled how you were wandering around the dark forest, collecting all kinds of flowers and stones that caught your eye even if it was forbidden for humans to enter the woods after dark. 

That's when you had met him, the pale skinned man with piercing black eyes who stood at a distance and stared at you while you struggled to pick a flower which was situated deep in the bushes. He approached you slowly, making sure you had his attention when he spoke.

"What are you doing here in the forest, little one? You should be at home." His gentle voice had you staring at him in curiosity. 

"I will do what I want. Being at home is boring anyway." You retorted, crossing your arms and glaring at the flower that was too stubborn to come to you. You heard the man chuckle, the sound resonating in the stretch of the woods. 

"Brave thing, aren't you? Do you know who you're talking to?" He asked, tilting his head to the side and bending down to your eye level. You narrowed your eyes, goosebumps rising on your skin when you saw his black eyes. They were completely black, unlike yours. But they were pretty. As pretty as a deer's.

"I don't know who you are. I just want that flower." You stated, pointing at the black rose that held a certain sparkle to it. The man turned his head to see what you were pointing at. He immediately shook his head at you. "That flower isn't just any flower, little one. If I give that to you, you will be indebted to me." He answered making you frown in confusion. 

"What does that mean?" You questioned, your lips pouting in disappointment. He smiled, pausing for a moment before answering.

"It means you will have to fulfill a wish of mine. Will you do that?" He asked in response, making you nod your head furiously. You didn't know that the black rose was gonna bind you to him. It was sacred in the demon realm and they brought it with them. If you accepted it from the hands of a demon, it meant that you were willing to sell your soul to him. 

The black eyed man flicked his wrist, sending black smoke in the direction of the rose. You gaped in awe as the rose came off it's stem and towards you, held by nothing but the smoke. Before the rose could reach you, the man held it in his own hands.

"Don't forget your promise to me, little one. I'll come for you someday." He said, handing you the rose. You grinned at him, squealing in excitement when you held the rose in your hands. 

And that's how you had sealed your fate. The man's face was a blur to you but you knew it was him when he appeared at your doorstep on the day of the choosing.

You had taken the sacred rose from the hands of Min Yoongi, the demon prince at that time. He had chosen you to be with him.

The door to the big lavish room opened, revealing your to-be husband walking inside with a delightful smirk on his lips. His eyes danced over your body, humming on seeing the white lace that barely covered you. It showed off your skin but this was what you were given to wear.

"Are you ready to fulfill my wish, petal?" He cooed, placing his knees on the bed as he crawled to you. Your breathing grew heavy, your cheeks heating up as you looked away. A soft gasp escaped your lips when he placed a finger on your chin, turning your face to look at you.

You hesitantly looked at his eyes, noticing that they weren't completely black anymore. His hot breath fanned your lips, his other hand snaking around your waist and pulling you into his lap. "Answer me, petal. Let me hear your pretty voice." He said, caressing your cheek as gently as he could. His touch had you clenching your legs together, your body burning with want. "Yes.." you replied, a hushed whisper making its way to his ear. 

His eyes darkened in response, the same eyes that you had seen when you first met him. He brushed his lips against yours, making you close your eyes immediately as you clenched your fists by your side. He seemed to notice, his hands now holding yours and placing them around his neck. 

"You and I will be one after tonight, petal. Inseparable and together for eternity." He purred, pushing the straps of your lace gown down your shoulders as he laid you down on the plush bed. 

After a night of sweet whimpers and moans, your life had become his. Your soul had become his and you had become his. Inseparable, as he called it. But nothing could have prepared you for what was coming.

The next day was his coronation, the high king had finally stepped down after 1000 years of being a royal. You had been dolled up by all the human maidens in the palace, a silk black gown adorning your curves. You were on your way to the ceremony when you heard his voice from within a room nearby. It was Yoongi's voice. You'd recognise it anywhere now.

"She's just a silly mortal. One that I'd gladly give away once I've been crowned."

Your eyes burned with rage and tears. Your heart that had thought Yoongi was going to love you for your entire life felt betrayed to no extent. Since the moment you met him, he had haunted you in your dreams, talking to you and making you warm up to him. He made you devote yourself to him, just to break it all in a second.

With a choked sob, you held your gown and raced down the corridors, ignoring the looks that were thrown your way. You locked yourself in a strange room situated at the corner of the palace. It seemed like an attic with all the dusty furniture and bookshelves. 

You pushed yourself against a wall and cried your heart out, concluding that you couldn't stay here. So you waited until you heard the emptiness in the corridors, the indication that everyone had gathered in the ceremony hall for the coronation. And when you were sure that there was no one around, you ran outside the gates, glancing behind you just once to see if anyone was coming to find you. 

Your steps faltered when you saw him staring at you from a window. Your vision was blurry but you could make out his blank eyes piercing through you. Your heart was in your throat, your eyes widening when you heard him in your mind.

"Come back, Y/N. We can talk about this." 

So demons can talk to their chosen ones telepathically? Interesting. You found yourself shaking your head, wiping away your tears furiously.

"Never." You answered, bunching up your gown again and turning around to run far far away from him. You didn't turn back to look at him. You didn't want to. His voice kept echoing in your mind, your tears continuously falling as you ran to wherever your feet took you.

You hated him.

You'll always hate him.

____________________________________________

Six months and Yoongi didn't leave you alone for a second. Every demon's throat you slashed, his voice was there to make you think twice. If it wasn't for Jimin then you would have surely ran back to him. 

You pushed open the door to your dainty cottage, the warm air greeting you as you quickly pushed the heavy coat off your shoulders. The door closed behind you, the snowy wind stirring up a storm outside. The weather was acting up for sure. You hissed and looked down at your collarbone, not being able to look at your torn black shirt. There was a deep wound etched into your skin, blood seeping down into your clothes. You had no idea how you made it back home without passing out. Your chest heaved as you plopped down on the couch, wincing and cursing at the demon who attacked you. As if things couldn't get worse, the black mark on your wrist began to burn, sending you into a spiral of whimpers and cries. 

You weren't oblivious to this, the mark on your wrist burned almost always. But it intensified whenever another demon was in your vicinity. Jimin told you that it burned all the time because you had rejected your soulmate. It made sense. Mates were supposed to be emotionally and physically attached. Unfortunately for you, you had let Yoongi claim you physically. Good thing you didn't marry him otherwise, you would have probably gone insane by now. 

Jimin knew every single thing about demons. He took you in when you were roaming the streets in search of a place where Yoongi couldn't find you. Jimin had been a demon slayer since a long time, finding solace in killing them as revenge for his family's death. He understood you and your heartbreak, giving you his shoulder to cry on when you needed it. He protected you from anything and everything, never giving you a chance to complain. This time, you were just unlucky that you had decided to go and buy more supplies all alone.

"Jimin?" You cried out, looking around the house for any signs of him being home. The day wasn't in your favour at all, first being attacked by a demon and then this stupid mark. You were scared that there was someone else in the house because if that was the case, then you were dead. The loss of blood was making you dizzy and you didn't think you'd be able to stay up longer. Heavy footsteps padded through the house, Jimin's panicked face coming into view. You sighed in relief, drowning away all the negative thoughts at the sight. He looked okay, apart from the concern lacing his features which was probably for you. 

Jimin's eyes fell on the gash on your collarbone, his feet immediately dragging him towards the cabinet at the end of the hallway. "I told you to let me come with you!" He bellowed, making you wince. You couldn't blame him for worrying about you. You were a very clumsy person and sometimes felt like you were a burden on Jimin. He was constantly trying to keep you safe, leaving himself out in the process. This only made you guilty.

Jimin sat down beside you, placing a bottle of rubbing alcohol on the table along with various other things. He tore the remaining piece of cloth and tossed it to the ground, your cheeks heating up at your exposed shoulder. You bit your lip and looked down, craning your neck to the side and wincing when you stretched the injured skin a little. 

Jimin inspected the bloody cut, shaking his head in disappointment. "I'm gonna have to stitch it up. I'm surprised you even came back safely." He stated, his voice soft but firm. You sighed, nodding your head and sitting back comfortably. 

Your eyes closed on their own accord, your eyebrows twitching at the feel of Jimin's eyes on you. As much as you wanted to sleep the pain off, you couldn't. The process of cleaning up your wound was a little more painful. You were hissing every time Jimin touched your skin. 

Stupid demon.

"I don't know if you have noticed but recently we have been getting too many demons on our tail." You begrudgingly opened your eyes, frowning at Jimin. He was right and you knew that. This past month had been harder for you both, dealing with a demon almost every day. It was as if they were on the lookout for you. If that was true then you wouldn't be too surprised. Of course, the demon community was mad at you for killing their kind without any mercy. But could you really do anything? They barely treated your kind like humans so why should you be the one to let them off the hook? 

You're killing them only because your hatred for Min Yoongi is greater than your love for humans.

You scowled at your conscience for speaking like that. Truth was definitely bitter. You just wanted to show Yoongi that you could survive without him. "I noticed but I don't think there's anything we can do." You replied, your voice shaky due to how weak you felt. 

Jimin dabbed the alcohol drenched cloth on your skin, trying to get all the blood away before picking up the surgical needle. "It's not a coincidence, Y/N. Lucifer has been sending people out to hunt us. He's trying to get us to stop and in return, he is killing five humans every day." 

Your breath hitched at Jimin's words. Lucifer? As in...Jeon Jungkook? 

You pursed your lips, ignoring the dull ache in your heart. Your wrist continued to throb but it was better, nothing too unbearable. Your mind raced with thoughts, theorising your own assumptions. Jungkook was Yoongi's brother, you knew that very well. They both had different mothers, unfortunately competing for the throne. The high king had laid down a condition, that whichever brother found his mate first would get to take the throne. That day when you ran away, you took away Yoongi's chance of being the high king. It was a little sad but you weren't too bothered, considering that he was only using you.

"What do we do then?" You asked in a hushed whisper, a sudden chill running down your spine. A very cold feeling washed over you, strangely not making you feel uncomfortable. Your heart started beating faster, your wrist burning once again. Jimin bit the inside of his cheek, looking at you to make sure that you were stable enough to listen to what he had to say. He didn't want you to lash out on him. This was the only way to stop the killing of innocent humans who were dying because of you and him. 

"We...we need to go to the palace and make sure that... Jungkook doesn't get the throne. It's rumoured that he has found his mate." 

You visibly stopped breathing, your eyes frozen on Jimin's face, trying to see if he was joking. At least that's what you were hoping for. Jimin's eyes were dark with no traces of this being a playful suggestion. He was dead serious and you felt your heart sink. The thought of going back to him was traumatising. You didn't even want to see him again, his face only fuelled the anger within you.

You know that's a lie.

You swallowed thickly, your throat closing in and making you feel like you were breathless. "No.." you mumbled, shaking your head furiously. Jimin's eyes softened, his hands holding yours gently and squeezing them. He leaned closer to you, preparing to give you the most convincing speech ever. Because that's who Jimin was. The righteous human who saved his kind from the wrath of demons. 

"Y/N listen to me. We need-". You yanked your hands out from his and stood up, taking steps backwards until you were out of his reach. At this point, you didn't want to listen to anything he wanted to say. There was nothing that could convince you. Not now. Not ever. Jimin tried to talk again, gesturing to your open wound and requesting you to sit down but you continued to shake your head, sniffling and mumbling 'no' again and again.

"No! There's nothing you can say that will make me wanna go back there. He lives there, Jimin. And I hate him. I'll never give him the satisfaction of using me to get whatever he wishes. I've been dying inside every day. All because of him."

"And I'm sorry for that."

Your heart stopped, your mind clicking on all the reasons why you felt so cold. You immediately turned around, your eyes meeting his. The sigil on your wrist became numb, no more burning. And you concluded that it was because he was here, right in front of you. He looked better than you saw him last, his hair black and shiny and his lips pink and plump. He wore a black turtle neck along with an overcoat, his hands tucked into its pockets. His eyes, that you remembered to be emotionless, were showing you just how sorry he was. 

Betrayal. That was all you could think about. And the next thing you knew, you were facing Jimin with your fists clenched and your teeth grinding. "You let him in. Why?" Your voice was firm, surprisingly because you were on the verge of crying. The man who you were in love with was standing before you while you pretended to hate him. But the truth was, you'd never be able to bring yourself to hate him as much as you wanted to. 

Jimin closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose before looking at you with a tired expression. He placed his hands on your shoulders and you sensed a terrifying energy in the room, your eyes glancing at Yoongi who was eyeing Jimin's hands. Jimin was careful not to touch your wound, the burning pain heating up your skin. Your head began to spin uncontrollably and you could tell you were going to faint very soon. Maybe you should have gotten yourself treated first. "Y/N, I know you don't like this idea but this is the only way to stop Jungkook. Please." 

Your lips quivered, your head throbbing as you swayed a little on the spot. Jimin's eyes widened and he helped you sit down on the couch, catching on to your weakness. Yoongi was right behind you, his hands itching to yank Jimin away from you but he couldn't. So many misunderstandings but you didn't even want to listen to him. Your eyes began closing, your body going limp as sweat beaded on your forehead. 

"He's a monster. Don't make me love him again." 

Yoongi's fists clenched, his body frozen on the spot as he watched you faint. The cut on your neck was fresh and heavily bleeding. Yoongi had somehow convinced Jimin to help take down Jungkook but you were stubborn. He didn't blame you though. It was his fault for not prognosticating jungkook's intentions. Jimin looked up at Yoongi, his eyes filled with questions about the future. What now? 

"I'll convince her." Yoongi muttered, making Jimin nod sternly. 

_____________________________________________

The long corridor stretched out in front of you, taunting you with the memories from the day Yoongi was going to be crowned. You couldn't tell if this was real or not but the fuzzy darkness in your eyes told you that this was a vision. As if someone was trying to show you something. You found yourself growing angry, knowing that this was all Yoongi. Suddenly you started moving towards the room from inside which you had heard Yoongi's voice, your eyes meeting his but it seemed as if he couldn't see you. You realised that you weren't really there, you weren't in control of anything. Yoongi's dark eyes stared blankly at the wall before him, his hip resting against the edge of a huge table. The noise of footsteps made you turn your head to the door, your own body coming into view. You saw yourself all dressed up, halting beside the room just as Yoongi began to talk.

"She's just a silly mortal. One that I'd gladly give away once I've been crowned." 

You saw the horror stricken expression on your face, reminding you of the pain you had felt in your chest. And just like that, you were gone, your sight turning back to Yoongi who was suddenly grinning. Something wasn't right. Yoongi seemed too robotic and besides, why was he talking to himself? You sensed your own fear when his face morphed into someone else, his soft features being replaced by a much sharper jawline and big doe eyes. Jungkook.

You watched him walk towards the door, his head peeking outside at your running figure. "Poor brother. Looks like you aren't gonna be crowned today." You heard him say, a devious chuckled leaving his lips and you found it replaying in your mind like a record player. What had you done? 

Your eyes opened all of a sudden, your chest heaving as you stared at the ceiling of your bedroom. Your cheeks were wet, you could feel that but your worries were worse than that. You rejected your mate and on the basis of what? A string of words you heard. That weren't even said by him.

"Please tell me you don't hate me anymore."

Your breath hitched, your eyes looking at him as he stood near your bed. You swallowed thickly, pushing yourself up and resting against the pillows. Jimin wasn't here. At least not in the room. You noticed that your collar didn't hurt anymore, your fingers carefully tracing your skin to find nothing there. The wound was gone. 

"How do I believe that whatever I saw was true?" You enquired, bunching up the blanket in your fingers. The bed dipped beside you, Yoongi's hand holding yours in it. You felt a rush of cold energy, your body suddenly aching to be touched by him. He still made you feel all hot and bothered. He placed a finger under your chin, pushing your face up so that you'd look at him. You saw the way his eyes held so much love in them, tears springing to your eyes at the thought of you having deprived yourself of what could have been a happy life. 

"Why would I want to lose the one thing that means the world to me?" On the outside, it might have seemed like Yoongi's words were sincere. They were sincere, really. But the meaning was a little more deeper than you could comprehend. When Yoongi saw the convinced look on your face, he pressed his lips against yours, laughing mentally at the thought of his poor brother who was soon gonna die. This is what he wanted. This was a competition, after all. A competition, not for the throne but for who finds love first and Yoongi couldn't wait to watch Jungkook lose.

Taglist: @btsarmysvtcarat @min-t-posts @vannilacake @andestea @lemonjoonah @bangtann-boys @hoseokslefteyebrow @cadet-lea-05 @kawaiimusiccollection @pearylove @bee-diggity @jooniescupcakes @risefallrise

If you can't tell already, this is chapter one. There'll be a chapter two in a couple days or something. Let me know if anyone wants to be tagged! Okay bye ily!

-XX

[choir-tales]

S1E15 - Rehearsal of the Smart People

[13/11/18]

-

Lady, to soprano I've never seen before: Are you singing 1st or 2nd?

New lady: *indignantly* I HAVE BEEN IN THIS CHOIR FOR YEARS

First lady, slightly taken aback: I've never seen you?

New lady: WELL I'VE SEEN YOU HUNDREDS OF TIMES

Me: ...

First lady: .....

Me: ........

First lady: .........ok

-

Conductor, standing on a chair: Hm, this is good. I should get something to stand on usually so that you're not all looking down on me

Tenor: We always look up to you

*Laughter*

Conductor: Oh, I like him. Someone make a note of his name.

-

Conductor: There are TWO THINGS I hate in this world, well actually there are quite a few things, but they're paperwork, late people, and warmups!

.

(yes he specified two things and then listed three)

-

*someone's phone starts loudly ringing several minutes later*

Me: *gasps dramatically*

Conductor: And the fourth thing, PHONES IN REHEARSAL

Me: *subtly turns my phone over from where I'm typing up the previous quote*

-

Conductor, happily: We have the smart people here tonight. Get a list of the people missing and we can know who the dumb ones are.

-

Conductor, after we finish singing a section: What's wrong with it?

Alto, clearly tired of singing this piece: It's too low.

Conductor: *unimpressed look*

Conductor: Come on, what's wrong with it?

Same alto: Nothing?

Conductor: *even more unimpressed look*

Choir: *awkward silence*

Conductor: It was too slow!

Choir: ohhh

-

Conductor: I think all choristers should have to spend a year in a nunnery or monastery and learn how to sing a chant.

Me to the lady next to me: I'm up for that. Relative solitude, not being bothered by people...

-

Conductor is now signed on for a long term contract flip yeah

-

Lady 1, holding the carol book being handed out: Do you need one of these?

Me: Nah, not really. I'm not going to be here for the concert.

New lady: What, why not?

Me, realising this lady has never met me before and has no idea what I'm like: *casually and without skipping a beat* The government caught up with my family and we're fleeing the country in a couple of weeks

New lady: Are you serious?

Me: Mmhmm

New lady:

.......

Lady 1: She's having us on.

Me: Yeah, I'm part of the group going on the Carnegie trip.

New lady: *pauses for several seconds and then turns away* ...strange child.

Me: *narrows eyes at being called child* *internally adds new lady to my "people who are no fun" list*

Me: *remembers how the first thing she did upon arriving was yell at someone and simultaneously adds her to my "people to mess with" list*

-

Bonus: The lady who initially asked if I needed a choral book was in no way new, clearly recognised the glint in my eye the moment I opened my mouth to reply, and spent the entire interaction staring me dead in the eyes with a sort of amused-at-the-new-person-being-confused-by-this/wait-where-are-you-going-with-this? expression.

-

Lady in front of me: *surprisedly* You have normal laces on today.

Me, indicating to my heelys: yes but see I also have wheels so I think that balances it out.

Lady: Good point.

-

Conductor: Oh, that's a good idea actually. We should all get together and have a karaoke night.

Choir: *interested primarily positive response*

Conductor: And it can be the audition for getting into the choir next year!

Choir: *groans*

-

Conductor: Can someone please send the basses a semitone for Christmas!