#if you are typing yourself the best thing is to start with triad FIRST and then move to actual typing

[isekyaaa]

enneagram vibes

heart triad: insecure

head triad: avoidant

gut triad: leave me tf alone

[mistype360]

mbti/enneagram typing for 🎀 anon

enneagram - 127 1w9 2w3 7w6

let's start with your first question: your biggest fear. the part about not wanting to be isolated or abandoned definitely gives e9. you also describe how you don't feel that you are very driven, but you also oftentimes feel "empty," which is usually how e9's feel about themselves and their emotions. enneagram 9 is pretty notorious for feeling that they are detached from themselves. however, i don't think this is the core of your type (more of a wing to your 1), since it's not really that basis of your answers.

now, onto your core type. at worst, you find yourself lonely, fragile and intense - all of which are emblematic of an e1 disintegrating into an e4. even the part about being "kind of a bad person" shows how your e1 shines even when you display unhealthy e4 traits. something that really solidified your e1 for me was how you said that even when you feel angry, there's a part of you that thinks you don't really deserve to - which is very much how an e1 might find themselves internalizing their anger. from what you describe, anger isn't something outward to you. it's not that you struggle with expressing it (as a 9 would), but more that you feel it internally but choose not to express it. if you do, you might feel shame or even regret afterwards, which could be a way an e1 internalizes this emotion.

onto the head triad - you seem to want to be satisfied with yourself and life, something you value to an extent. this def indicates to me that on top of being a 1w9, you have a 7 fix. not as strong - but present enough to explain why you aren't fully focused on security or gaining resources.

then, "to love and be loved strongly," definitely screams e2. even how you say that you hate having the "bad" side of you shown to others is likely why you have a 3w2 to in your tritype. some of your answers about your relationships to other and your emotions can be attributed to this type, which is why i placed it higher than e7.

mbti ?? (isfp, isfj, infp - possibilities)

since it was a short questionnaire, it was hard for me to infer things about your mbti, but i tried my best to narrow them down. from your adjectives (humanitarian ideas, philosophical things, brainstorming, making up things), you are mostly likely high in intuitive and feeling functions.

through solving problems you say you like to "talk it out" through "metaphors, similes" and etc etc. this is definitely indicative of a higher intuition, most likely ni-se. imo metaphors are more of ne-si and similes are ni-se. what solidified ni>ne for me was how you describe that uncertainly unsettles you, which is often uncharacteristic of an entp or enfp.

the part about preferring when your memories get richer and experiencing nostalgia don't necessarily conflict with having ni. in fact, they probably are more connected to your feeling function, which might be the true motivation of these feelings. from how i interpret this, you like the feeling of nostalgia, and how it adds meaning, which is more a combination intuition and feeling (and maybe enneagram) rather than full on si.

finally, onto your feeling function, the part about feeling as if you have no moral compass but still disliking when your ideas are questioned seem to be fi. it's hard to find where exactly it would be placed, but it's up there on your stack. imo, your fi>ni, which is why if i were to type you, it would be either an isfp. if my analysis on your sensing or intuition functions was pretty limited, then i would say it could alternatively be an isfj or even infp.

[mageofseven]

Hi! I was hoping to get a matchup from the boys.

Pronouns: She/Her

Sexuality: Straight

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

MBTI: INFJ-A

Ennegram: 5w6

Hobbies: Reading, writing, anime, video games, and listening to music (rock, alternative, and musical soundtracks in particular).

How Other People See Me: I get told I seem like someone who has their life together. People often come to me when they have problems, and they feel comfortable talking to me about personal matters. I'm also told I've very smart and am an attentive and aware person.

How I See Myself: I set very high expectations for myself and that can affect my mental health sometimes. I have big dreams but I don't know if I have the drive to achieve them. Otherwise, I think I'm pretty laid back. Definitely a people pleaser.

Hopefully I've put a good amount of helpful information! I hope you have a lovely day and that life is treating you kindly!

~Eren

Okay, first off, I'm curious: do you have Capricorn anywhere in your chart? I know you said your sun sign is a Gemini, but do you have any Capricorn in you? Especially as your Rising/Ascendant sign. As some with a Capricorn Rising in her chart, I just get these vibes from you and I really like it 🥰

You don't have to answer this though; many people don't even know their rising sign so I wouldn't blame ya if you don't know.

Anyway! Onto the matchup!

Ok so first, your sun sign is a Gemini. They are known for being playful, curious, but inconsistent

As an INFJ, your functions are NiFeTiSe or NiFe.

Introverted iNtuition is your primary function. This is a function used in your internal world to map out data, so to speak. You use information given to you from your other functions and have the ability to see things in an overview sort of perspective, see how it's all connected into to make the decision you feel is best.

This is supported by your auxiliary function, Extraverted Feeling. This means you make it a priority to understand how others are feeling on things in life and feed this info into your Ni in order to make the best decisions for yourself and others.

In regards to your ennegram, I know 5s are all about knowledge. They are know as the Investigators. They are insightful, curious, and independent. Their biggest fear is being useless to others.

5w6s are also known as the Problem Solvers. 6s fear being unprepared and crave safety.

Basically, you want to learn as much as you can in hope that it will help prepare you to take care of and protect yourself and others.

All of this paired with the rest of your information brings two Boys to mind and honestly, its hard to choose between them.

So honestly...my advice is to go poly and form a vee or triad with these men

Or like, have them roll dice and whoever gets a higher number can date you?

Idk whichever feels better to you!

But either way

I pair you with...

Satan & Solomon

A playful, curious, and intelligent woman?

This sounds an awful lot like how I write Satan's Kitten and Solomon's little Minx.

These two men would really love your insatiable curiosity and caring heart.

However, I think they'd approach you in different ways.

Satan would crush hard on you for a while before he made any attempt to ask you out and you can bet he'd read dozens of self help books in preparation for it.

Solomon however...boy just wanted to flirt with you 😅 he'd find you adorable and you'd ultimately catch his interest with an iron grip. Solomon isn't the type of man to usually want relationships and usually just enjoys getting reactions out of people, which is exactly how things would start with you two. Eventually, he'd realize how often you fly through his thoughts and how his feelings evolved without him noticing. This would only make his interest in you grow and, unlike Satan, Solomon would have no issues asking you out.

Honestly, please date both of these men. Let Satan be the sweet one who spoils you and Solomon be the mischievous that teases you, but rewards you well for putting up with it.

Just let them both love you and be their Kitten and little Minx please 🥺💕

[killerandhealerqueen]

Please tell me about the 2 new AU ideas you got that simply want to jump out of your head please.

BESTIE! I FUCKING KNEW I COULD COUNT ON YOU!

Alright, so.

First au that I'm sort of, kind of working on right now is a mafia au (shocking, right? /s) where Keying gets kidnapped and she's taken to the "red light" district. Chen Yuzhi goes to find her and he's jumped by these men, only to be saved by Jiang Yuelou or "Boss Jiang". Jiang Yuelou asks him what he's doing in the red light district and Chen Yuzhi explains his sister's kidnapping. Jiang Yuelou says he can help him but for a price. Chen Yuzhi says he really doesn't have anything to give him, so Jiang Yuelou suggests himself. Chen Yuzhi is horrified (because again, red light district) but Jiang Yuelou's just like, no, no, like, work for me. I don't mean give yourself to me sexually. So, Chen Yuzhi agrees and works as a doctor in the red-light district during the day and at night, he becomes a bartender for a bar that Jiang Yuelou owns.

They do end up finding Keying but it's not a mafia fic of mine if someone doesn't get hurt so it's a toss up between Chen Yuzhi getting hurt (most likely) or Jiang Yuelou getting hurt (less likely but still probable). Keying might be hurt, like injured (like some bruises at best), but like, I'm not going to hurt or abuse her. No. Not to her. I'm cruel, not that cruel.

This fic was inspired by this dialogue prompt: “Such a gentle, innocent little thing like you shouldn’t be in such a dark, dangerous place like this.” and the BL manga "Before Daylight Love". I'm going to try and combine these two and see how it goes. I feel like I've written this type of story (like Keying getting kidnapped, Chen Yuzhi having to go find her/asking triad!Jiang Yuelou for help) a lot but honestly? I don't care. I'm having fun and that's what matters

AND SECOND!

Now this one came to me in the shower and I was mad about it because I'm like, I like the idea so much but I've got fucking grad school brain, please. Anyways. It's a modern soulmate au (I've written a few for the Untamed and I've written one for Guardian, and I've done soulmate headcanons for Killer and Healer but I've never actually written a fic for it) where Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi meet for the first time by Jiang Yuelou accidentally drenching Chen Yuzhi with water as he speeds past him in his car while Chen Yuzhi is waiting for the bus. Jiang Yuelou feels bad so he stops and goes to check on him and when they look at each other, their eyes widen in realization that they're each other's soulmate. Jiang Yuelou offers for Chen Yuzhi to stay the night, because he's drenched and he feels really bad, but Chen Yuzhi politely declines because he's starting a new job tomorrow and he doesn't want to inconvenience him (typical Chen Yuzhi, right?). So Jiang Yuelou drives him to his apartment, apologies profusely again, and then heads home.

Then the next day, as Jiang Yuelou is walking around his office (yes, this is an office soulmate au), he sees Chen Yuzhi being led in by another coworker and he's like "what" and then the co-worker/supervisor introduces Chen Yuzhi to him like "And here's your boss!" So yup, Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi are soulmates but they're boss and intern! I've never done an au like this before but I was lowkey inspired by this video (except my fic isn't a reincarnation au. But the scene where Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi meet in the video is what I'm going to add to my fic because I love it)

Never done a soulmate au, never done a modern office soulmate au, never done a boss/intern fic so...this should be interesting. I've read a few fics and a few mangas about boss/subordinate or boss/intern so...I think I can do this.

But anyways, thank you for asking! I always love talking about my fics and my ideas and what not! Thank you bestie!

[lilasianninja92]

Remember and Recover

(Note: Taking a chance with posting this since I had been debating for a long time. It's been a while since I had written and posted anything and I'm a little rusty lol be gentle. DO NOT STEAL OR COPY.)

Pairing: TASM! Peter Parker and reader, but you can imagine your favorite Spidey

Genre: Sad, hurt and comfort type

Warning: Original character death

*Non-canon timeline*

Parties were never your thing. Office parties are definitely not your thing.

You sipped champagne as your gaze scanned the glass atrium you were standing in. The chandeliers were linked with fairy lights and silver ornaments. Tapping your heeled foot to the gentle holiday jazz playing overhead, taking in all who turned up to the Oscorp Christmas party. Everyone seemed to be grouped according to their departments, everyone but you. As the lone female on your team, your days are filled with testosterone. You like Star Wars and comic books as much as the next gal but the constant chatter and arguments over who shot who first can get overwhelming. You turned to look over at the Osborns, they seemed nice enough. Couldn’t complain about the job, but that’s the thing. It’s just a job. You do go there in the morning, and you leave when you are done. Nothing more.

*Maybe I should just go home* you sighed to yourself. This really wasn’t somewhere you wanted to be. You only showed because Harry and Peter asked you to come.

“Hey” said a soft voice at your shoulder, you turn.

“Hey Peter.” nodding towards Harry and his father. “Surprised you’re not networking too. Figured you would want funding for the latest Parker project.” Peter shrugged.

“You looked like you were about to run.”

“Well you’re not wrong.” you tapped his champagne flute with yours “Peter, this really isn’t my scene. I should go.” turning fully to face Peter and see how gaunt and sullen he still is.

“Hey” you placed an arm around your best friend, placing your chin on his shoulder. “I miss them too. It wasn’t yours or any of our faults. They got sick. Riley got sick..” Peter leaned his face on your head for a moment to murmur a thank you before he downed the rest of his drink.

“Let’s get out of here.” He grabbed your hand and started walking with you to the lower lobby to grab your coats and out the front door.

“Where to? The only places open at this hour would be bars.” Peter shrugged.

“Anywhere is better than here, there is only so many looks of pity I can take from them.”

The pair of you walk a few blocks to a familiar little hole in the wall that you frequented more when you were still in college. The booze was cheap but the place was warm and Peter relaxed the more you talked and wound down. He had never been a big drinker, but since what had happened, he had been on the downward turn. You worry, but there was not much you could do. They were your friend too, you were also mourning. Even though the shared loss was painful, it brought you both closer. Not that you weren’t close before, but this time it was more profound. What was once a triad of three friends, only two remain.The comfort that you were able to give one another wasn’t exactly what helped, but it was needed.

You sat there watching Peter stare at his hands as they rested on the table. Despite being slightly tipsy, you could see that he was deep in thought.

“What’s up Peter?” He raised an eyebrow as he looked at you.

“Nothing. Just thinking”

“About?”

“They would want us to move on right?” His voice was softer, almost as if pleading with something inside of him wanting that to be true. You nod slowly.

“Do not forget. Remember and recover.” Your late friend’s words are almost eerie to you now. They were always wiser than their age. Peter’s face seemed to shift, for a moment glazing over as he was lost in his thoughts again.

“Let’s go to our place.” He said absently, grabbing your hand once again to pull you back into the cold.

“What? You want to go all the way to Queens?” Peter shrugged.

“It’s only an hour from here.” You quirked a smile

“By subway, I thought you’d try to convince me to swing there.” He smiled, thinking back.

“You really want to try that again? Don’t you remember the last time you went swinging with me?” You cringe at the memory. Peter was trying a new formula for his web fluid and wanted you to help with how much weight it could carry. Needless to say, it was fine until he tried to also hold an empty cargo container while you were clinging onto him for dear life. Not even wanting to think about when Peter purposefully let you both free fall for several feet for his own amusement.

“Never again Parker, never again.”

“To be fair, I didn’t say that it was one of my better ideas.”

“To be fair, I didn’t want to come.”

The banter continued until the lull of the subway station grew too loud. You quickly headed to the line you needed to catch in order to get where you were going, holding onto Peter’s arm that way you wouldn’t get separated. As you sat on the train to Queens, you both were suddenly somber. Neither of you had gone to that hidden rooftop on your old apartment building since your friend passed. The place marred by the loss and the memories of spending the remaining months of their life tucked away all together trying to make the most of the inevitable. A quick glance at Peter told you that his mind was about where yours was. Still silent, you got off the train and headed back up to street level to walk the few blocks left to the building. As you climbed the steps up to the roof, you felt Peter’s intake of breath mirror yours as you pushed the door open to reveal the last place the three of you were last happy. Everything looked as you had left it, albeit gloomier. The fairy lights you nearly killed yourself hanging up because Peter still had class and you really wanted them up, the beat up couch that you forced up the stairs with the other two that way you could all pile onto it and watch the sky together, the last thing you saw made your heart twinge. Sitting on the couch was your friend’s old sweater. Worn in places and clearly loved, this sweater was basically grafted to their skin with how much they used to wear it. You touch it softly and you turn to Peter with tears in his eyes.

“I…I think we should visit them…give it back?” The sniffle escaped you before you could stop yourself but you nodded.

“Soon, it’s late, we can go when the c-cemetery is o-open.” You managed to choke out. Peter walked to the couch unsteadily and sat down. He gripped the knees of his pants until his knuckles ran white, his face near purple, shaking with unshed tears.

“Hey, hey hey.” You rushed over, dropping the sweater on the seat beside him to grab his shoulders. “Breathe. Peter breathe!” Bloodshot eyes met yours, making you panic slightly and shake him.

“Peter!” He took in a deep gasp, cutting it with a sob, burying his face in the crook of your neck. You signed in relief, pulling him tighter to you, rubbing circles in his back. Your own tears falling down your face in slow streams.

“I never said goodbye.” He whispered. You paused.

“You were fighting that Rhino guy.” You shook your head. “You didn’t know. It’s not your fault.”

“I should have been there, with you, with them.” Peter sniffled, leaning back to look at you. “I should have been there.”

“They knew what you were doing. They didn’t want you to be rushing to their side with Rhino destroying everything. They knew and forgave you.” You stood and sat next to Peter on the couch. “They wouldn’t want you to feel guilty not being there because you were being Spider-Man.” You nodded to him with finality and looked back to the skyline. You both stayed like that quietly while he calmed down. Leaning on you slightly, needing your support in more ways than one.

“Do you remember how we met?” Peter asked suddenly, looking at you at the corner of his eye.

“I do.”

It was almost clear as day, it was a house party when all of you were still in high school. Peter wasn’t your friend yet, but you could still see Riley. Perfectly healthy and vibrant. They were pulling you inside the house, promising that you would enjoy yourself.

“This isn’t my scene Riley. Plus it’s two in the morning. I can’t believe I let you drag me out here.” You remember saying, only attending to humor your friend.

“It’ll be fine! Plus I want you to meet someone. He’s in my science class, he’s wicked smart and I think he would make a great addition to our group!” You snorted at this.

“Our group of two?” Riley waved a hand dismissively.

“A triad is a perfect number of people.” You roll your eyes.

“Whatever.” Riley gives you a dirty look and you raise your hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, let’s meet your little science nerd.”

You walk further into the house and Riley looks around with a furrowed brow, looking for someone. It takes a few minutes before they lock on to a person standing by the window, clearly feeling out of place as he glances around awkwardly.

“Peter!” Riley yelled, waving their arm, dragging you to him faster. He looked in your direction, his shoulders seemed to relax.

“Riley!” He smiled as you and Riley came to a stop in front of him. Riley pulled you in front of them, introducing you to him.

“Peter, this is my best friend, I think we could make an amazing triad.” Peter smiled at you and you reciprocated. He seems like a sweet guy.

“Good to meet you.” You shook hands.

“You too.”

The three of you stuck together for the remainder of the party, admittedly, you had fun. Riley was right. The triad was the perfect group of people. A group of friends. All of you ended up getting tipsy, giggling as you ran out of the party back to Riley’s house, sneaking into their room when it got too late to go home.

The triad stayed right through graduation, all the way to junior year of college. You did everything together, and went through everything together. First apartments, first internships, Spider-Man, villains. Nothing seemed to be bothering you, aside from having to patch up Peter once in a while, all that mattered were your friends. Which is why red alarm bells went off in your head when you noticed that Riley had been getting sick lately, and it worried you. They waved you off, telling you it was nothing. It wasn’t nothing. In a matter of months, you three went from days out in Central Park to long nights at Mount Sinai. Riley deteriorated quickly and you and Peter felt helpless. At least one of you was at the hospital with Riley if not all together, sleeping on the couch in the room or in the bed with them, never leaving your friend for more than a few hours. It absolutely devastated the pair of you to watch the amazing light of a person you both loved slowly start to snuff out.

The day of the funeral still has a certain emptiness in your chest. You couldn’t even look Riley’s parents in the eye. You remember clutching at Peter’s arm as he held onto you too. Placing a rose on their casket, you said goodbye to your first friend.

You went back to Peter’s place and just lay on the couch, your legs over his lap as he stared into space. Both of your faces crusted with dried tears as you turned to each other to wordlessly embrace again.

“It’s just you and me now kid.” You whispered, letting Peter put his face in the crook of your neck. He needed more support than you did, facing more loss than one should being so young. For days and weeks after that, you let Peter stay in your tiny apartment with you, helping each other get by as the heaviness of your shared loss started to lessen. Peter clung to you like a lifeline, lost in his grief, sometimes falling asleep in your bed, a hand reaching for you. Once you woke up to him completely curled against you, his face in your neck, gripping the blanket that covered both of you in his fist. You sat up to rub his back, attempting to soothe him. Wallowing in the sadness you both felt for your friend wasn’t good for either of you. You knew this, he probably did too, but you couldn’t bear to send him away. Not with how much you loved him, but right now, that wasn’t enough reason to tell him you wanted more. You were too emotional, not in your right mindset, and definitely not in the right to ask him to be yours. You knew that he would say that it was too dangerous. He was Spider-Man and he can’t risk losing someone else close to him.

A sigh pulled you out of your memories as Peter started to stand. He reached back for your hand.

“Let’s go? It’s late. I was gonna do patrols tonight, but I don’t feel anything going on.” He looked at you. “You ok?” Closing your eyes for just a moment, pulling in the tears you felt knowing that you could never have him, nor would you ask. You nod.

“Yes.” Letting him pull you up to stand up, grabbing Riley’s sweater. “I want to go home.”

“Did you want to swing there?” You shook your head.

“Can we take a cab?”

“Back to the city? That’ll be expensive.” You shrugged.

“I’ll pay, Norman gave us all bonuses this year. I just want the quiet.” Knitting his eyebrows together, Peter looked at how defeated you seemed and nodded.

“I’ll pay half.” Leading you down the stairs back to street level and hailing a cab, making sure that you didn’t hit your head as he helped you take a seat inside. You rode in silence for a little while, stealing glances at each other, always looking away when the other would turn to look.

“Peter.”

“Hm?”

“I know you never wanted…It was painful for both of us when…I just..” Peter squeezed your hand.

“It’s dangerous.” Your hand shook in his.

“I know, I know it is. I just wanted to try.” You sniffled. “I swore off love even before Riley, before you. I just…” Shaking his head, Peter pulled you to him.

“You mean too much to me to put you in harm's way like that.” You tried to swallow the lump forming in your throat. The emptiness in your chest seems to get even deeper as you feel your heart break more. Peter kissed your forehead like he had done many times before, but it was tinged with sadness.

“I won’t beg for you to love me.” You whispered, closing your eyes. “But you’re all I have left.”

You felt Peter sigh into your hair and take your face into his hands.

“You don’t have to beg, I already do. But I’m scared too.”

“Stop blaming yourself for things that were out of your control.” You gave Peter a somewhat stern look. “You can’t save everyone, from anything, sometimes it is just out of your hands. You need to accept that. Uncle Ben was not your fault. Riley was not your fault.”

“I don’t want something to happen to you because of me.”

“Peter Parker, when in living memory did you have any influence on my decision making when it came to things that we disagreed on?” Despite everything, this brought a chuckle out of him. He sighed again and pressed his forehead to yours.

“I could never say no to you.” He murmured, pulling back an inch to look at you, his thumb tracing your cheek. He pressed his lips into a flat line. “I want to be selfish so bad. To..keep you…”

“Be selfish for once.” You whispered, eyes starting to water again. “I want to be selfish too. The city can’t have you all the time.” Peter’s forehead was creased with conflict.

“I love you.” His words were tainted with an unknown emotion. Pain? Fear? Grief?

Even then, the words brought a warmth to you that you had not felt in some time. The emptiness in your chest starting to fill in a rush. Peter loves you. “Can I kiss you?”

You nod slowly, not trusting your voice to not waver. He was gentle, not surprising. This kiss represented more than you two finally admitting what you had been fighting hard against. It was the promise that one would never leave the other. The promise of safety in each other’s arms. The promise that you will remember and recover. Together.

[simpingforsoftboys]

Curiosity Killed the Cat

ft. Kuroken

G/N Reader

Read this first

Mini Series Here

Thanks so much for the request anon! I actually went back and forth with this- but I’m finally satisfied with how this turned out! Hope you enjoy!

Kenma hated these types of events. Blaring music, flashing lights, horny drunk people, crowded spaces. Yes, parties were the worst- but it wasn’t like he could tell Kuroo “no, I’m not going to attend your best friend’s 27th birthday party just because.” Which is why they’re in Osaka and not Tokyo at the moment. Kuroo had gone off to god knows where- claiming he was going to get some drinks for them- but that was 15 minutes ago and he still hadn’t returned. Shoyo was arriving late, so there was no one the dyed blonde felt comfortable with speaking too. Seeing no other option, he decided to seek Kuroo out on his own. 

“Excuse me.” The short male muttered as he nudged people aside to get to the bar. No one seemed to mind, too caught up in their dancing- probably thanks to their alcohol induced haze. His skin crawled in disgust as he passed by some chick who was making out with Miya Atsumu- if Shoyo was right with his suspicions, Sakusa Kiyoomi would not be happy. He pushed that thought aside. Eventually he made it to the bar- successfully locating Kuroo. “I was waiting what’s-” He was shut up by his fiance’s hand over his mouth. 

“Shh... look over there, across the counter- is that Y/n?” Kenma followed where Kuroo was pointing, they couldn’t see the persons face, but they had a similar figure and skin tone to your own. Suddenly the person turned- but they realized that it wasn’t you. 

It had been two, nearly three years since your emotional breakup, and they still found themselves looking for you in every room they entered. Kenma hadn’t gotten over his love for you- he doubted he ever would, but it was just another thing he had learned to live with. Kuroo slowly began to realize how much of an impact you had on his daily life, things he had previously taken for granted like a homemade meal at the end of a long day, hot bath prepped and ready, folded clothes and cute little notes. Those things were gone now, so he and Kenma had to step up and do it- until eventually they just decided to hire someone to do it for them. It wasn’t the same- sure, the housekeeper did an amazing job, but the difference was palpable. It sounded dumb but they could just feel the lack of love- your absence had created a void in the large penthouse. 

It had taken time, but Tetsuro realized that yeah, he did love you- not as much as Kenma- yet, it was a tangible love all the same. Which is why it hurt him that day- not only because you left them, but because you didn’t feel loved by him. He couldn’t find it in himself to be angry at you- that was his own doing. All you had done was leave him with happy memories. 

Kenma found himself reverting back to his old habits. Their home was a lot lonelier without you. Kuroo often went on weeks- if not months long- business trips for the volleyball association, leaving Kenma home alone for lengthy periods of time. No longer did he have you to keep him company or monitor his sleeping or eating habits. Even his viewers had noticed his unhealthy lifestyle and urged him to take better care of himself, but it wasn’t the same. So, without anyone there to stop him, he would fall into ruin- because then, when he was exhausted or kept occupied by the newest trending game title- he wouldn’t be thinking about all that he was missing. 

Neither of them had spoken- or even checked up on you since that day, those  few years ago. You had blocked them on everything, made your accounts private, changed your phone number, and asked your mutual friends to not share anything about you with them. It hurt- because how can you so easily shut out the people you love- but after much thought and consideration, they realize you had to be hurting twice as bad as they did. Unlike them, you had the time to simmer in your pain, hurt, and longing, while they remained oblivious. 

Ignorance was bliss.

The two of them left Bokuto’s party early that night, Kuroo said something about an emergency Skype meeting in the morning as an excuse. In actuality they found themselves driving to one of your favorite restaurants- they hadn’t stepped a foot inside the establishment since the last time they ate here with you. But- as it was for many things apparently- tonight seemed to be one all about stepping out of their comfort zones. 

“What are you getting?” Kuroo tried to act casual, but Kenma had known him much too long to fall for his act. 

“I think I’ll get (f/f).” 

Kuroo nodded. “I think I will too.” Neither of them particularly liked (f/f), but it had been your go to order. Maybe by being here and eating the familiar dish, they could pretend that they were simply on a date as a triad- and you were running late- instead of dealing with the reality that they were a couple now and not a throuple. 

Their food arrives and they dig in, eating slowly, eyes shutting occasionally, it seems like they’re merely savoring the flavor- when in reality they’re trying to picture you dining with them. No words are exchanged between the two- they’re together yes, but it’s somehow a lonely occasion all the same. 

If you were here, the table would be filled with easy conversation- you were always so neutral when you spoke, teasing when you felt particularly daring (they realize now that this was such a rarity because you were hesitant about starting an altercation- which no one should have to be afraid of in any relationship). Kenma would let himself loosen up and exchange snarky words with Kuroo, who quipped back savagely, and you would watch them- laughter spilling from your lips. Too bad they didn’t try harder to include you in the conversation- not that they intentionally alienated you- just that they were enjoying themselves too much to bat an eye in your direction. 

Yeah, it was better for you that you weren’t here. That was a fact they still had trouble stomaching. 

They hear the restaurant’s door opening in the background, but don’t care enough to look who entered. It doesn’t matter to either of the two that it’s late at night and logically there shouldn’t be anyone else here but them. Their imagined scenario is much more appealing than real life. 

“Put me down Tsutomu!” A male scolds from the lobby area, despite their best efforts, they’re unable to block the newcomers voices out. 

Another male laughs in response. “Calm down Kenji, I got you!” 

“Hahah! Why are you so red Kenji-” Someone else adds, this person’s voice is familiar. Kenma and Tetsuro freeze at the sound. It’s kind of weird how they recognize it- despite having slowly forgotten what it sounded like over the course of passing time. You know how each time you recall a memory it actually ends up altering it a little? That’s how it was with your voice. Eventually their recollection of it was changed to the point that they couldn’t quite remember how exactly your laughter sounded, or even how your pitch changed with various moods. 

Their ears were filled with you- wonderful, gorgeous, breathtaking you- the one who cared too much and pushed aside prioritizing yourself until eventually you couldn’t take it anymore. The Y/n that they still, could never seem to love enough- even now. But it was dissimilar all the same, since you sounded so happy, so content- what was weird was that they didn’t even need to see your face to confirm it. 

Neither of them dare to look in your direction, afraid that you’d disappear right before their eyes. It isn’t until they see your approaching figure in their peripheral that they glance over. 

You’re positively glowing. It feels like you’re an entire galaxy- so far and out of reach- and they’re merely stargazers. They’re stuck on Earth, forever fated to watch and appreciate your splendor from an impossibly wide distance.

The purple-nearly black haired man that accompanies you pulls your chair out, gesturing to your seat with exaggerated motions. You laugh, sitting down in the most graceful manner possible and let him push your seat in. He places a kiss to your temple before going to pull out a chair for the other brown haired male- whose cheeks are still tinted red. 

The three of you order appetizers and speak about many things- Kuroo can overhear ‘volleyball’ and ‘hospital’ mentioned somewhere in the mix. The two men- your apparent lovers- don’t even have to make an effort to include you in their conversation, it’s like second nature for them, just as it should have been for him and Kenma. They listen intently as you ramble on about whatever, the shorter brown haired one adding his two cents in occasionally, while the taller male questions or presses you for more details. 

“Kuroo I’m not hungry anymore.” Kenma says, and only now does Tetsuro notice how upset his fiance is. Normally the half blonde is composed and neutral, but right now his face is scrunched up like he smelt something sour. The feeling is mutual. He isn’t happy with the situation either. 

"Do you want to head back to the hotel?”

“No, let’s stay a little longer.” 

So they stay, silently watching as you make lively conversation with your lovers. Observing as you polish off your plates and finish dessert, they’re still seated when the throuple pays the bill and walks out the exit. Eventually the elderly owner comes out and asks them if they want to order anything else- a polite way of letting them know that they’ve overstayed their welcome. 

They tell her no, pay their own bill, and head back to their car. They sit there in the parking lot a little longer.

“Hey Kenma.” Kuroo murmurs, fingers drumming on the steering wheel.

“Hm?” Kenma hums.

“Do you think we could have made it work?” It’s a question that they’ve never actually voiced out loud- not even once- in the years since the breakup.

“Why do you ask? You already know the answer.” Is what he receives in response. Kenma’s right, he did know.

“I... guess I needed to hear it.” He says lamely.

He turns the key and starts the ignition. They drive back to their hotel in silence. 

They made their beds a long time ago. So it’s only right that they lie in it- even if the bedsheets are uncomfy and the blanket threatens to suffocate them.

Kenma regrets wondering about how you were doing now. At least before tonight he was able to take comfort in the fact that you still might be in love with them.

The old idiom was right. Curiosity killed the cat. And he certainly felt like he was dying.

A/N: Believe it or not the inspo behind this was the song Good Stuff by Griff. I really liked the whole idea of Kuroken x reader ending on semi good terms. The difference between how their emotions for the reader portrayed here vs IwaOi is an example of this. Unlike IwaOi, Kuroken is able to identify their emotions when given time and space, they’re not necessarily prideful and can acknowledge that despite being broken up with, they’re still the ones who were left with “the good stuff.”

They miss you sure, but they know it’s unfair to want you to come back to them when they’ll never be able to love you as they should. So they don’t even bother wishing or seeking you out. Of course, they do their best to maintain some semblance of a connection to you (like why they look for you in crowded rooms and eat your favorite food), but they’re fine with remaining curious. Of course no one can remain willfully ignorant forever though.

[polyadvice]

I have a lot of relationship anxiety, and nothing I try is soothing it

as of about 5 months ago, I entered into a poly relationship with my best friend and her boyfriend. Since starting the relationship, we've agreed to become a triad, so her boyfriend is now also my partner.

I'm basically really struggling with relationship anxiety. I'm trying to be quite proactive about it both with myself - journalling, practicing mindfulness, using CBT to interrupt harmful thought patterns - and with both of them - telling them how I feel, when I'm anxious, what I need when I need it. But I still get this feeling like I'm going to be feeling anxious forever? It's hard finding advice online that relates to specifically poly relationships.

This isn't my first poly relationship, and it's weird because in my previous one I didn't get any of this anxiety. I think, strangely, it might be because this one is actually healthier than the last? We have scheduled meetings, we discuss the relationship often, which I never have before. Although I know it's good and valuable, sometimes bringing up something I need or have been thinking about fills me with dread. I do try and push through that, in a kind of exposure therapy way, but I feel bad because every time I bring something up I end up crying. I know it's important to work through that, but often these situations just compound on my anxiety in the heat of the moment - not only am I anxious about whatever I'm bringing up, but also anxious about myself crying and perhaps making my partners feel guilty about whatever I'm asking for, perhaps forcing themselves into something they don't want.

I trust both my partners and one of the mantras I come back to again and again is that if there was something wrong they would tell me. And that it's not all my responsibility to make this relationship work - all I can do is be honest about how I'm feeling and trust they will be too. But at times the anxiety feels really all-consuming and I get this feeling like it's kind of ruining the relationship.

I suppose my question, after all of this, is whether anyone else has any experience with relationship anxiety within poly relationships? Does it get better? I feel like I'm flying blind. And although I know I can talk to my partners about it, and I do, I think I’m feeling a need for a space or conversation outside of the relationship because of what I mentioned before about compounded anxiety.

There’s a lot of advice out there about how anxiety is made worse by avoiding the thing that makes you anxious, and there’s also a lot of advice out there that says you should bring things up with your partners and talk through them in order to resolve problems like this.

It sounds like you’ve been getting, and taking, a lot of that advice, so I won’t repeat it here. I do want to give you MAJOR kudos for doing all this self-work, for not letting your anxiety hold you back from important relationship conversations, for using CBT and mindfulness and all those other tools. Definitely keep doing that, and be proud of yourself for doing it!

At the same time, there is such thing as “too much of a good thing.” In some cases, an over-emphasis on “processing” and “talking things out” can make a problem worse rather than better. It’s possible that having scheduled meetings and feeling like you need to hash out and give voice to every single negative emotion is causing you to ruminate on them more than necessary. Sometimes it’s okay to just let feelings and experiences pass without giving language to them, constructing a narrative around them, and seeking solutions or reassurance or validation after the fact.

So, if you think it would help, consider scaling back on all these conversations - not because you are indulging your anxiety, but just because they might not be all that necessary. See what it’s like to just let the relationship be what it is, and bring things up organically as you feel they need to be addressed rather than scheduling meetings. (If you think this advice is off base, feel free to ignore it!)

Also, one key thing to note that if you are dealing with this sort of chronic, long-term anxiety that doesn’t seem to go away even when you’re doing everything right - engaging in healthy behaviors, cultivating healthy relationships - that is exactly the sort of situation that medication was meant for! You might not be able to Mantra and Mindfulness your way out of this, nor do you have to. This might not be an issue with polyamory or your relationships at all, and you can find support outside of focusing on How To Be Better At Polyamory By Brute Force. Consider working with a mental healthcare professional to find ways to make things easier on yourself.

If you find yourself crying during hard conversations, but you don’t want your partners to focus on your crying and feel like it distracts from the issue you’re trying to discuss, you can also write them letters or emails to express things. That way you can say what you want to say without having to worry about managing your emotional reactions. A lot of people emphasize the importance of “face to face” conversations, but it sounds like these scheduled meetings and frequent emotional check-ins are making things harder, not easier, for you. See if it works for you and your partners to chat more casually over a text-based platform or for you to share writing with them that expresses how you feel.

Another piece of advice I have is, if you are going to keep having these structured discussions, try to set goals or intentions for the conversation going forward. If you’re not asking them to change anything about their behavior, but you just want to share your feelings and be heard, state that up front. If you are asking a specific question you want an honest answer for, or if you are bringing up a problem you want to find a solution for, let them know. Don’t just set aside an hour to talk about feelings and relationship stuff, and then spiral around and around. I’ve seen this happen a LOT, and even with the best of intentions, it tends to cause more problems than it solves.

Finally, you asked if anyone has experience with this and whether it gets better: I can only speak for myself, but I have a diagnosed anxiety disorder (a pretty severe case, too) and I can tell you that, yes, this type of anxiety is possible to manage. It is not, however, fully manageable or treatable by focusing on it in lots of relationship conversations. Sometimes, paradoxically, the harder you try to solve a problem like this, the worse it gets. You also need some distractions, self-soothing techniques, and just fun quality time with yourself and your partners. You might also need therapy (not focused on your relationship, but for anxiety management in general) and medication.

As for finding places to talk about this outside of your partners, that’s a great idea - a place to vent, process, ask questions, etc. without placing extra demands on the relationship. I’d recommend checking out some online spaces for polyamorous people (you can find some here.) However, know that anxious or negative thoughts can be reinforced by going over them multiple times, describing them, sharing them with others, etc. So be very careful about how you spend your time in these communities. Are you mostly expressing your painful thoughts, hanging out in the “vent” channels, and giving language to your anxiety? Or are you seeking friendship, connection, and advice?

In general, my advice is to try and let go of your anxiety-about-your-anxiety. Stop treating it like a problem that can be solved with more time, more attention, and more work. Lean in to the things that make you happy in this relationship, and know that you don’t have to ‘address’ every anxious feeling. Find ways to make these relationship conversations easier for yourself (set intentions, do things in writing, scale back on them) and trust your future self to handle things as they arise.

[yanderecandystore]

Black and Red take the advantage of Buddy being gone to flirt and drop hints about wanting to have another child with the s/o. Blacks wants to have the s/o be in a relationship now while Red wants to wait a bit more. Also I hope you feel better! Self care is best care :o - Cold Anon

Wow, I loved when I received both of your requests because like- Oh shit this fits so well!

If y'all don't mind, let's make this a complete Headcanon with both of your requests!

TW/Tags: NSFW // Forced relationship // dubcon (I don't condone this actions irl, so please read this with caution if the subject triggers/harms you in anyway) // Poly/Threesome (although it's only like half mentioned because I took way too long to write this lmao) // if you're confused on what is going on, you may want to check this [🧃] // delusional thinking and manipulation // non gender specific yandere boys and female reader just cause I'm kinda want to to make this one female just because- // swearing

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

Thank God the walls are soundproof [Yandere!Among Us x F!Reader - Headcanon]:

Okay but let's first have a real talk, like- Imagine your alien dog just went missing out of nowhere, and then these hoes come in and say some shit about "family" and "mating" and all that jazz-

Bitch, my dog just ran away, control your horniness-

I think that they have been up to this point pretty much saying "we dig you, like a lot!" but also making it seem like it's nothing too serious?

Since they know you're unaware of their true feelings and intentions, it felt only right to give you some time and ease you in this relationship as quickly and smoothly as possible. Some flirting and constant compliments should have done the trick, yet you weren't really understanding what they meant with it.

You thought it was weird to see two people suddenly expressing so much affection to you despite the fact they were both married to each other and that you never felt like the type of person to attract people, so seeing two people to openly flirt with you made you think they were only joking around.

It could be their little thing, right? Flirting with other people in front of one another? Yeah, that could be it-

Of course you have assumed the possibility of them being polyamorous and are trying to call you to their family and form a triad, but then again, sounds kinda hard to believe, right? Two people wanting so badly to be with you? Sounds like something straight up out of a fantasy story.

Although, you couldn't lie that you kinda wish it to be true, since they were very pleasant to be around and well… You found them attractive and pretty charming in a weird way. Their romance with one another seemed so passionate and pure that you felt a little jealous and maybe craving a little bit of their attention.

I guess you tried your best to stay oblivious to their advantages either unconsciously or just defensively, as it can be quite shocking to receive so much attention out of nowhere from those two.

They always seemed so… I don't know, in their own little world….

After Buddy had disappeared, their presence had started to seem more stronger, it was so oddly coincidental how they started to act more friendly than ever towards you after Buddy disappeared.

You shouldn't be so suspicious of them, after all, it was only common sense that people would start to be friendlier and start comforting you after a tragedy.

Yet, you still doubted them, and right now you realize exactly why. Their weird attachment to you was starting to make a lot of sense.

It was the third time you had a breakdown after Buddy disappeared, and it's been the third time that they helped you by "comforting you out", even though you don't feel necessarily more comfortable by their constant caresses and odd words- they keep going on and on about how things will get better soon, that you'll be part of bigger family that promises to cherish you and never abandon you.

And although their words were strange and oddly soothing considering that you felt lonely due to your sweet boy running away, you still felt odd about their exact words and expressions that were thrown at you, but you disguised it as "being their awkward way of showing affection". Because it's a lot easier to lie to yourself than to admit that you were surrounded by possibly dangerous people, it was easier to believe that Buddy was going to come back anytime soon than to admit that the possibility of him already being dead was possible.

But sometimes reality will pull your hazy brain to observe the intriguing situation you found yourself in, since you were still a little hazed by the constant crying and the despair you felt for your best friend, it took you some to realize them both cuddling with you and placing small kisses here and there.

Either you had ignored/blocked out the feeling of invasive touches and phrases that were so off the rails, that even if they sugar coated their speech you would still feel threatened by it, or you were simply disassociating from this particular event.

Who would've guessed that being locked in your own room all day with only two people to talk with has started to make you crave their attention? You just felt like letting them touch you and say nice things despite how it felt…. Weird.

You started to feel guilty, to feel awkward whenever they praised you and touched you a little more roughly in more private areas. You felt good yet awful, you felt like this situation was wrong but it did feel right in some weird way.

You felt ashamed of their soft voices- Or more accurately, Red's soft voice and Black's deep breaths covering your skin with each kiss. They seemed to be on their own little worlds, just like you were a couple of seconds ago.

When you tried to free yourself and get up, Red took the opportunity to make you sit in their lap facing your back to them, they shushed you as you noticed Black felt a bit sad at your sudden reaction. You weren't expecting to be stopped from getting away from their hold which made you feel wary of the situation.

You've let them pamper you for too long, you've let them touch you and crave you for way too long. Black took the fact you were stuck on their partner's lap and decided to take a bite for themselves. A deep kiss that although heavenly sweet to them, it tasted bitter and provoked you to start wriggling against Red to get away from their hold. This was starting to be suffocating.

Yet nothing, they didn't let you, they chuckled at your struggles just like a person would chuckle at an infant playing around and trying to get their attention. Red whispered sweet nothings while Black seemed to be enjoying licking your skin, from your shoulder to your neck, it felt good yet somehow a little too… Good? There was something like desperation starting to appear in Black's breathing, their licks felt sloppy and the sounds coming from deep in their chest made your mind hazy, made your body crave more of this mix of rough and soft touches coming from them both.

Yet your mind told you otherwise, your conscious kept telling you about more important things that you should be worrying about. You felt like this was not exactly what you wanted at the moment, but your body was betraying your own thoughts as you felt yourself getting just as needy as them.

You still told Red you felt like this was happening too fast for your comfort, yet they only told you to relax and enjoy the view.

The "view" was Black getting more and more agitated, they seemed high out of their mind if not completely lost in their own instinct. Drooling like an animal, breathing like they have runned up a hill, and although there was only lust and admiration in their eyes, there was something in that frantic laugh that made you feel like there was something else in their hearts.

"- Black, we talked about this… Look at her, your scaring [Y/N], babe." Red said while pushing Black to back off a little, without putting too much pressure, just telling them to get back a little.

Black didn't take it personally yet still whined like a lost puppy. Black surprisingly hasn't said much considering the situation you were all in, you would at least hope for them to say something, yet they couldn't make any comprehensive sounds except for growling and heavy breathing.

"- Can you see it, [Y/N]? It's so adorable when they get like this, it's even better if you let them get impatient, not like you'll have to wait much, they're simply too easy to please, you know?" Red giggled into your ear as Black was grinding the bed like a desperate dog in heat, which still scared you a bit-

How hungry their eyes looked made you squirm and distance yourself from them, which led to Red holding you tighter since you were getting closer to them. It felt like it was normal for them, this sort of ritual, and you just seemed to get yourself involved in, not knowing how to respond to anything.

"- Uhn- R-Red- I…. I think we should go to sleep already-" You said, it was indeed very late, and you were starting to feel like not being part of this- Something was very, very off, your gut told you that much as you started feeling pretty nauseous.

"- So soon? Are you feeling nervous darling? I did tell a certain someone that they should have been more patient, yet they said they couldn't wait any longer-" Red said, mentioning Black who was flustered and angry at how their partner seemed to act so casually about their "condition".

"- But I don't think you need to worry your little head, after it we can go to sleep together, okay?" Red answered you while nuzzling your neck, now they noticed how much they were craving this moment, yet still not as much as their shape shifting partner.

"- No! I-I mean- Shouldn't you two sleep in your own rooms- I think the others would get suspicious of three people sleeping in the same bed." You managed to stutter out, yet you felt like your words had caused more harm than it should have.

Black growled in a more animalistic manner while also hitting their hands in the bed to try to take your attention, their expression was of anger mixed with disappointment.

Red just sighed and shook their head, they put their hand in your face and guided you to look at them, their tone sounded patronizing and disappointed.

"- It's that really what you're worried about? What other people think… This has nothing to do with anyone but us, love. So please try to focus on the now instead of how they'll react. And besides, we wouldn't want to miss this opportunity, now would we?" They said while kissing you just as passionately as Black did. Yet you didn't get what Red meant with that, so you obviously asked.

To which they didn't really respond, just hugged you again after slowly pulling away and saying:

"- Normally we have to wait up to six in six months to get their next heat, but apparently it came earlier than it should have! Isn't this beautiful darling? It's like all the stars have been perfectly aligned for us to be together." Red squeaked excitedly about the pattern of luck they've been having lately! First started with your dog disappearing, then it went to you being more comfortable with them around you, to you downright accepting being part of their family!-

The truth was actually rather bitter, you didn't really agree to any of these and you seemed to have tried to get out whenever you could, but both Red and Black took your lack of response as a sign of acceptance rather than anything else. Why else would you let them cuddle you three times in a roll, if not because of love? Why would you let them kiss you, if not because of love?

"- It's going to be so much fun adding two new members to the family, don't you think love?" Red spoke once again although not really towards you, but rather to their very attentive partner that was fuming with the idea of a new kid ever since their heat began about three days ago.

Thanks whatever cosmic entity to have granted them not only the privilege of holding you for so long during this time of need you were facing, but to also have gifted them this marvelous opportunity. Their species are fertile only periodically, it's not like they can do this any time they want, so to be in heat while your stupid bodyguard is missing it's a fucking miracle.

Yet I guess it would be really rude to mention that to you in person, after all you did love that mutt with all your heart, so-

Well, it's not like Black can express how desperately they want to pounce on you, they go through a thembofication when they're needy like this, besides- What good are words if they can simply let their moans filled the room and let it clear through actions how fucking long they have been craving this.

Your dog would have smelled them a lot sooner and tried to warn you about this, he could have prevented this but it seems like he ditched you, which is so unfair, none of them would ever leave you alone, but who cares about Buddy anymore, right? They're pretty sure that after you have a baby you'll forget him, because children and dogs are literally the same thing, ask Mini Red about it-

The fear that overcomes you when seeing them take off their disguise through your very eyes it's both heartbreaking and a little exciting. It's horrible for Black to see you screaming and trying to get out of the room despite the fact the door is locked tight and the walls being soundproof, were you really that disturbing that you couldn't handle?

Or maybe you realized who has been going around, ya know, eating people? And you thought you would be one too, which seemed to be the first time both of them understood what your worries were.

"- Oh no darling, don't worry okay! Shh- Everything it's fine- Look, we know this is sudden but it only felt right to show you the truth right now. You understand that right?"

Red tried to calm you down while simultaneously putting more fear in your heart.

"- Let me go! I-I- don't want anything to do with- With that thing! Or even you for that matter!" You spat venom at them while you squirmed in the mattress as Red was holding your arms and Black was holding your legs from kicking them.

So much hatred in only one sentence, truthfully, this wasn't going to go so well.

For you, that is.

You'll see that you love them, you see that this pity party you're throwing is absolutely ridiculous, weren't you kissing and whimpering at their touch five seconds ago? Honestly dear, hypocrisy doesn't look good on you.

But maybe you just need to relax a little, and let someone take care of you. Clearly the disappearance of "Whatever his name was" took you by surprise and made a big impact in your consciousness, but after proving you how much they have to offer, surely you'll understand their point of view.

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

[massivecraftofficial]

Welcome to SneakyLinguine’s Massive Spotlight!

Q: When did you first join Massive? What drew you to it? A: I originally joined the server sometime around 2013 or 2014 when I was in high school, after a google search along the lines of “minecraft fantasy roleplay server”. I had a few lengthy hiatuses between now and then, but most recently jumped back into it in the spring of 2020 after graduating university. After putting literally all my creative hobbies on the back burner for four years, I was itching to get back to writing for fun! Q: What was your first roleplay character like? How do they compare to your newest characters? A: My first ever character was a Nelfin of I don’t know what type called something like Draugris Golel. All I know is that she probably wasn’t at all lore compliant hahaha! I just sort of hopped on and started role playing. I don’t even know if I had consulted the wiki at all! The character I hopped back in with and who I still currently play is my Cielothar Aeda’lyn Kee’lyth. My love of elves certainly hasn’t changed, but A LOT more thought and planning goes into playing her than my first ever character! I also learned that playing an extroverted character makes finding roleplay a whole lot easier! Q: Speaking of finding roleplay, what advice would you give to newcomers just starting out? A: Stick with it! Things might not all click into place right away, and that’s okay! It’s not a race to be won- take your time to explore different niches, ask questions, and familiarize yourself with everything. We’ve all been there! Q: On that note, is there any type of roleplay you'd like to try out but never got into? A: I like literally any kind of roleplay, from slice of life to high stakes drama! The only real caveat is that I prefer rp to be small and personal- I struggle with groups of more than 4 or 5 people at once. I’ve never had a sanguine character or arc, so that’s something I’d be interested in trying out sometime! Q: What advice would you give for people who want to roleplay with you? What would be the best way to approach you, if at all? A: I’m more than happy to rp about absolutely anything with anyone! You can dm me in game, or on discord at SneakyLinguine#0600. I can also be found IC in Floral Court most days! Q: Is there anything you'd like to see more in roleplay? Types of characters, types of events, so on? A: That’s a tough one! I’m definitely guilty of sticking to what I’m used to, so I’m sure there’s plenty of rp out there that I don’t even know about! Teaching/Mentorship rp is my favourite way to add new proficiencies or learn about lore, so I always think there can be more of that! Q: Finally, do you have any special memories you'd like to share? Whether it's a roleplay scene that you found hilarious or an event that blew you away, anything works. A: Omg I have so many!! I was so lucky to be welcomed into such a lovely little community in Petal Court, and have shared so many great moments with folks there. Two that stick out to me the most are the Great Mother Trials and Aeda’s Triad inauguration celebration. They were happy and chaotic and just an all around great time with friends. Shoutout to everyone involved in those, ily! I’ve also had the chance to have some fantastic, heartfelt one-on-one rp with so many amazing people, and those will always stick with me. I love every single one of those deep talks I get to have as Aeda.

[luciensfox]

ACOSF Thoughts...

Don’t read unless you wish to be spoiled! Here are some things I can’t get out of my head after finishing the book...

Well first and foremost, I absolutely adore Nessian (as I always have but now it’s even more so) and I’m incredibly pleased with the direction it seems that SJM is leading Nesta’s character development! I’ve always wanted a badass warrior Nesta and I got way more than I figured (short of her growing wings at any time as I think some Valkyrie myths depict, this is amazing/ especially with all of the parallels people drew with her and Enalius). She’s going to make for an interesting character in the coming books and dare I say...commander Nesta. Oh, yes.

Of course I’ve always been obsessed with Lucien and nothing has changed on that front, but I’m even more intrigued now because we still need so many answers. When will it be revealed that he’s the heir of the Day Court? What’s the standings between he and Tamlin? With Vassa and Jurian? With his mother/ brothers? His mate? We literally got only two or three scenes with Luc involved so I knew nothing would be resolved in this novella, however I’m even more excited to see how Eris will play into his character arc come the next story (because you cannot convince me that SJM would put more emphasis on Eris than Lucien in this book and not intend for some brotherly angst in the future). Eris is also an anomaly and maybe it’s because I’m obsessed with the mysterious nature of whatever the hell is happening in the Autumn Court, but I really can’t wait to see what’s up with him and the rest of his family. (Also....the ballroom scene with Nest and Eris dancing to what is supposed to reflect Black Swan was one of my absolute favorite scenes.) Does Eris secretly desire peace and wants to take over Autumn not for power but to make amends and heal/ bring back glory to his home? And what exactly happened with Mor? SJM put so much emphasis on that too and we still have no idea.

I LOVE Gwyneth and Emerie. The triad of Valkyries was honestly the best part of the whole book for me. I know everyone is quick to match up characters with potential romances/ mates etc and it sounds like that’s what will happen with these two...but let’s not forget that they’re incredibly strong characters on their own terms and I hope whatever comes about their arcs isn't entirely placed on their romance status. However, they both seem to want to find someone to be with which leads me to believe that Emerie and Mor will very likely end up together (if only for the fact that we got one sentences indicating Em finds Mor gorgeous....I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens) and that Gwyn is going to be a potential interest for Azriel. 

I love Lucien so much, but my soft fox boy needs to heal and stop forcing himself to find romantic love when all he really needs is some self love. (So perhaps that will be his final journey....Lucien finally coming to terms with his trauma, settling ties with everyone from his past, and taking up his mental as Helion’s son and the future of the Day Court.) 

Elain seemed a bit OOC...and yet not at all? We’ve only got the chance to see the “sweet/ innocent” side of her, but it makes sense that she’s going to be a super complex character (SJM wouldn't have set her up so mysteriously if the intent was to leave her as a mere gardener) and that her journey in following books will show us a side of her we’ve never encountered. The Elriel ship has always been a confusing one for me, not because I don’t ship it but because there’s so much happening all the time that it’s hard to get a proper read on clues when SJM throws characters like Gwyn at us...coupled with the fact that Lucien seems to still be in love with Elain (or at least he’s just lonely and doesn't know how else to react, never mind whatever is happening with Vassa and Jurian), and that Az seems intent on getting with Elain....but Az also seems to be the type of character who falls in love deeply without considering a number of things. He’s driven by his desires and often hurt by them, hence his love for Mor. Notice how shortly after he started drifting from his desire for Mor, he started to desire Elain? Part of me wonders if it’s because he found the person he’s meant to be with...or if he felt attracted to her and she was a distraction to his pain and a means to help him get over Mor. Like I said, I don’t know which way I lean just yet but these are all possibilities!

Then there’s the Gwynriel ship--totally didn’t see that coming but I can’t say I don’t enjoy it. I love how Gwyn teases Az in a way that many others usually don’t dare, and that she’s another character with a history outside of the IC. While there’s a lot to consider, like the fact that Az’s shadows shy away when Elain is around but “dance” and seem to be overjoyed when Gwyn is nearby, I think a truly noticeable parallel to the pairing could be this:

Azriel is no stranger to unrequited love. In fact, that seemed to be his overarching characteristic for the first two books. Now that he’s found Elain and she also reciprocates their shared desire, it would be easy to pair them together. However, Gwyn seems to be interested in Azriel and Az can’t seem to figure out his standings with her other than being enticed and not realizing what’s in front of him because he’s so determined to be with Elain since “she’s the third sister and he the third brother” etc so it must make sense somehow even though Elain is mated. But Gwyn, to that extent, is no stranger to unrequited love either. 

Just imagine: Azriel finally cracks in the following book and shows a rare display of emotions to either Gwyn or the IC (or both) and Gwyn decides to confront him about facing his fears (his past with Mor, his current standings with Elain, his desire to have someone) by claiming that she knows exactly what unrequited love feels like because every day she stares at him and feels precisely as devastated as he did/does whenever he sees Mor or Elain. Az will probably be shocked to all hell and maybe it’ll snap him out of his misery enough to think clearly on the whole matter.

The Rhysand and Nesta friendship was something else I wasn’t expecting, didn’t necessarily think I’d want, but now am excited to see bloom. They definitely do share traits and I can’t help but remember how Rhys once compared Feyre to Cassian and how Nesta and Rhys might be the opposite counterparts since they’re both haughty and respond to things with incredibly heightened emotions because they love fiercely. 

This post is much longer than I’d intended but oh well, some other things for your consideration.....

A Varian/Amren x Nessian double date.

Nesta taking on a similar military role as Cassian and either leading a female unit of Illyrians/ Valkyries or sharing the brunt of Cassian’s job (plus come on... those two training together is essentially their respective version of foreplay and I’m so here for warrior Nessian bonding).

I hope we get to see that mating ceremony scene!

Also....does anyone remember Balthazar--the Illyrian who showed up for one scene and fell asleep on Nesta’s shoulder during the Blood Rite while he helped them find shelter? There’s no way SJM would’ve written in a character like that without intending for him to show up again in the future....

Koschei the deathless? Wonder what will occur there. 

Damn, if you’ve made it this far give yourself a pat on the back. 

[grigori77]

2020 in Movies - My Top 30 Fave Movies (Part 2)

20.  ONWARD – Disney and Pixar’s best digitally animated family feature of 2020 (beating the admittedly impressive Soul to the punch) clearly has a love of fantasy roleplay games like Dungeons & Dragons, its quirky modern-day AU take populated by fantastical races and creatures seemingly tailor-made for the geek crowd … needless to say, me and many of my friends absolutely loved it.  That doesn’t mean that the classic Disney ideals of love, family and believing in yourself have been side-lined in favour of fan-service – this is as heartfelt, affecting and tearful as their previous standouts, albeit with plenty of literal magic added to the metaphorical kind.  The central premise is a clever one – once upon a time, magic was commonplace, but over the years technology came along to make life easier, so that in the present day the various races (elves, centaurs, fauns, pixies, goblins and trolls among others) get along fine without it. Then timid elf Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland) receives a wizard’s staff for his sixteenth birthday, a bequeathed gift from his father, who died before he was born, with instructions for a spell that could bring him back to life for one whole day.  Encouraged by his brash, over-confident wannabe adventurer elder brother Barley (Chris Pratt), Ian tries it out, only for the spell to backfire, leaving them with the animated bottom half of their father and just 24 hours to find a means to restore the rest of him before time runs out.  Cue an “epic quest” … needless to say, this is another top-notch offering from the original masters of the craft, a fun, affecting and thoroughly infectious family-friendly romp with a winning sense of humour and inspired, flawless world-building.  Holland and Pratt are both fantastic, their instantly believable, ill-at-ease little/big brother chemistry effortlessly driving the story through its ingenious paces, and the ensuing emotional fireworks are hilarious and heart-breaking in equal measure, while there’s typically excellent support from Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine from Seinfeld) as Ian and Barley’s put-upon but supportive mum, Laurel, Octavia Spencer as once-mighty adventurer-turned-restaurateur “Corey” the Manticore and Mel Rodriguez (Getting On, The Last Man On Earth) as overbearing centaur cop (and Laurel’s new boyfriend) Colt Bronco.  The film marks the sophomore feature gig for Dan Scanlon, who debuted with 2013’s sequel Monsters University, and while that was enjoyable enough I ultimately found it non-essential – no such verdict can be levelled against THIS film, the writer-director delivering magnificently in all categories, while the animation team have outdone themselves in every scene, from the exquisite environments and character/creature designs to some fantastic (and frequently delightfully bonkers) set-pieces, while there’s a veritable riot of brilliant RPG in-jokes to delight geekier viewers (gelatinous cube! XD).  Massive, unadulterated fun, frequently hilarious and absolutely BURSTING with Disney’s trademark heart, this was ALMOST my animated feature of the year.  More on that later …

19.  THE GENTLEMEN – Guy Ritchie’s been having a rough time with his last few movies (The Man From UNCLE didn’t do too bad but it wasn’t exactly a hit and was largely overlooked or simply ignored, while intended franchise-starter King Arthur: Legend of the Sword was largely derided and suffered badly on release, dying a quick death financially – it’s a shame on both counts, because I really liked them), so it’s nice to see him having some proper success with his latest, even if he has basically reverted to type to do it.  Still, when his newest London gangster flick is THIS GOOD it seems churlish to quibble – this really is what he does best, bringing together a collection of colourful geezers and shaking up their status quo, then standing back and letting us enjoy the bloody, expletive-riddled results. This particularly motley crew is another winning selection, led by Matthew McConaughey as ruthlessly successful cannabis baron Mickey Pearson, who’s looking to retire from the game by selling off his massive and highly lucrative enterprise for a most tidy sum (some $400,000,000 to be precise) to up-and-coming fellow American ex-pat Matthew Berger (Succession’s Jeremy Strong, oozing sleazy charm), only for local Chinese triad Dry Eye (Crazy Rich Asians’ Henry Golding, chewing the scenery with enthusiasm) to start throwing spanners into the works with the intention of nabbing the deal for himself for a significant discount.  Needless to say Mickey’s not about to let that happen … McConaughey is ON FIRE here, the best he’s been since Dallas Buyers Club in my opinion, clearly having great fun sinking his teeth into this rich character and Ritchie’s typically sparkling, razor-witted dialogue, and he’s ably supported by a quality ensemble cast, particularly co-star Charlie Hunnam as Mickey’s ice-cold, steel-nerved right-hand-man Raymond Smith, Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery as his classy, strong-willed wife Rosalind, Colin Farrell as a wise-cracking, quietly exasperated MMA trainer and small-time hood simply known as the Coach (who gets many of the film’s best lines), and, most notably, Hugh Grant as the film’s nominal narrator, thoroughly morally bankrupt private investigator Fletcher, who consistently steals the film.  This is Guy Ritchie at his very best – a twisty rug-puller of a plot that constantly leaves you guessing, brilliantly observed and richly drawn characters you can’t help loving in spite of the fact there’s not a single hero among them, a deliciously unapologetic, politically incorrect sense of humour and a killer soundtrack.  Getting the cinematic year off to a phenomenal start, it’s EASILY Ritchie’s best film since Sherlock Holmes, and a strong call-back to the heady days of Snatch (STILL my favourite) and Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels.  Here’s hoping he’s on a roll again, eh?

18.  SPONTANEOUS – one of the year’s biggest under-the-radar surprise hits for me was one which I actually might not have caught if things had been a little more normal and ordered.  Thankfully with all the lockdown and cinematic shutdown bollocks going on, this fantastically subversive and deeply satirical indie teen comedy horror came along at the perfect time, and I completely flipped out over it.  Now those who know me know I don’t tend to gravitate towards teen cinema, but like all those other exceptions I’ve loved over the years, this one had a brilliantly compulsive hook I just couldn’t turn down – small-town high-schooler Mara (Knives Out and Netflix’ Cursed’s Katherine Langford) is your typical cool outsider kid, smart, snarky and just putting up with the scene until she can graduate and get as far away as possible … until one day in her senior year one of her classmates just inexplicably explodes. Like her peers, she’s shocked and she mourns, then starts to move on … until it happens again.  As the death toll among the senior class begins to mount, it becomes clear something weird is going on, but Mara has other things on her mind because the crisis has, for her, had an unexpected benefit – without it she wouldn’t have fallen in love with like-minded oddball new kid Dylan (Lean On Pete and Words On Bathroom Walls’ Charlie Plummer). The future’s looking bright, but only if they can both live to see it … this is a wickedly intelligent film, powered by a skilfully executed script and a wonderfully likeable young cast who consistently steer their characters around the potential cliched pitfalls of this kind of cinema, while debuting writer-director Brian Duffield (already a rising star thanks to scripts for Underwater, The Babysitter and blacklist darling Jane Got a Gun among others) show he’s got as much talent and flair for crafting truly inspired cinema as he has for thinking it up in the first place, delivering some impressively offbeat set-pieces and several neat twists you frequently don’t see coming ahead of time.  Langford and Plummer as a sassy, spicy pair who are easy to root for without ever getting cloying or sweet, while there’s glowing support from the likes of Hayley Law (Rioverdale, Altered Carbon, The New Romantic) as Mara’s best friend Tess, Piper Perabo and Transparent’s Rob Huebel as her increasingly concerned parents, and Insecure’s Yvonne Orji as Agent Rosetti, the beleaguered government employee sent to spearhead the investigation into exactly what’s happening to these kids.  Quirky, offbeat and endlessly inventive, this is one of those interesting instances where I’m glad they pushed the horror elements into the background so we could concentrate on the comedy, but more importantly these wonderfully well-realised and vital characters – there are some skilfully executed shocks, but far more deep belly laughs, and there’s bucketloads of heart to eclipse the gore.  Another winning debut from a talent I intend to watch with great interest in the future.

17.  HAMILTON – arriving just as Black Lives Matter reached fever-pitch levels, this feature presentation of the runaway Broadway musical smash-hit could not have been better timed. Shot over three nights during the show’s 2016 run with the original cast and cut together with specially created “setup shots”, it’s an immersive experience that at once puts you right in amongst the audience (at times almost a character themselves, never seen but DEFINITELY heard) but also lets you experience the action up close.  And what action – it’s an incredible show, a thoroughly fascinating piece of work that reads like something very staid and proper on paper (an all-encompassing biographical account of the life and times of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton) but, in execution, becomes something very different and EXTREMELY vital.  The execution certainly couldn’t be further from the usual period biopic fare this kind of historical subject matter usually gets (although in the face of recent high quality revisionist takes like Marie Antoinette, The Great and Tesla it’s not SO surprising), while the cast is not at all what you’d expect – with very few notable exceptions the cast is almost entirely people of colour, despite the fact that the real life individuals they’re playing were all very white indeed.  Every single one of them is also an absolute revelation – the show’s writer-composer Lin-Manuel Miranda (already riding high on the success of In the Heights) carries the central role of Hamilton with effortless charm and raw star power, Leslie Odom Jr. (Smash, Murder On the Orient Express) is duplicitously complex as his constant nemesis Aaron Burr, Christopher Jackson (In the Heights, Moana, Bull) oozes integrity and nobility as his mentor and friend George Washington, Phillipa Soo is sweet and classy as his wife Eliza while Renée Elise Goldsberry (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Jacks, Altered Carbon) is fiery and statuesque as her sister Angelica Schuyler (the one who got away), and Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter) consistently steals every scene he’s in as fiendish yet childish fan favourite King George III, but the show (and the film) ultimately belongs to veritable powerhouse Daveed Diggs (Blindspotting, The Good Lord Bird) in a spectacular duel role, starting subtly but gaining scene-stealing momentum as French Revolutionary Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, before EXPLODING onto the stage in the second half as indomitable third American President Thomas Jefferson.  Not having seen the stage show, I was taken completely by surprise by this, revelling in its revisionist genius and offbeat, quirky hip-hop charm, spellbound by the skilful ease with which is takes the sometimes quite dull historical fact and skews it into something consistently entertaining and absorbing, transported by the catchy earworm musical numbers and thoroughly tickled by the delightfully cheeky sense of humour strung throughout (at least when I wasn’t having my heart broken by moments of raw dramatic power). Altogether it’s a pretty unique cinematic experience I wish I could have actually gotten to see on the big screen, and one I’ve consistently recommended to all my friends, even the ones who don’t usually like musicals.  As far as I’m concerned it doesn’t need a proper Les Misérables style screen adaptation – this is about as perfect a presentation as the show could possibly hope for.

16.  SPUTNIK – summer’s horror highlight (despite SERIOUSLY tough competition) was a guaranteed sleeper hit that I almost missed entirely, stumbling across the trailer one day on YouTube and getting bowled over by its potential, prompting me to hunt it down by any means necessary.  The feature debut of Russian director Egor Abramenko, this first contact sci-fi chiller is about as far from E.T. as it’s possible to get, sharing some of the same DNA as Carpenter’s The Thing but proudly carving its own path with consummate skill and definitely signalling great things to come from its brand new helmer and relative unknown screenwriters Oleg Malovichko and Andrei Zolotarev.  Oksana Akinshina (probably best known in the West for her powerful climactic cameo in The Bourne Supremacy) is the beating heart of the film as neurophysiologist Tatyana Yuryevna Klimova, brought in to aid in the investigation in the Russian wilderness circa 1983 after an orbital research mission goes horribly wrong.  One of the cosmonauts dies horribly, while the other, Konstantin (The Duelist’s Pyotr Fyodorov) seems unharmed, but it quickly becomes clear that he’s now the host for something decidedly extraterrestrial and potentially terrifying, and as Tatyana becomes more deeply embroiled in her assignment she comes to realise that her superiors, particularly mysterious Red Army project leader Colonel Semiradov (The PyraMMMid’s Fyodor Bondarchuk), have far more insidious plans for Konstantin and his new “friend” than she could ever imagine. This is about as dark, intense and nightmarish as this particular sub-genre gets, a magnificently icky body horror that slowly builds its tension as we’re gradually exposed to the various truths and the awful gravity of the situation slowly reveals itself, punctuated by skilfully executed shocks and some particularly horrifying moments when the evils inflicted by the humans in charge prove far worse than anything the alien can do, while the ridiculously talented writers have a field day pulling the rug out from under us again and again, never going for the obvious twist and keeping us guessing right to the devastating ending, while the beautifully crafted digital creature effects are nothing short of astonishing and thoroughly creepy.  Akinshina dominates the film with her unbridled grace, vulnerability and integrity, the relationship that develops between Tatyana and Konstantin (Fyodorov delivering a beautifully understated turn belying deep inner turmoil) feeling realistically earned as it goes from tentatively wary to tragically bittersweet, while Bondarchuk invests the Colonel with a nuanced air of tarnished authority and restrained brutality that made him one of my top screen villains for the year.  One of 2020’s great sleeper hits, I can’t speak of this film highly enough – it’s a genuine revelation, an instant classic for whom I’ll sing its praises for years to come, and I wish enormous future success to all the creative talents involved.

15.  THE INVISIBLE MAN – looks like third time’s a charm for Leigh Whannell, writer-director of my ALMOST horror movie of the year (more on that later) – while he’s had immense success as a horror writer over the years (co-creator of both the Saw and Insidious franchises), as a director his first two features haven’t exactly set the world alight, with debut Insidious: Chapter III garnering similar takes to the rest of the series but ultimately turning out to be a bit of a damp squib quality-wise, while his second feature Upgrade was a stone-cold masterpiece that was (rightly) EXTREMELY well received critically, but ultimately snuck in under the radar and has remained a stubbornly hidden gem since. No such problems with his third feature, though – his latest collaboration with producer Jason Blum and the insanely lucrative Blumhouse Pictures has proven a massive hit both financially AND with reviewers, and deservedly so.  Having given up on trying to create a shared cinematic universe inhabited by their classic monsters, Universal resolved to concentrate on standalones to showcase their elite properties, and their first try is a rousing success, Whannell bringing HG Wells’ dark and devious human monster smack into the 21st Century as only he can.  The result is a surprisingly subtle piece of work, much more a lethally precise exercise in cinematic sleight of hand and extraordinary acting than flashy visual effects, strictly adhering to the Blumhouse credo of maximum returns for minimum bucks as the story is stripped down to its bare essentials and allowed to play out without any unnecessary weight.  The Handmaid’s Tale’s Elizabeth Moss once again confirms what a masterful actress she is as she brings all her performing weapons to bear in the role of Cecelia “Cee” Kass, the cloistered wife of affluent but monstrously abusive optics pioneer Aidan Griffin (Netflix’ The Haunting of Hill House’s Oliver Jackson-Cohen), who escapes his clutches in the furiously tense opening sequence and goes to ground with the help of her closest childhood friend, San Francisco cop James Lanier (Leverage’s Aldis Hodge) and his teenage daughter Sydney (A Wrinkle in Time’s Storm Reid).  Two weeks later, Aidan commits suicide, leaving Cee with a fortune to start her life over (with the proviso that she’s never ruled mentally incompetent), but as she tries to find her way in the world again little things start going wrong for her, and she begins to question if there might be something insidious going on.  As her nerves start to unravel, she begins to suspect that Aidan is still alive, still very much in her life, fiendishly toying with her and her friends, but no-one can see him.  Whannell plays her paranoia up for all it’s worth, skilfully teasing out the scares so that, just like her friends, we begin to wonder if it might all be in her head after all, before a spectacular mid-movie reveal throws the switch into high gear and the true threat becomes clear.  The lion’s share of the film’s immense success must of course go to Moss – her performance is BEYOND a revelation, a blistering career best that totally powers the whole enterprise, and it goes without saying that she’s the best thing in this.  Even so, she has sterling support from Hodge and Reid, as well as Love Child’s Harriet Dyer as Cee’s estranged big sister Emily and Wonderland’s Michael Dorman as Adrian’s slimy, spineless lawyer brother Tom, and, while he doesn’t have much actual (ahem) “screen time”, Jackson-Cohen delivers a fantastically icy, subtly malevolent turn which casts a large “shadow” over the film.  This is one of my very favourite Blumhouse films, a pitch-perfect psychological chiller that keeps the tension cranked up unbearably tight and never lets go, Whannell once again displaying uncanny skill with expert jump-scares, knuckle-whitening chills and a truly astounding standout set-piece that easily goes down as one of the top action sequences of 2020. Undoubtedly the best version of Wells’ story to date, this goes a long way in repairing the damage of Universal’s abortive “Dark Universe” efforts, as well as showcasing a filmmaking master at the very height of his talents.

14.  EXTRACTION – the Coronavirus certainly has threw a massive spanner in the works of the year’s cinematic calendar – among many other casualties to the blockbuster shunt, the latest (and most long-awaited) MCU movie, Black Widow, should have opened to further record-breaking box office success at the end of spring, but instead the theatres were all closed and virtually all the heavyweights were pushed back or shelved indefinitely.  Thank God, then, for the streaming services, particularly Hulu, Amazon and Netflix, the latter of which provided a perfect movie for us to see through the key transition into the summer blockbuster season, an explosively flashy big budget action thriller ushered in by MCU alumni the Russo Brothers (who produced and co-wrote this adaptation of Ciudad, a graphic novel that Joe Russo co-created with Ande Parks and Fernando Leon Gonzalez) and barely able to contain the sheer star-power wattage of its lead, Thor himself.  Chris Hemsworth plays Tyler Rake, a former Australian SAS operative who hires out his services to an extraction operation under the command of mercenary Nik Khan (The Patience Stone’s Golshifteh Farahani), brought in to liberate Ovi Mahajan (Rudhraksh Jaiswal in his first major role), the pre-teen son of incarcerated Indian crime lord Ovi Sr. (Pankaj Tripathi), who has been abducted by Bangladeshi rival Amir Asif (Priyanshu Painyuli).  The rescue itself goes perfectly, but when the time comes for the hand-off the team is double-crossed and Tyler is left stranded in the middle of Dhaka with no choice but to keep Ovi alive as every corrupt cop and street gang in the city closes in around them.  This is the feature debut of Sam Hargrave, the latest stuntman to try his hand at directing, so he certainly knows his way around an action set-piece, and the result is a thoroughly breathless adrenaline rush of a film, bursting at the seams with spectacular fights, gun battles and car chases, dominated by a stunning sustained sequence that plays out in one long shot, guaranteed to leave jaws lying on the floor.  Not that there should be any surprise – Hargrave cut his teeth as a stunt coordinator for the Russos on Captain America: Civil War and their Avengers films.  That said, he displays strong talent for the quieter disciplines of filmmaking too, delivering quality character development and drawing out consistently noteworthy performances from his cast.  Of course, Hemsworth can do the action stuff in his sleep, but there’s a lot more to Tyler than just his muscle, the MCU veteran investing him with real wounded vulnerability and a tragic fatalism which colours every scene, while Jaiswal is exceptional throughout, showing plenty of promise for the future, and there’s strong support from Farahani and Painyuli, as well as Stranger Things’ David Harbour as world-weary retired merc Gaspard, and a particularly impressive, muscular turn from Randeep Hooda (Once Upon a Time in Mumbai) as Saju, a former Para and Ovi’s bodyguard, who’s determined to take possession of the boy himself, even if he has to go through Tyler to get him.  This is action cinema that really deserves to be seen on the big screen – I watched it twice in a week and would happily have paid for two trips to the cinema for it if I could have.  As we looked down the barrel of a summer season largely devoid of blockbuster fare, I couldn’t recommend this enough.  Thank the gods for Netflix …

13.  THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 – although it’s definitely a film that really benefitted enormously from releasing on Netflix during the various lockdowns, this was one of the blessed few I actually got to see during one of the UK’s frustratingly rare lulls when cinemas were actually OPEN.  Rather perversely it therefore became one of my favourite cinematic experiences of 2020, but then I’m just as much a fan of well-made cerebral films as I am of the big, immersive blockbuster EXPERIENCES, so this probably still would have been a standout in a normal year. Certainly if this was a purely CRITICAL list for the year this probably would have placed high in the Top Ten … Aaron Sorkin is a writer whose work I have ardently admired ever since he went from esteemed playwright to in-demand talent for both the big screen AND the small with A Few Good Men, and TTOTC7 is just another in a long line of consistently impressive, flawlessly written works rife with addictive quickfire dialogue, beautifully observed characters and rewardingly propulsive narrative storytelling (therefore resting comfortably amongst the well-respected likes of The West Wing, Charlie Wilson’s War, Moneyball and The Social Network).  It also marks his second feature as a director (after fascinating and incendiary debut Molly’s Game), and once again he’s gone for true story over fiction, tackling the still controversial subject of the infamous 1968 trial of the “ringleaders” of the infamous riots which marred Chicago’s Diplomatic National Convention five months earlier, in which thousands of hippies and college students protesting the Vietnam War clashed with police.  Spurred on by the newly-instated Presidential Administration of Richard Nixon to make some examples, hungry up-and-coming prosecutor Richard Schultz (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is confident in his case, while the Seven – who include respected and astute student activist Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne) and confrontational counterculture firebrands Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Jerry Rubin (Succession’s Jeremy Strong) – are the clear underdogs.  They’re a divided bunch (particularly Hayden and Hoffman, who never mince their words about what little regard they hold for each other), and they’re up against the combined might of the U.S. Government, while all they have on their side is pro-bono lawyer and civil rights activist William Kunstler (Mark Rylance), who’s sharp, driven and thoroughly committed to the cause but clearly massively outmatched … not to mention the fact that the judge presiding over the case is Julius Hoffman (Frank Langella), a fierce and uncompromising conservative who’s clearly 100% on the Administration’s side, and who might in fact be stark raving mad (he also frequently goes to great lengths to make it clear to all concerned that he is NOT related to Abbie).  Much as we’ve come to expect from Sorkin, this is cinema of grand ideals and strong characters, not big spectacle and hard action, and all the better for it – he’s proved time and again that he’s one of the very best creative minds in Hollywood when it comes to intelligent, thought-provoking and engrossing thinking-man’s entertainment, and this is pure par for the course, keeping us glued to the screen from the skilfully-executed whirlwind introductory montage to the powerfully cathartic climax, and every varied and brilliant scene in-between.  This is heady stuff, focusing on what’s still an extremely thorny issue made all the more urgently relevant and timely given what was (and still is) going on in American politics at the time, and everyone involved here was clearly fully committed to making the film as palpable, powerful and resonant as possible for the viewer, no matter their nationality or political inclination.  Also typical for a Sorkin film, the cast are exceptional, everyone clearly having the wildest time getting their teeth into their finely-drawn characters and that magnificent dialogue – Redmayne and Baron Cohen are compellingly complimentary intellectual antagonists given their radically different approaches and their roles’ polar opposite energies, while Rylance delivers another pitch-perfect, simply ASTOUNDING performance that once again marks him as one of the very best actors of his generation, and there are particularly meaty turns from Strong, Langella, Aquaman’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (as besieged Black Panther Bobby Seale) and a potent late appearance from Michael Keaton that sear themselves into the memory long after viewing. Altogether then, this is a phenomenal film which deserves to be seen no matter the format, a thought-provoking and undeniably IMPORTANT masterwork from a master cinematic storyteller that says as much about the world we live in now as the decidedly turbulent times it portrays …

12.  GREYHOUND – when the cinemas closed back in March, the fate of many of the major summer blockbusters we’d been looking forward to was thrown into terrible doubt. Some were pushed back to more amenable dates in the autumn or winter (which even then ultimately proved frustratingly ambitious), others knocked back a whole year to fill summer slots for 2021, but more than a few simply dropped off the radar entirely with the terrible words “postponed until further notice” stamped on them, and I lamented them all, this one in particular.  It hung in there longer than some, stubbornly holding onto its June release slot for as long as possible, but eventually it gave up the ghost too … but thanks to Apple TV+, not for long, ultimately releasing less than a month later than intended.  Thankfully the film itself was worth the fuss, a taut World War II suspense thriller that’s all killer, no filler – set during the infamous Battle of the Atlantic, it portrays the constant life-or-death struggle faced by the Allied warships assigned to escort the transport convoys as they crossed the ocean, defending their charges from German U-boats.  Adapted from C.S. Forester’s famous 1955 novel The Good Shepherd by Tom Hanks and directed by Aaron Schneider (Get Low), the narrative focuses on the crew of the escort leader, American destroyer USS Fletcher, codenamed “Greyhound”, and in particular its captain, Commander Ernest Krause (Hanks), a career sailor serving his first command.  As they cross “the Pit”, the most dangerous middle stretch of the journey where they spend days without air-cover, they find themselves shadowed by “the Wolf Pack”, a particularly cunning group of German submarines that begin to pick away at the convoy’s stragglers.  Faced with daunting odds, a dwindling supply of vital depth-charges and a ruthless, persistent enemy, Krause must make hard choices to bring his ships home safe … jumping into the thick of the action within the first ten minutes and maintaining its tension for the remainder of the trim 90-minute run, this is screen suspense par excellence, a sleek textbook example of how to craft a compelling big screen knuckle-whitener with zero fat and maximum reward, delivering a series of desperate naval scraps packed with hide-and-seek intensity, heart-in-mouth near-misses and fist-in-air cathartic payoffs by the bucket-load.  Hanks is subtly magnificent, the calm centre of the narrative storm as a supposed newcomer to this battle arena who could have been BORN for it, bringing to mind his similarly unflappable in Captain Phillips and certainly not suffering by comparison; by and large he’s the focus point, but other crew members make strong (if sometimes quite brief) impressions, particularly Stephen Graham as Krause’s reliably seasoned XO, Lt. Commander Charlie Cole, The Magnificent Seven’s Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Just Mercy’s Rob Morgan, while Elisabeth Shue does a lot with a very small part in brief flashbacks as Krause’s fiancée Evelyn. Relentless, exhilarating and thoroughly unforgettable, this was one of the true action highlights of the summer, and one hell of a war flick.  I’m so glad it made the cut for the summer …

11.  PROJECT POWER – with Marvel and DC pushing their tent-pole titles back in the face of COVID, the usual superhero antics we’ve come to expect for the summer were pretty thin on the ground in 2020, leading us to find our geeky fan thrills elsewhere. Unfortunately, pickings were frustratingly slim – Korean comic book actioner Gundala was entertaining but workmanlike, while Thor AU Mortal was underwhelming despite strong direction from Troll Hunter’s André Øvredal, and The New Mutants just got shat on by the studio and its distributors and no mistake – thank the Gods, then, for Netflix, once again riding to the rescue with this enjoyably offbeat super-thriller, which takes an intriguing central premise and really runs with it.  New designer drug Power has hit the streets of New Orleans, able to give anyone who takes it a superpower for five minutes … the only problem is, until you try it, you don’t know what your own unique talent is – for some, it could mean five minutes of invisibility, or insane levels of super-strength, but other powers can be potentially lethal, the really unlucky buggers just blowing up on the spot.  Robin (The Hate U Give’s Dominique Fishback) is a teenage Power-pusher with dreams of becoming a rap star, dealing the pills so she can help her diabetic mum; Frank Shaver (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is one of her customers, a police detective who uses his power of near invulnerability to even the playing field when supercharged crims cause a disturbance.  Their lives are turned upside down when Art (Jamie Foxx) arrives in town – he’s a seriously badass ex-soldier determined to hunt down the source of Power by any means necessary, and he’s not above tearing the Big Easy apart to do it. This is a fun, gleefully infectious rollercoaster that doesn’t take itself too seriously, revelling in the anarchic potential of its premise and crafting some suitably OTT effects-driven chaos brought to pleasingly visceral fruition by its skilfully inventive director, Ariel Schulman (Catfish, Nerve, Viral), while Mattson Tomlin (the screenwriter of the DCEU’s oft-delayed, incendiary headline act The Batman) takes the story in some very interesting directions and poses fascinating questions about what Power’s TRULY capable of.  Gordon-Levitt and Fishback are both brilliant, the latter particularly impressing in what’s sure to be a major breakthrough role for her, and the friendship their characters share is pretty adorable, while Foxx really is a force to be reckoned with, pretty chill even when he’s in deep shit but fully capable of turning into a bona fide killing machine at the flip of a switch, and there’s strong support from Westworld’s Rodrigo Santoro as Biggie, Power’s delightfully oily kingpin, Courtney B. Vance as Frank’s by-the-book superior, Captain Crane, Amy Landecker as Gardner, the morally bankrupt CIA spook responsible for the drug’s production, and Machine Gun Kelly as Newt, a Power dealer whose pyrotechnic “gift” really isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  Exciting, inventive, frequently amusing and infectiously likeable, this was some of the most uncomplicated cinematic fun I had all summer.  Not bad for something which I’m sure was originally destined to become one of the season’s B-list features …

[capricornus-rex]

What You Fear To Lose (2)

Cal Kestis x Reader

Requested by: Anon | Prompt:

Okay so maybe a fic where Cal keeps having nightmares and visions when he meditates of the reader dying and the events leading up to her death. He starts being really protective and the reader tries to reassure him shes fine. But on a mission things start happening that he saw in the visions before the reader dies and gets really on edge. You can decide how it ends, aka reader dying in cals arms to make me cry or him saving her to also make me cry! Sorry if this is too much!!💕

Tags: Near-death! Reader

Previous: Part 1 | Next: Part 3 | Masterlist

2 of 3

The next morning, Cal woke up realizing that he was late for the morning briefing; he rushed to the room where Cham Syndulla and his fighters are gathered. He finds you standing at the far back, away from the crowd, yet listening intently to the leader.

“Hi,” Cal huffed, gasping for air as quietly as he could. “Did I miss anything?”

“Oh hey, not much. Cham was just getting started,”

You filled him on the minor details before the Twi’lek got to the chunk of the plan; pointing which teams go where, when to strike, and who to avoid. Later, Cham turned to the two Jedi which prompted you to step forward and the people gave way for you.

“This section is the most crucial—and obviously the most well and heavily-guarded—with your weapons and knowledge in better combat, you two are our only chance of ever achieving our objective. You must destroy the main shield generator so we can have a better chance in taking it down with aerial assault. Can I count on you, Jedi Knights?”

There was a pause. You stepped closer to the hologram, your head panned across the very edge up until the blinking red square on the map that indicates the objective. You turned back to Cham and your signature confident smug plastered all over your face.

“Trouble seems to be our only selling point. Why don’t we give the Empire a free trial?”

Cheers filled the conference chamber, brandishing their weapons of all types, and fighters poured out of the mound—a handful rode in their mounts, whilst several continued on foot.

You and Cal were on the vanguard, with a designated assault squadron flanking you for cover.

This was only the beginning phase of the plan. The assault squadron that charged with you traded shots with the baffled Stormtroopers that were standing by and keeping watch at the main entrance. The pair of Jedi assisted the fighters as they faced head on with the melee-wielding Stormtroopers.

“Requesting reinforcements! The main entrance is being overwhelmed by rebels!” a Stormtrooper cried out helplessly before taking a shot from a blaster rifle.

“Go, Jedi! Half of the squad will cover for you once you’re inside!” Cham bellowed.

“Come on!” you beckoned Cal and he ran by your side.

The two of you come across a human barricade of Stormtroopers between the entrance of the stronghold and you. The barricade was spearheaded by a rocket launcher-wielding trooper, he already had a single shot loaded into his weapon, and all he needed was to pull the trigger.

A torpedo comes popping out of the barrel of the weapon. With your combined lightning-fast reflexes, you and Cal worked together—with his Force-Slow, he hindered the slug in mid-air, ripples in the air encased the large bullet, and your ability to manipulate the flow of objects using the Force comes into play: your hands weaved the air in a continuous spinning motion to which the slug motioned in a similar manner until it now faces the opposite direction. Cal then released his focus on the bullet and sends it flying back to the row of Stormtroopers—including the one who shot it.

The entire stronghold is now on high alert, but the two of you eluded the eyes of the Stormtroopers marching across the hallways until you could reach the objective. Neither confidence nor arrogance have a place in this mission, so going in quietly was the best option. The hallway you prowled through was similar to the fortress in Nur, though neither of you sense anything… yet.

“Cham, we’re inside the stronghold. Stormtroopers are coming your way,”

“Copy that. We’ll be ready for them, they haven’t thinned out my numbers yet!”

You and Cal sprinted through the hallway, eager to get to the objective. Along the way, the Stormtroopers have started pouring into your direction and you have no choice but to fight through it.

“Calculating attack success probability.” The Imperial security droid monotonously annunciated as you dodge-rolled its uppercut punch.

This was already the third wave of enemies. The Jedi were beginning to anticipate that the next wave is bound to be more difficult than the last.

“They killed our droid!” a Stormtrooper whimpered.

“Oh no, now they look mad!” another followed.

To the Stormtroopers’ eyes, the blinding beams that are your sabers dazed them, messing up their aim and footing in effect; the Jedi were fluid and lithe with their attacks and general movements that none of the Stormtroopers’ blasters can find its mark.

The arrival of a Purge Trooper in the skirmish somehow became their beacon of relief. Humbled by the presence of the black-clad trooper wielding a massive electrohammer, they’ve technically placed all their hope of survival in their more tenacious, high-tier comrade.

“Two Jedi? Looks like my lucky day!” the Purge Trooper hissed through his helmet.

You made yourselves busy with the inferior Stormtroopers first before setting your sights on the Purge Trooper.

“Puh! They never even stood a chance anyway!” the enemy taunted, striking the floor with the pommel of his weapon.

Cal exchanged glances with you and for a moment, there was an unspoken understanding between the two of you. With each of you running on the walls on either side and leapt off at the end with an overhead strike, you took the Purge Trooper by surprise but he was quick-witted enough to deflect both attacks.

“Oh-ho-ho!! A worthy challenge!” he chortled.

The joint stunt you did with Cal somewhat enabled the Purge Trooper rather than intimidate him, now he’s gotten more brutish with his attacks albeit sluggish—which you took advantage of. Cal immediately engaged him as a diversion while you sneak in and exploited an opening, regardless how narrow that window of opportunity might be.

To your surprise, the Purge Trooper deflected your sneak attack with his own gauntlet! A cocky snicker muffled through his helmet and he literally has his hands full with both of you. A hard kick to the shin from Cal caused the brute to lose his footing and it granted you a short time to finally kill the Purge Trooper.

You pulled your saber away from his gauntlet and while he fumbles, you released a triad of slashes across his body, severing his armor in half until an ember-encrusted gash across his body steals away the last breath in his lungs. The two of you stood there with your mouths agape while sucking in air.

“Well then… that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Cal blurted.

You threw yourself into Cal’s arms, not even as a response to his remark, but simply out of your heart’s content. You took Cal by surprise, he felt your fingers crumpling the back of his jumpsuit as you cling onto him. You drew the strength to pull away and shyly avert your eyes from him.

“Sorry… I just couldn’t help it… I don’t know what came over—”

He ignored your nervous rambling of reasons, he cupped your cheeks and his lips met yours for the very first time. His thumb caressed the fullness of your cheek as his tongue sneakily dips into your mouth. Of course by instinct, you kiss him back—tenderly sucking the bottom of his lip as you held him by the neck.

Even when he has pulled away, Cal followed up another kiss—but tender and short.

“Now isn’t really the best time but… I just wanted you to know it before shit goes down.”

You breathed out a chuckle, “Oh Cal, I know… I know.”

There was an exchange of awkward but endearing smiles, accompanied by snickers in between.

With your heads back in the game, you find your way to the place where the red blip on the map showed.

“There’s the door!” you squealed.

The blast door starts to open, slowly revealing a tall, hulking figure standing on the other end.

Your path was cut off by the Fifth Brother, a gray, hulking brute whose helmet made him resemble a Zeffonian or the guardian in its tombs.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he hummed, brandishing his dual-ended lightsaber.

“Wouldn’t you like to know!?” you snarled back.

Your lightsabers hissed back as you assumed stances. The Fifth Brother remained indifferent.

There appeared to be no room for small talk. The two Jedi faced the Inquisitor head on. Even though the dark warrior was outnumbered, his strength was twice the combination of your strength and Cal’s.

Meanwhile, Cham Syndulla was beginning to get worried why you and Cal were taking so long. He had feared the worst—and it has come true.

The Inquisitor has lured his enemies into the other side of the blast door, leading you into the exact place where you needed to be: the main shield generator chamber. Sitting at the center of the vast room is the pillar coated with electric currents—in other words: your target.

He’s made this duel much trickier. The walkways that lead to the main pillar had no railings, they lead straight into the abyss of the shaft, and it limited your space, thus forcing you to be more tactful with your movements.

“Careful!” Cal cried out.

“I know!”

The Fifth Brother’s fighting tactics was similar to the Ninth Sister’s, however, he moves in a feather-like grace despite his physical appearance—rendering his elusive and dexterous with his attacks. It was too impractical for both of you to keep on charging, it was a given fact that if he saw that strategy, he will just tire both of you out until he emerges victorious.

The Fifth Brother dealt a hit on your shoulder, afterwards he used the Force to push you away from him just so he can target Cal next.

When Cal got a little too close, the Fifth Brother landed his elbow against the boy’s jaw, disorienting him until he staggers backwards. He interrupted his fall by holding onto the edge of the bridge, the Inquisitor stood by the edge and hovered his foot just an inch above Cal’s fingers.

“No, get away from him!” you violently pulled the Inquisitor away from the ledge, making him return his attention to you.

He watched you bring yourself back up to your feet. You winced as you got both feet flat on the floor. The Inquisitor almost gutted you open by the abdomen—luckily, the thick fabric of your jacket only made the strike into a graze but it still burned on your skin. You looked at your arm, deep red blood dribbled and stained your tattered sleeve, and the seared flesh peeked through the slit that the Inquisitor has cut on your clothes.

“Pitiful! Stand up straight, girl!” he roared.

Cal immediately pulled himself up and saw that you weren’t in your best shape, but the Inquisitor had no regard to that and marched right towards you. The Inquisitor’s large hand braced your neck and hoisted you up from the floor, your legs kicked as you struggled for air, your small hands couldn’t loosen his crushing grip around your throat.

“This is the fight I was promised? Pssh, shame.”

Cal’s heart sank the moment the Fifth Brother drove his lightsaber into your abdomen. He didn’t even grant you to dignity to stand up straight as you prepared to face him.

The sensation was excruciating. Your body didn’t know whether to cough to recover from the choke or gasp for oxygen as you felt like you were a balloon that’s been ruptured open and is quickly running out of air.

You found Cal’s eyes, wide and wrought with anguish, and it slowly curdled into a seething rage—a dangerous seething rage that can be weaponized when the tables have turned.

[greyfongschemmenti]

Hesitate 8|15

FryeArcana

Chapter 8

Republic City Is At War

Summary:

The aftermath after that evening at the park. How will you and the chief continue on at work. will it interfere and how will you handle the chaos of the Equalists during the pro-bending match.

Avatar Korra and task force bust down on underground equalist gym last night.

You read the article in the newspaper while you drink some tea during dinner at a diner nearby your apartment. You put the newspaper down and pay for your meal before heading to the station for a late shift. You and Lin haven’t spoken to each other since that time at the park. You figured it be best to just give her space, you’re not going to be the one to bring your private matters into the workplace.

You sit at your desk finishing up some reports then check on the holding cell “Hey Lee, how’s it going down here?” you look over at the somewhat young officer.

“nothing much, just a few drunkies, but hey you hear what’s on the radio?” he turns up the volume on his radio and you can hear the voice of Tarrlok and Korra as well as a few reporters.

“Amon is hiding in the shadows like a coward. Amon, I challenge you to a deal…just the two of us, midnight. If you’re man enough to face me.”

Lee let’s out a low whistle “damn, a challenge, you think Amon will take her bait?” he looks up at you. You’re standing there in disbelief as if you were trying to decide whether Korra was brave to take Amon on or incredibly stupid to do so. “Honestly, I don’t know….Avatar Korra is just trying to get in the good graces of the public so who is she really trying to prove. The citizens of Republic City or herself? So will Amon show up, yeah I think so. Amon doesn’t seem like the person who can be scared off, but I don’t think a fight will happen.”

“well who knows, maybe there might be a report of the challenge afterwards. Wanna make a bet?” Lee smirked as he leaned back in his chair

“I just said no one is going to fight, that’s my guess.” You smile as you lean against the wall

“ahh you’re no fun” he groaned

You laugh then kick yourself off the wall and walk away waving Lee off as you head back to your desk. “Is Korra really that stupid to take on a real danger like Amon by herself?” you mutter under your breath as you walk up the stairs and head towards your desk.

*

Even though you were in the late night shift. All officers were to report for mandatory spar training. You get paired up with officer Long, he promises to take it easy on you and you just scoff at him and start to spar. You catch a glimpse of Lin at the corner of the room looking at everyone’s progress as she holds a clipboard. She looks at everyone but you, you’re distracted that you don’t notice that Long has sent a piece of metal to you and you get knocked to the ground.

“ah shit, sorry y/n.” Long runs over and helps you up. You take his hand and get back up on your feet.

“this is what occurs when you’re distracted and not focused on your opponent, officers. One second is all it takes for a perp to overtake you.” Lin calls out to the whole room while she walks up towards you and Long. Her arms crossed behind her back as she gives the both of you a stern look.  You don’t look at her and have your back facing her and you can’t help but get upset.

“good job using that opening to attack, Long.” Lin walks away, you look over your shoulder and get mad.

“Switch partners” Lin barks out. Everyone walks and grabs different partners; you were going to partnered up with Lee before Pak stops you and said that Chief partnered him with you. You scoff and roll your eyes but shrug it off.

This time the task was to try to break free from a grasp, without using the need bending, just pure physical power. You look over at Pak, he is easily the strongest guy on the force, there’s no way you’ll be able to take this guy down. You look over at Lin and wonder what her deal is, before you look back at Pak and get into position.

*

“again”

You hit the mat hard time and time again on your back and silently groan. You’re getting tired of this training, no matter how hard you try Pak is just too strong for you to break from his grasp.

There is a time for a short water break, and you get a chance to rinse your mouth and drink.

You watch over and notice Lin, by herself and take the opportunity to walk over to her and talk.

“what’s your problem Lin” you whisper to her.

“officer y/n, do I need to remind you that I am your Chief” she talks but has her attention at her clipboard.

“well “Chief”, I wasn’t sure if who I’m seeing is really Chief Beifong or Lin.” you angrily mutter at her.

“what is that supposed to mean, officer?” she quickly interjects as she writes down some notes on her paper still not giving you any attention.

“come on, you know better than I do that, you put me against Pak. For some personal vendetta.”

“Let me stop you right there. I partnered you with Officer Pak, because you don’t know who your offender will be. You need to experience all types of people. Pak is no exception” Lin shrugged you off not really giving you a care. “now if you really think you can’t handle the way I do things in my force, there’s the door” she finally looks up at you and gives you a stern look.

You look at her eyes and don’t stand down, giving her the same look of intensity back before you give her a nod and walk back to the mat.

“alright, positions and do that task again” Lin barked out as she watched everyone work on their stances.

You and Pak get in position, you’re crouched down with Pak having his arm around you in a headlock. You have all this anger and rage from your conversation with Lin. All this pent up rage, you bring your arm behind you and grab Pak’s collar and the helm of his armor and with all your strength you’re able to swing him over your shoulder and slam him to the ground.

Your power caused his body to indent into the ground and you can hear Pak groaning in pain. Everyone stops what they’re doing and are surprised of the scene. You breathe deeply and stand up running your hand thru your hair. “sorry, Pak” you walk by him as you grab your bag and start walking out the room not before giving Lin a look as you head to the showers.

“alright, training is over. Hit the showers” Lin barks out “someone help that poor boy to the infirmary” two officers run over and pick Pak up and start walking him out the training room and take him to see a healer while the rest of the officers go and hit the men’s shower room.

Even though you were the first one in the shower, most of the other women have finished and left. Leaving you by yourself to collect your thoughts. That is you thought you were by yourself.

You turn the water off and wrap a towel around you and start getting dressed. Right when you put your tank on you notice someone in the corner of your eye and look over and see Lin looking at you.

“yea, Chief?” you look back at your stuff

“you did quite some damage to Pak”

“well, the task was to take down your opponent by whatever means necessary without bending, right” you spat out.

“without killing them”

“Pak’s fine, just got a bruised back” you shrug off as you pack up your bag closing it then swing it on your back. You look up at Lin “so you want to tell me what that was about?”

“what do you mean, officer?” Lin looks at you, not changing her tone. She’s giving you the same Chief persona.

You groan, getting tired of the bullshit, “come on, quit the garbage, Lin. You and I both know that whole training session wasn’t anything work related. You consciously or even subconsciously did all that to hurt me or get some sort of control.” You walk towards her getting angry again and stand in front of her.

“nothing happened” Lin stated

“exactly, nothing happened! Yet, your actions are saying otherwise.” Your voice raises in frustration, but you stop yourself, take a deep breath then take a step back. “look I don’t like talking about my personal life at work, and quite frankly I’m pretty sure there are some guys trying to hear in on the conversation.” You look at her, your eyes slowly soften when you really look at her. Her eyes tired as if she hasn’t slept well, but she keeps quiet and rolls her eyes.

“I better have reports at my desk by the time I leave this room” Lin barked out and you can hear feet shuffling as they run away from the door. “idiots” she growled. There is short silence between the two of you before you speak again.

“I can keep things separate; my question is can you? Or will our professional relationship hindered?” you stand up straight and offer her a hand. Lin look at you, down at your hand, then turns around and heads for the door

“just don’t break any more of my officers” Lin groans as she opens the door. Though she didn’t take your hand you could feel like the Lin you know was still there and smile softly before walking out and getting back to work.

*

It’s been a couple days since that talk at the shower and it seemed to go back to whatever normal you had with Lin. You got partnered with her trying to find some sort of control over the triads when you get interrupted by an officer busting in her office.

“Amon is on the radio!”  You and Lin exchange a look and Lin turns on her radio just enough to listen to his message. “…I hoped you enjoyed last night’s pro-bending match, because it will be the last. It’s time for this city to stop worshipping bending athletes as if they were heroes. I am calling on the council to shut down the bending arena and cancel the finals or else…there will be severe consequences.” The radio statics and the transmission is over.

“that guy’s got some nerve” you mutter “you think the council will listen?” you look over at Lin.

“I don’t know but we can’t let the city give in to fear” Lin sneered as she gets up and walks out of her office, you look around and decide to follow her. “wait, where you are going Chief?” you jog up after her.  “Council meeting” Lin gets in the car, sitting in the passenger seat and you jump in, start the car and speed off to City Hall.

*

“stay in the car, I’ll go talk to the council” Lin gets out and starts running up the stairs and goes inside the building. You look around and frown, after a couple of minutes you get bored. I mean no one is going to ticket the Chief’s car. You get out and run up the steps and go inside wondering if you’ll be able to catch some of what’s going on. You stand right by the door not saying anything hoping not to get any attention from the council.

“if you keep the arena open, my metalbenders and I will provide extra security during the championship match. There’s no better force to deal with the chi-blockers. Our armor is impervious to their attacks.” Lin states to the council, her arms behind her back.

Tarrlok gives her an eyeing look and there is a sly smile on his face. “are you saying that you will personally take responsibility for the safety of the spectators in the arena?” it seems like only you and Tenzin noticed the tone in Tarrlok’s voice as he asked that question, Tenzin shifts his body over at Tarrlok and you eye him with suspicion.

“I guarantee it” Lin says confidently

“it is hard to argue with Chief Beifong’s track record. If she is confident her elite officers can protect the arena, then she has my support. I am changing my vote—who else is with me?” slowly one by one each member on the council raises their hand except for Tenzin.

“the arena stays open. Good luck in the finals. And good luck to you, Chief Beifong.” Tarrlok looks over at the Fire Ferrets and Chief Beifong. Tenzin looks over in defeat while the Fire Ferrets exchange cheers. Tenzin walk over to Lin and he quietly exchanges some words to her. Lin looks back over her shoulder at him before noticing you standing in the back of the room.

She groans as she walks over to you “I thought I told you to wait in the car” she sneered before you could say anything “I have to exchange some words with councilman Tenzin.” She said annoyingly and walks out of the room and goes to meet with him.

As the Fire Ferrets walk out the room Mako meets your eyes and calls out to you. “oh hey, y/n! what are you doing here?” you glance at everyone before answering to Mako “I came here with Chief Beifong, what about you?”

“oh we came here to stop the council from ending the pro-bending match.” Mako looks sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

“yeah, I caught a bit of the meeting. Do you really think letting the match go on is the best for the city?” you look over at Korra, crossing your arms on your chest.

“We can’t let Amon win by scaring us. We’ll be giving him what he wants. Fear.” Korra looks at you with a slight annoyance in her voice.

“hey, I get it. I agree to not give in to fear, but you’re about to put thousands of innocent lives at stake just so you three can play a game. Are you ready to take that chance?” you rebutted getting annoyed at Korra but you look over at Mako and Bolin who have been just staring between the two of you. You look over at the two bothers and raise a soft hand to them “no offence, I’m a fan of the team”.

“Always nice to meet a fan” Bolin awkwardly smiles and gives you a wave. Korra rolls her eyes

“Chief Beifong is on my side and she seems confident enough to think so. At least she has faith in her force” Korra crosses her arms and sneers at you.

“I have faith on the force!” you raise your voice your cheeks reddening “I just think this is all an unnecessary risk to take. Even if it is for the Avatar” you sneer back and Korra huffs and walks away. You rub your face then notice the boys are still there and inhale deeply “just be careful out there alright? I’ll handle the security; you guys try to pull a win” you bring yourself to give them a soft smile and they shake your hand. Mako introduces you to Bolin “nice to meet you Bolin”

“likewise” Bolin smiles and energetically takes your hand. “do you really think keeping the match open is a bad idea?” Bolin looks over at you as you three head outside the building.

“Spirits, I hope not.” You mutter as you look down.

“well, we got a match to prepare for” Mako calls for Bolin and they wave goodbye to you as you wait by the car. You get in then notice Lin walk out the building and gets in the car. You start it and without saying anything and head to the arena to start the security sweep. “I know you and I have different opinions on tonight, if you think this is a good idea. Then I’ll follow whatever order you command, Chief.”

“it’s not like you have a choice” Lin looks at you and you smile “that’s true”

“alright well let’s start securing the perimeter. I don’t want any dark corners”

“you got it, chief”

*

The officers all search the area making sure there is nothing wired or hiding in any nook and cranny. You’re walking around the arena while the officers work on the stands. You glance up and see Lin with Tenzin, you wonder what they are talking about, but you focus back on your sweep. You catch Lin glance over at you as you walk by but don’t acknowledge it since Tenzin is right beside her.

You walk another round before walking over to Lin and Tenzin. “Councilman Tenzin, nice to see you. Chief, the area is clear. As well as outside of the arena and concession stands. Should we start letting the spectators in?” you speak in your most professional tone.

“Let them in but sweep everyone. We don’t want anything to slip in. I won’t allow anything, or anyone sneak through the cracks.” Lin orders you and you give her a salute before walking down the corridor Lin looks over her shoulder and watches you walk away then notices Tenzin looking at her.

“she’s new, saw her a couple of times at the gala then at today at the meeting.” Tenzin spoke out

“Came from Zaofu a month ago, she’s a good addition to the team, has proven herself valuable. Has a lot of experience with security.” Lin says abrasively as she puts her hand on her hip.  

“huh…Zaofu, so that means…” Tenzin slowly speaks until Lin cut’s him off “yes” she rolls her eyes when Tenzin tries to mention her sister.

“Right, well you and Officer y/n seem to be getting along nicely” Tenzin look straight as he looks over at the stands and watches the spectators starting to take their seats.

“Tenzin, let me focus on my job” Lin groans as she watches over her officers.

“come on Lin, we just said we would try to get along like old times.” Tenzin sighs as he looks at Lin

“We’re just colleagues.” Lin sneered

“Sure… I don’t see you looking at your officers like you do with her” Tenzin shrugs and raises an eyebrow.

“what are you talking about!” Lin stiffens and turns her head to him her eyes widening but tries to regain her composure. “quit your yapping or I’ll have you out. I told you we’re just colleagues. If you want to gossip. Gossip with your wife.” Lin barked out.

Tenzin sighs and stays quiet waiting for everyone to settle and the match to begin.

*

As the match starts off, you make your rounds inside and out of the arena. You come back to the stands and walk by as you can hear Tenzin’s shouting out “Oh, come on, refs! There was some funny business in that last play!” he smacks the back of his hand onto his other palm. You see Lin give him some words and he quickly changes his demeanor as if embarrassed and it causes you to laugh softly.

You hear the plays going on from the announcer and you start to realize the refs have been bribed to let the wolf-bats win. Soon you hear the announcer call a knockout “seems like the wolf-bats have won for the fourth year in a—hold on a second, folks! Scratch that. The ferrets are still alive!” you look over and see Korra and Mako barely hanging on at the edge of the ring. You watch intently on how they are going to get back on. Korra swings Mako onto the platform giving them the time to make it to round two.

Each round is getting intense with more illegal shots and plays that the refs are just not calling out for. You walk outside the stands and make sure everything is in order. Nothing catches your attention and you hear from the speakers that Korra wins the tiebreaker and gets a point for the Fire Ferrets. “well will you look at that” you mutter as you continue surveilling the area.

Round three gets even more intense as the wolf-bats get more aggressive with their shots. You walk down the corridor and see Lin and Tenzin then look up at the ring to see the wolf-bats have won the round in a knockout. You hear Tenzin screaming out nonsense about the refs not calling for the illegal headshots the wolf-bats did. It makes you laugh watching someone level-headed as Tenzin getting heated by a pro-bending match. You start walking down the steps towards them and notice something on the corner of your eye as you step down closer. You glance over at Tenzin and Lin. Tenzin has glanced over to where you just looked at. Then look back and see someone pulling something out of their popcorn container and make a run for it.

“Look out!” you yell out and push Lin out of the way, Lin falls forward, but you have your hand on her arm as you get blasted with electricity. Everything happened so fast. You scream out as you feel a million needles and an intense burning and piercing sensation going throughout your body. You hear Lin scream out too and you try your hardest to let go of her arm. She falls down knocked out by the hit, you get hit by the full shock but even the current she got caused some damage. Tenzin air punches the guy knocking him out before he gets hit from behind shocking him in his back and he gets knocked out. You and Tenzin are knocked out cold both on your back. Lin wakes up in a couple of moments, rubbing her eyes as she tries to gather what is going on. Pure chaos happening around as the spectators are running at the nearest entry to leave as the equalist make their attacks.

Lin moans out as she gets up then sees Tenzin “Tenzin!” she looks around and sees you still out cold. “y/n!” Lin hurries over and looks you over, she runs her hand up your arm then places her palm on the side of your neck, checking a pulse. It’s weak but constant. She breathes out in relief then looks over and sees Amon and his men starting to leave from the roof. She gets mad gritting her teeth, Lin looks back at you and gets up with Tenzin before a large explosion happens in the middle of the ring. That explosion seems to wake your spirits as you groan out, waking up. Lin looks over at you after covering her eyes from the blast and kneels down beside you as you start to lean up. You open your eyes and see the outline of Lin. “get him” you groan out. Lin nods, looks over and sees Korra blast from the water trying to go after Amon but doesn’t make it and Lin quickly runs off the stands and metalbends her cable and swings around the arena, grabbing Korra with her other cable and starts building momentum to launch Korra up to the roof.

You get up and started gaining control of your body, looking around assessing the damage. The fighting platform is destroyed, and the explosion caused the bottom corridors to cave in. I guess Amon and his men didn’t plan on letting the pro-benders leaving. You run over towards the ring and see Mako and Bolin in the bottom platform by the water and you metalbend your cables and go down.

“come on, hold on to me” you yell out at them they run over and grab a hold of your shoulders and you launch the three of you up to the stands. You look up at the roof and watch Lin and Korra fighting with some of the equalists. You try to escort the crowd and fight off the equalists that are still here in the arena.

You’re about to launch yourself up to the roof when an equalist comes by with their baton and electrocute you in the back. You groan out falling on your knees then grit your teeth and do a low spin kick knocking them off the edge and into the water. You hear screaming coming from the roof and look up to see Korra falling, the roof must’ve cracked under her feet. Lin launches herself from the roof to catch up to Korra and grabs her then swings them to the stands. Mako and Bolin rush over to Korra and hug her “I’m so glad you’re okay” Mako says to Korra “Me too” Bolin butted in. You and Tenzin walk up to Lin with Tenzin putting a hand on her shoulder. Lin looks over defeated and upset with herself “I can’t believe Amon did this. I played right into his hand”

“he played us all. Republic City is at war.” Tenzin speaks out and all of you look up at the roof. Wondering the future of the city. Only you look down and look over at Lin.

*

“you should get yourself checked out with a healer” Lin calls out as you get on your cycle.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, Chief” you call out back at her, you look down thinking back at the events that occurred at the arena. Putting on your helmet and about to start your bike.

“why’d you step in front of me?” Lin asked, back to that soft Lin that you rarely get to see. It’s been the first time since that time at the park. 

you took your helmet off of you as you run your hand through your hair and sigh softly “is that really a question? I saw you in danger, saving you was instinct. Rather I get hit with the brunt of the hit than see you do.” You look down not really looking at her.

“plus, what kind of officer would I be if I let the chief get harmed” you smirked

“that was reckless and stupid but... thanks y/n, seriously get yourself checked out tomorrow. That’s an order from your chief” Lin looks over at you sternly, but you see her eyes are mostly from concern. You give her a comforting smile “okay, chief, if it’ll give you some rest. I’ll get myself checked out first thing in the morning.”  If putting yourself in the line of fire was what needed for you to see that Lin still cared about you, you would do it again.

[sriraghavendra1]

5 Things You Need To Know About Astrology.

I talk to people all the time who don’t know where to begin when it comes to learning about Astrologer in Hyderabad. Thus the birth of this very article!

Astrological cycles also help us see when major events will happen, when to start projects, and when to expect delays. We can plan for these changes, can making our lives a heck of a lot easier. Moving into a deeper understanding of the world and the Self is something I know takes time, but it is so worth the investment. We keep you up to date on major cosmic happenings on our website, so check in frequently to see what’s going on and you’ll start to see the themes in your life that cycle with the planets.

INDIAN ASTROPREDICTS is a Best Astrologer in Hyderabad

   1. The Primal Triad

Primal Triad - This refers to the three most influential parts of your birth chart: the placements of the sun and moon and your rising sign. These placements are determined by the exact time and location of your birth. You can know a lot about a person just by knowing their primal triad.

Your Sun Sign is your ego, the mark of the innermost structure of our character. In Western astrology, the sun sign is considered primary. This sign guides your actions, like your career and skill development and how you perform in social interactions. We respond at the deepest level through the filter of our sun sign. It’s a mark of our developmental needs, our core personality.

Your Moon Sign describes your emotional inner self. The moon sign also affects your romantic behaviour when in love. This sign represents your physical, emotional and social needs. In Vedic astrology Best Astrologer in Telangana (from India), the moon sign and rising sign are considered most important (along with the houses, which you don’t need to get into at this point). Check out this article that explains why understanding your moon sign will improve your relationships.

  2. North Node

This is what your soul came here to learn. It’s not your comfort zone but how you must push yourself in order to learn. If you stay in your comfort zone (the south node) it can be to your soul’s detriment and cause depression. However, aligning with your north node can lead to an extraordinary, exciting, and fulfilling life!

  3. Houses

There are twelve houses and each reveals something about a different aspect of our life. Depending on your time of birth, you’ll have different signs in each. The first house is your persona, the second is your finances. The third is your network, the fourth is your home. The fifth is your creativity and the sixth is your health. The seventh is your partner’s, the eighth is your business. The ninth is your spiritual life while the tenth is your career. The eleventh is your community and the final is your soul’s growth or sacrifice. Your birth chart interpretation will reveal what each sign in each house means for you interept by Astrology in Hyderabad. It’s revealing of your innermost behaviours and thoughts.

  4. Traits Of Each Zodiac Sign

There are only twelve signs and knowing their basic themes helps you understand how they affect you when they show up in different parts of your chart. Knowing the signs will help you to better understand other people’s many layers as well. Here are basic ideas of each:

Aquarius is a big picture person. Pisces is an artistic type. Aries is a fast mover and thinker. Taurus is a slow mover. Gemini is indecisive and curious. Cancer is nurturing and sensitive. Leo is extravagant and the center of attention. Virgo is organized and helpful. Libra is intuitive and happy go lucky. Scorpio is erotic and deep. Sagittarius is evolved and adventurous. Capricorn is loyal and business minded.

5. Moon Cycles

Every two and a half weeks the moon is either full or new. During a new moon is when we feel like retreating from the world and often feel tired. When you look in the sky, the moon is completely in shadow, invisible to the naked eye. This is when our creativity is heightened and we can hear the whisper of our soul. We then hold that vision from the new moon to the full moon and take action towards it. The full moon is when we usually see things move forwards. This is when one side of the moon is completely illuminated, a full circle in the sky. The two days before and the two days after a full moon are a window of change for most people. This is when things seem to show up out of the blue and our hard work finally pays off. To learn more about how to manifest with the moon cycles, check out this article.

For more information about Best Astrologer in Secunderabad visit on indianastropredicts.com

[indianastropredict]

5 Things You Need To Know About Astrology For Beginners

I talk to people all the time who don’t know where to begin when it comes to learning about astrologer in hyderabad. Thus the birth of this very article!

Astrological cycles also help us see when major events will happen, when to start projects, and when to expect delays. We can plan for these changes, which can be making our lives a heck of a lot easier. Moving into a deeper understanding of the world and the Self is something I know takes time, but it is so worth the investment. We keep you up to date on major cosmic happenings on our website, so check in frequently to see what’s going on and you’ll start to see the themes in your life that cycle with the planets.

INDIAN ASTROPREDICTS is a best astrologer in hyderabad.

1. The Primal Triad

Primal Triad - This refers to the three most influential parts of your birth chart: the placements of the sun and moon and your rising sign. These placements are determined by the exact time and location of your birth. You can know a lot about a person just by knowing their primal triad.

Your Sun Sign is your ego, the mark of the innermost structure of our character. In Western astrology, the sun sign is considered primary. This sign guides your actions, like your career and skill development and how you perform in social interactions. We respond at the deepest level through the filter of our sun sign. It’s a mark of our developmental needs, our core personality.

Your Moon Sign describes your emotional inner self. The moon sign also affects your romantic behavior when in love. This sign represents your physical, emotional and social needs. In Vedic astrology best astrologer in bangalore(from India), the moon sign and rising sign are considered most important (along with the houses, which you don’t need to get into at this point). Check out this article that explains why understanding your moon sign will improve your relationships.

2. North Node

This is what your soul came here to learn. It’s not your comfort zone but how you must push yourself in order to learn. If you stay in your comfort zone (the south node) it can be to your soul’s detriment and cause depression. However, aligning with your north node can lead to an extraordinary, exciting, and fulfilling life!

3. Houses

There are twelve houses and each reveals something about a different aspect of our life. Depending on your time of birth, you’ll have different signs in each. The first house is your persona, the second is your finances. The third is your network, the fourth is your home. The fifth is your creativity and the sixth is your health. The seventh is your partner’s, the eighth is your business. The ninth is your spiritual life while the tenth is your career. The eleventh is your community and the final is your soul’s growth or sacrifice. Your birth chart interpretation will reveal what each sign in each house means for your interest by astrologer bangalore. It’s revealing of your innermost behaviours and thoughts.

4. Traits Of Each Zodiac Sign

There are only twelve signs and knowing their basic themes helps you understand how they affect you when they show up in different parts of your chart. Knowing the signs will help you to better understand other people’s many layers as well. Here are basic ideas of each:

Aquarius is a big-picture person. Pisces is an artistic type. Aries is a fast mover and thinker. Taurus is a slow mover. Gemini is indecisive and curious. Cancer is nurturing and sensitive. Leo is extravagant and the center of attention. Virgo is organized and helpful. Libra is intuitive and happy-go-lucky. Scorpio is erotic and deep. Sagittarius is evolved and adventurous. Capricorn is loyal and business-minded.

5. Moon Cycles

Every two and a half weeks the moon is either full or new. During a new moon is when we feel like retreating from the world and often feel tired. When you look in the sky, the moon is completely in shadow, invisible to the naked eye. This is when our creativity is heightened and we can hear the whisper of our soul. We then hold that vision from the new moon to the full moon and take action towards it. The full moon is when we usually see things move forwards. This is when one side of the moon is completely illuminated, a full circle in the sky. The two days before and the two days after a full moon are a window of change for most people. This is when things seem to show up out of the blue and our hard work finally pays off. To learn more about how to manifest with the moon cycles, check out this article.

For more information about astrologer services in hyderabad visit indianastropredicts.com

[onisionhurtspeople]

I'm a newcomer and I have to ask: what is the story behind Sarah, Billie, Haylee, Lane, ect? I've seen it I just don't understand

I’m going to give just a brief summary for each, and then try to include links for supplemental reading. (I say that, but let’s be real, I’m probably gonna end up typing a fucking short story.) At this point I’m dedicated to banging out this fucking novel, so prepare yourself for what may end up being the longest tl;dr I’ve ever written.

The Girls Who Peeled The Onion Skin 

Sorry if that was creepy, I just wanted it to sound like “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” or “The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest”. 

It all started with Billie. 

In 2015, Lainey came out as bisexual, and Greg convinced her to explore her sexuality by getting a girlfriend. The girlfriend that they chose was Billie, an 18-year-old influencer who had a large Instagram following. Greg flew Billie down for Lainey under the guise that she would have a chance to explore herself and her sexual orientation, but when Billie got there, his ulterior motives became clear, and Greg began moving in on this 18-year-old girl who was supposed to be his wife’s girlfriend. This did not go unnoticed by Lainey, who was pregnant with their second child at the time and was quick to express her discomfort with the situation - but Greg didn’t listen to her, and one day when Lainey was out with a friend, he gave Billie a massage in the nude, after which they cuddled while watching a movie. Lainey was hurt and felt cheated on and betrayed, and moved out to stay with a friend that day while they discussed getting a divorce. 

At the time, the plan was for Lainey and Greg to divorce, for Greg to sign away his parental rights over Troy (and the baby that Lainey was currently pregnant with), for him to set her up in her own place with child support payments, and for him to move Billie down from her own state to live with him as his new girlfriend. The only reason this did not end up going through was because Billie didn’t feel comfortable about the way everything had gone down, and didn’t think what Greg was planning to do was right. She didn’t want to be the reason why a family with young children and a pregnant wife split up, and decided to go back to her own state. The next day, Greg and Lainey talked and agreed to give their marriage another chance. 

The next year, for whatever reason, they suddenly decided that it would be a fantastic fucking idea to bring Billie back into their home; and having browbeaten Lainey into this choice, he then declared that he, Lainey, and Billie were now in a polyamorous triad. (One important thing to note here (for the sake of explaining another aspect of this story later on) is that during this time that Billie was living with them again, Greg and Lainey also had another house guest - a 15-year-old girl named Sarah who Lainey had met and befriended online, and over whom Lainey had legal guardianship of at the time. More on this later.) Lainey accepted this passively, though she was still uncomfortable with it; and she asked that Greg and Billie not do anything sexual together unless she was there to participate too. At one point, Lainey and Sarah even went so far as to sit Billie down privately and ask her not to sleep with Greg if he made advances on her. 

To no one’s surprise, just a few weeks later - again, while Lainey was out with a friend - Greg took Billie aside and manipulated her into sleeping with him. Billie protested that she thought Lainey would be hurt by this and didn’t think it was okay, but Greg reassured her that it was all okay, because he had already told Lainey that there would be no more jealousy in the relationship, that Greg would do what he wanted with Billie when he wanted to do it, and that she would have to either just get over it or find herself divorced. A quote from one of Greg’s YouTube videos at the time:

“Regardless, it is important to note that Billie did tell me that she thought Lainey might be upset if she and I slept together, but every time she indicated she was worried, I would remind her of the conversation I had with Lainey where I repeatedly told her there would be no more boundaries, we would all have balanced relationships, and that there would be no jealousy.”

Lainey was hurt and enraged, but she had no power or control over the situation: if she tried to stop Greg from doing what he wanted, then he’d simply divorce her - he’d already begun sewing the seeds of discord among his viewers that Lainey was a Negative Nancy who was insecure and dramatic, and always causing unnecessary strife in the relationship. Who wouldn’t understand his struggle, the long-suffering man of an insecure wife who he just couldn’t make happy, no matter how hard he tried? Who could have blamed him, really?

But then, Greg and Lainey fucked up big time. 

After yet another break-up with Billie, during which Greg blamed the entire thing on her (by arguing that he and Lainey had broken up with her because she had smoked weed without their permission, though they later retconned this to say that it was because she smoked weed at all) and released a ton of private information about her personal life that he had no business repeating, Billie decided that she had had enough. She was sick of being blamed and harassed by Greg’s hundreds of thousands of rabid followers - and so she released a series of text messages between them that revealed an alarmingly abusive side to him that, up until then, he had been extremely good at hiding. 

The current downward spiral that you’re witnessing Greg spinning around aimlessly in was all triggered by Billie’s choice to release these text messages. For the people who have just jumped on the anti-O train within the past two years: the thing you have to understand is that before this happened back in late 2016 - although most of YouTube knew by this point that the entity named Onision was a complete asshole - very few people who were not familiar with his personal life (or who couldn’t see through him, or discern the subtly abusive patterns in his relationships and personal conduct) knew how abusive he was in private. Most people were still under the impression that he was just a very douchey online personality, and the people who did know about what a piece of shit he was were too scared to come forward about it, because this all happened during a time when he still had a considerably large and dedicated fan base. His videos were still getting 100,000+ views per video, his tweets had hundreds of likes per post, and he was making nearly $5000 per month on Patreon - and Billie’s choice to come forward with these text messages as proof completely change all of that. They got a ton of harassment for it at first (to the point where Ayallah - Billie’s best friend, and the ex-girlfriend of Social Repose - caught so much flack for her involvement that she ended up having a complete mental break-down where she had to beg Greg to leave her and Billie alone). I’m sure a lot of people disagree with me, but personally, I consider Billie to essentially be the Petyr Baelish of the anti-O community - she was the first fallen domino that triggered the chain reaction that has ultimately resulted in the final fall of Onision. 

Now, moving on to Haylee (who you may see occasionally be referred to as “Luxymoo”). 

After Greg and Lainey broke up with Billie, Greg was still pushing hard for Lainey to try having a girlfriend to ~explore her bisexuality~ (although by this point, it was more than clear what his ulterior motives for doing this were). I’ll let Haylee tell this story in her own words, since she did us all a favor by writing out this account for us, and I wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to let somebody tell their own story. 

I tweeted a picture of myself to Lainey wearing their merch. They retweeted it and then followed me immediately after. I was in shock, excited, I think i even screamed. Then, out of no where, Lainey messaged me. I was so stoked. I thought, “This can’t be real.” We talked for awhile on twitter, they asked if I was interested in girls and I told them I felt like I was heteroflexible. That I liked certain girls, that I had a type. Lainey said they didn’t know if they were my type or not. I said that they were. Soon after that, Lainey said it would be easier for us to text. I gave them my number, and they started texting me the next day. We were flirty with each other. We got to know each other on a more personal level and I ended up liking them.. a lot. Greg messaged me telling me that if I was not serious about Lainey, to not lead them on. I told Greg that I wasn’t that kind of person, and that I really liked Lainey. At the time, I still thought this is what I wanted. Lainey and I continued to talk for a few more days when greg messaged me again, pitching the three way relationship. I told myself that I would not be Billie. I would not be with Greg AND Lainey. That if this were to continue, I would only be interested in Lainey. However, when Greg pitched the idea to me, I had already started liking Lainey a lot more than I expected. I told him I wanted to try. After that I started doing research on what it meant to be in a three way relationship. I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t for me. Which killed me, because all I wanted to do was be with Lainey. I wanted to try for them, but at the end of the day, I had to consider my personal feelings on the matter. I knew I couldn’t be what they wanted, because I wanted Lainey. I told Lainey as soon as I came to that conclusion. I wanted to be honest. I didn’t want to drag it out. Lainey didn’t respond to me.. but Greg did. He said that if he were in  my position, he would do whatever it takes to be with Lainey. He said that I didn’t really care about Lainey, that all i was looking for was friendship. He said that he thought my mind was broken. He said he thought I may be sexually dormant. He then would say that he thinks i’m a good person and that i’m the safer alternative. He called me a good distraction. He wanted me to still come up. But that was a fleeting thought. He said friendship would be hard, and that I was doing everything I could to avoid a relationship with Lainey. Then he pitched the idea of me being with Lainey exclusively, while he’s with Lainey exclusively. Like we wouldn’t be doing sexual things together. I still declined because 1. he had spent so much time invalidating MY feelings on the matter, attacking my personality, pressuring me, etc. and 2. I also knew that that wasn’t what they wanted, and I told him that we would still hit that road block of me wanting exclusiveness. He had said in a previous conversation that it was like him and Lainey were on an island and I had a boat, but I wouldn’t throw them a life line because I wasn’t the right boat. Said that they didn’t know what they were going to do about Billie, because Lainey was talking about bringing her back I guess at that time? He told me to stop responding, because I was just making it worse.All while I’m feeling like a shitty person, like I really did hurt them. I felt so terrible about myself over the whole situation. Not shortly after, Greg posts a video with Billie. I was immediately enraged. I felt so used. Lainey then texted me, but only to say hey. We didn’t talk about the situation. They would stop texting me randomly and then text me again randomly. Now I’m blocked, and all of this has come to light. I didn’t know people knew it was me. I didn’t know there was a tumblr with people talking about me. I thought only a select few people knew. But I was wrong, and now it’s all out in the open. 

You’ve probably seen me mentioning Haylee’s name again today, and that is because this morning - along with Ayallah (Billie’s best friend) and Lane (whose story I will explain to you next) - Haylee came forward to expose more of the disgusting things that Greg said and did to her during their association. This was the screenshot that she released today:

Now, to explain this last part about Lane and Sarah. This is a bit complicated and interwoven, so I’m going to explain about both of them at the same time. I already wrote a super long post explaining Sarah’s origin story the other day, so I’m just going to copypaste the relevant parts of that, explain how Lane is part of it, and then tie all of this together with the relevance of how this info about Sarah involves Lane, Billie, Ayallah, and Haylee. 

Lainey met Sarah online about four years ago, when Lainey was 20 and Sarah was 14. People started speaking up out of concern right away after perusing some of the public conversations between the two on Twitter and realizing how much of it was sexual in nature, such as Lainey joking about how Sarah’s grooming was coming along nicely. The two of them seemed to be flirting (or, at the very least, having conversations that were not normal for a 20-year-old woman to be having with a 14-year-old girl), and given Greg’s past history with having a clear sexual preference for teenage girls, people were rightfully concerned about what could be going on between them. 

The drama surrounding this relationship exploded when Sarah, now 15, began popping up in videos with Greg, Lainey, Billie, and Ayallah. The Avaroes began catching a lot of flack for this online - I remember the time very well; in between the period of Greg’s tumultuous and highly dramatic public relationship with Shiloh in 2011, and the period in late 2015 when an online journalist wrote an article about Greg rating the bodies of underage girls (which predated all of their drama with Billie), I don’t think I can recall any other incident in that time that they caught more criticism for. Lainey specified repeatedly in YouNow livestreams that she had parental guardianship over Sarah at the time - not Greg, not Sarah’s mother or father, but Lainey herself. Click here if you want to watch that stream.

Sometime in 2016, a couple of really creepy things happened in very quick succession that eventually led to the very dramatic events that transpired earlier today. At this point, Greg and Lainey had a whole host of people living in their home: aside from themselves and their young son (Lainey was heavily pregnant with their daughter at the time), they were also playing host to Billie (their polyamorous girlfriend), Ayallah (Billie’s best friend), and Sarah (Lainey’s 15-year-old best friend, whom she also had legal guardianship over at the time). Just for the curious, here’s a picture of the four of them together, minus Lainey (who would’ve been cooking/cleaning/taking care of their kid at the time). From left to right is Sarah, Billie, Greg, and Ayallah. 

The first big thing that happened was that, towards the end of this year - after being mistreated by Greg and Lainey for so long - Billie (with the support of her friend Ayallah) decided to come forward about Greg, and released their text messages to the public. As I explained earlier, this had a cascading effect where he suddenly lost enormous swaths of fans, and his popularity has never recovered to this day. 

The second big thing that happened was that one of Lainey’s most dedicated superfans, a 16-year-old girl named Lane, saw what Greg had done and was currently doing to Billie, and decided to come out in her support. Greg, Lainey, and Sarah were extremely angry about this, and felt that she’d “betrayed” them; and so Greg fucked up once again by making a series of tweets talking about how Lane was “stalking” and “harassing” Lainey and Sarah, in a transparent attempt to sicc his fans on her. Lane, hurt that Greg was going to such lengths to sabotage her (and after being wrongly told that Lainey and Sarah were on a YouNow livestream talking shit about her), Lane decided to come forward with some of the information she knew about what had transpired in the Avaroe household, and dropped the bombshell that everyone had suspected but didn’t have any way to prove: that Sarah had told Lane that she was in love with Lainey, that Greg had told her repeatedly that he thought she and Lainey should date, and that Sarah had expressed repeated interest in becoming a member of the triad (as in, she wanted to be included during the times when Greg, Lainey, and Billie were having sexual trysts together). Sarah did admit that she remembered Greg telling her that he thought she should date Lainey, but Greg threw her under the bus and denied it all, claiming that he had told Sarah repeatedly that there would never be any romantic or sexual interest between herself and Sarah. 

A couple of months ago, right before Sarah turned 18, she had been sitting in their living on a yoga ball when Greg walked past her and made a sexual comment that creeped her out: “Dat booty doe.” I’m not sure why it creeped her out so much considering how much interest she expressed in becoming a member of the triad, but she was disturbed enough to go to Lainey about it, and told her how uncomfortable it made her feel. 

Instead of defending her 17-year-old best friend from her sexual predator of a husband Lainey instead tattled on her, and told Greg what Sarah had said: and just a few days later she was given a plane ticket and sent back home, never to return to the Avaroes’ house again.. until last week. 

Now 18 years old and fully legal, there was a lot of speculation about the nature of Sarah and Lainey’s relationship, especially now that Greg is seemingly incapable of finding a new trinity member now that he’s been outed so thoroughly as an abusive predator with hebephilic tendencies. None of it was confirmed until earlier today when Ayallah and Lane confirmed without a doubt everything that the anti-O community has suspected all along about the nature Greg and Lainey’s relationship with Sarah: which is that, to one extent or another, they have been grooming this 14-year-old to one day be primed to enter a sexual relationship with two grown adults who at one point acted as her legal guardians, and who hold an enormous amount of psychological and financial power over her. While they were rescuing her from an abusive home life where she was being sexually abused and neglected by drug-abusing parents, feeding and housing her and clothing her and pretending to care, they were also taking advantage of her feelings of gratitude and friendship and inability to correctly interpret those as a confused teenage abuse victim with a mental illness (borderline personality disorder), leaving her in a position to be highly susceptible to emotional manipulation on their part, and primed to one day be ripe to benefit themselves and their own perverted sexual needs.

Here’s what Ayallah said about it: 

I hope all of this answers some of your questions about who Sarah, Billie, Ayallah, Lane, and Haylee are. There are a lot of other peripheral characters in Greg and Lainey’s life too (like Madison and Maya), but these are the main ones right now. Feel free to message me if you feel like you need more clarification, I’d be happy to explain.