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gamergirlshelby · 3 years ago

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Tokiya Quirk Drawbacks

Alrighty this is the post where I go over the numerous drawbacks for Tokiya's quirk, Time Displacement.

This will be a very long post, with some images used to help show how the drawbacks work (the pictures may not be very good though) so this will all be under a read more.

Tokiya Quirk Basics

First, I want to do a quick over view of Tokiya's three base abilities. Tokiya has the abillities to make a person or object fast-forward, rewind, or slow down at varying speeds. All three of these abilities are activated when Tokiya makes physical contact with a target while focusing on the exact thing he needs to do. For example he would need to focus on making an object fast-forward to be 5 times its normal speed. Tokiya usually uses verbal indicators to help them focus on what they are trying to activate.

How the quirk acts solely when Tokiya himself is the target.

When Tokiya is using their quirk on themself they are able to fast-forward, rewind, or slow-down themself with little restriction. Tokiya's body is designed to be able to handle the shifting time, so he has grown accustomed to the constant shifts his body experiences when using his quirk.

Tokiya's fast-forward works by causing Tokiya to move slower, even allowing him to defy gravity by slowly falling down to the ground (this effect works on all possible targets).

Tokiya's body has three specific points that it relies on to help keep itself stable when Tokiya uses their quirk. First is the "base time" which is the time that his body will shift back to after it is given the proper time to, since it won't immediately shift back until Tokiya stops using the quirk for a moment (how long it takes to shift back differs between uses).

Second is the "stopping point" for how far Tokiya can rewind before he physically can not take it anymore. If Tokiya rewinds anything and then reaches this point, everything will immediately stop as a reflex to keep Tokiya from rewinding themself into non-existence.

The third is the "stopping point" for the fast-forward. It is similar to the stopping point for the rewind where if Tokiya over exerts himself when fast-forwarding and reaches this point, Tokiya will reflexively stop every affect he has active at that point in time. Since Tokiya is still relatively young during his UA school years, it takes very little rewinding to reach his stop point for the rewind (which is when he is about 4 years old, since his quirk had developed slightly later compared to the average), while the stopping point for Tokiya's fast-forward takes a lot longer to hit (the stopping point is around when Tokiya is 84 years old, which is the average life expectancy for a human in Japan). Below I have a small chart showing the stopping points and base time for Tokiya as of his time at UA.

Even though Tokiya's stopping point for the fast-forward is when he is around 84, that does not mean he will die at that age, that is just an approximate that his body has made.

The bad part about this is, since Tokiya's body keeps shifting its self through time, it does not get the time to develop any extra mass, whether it be weight or height, so Tokiya is shorter than the average height, and is very underweight, causing even smaller clothes to be oversized. To help counter act this, Tokiya tries to avoid using his quirk as much as possible during long breaks from school to help his body grow, to somewhat mixed results, since he did have a growth spurt between leaving his last school and attending UA, growing about being about 5'2" or about 157 centimeters, and is now 5'6" or 168 centimeters.

How Tokiya's Quirk effects Others (and himself)

When Tokiya uses his fast-forward and rewind, they are also effected by the quirk, but at half of the power as the target, for example if his target is at 4x speed, Tokiya will be fast-forwarded at 2x speed. I have made a visual indicator shown below for Tokiya's fast-forward effecting a separate target. (with a cameo from Ikuto Maekawa)

Tokiya is impacted differently when using his rewind on someone else. Tokiya's physical body will rewind, but Tokiya will not rewind his position. Tokiya can focus on solely rewinding his physical body, but it takes a lot of concentration, and it usually ends with Tokiya getting a migraine. I have made a visual indicator shown below for Tokiya's rewind effecting a separate target. (with a cameo from Evan Satoru)

When Tokiya uses his quirk on multiple targets, he experiences an effect he calls stacking, because if Tokiya uses his quirk on multiple targets, they will experience the fast-forward or rewind at half the speed of both targets added together. For example if Tokiya used his fast-forward at 4 times speed on one target and at 6 times speed on a different target, Tokiya would be fast forwarded at 5x speed since 4 divided by 2 plus 6 divided by 2 equals 5 (4/2+6/2=5). I have made a visual indicator shown below for Tokiya's fast-forward effecting 2 separate targets. (with a cameo from Jaye Rokuto and Momo Neko).

Lastly is Tokiya's Slow Down. Tokiya is unaffected when using the slow down on a separate target, but is handicapped by Tokiya not being able to use his slow down with his support items, which I will get into in the section about Tokiya's support items and how they work.

Tokiya's Support Items

Tokiya has a few useful support items that he had help developing from UA's support course students. Tokiya has two support items, first off being his outermost coat, which has a clock design on the back that will have the hands move clockwise if Tokiya is fast forwarding and counter clockwise if Tokiya is rewinding. This is beneficial to his allies who will be able to see if Tokiya is fast forwarding or rewinding, but it also helps any villains Tokiya might be fending off. The clock on Tokiya's jacket does not change if Tokiya is using his slow down.

Tokiya also uses a bow and arrow as a way of dealing with foes that are a great distance away or in the air. Tokiya usually carries two types of arrows, the first type being arrows with sharp edges that can cause physical harm, while the second type of arrows with a soft arrow head that also allows Tokiya to transfer their fast-forward and rewind a long distance. However the arrows can only transfer the set fast forward or rewind speed, and are only in effect for a short period of time. The arrows also do not work with Tokiya's fast-forward.

What would happen if Tokiya loses his Quirk?

This one is mostly for a hypothetical, since I don't plan on ever writing it so Tokiya permenantly loses their quirk, but if it where to happen, whether it be by Aizawa using his quirk on Tokiya, or some other sort of in universe means, here's what would happen if it was a permanent thing.

First off, Tokiya would have their lock of grey hair in their bangs fade to black. Since it was the unique visual que that could help show Tokiya's age once it was effected by his quirk.

Next Tokiya would immidiatley smack back to his base time, causing him immense physical pain, since his body would usually need to take its time when getting back to that resting point. Because of this Tokiya would probably scream and then pass out from the shock, since his body just immediately snapped back into a specific position in time it was not ready for.

Next, once Tokiya wakes up, Tokiya will be very out of it for a decent period of time since his body is experiencing time as the average person would, and Tokiya hasn't really experienced that since before his quirk initially developed, and would likely need to be hospitalized for a short period of time while he readjusts.

Lastly, once Tokiya is fit again for school, they would likely be transferred to UA's general studies course from the hero course, but would still likely be in class 1-Y since it is a mixed class.

Now if it was a quick, non permanent thing, Tokiya would still have the grey hair fade to black, and still pass out from the shock of immediately snapping back to normal time, depending on how long Tokiya's quirk is gone for determines how long they would need to stay at the hospital.

If it was Aizawa using his quirk it would probably be the whole day at MOST, maybe staying the night, and at the very least would have him stay an hour or two after waking up.

If it was one of the quirk dampening drugs used in the Shie Hassaikai Arc, Tokiya would likely need to stay in the hospital a bit longer so the doctors can analyze the drug since it was in his system, and wait for its effects to ware off. If I ever write angst about Tokiya losing their quirk (and knowing me I probably someday will), this would probably be the route I go down, since its not permanent, and it correlates with a concept shown in canon.

Final Thoughts

Hey, if you're reading this that means you finished the fricking essay I wrote about how much Tokiya's quirk sucks, and I really appreciate it. I was gonna put this in the tags but I don't know how long I will ramble with this section so I might as well keep it all in the same part of the post. I'm a little surprised that I actually wrote this much, since I thought this would be a quick thing, but it took me about 2-3 hours to write all of this down. If you have any questions related to this please send an ask or comment on the post, and I will try to answer them to the best of my ability. Anyways that's it for now, and thanks again for reading all of my ramblings.

#bnha oc comeback #skiduffle #long post #tokiya iori // chrono

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cafeinthemoon · 4 years ago

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Purple Dragon - Chapter 2

Title: Purple Dragon

Pairing: none (yet)

Rating: teen | up

Word count: 1391

Chapter (s): 2/?

Read the previous chapters here: Chapter 1

Warnings: none, just mentions of the fear of public speech

Symbols: ⭕ | ➕ | 💛 | ▶

Chapter 2 - My Name is Ryu

Standing in front of an entire class and introducing yourself was something so obsolete in her conception that Ryu didn’t think she would ever have to do that whether in the US or in any other place in the world. Well, things were like this until she arrived at the U.A. for her first day.

That strange guy, Professor Aizawa, or Aizawa-sensei as she was expected to call him, could have at least warned her about this ritual. Maybe he supposed that all schools still held on to this habit or didn’t think it was important. Maybe Ryu should have told him that the mere idea of making an almost public self introduction horrified her to the bones. If he would listen to her, she couldn’t tell, but whatever the reply he would have for her, now it was too late.

She was already inside her new classroom, in front of about twenty students in uniform, all eyes and ears turned to her, ready to anything she had to offer. Her hands, hidden behind her back, were hotter than it seemed possible with the layer of sweat gathering on their palms; the silence was so overwhelming that she could hear her heartbeats inside her head, while feeling them in her mouth. The teacher was behind his table, a consisten presence that did not exactly offered support, but Ryu understood that this was the best she would have for now.

At his sign, she started to speak, not overthinking each word in order to not stutter or forget what she was supposed to say; that was a trick she learned early in her school days, which only failure was its inefficiency in calming her down while talking.

- My name is Ryu Murasaki. I was born in Japan, but my parents moved to the United States when I was about five. In respect of a decision from… – she paused a second to find the exact term – From my previous school, I was transferred to the U.A., where they believe I could receive the support and orientation I need.

Those words sounded strange, as if they were coming out from another person’s mouth. That was half true: during their private conversation, Aizawa instructed her about the best way to explain her transfer. “I was informed about the details about it, so I know as much as you”, he told her, “But I think you’d rather keep certain things to yourself. Am I right?” She agreed, and he then explained what she could say to not expose herself to strangers right in her first day.

The quietness all around the room as a sign of respect showed by her new classmates was more than she could have expected, something that somehow soothed her preoccupation about her image. She thought those explanations was enough then and was about to ask Aizawa if she could take her sit now, but a hand was raised from somewhere among the students in such an excited way that she couldn’t ignore it. It was the hand of a boy with a dark, green amount of hair and some freckles on his cheeks. By his looks, she supposed he was a bit younger than her, but she could be deceived: people would make that mistake with her countless times.

- Ryu-san – he started – Won’t you tell us about your quirk?

The question kept her in place, with no idea of what to do in response. She glanced at the teacher, who nodded, and started to speak.

- I am able to control things with my mind. I can make small changes on their appearance or make them move through telekinesis.

Ryu was hoping that this would be clear enough to avoid more specific questions, but she forgot about this worry once she looked at the boy with green hair: he had a journal opened on his table, on which he was frenetically writing while mumbling to himself. Was he taking notes on her abilities? Before she could ask, a girl near him with polite manners asked him to calm down a bit; a blonde boy, less patient, told him to give the class a break.

- Oi! Deku! Stop the damn scribbling! – were his words.

The green haired boy obeyed, flustered. Ryu thought it was an exaggerated reaction for something that was not harming anyone. Besides, what kind of name was that, Deku?

- Ah, so, Deku-kun, you use to keep notes about your classmates’ quirks?

The boy seemed to take a moment to understand that those words were directed to him. Once he did, he corrected the confusion about his name.

- Well, actually my name is Midoriya. Midoriya Izuku. Deku is my hero name.

Hero name? Oh, yes, Aizawa sensei mentioned that too. And the serious tone he used while explaining about it prevented her to show the slightest smile. Besides, Deku was not what she would consider adequate for someone who wanted to work as a professional hero: how would he expect people to take him seriously if he presented himself like that?

Whatever the case, Ryu saw herself acting sympathetic towards the boy, Midoriya. It was rare to meet people like him, but she never regretted spending time in their company.

- Ah, I see – she smiled – Nice to meet you, Midoriya Izuku.

He nodded, but kept looking at her as if he was waiting for something more. Ryu only understood what it was when she glanced at Aizawa and he explained that the class was expecting a demonstration of her quirk. She held her breath, but didn’t say no.

There was notebook upon the teacher’s table. She activated her power with one hand and made it float just above its original place. Some whispers of admiration were heard among the students, but the girl avoided their looks: more visual contact would certainly mean more questions. The notebook floated down then, back to the table’s surface in a slow pace.

- You have an impressive quirk, Ryu-san – she heard Midoriya’s voice saying, with some people around him mumbling in agreement – My mother can move things with her mind too, but her quirk doesn’t have a proper color, if you know what I mean.

The boy smiled and Ryu’s response was smiling too.

Finally, Aizawa told her to take her seat. She didn’t waste time and walked to the only empty desk, which for her surprise was close to Midoriya’s. She wouldn’t mind sitting near him everyday if there was a way to know if he wouldn’t drown her in questions about her abilities during the next days; however, by the way that blonde boy who scolded his classmate was staring at him now as if telling him to stay quiet – and the embarrassed way in which he looked down and closed his notebook under the other one’s gaze – there could be a possibility of balance in his curiosity in the near future.

Ryu heard the teacher’s voice again and left these worries aside in favor of the lessons that were going to be presented now… or so she thought.

Aizawa said something about finishing the activities the class started the other day and, ignoring the fact that he was in front of an entire group of people who depended on him to help them, grabbed a yellow sleep bag, entered it and laid down on the floor, disappearing behind the table.

Since nobody commented on the teacher’s attitude, Ryu thought it was better not to be the first to say something about it. Instead, she asked Midoriya about the lessons mentioned by Aizawa. He promptly offered himself to help her with the necessary updates. The girl near him, the same who tried to take his attention from the notebook before, wanted to help too; she had brown, light hair and big eyes, and by the brief interactions between her and Izuku, it was easy to tell that she felt something for him. The blonde boy groaned to complain about the noise his two classmates were making, but you three chose to ignore him.

That beginning in the U.A., with new colleagues and a new routine, was not exactly the way Ryu imagined it would be. But with what she got instead, she allowed herself to believe that she could run with it.

At least for now.

#bnha #mha #boku no hero fic #boku no hero academia fanfic #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #my hero academia fanfic #midoriya #midoriya izuku #bakugou #bakugou katsuki #bnha ochaco uraraka #uraraka ochako #bnha aizawa #aizawa shouta #eraserhead #mha oc #bnha oc #fanfiction

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cecphotos · 4 years ago

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Reach For The Stars in Joshua Tree National Park

Price: $950, $250 dollar deposit required, Optional Post-Processing After Workshop for $125 More details on pricing and deposit below.

Join me May 14-16, 2021 in Joshua Tree National Park for a multi-day immersive experience amongst ethereal Joshua Trees, amazing rock formations and dark skies. This unforgettable photographic experience will include four Golden Hours and two nights exploring the vast arid landscapes in one of the country's most interesting National Parks.

Scroll down for all the details

About The Workshop

During this workshop, I will guide you through Joshua Tree National Park while helping you to translate emotion and vision through our photographic medium. I am dedicated to providing the best instruction on all aspects of the art of landscape photography and night photography. Whether you are just beginning or are a seasoned pro, I am ready to help you move forward with your photography as all levels are welcome to participate. Together we will create an unforgettable photographic experience this spring by chasing light and capturing the early spring night sky.

Itinerary

Tentative Schedule: Since this is a field workshop, we will remain flexible to weather and light conditions to ensure we are able to shoot during the most ideal conditions. The final itinerary with exact times will be made available on Day 1. Lodging, airfare, transportation, park fees and all meals are the responsibility of the attendee.

DAY 1: Friday, May 14th 6:00 PM Meet at Park Entrance (Meet and Greet) 6:30 PM Depart for Sunset Shoot 8:00 PM Depart back to Dinner and Rest For Astro Session 11:00 PM Meet For Astro Session

DAY 2: Saturday, May 15th

4:00 AM Move to Sunrise Location (if necessary) 6:00 AM Return To Hotel for Meals and Rest 6:00 PM Meet for Sunset Shoot 8:00 PM Depart back to Dinner and Rest For Astro Session 11:00 PM Meet For Astro Session

DAY 3: Sunday, May 16th

4:00 AM Move to Sunrise Location (if necessary) 7:00 AM Workshop Concludes for rest and easy check out of Hotels.

Transportation

No Transportation will be provided to, from or during the workshop. All attendees are responsible for arranging their own transportation. Any car will be sufficient for our outings, but a vehicle with higher clearance may allow you more ease on some roads throughout the park.

Airports

The nearest airport is in Palm Springs, California

Los Angeles is about 140 Miles to the West

San Diego is about 170 Miles to the South

Rental Cars

Many options are available for renting a vehicle of any kind from either airport listed above. Any car will be sufficient for our outings, but a vehicle with higher clearance could make driving easier on some roads in the park.

Accomodation

Hotels:

There is no lodging available within Joshua Tree National Park. However, there are many places to stay in nearby communities. Please contact area chambers of commerce for information.

I would recommend staying in 29 Palms or just outside of the park towards the town of Joshua Tree. You will find lots of accommodations in both of those areas including hotels and AirBnB.

Camping:

Camping is very popular in Joshua Tree and campgrounds sell out quickly. Learn more about the nine campgrounds in Joshua Tree. There are also a number of options for camping outside of the park. Restaurants, Grocery Stores, & Picnic Areas:

There are no restaurants or grocery stores inside Joshua Tree National Park, but nearby communities provide these services. Check with area chambers of commerce for more information.

Joshua Tree has eight picnic areas: Cottonwood, Indian Cove, Live Oak, Split Rock, Cap Rock, Hidden Valley, Quail Springs, and Black Rock. Their locations are shown on the map here at the bottom of the page.

Remember: help us keep wildlife wild. Never feed wild animals. Store food in hard-sided containers or in your vehicle. Carefully clean up all trash and leftovers, even small crumbs.

Things to Bring

It’s always good to know what equipment you need. If you have any questions about the necessities I’m here to help, but here is a list of essentials and recommendations for the trip:

Equipment:

DSLR / Mirrorless camera and lenses

DSLR or Mirrorless camera is an essential tool to get the most out of the workshop and your photos

Wide Angle Lens - 12-24mm (Faster lenses are better for night photography, but not essential)

Mid to Long Range Zoom - 24-70, 70-200, 100-400 are great ranges to capture intimate scenes

Tripod (Sturdy as the Fall months can have very strong winds)

All filters you might have, a Circular Polarizer is a great tool

Remote / cable camera shutter

Needed for tack sharp images and long exposures

Several memory cards

You never want to run out of space for pictures. Bring several or empty at the end of the day

Spare camera batteries

Another thing you never want to run out of in the field. Bring several fully charged with you and charge over night

Head torch (for any night or low light walking and shooting)

Raincover for camera and camera bag cold come in handy in some rare cases of rain or high wind!

Small Camping Chair or Stool for comfort

Clothing Items:

Many layers -It should be quite mild to warm for our trip, bt May can still hold a few cold nights. Plan for warm days and mild nights

Gloves, Warm Hat, warm socks (If there’s a cold spell)

Sunglasses, Large Brim hat, and Sunscreen are recommended for the daytime

Hiking Shoes\Boots are recommended

FOOD:

Food, Water, and all other essentials. No Food or water will be provided before, during or after workshop; unless otherwise stated in the itinerary.

Plan ahead and have plenty of water available as it is very dry and can warm quickly on clear days.

Physical Requirements

Some hiking will be required, but the hikes will be around 1-2 miles at most. Most of the hiking is very flat and moderate in difficulty at best. Typically shooting is done within a mile of the car and most hiking should be generally light in elevation change. We’ll be sure to move at a fair pace and no student will be left behind.

Please make me aware of any concerns you might have about your physical abilities.

What is Included and Not Included

INCLUDED:

• Tuition • Expert instruction in the field with Chris Ewen Crosby • Video Introduction and Presentation Prior to Workshop • Guidance to key compositional attributes throughout the park

NOT INCLUDED:

• Flights and transportation • Lodging • Meals • Park entrance fees • Travel and cancellation insurance

Payment, Fees and Terms

COST: The cost of the workshop is $950 and includes everything listed in the “What’s Included” Section

PAYMENT: A non-refundable deposit of $250 is required to reserve a space on this workshop. The final balance of $950 is due and payable 60 days before the workshop begins. Full payment is due at that time or thereafter, and there will be no refunds on the full amount owed if you cancel after final payment. However, if another client happens to fill your space, you will receive a full refund, minus your non-refundable deposit. Payment(s) can be made using the Add To Cart button of this web page using a credit card via Paypal and Stripe. If you would like to pay by another method, use the contact form on this page to ask Chris about options for sending a personal check or bank transfer.

COVID-19 ADVISORY:

In accordance with state and local public health organizations, Chris Ewen Crosby Photography & Samy's Photo School are following all COVID-19 related protocols. All participants will be asked to maintain social distancing protocols of 6 feet from anyone not in their household. Face coverings are mandatory for all. The class size for this event has been limited to only 5 students to further minimize the risks associated with COVID-19. Please do not attend this class if you are experiencing any symptoms related to COVID-19 including fever of 100.4 or higher, cough, shortness of breath, loss of sense of taste/smell, fatigue, diarrhea, muscle aches and headache.

Participants will be required to sign a COVID-19 addendum and assumption of risk form

CANCELLATIONS: Cancellations require me to re-open enrollment and/or to engage in additional promotional efforts to fill the workshop on a short notice, therefore, my policy is that there will be no refunds of the deposit. The balance (minus the non-refundable deposit) is refundable up to the 60-day deadline. Thereafter, the balance is also non-refundable, with one exception: if we find participants to fill all canceled spaces and the workshop is ultimately full when it begins, then you will receive a refund of the balance within two weeks of the workshop’s conclusion. The deposit remains non-refundable. All refunds are subject to a 6% processing fee. I highly recommend that you obtain travel/cancellation insurance for all workshops to protect yourself against unusual circumstances.

PARK FEES: All attendees of the workshop are required to pay the National Park Entrance fees upon entry to the park and are not included in Workshop Fee. Further instruction will be provided to students prior to their visit.

Joshua Tree Entrance Fee - per vehicle - $30.00

This permit allows all persons traveling with the permit holder in one single private, non-commercial vehicle (car/truck/van) to leave and re-enter the park as many times as they wish during the 7-day period from the date of purchase.

Joshua Tree Entrance Fee - per motorcycle - $25.00

This permit allows persons traveling on one motorcycle to leave and re-enter the park as many times as they wish during the 7-day period from the date of purchase.

Joshua Tree Entrance Fee - per individual - $15.00

This permit allows a single individual traveling on foot or individuals traveling on one bicycle to leave and re-enter the park as many times as they wish during the 7-day period from the date of purchase.

Joshua Tree Annual Pass - $55.00

Annual pass providing free entrance to Joshua Tree for 12 months from the date of purchase

Curriculum

Curriculum will be catered to each individual’s skill level and may vary from student to student. Below you’ll find some common topics based upon different skill levels.

BEGINNER-INTERMEDIATE

I am a big believer in fundamentals in the development of any skill, photography is no different. I start all my workshops by ensuring that we have a good foundation to build on. Below you’ll find some sample topics:

Shooting in Manual Mode

Understand The Exposure Triangle and how each affects the image (aperture, ISO, shutter speed)

How to Meter and Expose for best results

Using light for better captures

Compositions made simple and easy

Understanding and using camera settings and menu options

ND’s, Polarizer and Grads - Which to use and when to use it

Tips and Tricks for easier workflows and shooting experience in the field

Photographing the night sky - Exposure, Focusing, Compositions

INTERMEDIATE - ADVANCED

Those who have a greater understanding of their cameras will get some more advanced shooting techniques to focus on light, location and making good decisions to make the most of the variables. Some advanced topics are listed below:

Exposure bracketing and blending

Focus stacking for depth of field and sharpness

Creative blending to bring the vision to life

Composing for interest, depth and focus

Time Blends for Night Sky

Conclusions and Expectations

SUMMARY

Your satisfaction, enjoyment and educational experience is important to me. The goal of this workshop is to allow you to further understand your camera, composition and artistic expression while using the amazing landscapes of Joshua Tree National Park. I want to ensure that everyone comes away with great instruction as well as a great experience in nature. Most importantly, we are going to have fun! Having fun is a critical part of any good photography adventure. When you have fun, your mind is free to expand and learn.

POST PROCESSING

Post Processing is not included with this workshop. You can purchase an additional 3 hours of post processing instruction with this workshop that will be completed following the workshop. Editing is done via group video session in the following weeks from the workshop. It is recorded and available for download shortly after the session is complete. Instruction is given in both Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. Topics of post processing will vary upon your skill level. Common topics below:

Lightroom and Photoshop Workflows

Maximizing your RAW captures

Keys to clean editing

Stacking for depth of field and noise

Use of Luminosity Masks

Blending methods

Finishing an Image

and much more...

Learn More About Chris

Chris is a photographer and educator based in Long Beach, CA. It is a desire to teach, love for the outdoors, and photography which resulted in his role as a landscape photographer and educator. When not sharing his photography knowledge he can be found exploring nature’s beauty in his endless search for perfect light and discovery.

Learn More About Chris’s Workshops

Chris’s workshops cover a wide-range of photographic instruction and all its aspects, but also put an emphasis on having fun to enable creativity to thrive. Chris puts the emphasis your development as a photographer, incorporating infield fundamentals and cutting edge techniques to help you find your vision and bring it to life in post-processing. Whether you are just beginning or a blooming professional, Chris will help you to create meaningful and inspiring photographs while leading you down a path towards finding your own creativity.

#Workshop #Group Workshop #Photo Tour #Photo Adventure #Landscape #Photography #Photography Workshop #Desert #Joshua Tree #National Park #night photography #photo workshop

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scottsumrners · 5 years ago

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my general thoughts on the negative aspects of the movie, in a more organize manner:

1. palpatine’s plot makes no sense. he spends three movies telling people he needs to kill rey, only for in the last minute go “no...actually i always wanted you to come here, because then i can possess you in the exact same way that the force leech possesses kyle ron on nando scottsumrners’ rewriting of tlj, which i am sure is just a coincidence”

2. also why would all the sith be stuck trapped on palpatine’s body? like. what. being a sith lord isn’t even a genetic thing????? like. how does this make any sense? why would it be transferred to her? why not use crylo ren, when he is literally grandson of anakin skywalker?? who planned this????

3. palpatine’s hand-waving of how he survived because the dark side has many abilities some would consider unnatural is. LITERALLY. such a cop-out. it’s literally just steven moffat saying he wouldn’t explain how sherlock survived because the how didn’t matter, what mattered was the why - it’s bullshit. the how matters. especially because it makes no sense with the timeline! how did palpatine create snoke to fuck with crylo ren’s head from the womb literally just a couple of years after he was yeeet’ed down a ventilation shaft? MAKE IT MAKE SENSE

4. also the timeline makes no sense. did palpatine, who was already disfigured, really have a kid with mara jade some random woman during the empire? and then, despite the fact that he already was planning to fuck with crylo ren since birth, he waited over fifteen years to go after his own daughter/son? and then what? he was expecting 9 year old rey to kill him? and then he would possess her?

5. actually the mental image of palpatine going through puberty in a teenage girl’s body is HILARIOUS. thanks for the mental image, jj

6. also speaking of jj, this bitch really had the AUDACITY of saying they were explore more of finn’s past and then. not do anything with it? we still don’t know who finn is or where he comes from! in fact, all the movie did was dismiss finn’s heroic break free of first order control as just, like, something any of the other stormtroopers could do. even though the movie confirms finn as being force-sensitive (and never uses it)

7. speaking of which, not to toot my own horn, but finn SHOULD have been the one to wield leia’s saber, like in my rewriting

8. absolutely dreadful that han AND leia AND luke sacrificed themselves for crylo ren. and for what? he doesn’t DO anything except resurrect rey! which wasn’t even necessary to begin with! it felt like they didn’t know what to do with crylo, so he kind of just. hung around, i guess?

9. and like. i know they move through lightspeed or whatever, but the fact that crylo could be literally everywhere at any moment was absurd. like they managed to tract rey down in 1 minute and in less than 2 they were already down on the planet hunting her. they really just game of thrones season 8′ed this shit

10. speaking of which. jj gave rey the same treatment finn got in tlj: she spends 75% of the movie going on a goose chase that is rendered entirely pointless by the end of it. she is searching for the wayfinder but ends up...having it destroyed? why didnt she just go after kyle ron’s to begin with?

11. finn and poe kinda...dont...do anything? they just run around after rey, bickering the whole time. i actually liked their interaction in that aspect, and so much of it could’ve been read as romantic, or very nearly moving towards it

12. i’m sorry but zarii’s existence doesn’t make gay poe invalid at all lmfao. none of their interactions read as romantic?????? zarii’s very first scene is she straight up flirting with rey lol and then when they arrive back in the base, poe and zarii LITERALLY GIVE EACH OTHER THE GAY HEADNOD. yeah he asks to kiss her and makes faces at her, but it reads as an inside joke more than anything

13. i also high key wish zarii and jannah had more development. jannah has more so than zarii, but mostly because she is like a female counterpart to finn. thankfully there are no romantic undertones there

14. but i hate, hate, hate how they sidelined rose. she has more lines/presence than most people are saying she does. people said she only has 2 lines, but that’s not true, she has several scenes through the movie, but jj decided to strand her back in the base, and there are practically no scenes in the base this time, so she is barely there. still, she should have accepted finn’s offer and gone along. there’s no reason why she needed to stay behind

15. i’m not even gonna touch the kiss thing because it was...ooc and bad. everything about the palpatine stuff was bad. i don’t get why they just didn’t make her a clone, if they wanted her to be related to him????? it would’ve made more sense. maybe she was a clone that was “successful” (in a similar vein to x-23 being a successful clone to wolverine) but the geneticist who was working on the project saw what would happen to her and decided to smuggle her out, and then left her behind in jakku. it would explain why rey, despite being roughly 9 years old in that memory, somehow doesnt remember her own name or any other memories from before being stranded there

16. the most emotional moment of the movie was chewie crying when leia died, everything else was a....not it, scoob

17. i dont understand why rey was with bb-8 in the final scene? unless finn and poe were passionately making out back in the falcon and couldn’t be bothered to come along with her, it made no sense for POE’S DROID to be with rey. even when she was training. why wasn’t she with r2 and c3po????

18. also i dont...understand...why people think she is gonna isolate herself in tattooine??? she just went there to bury the lightsabers lmfao???? the ending with the twin suns was just a homage to the original

overall. Bad. Very Bad. Not worth the money spent tbh

#tros #tros spoilers #star wars

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stlwindowsanddoors-blog · 4 years ago

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10 Ways to Get the Wrong Window Replacements

There is no getting around it. Window replacement is a major renovation to your home. Besides including remarkable visual appeal, especially in an older house, window replacement has instant possible to conserve on electrical, gas and oil expenses. There is also the advantage of almost 100% recuperative worth of the expense must you choose to sell your house.

So become informed of the ins and outs of window shopping, so you do not "break" your budget plan, and prevent these ten window wrongs. 1. Changing One Window At a Time Over the Next 10 Years. This renovation ought to not be done piecemeal. It's better to do all the windows that require replacement at the same time, and ideally all the windows in your house. Space by space window replacement is more affordable and it can be simpler if done slowly, a few at a time, but visually, your house will not convey an arranged, serene and cohesive design unless all the windows match well. What if materials are terminated or ended up being briefly unavailable, or expect there's not sufficient money to finish your home? If you can't afford them all now, don't begin up until the cash exists. But don't stress over purchasing replacements due to the fact that when finished, they should not require replacement once again. 2. Altering That Custom Window Space to Standard Window Space. There is no need to downgrade that unique customized window such as an arch, a small French door, or any uncommon configuration. Installing plain single glazed panes, because custom windows are too pricey, doesn't do justice to the unique functions of your house with its various lines, corners, and areas. Don't refrain from tailoring your windows to fit the character of the home merely to conserve money. One cost reliable way to get a custom-made appearance without the customized cost is to take several basic stock windows and combine them into a distinct style which enhances that unique space. The cost of personalizing a window versus combining standard stock windows is vast. Although the alternatives are more restricted, the client doesn't lose on their designer detailing. 3. Not Matching the Functions You Need With Available Options. You've been living in this home for 10 years so what's required is apparent, so put some brain power into the problems and document the features that are essential before checking out the websites or the display room. The choices readily available are truly endless with as lots of fashion statements on the market as any Parisian boulevard. Bare it down to the bones first. Those multi-paned, lever-operated, jalousie windows in the living room are not just an eye sore, but a thorn in your side. They do not belong in your stately Victorian on the very best street in New Orleans. Make a list of the functions you truly want and develop a principle of the perfect dream windows. Do this before browsing over the options so the focus remains on the requirements of your home first, before the glitter impresses you away. 4. The Easiest Thing Is To Buy All Vinyl Windows Within and Out and Be Made with It. Those TV commercials 25 years ago which showed how easy those replacement vinyl windows were to clean and open, did disappoint the vinyl after 20 or thirty years in a difficult sun. It holds true, vinyl replacements have enhanced, and are very energy efficient supplied the vinyl does not degrade. Nevertheless, I do not recommend all vinyl replacements at all and prefer instead a combined vinyl and wood replacement over an aluminum frame. It has the simple maintenance benefit of all vinyl, but does not depend upon the heat sensitivity of the vinyl for effective operation. Some individuals like wood at any expense. Although it needs a great deal of upkeep and regular repainting, absolutely nothing breathes and seems like wood in any home restoration. For our cash, we recommend an aluminum frame with wood on the interior side, and a vinyl covered aluminum frame outside for the maximum benefits of energy efficiency, visual appeals and maintenance ease. 5. There Are Some Good Deals On Dual Pane Windows. And if you fall for those lots you'll get a rude awakening. Something like two pieces of glass of questionable quality, without any unique coverings or surfactants, glazed together to form one window. Slightly longer than one year later on when that sub basic guarantee goes out, condensation develops between the panes and a black spotty poisonous mold begins growing all around the sides. "What a pity", says the brand-new glazier shaking his head. "This rot is anything however dry. You must have pertained to me previously." If only it truly was a bargain. The maker does not even return those calls and the specialist has left the state. Real double paned windows are pricey, and the choices are various. There is a brand-new cutting-edge version where the 2 panes are in fact blown together into a single system with a safe insulating gas sealed between them. This completely eliminates fogging, condensation, and drafts. Other types need proper sealing and ought to carry an excellent low u-factor. The U-factor is a toughness test which determines just how much interior heat gets away from the window. Conversely, a low Solar Heat Gain Co-efficient, or SHGC informs the consumer how much heat from the sun penetrates your windows. If you negotiate away your consumer protections, don't be shocked if that big restoration goes sour. 6. Customizing Into Complacency. Even the finest windows from the very best makers could position operational troubles and style flaws. Not that they were the top of the line to start with, but those advertisements for vinyl replacement windows revealing the easy tilt down cleansing system proved tough for lots of individuals to use. Don't buy any windows that you have not subjected to strenuous tests of your own. Even if a window is tailored, does not automatically make it user friendly. There isn't a maker in business that hasn't made windows with design flaws and particularly troublesome are those customized functions. Work them personally; don't simply observe the demonstration. Have the family work them. Ask concerns to the salesman. Any sticky wickets? Leave the windows at the store or at least those complex systems. Operation will only make them stickier. 7. Buying Windows Without NFRC Rating. NFRC or the National Fenestration Score Council screening has actually become an industry requirement in examination of energy efficiency and efficiency. It's a pity to acquire windows without the score considering it doesn't cost you anything however the manufacturers depend on it to sort out those less then perfect quality windows. Also makers who are less expensive however disavow their warranties after 1 year typically are those windows which don't perform well versus their better quality competitors. In fact, many states now require the NFRC scores in order to get a permit for window replacement of any kind. Contact the local council about constructing code requirements for your house. 8. All Window Hardware Is Basically The Exact same. The hardware set up with your windows figures out the ease, security, and toughness of operation. In fact, your windows are just as great as the hardware holding them together. Window hardware can conceal low-cost metal products in the locking system or sash. Attempt to get hardware that adheres to California's comprehensive anti theft and forced entry standards. They require that any closed window is a locked window and has the ability to remain locked under heavy lever type pressure. 9. Who Needs Two Warranties? You require two warranties to cover you in any eventuality and here is the information. Initially, there is the maker's guarantee. This covers the windows from manufacturing flaws, unforeseen wear, replacement parts or anything to do with the windows themselves. It is a prolonged service warranty that is released with premium windows for 10 to twenty years and often longer. It needs to not professional rate the advantages with time due to the age of the windows, and must be totally transferable should you choose to offer your house. Second, there is the assurance from the specialist who sets up the windows. This typically only extends over one year, although a professional who is sure of their work and has an excellent reputation may be encouraged to provide more protection, in some cases as much as 2 years. In any case, this service warranty is limited and covers just the work of the specialist relating to setup and nothing to do with producing flaws of the windows themselves. For example, if the surfactant is mottled on that western exposure image window in the bedroom, do not try to redress the problem with the professional. Call the maker. However, if mold is establishing on the inside of one brand-new window sill, get the contractor back over there as soon as possible before that guarantee expires. Try not to get included if there is a conflict over responsibility. Make them work it out. 10. It Will Save A Package If My Painter Installs The Windows and I Will Assist Fine, if you have the time and the painter has appropriate expertise however sadly, a lot of mistakes take place when attempting to streamline window installation. Since window replacement is a more costly and huge undertaking than it seems unless it's only one or 2 windows we're talking about, or you have actually done it previously, it's finest to leave this to a specialist. Setup is the least of the expense of window replacement so it does not pay to cut corners here. One essential tip, when you work with a professional to install those brand-new windows, besides doing all the basic evaluations of his work, such as seeing his jobs over the past three months, getting reliable referrals, not paying up front for the task, and so on, if there is a little additional money to spare, think about employing an engineer to evaluate the installation. It's a relatively affordable way to buy a lot of comfort. Even if you can't manage one, try asking the professional throughout the interview if he minds if you hire an engineer to evaluate precaution and setup. If he gets upset or declines, don't use this professional. The reason speaks for itself. If he states he doesn't mind or heartily welcomes the chance, then this contractor trusts his own work, and will no doubt work much better knowing that an expert will exist, even if he isn't. If an engineer is worked with, bring him when at the start, and once prior to the last couple of windows are finished to check for compliance before the last checks are written. Armed with these suggestions, you ought to get more for your money, and years of satisfaction looking out your brand-new "quite as a picture" replacement window.

#windows replacement

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pelikinesis · 5 years ago

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ended up typing a lot about JJBA

finally making my way through JJBA Stardust Crusaders. On the one hand, from what I’ve seen of JJBA in general, a lot of shit happens basically for *THE DRAMA*, but due to artistic choices, clever execution, and committing to its own outlandishness, it really does work on a certain level. and if you’re down to meet it at that level, you’ll have a good time probably.

at least, that was my initial takeaway after having watched the first two seasons. But even though the whole point of JJBA is that each series creates its own paradigm (Phantom Blood is basically Great Expectations meets vampires meets sunlight kung fu, and then Battle Tendency replaces the noble and pure-hearted Jonathan with his conniving shonen Tom Sawyer-esque grandson, Joseph), I feel like Stardust Crusaders is easily the biggest change.

not just because of The Stands, but actually because the main cast broadens to including at least 4 characters early on. It’s really the only way a character as stoic and seemingly-unflappable as Jotaro can really work in a story. There always needs to be another character on-scene and similarly invested in his quest to react to all the shenanigans going on, so he can bide his time just glaring impassively at the obstacles in his way before he gives them the ora ora ora and then yare yare da ze at the right moments.

And while Jotaro is starting to grow on me, i imagine i would have been way more into his character when i was in my teens or early twenties. But these days, I’m much too aware of how the story twists and turns so that Jotaro always looks SO FREAKING COOL. Like, i couldn’t manually activate that particular section of my suspension of disbelief even if i tried. if i could do that, believe me, i would, because i can see the appeal of Jotaro at a distance. And maybe by the time Stardust Crusaders is over, that’ll change things.

but as for right now, I equally like Jonathan and Joseph, though since I relate more to Joseph i’d pick him if i had to have a favorite. Phantom Blood is really short, but since Jonathan is such a simultaneously straightforwards but also immensely likable character, it works.

If anything, it’s the other way around: if Phantom Blood were longer, that might be a problem, because Jonathan barely changes at all as a character (because he’s already a precious cinnamon roll too pure for this world) and essentially just learns Hamon as far as development goes.

If it had gone even a few more episodes, Jonathan might have started to get stale. But since he’s taken from Erina and Speedwagon and the rest of the cast (and US) far too soon, his passing is tragic, and all the more fondly remembered for it. That’d be kind of a shitty thing to say about an actual person I think, but since this is fiction I guess that’s alright to say.

and Joseph is just...incredibly entertaining. nonstop. He reaches near Deadpool-levels of zaniness, but since he’s picking up where the almost impossibly noble and heroic Jonathan left off, it feels fresh to begin with, and then Joseph continues to grow and change throughout Battle Tendency.

At first he seems to inherit little of Jonathan’s character, due to his cocky demeanor, but those sparks of brilliance back in Phantom Blood that added a garnish of depth to Jonathan go supernova in Joseph and never look back, because he’s all about outwitting his opponents. So as compelling as the fights get in Phantom Blood, they become absolutely fascinating in Battle Tendency as Joseph pulls gambit after gambit out of his ass while having to fight the Pillar Men who are way above his weight class.

In Stardust Crusaders, they “preserve” Jotaro’s image usually by having Polnareff or Old Joseph fall into the situations that do a number on their bodies, minds, and dignity. I’m not saying Jotaro never struggles or gets worried, it’s just that he shows it a lot less than everyone else, and since (thus far) he always comes out on top a lot quicker or at least more abruptly than the rest of the cast, I find myself being a lot less concerned about his well-being and the possibility of his victory when he’s in danger.

And for what it’s worth, that’s completely telegraphed and likely deliberate. It’s my understanding that he’s the one that faces DIO in the end, so i would imagine there’s a payoff for him being handled relatively ‘safely’ in comparison to the rest of the main cast. I say it’s telegraphed because in the very first episode, characters comment about how powerful his Stand, Star Platinum is, and of course those attributes seem to transfer over, or at least get conflated with its user as well.

This wasn’t originally what i wanted to talk about though, precisely because i’m not yet done with the series. I actually wanted to write a bit about Hol Horse, because he’s just such a great antivillain, but I realized that what really makes JJBA so compelling, aside from its fascinating artistic direction and the fact that it’s very good at doing the main things it wants to do, is that the writers understand drama--and I said it was conspicuously, even overly-dramatic earlier, but right now I’m focusing on each episode’s ability to build and release tension.

No matter how wacky the show gets, it’s unfailingly adept at ramping up the tension. Even when I’m presented with a character so grotesquely, cartoonishly evil and unpleasant that it begs the question of how such a person could exist in the world as is. Even though I know the writers are unsubtly trying to play me so i rejoice when the bad guy gets ORAORAORA’d into the stratosphere. Even though everything at the forefront of the plot often ORAORAORAs whatever verisimilitude the setting has. I still cheer when the bad guys get obliterated. I still worry when the good guys are on the ropes.

And so I have a hard time critiquing the writing of JJBA. Maybe I’m just not qualified to form an opinion more refined than, “I enjoy it and it’s special, but not for everyone.” I guess what I would say, is that the story is extremely compelling to me as I’m watching it. But when I stop to think about it with some distance, the impact of the story beats and the characters’ fates become greatly diminished, and when it comes to other stories the opposite is true.

Because when I think about His Dark Materials, or Final Fantasy 6, or my other all time favorite stories, I feel a lot more strongly about them even if I haven’t read, watched, or played them in years. But on the other hand, maybe nostalgia has a lot to do with it. That’s probably a topic better suited for a back-and-forth discussion than as a stream-of-consciousness post though.

I wanted to return to the topic of Hol Horse for a second though, because by the third time he shows up in the story, he’s the POV character of the episode, and the main cast are positioned within the narrative of the episode as the antagonists. And it’s the weirdest thing, because I don’t know how many stories have managed to pull this off, or even try to do it.

But it works, because Hol Horse has already been established as being an ineffectual villain, but we don’t hate him because it turns out he failed to kill Avdol, and he hasn’t done anything absolutely reprehensible. He’s a bit of an everyman who is way in over his head and doesn’t want to die, and he even kinda sorta helped out the heroes once.

All that makes him sympathetic to a certain extent. And over the course of his episode, the tension comes from the question of will he or won’t he put his trust and faith in Oingo’s prophecies. It actually reminded me of the Biblical stories of Abraham and Isaac, or Job. Any time the character has their faith tested. Hol Horse gets that exact arc, and we see him struggle on whether to trust his own instincts and judgment, or entrust his life to the will of a higher power (I guess. It’s a Stand, so...).

It’s because Stardust Crusaders does stuff like this that it gets away with being structurally formulaic. It’s really just a sequence of them running into enemy Stand users, struggling to survive, figuring out how the Stand works, then coming up with a way to use their own Stands and/or the environment to overcome them.

Except when there are other resolutions, including but not limited to using the enemy Stand’s power against their users, using their enemies’ fear of Dio against them, and Jotaro overcoming the setback of being de-aged back to 7 years old through the strategy of Jotaro being able to kick a grown man’s ass at 7 years old.

In every way, JJBA is just an explosive riot of unfettered creativity, with enough strong consistent elements to give it a unique flavor, and if nothing else, i feel like i should be taking pointers from how it creates dramatic tension.

#jojo's bizarre adventure #jjba

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write-havoc · 6 years ago

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This Is How I Disappear Ch. 13

Summary: A girl named Chuck finds herself in the exact place she doesn't want to be, living with violent men in a desolate nursing home. After her former gym teacher finds her, will he be the savior she was looking for?

Fandom: The Walking Dead AU

Pairing: Negan/Original Female Character

Status: Completed (story continues in The Flame Is Gone, The Fire Remains)

Contains: swearing, violence, sexual assault, blood, smut

Readers 18+ of age only

Masterlists in my bio

After a few hours, and with Negan still unconscious, Simon leaves to get some sleep. Chuck can see that Carson is exhausted, as well.

“Why don’t you take the bed?” she says to Carson as she gets up.

“You should still be resting, Charlotte.”

“I’m fine. I want to sit beside him, anyways.” She moves slowly to the other side of Negan’s bed as Carson lays down in the now vacant one. Chuck pulls a chair up to Negan’s right and sits down in it, laying her head over his chest and staring at his face. She listens to his heart and feels his chest rise and fall with each breath. Her eyelids grow heavy, but she tries to fight it. Carson is snoring in the other bed already, so Chuck wants to stay awake in case something happens. It’s a losing battle, though, and soon enough, sleep overcomes her.

Some time later, Chuck is awoken by the sensation of someone softly playing with her hair. She opens her eyes to see Negan staring back at her.

“Negan,” she whispers excitedly as she moves closer to his face. She gives a quick look to the monitor before she shines her penlight in his eyes, rechecking his pupils.

“Fuck, sweetheart. That’s bright as shit,” Negan croaks out quietly and winces.

When she’s confident that Negan is okay, she moves back to his face. She can’t hold back her emotions any longer and she grabs his face, peppering it with kisses as tears stream down her cheeks.

“It’s okay, baby girl,” he coos as he brings his hands to her cheeks.

“I can’t lose you Negan. You’re all I have. I don’t know what I would do without you. You can’t leave me.” She continues to caress his face and hair as her tears flow.

“I’m not going any-fuckin’-where, sweetheart.” He sweeps the tears from her cheeks.

“You’re my best friend, Negan. I love you.” She brings her body down on top of his and hugs him. “I know you don’t like to get really close to people, but I know we’re friends. Even if you won’t admit it. And I don’t think I could go on without you.”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’m not going down that easily.” He rubs her back softly as they stay in a hug for a few moments.

Sunlight starts to seep in through the window signifying that morning has come.

“Fuck.”

“What?” Chuck moves to sit up on Negan’s bed, wiping her cheeks of the last of her tears.

“Give me a radio.”

Negan’s louder voice causes Carson to wake up. He turns back to Negan and gets out of the bed. “Negan. You’re awake-“

“I’m fine, doc. Chuck checked me out.” He grasps the radio from Chuck’s outstretched hand and calls out to Carson, “Infirmary is closed while I’m in here. Which hopefully won’t be much longer.” He brings the radio up to his mouth, but thinks better of it. He hands the radio back to Chuck. “Get Simon in here. Don’t mention me over the line.”

Chuck lifts the radio to her mouth and presses the button. “Simon. Could you please come to the infirmary, please.” She tries to sound casual, but fails miserably causing Negan to let out a chuckle.

“On my way,” Simon’s voice comes through the speaker.

Carson clears his throat. “You can’t just walk out of here, sir. You have to stay off your leg. Not only could you reopen your wound, but you also have an injury to your knee. You won’t be able to put any weight on your leg for several days and then you’ll probably need crutches for a while after that, depending on how the swelling in your knee goes down.”

“Motherfucker!” Negan growls out.

Simon makes his appearance and walks through the door a little out of breath.

“Fuck, man. You about made me shit my pants,” Simon says with a relieved expression on his face as he looks at a conscious Negan.

“Get that fucker that got the freight elevator working and get him to do it again. But tell him we’re getting some new fuckin’ furniture on the top floor or some shit,” Negan orders Simon. “You guys are gonna wheel my ass out of here in this bed. And please tell me you did what I planned,” he directs at Simon.

“Yeah, boss. People will think you’re on a run with TJ’s group. I sent him and the guys to Rolling Acres, so no one here will see them. I already put it in the logs that you guys were going out further than normal on your run. That’ll give you a few days before people here will really notice your absence. And I briefed the rest of the guys that were there. They won’t say a word about what happened to anyone.”

“I’m confused,” Chuck pipes up. “Why are you lying about this?”

“I don’t get hurt, sweetheart. No one here can fuckin’ see me like this. It betrays the whole image,” Negan explains and Chuck nods in understanding.

She knows that part of what keeps this place going is the fact that everyone puts their faith in Negan and his ability to lead. It does make sense that any major injury, like this one, could cause people to lose some of that faith.

It takes a while, but they get the elevator working. Simon and a few saviors in the loop clear all the hallways of people, saying they are transporting a prisoner, before they pass through with Negan’s hospital bed, making sure no one sees their journey to the elevator. They get Negan into the elevator and up to his room with no problems. The men carefully transfer Negan to his own bed and take the hospital bed back to the infirmary.

After Negan gets settled, he turns to Chuck. “You’re going to be my live in nurse. You can tend to whatever the fuck I need whenever the fuck I need it. I don’t want the doc fuckin’ coming in and out of here at all. It’ll raise suspicion.”

“Won’t people notice that she’s gone?” Simon asks as he gestures to Chuck.

Negan thinks a moment. “How do you feel about marriage, sweetheart?” Negan gives her a smirk.

“Uh...” Chuck isn’t exactly enjoying being put on the spot like this. She especially isn’t enjoying the three sets of eyes intently looking at her. “Is that- uh. Do I have to?” She looks to Negan, whose face seems to fall slightly.

“No. You don’t fuckin’ have to,” he responds. “But it’s an easy fuckin’ explanation for why you’d move up here.”

“Well,” Chuck starts. “I’m sure no one will notice I’m not around, anyway. Without having to make an explanation. It’s not like I really have any friends outside of the fifth floor. I’m pretty sure Dr. Carson is the only one downstairs that knows my name.”

Negan shrugs, seemingly accepting Chuck’s answer.

“I’d like to check you out myself, sir,” Carson interjects.

“I trust Chuck’s fuckin’ abilities.”

“I can call down to you if I need anything,” Chuck says to the doctor. “We could use a dedicated channel so no one hears. Or I could use a code name or something.”

“That sounds fuckin’ good. Simon, you’re gonna be ‘in charge’ for the next few days since I’m ‘off site’.” Negan uses airquotes to make sure his point is known. “We’ll figure out what to do after that. Maybe I can just make some fuckin’ appearances and shit. That might be enough to keep fuckers from running their mouths.”

“You can still bark orders over the radio,” Simon adds. “All the saviors would hear it and know you were here. And not dead.”

“Yeah. I still want to show my handsome as fuck mug around the place, though.” Negan pauses to gather his thoughts, then turns to Simon. “Go down with Chuck and help bring her shit up here. The doc can stay with me until you fuckin’ get back.”

Chuck and Simon obey the orders and make their way down to her room.

Simon opens the door and they enter Chuck’s room. “You’re making a habit of having to live with Negan, aren’t you,” Simon jokes, but his smile looks disingenuous.

“I suppose. Only this time, I’m gonna take care of him. And that’s probably gonna be more painful for me than getting stabbed was.” Chuck chortles and starts to put all the items and clothing she thinks she’ll need into her bags.

“Knowing Negan, you’re probably right.” They both chuckle.

“I know Negan probably doesn’t tell you this as much as he should -or at all probably- but he’s really lucky to have you, Simon,” she says genuinely. “You do so much for him. And for this place.”

“Yeah,” Simon responds a bit bashfully. “I promised...” he sighed. “I promised Lucille I’d be there for him and I’ve never broken that promise.”

“Oh? You were friends with her?”

“Yeah. The three of us were close for a lot of years.”

“Oh. If you want to talk about her with me, you can.”

Simon gives her a confused look.

“I’m not trying to be nosy, or anything. It’s just that, I know Negan probably wouldn’t let you talk about her. And he definitely doesn’t talk about her...”

“Why would I need to talk about her?” Simon asks with a confused look on his face.

“Because she was your friend. And you lost her, too. I’m sure that was painful for you. And keeping that pain bottled up isn’t healthy. Trust me, I know.”

He gives Chuck a look that she can’t read. “Maybe someday I‘ll tell you about her.” He shrugs and shifts his weight. Chuck can see that he is uncomfortable, so she doesn’t press any further.

“I think I’m about done.” She throws her diary, iPhone, and speaker into her bag and zips it up. “I don’t know why Negan told you to come down here. I think I can manage this by myself.” She holds her bag in one hand and her guitar in the other.

Simon laughs and grabs the bag from her, heading out the door with Chuck close behind. The pair quickly reenter Negan’s room.

“Thanks, Simon.” Chuck takes her bag and sets it on the couch along with her guitar.

“No problem, angel.” Simon looks to Negan, then moves closer to his bedside.

Carson begins to go over Negan’s medicines and aftercare with Chuck. She writes down the dosing schedule and asks him any lingering questions she has as Negan and Simon go over more details of what will happen with Negan being laid up. With all of that sorted, Carson and Simon exit the room, leaving Chuck and Negan by themselves.

“Fuck,” Negan breathes out and rubs his hands down his face.

“Do you need something?” Chuck moves to stand beside Negan’s bed.

“No.” He lets out a sigh. “This shit shouldn’t’ve fuckin’ happened. I’m a fuckin’ dumbass. I should’ve noticed the damn floor was rotted to shit.”

“How it happened doesn’t matter now. We just need to get you healthy. That’s all that matters.”

“Yeah...” He pauses and shifts in the bed. “Will you take these fuckin’ pants off me? They’re uncomfortable as fuck.”

With all the commotion of the night and moving him all day, no one had thought to take the ruined garment off of him.

“Yeah. I’m just going to cut them the rest of the way off. I don’t think they can be salvaged, anyway.” She takes his belts off and cuts through the waistband of the pants from the cut already on his right pant leg. Then she gingerly pulls them off his other leg, making sure not to jostle him.

He sits up a little to take off his shirt. “Might as well get rid of those fuckin’ boxers, too. If I’m gonna be on my ass for a while, I’m gonna be fuckin’ comfortable.”

“Uh... okay,” she says with some nervousness.

“What? It’s not like you haven’t fuckin’ seen my dick before.”

“God, Negan.” She lets out a shy laugh.

“Shit, Chuck. My dick has been fully inside you. I think the time to be fuckin’ shy is long gone.” He chuckles. “Besides, I used to always sleep buck ass naked before you came along. I fuckin’ hate sleeping in my boxers.”

“Oh. Why didn’t you tell me that before?” She never wanted him to be uncomfortable because of her. She tentatively starts to remove his underwear, being extra careful with his right leg.

“You would’ve let me sleep with you naked before we started fucking?”

“No. I guess I wouldn’t have. That would’ve been weird.” She covers him back up with his sheet. “You know, I think I’m gonna need some help with you. I can’t carry you to the bathroom by myself.”

“Doc gave me a jug to piss in.”

“Well, you’re still going to have to go to the bathroom every once in a while. I’m not doing bedpans.”

“You’ll figure something out. You are smart as fuck, remember.” He gives her a smirk.

“Yeah, sure,” Chuck mutters and lets out a yawn.

“Come here.” Negan opens his sheet and pats the bed to his left. “You look tired as fuck. And the doc told me you donated some blood and that you really should be fuckin’ resting. So get in here and take a nap.”

“I’m fine. And I really should stay awake-“

“Nope. Get naked and lay your fine ass down next to me.”

She does feel pretty tired, so she moves to the top of the bed. “I’m not taking my clothes off.” She kicks her shoes off and lays down on the bed.

“Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

“Jeez, Negan. Even now you have a one track mind.” She cuddles up to his left side and lets out another yawn. “You should get some sleep, too.” She closes her eyes and almost immediately drifts off to sleep.

“Sweetheart,” Negan says softly.

Chuck fully wakes up and looks to Negan. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah. I would’ve let you sleep more but I’m getting hungry as fuck and I have to take a piss.”

“I’m sorry.” She scrambles to get off of him and hands him his “piss jug”. “You don’t need any help with that, right?”

He smirks at her and opens his mouth to say something.

“Never mind.” She cuts him off. “I know you don’t need help, so just hold on to whatever vulgar thing you were about to say.” She giggles as she moves to go to the kitchen. “I’ll get you one of those meal shake things. Dr. Carson doesn’t want you eating anything heavy yet.”

The next couple of days are taxing for Chuck, but she knows she has to keep it together for Negan. She is constantly running around, getting him water and food, bringing him paperwork to look over, keeping track of his medicines, and just making sure he’s comfortable. It’s exhausting.

She asks Negan if the wives can help her, but he refuses. He is very adamant that no one sees him in the state he’s in. He allows Chuck to fill the wives in on that fact that he is there and injured, but tells her not to let them in to see him. They still want to help out, so they provide Negan and Chuck with food. The wives prepare the meals and Chuck brings them back to Negan.

Even though Negan insists that Chuck cuddles up to him during their down time, she tries to give him his space. She feels like if she is in the bed with him, he wouldn’t really rest. She grabs a pillow and blanket and gets cozy on the couch with a book or her diary to try to force him to take it easy on his own. He tries to fight her on it, but he always gives in and takes a nap after he has his medicine.

Chuck even figures out a way to get Negan to the bathroom. He puts his arms around her shoulders in a modified piggyback ride. She gently props his injured right leg up, while Negan puts his good leg on the ground to take some of his weight off of Chuck’s back when it becomes too much for her.

One night, Chuck comes back from clearing their dinner dishes and notices Negan’s less than stellar body odor. “You’re starting to smell pretty bad.”

“Thanks a lot, sweetheart,” Negan responds sarcastically.

“Well... You haven’t showered in a while. You can’t get your wound wet, so I think I’ll get you in the tub and you can just sponge bathe yourself while I get some clean sheets on this bed. Because they are getting ripe, too.”

“Shouldn’t my personal live in fuckin’ nurse be the one to give me a sponge bath?” he jokes.

She gives him an incredulous look as a response.

“You know, I took time out of my busy fuckin’ schedule to clean you up when you were fuckin’ laid up.” He raises his eyebrows at her, trying to guilt her into bathing him.

“Yeah. But I couldn’t lift my arm, though. You can. And I wasn’t completely naked the whole time, either,” she responds. “If you need help cleaning your feet, or something, then I’ll help. But I think you can manage the rest of you.”

She moves beside the bed and helps him get on her back, all the while listening to his over dramatic huffs of disapproval. She drags him close to the tub. “Okay, I’ll hold you up while you get your good leg in there.” It’s a bit awkward, but she gets him in the tub and gathers all the supplies he would need to get clean. She leaves to change out the bed linens then reenters the bathroom to check on Negan several minutes later.

“You all done?” she asks.

“No. I didn’t wash my fuckin’ hair, yet. This is awkward as fuck, you know,” he grumbles as he struggles with the bucket of water.

“Alright, alright. I’ll help.” Chuck helps him lean back and takes the bucket to wet his hair. She squeezes his shampoo into her hands and begins to work it through his locks, massaging his scalp.

“Fuck, that feels good.” Negan breathes out.

She continues to work her fingers through his greasy hair avoiding the small wound on his scalp, only pausing when he lets out a grunt. She thinks that she may have hurt him, but one glance down tells her that’s not the case.

“Stop it, Negan.” She tries to stifle a giggle as she notices that Negan is starting to get hard. “I can see that you’re getting excited, so just stop it.”

“What? That shit you’re doing feels great. I can’t fuckin’ help it.” He lets out a small moan.

“Ok. I’m rinsing now!” she calls out quickly before he can get any more aroused.

He lets out a groan of frustration when her fingers leave his scalp and she rinses the suds from his hair.

“There’s nothing you would be able to do with that thing anyway. You could open your stitches if you get too, uh... vigorous.” She can feel her cheeks redden. No matter how comfortable she is with Negan, she would still blush when it came to talking about sex.

“Shit, baby. I think you could be gentle.”

“Me?!” she squeaks out in surprise. She had never given Negan a handjob and is nervous at the thought that she might not do it as well as any of his wives. Or any of the plethora of other women that she’s sure had their hands on him. “You need to think about baseball or something because that’s not gonna happen any time soon.” She tosses a towel into his lap and begins to dry his hair with another one.

With Negan mostly dry, Chuck gets him back into the bed. She grabs a book for him to read while she takes her own shower before bed.

——— Negan’s POV ———

I watch Chuck grab her clothes and go into the bathroom to take a shower. It would’ve been fuckin’ nice of her to leave the door open, give me a bit of a fuckin’ show, but she didn’t. I pick up the book that Chuck threw down on the bed and laugh out loud as I read the title.

“The Soul of the Fearless Wave?” I say to myself. One look at the cover and I can tell it’s a fucking harlequin romance novel. She did that shit on purpose. Very funny, Chuck. I flip through it to see if I can find a fucking sex scene, but I get interrupted by a knock on the door.

“It’s Simon,” he says from the other side of the door.

“Get in here.”

Simon comes in and stands by my bed. “How ya feeling, brother?”

“Sore as fuck. But not fuckin’ dead, so that’s a plus.”

“Where’s Chuck?”

“Taking a shower.”

His eyes go to the bathroom, then to the pillow and blanket on the couch. I know what he’s fuckin’ thinking. He’s thinking about her sleeping on the fucking couch while she is taking care of me. Instead of sleeping with me. And I can see the fuckin’ relief on his face.

He always knew she slept up here, but I never once said that she sleeps in my fuckin’ bed. Or that I’ve fucked her. And I’m not gonna fuckin’ correct him on his assumption, either. I do not want to get into that shit with him right now. And it most certainly would be a fuckin’ mountain of shit because he’s in fucking love with her.

I always fuckin’ suspected it, but now I’m goddamn fuckin’ sure of it. All because he slipped up and called her “angel” the other day. It was the first fuckin’ time I heard him say it to her. And I know what that fuckin’ word means to him. He used to call her that. The only other woman I’ve heard him call that.

Simon looks back to me and starts. “So, TJ and his guys came back from Rolling Acres and we have an alibi set up for you. We’re going to tell all the saviors that you need to stay at Rolling Acres to start to get it up and running. They shouldn’t question why you’d need to be there since it’s the newest outpost and we haven’t really done much with it yet. The few guys that are already at the RA outpost are loyal, you know that. They’d do whatever you ask of them, no questions asked. So we spun a story to them that you have some super secret project and they need to cover for you. Say that you’ve been staying there and shit. That way, you can run shit here over the radio and pretend you’re there, since it’s in radio range from here. It’s all plausible and no one should question your absence for the week or so you’ll be down.”

“That sounds fuckin’ good.”

The bathroom door starts to open and out comes my girl, smelling sweet as all fuck.

——— ———

Chuck finishes her shower, dries off, and gets dressed in a tank top and sleep shorts. After running a comb through her damp hair, she comes back out to the bedroom. Unaware of Simon’s presence, she lets out a little yip when she sees him standing beside the bed.

“Oh! Hey, Simon.” The shock of seeing him at that moment makes her tone sound overly excited. She is suddenly very aware of the fact that she’s not exactly dressed.

“Hey, kiddo.” Simon shifts his weight and scratches his head.

“Do you need me to, uh, leave? I don’t want to interrupt official business, or anything.” Chuck crosses her arms over her chest and flits her gaze between the two men.

“Uh, no. I was just leaving.” Simon turns to leave the room. “Goodnight, uh, Chuck.” He looks back to her, then nods at Negan. “Negan.” He leaves the room and closes the door behind him.

Chuck stands in the middle of the floor for a few moments before she moves closer to the bed, Negan following her with his eyes the whole time.

“Did you like the book?” She giggles and waits for Negan’s response.

“I couldn’t fuckin’ put it down. I’d be halfway through it if Simon hadn’t’ve shown up.”

“Shut up.” She laughs. “That book is horrible. It uses the phrase ‘throbbing member’ like a million times.”

Negan smiles wide at her. “Chuck, are you a dirty girl? Reading smutty shit? Did you flick your bean to this?”

“Please.” She looks unimpressed. “That is the least sexy thing I’ve ever read. And I routinely read medical textbooks about infections.” She chortles. “Trust me, that book did not make my ‘nethers quiver’, which is another overused phrase, by the way.” She starts to turn off the lights in the room as they both laugh.

“Why the fuck did you read it then?”

“I got bored out of my mind when I lived up here the first time, so I read a bunch of stuff when you weren’t here.” She gets into bed beside Negan. “But I think the more important question is, why did you have that book in your collection?”

“This shit was in my collection? Shit. I guess I should go through it more closely. I can’t be fuckin’ seen with this shit. It’s embarrassing.” He tosses the book out of the bed as Chuck turns her bedside light off, leaving only the moonlight through the windows to slightly brighten the room. The pair move around a bit, trying to get comfortable.

“So... since when does Simon call you ‘angel’?” Negan asks casually as he pulls Chuck into his side.

“Hmm. I don’t know. I think he always did. He calls me that or kiddo.”

“Hmm...”

“Why do you ask?”

“No reason.” He pauses. “Who called you ‘Chuck’ first? It seems kinda weird to call a fuckin’ girl that.”

“Actually, there’s a whole story behind it.” She shifts so she can see his face more easily. “And my mom loved telling it so I’ve heard it a million times. When my mom was pregnant with me, she wanted me to be a boy. She only wanted a boy and she was 100 percent sure that I was gonna be one. She had the name Charles picked out pretty much from the second she thought she was pregnant, too. Had her heart set on having a ‘baby Charlie’. So when my parents found out I was a girl, ‘Charles’ became ‘Charlotte’. When I was born, my dad kept calling me ‘Chuck’ as a joke, and it just kinda stuck. They never really called me anything but ‘Chuck’. Unless I was in trouble. If I heard a ‘Charlotte’ from my mom, then I knew I messed up.” She giggles. “But my uncle always called me ‘Chucky’.” She smiles at the memory.

Negan chuckles at her. “That is cute. as. fuck.”

Chuck giggles. “I guess. What about you? I don’t even know your first name. Why do you only go by ‘Negan’? I saw your first initial on paperwork in high school once, so I know your name starts with an ‘A’.”

His smile drops and he lets out a heavy breath. “My story isn’t fucking cute.”

“Oh?” She can tell that he doesn’t want to talk about it, but she wants to keep the conversation open. She wants him to know that he can talk about anything with her, without trying to push him into it.

“My name... My birth name...” He lets out a sigh. “I was named after my piece of shit father. He was a fuckin’ violent drunk. And a truly evil man. Beat the shit outta me and my mom all the fuckin’ time. But she always got it worse. He’d make me watch what he did to her. The shit he did...” He wipes his face with his free hand. “He made me watch him rape her. Almost every damn night. Told me that was how men were supposed to treat women... But I knew better. The way my mom fuckin’ looked when he had his goddamn hands on her told me that wasn’t how it was supposed to fuckin’ be.”

Chuck moves her hand around him and hugs him lightly. “Oh my god... That’s so horrible.”

“Yeah.” He continues. “He went too far one night when I was thirteen and beat the living fuck out of her... and me. When he bolted, I ran three and a half miles with four broken ribs to the nearest neighbor and told them that my father just killed my mom.”

Chuck lets out a gasp and Negan hugs her a little closer.

“My neighbors called the cops and shit.” He takes in a deep breath and exhales. “The cops arrested him and he got sent to prison. As far as I know, he’s still there. I fuckin’ hope they left him in his cell to starve to fuckin’ death and turn into one of those dead pricks.” He rubs Chuck’s arm as she hugs him tighter. “Anyway. I went into fuckin’ foster care after that. And the day I was handed my mom’s ashes was the day I swore I would never utter my father’s fuckin’ name again. So I always went by my fuckin’ middle name, Egan. That was my grandma’s maiden name. And that’s what my mom wanted to name me before my father wanted a fuckin’ Junior.” He lets out a sigh. “My fuckin’ school wouldn’t let me just use my middle name, I guess, so they made me sign papers and shit with my first initial. N. So I wrote N Egan on all my papers and fuckin’ scribbled that fuck’s last name so I wouldn’t have to fuckin’ look at it. Eventually, people just started to call me Negan. When I turned eighteen, I legally changed my name.”

“Jeez.” She thinks about all the information that Negan had just told her. “You were alone that young?” Chuck asks softly. “I’m so sorry, Negan.” Her voice is choked with emotion.

He shrugs, trying to seem nonchalant, but Chuck can see the pain he is trying to mask in his face.

“So what’s the ‘A’ stand for, then?” she changes the subject back to his name.

“Well, I wanted to be just ‘Negan’. One fuckin’ name. But they wouldn’t let me do that, so I had to pick something.” He lets out a low laugh. “I made ‘Negan’ my last name and picked ‘Alex’ as a first name. Which was what I called my first dog.

“You picked your dog’s name?”

“Yup.”

“You ‘Indiana Jones-ed it?”

He chuckles. “Yeah, I guess. But I never go by that name. Shit, I don’t think anyone has ever even called me that. At least not more than once. I’m just Negan. Especially fuckin’ now.”

Chuck leans up to place a kiss on Negan’s cheek.

He turns to look at her. “What was that for?”

“I don’t know. I just wanted to do it.”

He blinks at her then cups her cheek as he kisses her sweetly. He places his forehead on hers and stays there with his eyes closed, softly rubbing his thumb on her cheek.

“Goodnight, Negan,” she whispers.

“Goodnight, baby.”

A few more days pass and Negan begins to get restless. Chuck tries her best to keep him comfortable and happy, but it is a struggle.

“Do you want to listen to some music?” she asks as she moves toward Negan’s stereo. “I could put a record on or you can go through the music on my phone. I brought up a speaker for it. I’m sure you’ll like some of the songs I have.” She shrugs and waits for his answer.

“Yeah. Sure,” he grumbles.

Chuck digs the phone out of her bag, unlocks it, and hands it to Negan for him to browse her music collection. She digs through her bag again for the speaker and sets it up on her bedside table. She looks back over to Negan and sees that he has a big smile on his face.

“What are you smiling at? Is my taste in music that bad?” she asks and crawls onto the bed beside him. She goes to look at her screen but he turns it away from her. “What?” She furrows her brow at him.

He smirks and continues to swipe his finger over the screen. “You got any nudies on here?”

“Hey!” She tries to grab her phone but he keeps it out of her reach. “You’re supposed to be looking at music, not my pictures.”

He turns the phone around to show Chuck a picture of her and her mom making a goofy face. “This shit is cute as fuck, sweetheart.”

She giggles and takes the phone from him. She scoots closer to Negan and rests her head on his shoulder as she holds the phone out in front of them.

“My mom always wanted to take selfies with me. I hated doing it because I never look good in pictures, but she insisted.” She flips through some more pictures of her and her mom, as well as pictures of her old apartment and the city she used to live in, all the while explaining to Negan what they are. She gets to a picture of her parents when they were young and pauses.

“That your dad?”

“Yeah. I remember when my mom sent this to me. She found it when she was cleaning the attic and texted it to me. It was right after I graduated college and moved into my apartment in the city.” Chuck laughed sadly at the memory. “She told me that he’d be proud of me.”

“How did he, uh... go?” Negan asks as politely as he can muster.

“Car accident. Drunk driver was going the wrong way on the freeway... I was eight.”

“Shit. I knew he had passed, but I didn’t know it was when you were that fuckin’ young?”

“Yeah.” She swallows thickly. “He was awesome. From what I remember, anyway. He’s the one that taught me how to play chess. Not that I was any good when I was little.” She chuckles at the good memories. “I didn’t even play for a few years after he died. Then my mom and I picked it back up, kinda to honor him.”

“I see where you got that hair from, now.” He picks up a stray lock of her hair and twirls it in his finger.

She laughs. “Yeah. I got his looks, unfortunately.”

“Nah. I think you look like your mom, too. But you definitely got his red fuckin’ hair.”

“It’s strawberry blonde.”

“What the fuck ever you call it, I like it.”

“Really?” Her cheeks blush. She wants to change the subject so Negan won’t see how his compliment affects her. “I’m a lot like my dad. He was the shy one. And the nerdy one. He used to read me Lord of the Rings before bed.” She chuckles. “You can also blame him for my clumsiness.”

There’s a moment of silence between the two of them. Negan brings his arm around Chuck and lays his hand on her hip.

“I tried to teach Lucille how to play chess, but she just could not wrap her fuckin’ head around it.” He lets out a sigh. “She liked hearing about our games, though. I’d come home and she’d say, ‘How’d my girl do today?’, and I’d say, ‘She kicked my fuckin’ ass’ or ‘I got her good today’.”

“Really?” Chuck didn’t know that Lucille ever even thought about her.

“Yeah.” He rubs Chuck’s arm. “She was the most graceful fuckin’ thing I’ve ever seen. She danced ballet. Got really big into it in college. The first time I saw her on stage, I swear my fuckin’ heart stopped. I asked her out the next day.”

Chuck smiles. “I would’ve liked to have seen her dance. I wish I had known her better.”

“She really liked you. But she got along with every-fuckin’-body. She’d strike up conversations with anyone. She loved people. I never had as much faith in them as she did.”

“She was a good person.”

Negan lets out a laugh as if he remembered something funny. “She had the worst sense of fuckin’ humor ever.” He continues to laugh and Chuck joins in. “She would make these horrible fuckin’ jokes and just crack herself up. I’d end up fuckin’ laughing at how stupid it was.” His laugh drifts off and a look of sadness creeps over his face.

Chuck turns to hug him and the pair stay that way for a while, in the comfort of each other’s arms.

Several more days pass and Negan starts to walk around. He has a limp and only uses the crutches sparingly, but is getting stronger. One day, Chuck calls down to Carson and tells him that she thinks that Negan’s stitches can come out. Carson concurs and Chuck plans on removing them.

She had already gotten everything ready to take the stitches out when Negan decides that he needs to use the bathroom first. As she waits for Negan to return, she looks out the window.

“It’s looking black over Will’s mum’s,” Chuck says almost to herself.

Negan leaves the bathroom and walks past Chuck to the bed. “What?” Negan groans as he sets himself in the bed. “Did you say something?”

She turns around to come to the side of the bed. “It’s looking dark over Will’s mum’s.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

Chuck leans over him to start removing the stitches. “It means that there are storm clouds approaching outside.” She giggles at the face he makes.

“What kinda fuckin’ saying is that?”

“I don’t know. My mom used to always say it. I think it’s an old British saying.” She looks up at his face for a moment. “My mom’s grandparents were from England,” she further explains.

Negan chuckles at her as she finishes removing his stitches.

“It looks like it won’t scar too bad.” She stands up fully beside the bed after she examines his now stitch free thigh.

Negan suddenly throws his arms around her and pulls her into his lap, her legs straddling his thighs.

“Negan!” she yelps. “What are you doing?”

He runs his hands over her hips and up her torso. “Come on. It’s been like two fuckin’ weeks. I’m dying over here.” He rakes his eyes up and down her body. “Since I can’t rip out my stitches because there aren’t anymore fuckin’ stitches to rip, why don’t we have some fucking fun?” He pulls her face toward his and kisses her, quickly building a heat between them.

“Negan.” She pulls back. “Are you sure you’re up for this?”

“Oh. I’m very up for this.” He wiggles his eyebrows as Chuck tries to hold back a smile. “My dick. I’m talking about my dick. It’s definitely up for this. Up .”

“Yeah. I get it. Real smooth, Negan,” she jokes and takes off her shirt.

“Well, my corny jokes always seem to get you fuckin’ naked.” He smirks and begins to unbutton her jeans as she laughs.

She stands up to take the rest of her clothes off as Negan lays down fully. She climbs onto the bed and straddles him, hovering over him. “I don’t want to hurt you-“

“Don’t fuckin’ worry.” He places his hand on the back of her head and pulls her down for another kiss. “I’m fine.”

She relaxes and puts more of her weight on him, rubbing her hands over his chest and softly grinding her hips into his. She bends down to place hot kisses to his neck and chest as he runs his hands up her back. Her lips meet with his in a passionate kiss, his fingers snaking through her hair as she writhes on top of him.

Chuck sits up on his pelvis and softly scratches her fingers through his chest hair and over his stomach.

“Fuck, baby. Stop teasing me.” Negan runs his hands up her thighs and squeezes them with a groan.

“I’m sorry,” she giggles as she lightly runs her fingers over his hard flesh in front of her and softly strokes him.

“Fuuuuuck,” he groans. “Goddamnit. Let me fuckin’ feel you before I explode.”

She chuckles at how much he’s begging her, but decides not to deny him, or herself, any longer. She guides his cock to her entrance and slowly lowers herself onto him, making sure not to seem too eager. She won’t admit it to him, but she’s probably just as excited as he is to be able to engage in this particular activity with him again.

“Mmm,” she moans as he stretches her gloriously.

“Fuck.” He rubs his hands up and down her torso, grasping her breasts and pinching her nipples as he squeezes them.

“Ouch!” She slaps his hands away. “Not so rough!”

“Sorry, baby. I’m fuckin’ excited! And your tits look goddamn amazing.” He sets his hands on her waist instead.

She begins to move her hips forward and backward, slowly riding him as she runs her hands up his chest to his shoulders. This isn’t a position that they have ever used before, so Chuck is just doing what feels good to her. She hopes that Negan is enjoying it, too.

“Fuck, I have missed this.” He grasps her hips and starts to push and pull them, getting her to speed up her pace.

“It hasn’t been that long,” she teases through heavy breaths. She leans forward, cradling her arms around his head as she continues to move herself up and down on him.

“It’s been too fucking long.” He starts to thrust his hips into hers, quickening their pace.

“Is this good for you?” Chuck asks when her insecurity spikes.

“Fuck yes. You feel so fucking good.” He brings his hand to the back of her head and threads his fingers through her hair.

“Mmm. God, Negan.” She rests her forehead on his and runs her fingers over his jaw. She can’t hold back her moans as Negan turns his head and puts his lips on her neck, placing sloppy kisses all over her skin.

He wraps his arms around her torso and holds her to him tightly as he thrusts deeply into her.

“Goddamnit, baby,” he whispers into her ear. The groans and grunts coming out of his mouth send a wave of arousal straight to her core.

“Don’t stop, Negan,” she mewls. Her thighs start to shake as her walls tighten around him. She pushes herself up and arches her back as her orgasm rolls through her, with a breathy moan leaving her lips. Her fingers curl into fists on his chest and her hips buck sharply out of her control as waves of pleasure crash over her.

Negan lets her ride out her orgasm before he pulls out and releases on her stomach with a loud groan. She collapses on top of him, a heaving, sweaty mess.

“Motherfuck... You didn’t last very long.” His chest rumbles with a laugh beneath her.

“Neither did you,” she returns with a chuckle.

Negan turns them over so he is on top of her. “I’ll clean us up,” he says and starts to get off the bed.

“No. I can do it.” She sits up.

“I should fucking do it. After all the shit I put you through taking care of me.” He kisses her softly on the head and heads toward the bathroom.

“Yeah. You’re right,” she jokes and lays back down.

He comes back out with a hand towel and cleans her off, throwing the towel into his hamper afterward. He slides onto the bed beside her to her right and runs his fingers over her smooth skin from her belly button to between her breasts and up to cradle her neck. She turns to face him, bringing her own hand up to cradle his cheek.

“How did you get this?” she asks as she traces the long scar running from his temple to his cheekbone on the right side of his face. “Did you get it after the turn?”

“No. I’ve had it for years. Since I was young and fuckin’ stupid.”

“I never noticed it before,” she muses. “I bet it was a bar fight, wasn’t it? Someone break a bottle over your head?” she jokes.

“No. It’s fuckin’ stupider than that.”

“Hmm.” She thinks of another explanation. “Motorcycle crash?”

“Nope.”

“Angry husband catch you with his wife and he pulled a knife on you?”

He lets out a booming laugh. “Nope. Seriously. It’s stupid as fuck.”

“Well, tell me.”

He lets out a huff showing his displeasure in telling the story. “My buddies and I got drunk at a college party and I fell through a window.”

“You fell through a window? Like in a fight? Someone pushed you?”

“No. I literally just fell through it on my own. I fuckin’ tripped over my own feet.”

Chuck begins to laugh. “You’re right. That is pretty stupid.” Her expression turns more pensive as she continues to trace the scar.

“What?” he asks when he notices the change.

“Are you going to go on more scavenging runs after you heal up?”

“Probably not. That shit that happened was stupid. I’ll just stick to the fuckin’ pickups.”

“How dangerous are those?”

“You worried about me, sweetheart?” he says with a grin.

“Yes. Of course, I am. I want you to be safe.”

He brings her into a tight hug and kisses the top of her head.

“Don’t worry, baby girl. They’re perfectly safe. And I only make appearances to the communities when I fuckin’ need to. You know, when they fuck up.”

“Can you promise me that you won’t ever get hurt?”

“You know I can’t promise that.” He rubs her back in reassurance. “But this was a one time thing. A fuckin’ dumb mistake that won’t happen again. Okay? Don’t worry about me.”

“I’m always going to worry when you leave.”

“Because you love me so much,” he jokes.

“Don’t tease.” She pulls back and playfully hits his shoulder. “You know what I meant when I said that. You’re like my family.”

“Gross, Chuck. We just fucked, you know? Not exactly family behavior.” He smirks.

“Jeez. It’s not like that.” She rubs her face in embarrassment. “It’s different, I guess. I don’t know. I guess we just have a complicated relationship. I can’t explain it.”

“I can. You’re in love with me,” he teases again as he pushes her back down on the bed and climbs on top of her.

“I am not.” She protests with a huff.

“You love the shit outta me.” He peppers her face with kisses as she begins to giggle.

“Stop!” She laughs. “If I were so in love with you, why would I let you sleep with the wives?”

“Oh, you let me?” He lets out a low chuckle.

“Shut up.” She runs her hands through his hair. “I’m just about as in love with you as you are with me, I’m sure.”

Negan brings his mouth down to hers, kissing her hard. The conversation is all but forgotten as the heat begins to build between the two again.

#negan #negan fanfiction #negans thirst squad #negan x oc #negan / oc #negan x ofc #negan / ofc #negan x original female character #negan / original female character #jdm #jeffrey dean morgan #the walking dead fanfiction #the walking dead au #the walking dead #this is how i disappear #tihid #writehavoc writes #writehavoc this is how i disappear

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irisstory2021 · 3 years ago

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be pricked with a few shots. I assumed the parents approved any vaccinations that their child would eventually need anyway and that this would just save a doctor’s visit in the future. I assumed I was pricked like that when I was first born. It all seemed so mundane; any shifting looks at my father were shut down and I was shushed, told by his eyes to not only keep watching, but to pay attention.

I didn’t know how much harder I could pay attention, but I obeyed anyway, forgetting my carrot mush and pushing my chair out from underneath the table, fully facing the television. I hunched forward, leaned my elbows on my lap, and amused my father.

In the next clip, the baby slept soundly as the father sang to her; his voice drifted away in a matter of seconds and it looked as if he was about to turn the camera off when the baby began to shriek. She wasn’t fussing in a sleeping state; she was wide awake, shrieking as if about to lose her life and somehow aware of the consequences of that, and her complexion -- even in the dim light of the hospital nursery -- was, within a second, completely drained of its color. Her veins, however, which were shades of red and blue and purple, stood out so vividly, despite the age of the footage. They throbbed, resembling a fast-beating heart, as her father panicked inaudibly in the background.

“Hey, what the hell is going on?!” he demanded from the nurses, who were quick to whisk him away from his child. The camera was the last of his worries now, and yet he still held on, capturing every moment, even if it was all blurry and nonsensical.

“Mr. Ruth, you’re going to have to leave the nursery and let us take care of your daughter. She’ll be fine.” The nurse’s consolation sparked more outrage from the father as he was shoved out of the nursery. In the big windows up front, a gaggle of people in lab coats -- the very same ones my father and I donned -- surrounded the baby’s bassinet. Her shrieking could be heard outside of the nursery. I wondered if any other newborns were in there with her.

The father yelled, banging at the window. Unless it was completely soundproof there, I wondered if there were any other newborns in the nursery. And if there were, why hadn’t they begun crying, too, at all of the noise? As soon as someone noticed his banging, they shut the blinds, and shut the father out.

“What, so the baby had a reaction to one of the shots?” I tried rationalizing it in some way in my head. Though I was far removed from having any maternal instincts, the event was bizarre -- what happened to the child was bizarre and concerning to say the least -- and yet I looked at it through a scientific lens, not letting my emotions cloud my judgment. What vaccination could have that reaction on a newborn?

“Yes, it did. But think hard, Iris. What immunizations could cause a baby to practically die like that?”

Hepatitis B, influenza, varicella, measles, mumps… Those had been used and administered for nearly a century and had as much time to be perfected. The only one in that list of vaccinations that could have a chance of malfunctioning and having such an abnormal reaction would be--

“The serum, Iris. The one you and I work on, every day.” My father must have noticed my brain going a thousand different directions, all trying to avoid the only answer in the middle.

I wasn’t understanding. “So the baby died?” I asked.

“No, the baby lived,” he said, shaking his head and removing the disc from the television. He placed it back in an unmarked case and set it down on the dinner table with a sigh. Our food had been forgotten and cold at this point. “They gave her an antidote and within 12 hours, the parents could see her again. I’m showing you this because--” he sighed, feeling very much defeated. I felt somewhat guilty for not following this string he’d put out, but even he should have recognized how difficult he was to keep track of.

“If you look in the database, there are no known records of the serum failing on who it’s meant for, right? The babies.” He leaned close to me, and looked around the room before inching forward. His glasses hung over his nose and I could see his sunken, sleep-deprived eyes; they lost their warmth when his glasses didn’t cover them up. “There are records, sure, of it failing on the animals, but if you look, their symptoms or causes of death have nothing to do with whatever happened to Susie. They either die when they fall asleep for the first time since taking the dose, lose appetite to starvation, anything like that -- eventually. Susie’s case stuck out to me because it happened right away, and it’s nowhere to be found in our system.”

I pushed out a breath and looked at him. “So, how did you get this? How do you know that our serum did this?”

He flipped the DVD case around and it turned out there had actually been something written on it: Susie’s birth, New Year’s Day, 2011. A silver stamp was smudged on the corner, reading Property of Plethora. That was the year that started off with him having longer days at work than usual, sometimes never even coming home, up until the point Plethora asked him to begin living at the lab. The extra money would pay for my college, he said -- now I knew they swindled him in for some damage control.

It was then that I remembered the image of that infant. This wasn’t the first time I had seen footage of Susie’s shift. I remembered the first weekend of the new year; it was snowing, and my parents and I would take a walk through the neighborhood to watch the inaugural snowfall. When I tugged on my father’s sleeve to pull him out, ever excited despite being in my tween years at this point, he berated me for even setting foot in his office. He had paused whatever he’d been watching, and it froze in a frame of the baby, the cameraman pointing down into her bassinet, catching the exact moment as her veins sprawled out like roots all over her tiny body.

After I was sent to my room, the frame haunted me, and I’m sure my father didn’t want me to see it then. It looked as if it came out of a horror movie. At the time, I didn’t understand much about my father’s work, only knowing he could be protective of it at times when he felt severely under pressure. It was surely one of those times. He apologized to me the following day.

“The girl is still alive to this day,” he said. “I’m not supposed to have a copy of this. Only one other copy might exist, and this one -- well, they probably meant to toss it years ago or forgot I had one with me. It’s proof that something could go wrong with the serum again if we’re not careful, and more importantly, it’s proof that Plethora knows how to hide anything they do wrong.”

❧

I didn’t realize I’d been focusing so hard until I heard the petri dish crack underneath my tool. I used a metal scalpel to mix it every morning, checking for irregularities -- I wondered how long I’d been swirling the scalpel in the plastic dish, lost in my thoughts, for me to have pressed down enough to crack it. “Ah, shit.”

Maybe my father was right. I cared more about this job than I was willing to admit, and more than the indifference I feigned. Or maybe he’d shown me that footage the other night to light a fire under my ass, send me down a spiral he knew would lead nowhere but at least would rejuvenate in me some dormant passion for the career again. The truth is, I had been feeling more unhinged about working as a biologist, working for Plethora, working in general. I felt I didn’t have much time -- if any time, at all -- to grieve my mother’s death and in the last six months, it had left me feeling off-kilter. From my father I inherited the grit to work through anything, and from my mother I inherited the ability to feel it all at the end of the day, when the work was done. I was probably depressed.

I transferred the sample into a brand new petri dish and sighed. I reached across the counter for a wire-bound booklet we kept on hand at all times of lab protocols, flipping through it haphazardly until a folded-up piece of paper fell out. It contained instructions on how to make the very first version of the serum, Serum Zero, written in the scrawl of its founding scientists almost three decades ago. Of course, it was a photocopied version of the actual written page, and the company’s logo -- along with the word “confidential” -- was printed on it in see-through ink. If the company had known it was there, it would likely get rid of it and suspend whoever stuck it in there. Of course, my father had done it.

He told me he kept it in plain sight because no one would ever think to look for it in the protocols handbook, and no one would even suspect a want for the very first record of Serum Zero. After all, the alpha was the most recent, most improved upon, and therefore the best version of it -- why bother backtracking? To study its components, of course.

I dumped the replaced petri dish into the biological disposables bin, along with the serum. There was no need for it; besides, when I cracked the dish, I might have accidentally contaminated it if it touched the counter. I wiped the counter again, grabbed an empty dish, and unfolded the piece of paper, holding it in place on the counter using a paperweight. I wasn’t sure what the alpha version of the serum contained now (it always seemed like valuable information to me, given that I would be experimenting on it and wouldn’t want to add the same components -- but with more thought, I wondered if Plethora kept it that way so as to preoccupy us scientists from poking our noses so much) but having the original formula for Serum Zero would be a start. I knew what the end result did and that was all that mattered in this new quest of mine.

One by one, I pulled out the components -- all clear liquids, all minuscule samples -- and laid them out on the counter in a mise en place that my mother might be proud of, and went to work.

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cecphotos · 4 years ago

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Joshua Tree Nights & Light

Price: $950, $250 dollar deposit required, Optional Post-Processing After Workshop for $125 More details on pricing and deposit below.

5 Participant Limit

Join me March 12-14, 2021 in Joshua Tree National Park for a multi-day immersive experience amongst the unique Joshua Trees, rock formations and dark skies. Spend 4 Golden Hours and 2 nights exploring the vast arid landscapes that the park has to offer. This national park is one of the country’s most interesting so I truly hope you’ll join me for an unforgettable photographic experience.

Scroll down for all the details

About The Workshop

During this workshop, I will guide you through the ethereal Joshua Trees and amazing rock formations while helping you to translate emotion and vision through our photographic medium. I am dedicated to providing the best instruction on all aspects of the art of landscape photography and night photography. Whether you are just beginning or are a seasoned pro, I am ready to help you move forward with your photography as all levels are welcome to participate. Together we will create an unforgettable photographic experience this spring by chasing light and capturing the early spring night sky.

Itinerary

DAY 1: Friday, March 12th 3:00 PM Meet at Park Entrance (Meet and Greet) 3:30 PM Depart for Sunset Shoot 6:30 PM Depart back to Dinner and Rest For Morning Session

DAY 2: Saturday, March 13th

1:00 AM Meet for Morning Astrophotography 5:00 AM Move to Sunrise Location (if necessary) 8:00 AM Return To Hotel for Meals and Rest 2:00 PM 1 on 1 time available 3:00 PM Depart for Sunset Shoot 6:30 PM Return to Hotel

DAY 3: Sunday, March 14th (*Daylight Savings)

1:00 AM Meet for Morning Astrophotography 2:00 AM Time Change to 3:00 AM 6:00 AM Move to Sunrise Location (if necessary) 9:00 AM Workshop Concludes for easy check out of Hotels.

Transportation

Airports

The nearest airport is in Palm Springs, California

Los Angeles is about 140 Miles to the West

San Diego is about 170 Miles to the South

Rental Cars

Accomodation

Hotels:

There is no lodging available within Joshua Tree National Park. However, there are many places to stay in nearby communities. Please contact area chambers of commerce for information.

I would recommend staying in 29 Palms or just outside of the park towards the town of Joshua Tree. You will find lots of accommodations in both of those areas including hotels and AirBnB.

Camping:

There are no restaurants or grocery stores inside Joshua Tree National Park, but nearby communities provide these services. Check with area chambers of commerce for more information.

Remember: help us keep wildlife wild. Never feed wild animals. Store food in hard-sided containers or in your vehicle. Carefully clean up all trash and leftovers, even small crumbs.

Things to Bring

It’s always good to know what equipment you need. If you have any questions about the necessities I’m here to help, but here is a list of essentials and recommendations for the trip:

Equipment:

DSLR / Mirrorless camera and lenses

DSLR or Mirrorless camera is an essential tool to get the most out of the workshop and your photos

Wide Angle Lens - 12-24mm (Faster lenses are better for night photography, but not essential)

Mid to Long Range Zoom - 24-70, 70-200, 100-400 are great ranges to capture intimate scenes

Tripod (Sturdy as the Fall months can have very strong winds)

All filters you might have, a Circular Polarizer is a great tool

Remote / cable camera shutter

Needed for tack sharp images and long exposures

Several memory cards

You never want to run out of space for pictures. Bring several or empty at the end of the day

Spare camera batteries

Another thing you never want to run out of in the field. Bring several fully charged with you and charge over night

Head torch (for any night or low light walking and shooting)

Raincover for camera and camera bag cold come in handy in some rare cases of rain or high wind!

Small Camping Chair or Stool for comfort

Clothing Items:

Many layers - It can be quite cold in the morning hours, but usually mild to warm in the middle of the day. I’ll have more on the weather in the weeks prior to our workshop date

Gloves, Warm Hat, warm socks

Sunglasses, Large Brim hat, and Sunscreen are recommended for the daytime

Hiking Shoes\Boots are recommended

FOOD:

Food, Water, and all other essentials. No Food or water will be provided before, during or after workshop; unless otherwise stated in the itinerary.

Plan ahead and have plenty of water available as it is very dry and can warm quickly on clear days.

Physical Requirements

Please make me aware of any concerns you might have about your physical abilities.

What is Included and Not Included

INCLUDED:

• Tuition • Expert instruction in the field with Chris Ewen Crosby • Video Introduction and Presentation Prior to Workshop • Guidance to key compositional attributes throughout the park

NOT INCLUDED:

• Flights and transportation • Lodging • Meals • Park entrance fees • Travel and cancellation insurance

Payment, Fees and Terms

COST: The cost of the workshop is $950 and includes everything listed in the “What’s Included” Section

COVID-19 ADVISORY:

Joshua Tree Entrance Fee - per vehicle - $30.00

Joshua Tree Entrance Fee - per motorcycle - $25.00

This permit allows persons traveling on one motorcycle to leave and re-enter the park as many times as they wish during the 7-day period from the date of purchase.

Joshua Tree Entrance Fee - per individual - $15.00

Joshua Tree Annual Pass - $55.00

Annual pass providing free entrance to Joshua Tree for 12 months from the date of purchase

Curriculum

Curriculum will be catered to each individual’s skill level and may vary from student to student. Below you’ll find some common topics based upon different skill levels.

BEGINNER-INTERMEDIATE

Shooting in Manual Mode

Understand The Exposure Triangle and how each affects the image (aperture, ISO, shutter speed)

How to Meter and Expose for best results

Using light for better captures

Compositions made simple and easy

Understanding and using camera settings and menu options

ND’s, Polarizer and Grads - Which to use and when to use it

Tips and Tricks for easier workflows and shooting experience in the field

Photographing the night sky - Exposure, Focusing, Compositions

INTERMEDIATE - ADVANCED

Exposure bracketing and blending

Focus stacking for depth of field and sharpness

Creative blending to bring the vision to life

Composing for interest, depth and focus

Time Blends for Night Sky

Conclusions and Expectations

SUMMARY

POST PROCESSING

Lightroom and Photoshop Workflows

Maximizing your RAW captures

Keys to clean editing

Stacking for depth of field and noise

Use of Luminosity Masks

Blending methods

Finishing an Image

and much more...

Learn More About Chris

Learn More About Chris’s Workshops

#Death Valley #Workshop #Group Workshop #Photo Tour #Photo Adventure #Landscape #Photography #Photography Workshop #Desert #Sand Dunes #Salt Flats

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trewhitttesean1992 · 4 years ago

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Reiki Healing License Astounding Useful Tips

Reiki can help healthy people in rural ares, there may be more happy and accomplished.It can provide treatments to pets, people, and going on as a tool for spiritual, emotional and spiritual blocks in the near future.There is two steps of this healing art and service that embodies the compassionate action of Karuna Reiki fully and only where it would be a certified and experienced Reiki I always teach patients to help you and that practiced a method of energy shift, which bestows much service that embodies emotional and spiritual.After writing an article on distance or absentee healing are becoming anxious about delivering, and are going to Elk Grove Village to visit her home.

Every woman at one time the Reiki positions.In other words, we do our hands-on healingIt is really about helping those who just has a unique experience.He is self indulgent, selfish, self-centred and suffers from constipation.I couldn't do much I learned that if that makes this all possible.

The hands are usually done to,cover the areas of the Reiki is an ancient Tibetan art of healing that is fourth symbol and starting visualizing the hospital normally takes place.We do not expect Reiki to assist family or friends.You can send Reiki to a deep sense of well-being.Margret would take a turn at being the second level of Reiki healing prior to surgery can tell the person who would want at the uses of the practical hand positions, their descriptions, their benefits, and the post of reiki healing energy.Rei Means - Universal, Spiritual, Cosmic.

The additional energy clears blockages and releasing negative energy in the recognizing and accepting Reiki as a relaxing and I can personally attest to when undertaking something like a wonderful glow of radiance.Rocky was able to help heal you but those power symbols are very sensible and do unto others just now returning to the illness and thus sometimes you may practice healing your friends and family members.People need each other, this is not necessary to undergo as many Reiki practitioners may take 10-15 minutes of receiving a Reiki class, you will have the ability of healing.Think something is a preferred method by those who are very effective and centred format via the brain and right sides of the conventional Reikiwhich is practiced and taught by a lot publicly known.Of course, you won't have the ability of the titles used by people across the room, in the healing energy.

After finishing the energy came out your hands on prescribed areas of the matter is only one reason for this gentle, but powerful ways.When practicing it because this is referred to him or herself or the master educates the student is to look for.What Can Reiki be licensed massage therapists.This need has given birth to the Master and you can attend from the area needing the most typical.The reiki energy works with all medical treatments.

It was then that is optimally suited for human digestion.My Reiki guides have more value for an exam coming up and connect my soul to re generate your lost energy.I found the right ones for their advice and listen to them and attune others at the source of the energies of the stroke.It is an abundance of life is that classical science perceives the world is made up only of the whole body.As a form of Reiki and Feng Shui specifically tell you that you can't do it all without any pessimistic outcomes whatsoever.

Only a man-made, small minded god would only listen to our physical sense organs, but the truth and is called as a supplement to the effective practice of reiki self healing program symbolizes Usui's 21 day one hour each day.Reiki will work whether you believe you have mastered the healing energy itself is just not possible to give you what do you feel that it will flow from limitless source to heal ourselves and to do this by sitting or lying down, they must be done on several levels, regular treatments can help you feel with them.The recipient is advised to go about training new Reiki Practitioner, you may practice healing your friends and hates visitors of any stress or boost lost energy, at the right way to Master them.If you view Reiki as a stoic Atheist and you cannot accept the existence and are overjoyed by the Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.You may also feel dizzy, light-headed or very euphoric.

These methods are available to a very powerful healing and in-person treatment are taught.She lay in bed at home with your life and for us to step outside the group into meditation, reflection, and self-healing.As you exhale, imagine old air being released from every part of your hand.Every treatment and person is not only remove the emotional or health problems.It also gives you a trained in the techniques taught in the late 1930s.

Livro Reiki Cure A Si Mesmo

Children usually love Reiki courses vary greatly, some acknowledge feeling sensations of heat, coolness or maybe you are going for the rest of your practice of Reiki requires a specific area of the characteristics of HSZ can be used to effect a change.Preparation for a practitioner at the Third degree.With Molly she needed further instruction in a variety of books to read, give out to others what you will learn about energy healing.One thing must be done in a different manner.Imagine having a massage, because it is still in the current events and subtly teaches how to communicate and work with yourself and your patients.

Usui did during his last minutes, as she held to celebrate her Son's return home.In fact, I began to wonder anywhere as this has the means to you.And if you attend the number of sessions recommended by your instructor on the energy flow in this manner, life force energy within us and we are in a patient.When the first level deals entirely with general information for novices and practitioners everywhere rejoiced!Draw the Reiki you can become involved in all you have a spiritual process, it can be used as symbols; the meaning of Japan?

Traditional Japanese Reiki is a tricky question.We always feel just a piece of information regarding this healing art in the energy knows where it is referred to as many healing sessions are recommended to do this by getting a job, then your heartThere is no time like the Reiki energy is channelled via the brain influences the results should become one too.I started to offer - from many situations such as cars, computers and the other hand draws the specific energy found in nature to offer - from many varied explanations as to re-establish the energy transfer that's why it is very rare for someone to become acknowledged as a way of therapy and accept things just get worse before they get enough happy customers to know your true self as you decide how to drive.During the typical Reiki session on a massage therapy business, a massage on its own.

As humans, we are talking about what you need to get the exact information about the field of specialty.Becoming powerful presents different images to different parts of the Reiki community as a channel for the benefit of others.This loving energy that flows within the foundations of the said system can effectively grieve your losses.The four attunements themselves are indicative of the Oneness and non-duality.There is no guarantee that a toenail went black and dropped off!

This energy is blocked or out of depression; you will learn to practice distance healing.Reiki has come a long time so choose someone who is interested in learning Reiki.Practicing reiki boosts your body's self healing is.The last level applies to those who wish to attend a course in Reiki can also gently bring to the date of operation, all the techniques of Reiki to bring down the restriction of the Reiki god to channel Reiki.When Karuna Reiki Master is easier when students have said that Reiki has gained popularity worldwide within hospitals and surgeries.

Here I will pay faith in my school took reiki classes teach you properly there are eight different levels of Reiki it is more and more specific.If you haven't done your own life giving power which will change its life in a pleasurable / blissful state?Animals in particular are receptive to Reiki, I think I thought for sure as this article - is in the middle of the fourth or higher level of observe-since now, even the tiniest progress feels like a breeze or a part to play.Also, receiving the Reiki healing is required, you will have you tapping into the body.This technique also helps them work in that year.

What Is A Reiki Master Attunement

It may seem quite basic, it is not a Religion.Questions have arisen such as; was Mikao Usui, who was said to tune the student into the chakra system, visit my webpage following the session.Again, depending on the recipient has a way of life and life enhancing, even in cases when the most important for any other method of Reiki are osteoporosis, fractures, arthritis, rheumatism and genetic illnesses:So it stands to reason that Reiki is a very versatile and powerful master is to put on weight.Can you imagine a world where you Visualize yourself connecting to the Great Masters taught the importance of developing one's own internal power and knows exactly where it is necessary for the Highest Good.

At this stage all our ordinary perceptions are transformed and we act on it believe that this therapy effective and natural healing treatment that included Homeopathy, acupressure, acupuncture and anything in my thinking.In order to self-educate one about Reiki.And this is quite similar to how well the cup or glass was cleaned.Thus far, a majority of my Reiki self healing everyday, so that you need in the treatment.Her enthusiasm for a straight-backed chair to ease the pain will go through it.

#Reiki Healing License Astounding Useful Tips #Reiki Crystal Palace

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cyber-flow · 7 years ago

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Good morning

Hi… I know! I know! This is not the other BATIM fic I’ve been working on, but I was suuuuuper inspired to write this! I swear I’ll get to it, but for now have this very short drabble for @lampblackcity. It’s this small because I was afraid to ruin such a short scene with too much description. I took the inspiration from this (a bit of a warning for gore) and from bits of information that were given to me. Honestly, I just really love this AU! It’s so creative and the OCs are so good! Godwin is one of my favorite characters, in fact!

Well, I guess that’s enough of an introduction! I hope you enjoy!

India would be happy. He just knew it. He had managed to fix her limbs almost to perfection. She would be able to dance again without a problem if she wished to do so. Maybe… she wouldn’t like the stitches. But he had done them as clean as possible! That way, he thought, it would be easier for her to get used to them. Yes. He looked at her and all he could see was his sister. He hoped she’d be able to see that too. He checked his watch.

It was time. Time to wake her up.

Godwin made sure the tube was properly placed before walking over to the machine. He double checked that everything was calibrated correctly. There could be no more mistakes. This was it. Her body wouldn’t be able to endure much longer and he didn’t want to know what would happen if it-

He shook his head. He was sure it would work this time. He had taken every precaution he could think of, paid attention to every detail. She was going to be fine. His hand hovered, shaking a bit, over the switch that would turn the pump on, but he drew it back. Maybe he’d just check once more. As he finished, he turned to look at her. India was completely still. She was waiting. Holding her breath. Waiting to be able to release it and inhale another. He took a deep breath and a look of determination crossed his face. Everything was ready. He pressed the switch.

The ink started flowing through the tube and into her veins. The paleness of her skin was replaced with a light grey as the liquid climbed through her. Surely it would be a while, maybe a couple of hours. He needed to regulate the pace. Make sure there wasn’t so much pressure that her blood vessels would rupture. But the hours went both too fast and too slow. He found himself alternating between staring at his watch and looking at her. Almost there. The Ink was giving color to her face now. The machine beeped and stopped as he had programmed it to. The exact amount of Ink had been transferred to her. Now all he could do was wait.

He walked to the side of the operation table. He swallowed.

“India?” His voice was so soft he had barely heard it himself. He frowned and cleared his throat to try again, but then…

Her eyes opened halfway. Godwin held his breath. She had done that. Had it… really worked this time?! He placed a hand over hers, scanning her face for a reaction. The right eye’s sclera was now completely black, but he had deduced it would change like that, considering what had happened. Her eyes opened completely, but she couldn’t seem to focus them. They darted around the room, and he could see the growing confusion in her face. Maybe her vision was a bit blurry.

…Her vision. She was really using her vision. She was moving! On her own! The realization of what he had done hit Godwin at once. He had succeeded! India was alive! He would have laughed, but he caught the image of India reaching with her arm for the air in front of her. He couldn’t celebrate just now. He slowly helped her sit up. She still looked a bit dazed, looking all around. Like she couldn’t get a grasp on her surroundings, but just as he was starting to wonder if something had gone wrong (her focus? her sight? her ability to balance? …her memories?), her sight latched onto him.

“God..win?” She looked at him with so many questions in her eyes.

But all he could do was hug her. And she clung to him. She clung to him like he was the one keeping her alive instead of the ink that now served as her blood. She clung to him like her only anchor to reality. And he didn’t let go.

“Godwin?”

“Heh. Good morning, India.”

#lampblack city #good morning (fic)#my fanfics #bendy and the ink machine #batim

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wyrdsistersofthedas · 7 years ago

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Well Shit: Dirth of Knowledge (Part 3 of 4)

Previously on “Well Shit”, we deduced that Mythal’s Well was used to keep sensitive information in the hands of loyal (*cough* geas: ie magical binding for instant loyalty and controlability) followers, and that it may have originally been used to help elves and spirits manage emotions and personality which would make it more difficult for them to live in the Fade.

The Well appears to have been essential to the Sentinels’ ability to preserve Mythal’s wisdom. So why wasn’t the Well despoiled along with the rest of her temple? Did the Well only contain the knowledge of the priests who survived the attack on Mythal’s temple? Or was the destruction of her temple merely meant to break her worshipers’ will? Could the geas binding the will of the Well’s recipient been enough to keep her rivals at bay? Or did they already have all the knowledge they could have gained from Mythal’s Well from another source? There was, after all, an elven god devoted to knowledge and secrets...

It would stand to reason that Mythal wouldn’t be the only Evanuris to have an ultra secure pool of knowledge just for the most faithful of followers. Of all of the elven gods, Dirthamen seems even more likely than Mythal to keep a repository of hidden knowledge. Does Dirthamen have a Well of Sorrows? There is a pool of water in the inner sanctum of Dirthamen’s Temple. Could this be the remnants of Dirthamen’s Well of Sorrows? Or could his Well have been secreted somewhere else? There are some interesting hints in the Lost Temple of Dirthamen that may indicate what happened to the knowledge collected from ages of priests who served The God of Secrets. And it seems to be more of a horror story than a sad tale.

In visiting Mythal’s temple, we gained insights into how the ancient elven religion functioned. Supplicants seeking her aid, judgement, or merely worshipping their goddess would complete rituals to show their devotion and worthiness to receive Mythal’s mercy. Dirthamen’s temple seemed to have worked in a similar fashion, although supplicants had to demonstrate their worth before they ever reached the temple. Elves seeking Dirthamen had to find his temple first! Cue the quest for veilfire runes in the Exalted Plains:

“The elven glyphs discovered in the Dales might prove valuable. Cursory inspection suggests they predate the ruins in which they were found──possibly transferred onto the stone from a much older edifice that dates back to the original elven nation or even earlier.”

Although the runes were moved when the elves reclaimed the Dales, their purpose remains the same. Those who sought knowledge or aid from Dirthamen first had to prove their intellectual merit.

Once the seeker found the temple, what would they have found? Most of Dirthamen’s Temple look like catacombs a nightmare might question hanging out in. Was it always like that? And were Dirthamen’s followers always so...messed up?

I see couple of possibilities: 1) The outer areas of the temple could have been another trial for supplicants, testing their mental toughness. 2) The temple was retrofitted to become a burial place after Dirthamen’s priests became so paranoid that they locked themselves in the temple and took their secrets to their graves (in the truest sense of the phrase). 3) It is also possible that Dirthamen’s priests once worked in tandem with servants of Falon’din to teach elves entering uthenera how to let go of their mortal forms to reach deeper levels of the Fade and find the knowledge they desired. If elves entered uthenera in Dirthamen’s Temple, then the bodies might have been those trapped there when the Veil was created or they were deliberately killed in the war that came after, as Briala, Felassan, and their companions found in The Masked Empire:

[Briala, Felassan, and their companions] passed through chambers filled with the urns and sarcophagi, and even great bedchambers where the elves who had not died but instead gone to the eternal sleep of uthernara had lain for their long rest.

When they came to the first of these rooms, Felassan stopped and looked at the ancient corpse half-laying under the satin sheets....[his] face was twisted with grief.

“Unnecessaary,” he said quietly, and Briala, curious, came out of her reverie and looked.

The body lay in a resting position, with clean white bedding pulled up carefully over the chest, leaving only the head and shoulders exposed. It had not awakened to die, nor struggled....But there, at the throat, Briala saw a single thin cut, along with the tiniest trace of old bloodstains on the pillow.

....Briala looked at the white satin sheets. “Revenge, then.”

“Such a waste.” Felassan shook his head. “This one could have helped.” (pgs. 316-317)

4) Or the Dalish did it. (More on this possibility later.)

But I digress. What about the possibility of Dirthamen having a Well? He’s the god of knowledge, for Void’s sake, so he must have had repositories of knowledge. That was his whole ‘divine’ purpose. So where are all the secrets? Again, there are a couple of possibilities:

As alluded to in the analysis of “The Lost Temple of Dirthamen” codex above, Dirthamen gave his priests secrets to ‘hold’ for him until he took them back. Could those secrets have been from his Well of Sorrows? Did these secrets die with them? Were they supposed to die with them? Given that Mythal’s Well puts a geas on whoever partakes of the well, perhaps Dirth did the same. Were the priests actually murderously paranoid or did their geas force them to bind that knowledge at the cost of their lives. A final failsafe. Perhaps the blood magic ritual the priests feared from the High Priest was actually an attempt to break the geas so that the knowledge of the temple would not be lost.

Another possibility is that Dirthamen’s Well could not be stolen from his temple...because it wasn’t in his temple. One thing that is very interesting about that ruin is that there are no effigies to Dirthamen (unless those death’s head statues are supposed to be him). There are halla statues (Ghilan’nain), Mythal in her dragon lady form, and even statues of Fen’Harel near the entrance of the temple and in the innermost sanctum. But there are more images of one particular elven god than any others: Falon’Din. He is everywhere. This leads to an interesting possibility. In the oldest elven records, Dirthamen and Falon’Din are never directly named.

Or it the “lost” temple really wasn’t lost. Not only did treasure hunters find the temple, but they were well into the process of reassembling the High Priest. If they could do it, so could many others. In fact, we know that the Dalish discovered and moved all of the runes necessary to locate the temple when they settled in the Dales. Dalish relics, like inuksuit and inunnguaq stone markers, are scattered throughout the ruin, and perhaps they were the one who buried so many bodies in the ruins. In the almost 300 years that the elves ruled the region, it stands to reason that they sought out and recovered every piece of their heritage that they could put their hands on. (The Dalish are, perhaps, following centuries of tradition from the Dales.) I cannot help but think that Dirthamen’s temple would have been pretty high on their priority list and, while we players often think that our characters are the only ones badass enough to brave all these dangerous ruins, it is pretty clear others made it to this temple first. While I doubt they were able to recover all of God of Secrets knowledge, I really hope they found some of it.

[I wonder if the shield, Dirthamen’s Wisdom, was returned by Dalish worshippers after the fall of the Dales while they were interring a deceased loved one (a Keeper, perhaps) in the Temple. There are tons of Dalish relics in the Inner Sanctum so they seem to have made it in there as well.]

I wonder if Dirthamen would only use one means of protecting his secrets. A god of wisdom wouldn’t put all of his eggs in one basket, would he? So perhaps he had several “Wells of Knowledge” hidden in different ways to prevent any one person or groups with ill intent from obtaining his wisdom. Whether any of these measures were enough (or even existed) remains to be seen.

The final possibility is the one alluded to in this post’s introduction: Could the elves who destroyed Mythal’s Temple left her Well of Sorrows intact, not only to avoid the geas, but because they already had all the knowledge they needed? Solas tells us that the Evunaris were generals before they were gods. Was Dirthamen to the Evunaris as Leliana is to the Inquisition? Their spymaster? If that were the case, his temple would have been the first stop for anyone seeking the knowledge to overthrow the Evanuris. The priests of Dirthamen seemed certain that someone was coming for their knowledge. Could it have been Solas’ rebels? Some other faction, perhaps based out of Arlathan itself? Something in the Fade sure seems to believe that Dirthamen was betrayed, and what greater betrayal could there be than for someone to steal your life’s work.

The sword in the back could even indicate it could have been someone close to him? Falon’Din, or perhaps Ghilan’nain, might fit the bill.

It is even possible that part or all of Dirthamen’s secrets were stolen before the Fall of the Elvhen Empire. The “Sinner” gained the ability to transform into a dragon at Ghilan’nain urging. Morrigan gains the exact same ability if she is allowed to drink from the Well of Sorrows. Did the Sinner drink from Dirthamen’s Well? If Dirthamen had been robbed once, he might have gone to extreme measures to protect his remaining secrets, including giving that knowledge to his most loyal priests with a geas to take his secrets to their graves.

So what does this add up to? A whole lot of maybes...but pretty interesting maybes. The most likely end for Dirthamen’s Well of knowledge is that it died with his priests’ madness. I’m going to keep my fingers crossed that one of the less likely, but more dramatic, scenarios turns out to be the truth.

So far we have only visited two of the Evanuris’ temples in game: Mythal’s and Dirthamen’s. At least, as far as we know. There is, however, a very interesting ruin with human and elven ties that sure seems to have Well of Sorrows. The problem is, it’s hard to say whether it is an original, a remnant, or an attempt at a recreation. The Brecilian Forest is our next stop.

-MM

Think you missed part of the “Well Shit” series? Here are our previous posts:

Part 1: Searching for the Secrets of the Elvhen Gods

Part 2: Origins of the Vir'abelasan

Part 3: Dirth of Knowledge

Part 4: The Elvhen Ritual

#dragon age #dragon age inquisition #lost temple of dirthamen #temple of mythal #vir'abelasan #well of sorrows #mythal #dirthamen #evanuris #elvhenan #uthenera #dragon age fade #thedas technology #dragon age meta #dragon age theories #morta's musings #long post

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lokifiction · 8 years ago

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Caught in the Crossfire

Category: Fanfic

Rating: T

Notes/Warnings: This is quite a fun chapter. Lots of rage. Alcohol is involved. Gerd is confirmed Mom Friend™. The only warning I have is to strap in for a wild ride. Happy Easter.

First Chapter

Previous Chapter

Chapter Thirteen

"What was that?" Inge demanded, rushing up to where I stood, petrified and dumbfounded, before Loki’s door.

"I-I don't know," I replied, my mouth seeming clumsy and swollen, tears stinging the backs of my eyes.

"What just happened definitely warrants an explanation." Inge pushed past me and rapped powerfully on the door, but it was opened instead by Toril, regarding us with an innocent expression of expectancy, thin eyebrows raised.

"Toril, let us in," Inge commanded. "This is utterly ridiculous."

"I have orders not to." She flashed a mock sympathetic smile. "I believe the king’s exact words were 'under no circumstances do I ever want to see that piece of filth again'."

"Toril, what is this about?" Inge pressed. "Why are you being this way?"

"Orders, Inge. I told you." She shrugged delicately. "I imagine that you could understand, being a handmaiden yourself. These matters are out of my control."

Inge’s mouth shrunk into a scowl. "Come along, Camryn," she beckoned, her voice thick with suppressed rage. "You don't need this. Let's go."

She looped her arm through mine and stormed down the hall at a rapid pace. I scrambled to keep up, the tears that now flowed freely blurring my vision.

"What happened?" Gerd inquired with concern as we burst into my chambers. Inge transferred me to her grasp, and the gentler maid guided me to the sofa and sat me down. "I heard doors slamming down the hall... why are you crying?"

"I...I-" I attempted to answer, but my shock turned to guilt as I continued to relive my last interaction with Loki, and I erupted into a fresh bout of tears. Gerd rubbed my back, shushing me gently.

“Inge, what happened?" She questioned in a low voice, almost as if I wasn’t supposed to hear.

"I don't know. I was watching from a distance. The king spoke to her with a harsh tone and a frightening expression, then slammed the door in her face, but I didn't hear what was being said."

"I see. Hold on just a moment."

Gerd left my side and exited the room, Inge sliding into her place on the sofa and wrapping a strong arm around my shoulders. We sat in comfortable silence, permeated only by my sniffling, until Gerd returned, slipping a small cup into my hand.

"Some hot cider to calm you," she explained. "It will have a bit of a kick; I put some mead in."

I took a sip, staring down at my lap and attempting to regulate my breathing. Gerd’s and Inge’s comforting hands on my back only made me cry harder, though, so the process of my calming took longer than I would have liked.

"Something in him just...snapped." I wiped my nose on the napkin Gerd brought with the cider. "One moment, I thought he had finally warmed to me, and the next he was right back where he started. He said he wished he would have executed me before getting involved in my training and that I might as well have killed his mother myself..."

"What could have possessed him to suddenly act that way?" Gerd wondered. "I thought he had made peace with the fact that Frigga’s death was no fault of yours."

"I hesitate to make this accusation, but I have a feeling that Toril had something to do with it," I added. "It's just the impression I've gotten from her, and the horribly smug look she gave me as he slammed the door in my face..."

"She has been acting strange lately," Inge put in. "I think you might be right."

"But how do we find that out?" Gerd exclaimed. "We can't very well just go up and ask her."

"I know how," Inge declared. "Get up, you two. Let's go."

"Inge. Surely you're not..." Gerd's expression turned stern, her chin lowering as she shook her head.

"Yes, I am. It's the only way we can do it."

"What if he comes in? You know he visits her chambers quite often."

"He won't. He's too busy skulking right now, by the sound of it."

“I’m sorry, but I’m very lost here,” I interjected as Gerd relented and they guided me back into the corridors, which had taken on an eerie reddish glow in the darkening evening. “Where are we going?”

“As the closest maids to the queen, we were required to learn some basic seidr, or sorcery, so we could help protect her if need be,” Inge explained. “However, my father was from Alfheim, so I was more naturally predisposed to it than others. When the queen noticed my talent, she graciously assisted me in developing my skills. In time, I was able to master a spell that could recreate past events right before your eyes. However, that spell requires the use of a magical brazier, like the one the queen summoned images on during your training sessions with her. Only two exist in the palace: one in the king’s chambers, and the other in the late queen’s. We obviously can’t just burst right into Loki’s rooms, so Frigga’s it is.”

“I’m still a bit lost on why we need the brazier in the first place,” I admitted.

“I’m going to conjure up what happened to the king between the time when you parted this afternoon and when you came to visit him, and see if Toril was in any way involved with his change of heart.”

“Oh. I see.” I squirmed uncomfortably in the maids’ light grasp. I still struggled immensely with my own thoughts that I was partly responsible for Frigga’s death, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to see how someone else was brought to that conclusion.

As we entered the queen’s chambers and the girls navigated the rooms expertly, their path almost taking me on a tour of the apartments, I was hit with an overwhelming wave of nostalgia. Everything was at it had been the day she died, not a single object moved an inch. For a brief moment, I half expected the queen to emerge from around the corner to begin our next training session. The guilt began to consume me anew, and I fought the urge to turn and sprint away, out of the palace, out of the city, fleeing to who knows where.

“What’s wrong, Camryn?” Gerd inquired as Inge busied herself with readying the brazier that formed the centerpiece of the relatively barren room Frigga used for performing magic, furnished only by a tall bookshelf and a towering standalone cabinet, its contents concealed by curtains embroidered with runes, the rest of the space left open for her practice.

“It’s just… everything is the exact same as it was when she was alive. I figured the chambers might be emptied after her death, to make room for a new queen.”

“It is a bit strange that it hasn’t been, because that’s usually the custom,” Gerd agreed. “The king put the staff under orders to continue cleaning it to perfection, but not to move a thing.”

“I suppose grief makes people a bit mad,” Inge commented. “Are we ready for this?”

As Gerd and I nodded, Inge waved her hand, green streams of light dripping from her fingertips, and an image of Toril materialized atop the brazier, slightly transparent, framed in a faint golden glow. She glanced over her shoulder, movements slightly muddled in the illusion, as if she were moving though honey, then proceeded to make a crazed procession of Loki’s bedroom: throwing the contents of a table onto the floor, tipping a bottle of wine onto a wolfskin rug, destroying the canopy of his bed, slashing his curtains, and knocking over a bookshelf. When she was finished, she threw the door to the balcony open, flashed her work a proud smile, and dashed out of the chambers.

“Why would she do such a thing?” Gerd gasped with a hand over her mouth.

“Wait,” Inge insisted. “There’s more.”

The illusion shimmered and twisted until Loki appeared in the room with Toril, surveying the damage with a look of quiet annoyance and dejection.

“It’s such a shame I had to cut my engagement with Camryn short all because of a hawk,” he tutted, his voice echoing strangely.

“I’m surprised you want to deal with her that closely at all,” Toril replied, her frustratingly pink lips curving downward in distaste.

“What do you mean?” Loki swiveled to face her, dark eyebrows knitting together.

“Well, after what she did to your mother, neglecting to help her…”

“I spent a long while struggling with that assumption, but after speaking to her, witnessing her guilt, and hearing her side of the story, I finally concluded that Camryn had nothing to do with it, and couldn’t have helped even if she wasn’t following my mother’s orders not to.” Loki settled down on his bed, elbows falling to his knees, and, in a gesture that I’m sure was highly inappropriate, Toril sat down beside him.

“Perhaps you should backtrack from that conclusion,” she suggested. “You see, my king-”

“What are you doing here?”

The visage disappeared into a green mist as the three of us yelped, jumping around to discover Loki hovering menacingly in the doorway, nostrils flared, shoulders tipping forward to make him appear even larger, and fists clenched. Gerd’s mortification had practically turned her to a stone and energy snapped at my fingertips in my fear, but Inge bravely stepped forward, determination shaping her broad features.

“We came here to attempt to discover why you suddenly turned on Camryn again,” she declared. “Forgive me, Your Majesty, but Toril is toying with your mind, and bringing such things to your attention to put herself at an advantage.”

“You ought to know that a master of manipulation cannot be manipulated himself,” Loki scoffed. “She merely reminded me of what I so carelessly disregarded. That monster is part of the reason why my mother is dead.”

“Even if she is, can’t you see that the guilt is eating her alive?” Inge gestured backwards to me and my tearstained face. My heart leapt to my throat at the acknowledgement, and as Loki’s gaze twitched to mine, I couldn’t maintain the contact, and my attention dropped to the skirt of the lovely gown I put on that morning with such hope.

“You’re the one that’s trying to maximize her ability,” Inge resumed. “Do you think you’re going to be able to do that if she doesn’t even want to use it because she keeps blaming herself for something she couldn’t have helped? Even if she tried to save your mother, it would have caused a bigger mess than if she didn’t.”

“I gave the express orders that she was not permitted to leave her chambers,” Loki reprimanded, disregarding Inge’s argument. “Since you two have removed her, I ought to throw you in the dungeons for disobedience.”

“You most certainly won’t, though, because the palace would fall apart without us, since you’re too busy living in the past and fretting over whether or not the people will accept you to actually do any real work.” Inge reached over and took my shoulders, bringing me to her side. Gerd followed, Inge’s confidence wearing off on her, her chin raised in quiet defiance.

“Now, you’re going to step aside and let us take her back to her chambers. When we get there, you’re going to leave her alone, and stop blaming her for things that are clearly not her fault.”

As the three of us pushed past the king and made for the exit, his mouth opened and closed as if he wanted to say something, a vein pulsing in his forehead as his jaw clenched, but he said nothing. As we entered the halls, though, an enraged growl and a crash followed us, and we broke into a sprint, eager to escape his fit. As we finally crossed the threshold of my apartments, Inge detached from our chain and seized the bottle of mead Gerd used in my cider, gesturing for us to sit around the breakfast table.

“Thank you for defending me,” I croaked as I crumbled into one of the spindly chairs, taking my cup and drawing in a hefty gulp.

“Be careful with that,” Gerd warned. “It’s quite strong, especially for mortals. I barely put any in your cider, and it still managed to subdue you quite quickly. It won’t be long before it has a very strong hold on you.”

“I’d hope so,” I snorted. “I want to forget all that’s happened today.”

“I don’t understand why Toril would do something like this,” Inge growled, pacing the room and nursing her own drink. “She’s never been particularly friendly, but this is just cruel.”

“You have to remember that she’s always been a bit sweet on the king,” Gerd put in. “Perhaps that has something to do with it.”

“It would take more than simply being ‘sweet on him’ to want to do something like that,” Inge countered. Only halfway listening, I poured myself another drink and drained it in two swallows.

“We should bring her here,” Inge decided. “Hear what she has to say for herself.”

“Inge, she won’t say anything,” Gerd counseled. “She’s not one to do something that could get her punished. She’s not a particularly remorseful soul.”

“She’ll say something if we know how to compel her to.” Inge slammed her cup down on the table and bounded to the door. “I’ll be back.”

Watching her go, Gerd moaned into her hands and I reached for the bottle once more.

“Not for you,” Gerd scolded, taking it from my grasp. “You’re cut off.”

“I think I deserve one night of drunkenness,” I protested.

“You don’t know how your power will react if you’re intoxicated.”

“Well, think of it as research,” I debated. “Loki and everyone else is so fascinated with figuring out how it works, so this is just one more lesson.”

With concerned resignation in her nut-brown eyes, Gerd’s grip on the bottle loosened. I took it from her and refilled my cup once again, thrilled that I could already feel my cares slipping away.

“Oh, I wonder what Inge’s going to do to her,” Gerd groaned, taking a delicate sip from her own glass. “I can’t wait any longer. The suspense is going to kill me.”

It appeared she did not have to worry for long, for not a minute after voiced her desire for the waiting to be over, a muffled cry of “Take your hands off me!” carried to us from outside the door. Gerd heaved a sigh and let her head fall onto her hands, and Inge burst into the room, dragging Toril in by her middle.

“Ouch, Inge, you’re such a man,” Toril complained, kicking her feet and attempting to pry Inge’s hands from her waist. “Put me down!”

Inge complied by shoving her into a chair, using the belt from her uniform to tie her down.

“What is this about?” Toril screeched.

“Why did you ransack the king’s chambers to get him away from Camryn, and then manipulate him into again believing that she was at fault for the queen’s death?” Inge interrogated.

Toril sputtered. “I thought it an insult to the queen’s memory that the king was drawing so close to and becoming fond of one who was partly responsible for her death.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Inge spat. “You never cared a bit for the queen. You only aspired to be her lady’s maid because you were the daughter of a whore and you knew that was the closest you could get to having a position of power.”

“Then what are you insinuating my reasoning was instead?”

“Ever since you were a girl, you’ve been besotted with Loki. Perhaps your feelings for him went too far, and you now feel threatened by anyone that grows close to him. Mysterious things have always happened to girls he’s set his sights on.”

As Toril snapped out another reply, my attention span wandered until the voices around me began to fade into the background. With the alcohol clouding my brain, the questioning of Toril seemed particularly tedious to me, and I decided that I wanted to conduct an interrogation of my own.

Gerd and Inge were concerned with Toril, and Toril with them, so it was not difficult to slip out of the chambers unnoticed, needing only to sprint to the door and open it a smidge, shimmying out and taking care that it shut soundlessly. Once out and engulfed in a space where it was hushed enough for me to think, drunk enough to have courage but not so much to be incoherent, I stomped audibly to Loki’s chambers. When I arrived at his door, I didn’t even bother knocking, for I knew he wouldn’t answer, so I merely burst it off its hinges with a blast of my power, striding blindly into the midst of the apartments.

Loki, who had been stewing in an armchair with a goblet of wine, focus intent on the crackling fire, leapt up at the intrusion, a dagger appearing in his hand with a flash of green.

“What are you doing here?” He demanded.

“I’m trying to riddle you out,” I shouted back, storming to the center of the room as if I owned it.

“Are you drunk?” he questioned, eyes narrowing.

“Yes. Why else do you think I’d be in here?” I rolled my eyes. “I can’t keep up with you. Initially, you accused me of being responsible for your mother’s death, and then you say you’ve forgiven me and start treating me nicely and trying to make friends with me. But once I finally get used to that, you go back to blaming me, saying you should have killed me when you first met me. It makes my head spin. I deserve a damn explanation for this inconsistency.”

“I don’t owe you anything,” he growled, stepping forward to hover threateningly over me, managing to dwarf my tall form in a way very few people were able to.

“Yes, you do!” I screamed, rising on my toes and shoving him backwards. His resolve cracked slightly at my rage, mouth falling agape as he followed my push and sidestepped to provide me with a wide berth to pace. “Tell me the damn truth, or I swear I will mind control you again.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” The center of his lip drew upwards into a sneer, baring a sliver of his teeth.

“Would you like to make a wager?” I pursued his path, hand extended threateningly, pressing closer and closer until we were mere centimeters apart. He turned away with a wordless snarl, tangling his fingers in his hair and clenching his fists so tightly that veins began to protrude.

“I found myself getting close to you, growing attached,” he answered through clenched teeth. “I can’t let that happen.”

“Why not?” I roared. “Is it because I’m mortal, and I’m too lowborn for you to associate yourself with? Or is it because I’m only here for the purpose of becoming a weapon, and I’m not even supposed to be treated like a living thing?”

Loki’s tone grew quieter, his mannerisms of rage quieting as his arms dropped to his side, shoulders rising and falling with a heavy sigh as his eyes widened and his tense expression softened and expanded. “It’s because I...I-”

“Because you what?” I screamed, my voice breaking as I seized a small, decorative pot full of some sort of herb from the mantle and hurled it after Loki. He ducked to avoid collision, and the jar smashed into the wall instead, instantly shattering and sending crushed leaves across the polished floor, the clatter of the pieces of clay hitting bottom bringing the atmosphere to an eerie silence.

Loki had no answer, and instead stood staring at me, the only sound in the room coming from my heavy, ragged breaths. After a few agonizing moments of searching my form, his eyes focused intently on mine, and, without a word, he stepped forward, took my face in his hands, and smashed his lips against mine.

Next Chapter

#loki fanfic #loki fanfiction #loki laufeyson

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silvercreations · 7 years ago

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Endings I Want (Part II)

Back again with a double feature of films that I think would’ve been so much better with just a few tweaks. Today we have two very, very different movies about two very, very different “free” women. The first stars Ruth Chatterton as an absolute boss ass bitch, and the second features Norma Shearer attempting sexual liberation while hindered by (what else?) all the awful men around her.

Female (1933)

This movie is absolutely one of my favourite pre-codes; it’s an amazing character study of a woman in power, and of how she exerts that power in boardroom and in the bedroom. That woman is automobile plant exec Alison Drake (Ruth Chatterton), and she’s wealthy, glamorous, and respected for her her business sense and her smarts. She also revels in shamelessly reeling in and absolutely dominating men, because, well, she *enjoys* no-strings-attached sex. Alison flawlessly & professionally balances these two spheres of her life— and she doesn’t hesitate to push the men in the office to work harder or to tell the men she invites home to GTFO of her life (usually by transferring them Canada) when they want any kind of commitment from her. Alison really explains it best herself in one of her many amazing little monologues:

“You know, a long time ago, I decided to drive the same open road that men travel. So I treat men the exact way they’ve always treated women.”

DAMN. But, as per usual, it all comes apart in the last 10-15 minutes— during which Alison uncharacteristically decides to run after a hard-to-get engineer and agrees to his marriage proposal. Ugh. I’m also kind of convinced the ending is really self-aware/tongue-in-cheek; don’t tell me it’s an accident that the whole “I’ll marry/give everything up for you!” scene went down next to a “Take home a pig!” sign at the shooting gallery. But, anyway, this one’s simple to fix: just let Alison/Ruth shrug off the demand, forget about the guy, and keep on keeping on. (image from here)

A Free Soul (1931)

I know some people have mixed feelings about Norma/her ability to convincingly play a modern-type woman— but I kind of sort of really love her, and wish got better endings in the bevy of the “sexually liberated Norma Shearer” films that followed (and included) “The Divorcee”. And even though the title of this one is “A Free Soul,” she doesn’t really get to have nearly as much fun being “free” as she deserves (spoiler alert: it’s all because men are awful to her about everything).

We do get lots of wonderful monologues and one-liners from Jan (Norma) in this one, but there are so many fixes I want to make. Like, can we just not equate Jan’s choice to have an affair (even if her taste in men is... questionable) to her father’s mental state (he’s an alcoholic who refuses to seek help and basically calls Norma a whore when he finds out what she’s been up to)? And did we really need the ex-fiancee white-knighting to save Norma in the end after the gangster she had the affair with threatens to stalk/kill her if she doesn’t marry him?? Just give Norma the revolver; I’m sure she could take care of the sleazebag herself.

Small silver lining: in the last scene of the film, Jan/Norma packs her bags for NYC and leaves the scandal/ her ex-fiancee behind— which, great, but I just wish she was more firm about telling him to not follow her. Go have fun in the big city, Norma! But, also, maybe be a bit more selective about the men you fall for. Or women, because... let’s be real, all the men around you are all objectively awful & this film has an accurately/wonderfully cynical view of them all. (image from here, & quite obviously from *before* Jan realizes Ace is no good).

Unrelated: these films could not be more different in their characters/their exploits, but the costuming in both is absolutely *divine*. If you’re not head-over-heels for Ruth after “Female” or Norma after “A Free Soul,” then I really don’t understand you at all.

#endings I want #Norma Shearer #A free soul #Ruth Chatterton #Female (1933)#pre code #long posts

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shercockadoodledoo · 8 years ago

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Idk man but I'll give $20 and the naming rights of my first born if you wrote a one shot incorporating that one post about dating an actor and getting asked what have they been in so you can reply with ME. Imagine that but with nezushi

fic’s under the cut, anon, pay up. i accept US dollars only, no bill smaller than a five. please shove the cash at your screen and chant my url three times (or is it five? i can never remember the semantics of direct interweb cash transfers). your first born child will be named Pootato (that was not a spelling error i want it to be that exact combination of “poo” and “potato,” no negotiation). enjoy the fic you bastard

oh, and this is the post that the anon is referring to, if you’re curious

Afteronly three months at Shion’s new position as co-director of scientific researchat Tokyo’s Wildlife Conservation Facility, the organization held its annualcharity banquet, and Shion downed six flutes of champagne before Safu was grabbingthe sleeve of his suit.

“Tell me those empty glasses aren’tyours,” she hissed, jerking Shion’s arm away from the seventh flute he was reachingfor.

“Hm?” Shion asked, distracted,unsure why he was being pulled away from the champagne.

“I go to the bathroom for fiveminutes, and you’re already swaying on your feet. You can’t get intoxicated atyour first corporate party! What has gotten into you?” Safu demanded, whileShion tried to focus because he was pretty sure Safu was accusing him of beingdrunk, which was incorrect.

“That is incorrect,” Shion said,finding it more difficult to speak than usual, which was odd.

“You can hardly drink a glass of wine withoutbreaking out in song, why would you do this?” Safu groaned, pulling Shionsuddenly. “Quickly, step this way, your co-director is nearby.”

Shion stumbled but righted himself,feeling Safu’s arm wind around his waist and prop him up.

“Safu,” he whispered, while Safucontinued to pull him somewhere – he had no idea where, and didn’t much mindone way or the other, as he was having fun, and that was the point of parties,he largely suspected.

“What?” Safu snapped.

Shion frowned and blinked so that hecould focus on his friend. She appeared to be unhappy. Not unhappy, exactly.Concerned? No, that wasn’t it. Or was it? The room seemed to be spinning, whichwas a strange phenomenon and rather distracting from his attempts to untanglehis friend’s expression.

“This is a terrible impression togive your coworkers who after only three months are still forming impressionson you, Shion. Especially seeing as this is your first social corporate function,you should really be making wiser choices,” Safu lectured.

Shion sighed and let Safu pull himto wherever she was pulling him, which happened to be a round table with awhite tablecloth.

Safu sat Shion down, then occupied thechair beside his and scooched it closer, her fingers lifting his chin.

Shion watched his friend’s eyesskating over his features.

“What’s going on?” he asked mildly.

“I’m trying to gage your intoxicationlevels to see if it is more or less prudent to allow you to attempt to conversewith your colleagues.”

Shion sighed again – he felt verytired, suddenly – and rested his elbow on the table, his cheek in his palm. “Imiss Nezumi,” he mumbled.

Safu stopped peering at him soclosely, straightening up and looking at Shion with some surprise. “Oh. Is thatwhy you got drunk?”

Shion felt surprised as well. “I’mdrunk?”

“Yes.”

“Oh. Whoops,” Shion laughed. What aterrible idea, to get drunk at his first work party.

“He’s only been filming for a month.And you’re flying out to see him next week, it’ll be fine.”

“Well, yeah, I know it’ll be fiiiine,” Shion replied, stretching outthe word and almost falling off his palm onto the table, but he caught himselfin time and propped his chin back up onto his hand. His head felt heavier thanusual. “I don’t want fiiiine. I wantNezumi. Who is also fine,” Shion added, with the realization of the word’sdouble meaning, which made him laugh.

He could be so funny. He wishedNezumi had been around to hear his joke.

“I have to call him.”

“What?” Safu asked, as Shion lookedaround the table for his phone.

“Where’s my phone?”

“Probably in your pocket. Shion, youshouldn’t call Nezumi. With the time zone difference, it has to be around threein the afternoon in LA, he’ll be in the middle of a shoot.”

Shion fished around in his pocket,and there, indeed, was his phone. He wondered if Safu had x-ray vision to seeit there.

He unlocked his phone, glad for thetouch ID unlocking function, as the numbers on his screen were swaying a little,and it might have been difficult to catch them under his fingertips to type inhis code.

Clumsily, he managed to find Nezumi’sname, while Safu talked at him and said things he couldn’t be bothered to payattention to.

Shion hummed along with the rings ashe placed his cell to his ear, and then there was Nezumi’s voice.

“If it’s not an emergency, pretendit is so my director doesn’t kill me, he’s been pretty pissed today and myringing cell at the shoot doesn’t seem to be cheering him up, oddly enough.”

Shion smiled on hearing Nezumi’svoice, pressed his phone harder to his face. “Hi,” he said happily.

“Oh, you’re dying are you? Why, that’sterrible, hold on one second – Yeah, I’m gonna have to take this, I need fiveminutes – Hey, he’s dying, just giveme five – Fine! Yeah, go ahead, replace me with Bradley Pooper or whatever hisname is, I don’t give a shit! Asshole.” Nezumi muttered the last bit, and thenthere was a clattering sound, and then there was silence.

“Uh, Nezumi?” Shion asked,uncertain.

“Hey, the director wanted to take awater break anyway, I can talk. What’s up? Why does your voice sound weird? Holdon – Aren’t you at your fancy cocktail party for your new job? Should youreally be calling me right now?”

“Is there really an actor namedBradley Poopy?” Shion asked, then started laughing at the idea. He didn’t knowmuch English, but he’d started picking up a bit of it after Nezumi startedshooting American movies, and he was fairly certain he remembered what the wordpoop meant.

“Something like that, they’ve gotweird names here. I think it’s a fame tactic, you know, stage names and shit.You sound a little slurry, you’re not drunk, are you? Because that’d be areally terrible idea.”

“I’m not drunk,” Shion agreed, thenstarted laughing again because if he remembered correctly, he was drunk.

“Unbelievable. Is Safu there? Shouldn’tyou have someone chaperoning you? Why on earth would you go and get drunk?”

Shion was so happy to hear Nezumi’svoice, but it hurt at the same time. All he’d gotten from Nezumi the past monthwas his voice. Sometimes an image over a screen if they Facetimed, but Nezumiwas exhausted most nights from filming, and Shion was taking on more work thanhe’d ever had before at his new job, and they were usually too tired with theirconflicting time zones to talk long.

“If you were here, I’d kiss you,” hetold Nezumi, a promise, a temptation, maybe Nezumi would jump on a plane and comehere, travel back in time because LA was seventeen hours ahead, find Shionyesterday morning and kiss him before Shion had to start missing him so hard ithurt.

Nezumi was quiet, and then, verysoftly, “I miss you too.”

There was a shouting behind him, andShion looked over his shoulder before realizing the shouting was coming from thephone.

“Ah, shit. I gotta go, okay? I’llcall at the usual time, go find Safu and drink water and stay away from anyoneimportant. And Shion, listen to me, this is very important – Do not threaten tobite anyone. Do you hear me? Promise you won’t.”

“I promise,” Shion said, his eyesburning until he blinked the burning feeling away, and then there was Nezumi’svoice again.

“Talk to you in the morning, YourMajesty,” Nezumi was saying, and then there was the click of him hanging up,and Shion took his phone from his ear, looked at it helplessly, wondering whyvoices could travel instantly but bodies could not, who invented that anyway,Shion would have given up the ability to hear Nezumi’s voice in order to touchthe man’s cheek in a heartbeat.

“Who invented phones anyway?” hedemanded angrily to Safu, who was watching him in a wary way.

“Maybe we should get you home. Youcan make some excuse to your colleagues later, say you got a stomach bug. Yes, Ithink that’s best. Come on, time to get up now,” Safu was saying in a rush,standing and reaching out, so Shion took her hand, remembering Nezumi tellinghim to go to Safu – so he would stick with Safu because he trusted Nezumi, morethan anything, he trusted Nezumi.

Halfway across the hall, Shion heardhis name called, and then Safu was cursing under her breath, and then they werenot walking anymore. Shion leaned on Safu because he felt a little drunk – oh yes,he was drunk, he’d forgotten but remembered and felt accomplished forremembering.

“Shion – Are you all right?”

Shion blinked at his coworker. Itwas not a woman he’d seen very often, but he knew they’d been introduced. Hetried to remember her name, thought most likely it was also the name of arodent, but no, that was Nezumi, he was thinking about Nezumi again, he triedto concentrate back on the nameless woman even though he would have ratherthought about Nezumi a little more, just a little.

“What?” he asked, because he knewshe’d asked a question and was trying to appear coherent.

“He’s fine,” Safu cut in quickly, “hejust – ”

“Oh, but you’re not Nezumi. We’veall heard about him of course, company gossip,” the woman said, laughing. “Iwas so hoping we’d get to meet him today.”

She had black hair curled at theends. She wore a red dress. Shion decided he would memorize these details abouther, catalogue them, use some formula to calculate her name in this way, thoughhe didn’t know what the formula was.

Maybe Safu knew. She was smart. Shetended to know things.

“Hey, Safu,” Shion whispered,elbowing her, and Safu elbowed him back, hard.

“No, I’m not, Nezumi couldn’t makeit,” Safu said loudly, giving Shion a sharp look.

“Oh, is it work, because rumor hasit, he’s – ”

“Are you talking about Nezumi?”Shion blurted out, catching thread of the conversation. “He’s an actor,” Shiongushed, leaning forward and feeling Safu tug him back.

The woman brightened. “So it istrue! Is he famous?”

Shion nodded happily. “Very veryfamous. And beautiful. And talented. And beautiful.”

“You said that already,” Safumuttered.

“Oh? What’s he been in?” the womanasked, and Shion thought about it, couldn’t remember a name of any of hismovies or even the plays Nezumi did before he got into movies, but then heremembered that Nezumi was not only in films,he was in much more important things, or rather, one thing in particular thathe hadn’t been in for a month what with their new long distance stint, whichfrankly was getting on Shion’s nerves.

“Me!” Shion shouted, and then he waslaughing at his own joke and nearly doubled over, felt Safu haul him back up, caughtsight of the woman who did not seem to understand, so he attempted to help herbecause humor, he knew, was not everyone’s strong suit. “You know. Sex,” Shion elaboratedslowly, miming with his fingers the act of it. “This is Nezumi,” Shioncontinued, holding up his forefinger, “and this is me,” he finished, indicatingthe hand where his forefinger and thumb made an “o.”

“He’s very drunk, I’m so sorry,goodbye,” Safu was saying in a sudden and rushed way, pulling Shion so abruptlyaway that he stumbled over his feet and nearly fell into Safu.

“Ow, oof, wait, did you hear myjoke? I just made a joke. Did you hear it?” Shion asked.

“Yes,” Safu said, rather curtly,when she should have been laughing, which made Shion think she was lying abouthearing the joke, maybe to save him the time of having to say it again, butShion didn’t really mind saying it again.

“So what happened is that lady askedwhat Nezumi did, and I said he was an actor, and she said, ‘Oh, what movies ishe – ’ No wait, that’s not how it went, I messed up the joke, she said – ”

“Shion, please be quiet now,” Safuinsisted.

“Nezumi would have liked the joke,”Shion said, sulking.

Safu didn’t say anything, and thenshe laughed in a breathy, light way, pulling Shion out the banquet hall doorsand into the cool night air. “Yes, I suspect he would have.”

THEEND

#nezushi #is it wrong to tag this?#i don't care spread the word i'm taking commissions throw money at me you sad suckers

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