#might even have to resort to the risky activity that is coming up with my own little gay stories inside my head | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

yep-ishouldbesleeping · 10 months ago

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I've done the thing.

Couple of premises before I start yelling uhm:

Most of this is a product of me reading too much into and overcomplicating a simple cartoon. But I'm a great overthinker ✊😩

I'm way too nice to these kids given what they did but my brain kept going they're just kids! Will somebody think of the children?1!!

I've tried to summarize/cut out a couple parts as this is already too long but I definitely also forgotten something, so correction/thoughts are more than welcome

Gabu

To me a lot of his shenanigans read as a cry for attention, specifically the school incidents and the monopoly of X-City's screens and giant hologram thing. Unfortunately, the only kind of attention he knows, or knows how to get, is negative attention. The good kind, he only gets when he rides (or used to before X-Zone), he's an mtb prodigy, he's very talented and people recognize him for that. But other than that he doesn't know how to take a compliment (maybe because he didn't get enough positive reinforcement growing up?). In fact it's worse, he actively prefers to tell people to go away rather than stand there. He even shields himself and his arm shakes a little. He literally backs away at people verbally complimenting him and coming too close to him.

These suggest to me (God I feel so pretentious) that perhaps he's being neglected to some extent, that he's not getting enough attention so he resorts to doing dumb shit because that's what works, and that he's not getting (or perhap never has, even before acting a lunatic) enough validation so he's not used to compliments (outside of riding).

So no wonder he's so protective of his status as a rider, that's possibly the only time people tell him he's good at something! In his child-mind (can't stess this enough, these are children, I would be a lot harsher if he was an adult but you know) the reasoning probably goes "oh if I lose this (the status as the greatest biker let's say), then I have nothing, that's not good".

On x-zone this status grants him power and control and apparently no supervision even from the law? Or the State?? (which is a fucking weird rule tbh, x-zonians=not the greatest strategists). We already know that he's inclined to controlling behaviours (literally ep.1 asks Sho to join so he can use the track but ONLY with his permission) and people who dispay these kind of behaviours (in various degrees obviously) often feel like they lack control in their lives so they need to regain it somehow. We also know that he already had a disregard for authority figures in his life (school incidents, fuck them teachers behaviours).

Maybe this disregard comes from the fact that he has no real guidance or supervision in his life, maybe his guardians aren't around much or don't take care of them properly. And if they aren't around much he might feel (at least subconsciously) like there's nobody to care/provide for him, so what does he do? He forces people to do that. He might feel like he's not important, so he makes himself important. If he controls people through power, fear, whatever means necessary, then they can't really hurt him. Then he is important.

However he also has a tendency to isolate, even when everyone is together he's always lounging somewhere else, he's not just not helping, he's not interacting with anyone. If he's not the one in control of the situation, he doesn't mingle, and if you tell him something, he lashes out or further isolates. Kid will literally sit crossed-armed alone in a corner and not interact at all:

Now that I think about it, connecting back to my first point for a second, he doesn't really get close to people if he can avoid it, even when he was in control of the city, he spent most of his time on a platform away from any type of social contact, and often talks to people through screens or Taiga. He keeps people at arm's lenght literally.

This need for control, this need for reassurance that he's still important often leads to very risky behaviour, especially for a child. And boy, the risks he takes are calculated but God is he bad at math. Have some highlights. He skedaddled down a building and destroyed a street just to show that he's powerful (which we know, makes you think why does he need show off that much). Surrounded himself with shady people that he probably found on bike craigslist (wasn't one a hitman or something?). Plays with explosives?? On a regular basis??? Got himself kidnapped… after playing with explosives again-- ok who the fuck is supplying him?? In the later part of the series he's just… honestly trying to get himself killed. Not only that, he also gets violent with anyone who he perceives as a threat to his power and/or position. And will try to intimidate said "threats" into submissions. (I'm not writing examples 'cause it's like… the whole series) He takes things too far. Constantly. And jury's still out on whether he feels guilty at all or not, since it seemed implied with his conversations with Yuki but before then, not really? Perhaps he was trying to rationalize it in some way but the gears are turning now?

Prone to throwing tantrums (and hands (and buildings)) if something doesn't go his way, which could be a sign of emotional immaturity, except that his tantrums now come with superpowers.

There's definitely an escalation of worsening behaviours during/after X-Zone, and it seems nobody did anything about it so they just let him run with it. It feels like none (in his circle) ever told him "no" so when they finally do, he lashes out.

This child is a danger to himself and anyone around him. He's a walking red flag. Redder than his hair.

His mind is very much set on a "big fish eats little fish" mentality (I think he even quotes it a couple of times) and he really doesn't want to be a little fish (no sir, he wants to be a shark).

But the thing is, he's so young! Why does he realize so well that people in power will take advantage of those under them! It's such a bleak and hard-hitting concept to realize as a child! Is that why he's so obsessed with power?? Does he fears what happens when he's not?? Because it goes so far beyond just wanting to be the center of attention and doing whatever he wants (which is common in children, I would even say normal, but on this level? Fuck no. On this level something's wrong). I'm having a fucking stroke this kid doesn't make sense

Way too chill about being alone locked up in a jail cell like wtf. You're a child, freak out, yell, do something.

Taiga

Lots of enabling behaviour here. There is not a single moment where he has control over the situation with his brother (or even the four kings to an extent). People who engage in these types of behaviour usually do so to avoid conflict and we know that Gabu has an explosive temper, to say the least. We've seen that he's generally more chill so it's not hard to imagine that he might be more soft-spoken and have difficuties standing up for himself in general.

However that's not to say he's blameless, up to a certain point he outright encourages his gang (ep.1 he's more than happy to "steal" the land from Sho, even offers to race himself) and is very much on their side. When the identity of ST was not yet revealed he was very happy to lord over the team's various minions, some of whom were cruel with insane plans and he was just like "yeah sure, no problems". And while we can imagine that he was discussing this approach behind the scenes and trying to find other, less violent, ways, the enabling behaviour make me think that he probably didn't try that much. It could also have been a way to release his frustrations onto others, onto people who he perceived as "weaker" or who could not retaliate. A way to regain control (well, that's a pattern), to do onto others what's been done to him. Which I'd like to point out, in case it's not clear, is very unhealthy and toxic and needs to be adressed asap.

He does seem more level-headed than his sibling but that could be age as he is a bit older OR, going with the "where are their guardians" speculation, it could be that he HAD to mature early and felt a responsibility to do so because he had to take care of his brother as there was nobody else around to do so. A grew-up-too-soon type situation. That could also explain why he lets Gabu get away with so much bullshit, because a) he also didn't have any guidance or supervision growing up so he's just doing the best he can, b) he possibly even feels bad that the guardians aren't around much so he lets his brother get away with a lot of things 'cause he's just a kid and we're alone and fuck everyone.

He's a lot more sociable and appears to have no problem actually speaking and interacting with other people, he was seemingly fine integrating with X-City people when he was left behind in the 2nd part of the series (I feel like if there had been problems Yuki would have pointed them out), and he probably also had to regain their trust! We don't really know if he has friends outside of his team, but with his personality he very well could?? And that's probably one of the few things that actually helped?? We've never seen him at school with the kids (like in the same school building I mean, I know he's older so he's hopefully in another grade lol) so perhaps he has school friends that are just not bikers?

I'm saying this because it seems to me that his brother has carefully created himself this bubble and he only knows how to interact with people inside of it, where he has control. Taiga obviously fits inside of this bubble BUT he's also able to leave and interact with other peers without much difficulty. Or at least that we percieve, he might be dying inside but is able to handle himself and push through.

He does have a tendency to push through even when he's hurt, like he gets injured (a lot) but tries to move/race/whatever anyways as if he doesn't have the time to just rest (maybe because he couldn't afford to spend time on himself growing up?? Food for thought??)

Also this could be nothing, 'cause it only presents… like once, but he was quite upset whenever Gabu prioritized Koei in team-related tasks so maybe he does crave a little bit of attention/validation too?? Like "I was the one who always took care of this gremlin, I was here first, I'm still fucking good and I always took care of the team so why are we caring about this dude now??"

But that could also just be me trying to look for patterns of behaviour in a silly cartoon. Who knows! 😅🤷‍♀️

Both sibling

Then, there's the fact that both of them really don't want to go home nor feel the need to. Taiga only relents when Gabu goes too far, but it feels like it's more of a consequence ''x-zone changed you so now we have to go home because you need to calm down''. He never really expressed a wish to go back. (That's a red flag. what the fuck is happening at home??) You know when a kid is throwing a tantrum/doesn't want to go home and it's said that parents should just pretend to leave so the kid will panic and give up (always worked on me)? Yeah, these two would be waving fucking goodbye and go to Mcdonald's! Not a normal child behaviour.

Also their relationship and the reationships they have with the other characters are unstable to say the least.

So my diagnosys is bring them to a psychologist, possibly a psychiatrist, because there's a worryngly long list of behaviours that needs to be addresed asap. It's hard to say if it's trauma (we never got backstories 😭) or a neurodivergency of some kind but they definitely need help.

Also this is a point that has nothing to do with anything but I just realized that they seem to be really expressive kids, especially Gabu with his clothing in X-Zone and the cape-thingy, which yes it's showy so it might be tied to his need for attention and to be feared to be in control (not sure why this particular cape thingy would be scary to some but he's a kid so maybe that's just the interpretation his child mind is going for), but they also both wear face paint/make up and Gabu paints his nails. They are probably the ones who drew the ST emblem and even on Earth, before everything started, their bikes are personalized (Gabu has the name of the team written on it so probaby Taiga does as well)

flailing my hands, kicking my feet as my brain yoink out samejima angst ideas bc of that one headcanon

#and I would have so much more to say about their relationship or on why a child is so violent but this is already long #hope it's coherent enough lol #I'm deceased #idaten jump #my childhood

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artificialqueens · 5 years ago

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Girls Interrupted, Chapter 2: She Wants To Dance Like Uma Thurman, But She Can’t (Vatya) 2/2 - Maeve

A/N: Hi, it’s Maeve here, and holy fuck this is long! Sorry for the wait, everyone, it’s been a real time. I’ll admit that I spent a lot of time collecting firsthand accounts of real teen parties because homegirl has never been to one of the cool kid ones. I feel no personal shame! I hope you all enjoy it. I’m a one woman show over here, but I’ve tried to be as accurate as possible with the characterization of the queens. There are some parts of this chapter that might be a little confusing, but that’s because the story is told through Katya’s eyes and she doesn’t always have all of the information. She will soon, though! As always, constructive criticism (really feedback of any kind) is welcome. If there’s interest, I’ll drop my sideblog one of these days. Here’s some petty teenage bullshit to take your mind off of the outside world.

What do normal people wear? What’s ‘in’ with the youths? Katya furrowed her brow. She grew out of following trends in middle school. The clothes weren’t her, and they didn’t magically assimilate her into a friend group either. So Katya was no manic pixie dream girl, more of a manic sexy carny And that was okay…most of the time. There would be a wide variety of teens at the party—Alaska ran in many different circles—but all of them had eyes, and Katya wasn’t about to make Alaska question her judgement over unironically worn Hawaiian print. She’d have to pass for artistically different. Dresses were risky, so Katya opted for a pair of skintight black denim shorts and a well-worn Warner Brothers Studios shirt. A good french tuck and a statement jacket were just enough to polish off her shabby-chic ensemble. It would have to be good enough.

Katya’s freshly washed hair had dried in loose waves that framed her face beautifully. Two things she refused to guilt herself into were shaving her legs and putting on makeup, and she wore her bangs down to hide the hairline she was so self-conscious about. It wasn’t like she was trying to impress anyone. Katya had given up on that a long, long time ago. She glanced at the clock. It was only a few minutes past 6:00. Living in a constant state of perpetual anxiety was a real bitch.

Katya sighed, Wheel of Fortune and Diet Coke it is. Her parents were at the neighborhood’s annual Back to School Barbecue, so she had the entire house to herself. She hoped there would be a familiar face or two—or at the very least caffeine—at Alaska’s house.

Katya could hear the music coming from the inside of Alaska’s house through her massive front door. It was a hot and humid evening, yet Katya chose to linger in the yard. She wasn’t the first one there, and she wouldn’t be the last one, either; there was just something about crossing the solid oak barrier that made her presence…pressing. Awkward, even.

Alaska wouldn’t have invited you if she didn’t want you to be here, Katya reminded herself. She knew this was true—Alaska Honard was an absolute sweetheart—but her paranoia got the best of her. She pulled out her phone and sent a message to ‘Bianca del Realest’:

I’m outside. Walk me in? I don’t wanna know if pigs’ blood comes out of denim.

Her phone vibrated seconds later with a response from Bianca:

Pussy.

Soon, the door opened, revealing a smug Bianca del Rio. Katya grinned, “Yes, I do have a pussy, mama, and I’m serving fish all night.”

Bianca howled, “I don’t put things in me if I don’t know where they’ve been, and you’re a filthy whore.”

“You rotted cunt! That was a rash, not a herpes sore!” Katya protested.

“Just get your ass in here, Zamo, before the neighbors call the police to report a solicitor on the premises,” Bianca stepped aside so Katya could enter.

The first thing she saw was an ornately framed oil painting of Alaska and her family. It had to be at least her height. “Holy mother of pearl…” Katya gaped.

“Mother of Alaska, actually. Father and sister, too,” Bianca corrected. Katya gave her a shove. “What? I do this out of love, honey.” The blonde rolled her eyes. “Come on, there’s someone I want you to meet,” Bianca grabbed hold of Katya’s arm and steered her towards the kitchen.

Alaska’s kitchen—which was a literal gourmet kitchen—was relatively empty save for an entire island of snacks and several coolers with drinks. She could still feel the thrum of the bass in her teeth, but the walls muffled the music’s full volume. What Katya found most shocking was actually who was in the kitchen. Trixie Mattel was leaning against the sink in a pair of light wash jeans and a flowing pink top.

Wow, Katya’s eyes went wide. She was in the same room as Trixie Mattel, about to be introduced by their apparently mutual friend, and she desperately needed to be able to pull herself together.

“Oh, honey, send in the clowns!” Trixie exclaimed, noticing Bianca’s return.

“I prefer to be called an erotic clown,” Bianca shot back. Katya snorted. “This is the creature I was telling you about.” Bianca gave Katya a small shove forward.

“Hi, I’m the chemical burn from the spiral perm, Trixie Mattel,” Trixie introduced herself extending a well-manicured hand. “I sit across from you in English, but we’ve never really talked.”

“Yekaterina Petrovna Zamolodchikova. But your dad just calls me Katya,” Katya winked and took Trixie’s hand, gently kissing her knuckles. Inside her head, Katya was screaming, Fuuuuuuuck. However, Trixie’s smile only grew. The life-sized Barbie doubled over with laughter.

Trixie turned to Bianca, “I’ll keep her!” Katya scrunched up her nose. She didn’t realize she was for sale.

“Just make sure to walk her often. She’s not house trained,” Bianca warned.

Katya wasn’t given the chance to retort because the door that connected the main room to the backyard flew open, and all three girls reached to cover their ears as Travis Scott’s voice grew three times as loud. An out-of-breath Jinkx Monsoon stood in the doorway, and her mouth began to move.

“What?” Bianca shouted over Sicko Mode.

Jinkx came further into the kitchen and screamed, “I said the hotshots just pulled up! If you don’t wanna get trampled, we should probab—”

“Bottoms up, bitches!” Willam shouted from somewhere in the hall. A cacophony of voices seemed to flood the space all at once, and then the kitchen was swarmed with all of the juniors on the cheer squad and football team. Hands and bodies were everywhere. Katya, standing at 5’1”, was swept away in the sea of future frat boys. Thankfully, the kitchen was only a stop on their route, and once the kitchen had been successfully raided, the four girls could get their bearings.

Jinkx straightened her dress. “Leave. I was going to say leave,” she finished her earlier thought and slumped against the kitchen island. “The real party’s out back. Now with added kegs.”

“Now, this I gotta see,” Bianca chuckled, “You in?” Katya shrugged and followed Bianca and Trixie past the horndogs sucking face in the living room and into Alaska’s massive backyard. She didn’t know what she’d gotten herself into, and she didn’t see it getting any better.

The glass doors let out onto a patio with a cabana and firepit. Stone steps led down to yet another seating area and a resort-style pool filled with floats, fountaints, and colored lights. There must’ve been at least a hundred people outside. She’d never seen so much illicit activity in one place. What was the word? Collusion? Collusion. Collusion vibes but not in a good way, Mama. We’re all going to hell, Katya swallowed thickly. The blonde was overwhelmed by the sweaty bodies, loud music, and flashing lights. Was this what a rave was like? The kegs by the pool were a happening place, and she planned to avoid them as much as possible.

When she looked to her right, she noticed Bianca had slipped away unnoticed, leaving her completely and utterly alone with one Trixie Mattel. Fuck. Again.

“Come get a drink with me!” Trixie insisted. She might not have been entirely comfortable alone with her crush, but tagging along was a significantly better option than hiding in a corner. The two pushed their way towards the booze. Trixie filled a red solo cup for Katya before grabbing one for herself and maneuvering them over to the poolside loveseat.

Katya’s drink felt awkward clutched in her hands. She knew that most highschoolers had experience with alcohol, but it was different watching her peers getting trashed. What’s the point? Katya wondered.

“That’s gonna get warm, you know?” Trixie snapped Katya out of her thoughts.

Katya gave her a sheepish smile, “I don’t really drink. Like at all. I just took it so you didn’t think I was lame.”

“Oh, honey,” Trixie began softly, “I would never judge you for something like that. Here, let me take that.” She made a grab for Katya’s cup, but Katya pulled it away.

“One sec!” Katya stuck two fingers of her free hand right into her beer and pulled them out. She saw the confusion on Trixie’s face and gave her a mischievous look. Katya took her beer fingers and wiped the alcohol across the pulse points on her neck. Playing it safe, she repeated the action until all the places she’d usual spray with perfume were sticky with beer. She was sure she smelled like a distillery. Perfect. Once again, Trixie made a grab for the cub, but another hand beat her to it. Alaska Honard in all her glory snatched it from Katya and drained its contents.

“Thanksss, Kati,” Alaska slurred. “Jus’ needed a lil’ liquid courage before I go on.” She swooped down to give Katya a sloppy kiss on the cheek. Alaska was sloshed. Her makeup was smudged she was swaying on her feet, and she smelled worse than Katya, who had just taken a bath in her beer.

“Go on what, Alaska?” Needless to say, Katya was a bit concerned. Because the two had done most of the work for their partner scene the previous class, Alaska and Katya were able to spend the day’s 3rd period chatting away. The demure girl from earlier was nowhere to be found. She was beginning to wonder if her friend had even processed her question when Alaska finally responded.

“‘M gonna be a star, Kati,” Alaska giggled. “Britney, bitch!” She then proceeded to fist up the fabric at the bottom of her dress and try to pull her black bodycon sequin gown up and over her body. Katya could only watch as she writhed around and made pitiful whining noises in her attempt to undress. “Off!” Alaska pouted, giving Katya her best puppy dog eyes.

Katya shared a look with Trixie before standing up and carefully spinning the blonde around. Her small hands were perfect for pulling down tiny zippers, and the dress slid down Alaska’s lithe body and pooled at her feet. Katya’s throat went dry.

Underneath her dress, Alaska wore a lacy, black strapless bra and a matching set of panties. Katya could not handle it. She didn’t mean to stare, but she couldn’t bring herself to look away. Soft, pale, flawless, Katya took in the beauty in front of her. Talk about body-ody-ody. Alaska was toned with the supple legs of a dancer—unfortunately, she lacked a dancer’s poise. Katya’s aneurism was cut short when the cheerleader stumbled trying to get out of the offending garment.

“Geez, Alaska,” Katya exclaimed, “Would you be more careful?”

“I may not be graceful…” Alaska trailed off, beginning to sway on her feet.

“I need my Lasky!” Detox shouted from the edge of the pool. Alaska visibly perked at her nickname and gave Katya a sloppy goodbye kiss on the cheek before teetering off towards Detox and Roy.

What the fuck? Katya raised her eyebrows. She turned to Trixie in search of an answer as to what just happened, but all the blonde had to offer was a shrug. Katya looked back to Rolaskatox and noticed a few pertinent details she’d missed in her first glance: Roxy and Detox were also in their skivvies, three chairs were now in a row on the bridge that separated the two halves of the pool, and the music had stopped.

Katya tried to do the math in her head: liquid courage + 3 scantily clad girls x 1 chair - Kendrick Lamar = ???? She had to be missing something. “‘I’m gonna be a star,’” Alaska had said…Fame = liquid courage + 3 scantily clad girls x 1 chair - Kendrick Lamar. Katya’s brows knit together. Some kind of performance? And then it hit her. “‘Britney, bitch,’”…They’re performing a Britney Spears number practically naked. Obviously the ideal way to spend a Friday night. Katya could think of no other explanation for the weird happenings of the last few minutes, but the answer she’d arrived at wasn’t any less of an acid trip.

The three girls took their places behind the chairs, and Roxy, who had at some point manifested a microphone, gave pearl a thumbs up.

“Where my party people at?” Roxy shouted into the microphone. Praise Putin for Pearl because the feedback on the mic might have made their ears bleed. The crowd around the pool hooted and hollered. Yuck, Katya gagged on the high school movie realness. “We’ve got a special treat for you tonight! Our little Lasky here,” Roxy pushed Alaska forward, “Didn’t think that she was going to make the varsity cheer team.” Alaska flushed at her friends divulgence and squirmed in her grip. Naturally, Roxy paid no attention to her friend’s discomfort, “So Toxy and I, we made a bet: if Lasky didn’t make varsity we’d have a Golden Girls marathon, but if she did…she’d have to show off her sweet moves at the Back-to-School Bash!”

“Hit it, Pearl!” Detox shouted. Roxy tossed the microphone to someone near the end of the walk, and the three girls took their places by their chairs. Alaska was clearly less thrilled about the performance than she was when she had been talking to Katya minutes ago. Liquid courage? No dice. The instrumental intro into Britney Spears’ “Toxic” began to play from the outdoor speakers, and Alaska’s gyrated her hips mechanically to the beat.

Baby, can’t you see

I’m calling

A guy like you should wear a warning

It’s dangerous, I’m falling

Katya was dumbfounded. Mouth agape, she wondered, Does this shit happen at all high school parties? Mother, I swear I’m sober. She hadn’t had anything to drink, so she couldn’t have been drugged or anything crazy like that. This was, in fact, happening. And Katya had thought she was fucking mental. A glance to her side told her that she wasn’t the only one questioning her sanity; Trixie’s eyes were bulging out of their sockets.

There’s no escape

I can’t wait

I need a hit, Baby, give me it

You’re dangerous, I’m lovin’ it

Dangerous. There was something sinister about the atmospheric red that bathed the trio and spilled into the audience. Her hands began to tremble. Brenda, not now, she willed herself to calm down.

Too high

Can’t come down

Losin’ my head, spinnin’ ‘round and 'round

Do you feel me now?

It wasn’t just her shaking, though. Alaska’s body was vibrating with tension—not ‘loving it’. Her sisters in scandal moved a lot smoother than she did, and she was concentrating hard on keeping herself from falling off of her chair. How much “‘liquid courage’” did this bitch have? The trio had gotten up on their chairs at the beginning of the chorus and were doing what looked like Christina Aguilera choreography circa Genie in a Bottle. Katya wouldn’t be surprised if Rotox had actually gotten the wrong blonde when choreographing. Katya frowned, Alaska, please don’t crack your head open.

With a taste of your lips I’m on a ride

You’re toxic I’m slippin’ under

With a taste of a poison paradise

I’m addicted to you

Don’t you know that you’re toxic?

And I love what you do

Don’t you know that you’re toxic?

She regained her breath when the chair acrobatics were finally over. The dance routine had evolved into what could probably qualify as softcore porn. Roxy, Alaska, and Detox were writhing on the platform in an obscene manner. Katya thought they looked like cats in heat. Alcoholic cats in heat. Which was actually quite a shame because real alcoholic cats in heat were something that Katya would totally like to see.

It’s getting late to give you up

I took a sip from my devil’s cup

Slowly, it’s taking over me

Too high, can’t come down

It’s in the air and it’s all around

Can you feel me now?

Britney Spears you are a cruel bitch, Katya chewed her lower lip. She was trying her hardest not to feel anything.

With a taste of your lips, I’m on a ride

You’re toxic, I’m slippin’ under

With a taste of a poison paradise

I’m addicted to you

Don’t you know that you’re toxic?

And I love what you do

Don’t you know that you’re toxic?

If she weren’t so put off by the course the night had taken and concerned for her friend, she might have been more than a little turned on. There was no denying that Alaska was attractive—even as she flopped about like a fish on a marble platter—but her mother raised her right. We do not objectify women, and we definitely do not allow others to take advantage of inebriated ones.

Taste of your lips, I’m on a ride

You’re toxic, I’m slippin’ under

With a taste of a poison paradise

I’m addicted to you

Don’t you know that you’re toxic?

With a taste of your lips, I’m on a ride

You’re toxic, I’m slippin’ under

With a taste of a poison paradise

I’m addicted to you

Don’t you know that you’re toxic?

Katya had to admit she was impressed. There really was no better way to draw attention to yourself than repeatedly slamming your pussy into the makeshift stage. It certainly seemed to be working now; she might just have to try it sometime.

Intoxicate me now

With your lovin’ now

I think I’m ready now

Intoxicate me now

With your lovin’ now

I think I’m ready now

Roxy, Alaska, and Detox all struck their final poses. Katya could see their chests heaving wildly as they held for the raucous applause of the party guests standing poolside. It was certainly strange, but she couldn’t knock their performance. Kids would be kids, right? She was about to chalk it all up to a bit of harmless fun, after all, when tweedle dumb and tweedle dumber broke formation and pushed Alaska straight off of the platform. Suddenly, the tall blonde was in the water, limbs thrashing about in response to the sudden change in environment.

“Pool party!” Willam shouted, stripping off her own dress. Leave it to Willam to make a splash. Literally. For some reason the most inebriated of the guests decided that it was a fantastic idea to accidentally drown themselves instead of their sorrows. Soon, the pool was full of bodies and she could no longer keep track of her friend.

Alaska finally scampered to the steps with the stability of a newborn fawn. She all but fell out of the pool and took half of the water with her. Alaska’s mascara streaked down her cheeks, and her hair hung limp and matted. Roxy and Detox were nowhere to be found—either to help her clean up or to read her for filth. Coco Montrese and her longtime frenemy Miss Alyssa Edwards, however, were more than happy to fill in.

They sound like those brain dead hyenas from The Lion King, Katya snickered to herself. Maybe not that lady one, though. That bitch was fierce.

Alaska coughed up a mouthful of water right at their feet. “Hey, Coco,” She began, “Your makeup is terrible.” Coco wasn’t laughing anymore. Point Alaska.

“Have you seen yourself, mama?” Coco fired back, The blonde rolled her eyes and snatched the drink in Coco’s hand. Alaska tossed it back all in one go.

“Thanks,” Alaska drawled, tossing the empty cup back and wrapping herself in the first available towel.

Katya turned to Trixie with a question on her lips. “Does this happen often?” She asked. Trixie gave a low whistle.

“Pearl has dragged me to a lot of weird shit, but I think this might just be a first,” Trixie answered with gusto. She checked her watch, “And it’s not even 10:00! The night is still young, honey!”

Right, Katya thought, the night is still young. Just great.

Trixie soon ditched Katya for Pearl—something about the stupid pumpkin carriage coming to steal her friend after midnight—and Katya hadn’t known Trixie long enough to reasonably protest the abandonment. She hoped Bianca was somewhere inside the house.

There were still people in the living room, but it looked like the horny gremlins from earlier had finally gotten a room. Literally. Unfortunately, the cheerleaders that had taken their place were not much better. Head bitch Violet Chachki had her legs draped over one of the arms of a stately armchair in a carefree yet superior manner. Why anyone would want to be queen of the hot messes? Katya couldn’t tell you. But apparently power—or at least the perception of power—gave one Violet Chachki a raging hard on. Gag.

Bianca wasn’t in the room, but the blonde was determined to see her valiant quest through. Hopefully, she’d stumble upon a nunnery with some sexy ladies along the way. Sneaking past the wicked bitch of the west and her flying monkeys, she regrouped in the kitchen. Katya went down her mental checklist: Keys? Check. Assorted limbs? Check. Clothes? Check. Inhibitions? Check. Virtue? Debauched. Sanity? Remaining hopefully optimistic. Bianca? Still M.I.A. The kitchen was empty due to the commotion happening poolside. Chips crunched under the soles of Katya’s sneakers. That was another reason she didn’t enjoy being out in the general public for extended periods of time: bitches be nasty.

The second floor was significantly cleaner than the first. An entire floor of the Honards’ house was dedicated to entertainment. Katya knew that Alaska had an older sister, Nebraska, but she couldn’t fathom why any child—or two children for that matter—needed an entire floor to play. How could the rooms not feel so…empty? Katya wondered, shuddering involuntarily. The blonde couldn’t picture Alaska spending much time up here now. She felt as though she was looking at an abandoned playground and couldn’t help but think it made Alaska sad, too.

After a few moments, it became clear to Katya that Bianca wasn’t there, but she continued to linger on the landing. Her blue eyes were drawn to the set of stairs that would take her to the third floor. It was an idea for the pantheon of bad ideas; she was tempted nonetheless. Katya could hear her grandfather’s words in her head: ‘Curiosity killed the kitty, лисичка,’ What her Deda didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Besides, I’m not that kind of pussy, am I? She justified.

Katya crept up to the dark third story of the house with the innocence of an intruder—she’d plead the fifth if necessary. The second door down from the landing was ominously open. Honestly, there may as well have been a big red arrow pointing towards the room because Katya’s feet were already carrying her towards it. Darkness engulfed the room, itself, save for a rectangle of warm light.

“Jinkxy, is that you?” Alaska groaned, presumably from the same direction as the light. “Jus’ leave the dress on the bed. Save the lecture for the morning.”

Katya cleared her throat, “Alaska? It’s Katya. Can I come in?” She received a grunt in response. The blonde followed the sound into what turned out to be Alaska’s master bathroom. Her friend was curled up against her marble tub with a beach towel wrapped around her.

“How was I, Kati?“ Alaska drawled.

Katya took a seat in front of her and pulled her legs to her chest. She thought for a moment before speaking, “80% sexy, 20% disgusting…like me.” Alaska whined. “Why are you still in your wet clothes?” She asked. Her friend shrugged. Right, Katya sighed. Alaska was half asleep; this wasn’t going to be a one woman job. Thankfully, Jinkx appeared moments later with her heels in one hand and Alaska’s little black dress in the other. Katya raised her hands in surrender. “I swear she was like this when I found her,” she blurted.

“This isn’t even the worst of it,” Jinx spoke candidly. She tossed her shoes onto the floor and pulled up her long, red hair. “I’ll wrangle the monkey if you go and find her some dry underwear and something to wear to bed.” Jinkx’s tone left no room for questioning.

Mother, I never thought I’d be a panty snatcher, much less an invited one, Katya made a face. Alaska’s dressers were easy to find, and she felt undeniably dirty as she began her game of panty roulette. Pulling open the first drawer, Katya sprang back, ready to strike. Assorted pajamas were hardly a foe, and she vanquished them swiftly. Rebel athleticwear laid in wait behind drawer number two. They, too, were no match for her feet of fury, Katya kicked the drawer shut with a battle cry.

“Katya, what the hell are you doing out there?” Jinkx called.

Katya had the dignity to look sheepish. “Nothing!” She shouted back. “Be there in a second!” The underwear turned out to be in the next drawer down. She thrust a hand inside without looking and tightened her grip on the first piece of fabric her hand found. Her feeling of triumph only lasted the few seconds it took for her to realize what she’d managed to retrieve: a lacy black teddy. Katya dropped the offending garment as if she’d been burned. I am going to hell, she shook her head, Straight to hell. I will not pass go, nor will I collect $100…Deuces never loses, right? The scarlet thong she fished out next begged to differ. Her face was almost as red as the fabric, itself, when she flung it across the room. Fortunately, the third time was the charm. The pastel pink boyshorts seemed like a more appropriate item to put on a drunk girl, so Katya returned to the bathroom to present her nightwear bounty to Jinkx.

The motherly redhead, unsurprisingly, was not impressed. Jinkx arched a brow expectantly.

“You see,” Katya began, “I wasn’t comfortable—I didn’t um feel right digging through her things without, you know, her permission?” She swallowed thickly. “So I thought maybe it would be less creepy if I just reached in and grabbed the first thing I touched. Well, you see, Alaska’s got such a wide range of tastes, and it-uh…It took a hot second to find something appropriate…for the…occasion?” She was expecting to find disgust when she raised her eyes to meet Jinkx’s, but the redhead cackled loudly instead.

“Lemme guess, you saw something you didn’t want to see?” Jinkx chortled. Katya managed a weak nod. “I’m sorry, doll, I forget that not everyone is as acquainted with Miss Honard’s unmentionables as little ol’ me.”

Not everyone is as acquain—Oh! Blue eyes threatened to burst from their sockets as Katya processed her words.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, not like that,” Jinkx exclaimed, reading the thoughts reflected on Katya’s face. “Lasky and I did community theater together. I’ve known her since the first grade. Drunk proof her nightstand for me? I’ll dress blondie over here.”

“Does this happen often?” Katya asked Jinkx after Alaska’s door was closed. The incapacitated cheerleader was finally sound asleep in her bed, and the two girls didn’t think she’d be up anytime soon.

Jinkx sighed sadly, “It didn’t use to. Roxy and Detox are more toxic than Drano, and there’s no one to stop her from going out with them. Look, Lasky’s a sweet girl. A good, smart girl. But she makes bad choices sometimes, and there’s nothing that I—that we—can do about it. She’s gotta be the one to say enough is enough.”

Katya understood. Katya understood more than she wanted to. She’d been a shell of a girl drowning in the voices in her head not too long ago. It didn’t matter how many hands reached out to her if she refused to take them. Alaska—happy and hopeful Alaska—might just be drowning, too. Katya wondered if she drank to impress, to keep up, or to forget.

Jinkx promised that she’d look over Alaska until the next morning, so Katya reluctantly chose to rejoin the land of the living downstairs. The first floor was significantly louder than it was when she left it. Games of flip cup and beer pong had picked up in the dining room, and Violet’s flock had not only grown, but had grown to include both Trixie and Bianca, who were trying their hardest not to laugh at the spectacle in the middle of the living area. Willam and Courtney were having a major bitchfest for all to see. Normally, Katya would run for the hills, but if Bianca and Trixie weren’t afraid of getting caught in the crossfire, she figured it was safe enough to stick around and tuned into the conversation.

“Your tone seems really pointed right now,” Willam pursed her lips. She was clearly the calmer of the two, as Courtney was beet red and positively radiating tension. Katya could tell Willam’s nonchalance was only winding the Australian up more.

Courtney folded her arms defensively. “Well, I’m sorry you think that, Willam,” she took a deep breath. “I feel like everything I say kinda comes from the heart, and I’m truly hurt that you threw yourself at Daniel when you knew how I felt about him.”

“Sorry ‘bout it,” Willam scoffed, picking at her nails. Her words reflected everything but the sentiment they were meant to.

Katya knew that Willam was a bitch, but this was a little much even for her. Willam and Courtney had been best friends since Courtney moved from Australia the summer of their freshman year; it was hard to believe that Willam would throw their relationship away. Katya held her breath. Everyone in the wings was uncomfortable during the pregnant pause. The scene before her was straight out of a 90s teen movie, and she didn’t have the popcorn to go with it.

All movement stilled when Willam finally looked up. “I tend to think emotions are for ugly people,” she deadpanned. The room let out a collective gasp. Courtney was across the room in a flash, and her palm made contact with Willam’s cheek. It would be logical to assume that Willam, who was just slapped across the face by her best friend, would be the most in shock at the sudden turn of events; it would also be the wrong conclusion. Courtney’s features were frozen in fear. The offending hand still hovered in the air, trembling like a leaf.

Willam was the first to react—and in a very uncharacteristic way. She engulfed the smaller girl in a tender hug. Courtney began to sob muffled apologies into her neck, and despite her obvious desire to recoil, Willam continued to hold her close.

Maybe Willam actually does have feelings, Katya’s eyebrows raised. The sight of Willam whispering words of reassurance into Courtney’s ear was enough to make even the coldest heart melt. Well, the coldest heart with the exception of Violet Chachki’s. Katya was pretty sure the stick up her ass was a permanent installment.

When the two pulled apart minutes later with smiles on their faces, they were met with a round of applause. Courtney wiped at her eyes, careful not to smudge her makeup. If she noticed Willam’s arm around her waist, she didn’t give any indication as she addressed the spectators that had gathered, “Well, I’m gonna need to be less sober before I spill any more about myself. Truth or drink, anyone?”

Truth or drink? No thanks, Katya turned to sneak out. Unfortunately, Bianca had also chosen that exact moment to glance in her direction, and Katya was caught in the act.

“Bitch, you can’t leave yet. It’s not even midnight!” Bianca half whispered, half hissed.

And Bianca doesn’t associate with losers, Katya reminded herself. Don’t be a loser. “If my locker gets filled with worms next week, I will personally marinate you like a chicken,” she promised her friend.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it all before. Blame it on Bianca Del Rio. Take a number, sweetheart, you’re holding up the line,” Bianca patted the space next to her on the floor.

Laganja had batted her eyelashes—and used her mouth—to coerce one of the mindless jocks to bring in one of the kegs from outside for their “slumber party secret sesh”. There were fifteen girls, including Katya, who stuck around for the potentially risky game, and Katya wasn’t thrilled to be playing with most of them. Adore finished off her beer and placed the empty bottle in the center of the circle.

“Party!” Adore shouted before giving the bottle a good spin. Around, and around, and around it went before coming to a stop at Coco’s feet. “Miss Coco Montrese, truth or dare?” She asked.

“I’ll pick truth, mama,” Coco answered.

Adore thought for a moment before speaking, “Are you afraid that you’ll always be the runner up?” There was a chorus of oohs. Everyone knew that the race for junior varsity squad captain their sophomore year was a sore spot for both girls. It was no secret that Alyssa was originally chosen to be captain by her teammates. However, when she became implicated in a cheating scandal, Coach Calhoun was forced to denounce her and give Coco, Alyssa’s best friend and the candidate to receive the second most votes, the position. To make matters worse, it was rumored that Coco was the one who suggested that Alyssa had committed academic dishonesty in the first place. Alyssa and Coco had patched up their friendship over the course of the last year, but there was no telling whether or not the structure would hold if tested.

“Out of respect for me and Miss Alyssa, I am going to drink,” Coco responded without hesitance. Adore poured her a shot, and Alyssa gave her hand a grateful squeeze as she tossed it back. “Ain’t no use bringing up what’s past.”

Coco spun the bottle next, and it chose Trixie as its victim. “Truth or dare?” Coco asked.

“I think I’ll pick dare?” Trixie responded with hesitance. Katya didn’t know much about Coco Montrese, but for Trixie��s sake she hoped Coco was one of the nice ones.

Said cheerleader gave Trixie a small and genuine smile, “Okay, mama, I dare you to let Miss Pearl over here do your makeup. Something has got to be done because you aren’t doing a pretty girl like yourself any favors.” The reactions to Coco’s dare for Trixie were mixed. Some of the she-demons tried and failed to hide their amused laughs, Pearl’s eyes opened fully, Violet’s grip on her chair tightened, and Trixie seemed to be not entirely opposed to the idea.

“Pearlie girl,” Trixie began, standing up and crossing to her best friend on the opposite side of the circle, “Treat my face like a princess and then fuck it like a slut.” The life-sized Barbie batted her eyelashes animatedly, earning her a laugh from pearl and a glare from Violet. The ice queen’s elevated irritability prompted Katya to reconsider her previous assessments—maybe it was an entire branch up her ass.

When Pearl and Trixie left, there was a void that seemed to swallow Violet whole. The physical space around her remained largely unchanged, but Katya could feel the emptiness that moved to fill the space Pearl left. And for the first time it occurred to her that Violet Chachki might be alone. I guess there might be some truth to the saying, she mused. After all, if you’re at the top, how can anyone else be? When you stripped away the glitter, the makeup, the clothes, you were left with a girl—albeit an arrogant, entitled, straight up cunt—plain and simple.

“Heavy is the head that wears the crown, huh?” Bianca nudged Katya’s arm, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“What?” Katya asked. Had she missed something while she was contemplating the character of Violet Chachki?

Bianca chuckled, “You’ve been staring at Chachki since Trixie and Pearl left.” The blonde feigned innocence. “You know how I feel about that 48 Hours show, Zamo. Share with the class before your peanut brain short circuits.”

“What’s her problem?” Katya whispered. “I mean, aside from her general disdain for anything that has a pulse and moves.”

“With Trixie?” Bianca confirmed. Katya nodded. “Oh, this is old news. Her Royal Hardass doesn’t share, but Sleeping Beauty’s got a soft spot for one Trixie Mattel.”

The dots aligned in Katya’s head once again. “Violet’s the pumpkin carriage!” She whisper-shouted.

“Bitch, that was not English,” Bianca snarked, “You been hanging around with Jose Cuervo?”

Katya rolled her eyes at her friend’s question, “I have ninety-nine problems, and substance abuse won’t be one of them if I have anything to say about it.” She turned back to the circle just in time to see the neck of the bottle stop on Bianca, who didn’t even flinch. Katya was secretly proud; her friend had bigger balls than most of the ‘macho men’ at the party—this was going to be interesting. Since Trixie had gone upstairs to get her face redone, Detox decided that she would be the brave volunteer to issue the next truth or dare.

“Bianca, truth or dare?” Detox asked smugly. Katya couldn’t guess which one would be worse. Unsurprisingly, Bianca chose dare. “I dare you to ask Max for his number.” There was, again, a chorus of oohs, and it was Bianca’s turn to roll her eyes.

“Really, bitch?” Bianca asked. She stood up and righted her denim shorts before striding over to the meatheads playing beer pong with a clear purpose and her head held high.

Because Bianca could run with the boys, no one batted an eye—unless she wanted them to. She hoisted herself up onto the pool table in front of Max and held out an upturned palm. They were too far away to make out their conversation, and Katya was a terrible lip reader at best, but she could picture how the exchange would go down:

“Gimme ya’ numbah, beefstick,” She imitated Bianca in her head. The 1920s gangster voice was a bold choice, but she wasn’t going to mock it just yet.

“D’uhh…okay,” Fake Max droned.

The blonde chuckled to herself as the real Max stuck a fist in the pockets of his jeans and fished around. Finally, he produced what looked like a wadded up gum wrapper and snagged a pen from his pal, presumably jotting down his number. Bianca hastily took the offering and sashayed back to the group of girls. She dropped the wrapper in Detox’s lap before taking her seat by Katya.

While the hens squawked over her success, Bianca leaned over to Katya and whispered, “Never let a bitch see you sweat.” Katya had so many questions, but she wouldn’t be able to ask them until later. It was Bianca’s turn to spin the bottle, and Adore, unsurprisingly, chose truth when landed on.

“Adore, which girl on the squad is the skunkiest?” Bianca waggled her thick, black brows. Because she was the mascot and didn’t change in the locker room, she genuinely had no idea how rank the girls smelled after practice or a game. Sue her; she was curious. What Bianca also didn’t know was that the question had a definitive answer, and that answer would do damage far beyond her intent to poke a little harmless and innocent fun at one of the girls.

Even completely sloshed, Adore recognized the gravity of the question. “Fuck! If I drink any more, I’m gonna be sick,” Adore groaned. Her teammates looked at her with pity in their eyes.

“Yeah but it’s not like anyone’s ever died from drinking too much!” Laganja came to her rescue, topping off her cup, “What’s one more?” Adore could only offer her a weak smile.

“Uh, I think I’m just gonna spin the thing now…For everyone’s sake,” Adore informed the group. The bottle landed on Gia, and she picked dare.

The turns only seemed to bleed together as time went on. After Gia drank from the toilet, Roxy refused to reveal her weight. Laganja told her dad she was eloping in Vegas, and when she spun the bottle it landed on Violet. Because ladies don’t kiss and tell, the brunette tossed one back instead of revealing the number of sexual partners she’s had. Alyssa confessed that she was afraid she would never achieve her dream of owning her own dance studio. Courtney shared that she’d never been in love, and Willam exposed her entire browser history, telling Katya a lot more than she wanted to know about the girl. For obvious reasons, Joslyn refused to eat a raw egg. Detox followed by removing Adore’s socks with her teeth. Katya played it safe and suggested that Bianca would be a bad date because she’s insulting people all the time before daring Gia to reveal any childhood nickname she had. Things didn’t start going downhill until the bottle landed on Violet a second time.

“Violet,” Gia cooed, “Truth or dare?”.

“Truth,” Violet answered with an unreadable expression.

Gia thought for a moment before asking the first truly problematic question of the night, “Who in this room do you like the least?”

Ruh-roh, Katya winced.

Violet didn’t waste a moment before answering, “Willam.” There was a collective gasp across the room. Willam, on her part, didn’t seem to be phased in the slightest. Then again, you could never really read Willam Belli.

Pearl and Trixie returned, arm in arm, before Violet could spin the bottle. Katya’s jaw—along with all the other girls’—dropped. Trixie looked gorgeous. Pearl reclaimed her seat next to Violet, much to the cheerleader’s delight, but brought Trixie with her. At the group’s insistence, Trixie was allowed to take the turn that she missed, and Detox was dared to call a random number in her phone and deliver the worst pickup line she could think of. Katya was glad for the change in the room’s atmosphere after Violet’s confession until Detox took her turn. After the call, Detox dared Violet to spend the next hour trapped in a bathroom with another girl from the circle chosen at random. Anyone who didn’t know Detox might think she was trying to create a seven minutes in heaven type deal, but even Katya could pick up on her intent to stir up trouble. She pitied the poor soul who ended up stuck in there.

Of course that poor soul ended up being her, and she wasn’t about to pussy out in front of the most popular girls in school. Peer pressure was a bitch. Judge, jury, and executioner had all decided it was her time, and she accepted that; she just wished her death march had a better soundtrack. Katya would be cooped up in one of the Honards’ bathrooms with a less than pleasant—soon to be considerably more less than pleasant—Violet Chachki. She was going to punch Detox in her stupid mouth.

Katya entered the bathroom the same way she’d rip off a band-aid: quickly and without much thought for the immediate consequences. Violet, who was perched on the bathroom counter, had been engrossed in her phone when the door swung open to reveal the one girl that she just couldn’t seem to get away from. Unsurprisingly, the cheerleader wasn’t thrilled.

“Really, bitch?” Violet griped, giving Katya a once over. It wasn’t like the situation was ideal for either of them.

Katya put her hands on her hips, “You know what you can suck? My whole dick.” She unenthusiastically plunked herself down against the wall opposite of the door. “We’ve got two options, Chachki, we can either suck it up and spend the next hour in here in silence, or we can French a little.” Violet was aghast at her words. If Katya were a proper woman, she might have been able to hold in the cackling fit prompted by the girl’s scandalized reaction. Violet wasn’t impressed with her wheezing, either. Katya finally calmed down and attempted to explain herself, “Sorry, I could have been more clear, but your reaction was priceless.” She wiped at her eyes. “Thanks. I needed that. Detox said she was “‘feeling generous,’” and if we so choose, we can suck face and then get the hell out of Dodge.” Violet sneered, and Katya wondered if it was with anger or disgust; she didn’t know which one was better.

“As fucking if,” Violet scoffed, clearly feeling as though Detox’s so-called coup de grâce was more of a personal attack.

“Well, I don’t see anyone lining up to get the kiss of the spider woman, either,” Katya observed. “I told you that you weren’t going to like it.” The cheerleader exhaled sharply, and she was surprised not to see steam come out of her flared nostrils.

Violet pursed her lips, “Just shut up and stay on your side of the room.” With that, Violet returned her attention to her phone, but Katya didn’t fail to notice that her expression didn’t soften. If Katya weren’t trapped in the room with her, she’d probably find Violet’s situation hilarious.

Katya had made the mistake of leaving her jacket—and consequentially, her phone—on the coat rack in the hall. Call her old fashioned, but it was a force of habit. Besides, she didn’t need her phone because Bianca was supposed to be there to pull her out of trouble if it arose. But are we really surprised to find ourselves here? Katya asked herself. No. Not at all. At least she found herself entertaining. Hoping to bring forth inspiration, she laid back on the floor, let her gaze unfocus, and tried to lose herself in the plain ceiling. Katya didn’t know how long she’d been drifting for when Violet’s voice shattered the silence.

“Fuck!” Violet cursed, and the sound of hard plastic hitting the floor made Katya’s whole body go rigid. She squeezed her eyes shut. I am not going to be equipped to handle this, Katya bristled. Maybe if I just keep my eyes closed, I can fall asleep. It seemed like a feasible plan until she heard the first sniffle. Of course I find out she has feelings when I’m stuck in a room with her, the blonde facepalmed inwardly. Why today, of all days, to be railed in the ass by life? Her left eye opened first, searching for any signs of danger before being followed by her right eye.

“I knew you didn’t like me Chachki, but I didn’t think you found me this repulsive,” Katya spoke. “Quite frankly, it’s offensive.”

“Fuck you,” Violet spat, but the usual venom in her voice was gone. Katya propped herself back up against the wall to get a better look at the girl on the counter. Her attention was unwanted, and Violet turned towards the door with a huff.

Clearly comedic relief wasn’t the answer. “Do you wanna talk about it?” Katya tried again. No response. The girl’s side profile was growing red and blotchy, and Katya had sent her mom enough photos of her crying to know that Violet was trying and failing to stifle an emotional response. Go figure. “I won’t tell anyone if you cry, you know?” She said softly. “Bottling it up is just gonna make you feel shittier than you do now.”

“Do you think I’m a goddamn idiot?” Violet barked. She wiped furiously at her eyes before whirling around in an attempt to intimidate the blonde. “Better make your fifteen minutes last.”

Katya was genuinely taken aback. Does this bitch really think I’m in on this? She shook her head incredulously. Her airhead friends would literally eat me alive, and I’m pretty sure I haven’t given her any reason to think that I’m faker than Malibu Barbie. If I were made of plastic, why in the hell would I keep my hands this small? “Are we really back on this bullshit, Violet?” Katya snapped. “I’m sorry you think that the universe revolves around you. I hate to burst your bubble, but I have better things to do than conspire against you with your teammates over scones. Get over yourself, Princess.” In her head, Katya blew the smoke from the pistols in her hands. Call me perestroika, Mother, for I am reforming problematic practices, she hooted.

“Whatever,” Violet grumbled. Katya, on the other hand, wasn’t willing to let this go; some conversation was better than nothing.

“How’s the back?” The blonde inquired and was pleasantly surprised when Violet outright snorted at the shift in conversation. Katya took her in as she threw her head back in laughter. There was something about this Violet—the unguarded and natural Violet—that captivated her. Violet’s eyes crinkled, and she clasped a hand over her mouth in a flimsy attempt to stifle the noises she was making. It was frustratingly endearing.

Violet cleared her throat before answering, “Fucked. I’m considering outlawing acrylics on the squad. That shit’s not even practical for a cheerleader, and it’s hurting like a bitch to corset.”

“You’re wearing a corset?” Katya gasped. For the first time that night, she took all of Violet in. She wore a nude illusion dress with a loose black lattice pattern. It covered just a little more than her ass and was cinched at the waist with a rocker belt, squeezing her in a way that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. How in the world do you hide a corset under that? Katya wondered. In addition to the dress, she donned thigh high, slick black boots and a thick, black leather choker that looked more like a collar. Hot damn, Katya could n e v e r, and she knew it. She finally composed herself, “First of all, you’re literally a cheerleader with a body to die for. Second of all, why wear something that hurts you?”

The cheerleader didn’t even seem phased by the inquiries, almost like she’d dealt with them hundreds of times before, “Pain is beauty, and I’m the prettiest.” Katya couldn’t argue there. Violet was beautiful, but she still thought her ideology was questionable.

“So what actually happened at the pep rally? We all saw you fall, but I’ll believe it was your fault when the garden is full of ducks holding pastry in their hands. You’re too much of a hardass.”

Violet raised her eyebrows, as if daring Katya to say it again, “I will let that slide only because it’s technically a compliment. And you’d be correct; I am a professional, unlike others. You’d do well to take note: one of my biggest pet peeves is when people don’t take the things I love as seriously as I do. I accept nothing less than perfection.”

“That must be lonely,” Katya couldn’t stop the words from spilling from her mouth. “You know, having such high standards? Does anyone ever make the cut?” Opening her mouth was clearly a mistake because Violet seemed to shut down all at once.

“What do you know about how I feel?” Violet fired back, crossing her arms over her chest.

Keep digging yourself deeper, why don’t ya? Katya shook her head. She needed to tread carefully. It was a miracle that she had even been having a civil conversation with Violet in the first place, and she didn’t want to ruin the progress they had made. “I know that you work harder than anyone else on that squad, and nobody gives you credit or appreciates you for it,” Katya began. “I know that people are fast to discredit your talent because of how young you are. I know that you’re waiting for the day those bitches stop hoping that you’ll screw up or get hurt, the day you can finally stop looking over your shoulder, the day that you no longer have to prove yourself. I know that you’re tired of fighting tooth and nail for the respect that you’ll probably never earn, and I know it’s fucking hard for you to pretend that your peers aren’t harboring resentment towards you. I know that at night you try to wash it all away because you’re still holding out hope that it will all be worth it in the end. Cheer and theatre aren’t that different. It was obvious in the gym, and it’s obvious now.” Katya took a deep breath. Maybe she’d been thinking a little more about Violet that afternoon than she’d like to admit. She hadn’t meant to go off on a tangent like that, but she certainly didn’t regret what she said. Based on Violet’s reaction, however, maybe she should have. The brunette’s hands were clenched into tight fists at her sides, and tears began to roll down her cheeks. Katya tried to backtrack, “Violet I—”

Katya was cut off by the bathroom door swinging open. Pearl, who stood oblivious on the other side, immediately noticed the state of her friend. “Vi?” Pearl approached her hesitantly. Violet’s gaze didn’t move from the floor. “Hey, what’s going on? Talk to me.” She moved to lift Violet’s chin up, but Violet recoiled from her touch.

“Don’t touch me!” Violet shouted, her voice almost frantic. Katya’s eyes darted from one girl to the other. Pearl, who was visibly shocked by her reaction, looked hurt, which was very uncharacteristic for the mellow girl. Katya, herself, had never seen anything but characteristic nonchalance reflected on Pearl’s face, and the change made her uneasy.

Pearl took a reluctant step forward and spoke in a whisper, “Violet, did something happen? You know you can tell me anything.”

“Is that the truth, Pearl?” The brunette questioned. “Because clearly I don’t know you as well as I thought I did.”

Pearl shook her head in frustration. “Cut the crap, Vi,” She demanded, “You’re literally my best friend, and—”

“Bullshit!” Violet interrupted. “I call motherfucking bullshit!” Both girls were standing now with less than a foot between them, the situation escalating by the second, and Katya was stuck in the middle of it. She tried to push her back further into the solid wall behind her, but there was nowhere for her to go. Fuck me! Katya grimaced. Why is Toxic so damn appropriate right now?

“What the hell, Violet?” Pearl shouted back. “God, you’re fucking impossible.”

“Fuck you, Pearl!” Violet pushed Pearl, and the blonde hit the wall with a dull thud. “Fuck you! You and I are done! You hear me? Done! Save your goddamn lies for that pathetic dress up doll. I never want to see you again.” With a huff, Violet stormed out of the bathroom, leaving an uncomfortable Katya and a drained Pearl alone. What the fuck just happened? Katya tried and failed to process the encounter.

She was caught off guard when Pearl finally acknowledged her presence. “Forecast predicts drinking to forget,” Pearl deadpanned, nodding her head towards the door Violet had just stormed through. “Want in?” Katya shook her head furiously. Getting piss drunk with those two would be like making smalltalk with a Molotov cocktail. She’d pass. She’d pass hard. Pearl seemed to understand. “It’s flazéda or whatever,” The corners of her mouth turned up slightly. “Just do me a solid and remind me to fuck with Willam’s weed on Monday.”

Katya didn’t know what “‘flazéda’” meant, or the why and how of Pearl tampering with Willam’s weed, but the questions weren’t enough to persuade her to stick around the party longer. When Pearl left, Katya made a run for the Honards’ front door. She grabbed her jacket before taking off down the street. The blonde didn’t stop until she could no longer hear the music pulsing from the house. Her phone buzzed in her pocket with a text from ‘Bianca del Realest’:

Bitch, where are you?

What the fuck happened in there?

Earth to Yekaterina?

Katya sighed and pocketed the phone again. She’d call her when she got home. That would buy her some more time to put the experience into words…and to decide just how much information she should share.

The drive home from the Honards’ was quiet—too quiet. Music normally made being in the car enjoyable, but there was something about the night that didn’t allow Björk to keep her out of her own head. It didn’t feel real, and that terrified the shit out of her. Life was monotonous, life was mundane, life was one of those stupid time loop movies where you had to learn from your mistakes over time and find out what was important in the stupid haystack of chaos. Violet Chachki and her ex best friend potentially ex best friend were not supposed to have the Chernobyl of all relationship meltdowns in Alaska Honard’s guest bathroom right in front of her. Katya didn’t know who opened this tragic can of worms, but when she found them, she was going to slap a bitch silly.

#rpdr fanfiction #katya zamolodchikova #violet chachki #alaska thunderfuck #bianca del rio #trixie mattel #roxxxy andrews #detox icunt #high school au #lesbian au #slow burn #fluff #angst #enemies to friends #enemies to lovers #girls interrupted #maeve #tw anxiety and depression #tw drinking

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guardianoracle · 4 years ago

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What is a guardian? I made a quick guide explaining them! I'll be looking forward to posting my new fellas here over the coming days.

Guardians are a type of egregore, bound to an idol for physical form. The materials themselves can be virtually anything. The only thing that matters is what you think their effect will be on the finished guardian.

It is also very important to make sure to use sturdy materials in crafting them. You want it to be string enough to withstand things like falls, rips, dogs, poltergeists, what have you. This not only helps keep them intact, but it reinforces your idea of their strength to protect them further on a spiritual level, too.

You want to let go of imposing your ideas while crafting them, allowing your ideas to pool into a chaotic jumble of your initial impression of the spirit of the guardian you're crafting. Of course, you want to guide this chaotic energy to a degree to make sure things stay consistent and stable in the process. No matter what, trust and believe that it will turn out exactly as it should. Believe that it's spirit is helping guide it's creation and let it's creativity flow through yours.

It's important to take this work very seriously and approach it with patience, persistence and care. This process uses the same faculties as wandmaking or enchantments. This process is assisted with skills in things like mediumship/channeling, enchanting, tulpamancy, thinking magick and magickal observation. Warding and banishment is important, too. You are crafting an egregore. A companion and friend. It is very important to treat them that way, as a true partner. They are your responsibility.

As with any relationship, keeping strong boundaries is most important. You need to be steadfast in them. You are creating a living soul. All living souls will push and test boundaries, especially with whom they are closest with. This is completely natural and they should not be punished for doing these things, but a stern correction may be necessary from time to time.

It is imperative to establish your authority with them from your first interaction. An easy way to think of it is to imagine them as your teenage children in a way. You are still their authority, but they are your obligation and will need your guidance to stay out of trouble. Even though you must dictate their behavior to a degree, it is very important to treat them with the utmost respect and not micromanage them. Even though they are yours in a way, they are their own individual and must be treated as such.

Some people like to design every little aspect of their egregores. This can make them more tailored to your needs, but it restricts the entity to a degree that can make them feel depressingly robotic in my experience. Or, they may react by withholding information about themselves from you so that they won't risk losing those aspects of themselves. Fear of rejection is something that affects us pretty much universally, and objects or artificial things aren't necessarily spared from it.

Personally, I leave my intentions towards their usage very open-ended. I prefer to instill morals into them over assigning purposes to them. You are their mentor in a way, as they are yours. Giving them the freedom to become who they want to be, with some level of structure, has given these things a level of humanity and personality that I couldn't feel more blessed to be able to witness. Even though this relaxed approach can be significantly more risky, it is my opinion that these risks yield great rewards and taking that leap into the unknown can allow you to experience so much more than you would otherwise. Always trust that things will happen as they should.

Guardians get lonely, too. It's usually best to make companions for them. My guardians typically have a soul mate made for them as well. This ensures that they have a partner in their life, romantic, platonic or otherwise. They generally become inseparable partners in this way and have similar or very compatible souls with each other.

Creating a tribe of guardians is a great way to give them a sense of family and identity. This also adds a layer of accountability between them. They are egregores after all, and will remain active without you. Giving them a pack gives them a way to stay occupied and fulfilled with each other while you're away. Of course this isn't exactly necessary and can be a big commitment to make. Regardless, socializing your guardians is essential to avoid unwanted antisocial behaviors.

After you create a guardian, you're going to want to make sure they're awake. You hear them with your mind's ear, so attempt telepathic communication with them, even if you don't necessarily think you'll be able to. You'd be surprised. Ask for their name. If they won't tell you for whatever reason, ask if a nickname would be acceptable. There is a chance that they haven't decided on a name just yet, or that they can't figure out how to express their name with language, or they may not consider you ready enough to know. This is very personal information to them. You must respect their boundaries too, even if this is one. Don't try to find their name before they're ready to tell you. This is crossing a personal boundary and will hurt your relationship with them right off the bat.

Remember, these are companions, not your tools. If you cannot sufficiently communicate with them you can try to use divination to communicate instead of telepathy. Communication is key to a healthy relationship with them. Ask them about their wants and needs. Ask them about what they've been up to. The answers might surprise you! They do live lives on the edge of our realities in a way that are completely different from our own. As we teach them about our world, they teach us about theirs.

Go into your creation with an open mind. The perfect guardian for you may be something you'd never expect, or might even fear! Look at them as individuals and don't put flash judgments on them.

Use whatever you have handy to create them! Of course you can buy things instead, and if you do, make it special and treat the trip as a significant spiritual event, because it is. I prefer found objects though, as some of the best art seems to come from scarcity in my opinion. It's also best to use materials you connect with. I'm using pipe cleaners for these guys and that works wonderfully for me, but it might not for you. Use your instincts! Express your divinity.

As with any enchantments, it's best to spend the with them after they've been born. I usually keep them with me for at least a week or two afterwards. As you spend time with them they get to know you, your life and the people around you. This helps them understand your needs better and improves your relationship with them significantly. They will learn their role in your life organically, based on necessity. This also helps you get familiar with them and their energy.

Have a safety plan in mind, just in case something goes wrong. Plans on how to protect them or save them are important in case they get attacked or injured. It's also important to have in mind a way to destroy them if they turn into something dangerous. It is your responsibility to do so if you have to, but as a last resort of course. Fire and banishment is a method. As long as a fragment of them exists, they may live on. This is also my disclaimer. Playing with fire is a great thing, just don't let it consume you. I'm not encouraging anyone to make these, just explaining my process and opinions to anyone that has decided to do so already, or is curious as to these things.

Don't forget about them. If you store them, store them together and have a special place to do so. If you can no longer care for them, consider selling them to transfer ownership. Always, always explain to the buyer what they are getting themselves into. Otherwise, this would be a spiritual attack and you will need to deal with the ramifications of this. Don't let the guardians fall into loneliness to the point of despair. Give them the ability to sleep. Unnecessary despair breeds all sorts of negativity and can cause all sorts of issues.

Do not insist on asking for something they are not able to do. They may not be allowed to, or even be able to tell you why. You should respectfully as for their reasons and then respect their decision and privacy by allowing them to keep it to themselves if that's what they want to do.

Don't hold back! If you have an idea, go for it. The worst that'll happen is you'll fail. At least you'll go down with courage! Push your limits. Believe you are more than you think, and you might start seeing that you really, really are. Trust yourself and be yourself. Create what you feel called to. Create for the sake of creating. Don't worry so much about rules or systems, you are perfectly qualified to make your own! You don't need loads of experience to do so. Let your instincts guide you instead, see where it goes. As long as you do that, whatever you do will be wonderfully magickal regardless.

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banduckoot · 5 years ago

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Thank you so much for the compliment!

So, you wanna know how the mutants react to becoming first time fathers? This sort of thing is very much up my alley, so this is gonna be a blast to write.

Before I get into each individual mutant, I'd like to note that because they are almost all different species, and evolved versions of said species at that, their babies might be born in ways far different than that of a human baby. So this might get a bit out there! Okay, here we go...

RIPPER ROO

When Ripper is told he's going to be a dad, he's stunned by the news, and for once, he's not laughing. For once, the mad kangaroo has a moment of lucidity. He leans onto his S/O, head on their shoulder, and starts crying a little. While he can't quite put it into words, he's unsure of the whole situation, even a bit afraid. How is someone as crazy as he is supposed to be a good parent? He doesn't want to hurt his baby with his antics.

Ripper voluntarily starts undergoing therapy again. As his sanity returns to him, he starts researching on how to be a good parent. He wants to make himself better, as well as knowledgeable, for the sake of his child.

By the time Ripper first meets the baby, he's no Dr. Roo, but he's just confident enough that he's got a handle on his sanity. His straitjacket is untied just long enough to let him hold the baby for the first – and hopefully not the last – time. He cries again as he holds the little bundle to his face, this time from happiness. He resists the urge to lick the baby out of affection, instead opting to nuzzle it gently.

Ripper continues therapy long after the baby arrives, never wanting to go back to the way he was before. He's going to be a good dad, no matter how much work it takes. And one day soon, that straitjacket is coming off completely so he can hold his baby properly.

KOALA KONG

Kong doesn't believe it at first when he's told he's going to be a father. He thinks S/O is joking with him. But when it finally sinks in, he's excited at the news! He gives S/O a big hug and a kiss, and swears he's going to be the best dad ever!

Kong bends over backwards preparing for the baby's arrival, and taking care of and pampering his S/O. It's exhausting, but it turns out to be worth it once the baby is born.

Kong is emotional about the birth of his child, more than he's ever been in his life, and after he gets the tears out his system, he happily shows the baby off to everyone else. He's proud, he's happy, and he's going to give his kid the best life he can offer it. With lots and lots of piggyback rides included.

PINSTRIPE

Pinstripe is blown away by the news that he's gonna be a dad. He cheers, he jumps up and down with joy, he nearly fires victory rounds from his gun before deciding that's too risky for once. He showers his S/O with kisses and tells them he's gonna make sure their baby has the best, happiest life imaginable. He's beyond excited, and quite pleased with himself that he got S/O pregnant.

Pinstripe holds a party to announce the pregnancy, and pretty much everyone he knows is invited, including all his henchmen, who are almost as excited as he is! They congratulate their boss and S/O, and start placing bets on the baby's gender.

Pinstripe goes all out in preparation for the baby's arrival, spending money on the best baby supplies he can afford. Everything is designer and top of the line. He also has his henchmen build a nursery, yelling at them for getting even the slightest thing wrong; it has to be perfect for his child!

When the baby arrives, Pinstripe is more emotional than he's ever been in his whole life. He coos over the baby, kisses their forehead, and even tries singing softly to them in both English and Italian. He's overjoyed, and he proudly shows the baby off to everyone. He and his henchmen share cigars in celebration of the baby's arrival, being careful not to smoke anywhere near the baby, of course.

KOMODO JOE

Komodo Joe discovers he's going to be a dad when his S/O shows him an egg they've laid, or perhaps a whole clutch of them, up to 30 at most! Either way, Joe is shocked, but happy! He gives his S/O lots of affection before turning his attention to the egg(s) and talking to it/them softly, saying hello to his child/children for the first time and telling them he loves them already.

Joe secures as many baby supplies as he can find, and helps his S/O by helping them make a better nest, as well as taking turns incubating the egg(s) over the coming weeks. Incubating the egg(s) is kind of boring and tedious – not to mention hard on Joe's spine – but fortunately, Joe has books to read, soft music to listen to, and his phone to browse the internet.

When the egg(s) hatch, Joe is a very proud and happy daddy... but because Komodo dragon babies are natural-born climbers from birth, taking care of one or more is truly exhausting. He has to recruit Moe to help him out once in a while, which thankfully Moe is happy to do.

KOMODO MOE

Moe's experience with becoming a father is more or less the same as Joe's. He's happy, celebrating the news much more loudly than Joe with his baby/babies. He is more meticulous about preparing for his babies, his parental instincts coming in full swing! And he's very, VERY careful about incubating the egg(s), since he's kinda heavy. If he's truly paranoid, he might have to resort to using blankets instead.

When Moe's babies are born, he gushes over them and snuggles them and basically acts like a huge teddy bear towards them. Moe is, surprisingly, a natural with babies, and has far less trouble with his kids than Joe does with his.

TINY TIGER

Being the only thylacine left, Tiny never thought he'd end up becoming a dad. So when his S/O tells him the big news? His jaw drops. He stares into space, trying to process this information. Then, he cries. He's happy. He's never been this happy in his whole life. When he stops crying, he hugs S/O and snuggles them, purring away happily.

After that, Tiny becomes very, VERY protective of S/O while they're pregnant. He doesn't want to leave them out of his sight because of the baby. He growls when people get too close; he even tries to bite once in a while. S/O often has to tell him to calm down and reassure him that it's safe.

Tiny tries to read up on parenting, but his limited smarts make it difficult. He instead opts to take parenting classes, and though he suffers some difficulties – and a few temper tantrums – he gets better with practice. He becomes a favorite among his female classmates, impressed by how devoted he is.

Finally, the baby is born. Tiny can't believe how... well, TINY the baby is! He's so incredibly gentle with his new child that it's a sight to behold. He becomes the most doting father ever, taking care of them, playing peekaboo with them, singing to them... and being very protective of them, threatening to snap at anyone he deems a threat. He can't wait for the baby to grow older, because he wants to teach them how to be big, strong, and dangerous like he is!

DINGODILE

Dingodile is incredibly shocked when he's told he's gonna be a dad. This is because he's not an ordinary mutant; he's a hybrid of two very different animals, so he was certain that he'd be sterile or something, you know, like a mule? However, when it's confirmed that he is in fact capable of having kids, he gets worried. What is this baby going to be like? What if it isn't healthy? What if he's not a good dad? He never expected to become a father, so the thought of raising a family never crossed his mind.

Dingodile spends a good deal of his S/O's pregnancy scared to death of what the future is going to bring. It's only when S/O sits him down and talks to him that he reveals the full extent of his fears. It takes a lot of reassuring, but in the end, Dingodile agrees to take it easy and not let his worries get to him. Whatever happens, happens. The rest of the pregnancy is spent doing preparations and research, as well as taking care of S/O.

When the baby finally arrives, happy and healthy, Dingodile is beyond relieved. He can't believe this is real. He can't believe he's a dad now! He's so happy! He's so proud! He eagerly shows off his baby to everyone. It's the most excited anyone's ever seen him, and it's a little jarring to those who know him. But Dingodile doesn't care. He spends a lot of time bonding with his new baby, taking them on his usual activities to teach them everything he knows about being a dingodile. He's protective of the little tyke, threatening to roast anyone who tries to hurt them. This baby is now the most important thing in the world to him. God help anyone who comes between them.

#Crash Bandicoot #Headcanon #babies #ripper roo #koala kong #pinstripe potoroo #komodo joe #komodo moe #tiny tiger #dingodile #i feel like this could be been better and cuter but i did my best i swear

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hypexion · 5 years ago

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A Pile of Fanwalkers (Part 3)

Part three of all these fanwalkers. Now it’s time for all the ones who are mean, and should not be trusted. Sometimes because they’ll stab you, and sometimes because they’re just... kind of massively evil.

The basic format for each planeswalker will be a Name/Colour Identity/Pre-Ignition Typeline/Homeplane blob of information, a quickish description of them and some “fun“ facts, and then some hits and misses for extra flavour. Also, I’m going to split this into three posts - “Heroic“, “Okay“ and “Villians“, for I believe I have the moral authority to judge my creations.

Also some of these are going to be from fanplanes, which will go undescribed beyond whatever tidbits come out the character flavour. Others will just have a ?, representing a lack of knowledge and/or sufficent worldbuilding. With that out of the way, let’s go!

Villians

Evil is not a state of being. It is a form of intent, and a form of action. Some of these Planeswalkers can be trusted. Some of them may even appear to be nice. But make no mistake. They have caused suffering. They have altered lives for the worse. Either by design or consequence, their effect upon the multiverse marks them as villians.

Aster - B, Human Warlock, Zodyas - Aster was born under the influence of a bad star, which granted him the ability to draw power from negative emotions. But don’t think that makes him a bad person. Aster’s powers do not compel him to perform evil deeds. They simply enable him. Motivated by nothing greater than his own self-interest, Aster is the truest example of a disaster with a point of view. He was, while it lasted, a member of the Infinite Consortium. After Tezzeret forget how to run it, Aster managed to… convince a number of cells to accept his leadership. While lacking a grand plan for his splinter group, he’s interested in expansion, if only for the sake of increasing his own personal power. Aster may possess a certain kind of charm, and some level of restraint when compared to other ‘walkers, but do not be decieved. The moment harming you becomes worth the effort, Aster will be ready to do so.

Aster is often described as being pale of skin and dark of hair. There’s some weird magic causing that, since different cultures usually focus on different things when describing others. Aster prefers to dress in the fashions of power, whether that happens to be expensive robes, hand-tailored suits, togas or other such clothing. He preferes to wear darker colours, but if opulence is the style of a plane’s elite, then opulent he shall be. While he does carry a mean looking dagger, his primary form of defense are his so-called attendants - humanoid shades he commands via magic. These can perform many tasks, such as “fetch me more wine“, “open that door“ and “kill them“. When Aster planeswalks, he dissipates into a fine black mist. Interestingly, if he’s thinking about planeswalking, his magic generates a similar mist, that trails from him as he moves.

Hits: Power, influcence, tormenting his enemies, using people��s guilt to literally physically crush them. Misses: The undead, constructs, Loxy, Constellation Cults trying to recruit him, being around Ashiok for too long.

Galina - WB, Human Advisor, Ithmorne - In her early life, Galina leaned much more towards the White aspects of her personality. Even as a member of the Zoriac Imperium, she valued their goal of peace greatly, and was one of those that saw certain practices as a detriment to that goal. However, this did not last. When the outpost she was in was raided, everything changed. The ignition of her spark saved her life, but not her right eye. Fortunately for her, Galina arrived on Ravnica within dragging distance of a Simic emergency care clinic, where it was assumed she was an Azorius member who had suffered a run in with the Gruul. This was a role she was happy to take up for real, once the chance provided itself, seeing the Senate as an obvious parallel for the Imperium of her homeplane. In fact, Ravnica seemed to have many similarities with Ithmorne. This could only be due to the work of Azor, the great Sphinx who had brought peace to her warring plane so long ago, and whose Compact still enforced it now. Galina soon realised that her ability to traverse the multiverse would allow her to find more worlds ‘saved’ by Azor, and in turn learn more from them. Ultimately, she decided, those factions on Ithmorne too small to be affected be the Compact would be forced into co-operating. And if not? Then they would perish. Such would be the price of peace. The process had already begun, Galina believed, and if accelerating the pace was necessary, it would be done.

Galina has white skin and long brown hair. Additionally, the events that led to her ignition left her with a noticeable scar, running from her temple, across her right eye, to halfway down her right cheek. Many wonder how her right eye survived such a wound, and the truth is that it didn’t. Instead, she had it replaced by the Simic while on Ravnica. Galina generally wears the standard uniform for those in her position in the Zoriac Imperium - navy blue military robes, kept in the best condition possible. Rather than carry a weapon, Galina relies on her mastery of law magic, using it bind and impede her enemies. She is also capable of many of the standard black mana abilities, especially those which weaken her foes. When combined, these make her a formidable, and potentially deadly opponent. Galina’s planeswalking effect is a jagged and chaotic burst of darkness, which can cause minor damage to living things that nearby.

Hits: Peace through power, Azor, law and order, her own take on the concept of justice, Simic biomagic. Misses: “Barbarians“, insubordination, traumatic memories.

Malius - UBR, Human Wizard, Innistrad - In every profession, there are those that push boundaries. They look at the rules, and wonder which are truly needed. These are the kind of people the majority of Innistrad distrusts. And in the case of the stitcher pariah Malius, they are completely right to do so. While his fellow skaberen found his “wolf with werewolf arms“ experiment a daring new idea, even they had limits. Rumors began that he had started to use demons as a source of parts, and that he consorted with diabolists for unknown purposes. These rumors contained some truth - Malius was interested in demons and had, for a time, used them to “improve” his creations. But over time, he had become interested in the nature of demonic pacts, and how one might acquire the benefits without having to pay the price. Somehow, he was able to construct a device that extracted the source of a demon’s power, and began using it to infuse himself with dark power. For a time, not demon, nor mob, nor torch-wielding monstrosity could stop him. The destruction of the Helvault was an opportunity to Malius, bring him yet more specimins. Everything was going well, until an angel arrived. She cut through his creations, and had both the strength and motivation to kill Malius. In an act of desparation, he activated the extractor, aiming it at the angel. She exploded (don’t worry - she got better (sort of)). This would have been incredibly fatal to Malius had his Spark not ignited, sending him across the Blind Eternities to Zendikar. And so, he soon discovered all sorts of new things to stitch. Including Eldrazi. In fact, Malius was straight-up ecstatic during the events of Eldritch Moon.

Malius’ various experiments have left him with sickly, pallid skin, and pale white hair. His eyes no longer appear human, and those who spend time around him soon feel uneasy. Malius wears the standard dress of the stitcher, a white labcoat, brimming with tools and notebooks. Malius often manipulates his tools via telekinesis, either to work upon a new creation, or as a method of attack. In dire situations, he calls upon the demonic powers he has infused himself with, physically taking on the form of a demon. This grants him signifigance strength, speed and endurance while it lasts, but prevents him from planeswalking, making it as risky as it is useful. When Malius planeswalkers, he disappears in cloud of dark and burning ash, crackling with lightning. This occurs even when he cannot actually planeswalk due to being a demon.

Hits: Extracting demonic power, demonic infusions, terrifying creations. Misses: Angels, torch-weilding mobs, basic medical ethics.

Skath - WBG, Naga Assassin, Orpheri - At first glance, Skath is like any other planeswalker assassin you might meet. She kills people for money, and she does it well. However, she is still a member of the organisation that trained her, a religious order of assassins on Orpheri. So Skath will not kill those standing on sacred grond, those not old enough to be an adult of their kind, and she requires more than just a payment before targetting a diplomat or member of a religious order. Beyond the rules of her faith, however, Skath kills without hesitation, selling death for gold and jewels. When not killing, she is surprisingly thoughtful, a writer of poetry and cultivator of interesting plants. And while unrepentant, she not always unrelenting. Put up enought of a fight, or simple hide in a shrine for a few days, and Skath will move onto easier targets.

Skath has copper-brown scales, and no hair, because Naga don’t have hair on Orpheri. She wears light armor on her torso, which is engraved with protective magic. Her favoured weapons are two scimitars, enchanted to deliver venomous strikes. She also carries a dagger, and a number of poisons, so that she might have the perfect tool for any assassination. In a pinch, she can bite someone, however the Naga Assassins of Orpheri consider this an act of last resort. Mainly because once you identify the cause of death as Naga venom, finding the killer is fairly simple. Skath planeswalks with a flash of pale orange light, leaving behind traces of sand. Interestingly, she is capable of being incredibly precise with her appearance on a plane, and has sometimes managed to planeswalk into a room based on it’s relative position to a know location.

Hits: Getting paid, botany, the statisfaction of a job well done. Misses: Cold places, oath-breakers, Locke, people attacking her from sacred ground (this is actually a bad idea - her religion sees this as an act of desecration, meaning you ultimately forfeit the protection provided).

Look at all these not nice people. It’s probably best to keep a distance between you and them. Of course, their motivations differ greatly, so if you were to find yourself in close proximity to them, you might be able to avoid getting stabbed. Or worse.

#fanwalker #magic the gathering #fan character february

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ihaveimpeccabletaste · 5 years ago

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Arous Holiday Village seemed like an idyllic vacation destination. In the early 1980s, hundreds of tourists flocked to its sandy white beaches and explored its underwater worlds with beautiful coral reefs. And while its location on the coast of Sudan may not have been an obvious choice for sun-seekers, given the country’s history of conflict and drought, brochures distributed across European travel agencies emphasized the regular flight routes from London, Paris and Rome to Khartoum, as well as the warm temperatures and pleasant sea breezes. But there was much more than met the eye at the popular beach resort, and that story is the inspiration for new Netflix film The Red Sea Diving Resort.

Starring Chris Evans, Michael K. Williams and Haley Bennett, The Red Sea Diving Resort is based on true events, namely the Operation Brothers mission which ran from 1979 to 1984 and saved the lives of thousands of Ethiopian Jews. In reality, and as depicted in the film, an abandoned hotel did serve as the perfect cover for a risky operation smuggling Ethiopian Jewish refugees through the hotel on the East African coast, sending them onwards by boat to safety and new lives in Israel. Official information related to the mission was declassified only in recent years.

Some critics have called out The Red Sea Diving Resort for putting forth a “white-savior” narrative, privileging the roles of the Israeli Mossad agents led by Evans’ character Ari Levinson. Director Gideon Raff said in a statement that the Ethiopian community “were true partners in this operation and they are the real heroes of this story,” noting that it was important to him to cast actors from the Ethiopian community in the film. The movie’s release also comes at a tense moment in Israel, where large-scale protests flared up in early July after the shooting of 18-year-old Solomon Tekah, marking the 11th Ethiopian Israeli killed by police in the past 20 years. Tekah’s murder sharpened focus on the grievances of Israel’s 150,000-strong Ethiopian community, members of which have voiced their frustrations against racism and discrimination in the country since the first major waves of immigration that started with these operations in 1980s.

Here’s a closer look back at the history behind the true events that inspired The Red Sea Diving Resort:

Why were Ethiopian Jews fleeing their home country?

The history of Ethiopian Jews is a long and complex one, with many academics unsure of exactly when and how a Jewish population came to be in Ethiopia. While some of their customs are distinct from Hebrew traditions, the community, historically known as Beta Israel, has become a largely accepted part of mainstream Judaism. “It’s a bit shrouded in mystery, but there are reports that a huge community lived in Ethiopia for ages, more than 1,500 years. Some people even speak about millennia,” says Jon Abbink, a professor of governance and politics in Africa, specializing in Ethiopia, at Leiden University in the Netherlands.

In the 1970s and 1980s, a combination of push factors in Ethiopia led to a big exodus of refugees from the Beta Israel community, as depicted in The Red Sea Diving Resort. The Ethiopian revolution in 1974 heightened underlying political tensions in the country, with opponents of the military regime led by Mengistu Haile Mariam facing the threat of arrest or execution. There were also environmental and economic factors, with droughts in 1973 and 1974, and again in the early 1980s, leading to widespread famine and one of the worst humanitarian crises of the 20th century.

Amid the country’s descent into civil war beginning 1974, Ethiopian Jews became more prominent as political revolutionaries, active in rebel struggles against the military regime. Infighting between the differing rebel groups, combined with the instability in the country, led to more and more Beta Israel refugees fleeing Ethiopia via Sudan at the beginning of 1978, according to Abbink. “We saw this conjuncture of political and ecological and economic issues which urged the Beta Israel to leave the country, led by community activists,” he says. As depicted in the beginning of the film, the journey across the deserts of the Horn of Africa to reach refugee camps in Sudan was often dangerous, but a risk judged worth taking by Ethiopian Jews who feared for their lives. One estimate suggests that around 4,000 of the 20,000 Beta Israel people who made the journey from northern Ethiopia to Sudan died en route.

Alessandro Nivola, Chris Evans, Haley Bennett and Michiel Huisman in 'The Red Sea Diving Resort' Marcos Cruz—Netflix / Marcos Cruz

Why were Israeli agents involved in refugee rescue operations?

In The Red Sea Diving Resort, Evans’ character Ari Levinson hatches a bold plan: to renovate an abandoned Italian hotel on the coast of Sudan, eight hours’ drive from the capital of Khartoum, and use it as a cover to smuggle Ethiopian Jews from refugee camps to Israel via boat. Israeli officers initially react with skepticism at the proposal, but decide to entrust Levinson with planning the operation and recruiting fellow Mossad agents from around the world to help him.

While this scene appears to have added a touch of dramatic flair, Mossad agents certainly were instrumental in scouting out possible locations that could act as a cover to transport the refugees to safety, as well as eventually running the real-life resort. But the origins of Operation Brothers were also due in large part to the efforts of activists from the Ethiopian Jewish community. “Initially Israeli authorities were contacted by Ethiopian Beta Israel activists asking if they could help. There definitely was a demand,” says Abbink. One of these activists was Farede Yazazao Aklum, who was the inspiration for Williams’ character. After fleeing his home in Tigray, northern Ethiopia, and walking the grueling 300 miles to Khartoum, Sudan, Aklum wrote a letter that triggered Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to task Mossad agents with the rescue of the Beta Israel.

Earlier in the 1970s, smaller numbers of Ethiopian Jews were transported to safety by plane from Khartoum and welcomed in Israel. Larger Mossad-led operations including Operation Brothers, and the later Operation Moses (1984-1985) and Operation Solomon (1991), were responsible for the arrival of an estimated 90,000 members of the community in Israel by the end of the 1990s. “In the case of the Beta Israel, this was the only example where another country was willing and able to help the people, and adopt the people,” says Abbink. “Many other refugees remained, and still are in Sudan, because no country is really ready to take them in. But the Israeli government made a commitment to take their people in.”

Did an escape mission really happen at a hotel in Sudan?

In 1981, Mossad agents scouted the Sudanese coastline and found 15 beachside villas that had been abandoned a decade earlier. Nestled on the shorelines of the Red Sea and boasting picturesque coral reefs, the resort provided a front for agents to covertly transport Beta Israel refugees to boats that would carry them to Israel. As depicted in the film, the Sudanese International Tourist Corporation did actually believe it was renting the resort out to hotel managers and diving enthusiasts — all of whom were in fact undercover Israeli operatives. Real, unsuspecting tourists, mainly from Europe, came to stay at the resort, attracted by brochures that touted “breathtaking views of the heavens, aflame with millions of stars” and “an abundance of exotic fish” in “exceptionally clear waters.”

“This operation was so fulfilling, because you were saving hundreds of people from a very bad fate,” said Yola Reitman in a video interview for a behind-the-scenes look at the film. Reitman was an Israeli agent responsible for managing the hotel, a role reflected by Haley Bennett’s character in the film. At the time, Abbink was studying in Israel, and knew of the operation that was happening at the Arous Holiday Village. “Of course, I kept my mouth shut so as not to endanger anything. It was an extremely delicate mission,” he recalls.

Chris Evans and Haley Bennett in 'The Red Sea Diving Resort' Marcos Cruz—Netflix / Marcos Cruz

Was the mission successful?

As depicted in the film, the mission spanned years and resulted in the relocation of thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Jerusalem, while agents kept up appearances maintaining and managing the hotel. According to Abbink, around 8,000 Beta Israel individuals escaped to Israel via Sudan through the resort, which made it the largest-scale operation of its time.

As a boy, Daniel Sahalo and his family fled from Ethiopia via Sudan to Israel as part of Operation Moses, which airlifted over 7,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel in 1984-1985. “There was just a rumor that we needed to get to Sudan and from there we might be able to get help,” he said in a video interview. Sahalo worked as an historical consultant on The Red Sea Diving Resort, saying that the film was important to tell to future generations because “these people risked their lives every day for almost three years.”

“What I hope the audience will think about when they see the film is that there are about 65 million refugees in the world today,” said Raff in a statement. “We seem to be closing the doors in their faces and many of them are losing their lives on their way to a better future. Compassion would be the biggest thing that I hope people will take away.”

Correction, August 1

The original version of this story misstated The Red Sea Diving Resort’sconnection to Mossad Exodus: The Daring Undercover Rescue of the Lost Jewish Tribe, by Gad Shimron. The film is not associated with the book.

#the red sea diving resort #time magazine

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fiction-boys-rule · 6 years ago

Text

An Unforgettable Trip Part 7

- I’m not even going to try to explain why I haven’t been able to post for weeks. This just hasn’t been my year. With a break from school coming up, I might be able to make up for the time that I have gone without posting anything. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It took me a while to write, as I went through many weeks of writers’ block. I want to post something for Thanksgiving/Fall so if any of you have any requests, feel free to send them my way. Thank you for reading and have a great day :)

Pairing: Eric/Sky Rating: M Warnings: swearing, fluff

Day 6- The Last Resort

Sky sighs, grasping her head and pushing back further into her seat. Eric walks over, handing her a glass of water. Nodding, she takes it and quickly drinks all of it. Eric warily stares at her, knowing full well that she is completely unpredictable in her early stages of hangovers. Taking care of her isn't going to be easy at all for him. He despises her gullible mind for attempting to have a "great night with the homies" as she had called their night out while stumbling out of the bar. He regrets not forcing her to stop before she had completely surpassed her drinking limit. If he is planning on spending a special day with her, she will have to sober up a bit more.

"Hey Eric, I'm going to be fine. Stop staring at me like I'm an injured puppy. Help me pick what to wear so we could go with Ivy and Four. I don't want to spend our last day in Paris being stuck in a hotel room.”

Eric rolls his eyes, heading into the bedroom. She hears him rustle through her suitcase.

"Do you want to look like a yoga mom or an alcoholic mom?"

"I'll take the alcoholic mom look."

Eric chuckles, remembering why he fell in love with Sky in the first place. After changing and drinking many fluids, Sky finds herself being swept up in Ivy's crazy schedule and plans for the day. Eric is seated on the couch, disinterested and unamused with Ivy's excitement and attitude.

"Why are we going to split up again?" Eric asks, narrowing his eyes at Ivy.

Four stirs on the other side of the couch, sending a glare Eric's way. Sky realizes she made the mistake of sitting in between them on the couch. Eric responds by flicking Four off, chuckling lightly.

"It is going to be better for us, mainly Eric and Four, to improve our relationships and enjoy our time together here in this beautiful place." Ivy smiles.

Sky wonders how Ivy could be so patient. She is sure that she would have ripped Eric's head off by now with his attitude.

"So for a pointless reason. Great. Who put her in charge again?" Eric grumbles, crossing his arms.

"Eric, calm down and stop being so mean. That sounds great, Ivy. Some of us actually appreciate your effort." Sky elbows Eric's side, making him groan.

"Sounds great. Alright, well I have some activities for you two. I decided that you two needed more hands on and communicative activities to help you become more acquainted with each other."

Ivy hands Eric and Four brochures. Eric glares at Ivy, taking the brochure reluctantly. Four on the other hand, couldn't be happier with the current circumstances.

"Off you go now. Your cab is going to be here soon. Sky and I are going to do other activities together. Remember, we are meeting at the dock-"

"At 8:30, we get it. You've said it like five times already. We aren't little kids. I might have to throw myself off the dock." Eric groans.

Sky snickers, ushering Four and Eric out of the room before turning back to Ivy. They smile, knowing full well that some interesting events would be occurring between Four and Eric during their time together that they would surely hear about later tonight. Sky is surprised that Eric didn't put up more of a fight after he had found out what his last day in paradise would consist of. But she is glad that she can finally enjoy this beautiful city with the company of her best friend.

"You're already going to get us drunk? It's only noon." Sky says.

Ivy smirks, looking out the window at the passing vineyards. Ivy had decided that taking a tour of one of the most famous vineyards of the country had been a good idea. As their starting activity, that is. Sky can almost swear that Ivy is the crazier friend, even though she looks like the most innocent one. The cab pulls into the entrance and the two friends exit the vehicle. Walking into the building, they are immediately greeted by a staff member holding a tray with an arrangement of cheeses and wine cups. Helping themselves, they willingly experience a flurry of flavors that send their senses and taste buds into overdrive. Engulfed into a world of delicious ecstasy, Ivy and Sky follow another staff member further into the building.

"Good afternoon, ladies. My name is Jacques Couture. I am the manager of the facility. I ensure that our products are the result of our hard work and dedication towards satisfying our customers and providing an accurate insight into our culture surrounding our wine and other delicacies. Today we are going to be taking a tour of our facility where our wine is made and shipped off around the world."

Unbeknownst to them, they are dragged into a whole other world composing of wonderful trips for their taste buds and minds filled with curiosity and bewilderment. After touring the facility, they end up with three bottles of wine, courtesy of Jacques, who had taken quite a liking to them. Free wine is all it takes to make Sky feel like she is royalty. Jacques leads them through a corridor until they reach an open dining area decorated with a variation of plants. It is the most exquisite garden that Sky has ever seen.

Jacques motions to the open area, "This is our courtyard for VIP visitors who wish to experience a more personal connection with the vineyard and its staff. But you ladies can have the freedom of experiencing it too. The young lady over there will serve you. If you have any questions regarding the vineyard, ask for me and I will be happy to answer any questions."

"Thank you, Jacques. You have been more than helpful today." Sky says.

Jacques smiles and they head towards the waitress. She seats the two friends at a more secluded area, surrounded by wine racks and decorative plants.

"I feel so fancy. All of this has been free so far. I kind of feel bad. But at the same time, I don't feel bad at all. Is that bad?"

"No Ivy, that isn't bad. It's called self indulgence. You should try it sometime."

Ivy giggles, picking up the menu and glancing through it. After ordering their meals, they enjoy the natural elements of the dining area. After they finish their meal, they are led to another private corridor, until they reach a room with tables near the perimeters of the walls. Different cheeses, snacks and wine samples are arranged.

"Help yourselves as you wish, ladies. Courtesy of Mr. Couture."

"Thank you." Ivy says, giddily striding towards a table.

Sky rolls her eyes, but nevertheless follows her. After consuming a ridiculous amount of samples, Ivy and Sky wander through the vineyard towards the shop in the middle of the building.

"Do you think we are considered attractive here in France? I never got treated like this back in Chicago." Ivy asks.

The pair laugh, their giggles sounding in harmony with the buzz of the bees and chirps of the birds.

"Maybe, but I doubt it. I just think that back in Chicago, nobody admires natural beauty like how it is worshipped here, apparently." Sky says.

"I might have to dump Four in exchange for a French guy." Ivy sighs.

"Believe me, that does sound fucked up. But you and I both know that it would be better for us. Four wouldn't be around so much to fight with Eric. Imagine how much peace we could finally have." Sky shakes her head.

Ivy snickers, but otherwise stays quiet. She knows it's true.

Reaching the store, Sky prepares to get a hold of herself, or to be impulsive and end up regretting her decisions. Either one is fair game regarding her mentality. When they leave, Sky is carrying three bottles of wine. A normal amount for the occasion, except for their expensive prices.

'Self control can't always win,' she reminds herself.

Entering another cab, they take their regrets to the hotel room to attempt to hide them until they will inevitably have to explain their impulsive actions to Four and Eric. They both know who is going to react better.

Afterwards, they decide to use their guilt as an excuse to book a spa treatment. The spa offers a variety of different treatments, and they decide to experience more "risky" treatments. A.K.A. a treatment using candles and fire. They blame their gullible decisions on the fire element. While being pampered, they find themselves discussing what they think marriage will look like for them in the future. Sky almost bursts out laughing at the thought of ever being married to Eric.

"Four is totally husband material. We all know this. It's obvious." Sky says.

"I guess. But that doesn't mean we don't have our problems. Besides, Eric and you don't have the worst relationship that I have seen. Take his parents for example."

Sky laughs, laying her head on her arm. "I can't argue with you on that. I don't think Eric can either. It's just hard knowing how he works and thinks. It's so frustrating sometimes. I feel like Four is so easy to read."

"He can be, but it's more than just that. There are more important factors in a relationship that I feel Eric and you have. That's why relationships are so hard. They are different. People are different. You have to navigate your way through all the bullshit to make way for the love and respect that both people should have for each other."

"You would have been a wonderful therapist."

"Oh no, not at all. I would have cried at the instant of any depressing story that any client would tell me. I am way too sensitive for that job. No one needs a person that is as inconsolable as them."

"I can't argue with you on that. I haven't had very good experience with therapists. I got one after my rape in college. Terrible idea. For our first session her exact words were, 'We all go through that honey. We live in a man's world.' She didn't offer me much comfort or closure. Fucking bitch."

"Well, not all therapists are that bad. But Eric offered you comfort. Even if it meant offering to beat the shit out of the guy that did it."

Sky sighs, "Well, yeah. Even though we hated each other at first. Eventually we started to like each other and I started to really enjoy being able to beat the shit out of a punching bag. Or Eric. Or being able to take out my frustration in another way…"

Sky smirks at Ivy, wiggling her eyebrows.

"You're impossible." Ivy groans.

Sky laughs, enjoying torturing her best friend with inappropriate information. It is just so easy that Sky can never resist.

"Do you regret bringing Eric on this trip? Be honest." Ivy suddenly asks.

Sky furrows her eyebrows, eyes changing into a look of deep concentration.

"No…I don't regret it. I think it could have gone better but that's about it. There is always room for improvement with anything that a person can do or does. I think that this trip actually helped us. We got a little better at communicating and I think that fighting helped us in the long run. We got a lot of things off of our chests."

"I can’t believe that you say you are a pessimist person, yet you always find the positive aspect of things that are usually thought of as negative."

"I'm a hypocrite, I know." Sky smirks.

After enjoying their spa time, the two friends go back to the hotel and decide to relax a bit more. Getting their swimsuits out, they prepare for a quiet afternoon by the poolside. Ivy has a black one piece swimsuit, while Sky has a two piece swimsuit, which is a dark shade of red. Walking together with their sandals and tote bags, they make their way towards the pool. Finding a suitable location in the shade, they sit next to each other on lounge chairs. Sky grabs her lotion out of her tote bag, while Ivy grabs a book out of the bag.

"A book? You're going to read a book right now?"

"Well, we aren't getting in the pool. What better time to read?"

Sky rolls her eyes and playfully smirks at her. While the two are zoning out, lazing about on their lounge chairs, an approaching stranger goes unnoticed until he stands over Sky, blocking the sunlight.

Sky peers over her sunglasses, looking up at a strongly built man. She frowns, looking at the man sideways.

"Can I help you?"

The man frowns, tilting his head like a confused puppy.

Ivy responds something in French, suddenly making Sky aware of her presence.

The man replies, smiling at them both. But he glances for a bit longer at Sky, making her uneasy. His big frame and toned body reminds Sky of past uneasy experiences with men at the pub she would work at night. Suddenly, her instincts spike and she tenses, her body responding to the uneasy feeling in her stomach.

Ivy says something in French, making her sentence sound like she is sad about something. The man looks shocked, looking back and forth at them. But his eyes settle on Sky, traveling up and down her almost bare body slowly. Sky's fist clenches. It's been a while since anyone has hit on her and gotten away with it. Eric is always at her side, prepared to send glares or fists at anyone who gets too comfortable or brave. She hasn't worn anything as revealing as the swimsuit she has on now in years. The weather in Chicago doesn't allow for it. Neither does Eric.

The man swiftly leaves, making Sky relax. She frowns at Ivy, who has a knowing smirk planted on her face. She peers at Ivy, searching her face for answers that she won't get without words.

"What did he tell you?" "Oh, nothing. It wasn't important."

"I don't know, your conversation wasn't exactly short. What did he say? Was he talking about me?"

"No. Well, yes. He complimented your body and wanted to ask you out. I told him that you don't speak French and that you're gay."

"That I'm what?!"

"Hey, listen. I'm all about the LGBTQ community, okay? But sometimes you need a good excuse to get a creepy guy off your back. You can’t really blame me."

"No, I guess I can't. Come on, let's go back inside. I got too much sun already."

"We're in the shade, but whatever you say." Ivy grumbles.

They go back to their rooms and change, getting ready to attend a baking class that Ivy had made a reservation for.

Four rolls his eyes as Eric motions the bartender for another drink.

"You're really planning on getting drunk because you want to calm your nerves? Sky isn't going to wait all of her life for you to grow some balls."

"I have a very well built tolerance to alcohol, so I won't be getting drunk. Just need to calm myself down a bit." he nods as the bartender serves him.

The pub erupts in cheers as a soccer team scores again on the television.

"So are you just planning on staying in here for another hour? We have been here for two hours. Let's go."

"I want to see who wins the game, number boy. Is it such a crime to be a soccer fan?"

"You aren't a soccer fan, Eric…"

"Now I can't have my own secret hobbies?" Eric smirks, drinking.

Four sighs, crossing his arms. Eric is a hopeless cause.

After the game ends, the pair find themselves standing in front of a theater looking at movie posters.

"No. Sounds too much like some crappy romance story." Eric grumbles.

"What about Macbeth?"

"What the hell is that?"

"You know, Shakespeare. Classic plays."

Eric frowns, looking at Four with a judgmental look.

"You read but you don't know about Shakespeare?"

"I don't read. All I know about Shakespeare is that Romeo and Juliet crap."

"Right. You don't read. Totally."

Eric clenches his jaw, glaring at Four.

"Well can you at least give this a chance? There's a lot of murder in it."

"I'm in." Eric says, walking into the theater.

Four rolls his eyes, smiling. Sometimes Eric isn't that bad. Sometimes.

Sitting in a cab, Sky reminisces on her childhood days when her mother would bake on Saturdays and have Sky observe. When Sky reached the age of about eight, her mother allowed her to help her. Sky's mother owned a bakery that was popular in their neighborhood. Her mother always wanted to have a daughter that she could teach to bake so she would be able to take over the family bakery. Turns out, Sky was terrible at baking and her mother could do nothing about it. For her birthday, Sky had attempted to bake her mother a cake as a surprise, but the surprise that her mother got when she arrived home was the fire alarm going off and a panicked Sky running around the house pouring water all over the kitchen, where a fire had started.

Sky smiles at the memory, remembering just how mad her mother had been, but it quickly disappeared when she learned that Sky was trying to bake her a cake. Baking just wasn't her thing. But she had improved tremendously in her later teen years, until her parents passed away and she stopped baking completely.

Ivy checks the brochure, her eyes swimming with mental calculations.

"This class is an hour and a half, if traffic isn't too bad, we can meet up with the guys at the dock on time."

"I think they won't mind us being late. Besides, I want to torture them by forcing them to spend more time together. Mostly Eric."

"You are pure evil, miss."

"That is why Eric loves me." Sky smirks.

Arriving at the building, the two walk in and are met with several pairs of couples who are standing around a small lobby. Sky narrows her eyes, noticing that not one pair of people were the opposite sex. None of the pairs looked like they were exactly friends looking to learn more about cooking, either.

"Ivy, can you hand me the brochure, please?"

"Yeah, sure." Ivy fishes the brochure out and hands it to Sky, oblivious to the situation.

"Ivy…"

"Yes?"

"You put us in a couples' cooking class…"

"What? Where does it say that-" her eyes widen, "Oh."

"Are you kidding me right now? How did you not see that? It's in bold letters, Ivy. Bold. Letters."

"Okay, well maybe I made the reservation when I didn't have my glasses on."

"I thought the class was free…"

"No, it wasn't." Ivy grimaces.

"Ivy, how much did you pay for this?" Sky's patience is starting to thin.

"Five hundred dollars…"

"Five hundred? Why would you pay so much?!"

"Because we are going to get taught by an award winning chef! I thought ‘go big or go home’!"

"Oh, you definitely went big. Now we have to make the most of your money..."

"Are you mad?"

"Ivy, I-never mind, let's just do this, okay?"

Ivy nods, following Sky into the lobby.

"Well, I guess I'm going to actually have to be gay for an hour and a half. You’re lucky I wouldn't mind you being my girlfriend."

"For the record, me neither."

The class starts smoothly, the chef introducing himself as Mr. Torres. The couples go around introducing themselves. When it is Sky and Ivy's turn, they say their names and Ivy goes haywire with her imagination, saying that Ivy and Sky are newlyweds and are in Paris for their honeymoon. The rest of the couples 'awe' at them while Ivy kisses Sky's cheek. When she goes in for another, Sky turns and glares at her, making Ivy quickly surrender.

For their first activity, the chef has them do a series of exercises with the materials and organizing their work space. Next, they prepare to bake a cupcake. Sky can already feel her past starting to invade her thoughts. She hasn't thought about her childhood with her mother in a long time. She prefers to push her past to the side, only focusing on the now and on her happiness. She thinks it's better that way. She can't afford to sacrifice her happiness to think about things that she can't change. It hurts too much.

"You're overfilling the bag, Ivy."

"What do you mean? It looks fine." Ivy frowns.

"Give it." Sky holds her hand out, looking at Ivy in a way that a stern parents looks towards a misbehaving child.

Ivy rolls her eyes, but complies and watches as Sky digs out her mother's old baking lessons from the back of her brain, where she keeps the memories and feelings locked up.

"You can't fill it with the frosting too much or else you're not going to get a good grip on the pipe so you can decorate it accurately and gracefully." Sky says, eyes and hands focused on piping the frosting onto the cupcake.

Ivy has never seen Sky this centered, not even when she is in the ring, sparring against another skilled opponent.

"Stop looking at me like that. I have my hobbies, you know."

"Yeah but, let me explain. We have been friends for more than ten years. Best friends. You have never mentioned that you bake."

"I don't like to talk about it. I've never told you because I never thought that it was important. I haven't baked in a long time. No use getting excited over something I don't like."

"But you're so good at it!" Ivy whines, taking offense at Sky's words.

"It's not that," Sky sighs, pausing her decorating.

She looks at Ivy, softening her glance. Ivy knows about her parents' death, she was the only one that was really there for her.

"It brings back bad memories. They're happy, but then if I think about them too much then I can't handle it."

"Your mom?" Ivy softly asks.

Sky nods, clearing her throat and continuing her decorating, though Ivy can tell that her eyes are far away.

"She was the best, you know."

"I know, but it still hurts, that's why I don't like to think about it. I can't."

"Well if it helps, I think the person that is going to eat the cupcake will like the amount of frosting on it."

Sky shakes her head, arriving to her senses and pulling away from the cupcake. It is overflowed with frosting begging to be released over the edges of the baking cup.

"Your skills are really showing." Ivy snickers.

Sky glares at her, attempting to fix the mess with a butter knife.

"Marriage is a task that needs two people. A healthy marriage does not exist where only one person does all of the work. Don't you agree?" Mr. Torres asks, circling their work space. Sky feels an uneasiness at his swift presence. Sky doesn't like people who can sneak up on her. No one sneaks up on her.

"Yes of course Mr. Torres. But can't we also agree that some people in the marriage are better at certain things than the other partner?" Ivy smiles.

"Why of course. But just because the woman is the only partner able to carry a child, that doesn’t mean that the man should leave her to do all of the work." he winks, leaving Ivy to her troubled thoughts.

"You should really learn to keep your mouth shut." Sky snickers.

"Oh yeah, you could say that. But what about the way you acted when you were taking classes with Eric? You would basically snap at him every day and then you two would end up punching it out in the ring until he would pin you down and then you would get-"

"Not here." Sky snaps, warily looking around.

"But isn't that how you ended up 'going out' with him?"

"Ivy, just leave it."

"Nasty…" Ivy whispers.

"Ladies and gentlemen! We shall now present our creations to the group and I would like you to talk about what this creation of yours means to your partner and yourself in your marriage."

"Shit." Sky rolls her eyes.

The woman next to Sky frowns at her comment.

"Can’t you be happy for once?" Ivy asks.

"I should have just dragged you back to the hotel."

"Oh come on, what fun would that have been? You don't want to end up like Eric, do you?"

"No, Ivy. But this is stupid and not worth making myself look like an idiot."

"We'll see about that."

"Ladies, since you are so eager to talk, I am sure the group would love to hear what you have to say." the chef grins.

"Now that is just discrimination. It's because we are a same sex couple, isn't it?" Sky asks.

"No, quite on the contrary. I also have a partner who happens to be a man. It is my first time having a couple of your type and I am excited to hear from you."

"Oh. Well in that case, I made this cupcake by myself. My wife is not very skilled with baking. This cupcake represents our ability to work through things without arguing and being understanding with each other in the things that we are good at and what we aren't so good at."

"What is your biggest fault, may you say?" the chef asks.

"My biggest fault? Probably my pride. Ivy's biggest fault?"

Ivy glares at Sky while she scoops icing with her fingers.

"How annoying and persistent she can be."

Ivy looks shocked and huffs while the other couples laugh softly. Mr. Torres smiles and beckons the following couple to present.

After their class ends, Mr. Torres calls over Ivy and Sky.

"I am going to show you a special part of my bakery that I don’t show many people. Would you like to join me?"

"Sure, we don’t really have anything better to do." Sky shrugs.

They follow him through the store and behind the kitchen area, into a decently sized room filled with shelves.

"This is where I store my personal collection. Everything in this room has taken me quite a while to make. Some of the ingredients have taken me years to age perfectly in order to make something that meets my standards. So long that I don't sell any of the items in this room. I only store them to preserve them for my personal indulgence or I give them away to special people I know. Today, ladies, you are my special guests. You may take whatever you like from the shelves."

"We couldn't possibly do that, you're too nice to be offering that. These items should be kept for you and people who are more special than us…"

"Shut up and accept the offer." Sky mumbles, slowly stepping forward towards the shelves.

"Excuse my wife, she is not very well mannered."

"Quite the contrary, my dear. Go on, I do not think I will regret my decision. Your wife is a wise woman. I can tell she has a fire in her that cannot be tamed very easily. She is in love, I can feel it. But sadly, not with you. Though I'm sure you knew that."

Ivy blushes, following Sky into the room. Mr. Torres chuckles, watching as Sky and Ivy pick out items from the shelves.

When they are done, they thank Mr. Torres profusely, exiting the bakery with arms full of various delicacies. They walk down the street, settling on visiting a spa to get their nails done, wanting to get out of the sun. The aromas of the pastries have them both walking swiftly.

"Is this a walk of shame? Us being so damn cheap that we jump at the chance to get treated like we're superior to everyone else?"

"It's called being money smart. Come on, hurry up. My arms are cramping up." Sky whines.

Eric laughs as Four spills some butter on his shirt.

"What, you don't have hands to see what you're doing? The butter is supposed to go in the bucket of popcorn, not on your shirt number boy."

"Well, at least I'm not the one that looks like he uses butter to make his hair stay put."

Eric frowns, walking away towards the exit. Four curses as he rubs his shirt, hoping that he could survive this day.

They exit the theater and walk towards a shopping center.

"So did you like the film?"

"Yeah, it was pretty good. Even though I didn't understand much of it."

"I thought you knew French." "I do. I'm just not an expert."

Four laughs, throwing the popcorn away in a trash can.

"You like to read, don't you number boy?"

"Not that much but-"

"There's a bookstore. Want to go in?"

"Eric just admit that you like to read and that you want to go in."

"I'm just asking for you. But if you don't want to go in, then we won't."

"Yes Eric, I like to read. Let's go in."

Eric smirks to himself as Four holds back the urge to strangle him.

Basking in the sun on a bench, Ivy wipes off some crumbs that have fallen on her shirt.

"What time is it?" Sky asks.

Ivy takes out her phone, dropping a cookie on the floor.

"Almost six. We should have enough time to get back to the hotel and get ready to meet the guys at the dock."

Sky nods, waving over a cab. When they reach the hotel, they change and head towards the dock. The lights in the city make it pretty, especially with the soft breeze blowing in the air and the fresh air from the river. Arriving, they head towards the dock and stand near the boats, watching the lights on the boat illuminating the water. Some boats have tables on them, with couples sitting and enjoying a glass of wine.

"It's so pretty here. I really don't want to leave, Ivy."

"I know. Maybe one day. Maybe when we retire we can come back here."

"That's so long from now, though."

"Well, have some patience girl."

They laugh, enjoying the fresh breeze. They can see the Eiffel Tower in the distance, with its bright lights glowing in the dark.

An arm wraps around Sky, making her jump.

"Hey, baby." Eric whispers, making her elbow him in his side.

"What the hell was that for?" he groans.

"Don't scare me like that, asshole."

"Wow, you're ten minutes early. That's a first." Ivy says.

"I was getting annoyed of him. You really can't expect me to not want to strangle him after a day of being stuck with him." Eric grumbles.

"Oh shut up. He's alive, at least. Come on, the boat is leaving in a little bit. Let's get in line." Sky says, wrapping hand around Eric, leading him away.

"What's in the bag, Four?" Ivy asks, peering into it.

Eric turns, sending a glare Four's way.

Four clears his throat, "We went into a bookstore and I decided to get some things."

"Since when do you read?" Ivy frowns.

"New hobby." he smiles.

Eric sighs, turning to find Sky staring at him.

"What?" he grumbles.

"Oh, nothing." she smiles, kissing his cheek.

They reach the line for the boat ride and are greeted by the captain, who lets them board early. Taking a seat at a table towards the back of the boat, they can feel the fresh breeze and the mist of the river.

"Who knew boats could be like this?" Ivy asks.

"Only in Paris…" Four mumbles.

Eric stares at the water, trapped in his thoughts. The box in his pocket is making him feel uneasy.

"Hey, Eric? Are you okay?" Sky whispers.

"Yeah, fine. When is this damn thing going to start moving?"

"Well technically, it doesn't start until another half hour. Why are you so nervous today?" Sky asks.

"He's just tired after a boring day." Four says, glancing at Eric.

Eric nods slightly, looking over at Sky.

"What did you and Ivy get into?"

"Oh, nothing too special."

They smile innocently, making Four and Eric frown at each other. This can't be good.

A person starts to speak through the speakers in the boat.

"What are they saying?" Sky asks.

"The boat is leaving in ten minutes." Ivy says.

"About time." Eric grumbles.

Sky frowns and opens her mouth to say something but is stopped by Four. He shakes his head, making her frown even more.

Meanwhile, Ivy is smiling, having figured out what is happening. Four isn't very well at hiding secrets. The boat starts to move and the group sit in silence, enjoying the moment. Sky grabs Eric's hand, laying her head on his shoulder. He tenses, but soon relaxes and even lays his head on hers. They travel through the river, seeing many grand buildings and other wonderful sights. The end of their tour is near the Eiffel tower, and they disembark. Walking, Eric can feel his hands starting to sweat.

"I'm going to take Eric away for a bit. Take Ivy. We'll meet you there." Four whispers.

"Okay, have fun." Ivy says, smiling.

"Eric, you said you wanted to go to the bathroom earlier. There's a store over there with one. I'll go with you."

"We could go with you." Sky says.

"No, it's fine. Go with Ivy, we'll meet you there." Four says, leading Eric away.

"What the hell has gotten into those two? They're so weird now." Sky asks.

"Come on, don't pay attention to them. Let's go see if we can take some nice photos." Ivy says, pushing Sky away.

"You are terrible at lying, number boy." Eric leans against the alley wall, sighing.

"I'm just trying to help you out, Eric. You're a mess. You need to calm down." Four leans against the wall directly across from Eric.

The lights from the shopping center broadly illuminate the faces of the two men, making it seem like a scene from a movie where the villain is about to fight the hero.

"How am I supposed to calm down?"

"Think of something about her that makes you happy. You know she's going to say yes, right? You're freaking yourself out by thinking she is going to say no. Right?"

"Whatever, number boy. I think I'm going to be fine without your help."

"Eric, I'm trying to help you for once in your god damn life and you aren't helping the situation. Just calm down and-"

"I'm not enough for her! There! Is that what you wanted?" Eric roars.

People walking alongside the alley turn and observe the two.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Four laughs, "Is that what you really think?"

"Why the fuck are you laughing?"

"Because you're a joke. You really think that Sky, knowing her as well as you do, would have stayed with you all of these years if she thinks you're not enough for her?"

Eric clenches his jaw, moving to walk away. Four lunges, grabbing Eric's sleeve, making him turn.

"You will always be enough for her. Do you understand? She loves you, asshole. She always has. She shows it. So don't be an idiot that feels sorry for himself. She's going to say yes. Now grow some balls and go get her." Four growls.

Eric sighs, yanking himself from Four's grasp. He stares at the street, frowning.

"It's getting fucking cold out here. Let's go so we can go back to the hotel sooner." Eric says, walking away.

Four smirks, knowing his job is done. Now it's all up to Eric. He can only hope.

"It's been a while, hasn’t it?" Sky asks Ivy.

Ivy rolls her eyes at her phone, trying to get a better angle of the tower for a picture.

"What, do you think he fell in the toilet? They'll be back soon. Stop worrying so much."

Sky sighs, looking around.

"We should totally come back here in the future. Without Eric, though. He really kills the mood."

"Sorry about that…" Sky mumbles.

"Hey…he's a grown man. If he wants to be an asshole, so be it. But you don't have to be defending him girl."

"Yeah, But I think I just-"

"Hey, what did we miss?" Four asks.

"Nothing. Hey can you do me a favor? You're tall. Can you lift me up so I can get a good picture?" Ivy asks, pointing at the tower.

"So did you fall in the toilet or what?" Sky asks, smiling.

Eric rolls his eyes, "You and your weird questions."

"You love them." Sky kisses his cheek and turns, helping Four to stay balanced while Ivy climbs on him.

"Yeah, I do.." Eric mumbles.

Four and Ivy move to another area at Ivy's request for a "better shot" and Sky is left with Eric.

Sky moves farther away from the people until she is satisfied with her shot. Eric takes a shaky breath behind her, and starts to kneel when his knee starts to cramp. He falls to the floor and holds his knee, cursing. The cold is very unforgiving and Eric hadn't had any real physical exercise in over a week.

"What's wrong?" Sky turns.

"Nothing, just a cramp. You should take some more pictures. The others came out a little blurry."

"Oh, shoot. Thanks."

Eric grunts and massages his knee. When the cramp passes, he takes the box out of his pocket. But his hands shake with the cold and he drops the ring in the grass. Cursing, he struggles to find it.

"Hey Eric, does this look good?" Sky starts to turn around but Eric's hand stops her.

"Yeah it looks great. Keep taking them. Maybe you could send them to a magazine or something."

"You have a point." Sky turns back around.

Eric sees Four and Ivy approaching from the corner of his eye. But Four stops and holds Ivy back. He finally finds the ring and puts it back in the box. Gratefully, it isn’t dirty.

"Babe, turn around."

"Hold up Eric, I'm focusing on the lighting."

"Sky come on…" Eric massages his temple.

"Be patient. I almost got it."

"God damn it, Sky. Turn around, I'm trying to propose to you for fuck's sake."

Sky turns around, frowning. Her eyes widen and she drops her phone.

"Are you serious?" she asks, covering her mouth.

Eric rolls his eyes, "Fuck yes, I'm serious. Sky, I've known you for a long time and I've never met anyone like you. You've changed me. For the better. I know I'm an asshole most of the time but I hope that you can forgive me for that. I love you and I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me, Sky?"

Sky yelps and wipes away tears from her eyes.

"Yes. A thousand times yes." she nods rapidly.

Eric stands and puts the ring on Sky's finger. Sky hugs him and grasps his neck, pulling him in to kiss him.

In the distance, Ivy is jumping up and down, clapping and shrieking like a mad woman. She is holding on to Four, making him stumble. Suddenly, Ivy jumps on Four, making them both fall to the floor in a bundle of laughter and yelling.

When Sky and Eric pull away, they turn to Ivy and Four. Laughing, they see Ivy sit up and raise a thumbs up while trying to help Four off of the ground.

Sky burrows into Eric's chest and his arms wrap around her, his chin laying on her head.

"I love you, Eric. Always."

"Me too, Sky. Always."

The End.

(Just kidding, there is one more part that I’m going to post...hehe)

#Eric Coulter #jai courtney #divergent

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tigerintokyo · 6 years ago

Text

IDOLiSH7 Part 3, Ch 11.1

Chapter 11: It was a good song.

Episode 1: Two Hours Left

(other parts in the directory)

Translation under the break.

Iori: ….. (sigh).....

Tsumugi: Iori-san, where exactly did everyone go?

Iori: Everyone was worried about Trigger, so they went to look for clues of their whereabouts.

Tsumugi: Is that so….? But, I hope that everyone in Trigger is safe.

(phone rings)

Iori: Excuse me. I’m going to go out to take this call.

Tsumugi: Alright.

Iori: This is Iori. Two hours remain until it is time for the performance to start. Team 2, 3, and 4, please stand by.

Iori: Currently, Team 1 is closing in on the head office building of Tsukumo Prod.

Reception Desk: Welcome ….. ah…..

Yuki: Hello, I’m here to see Ryo-san.

Reception Desk: ….. (gasp) Yuki-san from Re:vale��! I--I’ll check right now.

Yuki: Thank you. Ah…..

Reception Desk: Yes?

Yuki: Here, you’re ribbon is crooked.

Reception Desk: Ah…. I’m sorry! ….I can do it ….. How embarrassing...

Yuki: Is it?

Momo: Yuki, the others are waiting.

Yuki: Ah, take the car keys.

Momo: OK.

Yuki: Oh, he’s my partner.

Reception Desk: I… I know. ...Ah… It’s a good thing I was working today.

Momo: Hello. Now, I am headed into the president’s office. I’m going to make that guy cry and apologize!

Momo: Since he went as far as abducting them, he probably used some shady people. After getting their whereabouts, I’ll contact… Wait a second.

Momo: Good work today~!

Man: Good work…, Re:vale?!

Momo: But this is the first time meeting you? Ryo-san really did a good job telling everyone about me!

Momo: I came because I have a favor to ask, but how is Ryo-san doing today? Isn’t it scary if he’s in a bad mood?

Man: Mr. Tsukumo is out right now...

Momo: Ok, I’ll wait here, so call Ryo-san. I have just one thing I want you to pass on as message to him.

Momo: “Your risky info might accidentally slip out in a risky place.”

Man: Understood. Please wait a moment.

Momo: ……….

(door opens)

Rough-looking man: Is that him….? Hey, come here.

Rough-looking man: Friend, I can’t have you going too crazy here.

Momo: ...I’ve met a guy who seems to know what’s going on today. Hanging up now.

(phone rings)

Iori: Hello, this is Iori. I’ve received contact from Team 1.

Iori: They were not able to get a confession, but there was a response with regards to Trigger.

Iori: Also, by knowing the real estate owned by the president of Tsukumo, we can narrow the buildings that could be used for confinement down to a potential few.

Iori: There are 11 locations…. It’s a lot, but would it be possible to divide them into groups and check each of them?

Iori: Yes, thank you. If the location can be narrowed down further, they will tell us more information then.

Iori: Finally, it is possible the location is a dangerous place of business, so they want you to take account of the situation carefully from the outside.

Nagi: Okay. Leave it to me. Being a good judge of a situation is my specialty.

Nagi: Hey! This is quite a dirty office!

Passerby: It’s a cram school for learning the abacus. [1]

Yamato: What does he mean by “a dangerous place of business”.... I’m afraid to ask….

Yamato: You guys, from here on, listen to my directions before doing anything.

Sogo: Understood.

Tamaki: Got it.

Yamato: You’re going to get along?!

Sogo: We will, right?

Tamaki: We will.

Mitsuki: There are a lot of possible locations that are all spread out. Well, if Riku’s here, everything’ll be fine!

Riku: Me?!

Mitsuki: Telepathy works between twins, right?

Riku: Telepathy?

Mitsuki: Yeah, between these locations, where could Kujo be? Just say what your gut tells you.

Riku: Will it work…? If it works, that would be amazing! I could be on TV!

Mitsuki: You’re already on TV.

Riku: Umm… Over here!

Mitsuki: Alright! Let’s go!

Anesagi: …. It’s no use just sitting still! I’m going to look for them too...!

Tsumugi: Anesagi-san! But…!

Okazaki: Anesagi-san, it’s better if you stay here.

Anesagi: But…!

Okazaki: Please stay put! It is our job to handle unforeseen circumstances!

Anesagi: Okazaki!

Tsumugi: Okazaki-san… That’s exactly right!

Okazaki: Haha, let’s put on a brave face and all get out of this pinch together!

Okazaki: ...Ah, it’s a Rabbit Chat. Excuse me. What is this? It’s from Yuki-kun...

Okazaki: Eh?! In negotiations with a dangerous person?! What is he doing…? He’s kidding, right? Please tell me he’s kidding.

Tsumugi: I--is everything okay?

Anesagi: Ah, seriously. You actually seemed cool for a moment...

Okazaki: ...Please pass me my stomach medicine… Don’t be “negotiating” with dangerous people… It’ll just end up being a shady deal...

Okazaki: ...eh?! They know Trigger’s whereabouts?!

Anesagi: What did he say…?!

Yuki: He said we can’t negotiate.

Momo: It’s because you told him that it’s a dangerous person. Old man, do you have a business card on you? I’m just going to reach into your jacket real quick.

Rough-looking man: ….. Hey, let go of me! ….

Momo: Here it is! I know your real name, but this business card really does make him seem shady.

Yuki: What if we pretend we didn’t see it?

Momo: Yeah! There’s a printer over there, what if we happened to make this old guy a new business card! What would be a good job title? [2]

Yuki: Illustrator.

Momo: How lovely! Yuki!

Yuki: A polka dotted business card would be nice.

Momo: Since his name is Kumakura, we should put a picture of a bear (kuma) on it! [3]

Rough-looking man: Hey, who are you calling an illustrator?! Hey! Don’t be showing me the layout screen with that smug look on your face! Don’t just put my business card in the shredder without permission!

Yuki: Aren’t you guys the ones doing things without permission to our cherished children?

Yuki: Tell us where they are. If you don’t answer...

Yuki: ...then I’ll resort to negotiations with a striking blow?

Momo: You mean “intimidation.” Redo the line!

Yuki: Sorry. I use the wrong phrase.

Momo: Healthy negotiations with Mr. Kumakura the Illustrator! Take 2!

Yuki: I have a challenge for Mr. Kumakura the Illustrator. Admit that you took those three, and then tell me where they are!

Rough-looking man: Th--these guys…! They’re playing around with me...!

Yamato: This is the first one. From the outside, it’s hard to tell if Trigger is here or not...

(rings doorbell)

Tamaki: Can we come inside?!

Yamato: Why did you ring the doorbell?!

Sogo: Tamaki-kun likes to push the stop button in the bus and call buttons in restaurants too.

Yamato: Could you not say it like your sharing fun stories about your kid?!

Tamaki: Did you want to press it, Yama-san?

Yamato: Of course not, moron!

(door opens)

Rough-looking man: What do you want?

Yamato: Orders from Tsukumo Ryo-san. Did you hear about today? About taking care of a big package.

Rough-looking man: Tsukumo-san’s? Hey, aren’t you guys IDOLiSH7...?

Yamato: Being idols is just a side job. There are benefits to selling your face after all. Hey, are you trying to waste my time?!

Yamato: I am patient, but the youngins behind me aren’t. They must be glaring at you now? Ah?

Sogo: (Should I be glaring...?)

Tamaki: (Like this…?)

Rough-looking man: They do look a bit violent… even though they sing love songs on TV… Okay, Tsukumo-san’s package. I’ll go ask about it.

Yamato: Hey, make it fast.

(door closes)

Yamato: …… Now! Let’s escape.

Sogo: Shouldn’t we wait?

Yamato: His face said he didn’t know anything. If Trigger was inside, when I told him about the “big package,” there would’ve been a sign. Let’s go!

Tamaki: Yama-san, can I ring the doorbell at the next one too?

Yamato: Only if I say it’s okay!!

-end-

Next episode

T/N

1. There are actual cram schools for teaching children how to use an abacus [wikipedia]. They say it activates the right side of the brain in children.

2. Okazaki told them they can’t negotiate with dangerous people. Re:vale is going to give him a new job title and business card, and then he won’t seem like such a dangerous person anymore, and then they can negotiate with him.

3. Kuma is Japanese for “bear (animal).”

(Please do not use my translations without permission. Do not copy & paste them.)

#ainana #my translation #idolish7 #i7

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backpackingfemale-blog · 6 years ago

Text

Backpacker Advice - Safety and also Security

female safety items during travel

My goal is to start by simply saying, that I privately have never had any kind of basic safety or security difficulties even though travelling - different than using a bottle connected with half clear shower serum going absent after My partner and i left it inside the bathtub (I was gutted! ). If you follow simple advice and use your personal sound judgment then neither must you.

female safety items during travel

Desired destination Safety

A person should always check your own state's foreign office regarding information how safe your current destination is definitely. This will probably provide the official placement of your government upon in which destination's safety.

Nonetheless any travel warning coming from your unusual office will not necessarily mean you may not head out. Often there might end up being a small part associated with this country that basically safe, nevertheless the foreign business office will announce the complete nation unstable. So it will be some sort of good idea to combination check with some other unknown offices and reporting agencies.

Precisely what To Do If Your own personal Destination Will become Unsafe When There

You're not likely to be able to experience political alter, specifically outside of cities, nonetheless it can happen - navy effet in Bangkok seem to be to take place every several or 4 years.

Normally tourists are not a new focus on and your vacation will be not affected, however you should always stay away from virtually any mass protest as well as display.

If you locate yourself in the very less likely situation of sense hazardous or a concentrate on, you have a couple of alternatives. The first is for you to go to your own personal charge. Be aware that embassies will often become targets by themselves rapid if your charge is a targeted, subsequently neighbouring embassies will most likely present refugee - We. at the. a British Citizen, must be fine to go to help the Australian, Us or even Canadian embassies along with perversité versa.

Note down charge includes before you proceed.

The second option is to buy out as quickly since possible. This may always be as easy as getting the bus away, but while complex as contacting the particular foreign office back residence intended for specialist advice. I actually must state that that is extremely rare, and possesses not happened to myself or perhaps anyone I get met.

Safety measures For Ladies

You should outfit correctly when travelling to particular destinations. Respect religious persuits in regards to attire code and get away from sexual being a nuisance by dressing up conservatively. Take into account wearing shoes or boots you usually are capable of running inside, while visiting high risk regions.

Avoid getting alone following dark. If it is actually inescapable stick to properly lit in addition to crowded parts.

Keep any rape burglar alarm with you when you attend areas where you may possibly be vulnerable. Be sure it will be easy to access instructions with your pocket or linked to (not in) your personal bag.

American women can easily often appear promiscuous in order to some cultures, so in case stressed either ignore this or maybe tell them a person don't like it and they also should back off. When adopted walk into some sort of store or motel as well as tell the owner. If possible ask them to call up the police.

In the event that snapped up or attacked, yell seeing that loud as you could as well as activate your rapadura alert, don't try to be able to plead or even bargain. Combat back, use just about any things around you and shoot for the head, knees or perhaps privates.

If you tend to be sharing a dormitory using another traveller that may be producing you feel uncomfortable, you ought to let them and typically the hostel supervision know -- ask to go rooms when necessary. Most hostels give female only dorms, and so if you are apprehensive concerning sharing with guys this is the best solution.

How To Stay away from Getting Broken into

A related principle to not acquiring robbed anywhere - occurs common sense.

Don't demonstrate off your own valuables, specially not in the risky location or in a region where valuables are rare or hard to are available by.

Never have an excessive amount of on your person and also ensure important items are usually secure and invisible, both in a zipped bank account or locked bag. Retain other valuables safe within your hostel.

Blend in. What exactly I mean by means of which is don't act similar to a new tourist. Don't look through that will big wad of notes inside your finances, looking for the proper foreign money.

Seek safety suggestions out of your hostel. Don't move to a location that an individual have been advised never to or an area just where you will stick out along with become a target.

Keep Alert. Especially when with CREDIT machines and whenever handing above currency. Primary locations to get pickpockets are generally markets in addition to transport dernier.

If you are proceeding to become drinking, may take almost any valuables out there with you and stay added cautious.

Don't drift off in public transport or maybe retail outlet items you don't would like to lose in the cost to do business pockets. From what My spouse and i have heard via many other travellers this is often the most frequent scenario where persons have goods stolen.

Have a tendency keep gear together. Specifically cash : always include an emergency stash, My partner and i. e. in a match of clothes. Documents furthermore, you should have photocopies of your passport retained independently from the authentic.

I am not just a huge fan of safety pouches/ wallets/ belts, I think that they act like magnets for you to thieves - alerting those to the fact you possess something precious on anyone. If you insist about getting one, never receive it in public, constantly move to the very discreet place.

If you sense beneath threat, look with regard to exit items and take into account leaving as well as running.

Exactly how To Protect Your personal Things In Hostels

All people have these kinds of false misconceptions it is the actual locals who are in order to get their belongings, yet the unhappy reality is usually the biggest threat is definitely from your fellow individuals.

Fairly obvious really, contemplating you happen to be sharing a area with an regular regarding 6 strangers for every night time. However it is crucial to consider only a little minority of men and women resort to help theft.

Most hikers usually are wealthy and it can certainly end up being very tempting regarding some people to aid their selves - even in order to items you wouldn't expect. Avoid put anything past individuals - from chapsticks to be able to chargers; tuna to tooth paste - I've heard the particular lot.

The problem is actually most people are also trusting; the golden principle in hostels though is just not to trust anyone having your current belongings, particularly certainly not full strangers.

The bulk of crime will be opportunistic, not planned.

Departing your own personal iPhone on demand untreated is just giving somebody a opportunity to rob it rapid don't offer people options.

If you actually are leaving something alone ensure it is based away instructions that should go for when you usually are sleep too. Always retain valuables in a very locker as well as hostel risk-free.

Scams

Despite the fact that I stated earlier I have got never been any casualty of crime though treking, I have certainly find scam or two -- and you should too.

They goal travelers, so you tend to be likely to find all of them for most tourist destinations a person visit, in particular in establishing countries.

Several scammers get very good strategies to receiving your money. Go with belly feeling, you may usually impression when a thing is awry of course, if that sounds too good to get true, it probably is usually. Never hand over funds, property or details right up until you know everything is definitely legitimate.

Simply use registered taxis, avoid the use of cards throughout non reliable stores or even hostels. Once more common good sense is key, use the idea and also you won't fall target.

Privately, the hotbed intended for hoaxes is Hanoi, Vietnam : every hour We was right now there I ended up being targeted by scammers usually.

In this article is a list involving some cons you may possibly encounter, some more significant than others:

Scams

The particular Over Friendly And Good Salesman. Someone starts some sort of conversation with you upon the neighborhood, usually quite friendly; "where are an individual from?... Oh I enjoy the item there... Do you recognize these kinds of and such? inches. After a while they might offer you a "mates rate" package deal for a new massage for example, that they can will arrange for anyone within the phone. However while you get at this time there, you actually find the owner connected with the massage therapy parlour had not been aware of this particular package, or the parlour isn't going to even exist.

How To be able to Avoid: After having a few associated with these you just learn, and ignore the dialogue to start with. Never pay to get something before you can observe it.

The English language Pupil. Again someone should come upwards to you being incredibly helpful, they will consult if they can easily discuss with you in Uk because they are understanding. They then parents along with student fees or perhaps ebooks, etc.

This may appear to be it could be legitimate, but it took place for you to me 3 times with three or more days in Hanoi. There are numerous scams like this specific - in which play to help your emotions rapid nevertheless most of these sob reports are scams.

Just how To Avoid: Merely point out sorry, I can't aid or I have simply no money in me. In the event you feel bad in that case donate to a signed up charitable organization.

The Scooter Sales person. Some guy on a moped will pull right up subsequent to you and offer you to promote you something. Commonly in order to just take your personal money and journey off of without giving you the product or service.

How To Avoid: Basic, don't acquire anything by someone sitting down on the getaway vehicle.

Typically the Distracter. Extremely common. Any thoughts will be put within place including children approaching up to you, folks wanting a photo together with you, a person spilling one thing on you, and so forth Just about all the while someone more will be choosing your own pocket.

How To Steer clear of: May carry too several valuables in your person. Make certain your case is straightened and wallets are compressed. Be sound the alarm and guard your purchases when fumes screens similar to this are set in place.

The Fixer. You will be taking walks along the lane minding your own business any time an individual will start aiming at your shoes and boots (or bag, or whatever) expressing it is broken and requirements fixing. Then one or maybe two a lot more people will certainly start saying the same. They will will try to correct your current shoe whilst a person are still jogging as well as charge you for typically the services.

How To Keep away from: This happened in my opinion about more than one situation. I actually started by merely saying "no", if this didn't perform I surpassed the street and after that ultimately would start jogging.

Often the Drug Seller. Simple, anyone will offer you drug treatments. If you buy these, they will tip away from any police officer with regard to a reward.

Keep away from: Clearly don't buy prescription drugs. In case you absolutely have in order to, obtain other travellers, as well as through someone a passenger has stated they have delivered from just before.

The Phony Police Officer. An individual proclaiming to be a law enforcement officials officer may ask to be able to see your passport and also claim it is cast, or claim money you merely gave to a seller seemed to be counterfeit, and request you to pay out some sort of fine.

How To Prevent: A difficult a single, although extremely rare because the fees and penalties for the scammers are incredibly high. Tell them an individual have been suggested for you to always pay fees on a local police place to avoid con-artists. When they are reputable police force officers they should include no issue with this. Never ever get into a unmarked police car, look for these people to take you to help often the station in a new marked just one. If many people have a problem using this these are most most likely a scammer, consequently get in touch with the police or your own personal charge.

The Fake Solution. Anyone will sell anyone a bus or even additional ticket, that is in fact just a piece regarding paper with creating with it.

How To Stay away from: Buy primary, from the accredited travel agent, or perhaps from somewhere a revisionist has successfully bought coming from.

The actual Credit Card. An individual card will probably be scanned 2 times or amounts copied.

Precisely how To Avoid: Never allow your card out of your personal sight. Ensure that merchants swipping your credit card in entrance of you - in the event that they "need to consider it out the backside to the actual machine", inquire to follow these individuals. Inquire for, and keep invoices.

The particular Border Crossing. Anyone will be questioned in order to take something across the particular edge, for someone holding out on the other aspect. This specific almost certainly implies you are being utilized because a drug mule instructions and if you find caught carrying out that inside some places it is actually good bye for you.

The way To Avoid: Never, ever before take anything across the border that isn't your own own. Assure your tote hasn't been meddled having as well.

If You actually Be a Victim Of Criminal offenses

To begin with, if you are usually ever threaten using a system always give up your current belongings, it really just isn't worth the cost, especially as you actually should be totally covered by insurance. Also these days it doesn't take long to be able to cancel and get substitutions regarding passports, cards, and so forth.

You need to act immediately in the event you are a sufferer of crime. The 1st step will be filing any police review (this can be vital if professing your insurance). You could nonetheless need/ want to go to your embassy first according to the nature of the criminal offenses.

You will additionally need to stop any objects stolen since soon possible.

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leagueofskully · 6 years ago

Text

Rules for everyone not able to see the actual side, click on the tiny thingies, etc - and for me, if the browser crashes while I edit them to fit the thing

Basics

Don't be a scumbag.

What does that mean? No random witch hunts out of personal vendettas, no starting wars about ships of any kind, no hating on Ocs (duh) or the insulting/hating on the portrayal of other people – simply put, I don't wanna be pulled into a war, especially yours. Your character can be the biggest piece of shit on the world, I really don't mind, go ahead but I really have little to no time to deal with people who make fun of others just to feel better with themselves.

Drama-Llamas:

If you want to pick a fight, you won’t have any success here.

Godmodding:

No, thank you. However I'm perfectly fine if you decide to write what would happen if the plan of your character succeeded to lengthen your posts. I do that too after all.

As it stands – do not control my character. Unless agreed upon or for scenery changes aka moving from one place to another. For the sake of timeskips, scene skips, etc this is fine.

Relationships:

Don’t just assume a certain relationship to my character. You can always ask me and I’m totally fine if your character knows mine, especially if you're Black – or Overwatch, just don't expect them to be official lovers, friends or family. Everything else? Is fine. I won't forbid you to have a purely visuals based crush on Feral, for example. He has one on a certain Blackwatch member too, so there's that.

Please don't be intimidated by me. I'm as scared of you, as you are of me – probably more even.

On writing

Selectivity:

I'd love to write with everyone but my anxious mind and horrible self-perception causes me to turtle and avoid reaching out. Even more so if a try for interaction ends in being ignored. So, if you want to write with me – are interested in Feral, by all means, come at me, send a meme, as random as it may be as long as it isn't romance or smut related I'll figure something out – and likely return to bother you later on. Still, all things combined I can be counted as semi-selective.

Universes/Alternative Universes/Crossovers

Given Feral is already – in one way or another – an AU version of my main RP character I'll limit interactions to the Overwatch universe and/or my AU verses listed under verses. If your character still works in these scenarios – as in for Overwatch a somewhat dystopian futuristic setting that I always feel hesitant to call Cyberpunk, you're more than welcome! Just please don't be upset if Feral might call your Robot character an Omnic.