#my man dr shen making an appearance

[milksuu]

Don't Worry. I'll Support You. | PT. 01

❥ prompt: Your HEARTSTEEL boyfriend has to undergo minor surgery, and they chose you to be their caretaker for the day. Let's see how they are before and after anesthesia. ❥ content/warnings: fluffy fluff, drugged behavior (all medically safe), mention of needles, mild profanity, minor angst ❥ characters/pairings: v!Heartsteel! (aphelios, ezreal, kayn) x girlfriend!reader

an: i don't know why this was tumbling around in my head. wow, this post got longer and longer the more i wrote. i swear I'll write for the other babes too.

APHELIOS

Unfortunately, this wouldn't be the first time Aphelios had to undergo surgery. Happened when they had to remove the nodule from his vocal cords. And he doesn't remember a single thing from that day. Alune took care of him at the time, but she never mentioned anything beyond how he slept most of the day (probably to spare him from embarrassment).

He appreciated you taking a day off work to take care of him and be his interpreter. He was fine with all his consents and paperwork. But when it came to more detailed questions concerning his medical history, he would have you translate his sign language to the medical staff. Thanks to you, the process went smoothly.

IV's were never fun to have. Especially when it had to be in the hand. Aphelios couldn't lie and say he wasn't nervous about it, despite his aloofness. But all he had to do was shift his eyes away for a moment, and look at your cute, bubbly face. He could tell you were rambling on trying to distract him, and he guessed it worked. By the time he looked down again, the IV was in. He denied the golden star sticker usually meant for the pediatric patients, but you took it for him as a momento.

When it was time for him to go into the OR, the medical team gave you two a moment. You slipped a hand into his and gave him two love squeezes. He smiled softly and gave three love squeezes back. A quick peck to his lips and you left to sit in the waiting room.

When he was brought to recovery and awake, you were taken to his bedside. When you stepped through the curtain, you saw him resting as if he were asleep at home. Slowly, he opened his eyes, glazed over with mild recognition. Although he felt lethargic, he signed sloppily with his hands.

Is this heaven?

You bit your bottom lip to keep from smiling too much. You shook your head and reminded him where he was.

Oh. Really? Because you look like an angel to me. And if they want you back up there. Forget it. I'm keeping you.

You covered your mouth to keep from giggling too loud. You weren't sure if he was being serious or actually trying to flirt with you. It wasn't common at all for him to be so corny, but you blamed the anesthesia for that. When the nurse came to the bedside, she went over discharge instructions while you held his hand. He kept giving you light squeezes and rubbing his thumb gently against your fingers. Just to make sure you wouldn't fly away. Of course, anytime you had to let go and sign a paper, he sighed heavily (almost a whine if he wasn't careful), until your hand floated right back for him to take. Then he was sighing with relief again.

While at home, it was just the same. Aphelios didn't want you to leave his side for even a moment. If he had his way, you'd be sleeping next to him, still holding onto his hand. You had to remind him many times that you had to take care of him, so no cuddles or naps just yet. You also had to remind him he needed to eat and take fluids after fasting for so long. If there was thing you knew, he was a picky eater. Aphelios seriously thought ketchup packets counted as a full meal and satisfied his daily fiber intake. Luckily, you were able to spoon feed him some soup with a couple of crackers.

After you had him take his first dose of medication, you could finally indulge him. You settled next to him in bed, and he took no time to wrap himself around you, nuzzling your chest. A small, sleepy smile formed against his lips. Maybe you weren't a real angel. But you couldn't convince him you weren't his heaven on Earth.

EZREAL

Oh, boy. This was the first time Ezreal had to have any kind of surgery. Even though it was supposedly minor, that didn't stop the nerves itching underneath his skin. Is it normal to be this nervous? He wasn't sure, but he tried his best to hide his chattering teeth behind a forced smile. He really didn't want you worrying about him more than you had too. You were already doing him a big favor by taking care of him. He just hoped he wouldn't be a wreck before and after.

Apparently, signing consent forms and answering medical questions became a challenge. His hand trembled so much, his usual confident signature looked like a preschooler forged it. And when it came to answering medical questions, he found himself stuttering, feeling like someone stuck cotton balls inside his mouth.

When it was time for the IV, his whole body was ready to collapse in on itself. Was it always so hot in here? Sweat dampened the top of his skin. W-What's the big deal anyway? Not like he was afraid of some tiny, sharp...needle....OK, the room was spinning now. Great—awesome. Man, he felt so lame.

Seeing the color drain from his complexion, his head drop back, and his eyelids fluttering close, you politely asked the nurse to give him a moment with you. She laid him down in the stretcher and brought you a wet cloth. Wiping at his damp face and neck, you rested a comforting hand against his heaving chest. "It's okay to be afraid, Ez. It's not easy to have surgery. You're brave for even being here." He shook his head weakly, clenching his eyes tight. "B-brave. Yeah right, babe. I mean, look at me. I'm practically comatose and the nurse barely even wrapped the tourniquet around my arm."

"Brave doesn't mean not being afraid of anything. It's doing something even knowing it's scary." Another wipe of his cheek and you planted a reassuring kiss. "There's no one braver in my eyes right now." Ezreal swallowed the ball of anxiety nested in his throat. A couple of more inhales and he gathered his remaining courage for the next step that had to be done.

You held his hand the entire time the nurse worked to get his IV started. You told him to close his eyes and take big breaths, and it would be over before he even knew it. He did as instructed, and just like you said, it was done. He admitted to you that it felt a bit itchy, but that he could deal with. Oh, but was it so worth it when the nurse offered him that golden star sticker. He slapped it on the chest of his gown like a badge of honor.

When the medical team arrived to take him in the stretcher, he gave you that million dollar smile and peace sign. Granted, you whispered to the anesthesiologist to give him some relaxing medication before he went in. The anesthesia provider was way ahead of you. When he started giggling, waving, and blowing kisses like he was out the sunroof of a limo driving down the boulevard—oh yeah. You knew he was feeling it.

When it was all over and they called you back to recovery, the nurse informed you he couldn't stop talking the moment he opened his eyes. And all that he was talking about was you. "Babe! Babe! I did it—I can't even believe it's over. I don't even remember them putting me to sleep. Crazy, right? Like, did I count down from ten? Did I make it to zero? I bet I made it to zero." He practically wiggled himself over the safety rails on the stretcher. You sweetly instructed him to keep still so that the nurses could get a decent blood pressure on him. "Okay. Okay. I'll be good. Promise." He forced himself to lay back, but that didn't last long. While the nurse was going over instructions, he was tugging on your shirt sleeve, calling your name, interrupting every moment wanting your attention. Apparently, he had a lot to say to you in the span of thirty-minutes you were separated.

When you arrived back home, by some miracle you were able to have him settled on the couch once you put on his favorite K-Drama. While sitting next to him (and making sure he didn't get up) he rested his cheek against the top of your head. "Thanks for everything, babe. Honestly, you make me feel like the bravest guy. Like Indiana Jones....or Captain Kirk...maybe even that...one actor from National Treasure...." before you could say anything back, you felt his body relax further into you. His light breaths signaling he dozed off seamlessly. With a warm smile, you pulled the blanket over the two of you, and snuggled closer before you joined him for a nap.

KAYN

GOD DAMN IT'S EARLY! Kayn wanted to shout when you woke him up for his 6AM arrival time. Instead, he grumbled, kicked on his crocks, and went in his pajamas. He was too tired to really argue and complain. He just wanted to get this done and over with so he could move on with his life.

Kayn didn't diddle-daddle with his forms and medical questions. He wanted to put on his gown, toss himself into the stretcher, and possibly get a few more winks before his surgical time. You sighed—this was going to be the longest hour before surgery.

Although still in a foul mood, Kayn eased a bit when you worked up a distracting conversation with him. And when the nurse came in to do his IV, Kayn didn't bother blinking. He probably stuck himself countless of times with other—probably sharper—and deadlier objects. Actually, he took it one step further. When the IV was inserted, just to mess with you (and the nurse), he made a loud, and seductive moan. You pinched his arm for startling the nurse. Poor thing didn't even know how to react to that nonsense. "Ow. Ow. Nurse—nurse, she's hurting me." He said, cowering away from you. "You deserve that for almost giving them a heart attack. What if they missed and had to stick you twice?" Kayn smirked, rubbing at his nipple line. "More of a good time for me, then." You rolled your eyes, begging for him to behave for the next half-hour.

When the surgeon came to the bedside, he discussed the procedure at length and a few expectations afterwards. When he finished, he asked if either of you had any questions. Kayn raised his hand like the serious kid in math class. "Yeah. Question, Dr. Shen. When can I have sex again?" You almost spat out the complimentary coffee the front staff so kindly gave you. You couldn't believe he had just asked that question so casually at...let's see.... 06:50 in the morning!

You apologized on his behalf, but Dr. Shen merely dismissed it. "That's quite alright. It's a fair question. And one I receive plenty of times from my male patients. Even ones well into their eighties, and surprisingly, nineties." Kayn nodded with a grin and you rubbed your warming forehead. Of course. What else would they bother to ask? The surgeon went on to say; "As far as any kind of exertional activities, that will all be discussed and cleared at your follow-up appointment in two weeks."

TWO WEEKS!? Kayn almost fainted right then in there. He looked at you with such concern, as if someone told him a Pentakill concert sold out before he could even buy a ticket. He reached over and grabbed your hand, holding tight. "Listen, kitten. I don't think I want this surgery anymore. Can we go home now?" You shook your head disapprovingly. After hearing such news, and you not bailing him out, Kayn sulked as if he was getting surgery to forever castrate him.

When it was time to take him, he begrudgingly let you kiss his cheek. Otherwise, he didn't reciprocate your affection. He tossed his chin away and said. "Whatever. Let's just get this crap over with." Once again, he had you shaking your head, and you apologizing to everyone in the room.

When the nurse came to bring you back into recovery, you noticed he was sleeping on his side, back turned to you. You wondered if he was still upset by the whole ordeal. When you reached out to touch his shoulder, he tensed, but slowly turned over. "Kayn. Are you feeling alright? If you're in pain, I'll tell the nurse—" Before you could finish, Kayn reached forward and grabbed you, pulling you into the tightest hug. You felt him bury his face into your neck and shoulder, hands desperately clinging to you.

"Oh, thank you, thank you." You heard him choke up. You brought a hand to gently comb through his hair, asking him what was wrong. He shook his head. "I...I don't know. I thought— just before everything went black—what if I never saw you again. And the way I acted before they took me..." he squeezed tighter, burying his sulking face deeper. "I'm sorry. I love you, okay? Just, trust me on that. Please."

"It's okay. I love you too," you hummed and stroked his back, continuing to assure him. "You don't have to worry anymore. It's all over. You're still here. The doctor said you did so good, and there were no complications." Pausing, you planted a kiss to the top of his head. "How about we get you dressed so we can go home, hm?" He nodded against your shoulder, and you helped the nurse dress him for discharge.

When you brought him home, Kayn wanted to do nothing but turn off the lights, close the blinds, and lay next to you in quiet darkness. Breathe you in, feel your warmth, and listen to the softness of your pulse against his ear. Focus on the fact that he was alive and you were alive with him—nothing else.

[anavi-vrg]

My thoughts on my Day 5's drawings

Day 5 & 6 original post: 🌸

Man, Day 5 and 6 hit me in the feels a little bit too hard, that quote killed me

And meanwhile the Day 5 speedpaint is exporting, i'm going to write some of my thoughts on the individual illustrations that i did for this day.

First of all i wanted to draw every UU character that appeared in this arc at least once.

Have you seen Chikara's school?! it's so fucking big! There's no way Feng was the only P.E. teacher there, i have been in very small schools and they had at least 2. So i wanted to draw some of my ocs, that even though they aren't really average in terms of physical power, just seeing the absolute insanity that is Feng. I tried to make the illusion of a movement so fast, that Chikara's camera couldn't catch it without some blurring, like in Dr. Stone when Kohaku's movement always comes out blurry bcs she's that fast. (from left to right, the short version of the ocs' names are: Mari, Petra, Addler Xia and Lud)

2. i just wanted an excuse to draw Fuuko and Gina with my two most wholesome, nature-loving ocs (An and Marcel), Gina was meant to appear in this one and a ninth drawing, but Gina's presence just wasn't there, i looked at my sketch and thought "this is not Gina, she's not here"

3. UU science couple with my ocs' science team (left to right: Are {i hate his name, i need to change it}, Paula, Saulo and Todd), i feel that i didn't do justice to Nico and Ichico looking very ghostly with that skin color, i had to wing it based on the colored pages, also i felt that i was disrespecting both of them with that robot, but i still finished it, i'm in too deep to back down.

4. it's impossible that Sean didn't goof around some clubs, he's an actor, he had visited the music and drama club at least once, so i just put my most music related ocs in the place of the teachers in charge of them, Christi would have really loved to goof around.

5. I didn't know what to do with Billy, but i imagined that at least some teachers and students would have a crush for him, so i just put Mari for that role, Tella definetly used Untell on her so she can't get near Billy.

6. Grandpa Isshin! i originally wanted to draw both Isshins in the context of a school daycare, Grandpa Isshin and some teachers that have kids, picking their respective kids. But i wanted the spotlight on these two, so i scraped the idea. There was a point were i was overthinking Grandpa Isshin's eyebrows and how it reminded me of my late Grandpa's eyebrows, almost cried at that one.

7. Same as Feng but with Mui, also made Xia come back after she fainted with Feng, i felt incredibly cursed by Shen's presence in my canvas, after seeing the things i saw in my TL on twitter, i couldn't see Shen without thinking about it, so in the speedpaint there's a section where i put my refences and the characters specific colors from the anime, except for Shen, i stopped the recording bcs i felt cursed to have the anime reference in my canvas)

8. Drama club! also Chikara is here, maybe acting will help him with his Unmove, this one has the cursed unshaded eyes in the speedpaint, everytime i looked at their eyes i remembered @tadpolebobatea, once the speedpaint is ready i will curse all of you with the unshaded eyes.

[hunxi-after-hours]

Are there any scenes in 《山河剑心》 which are unique to the animation only that you really like? And why?

man oh man... WHAT a question, anon...

okay I think I’m going to go ahead and use this ask to springboard into my thoughts about 《山河剑心》 vs. 《千秋》, because I’ve seen some takes about the changes they’ve made from the novel and the relative merits thereof, so here’s my few cents on the matter:

the tl;dr of my take is that 《山河剑心》 is stronger dramatically, but 《千秋》 is stronger thematically.

spoilers for literally everything about the show and book below the cut, you know the drill

the thing is about 《千秋》 the novel is that it’s a work with powerful themes--much of the story, characters, and character arcs are concerned with two questions: 

what does it mean to 入世 / enter the world, and 

whether or not two people with fundamentally opposed worldviews can be in a relationship together

Since 2) really only concerns the development of the relationship between Shen Qiao and Yan Wushi, much of the story is focused on 1)--what it means to exist in the world as a person with power, as a person who acts.

《千秋》 follows Shen Qiao as he learns about the world outside Xuandu Shan--the political jockeying, the rampant corruption, the unfairness of it all. On his travels, he shares meals with refugees, rooms with beggars, befriends a village girl on the edge of empire who struggles to speak with him because this far out, Chinese isn’t even the primary language. He speaks with kings, negotiates with sect leaders, suffers insults from rich merchants and other jianghu sword-folk. The Shen Qiao who returns to Xuandu Shan at the end of the book is profoundly different from the Shen Qiao who was flung off a cliff at the beginning; this Shen Qiao is worldly, cautious, knowledgeable, practical--he hasn’t let go of his optimism and goodness, but his actions and speech are tempered with a realism that can only be gained from experience.

What really struck me about 《千秋》 is the sheer scope of the story—Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao are mere players in a vast game of politics and intrigue, the fall of kingdoms and the rise of dynasties. The cast of characters is so large that when the director of the audiodrama received the list of characters he would have to find voices for, he despaired at the length of it (look, the bonus material for the audiodrama is hilarious, would recommend). Many characters appear with fanfare and pomp, have hints of backstory, then vanish for the rest of the book, only to be vaguely mentioned in passing. And while narratively, this might feel unsatisfying (I really thought that Xie Xiang was going to be relevant! I really did!!!), it also feels profoundly realistic, because that’s just how life is, isn’t it? You meet people, you learn their names, you smile at them; and when you part, you have no idea who they’ll be to you in the future, if they’ll become plot-relevant fifteen chapters later, or if they’ll vanish for eighty chapters and then stroll up to a sword conference calling you 师弟 like no time had passed at all.

And this works for 《千秋》, because it’s not a story about how one person changes the fate of the world—it’s about one person learning to navigate the complex web of human relation and society, coming to terms with the limits of his ability, learning how and when to act with the power and influence he has. Look at all these people that we will never know, 《千秋》 says. Look at the lives they have that we will never see. In the scope of the story, Shen Qiao and Yan Wushi are small. The consequences of their actions and their influence are huge, don’t get me wrong—they aid a political coup, make the founding of the Sui Dynasty possible—but they are just… people. Individuals, in a world full of individuals fighting for power and influence and fame and fortune.

The story does not begin or end with Shen Qiao and Yan Wushi, and it’s clear, even after the end of the book, that the story continues.

okay. okay okay okay—back to 《山河剑心》, the donghua adaptation. First, there are the limits of adaptation—you cut down the number of characters, consolidate a few here and there, make the story tighter in terms of pacing and plot because you’ve got a lot of ground to cover in sixteen 20-minute episodes (and they cover almost 60 chapters of content in this first season, which is wild). But what this means is that they cut down on the small moments, the in-between times—many of the interactions between Shen Qiao and Yan Wushi, the months Shen Qiao spends travelling alone and learning about the world.

What 《山河剑心》 does instead is tighten the plot, funneling it down to focus on Shen Qiao and Yan Wushi. When five powerful warriors team up to take Yan Wushi down, the narration in the book emphasizes, again and again, that it isn’t personal—I mean, sure, no one’s going to pass up the opportunity to beat up Yan Wushi if they can get away with it, but everyone came to the fight with ulterior motives, often political, always practical. Meanwhile in 《山河剑心》, Yan Wushi’s assassination becomes a conspiracy, a plot, a concentrated attack on his person that is months in the making (they even get Yuan Xiuxiu and Ruyan Kehui in on it, who were notably neutral in the book). Likewise with the expansion of the 走火入魔/qi deviation subplot—instead of being a temporary aftereffect of Yan Wushi’s duel with Ruyan Kehui, it worsens, damaging Yan Wushi’s physical and mental stability, directly spurring him to turn Shen Qiao over to Sang Jingxing.

Ah, and isn’t that the heart of what’s really changed in the donghua? Yan Wushi is nicer.

Which, to be fair, is a pretty low bar—Meng Xishi came into this novel with the express intent to write a relationship between two characters who were 三观不同. The concept of 三观 in Chinese means ‘three views’—a person’s belief in the nature of the world, the prioritization of certain values, and outlook on life. Given that Shen Qiao is often compared to Xie Lian from TGCF, or Xiao Xingchen from CQL/MDZS, well… that gives you an idea of what kind of person Yan Wushi is.

Shen Qiao believes in the inherent good of man? Yan Wushi believes in the inherent evil of man. Shen Qiao believes in doing good in the world? Yan Wushi believes that the only law is self-interest. The two of them clash over this, verbally and physically, throughout the book. It catalyzes what might be the most important turning point—Yan Wushi turning Shen Qiao over to Sang Jingxing, to certain torture, possible death, excruciating shame, and the insidious implication of sexual violence. And for what reason? Little more than idle curiosity—Yan Wushi wants to know if Shen Qiao can still maintain his faith in humanity, in goodness and friendship, if Yan Wushi betrays him so deeply and thoroughly.

It’s not personal. If anything, it’s scientific. Clinical, curious.

(of course, this doesn’t break Shen Qiao—instead, it reforges him, lays the foundation for his return to power, and it’s Yan Wushi instead who’s proven wrong, Yan Wushi who grudgingly comes to accept that Shen Qiao is unique, is good, is right, that Shen Qiao is the exception to his belief that all people are inherently evil and selfish, and though Yan Wushi does not abandon his views, he comes to acknowledge Shen Qiao’s worthiness, and eventually—well. we all know what the endgame ship is)

and so.《山河剑心》 makes changes to Yan Wushi’s character and actions, soft-pedaling the extremity of his beliefs and conduct. Yan Wushi turns Shen Qiao over to Sang Jingxing, not for curiosity and lulz, but in exchange for something that will help him recover from complications with his qi deviation. That pivotal scene is no longer a targeted move to break Shen Qiao, but a trade that Yan Wushi makes with some difficulty and regret (给他编出一些苦衷了). Crucially, after Shen Qiao has detonated himself in an attempt to take Sang Jingxing down with him, Yan Wushi is the one who pulls Shen Qiao out of the water, leaves him on the front steps of Bailong Temple to be cared for and saved.

In 《千秋》, Shen Qiao at one point comments that Yan Wushi simply does not have a heart, but in 《山河剑心》, Yan Wushi does. He’s not quite the heartless sect leader of the novel, aloof and untouchable and casually cruel. The Yan Wushi of the donghua has subtle moments of interiority and deeply-hidden good intentions. In episode 16, he throws his life away to take a hit for Shen Qiao—an act of gratitude and self-sacrifice (and also dramatic flair, because c’mon, this is still Yan Wushi) that is far beyond the Yan Wushi of the novel at this point in the narrative.

In the book, Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao come together despite their differences. In the show, these two come together because of their similarities (i.e. an alliance against Beimu). It’s a subtle distinction, but a crucial one, because it weakens the themes of the book, which took such care to emphasize their differences and incompatibility, their roles as pieces of a larger puzzle. At the same time, the donghua strengthens the relationship between Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao—in making Yan Wushi less polarizing and extreme, the show makes his motivations more human and believable.

ALL OF WHICH IS TO SAY—《千秋》 is stronger thematically, for taking the time and the space to work through the various aspects of Shen Qiao’s journey and the problems stacked against the Yanshen relationship. 《山河剑心》 is stronger dramatically, for increasing the relevance of characters and plot points that 《千秋》 often discards freely and flippantly. Regardless, I am having the time of my life consuming both.

[tearsofthemis]

Tears of Themis : Chapter 2 “Unbearable Love“ Part 11

[Previous Part] | [Masterlist] | [Next Part]

▌Location- Hotel Room 1817

MC: “Alright, then Miss. Jiang, let’s start the interrogation.” ~~Interrogation Start~~

[About work overview]

MC: “Miss. Jiang, how long have you worked for Venus Fashion? When did you start as CEO Shen’s secretary?”

Jiang MingYue: “I have worked at Venus for five years, from the moment I was hired. I became CEO Shen’s design assistant and secretary.”

MC: “CEO Shen must have trusted you to give you such an important role in her company.”

Jiang MingYue: “CEO Shen truly trusts me, but in the beginning, I wasn’t her only secretary. I had two other coworkers.”

MC: “How busy was the company for Shen Xi to require three secretaries?”

Jiang MingYue: “Not to that extent. I was originally responsible for organizing CEO Shen’s business schedule. My two coworkers would handle hidden matters in CEO Shen’s private life. On paper, their roles were secretarial, but in reality, they were more like her life assistants. They left one after the other and CEO Shen didn’t hire anyone to fill the role ever again.”

Mo Yi: “Why did the other secretaries leave? Was it of their own volition?”

Jiang MingYue: “This…”

(Jiang MingYue looked startled as if she had never anticipated that Mo Yi would ask her that question. She took a nervous glance at Mo Yi and then lowered her head again.)

Jiang MingYue: “One of them didn’t renew their contract with CEO Shen and left, and the other was fired due to violations of CEO Shen’s privacy.”

[Banquet Events]

MC: “Did the banquet last night go without a hitch?”

Jiang MingYue: “You could assume so. But we would’ve never imagined that CEO Lu would actually attend.”

MC: “Didn’t think Lu JingHe would attend? Were the invitations not vetoed by you guys?”

Jiang MingYue: “We did invite CEO Lu, but Lawyer, you must have heard about the failed negotiations between PAX Group and our company… And in this fashion week, we outshone PAX Apparel and took the gold prize, so… The invitation for CEO Lu to attend was more of a demonstration than anything else. That’s why we thought CEO Lu wouldn’t attend.”

MC: “Did Lu JingHe’s appearance at the banquet have an impact on the banquet’s itinerary?”

Jiang MingYue: “No, CEO Shen just added a small thank you to CEO Lu at the end of her speech. When someone came to propose a toast and mentioned CEO Lu, CEO Shen made a show of opening the box of chocolates and eating one.”

MC: “CEO Shen ate the chocolates Lu JingHe gave her in front of others, was she not afraid that other people may misinterpret their relationship? That’s to say, was CEO Shen hoping for people to see, and if so, does that imply the fake news about CEO Shen and Lu JingHe’s engagement was leaked by your company?”

Jiang MingYue: “No no, absolutely not. CEO Shen would never do that! Although CEO Shen used the PAX Group negotiations as exposure for our company, she would never use her personal relationships to achieve it. She ate the chocolate to prove that the two companies were on good terms - that Venus and PAX didn’t have any bad blood beyond a failed negotiation.”

Mo Yi: “Chocolates are a common banquet gift and do not necessarily imply romantic interest between two parties.”

(After hearing Mo Yi’s comment, Jiang MingYue let out a sigh and her shoulders relaxed. I can’t understand why Mo Yi would help Jiang MingYue find a way out of the topic. However, after seeing how stressed Jiang MingYue was, I think I can imagine why he did it.)

MC: “...”

MC: (We won’t be able to get anything out of her if she’s too anxious. I gotta hand it to Dr. Mo for handling the pace of the interrogation.)

MC: “Then it seems like the entertainment news outlets were once again making something out of nothing in order to pull in readers.”

Jiang MingYue: “That’s right.”

[About the Rash on Her Wrist]

MC: “Miss. Jiang, what happened to your wrist? Do you require medical attention?”

Jiang MingYue: “It’s not urgent, I just had a minor allergic reaction. It’ll be alright after applying some ointment.”

MC: “That’s good to hear. I have a coworker with a mushroom allergy. It must be so uncomfortable when it hurts and itches at the same time.”

Jiang MingYue: “I’m allergic to chocolate. Last night, a server carrying a tray of chocolates bumped into me. I’m diligent about not being in contact with it and normally wouldn’t be like this.”

MC: “Chocolate allergy exists? It’s the first time I’ve heard of it.”

Jiang MingYue: “It’s rare. When I eat or touch chocolate, I’ll break out in a rash. The first time this happened, I was quite young and ate so much chocolate that I went into anaphylaxis. I now avoid touching chocolate whenever possible.”

[About Work Stress]

MC: “Miss. Jiang, after the other two secretaries were fired by CEO Shen, it must have been really hard to handle three people’s worth of work right?”

(I looked at Jiang MingYue’s ill-fitting clothes and followed up with another question.)

MC: “Are you often really busy?”

Jiang MingYue: “It’s been alright. CEO Shen hasn’t had others handle her private business, so my day to day tasks have pretty much stayed the same in terms of handling her external affairs. CEO Shen is generous with our salary, and I’ve never had to work during vacation days. Even if it gets a little busier, it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

[About Her Relationship with Shen Xi]

MC: “When CEO Shen gave you the box of chocolate from Lu JingHe for safekeeping, did she know that you were allergic?”

Jiang MingYue: “She knew. Since I’m not sensitive to the smell of chocolate and they were in the box, I was safe. Most times, CEO Shen is quite a considerate person…”

Mo Yi: “Most times? That’s to say, CEO Shen has lost her temper with you?”

Jiang MingYue: “We had been working together for five years, moments like that are sure to happen. Which employee hasn’t seen their boss lose their temper?”

Mo Yi: “Is it solely because of work-related issues? For CEO Shen to know that you’re allergic to chocolate, you two must have had a lot of interactions in your everyday life.”

Jiang MingYue: “N-no. CEO Shen and I only have a boss and secretary relationship. We really don’t have anything more than that. I understand that you suspect me because I was holding onto the box of chocolates, but I didn’t do it.”

Mo Yi: “Oh? If it’s nothing more than a work relationship, then your actions do not correspond with your claim.”

[About Last Night’s Rooming Arrangements]

Mo Yi: “Usually during business trips, the secretary will choose to stay in a room near their boss’, to facilitate communication. Why did CEO Shen stay on the 18th floor, while your room was located on the 17th floor, Room 1713?”

Jiang MingYue: “The hotel had no other vacancy because it’s fashion week, so I booked a standard room on the 17th floor.”

Mo Yi: “Is that so? But the suite 1718 connected to 1717 on the 17th floor, was vacant last night. When you booked accommodations for Shen Xi, why didn’t you pick rooms on the 17th floor? Unless the rooms on the 18th floor are special? Both floors have the same pricing and considering Shen Xi’s net worth, I suggest you avoid using the excuse of how ‘the 18th floor was discounted.’”

Jiang MingYue: “When I was booking rooms, there really were no other open rooms… Maybe someone canceled their reservations afterward…”

Mo Yi: “That’s valid, you have a point.”

[About Her Timeline]

MC: “Do you remember the exact time CEO Shen ate the chocolate at the banquet?”

Jiang MingYue: “It should be a quarter after seven, I think.”

MC: “And you’re sure?”

Jiang MingYue: “Yes. The fashion week’s organizer’s speech was scheduled to start at 7:20 PM, so I was watching the time.”

~~~Flashback~~~

▌Saturday Night, 7:15 PM

Jiang MingYue: “CEO Shen, the organizer’s speech is about to start, you…”

Shen Xi: “Got it, go find Chairman Zhang and remind him.”

(Shen Xi spoke while unwrapping the box of liquor chocolates in Jiang MingYue‘s hand.)

Shen Xi: “Although CEO Lu’s got a ways to go when it comes to doing business, he sure has a good eye for chocolate.”

Lu JingHe: “As long as CEO Shen likes them. Please enjoy those at your leisure, I’ll take my leave for the night.”

(Shen Xi’s fingertips were capped with melted chocolate. Just as she was looking for a napkin, Lu JingHe made his way over to her. Shen Xi, holding one hand in midair, felt awkward as to whether she should bring her dirtied fingers back down to her side. Just then, a server passed by Lu JingHe, who plucked a tissue off of the tray and handed it to Shen Xi.)

Shen Xi: “Thank you, CEO Lu. You’re a busy man, so I won’t keep you any longer.”

(Shen Xi accepted the napkin and wiped her hand without causing extra attention and raised her brow at Jiang MingYue.)

Shen Xi: “MingYue, send off CEO Lu in my place. I’ll go and inform Chairman Zhang myself.”

(Shen Xi nodded and turned to leave.)

Jiang MingYue: “CEO Lu, CEO Shen is quite busy tonight. Please don’t mind her attitude and allow me to see you off…”

~~~Flashback Ends~~~

MC: “Then when did the banquet end? Excluding the time when CEO Shen was eating the chocolates, did you have the box in your hands at the time?”

Jiang MingYue: “The banquet ended at 8:30 PM as scheduled, but I didn’t hold the box of chocolates for the entire time. After I saw CEO Lu off for the night, CEO Shen mentioned that the chocolates were a little melted when she ate it and told me to bring the chocolates back to her room’s mini cooler.”

Mo Yi: “What time did you stop by?”

Jiang MingYue: “It was around 7:30 PM, although when I was coming back from her room, I ran into an accident.”

~~~Flashback~~~

▌Saturday Night, 7:40 PM

Server: “Ah! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! Miss, are you alright!”

(Jiang MingYue finished placing the chocolates in the fridge. On her way back to the banquet a server carrying a tray collided into her.)

Jiang MingYue: “What are you carrying? No way it’s....”

Server: “It’s chocolate sauce.”

Jiang MingYue: “Shoot!”

(Jiang MingYue hurriedly grabbed napkins from a table and scrubbed at the chocolate sauce spilled on her wrist.)

Server: “Miss, are you okay? Do I need to escort you back to your suite?”

Jiang MingYue: “I’ll head up myself. If the hotel has any rash medication or creams, please send it up to room 1713.”

~~~Flashback Ends~~~

Mo Yi: “After you cleaned up and finally returned to the banquet, what time was it?”

Jiang MingYue: “It was almost 8:00 PM when I returned. After the server brought me the medicated cream, he took my soiled dress for dry cleaning. If you don’t believe me, you can check their records.”

MC: “After the banquet ended, what did you do? When was the last time you saw Shen Xi?”

Jiang MingYue: “I was with CEO Shen when she saw all the guests off. I returned her room key to her, and left to rest in my room. We parted ways when the elevator reached the 17th floor, around 9:00 PM. That was when I saw CEO Shen last.”

Mo Yi: “Shen Xi’s room key was in your possession?”

Jiang MingYue: “That’s right. CEO Shen doesn’t like to carry purses or clutches at banquets so her room key and her phone were in my bag. After I changed my clothes and returned to the banquet hall, I never left CEO Shen’s side.”

[About anyone with access to the chocolates]

MC: “Miss. Jiang, lastly I need to reaffirm that, besides CEO Shen and yourself, was there anyone else who was able to come into contact with that box of chocolates last night?”

Jiang MingYue: “Let me think…”

(Jiang MingYue looked down in contemplation.)

Jiang MingYue: “After thinking about it, no, there’s no one else. There was only CEO Shen and me. Of course, if CEO Lu was able to unwrap the box and then repackage it, I can’t say for certain.”

~~~Interrogation End~~~

MC: “From the police, I heard that you were the one who found CEO Shen this morning?”

Jiang MingYue: “It was me. The overseas fabric manufacturer had urgent matters to talk to CEO Shen about. Around 7:40 AM this morning, I picked up their call and went upstairs to find her, but I couldn’t reach her cell phone nor did she answer me when I knocked on the door.”

Mo Yi: “So by the time you found the hotel staff to open the suite door, that was when you discovered Shen Xi’s body?”

Jiang MingYue: “It’s as you said…”

MC: “Alright, Miss. Jiang, that’s all the questions I have for you.”

(After we finished the questioning, Jiang MingYue stood up and saw that there had been officers standing behind us all this time.)

Jiang MingYue: “Can I head back now? After everything that's happened, CEO Shen’s family is still uninformed and there’s a lot of things I need to handle.”

Officer: “Sorry Miss. Jiang, you’re still a suspect in the case and we’ll need to take you back to the station with us.”

Jiang MingYue: “It’s not me, it’s really not me…”

Mo Yi: “Sorry, if it’s possible without obstructing protocol, may we have a second look at the crime scene before you detain Miss. Jiang?”

Officer: “Dr. Mo, you did not finish questioning the suspect?”

Mo Yi: “There are a couple of things I’d like to ask and verify. But I can see that Miss. Jiang is already exhausted, I would like her to rest for a bit before we continue. In the meantime…”

(Mo Yi looked at me, his eyes seemingly allowing me to finish his sentence and decide our next step.)

MC: “Officer, in the meantime, please allow us to see the crime scene again.”

Officer: “Alright, follow me.”

(The officer halted Jiang MingYue as she was trying to follow us out.)

Officer: “Miss. Jiang, I ask that you cooperate and remain in this room for the time being.”

(Jiang MingYue returned to sit at the office chair, held the cushion to her chest and sobbed quietly. As Mo Yi and I left the room, a hot breath tickled my neck. Mo Yi’s calm voice spoke into my ear.)

Mo Yi: “Just then, she was lying.”

——-

[Previous Part] | [Masterlist] | [Next Part]

——-

《CREDIT》 Translator: Humi​​ Editor: @cL QC: @hallowsivy​ 《未定事件簿》Tears of Themis is a 2020 Chinese otome game by 米哈游Mihoyo. All original credits go to 米哈游Mihoyo.

《 VOICE ACTORS 》 Mo Yi | Jiang GuangTao: https://weibo.com/jiangguangtao Lu JingHe | Yang Tianxiang: https://weibo.com/u/1745507755 Yan Wei: https://weibo.com/lengquanyeyue Jiang MingYue | V17-Vila: https://weibo.com/u/7360408881

[hellsparadiseessays]

Aza Brothers Week - Day 3

Part II of my essay on the Aza Brothers, initially posted on r/Jigokuraku back in April/May. Reading it again cracks me up tbh, I usually suck at guessing authors’ intents, but this time it seems I managed to be right on pretty much everything, which still blows my mind. More under the cut!

Aza bros, an analysis – Part II: an essay on Tao, Lord Tensen and how Chôbe may not die so soon

As a disclaimer, three things need to be mentioned. First, thy enter spoiler territory; flee while thy can, new reader! Second, I am not Japanese/Chinese nor raised in Japan/China, so my take is solely based on the academic documents I read, what I know and what I understand. If there’s a mistake in my understanding, please, feel free to address it. Third, English is not my native language, so while I’m fluent in it, I don’t promise a 100% quality and may make some grammar mistakes here and there. On this note, let’s start a needlessly academic write up. I hope you’ll deem it an enjoyable or educative read.

The first part of this essay focused on Chôbe and Toma, their dynamic and how society keeps influencing them despite their rejection of it. Now that this whole part about their past and present is explained, we can turn our attention towards the potential future for them. Well, mostly for Chôbe, since this part of the essay has been modified in light of chapter 54, which gave us Toma’s immediate goal: getting stronger by training with Tamiya, so he can save his brother (and be on equal foot with him, especially when it comes to murdering everybody - Toma, you sneaky bastard, ily but be careful, Shion may be onto you). Things may not end up being that easy considering a whole boat full of ninjas is on its merry way to get Gabimaru’s head, but hey, the group may split up as a consequence of this specific mess. Considering that, the second part of the essay on our good brothers will be focused on Tao, Chôbe and Lord Tensen, and will be more opinion-based than the previous one (though textual evidences will be brought up to explain said opinions).

1. What is Tao and how does it work?

Tao has been defined both in-story and through u/gamria’s posts on this very subreddit (latest post here), so I will mostly sum things up a bit before going on yet another long rant about Chôbae.

Like Gamria summed up, Tao irl means “The Way” and is tied to a philosophy of life that allows one to live in harmony with the world. This state of perfection can be reached through various exercises involving alchemy, physiology and even specific sexual practices to prolong one’s life and reach immortality.

Now I’m not explaining further because you have the aforementioned essays on that matter, and because I’m having trouble wrapping my head around it so giving a clear explanation is tough. Instead, let’s see which elements of Taoism can be found in Jigokuraku and how they are explained in-story.

• Yin and Yang: they represent the duality between everything. Shion explains it well: "Tapping into this power demands a balanced spirit. Not too intense... Not too tranquil...”, “the interstice between rage and serenity... That duality. You must push your spirit to reach such a state.” (chapter 29) Lord Tensen also exemplifies it by switching between feminine and masculine – the energies represented by Yin and Yang.

• Tao: separated from Chi in the manga, yet with a similar function. It’s the life force that, once mastered, allows one to gain strength and perform notably better in battle (among other things).

• Waidan: the Outer Alchemy, one of the two forms of Taoist alchemy. It involves the use and mix of various elements found in nature (mineral, vegetal, animal) and constitutes a way to reach immortality. We’ve seen a lot of examples of it since our band of misfits arrived on the island: the Soshin, Monshin, the way Tan is produced, even Lord Tensen themselves – they are born from the mix between various elements found in nature, to produce something new that ranges from the technical fodder half human-half animal to a sort of elixir of life (Tan) based on humans mixed with plants to Lord Tensen (half plant-half human, with a very precise choice of plant to maximise the potential of Yin and Yang – and thus, of Tao – by having beings that are physically hermaphrodite).

• Neidan: the Inner Alchemy, the other form of Taoist alchemy. A mix of Waidan, cosmology and the Five Elements, it’s a system that makes one perceive their body as a cauldron in which the Three Treasures (Jing – Essence, Qi – Breath, Shen – Spirit) are worked in a manner that’ll allow a physical and emotional improvement through unity, leading to the immortality sought by Taoism.

• Five Elements: we literally got drawings and explanations about that one in the manga, so TL;DR it’s the sequence of Wood – Fire – Earth – Metal – Water constantly generating positive or negative interactions in a cyclic way. Wood feeds Fire, the Ash becomes Earth, from the Earth is born Metal, Metal can bear Water, Water makes Wood grow. Wood cracks Earth, Fire bends Metal, Earth absorbs Water, Metal cuts Wood, Water puts Fire out. These elements are also associated with seasons (Wood/Spring, Fire/Summer, Earth/late Summer (harvests), Metal/Autumn, Water/Winter) as well as moods, planets, colours or even Cardinal directions. As explained by the characters, everybody has one type dominating the others, and can act accordingly to it – be it by figuring out the appropriate strategy in a fight or understanding from which place X physical issue comes from, how to heal it and so on.

I’m probably missing some things, but that’s what caught my attention according to what I gathered from external sources and what I noticed in the manga. I’ll use these points to explain my personal take on Chôbe’s strength and what his future may look like, as well points out some interesting details about Lord Tensen and the way things seem to go in Hourai.

2. Lord Tensen: office politics is also a thing in Paradise

The island, described as Paradise and the place where the Elixir of Life can be found, truly is an amusing place. Its inhabitants are so human, no matter how much they try to get past this condition through all the means they can. First, you have people like Hoko, unfortunate souls who’ve been thoroughly manipulated and clearly seen as utter fools by Lord Tensen. Then you have the Soshin and Monshin, who’re seen as nothing more than failures. Then you have the Doshi, the disciples, who’re not there yet but fine enough to be the optional servants of Lord Tensen. Then you have the seven forms of Lord Tensen, which have displayed individual characteristics in their appearance, abilities and personalities. Zhu Jin is mocked for his loss against Shion (and his loss of Tao as well, which resulted in his body looking older), Ju Fa clearly has a short fuse and a violent disposition, Mu Dan is the local Mad Scientist who’s ready to give one’s a chance if one’s shows the potential for it (hi, Yuzuriha), Ratana Taisei seems to be the local mood maker and Rien is the leader (and Mad Scientist-in-Chief) who’s obeyed by the others without questions. However, Rien doesn’t seem to just be in charge of his fellow Tensen, it looks like he’s also in charge of overseeing the entire island. He’s the one showing distrust about Ju Fa’s confirmation on whether or not Chôbe and Toma were dealt with, and he’s the one who sent one of the Doshi to make sure they were Tan material. Later, when Mu Dan is killed (and since the Doshi sent to the Tan pit didn’t come back), he takes matters into his own hands and that’s how he ends up meeting Chôbe.

And let’s not forget Mei, who’s a proper wrench in the entire system by running around instead of being used as Bochu Jutsu material by the Doshi. No matter how seemingly godly Lord Tensen is, they clearly cannot foresee the consequences their actions may have. Ju Fa’s brutality may cause a rift among the seven, Rien accidentally gave free informations to our band of misfits by banishing Mei for her impurity, forcing her to consume Tan and giving her to the Doshi – thus creating a resentment that’ll come back to bite his backside, probably in the form of a small, fire-using ninja and his gang.

Considering these observations about the local politics of Kotaku, we can consider Chôbe’s future from a perspective larger than the one we get from a single weekly read of the new chapters.

3. Chôbe’s strength and potential: impure or new step forward?

Even before he sets a foot on Kotaku, Chôbe’s strength is pointed out when he literally kicks a man 6 feet in the air. The lad’s crazy physical strength is made obvious first during the fight against the other criminals, then when he deals with the Soshin and even picks a giant axe to clear the place more easily (funnily enough, that axe belonged to an Oni-like Soshin, the implications for Chôbe are amusing).

But the real deal about Chôbe’s potential becomes evident during the fight against the Doshi. After having been thrown in the Tan pit and having been somewhat invaded by the plants here, a shift happened and Chôbe became able to wield and read Tao. Not perfectly, but he picked up on it awfully fast, the Doshi openly acknowledged it in chapter 30: “this man is powerful, and yet considerably fatigued. It takes all he has to remain standing. This is only a bluff, a glimpse at his Tao reveals as much” at the beginning of the fight (considering the siblings had been beaten and thrown into the Tan pit some time before, it’s expected for Chôbe to be tired), “he possesses the aptitude, but has far to go” later during their fight, and he even uses the word “astounding” twice in relation to Chôbe’s fighting abilities. In chapter 31, a swift change happens in the way the Doshi perceives Chôbe: “this man’s Tao... It seems to have grown... In such a short period of time?” and “I can tell... This man is dangerous. A threat to Lord Tensen. He must be killed here. Now.” The Doshi even considers Chôbe’s progress and almost instantaneous understanding of the way to wield Tao “impossible”. Well, looks like it is possible when you’re the ever observant Aza Chôbe. Because that man may look and act like a beast, but he is far from being one – save for the fight against Gabimaru (during which he lost his mental balance), he demonstrated how clear his mind is during a fight, and do you know how he started understanding the way Tao works? By seeing it with his right eye. The blind one. As soon as we see him figure it all out, a panel is dedicated to this eye, wide open with a faintly visible pupil. That means he managed to calmly pull off what Shion has been doing for years while in the middle of a fight. Later, during his fight against Gabimaru, he went even further by managing to instinctively master his new form: he managed to turn his left arm into a sort of giant axe, thus showing the readers how he’s slowly managing to transcend his condition as a puny human.

Considering point 2 and what has been aforementioned, we can thus draw some conclusions about the path that may await Chôbe.

First, his growth relies on the balance between his rage and his calm (Professor Shion worded it perfectly), so while I’m not worrying too much about Toma for now, the same may not be said of Chôbe. I was thinking that before, but in light of chapter 54 and Toma’s decision, I suspect Chôbe may need Toma much more than Toma needs him. Plus, while his brother was protected and had time to swallow all the terrible things that happened to them, the same cannot be said of Chôbe, who still has a lot of hangs up (see Part I of this essay), the very hangs up that had him lose his mind while fighting Gabimaru. The entire scene when he finds himself facing that dark mass intrigues me. Is it the result of an imbalance, or the effect of the vines and consumption of Soshin blood that changed something in him? It was a stark opposition with the way Gabimaru’s flashbacks are expressed: while Gabi’s flashbacks tend to have this light about them, Chôbe’s flashback was dark, confused, suffocating. Seeing it caused Chôbe to not see Gabimaru anymore, and just lash out at everything that hurt him regardless of its nature. Our Bandit King will probably have to face all that to find a proper balance and gain further mastery over his new found abilities.

I mentioned the consumption of Soshin blood to stay hydrated, and this is my second point about Chôbe’s potential fate. We could suspect it with the way Tan is produced and consumed by Lord Tensen, but chapter 54 was clear about it: to survive, living beings full of Tao must be consumed, and that’s exactly what Chôbe did out of survival. Rien qualified him of “impure”, just like Mei (who needs to consume Tao from an external source to avoid arborification and had her Tanden destroyed), which has been treated like a failure. But does it really mean Chôbe is a failure? Remember, the Doshi openly found him amazing and even dangerous for Lord Tensen. So where Rien saw failure in Mei, will he see the same in Chôbe? Considering the short amount of time spent on the island (3-4 days), and considering Rien is one of the local Mad Scientists, it is possible that he’ll pick on Chôbe’s abnormal abilities and will take note of it. Maybe he’ll even take him to Hourai, where I’m sure Ratana Taisei would be delighted to meet him again – remember the encounter with her and Ju Fa, back in chapter 16? Taisei openly expressed her interest in Chôbe (“he’s cute”), and we already saw what was going on in the Palace (a literal pool to train and private beds for some Bochu Jutsu). Considering Yuzuriha nearly had a taste of it with Mu Dan, I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if it was what actually happened to Chôbe. The one thing that worries me about his situation is the issue with arborification, which may or may not end up being a long-term problem for him depending on what may happen if he goes to the Palace and learn more about Tao.

But do you know what would be hilarious about the entire situation with Lord Tensen? Considering his unruly nature and sneaky behaviour (in chapter 30, he stayed down and waited for the Doshi to approach before ripping his throat out), I wouldn’t put it past Chôbe to play the card of the wolf among sheeps, stealing what Lord Tensen has to offer before wrecking some havoc in the Palace. That would be fitting of a Bandit King, don’t you think?

Well, this is all for now, I guess? Like I said, this second part is more me giving my opinion and taking wild guesses based on what I noticed in the manga. It’s also me ranting about Chôbe, because of course that’s what I do ever since I discovered that amazing character. I hope you found this read enjoyable or informative, a part 3 may happen depending on the material we get. In the mean time, I’m totally expecting UG to contradict some of the speculations I made. Oh well, we’ll see. I don’t even think I’ll be mad, because his handling of the story until now has been 10/10 to be honest. Re-reading the manga told me that much.

[trbl-will-find-me]

A Guide to Dressing Your Upstart Resistance

AKA Part 3/(hopefully) 3 in FIRAXIS, WE GOTTA TALK ABOUT TEXTILES AND CLOTHING. You can read Part 1 and Part 2 here, if you want to see how this escalated.

So, high points:

- XCOM, logically, should not have a ‘uniform,’ per se. Central, Shen, Tygan, and haven civilians are all great examples of how, given the constraints of ADVENT, people on the fringe dress (i.e. they throw together what’s available and adapt it as necessary). - ADVENT is still, logically, producing and refining raw materials into commercial textiles. From what we see in game, many of these textiles appear to be synthetic in nature. Mass manufactured clothing still exists.

- If you aren’t in a city center, you have five potential ways to get clothing: (1) stolen off of ADVENT transports (2) bartered for among havens (3) been passed down from before the Invasion (4) come from raided houses/shops/other pre-Invasion locations (5) been made within the havens (e.g. knit, crochet, hand sewn)

- Ready? Let’s go. Living off grid, for our purposes, means dressing for that outdoors/hiking life, yo. What that functionally means will depend on climate.

In general, synthetic fabrics over natural. Synthetics dry faster and will wick moisture. I pestered my resident outdoormsan (Pacific Northwest & Central PA backpacker) into some basic guidelines. -The goal is never to be too hot or too cold, especially if you’re in a cooler environment. Layers are your friend.

That means, if you’re in colder climates: -Synthetic base layer, top and bottom: -Synthetic tee shirt -Synthetic long sleeve shirt -Middle jacket (e.g. a fleece) -Shell (heavy wind & waterproof jacket)

The colder it is, the more layers you’ll want or want to have available --- and no one’s exactly living in the lap of luxury. -But that’s an ideal. Practically, you may not be able to get all of that. In which case, your intrepid XCOM volunteer/haven dweller is going to want wool. Wool is warm, it breathes, and it will hold heat even when wet. There’s a reason it’s been such a useful fiber through history. Hell, even as a non-outdoorsy person, I have had wool socks come in real handy when my boots leaked in the middle of a very slushy, snowy New York City afternoon. Wool undergarments, sweaters, coats, socks, etc. have historically been important in dealing with the cold. While you’ll still need layers, and will still want synthetics, wool is a nice option --- except when you really, really need it to dry quickly.

- You’ll also need to be able to have waterproof layers. This is really important for both hot and cold climates --- sitting in wet things for extended periods of time is ... not great. Tim O’Brien’s works, including Going After Cacciato and The Things They Carried, touch on what happens when you’re dealing with hot and wet in clothes that don’t dry quickly. Spoiler alert: it ain’t pleasant. For overcoats, if you can’t get synthetics, garbardine, oil cloth, or waxed canvas may also offer some amount of protection.

-Yes, in theory, you could cut apart a lot (a lot) of umbrellas and piece them back together as a coat/tarp, if need be. It would be time consuming and you would need a pattern of someone who knew how to drape. Not beyond possibility, though.

- In warmer climates, there is both the concern of needing protective clothing and clothing that won’t overheat you. Again, the primary answer here is synthetics. Historically, however, linen and cotton have also been useful in these climates. But again, linen and cotton aren’t moisture wicking. Please see the above point about extended time in wet things.

So, other than hiking/outdoors gear, what else will be useful and available where clothing is concerned? Vintage militaria and military surplus. These things are made tough and would be available from raiding homes, stores --- hell, even museums, if you’re alright with that. They’ll wear well and won’t wear out, assuming they can be cared for sort of properly.

Underfunded resistance is also probably relying on pre-Invasion tactical webbing and kevlar fabric/plating for its armor --- when it can be found. It’s probably a pretty significant luxury; almost no one in the havens would have it.

Accessories, theoretically, have a lot of room for personalization, especially as they’re more likely to be made in havens or be survivors from the pre-Invasion days. Hats, scarves, gloves, etc. offer more room and flexibility in terms of what you can get away with.

Given all this variety, one thing emerges: man, are matching uniforms gonna be hard to pull off. You *can* make hand-embroidered patches, and having one of those for each crew member is feasible --- and is probably the closest thing ot matchy-matchy you’ll get under the constraints Firaxis has imposed.

tl;dr Hiking and outdoors gear. Military surplus. Fit in wild/ridiculous things as necessary. Turn your upstart resistance into a hodge podge of sensible outdoors gear and whatever they can fish from the annals of fashion history.

[dustellar]

Yamcha is a joke... it's internet fault?

First of all I want to say that I used to be a fan of Yamcha... yeah, USED! because the current version is just a joke, a character used only for humorous purposes and in a bad way if we consider that is at his expense, I used to be fan of the Old Yamcha, back when Dragon Ball was a little more about adventures than about defeating the powerful villain of the week, at that time we met Yamcha... a badass bandit and the first “Z-fighter” to fight Goku, a character with cool design, a sword, with a cat companion before cats were popular, with interesting motivations and traits (gynophobia) and with the most epic melee technique in the history of Dragon Ball... Rōgafūfūken (Wolf Fang Fist)

Then he met Bulma, overcame his fear and abandoned his old life (and weapons) to become... Bulma’s boyfriend, from that moment that was his unique contribution to the history of Dragon Ball, his role! of course he kept training but in his own way, not going to train with Master Roshi the first time he met him was a big mistake because the difference of powers between him and Goku increased a lot, Krillin became the new "rival of power” in Goku's life, during the tournament Yamcha had the bad luck to face Jackie Chun/Roshi in his first fight, something that would be repeated in following tournament so we could say that he was cannon fodder to face the most powerful (Jackie Chun/Roshi, Tenshinhan) or mysterious character (Shen/Kami) of the moment... everything changed in the fight against the Invisible Man (maybe the greatest fight triumph in the life of Yamcha) and Bandages the Mummy, this last fight was very good, seriously, Yamcha demonstrated all his skill like fighter and his ingenuity, but it wasn’t enough... it was time to train with Roshi!

Oh yeah, it's time for the next tournament... Yamcha advanced a lot, I dare to say that he was even stronger than Krillin but that is my personal opinion, his fight was very good overall, but unfortunately it was against Tenshinhan, the “villain” of the tournament aka the strongest after Goku, the outcome of the fight was humiliating for him, but had an achievement in the middle... Yamcha became the 4th character to learn and use the Kamehameha (Roshi, Grandpa Gohan, Goku), after the tournament we could have had some cool development because he thought he was the only surviving warrior and therefore the only one who could stop King Piccolo but his broken leg prevented his participation in the conflict and that definitely saved his life, we could consider as an achievement survived the attack of Tambourine but it was just a matter of luck.

Thanks to his training with Karin, he returned to the next tournament with great new techniques and a great haircut... unfortunately he faced the mysterious Shen (who was Kami in "disguise") but that didn't prevent him from showing us another great technique that unfortunately we haven't seen enough... Sōkidan (Spirit Ball), after this tournament his next big fight would be the cause of years of bullying and jokes against him and his ability to fight, in other words... a meme!

Behold... Yamcha's Death Pose! yeah, the fight that truly ruined Yamcha's fighter career but let's be honest, he wouldn’t be what he is if it not were for this fight, for this image of him! and let's be even more honest, it wasn't his inability to fight what made him lose but underestimate the enemy, another case of him being used as cannon fodder, because although Tenshinhan was the first to fight against a Saibamen... nobody knew about their ability to self-destruct, anyway! after that we didn't have moments of Yamcha fighting (except the filler episode where he defeats Recoome) but he was still Bulma’s boyfriend and therefore an important secondary character of Dragon Ball, but everything changed when the “Badman” attacked...

When Vegeta entered Bulma's life and pregnant her in few months (damn!), Yamcha was without a purpose... that happens when you're a bad boyfriend, although Vegeta wasn't a good husband and father neither if we consider that he practically left his family to go to train in space and when returned he didn't care if Dr. Gero kills them or not... but well, I already talked about this and the great development for good that Vegeta had over the years, talking about Gero, Yamcha become his first Z-Fighter victim (another case of cannon fodder lol) and then he became even more a support character than a fighter, participating in the fight against the Cell Jr only because there was no other option, another humiliating defeat but let's be honest, except Gohan the only one who fought well against them was Piccolo! during the Majin Buu Saga his participation was more than null, highlighting his fight against Olibu but as it was a filler episode with even more filler characters, well...

His next great “feat” was be the first non-saiyan to hit Beerus although he didn't participate in the fight, then he wasn't considered to fight against Frieza soldiers, but for some stupid and inconsistent reason Master Roshi was able to fight them, you know, that character that was less powerful than Yamcha, Chiaotzu and even Yajirobe... anyway! his non-participation in the Tournament of Power doesn't annoy me if we consider that techniques and strategies are almost as important as the power, in that Master Roshi is much superior to Yamcha and I dare to say to all the Z-Fighters, although to be honest, would have been a great opportunity to “Make Yamcha G̶r̶e̶a̶t̶ Average Again” I mean...

Don't tell me that wouldn't have been awesome see Yamcha with his Wolf Fang Fist alongside Tenshinhan and Krillin in the Boogie Back Ending! but well, they chose go “full joke“ with him and now he’s waiting for Goku to recruit him, maybe Yamcha finally found his role in Dragon Ball, a role he lost when he stopped being Bulma's boyfriend... I don’t know, anyway, in conclusion, Yamcha is a joke? yes! he was always a joke? no! he was a loser, but never a joke! it's internet fault? a little but it doesn't matter anymore because I doubt Yamcha can once again become an important warrior unless... you know what would be cool and crazy? that a new enemy appears on Earth during the tournament and only Yamcha can stop him because Goten and Trunks can't leave the Island of Android 17, then everyone returns and no one knows of the heroic struggle of Yamcha against the new force of evil :P not a great idea, but would be hilarious xD

[theshatteredrose]

How about Lynus having a sick day~?

AN: Ok, this oneshot took a life of its own. It’s over four thousand words long and I kept going back and changing things because I kept thinking of cuter and fluffier ideas! D: I lose control when it comes to Lynus and fluff, it seems. Ah, who cares? Hope you enjoy reading!

Some Well Deserved Pampering

Lynus had never been all that self-aware of his own health. His healing abilities would abruptly drop in strength whenever it came to healing himself. It was something he had been meaning to work on for a while now. It was just…he always had better things to do. More important things to do.

Even so, when he woke up that morning, his head pounding from a migraine, his throat dry and sore, his joints aching, he knew that he could not just brush it aside like he had done numerous times before. He was sick with a fever. A fever meant an infection somewhere. A cold, perhaps. Or maybe it was due to stress? Probably from not eating enough or something. It could even be due to the sudden change in weather. Maybe even…

Lynus was pulled from his jumbled musings when something soft and cool was suddenly placed against his forehead. Forcing his eyes to open, he rolled his head to the side to see Axel sitting on a chair pulled close to his bed. Though his vision was blurred, he could easily make out the worry on Axel’s face.

“Axel?” Lynus murmured, briefly surprised by how croaky his voice sounded.

“Hey,” Axel said as he leaned back into his seat, his smile a mixture of relief and concern. “How are you feeling?”

Lynus furrowed his brow when he realised that he had a moist cloth resting against his forehead. “What time is it?” he asked as he wiggled out a hand to gently touch at the cloth.

“It’s about 10am.”

“What? I slept in?” Lynus asked, his eyes widening in surprise. He tried to sit up, but instantly regretted it when the throbbing in his head intensified causing the room to tilt on its axis and he fell onto his side back onto the bed.

Axel immediately placed his hand on his shoulder which prompted Lynus to stop moving and to focus his attention on him once more. “Do you remember our conversation earlier this morning?” he unexpectedly asked.

Lynus looked at him in confusion. “Conversation?”

Axel pressed his lips together in a thin line, clearly displeased. “I’m getting Dr Stiles,” he said as he made the motion to stand up from his chair.

“N-no, don’t,” Lynus all but pleaded as he reached out to snare a grip on Axel’s shirt. “He’s a busy man. I’m fine, really.”

Axel sighed as he reached out to place his hands on either side of Lynus’ face and looked sternly into his eyes. “Lynus, you are a wonderful medic to all but yourself.”

It took a moment or two for the words to register in Lynus’ mind before he winced lightly. He really couldn’t argue with that. “Dr Stiles will be mad at me,” he murmured instead, actually quite afraid of seeing that stern, disapproving glare from his mentor.

The corner of Axel’s mouth twitched into a half smile. “I’ll protect you from him,” he said as he gently rubbed his thumb against Lynus’ left cheek bone.

Despite himself, Lynus laughed, even though it hurt his throat to do so. “No, really,” he insisted as he placed his hands atop of Axel’s. “I promise I’ll do absolutely nothing today.”

“Is there anything we can do?” Axel asked him as he pulled back his hands.

Lynus flopped back down onto the bed and held his forehead, the cooling cloth that had once been sitting there having slipped off when he tried to get up. “Let me think for a sec…” he murmured as his head was aching so much that he couldn’t concentrate.

“Imagine if it were someone else,” Axel suggested as he picked up the moist cloth and carefully placed it back upon Lynus’ forehead, offering him small form of relief. “Like Magnus or Macerio. Or even me. What would you do?”

Lynus raised his hand as he counted with his fingers. “Rest for recovery; medicine for headache; fluids for hydration; warmth for comfort; and cool cloth for fever.”

Axel was silent for a moment. “It should probably be amusing that you responded so quickly. But it’s not.”

Lynus grimaced. He was truly terrible at taking care and looking after himself, wasn’t he? “Sorry.”

Axel released an audible sigh as he gently raked his fingers through Lynus’ hair. “We can start to work on that later,” he said, his fingers soothingly massaging his scalp, his touch lulling him to a relaxed state. Lynus could easily fall asleep from the gentle touch alone.

“But, for now,” Axel continued. “It’s our turn to take care of your for once.”

Lynus smiled softly when the words slowly sunk in through his headache induced fog laden mind. He found himself snuggling willingly into the bedsheets when he felt Axel gently caress his cheeks before placing a soft, but warm kiss to his lips.

Content in the knowledge that everything will be fine, Lynus drifted off to sleep.

… … … … …

Lynus didn’t know how much time had passed when he had awoken from a somewhat fitful sleep by the feel of something quite cold being dabbed against his forehead. He opened his eyes, finding the sensation at first startling but then soothing, and rolled his head to the side slightly as to keep the cloth in place. He had expected to see Axel ever dutifully sitting by his bedside, instead he saw a certain blond-haired alchemist.

“S-sorry, is it too cold?” Magnus immediately squeaked when he realised Lynus was awake and abruptly folded his hands on his lap. “I-I used my ice magic to cool the water.”

“It’s soothing, thank you,” Lynus said in response, smiling at him.

Magnus looked relieved and it showed significantly in his smile. “I also brought some mint leaves, but you have a headache, right? Shen said that m-mint leaves are supposed to be cooling, but h-he also said the smell could be overpowering and…”

Oh? Magnus was actually blabbering. He really was adorable, wasn’t he?

“Hm,” Lynus hummed as he thought for a moment. “A couple of leaves in the cool water won’t hurt. Thank you.”

Magnus nodded his head eagerly as he pivoted in his seat and turned to pick up a few small mint leaves and drop them in a dish of water. “D-do you need anything else?” Magnus asked as he retrieved the compression cloth and placed it into the bowl to soak in for a while.

Lynus’ first instinct was to say no, he was fine, to not to worry anymore about him. But…allowing for others to care for him, allowing them to feel as though they were contributing to his health would give them the chance to feel as though they were giving something back to him, for all the times he cared for them when they were sick or injured. The need to feel wanted and useful; he couldn’t deny them that simply, but powerful desire.

“Could I have some water to drink?” Lynus asked as he pushed himself up slightly, moving slowly so not to cause himself any light-headedness and nausea from the movement.

“Yes,” Magnus immediately said with a smile before turning to do just that.

Lynus watched him as he silently moved about and couldn’t help but notice how…happy he looked to be of service for him. It was rare for Lynus to be on the receiving end of fussing and concern, except for a few occasions. He was the healer, after all. He was the one who did all the fussing about. So being on the other end of such attention…well, it was a learning curve for him that was for sure.

“Thank you,” Lynus said as he retrieved the cup of cool water from Magnus, wrapping both his hands tightly around it

As he took a sip, he was startled to realise how dry his mouth and throat was. The desire to drink the rest of the water quickly had to be subdued as he didn’t want to choke on the water itself. Having a coughing fit in front of Magnus would most likely scare the gentle alchemist.

After drinking as much as felt comfortable, Lynus gave Magnus a small smile as he handed back the cup before lying back down in bed.

Magnus placed the cup aside before he reached for the cloth still soaking in the bowl of water, wrung it out tightly and placed it back upon Lynus’ forehead. With his throat feeling slightly better and the cloth cooling is feverish face, Lynus found himself drifting back to sleep quite quickly. Although, just before he did, he felt someone grasp his hand softly and gently rubbing the back of his hand.

… … … … …

Lynus was fairly certain that only a couple of hours had passed since he had fallen asleep again. He stayed curled up in bed as he was warm and comfortable. He couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty, though, staying in bed and doing nothing.

The sound of his door opening and two hushed voices prompted Lynus to open his eyes and look over at the door of his room. He couldn’t help but allow a smile to appear on his lips when he realised that the voices he had heard belonged to Lirit and Macerio, the two most likely debating on whether or not it was ok to enter his room and potentially disturb him from his recuperation.

“Macerio, Lirit,” Lynus called out as he rolled onto his side. “I can hear you two.”

Lirit immediately whirled around to face him, a truly apologetic expression on his face. “Sorry,” he said as he and Macerio walked sheepishly into the room. “Did we wake you?”

Lynus shook his head as he smiled reassuringly at the two. “No, I was already half awake. Really.”

“How are you feeling?” Macerio asked as he fidgeted somewhat nervously in front of him, his hands toying with a button on his coat.

“Ah, a little restless to be honest,” Lynus replied as he managed to push himself upright, sitting up for the first time that day. “Lying in bed is getting a bit tedious, to be honest.”

Lirit unexpectedly frowned at him. “No, I won’t allow you access to any of your books.”

Despite himself, Lynus laughed. “Honestly, I wasn’t trying. I would like some company, though.”

Both Lirit and Macerio smiled, Lirit in an understanding manner while Macerio looked relieved. Macerio then unexpectedly began to prop pillows behind Lynus’ back to allow him to rest upright against them while Lirit moved across the room to pick up the cardigan that had been resting over the back of another chair. He then draped it over Lynus’ back before he pulled it close against his shoulders.

“You need to keep warm,” he said with a small smile on his lips.

Macerio then plonked himself down upon the chair that was closest to Lynus’ bed while Lirit perched himself on the edge of the bed. The two then started chatting aimlessly about what they had been doing that morning, how everyone took the news when Axel told everyone that Lynus was sick, and what they were going to do after Lynus was feeling better.

Lynus only participated lightly to their chatting, but it was nice being able to listen to the two nonetheless. Their voices and the way they regarded each other was a good kind of distracting. It made him forget for a little while how crappy he had felt.

It actually made him wonder if he could talk Dr Stiles into extending visiting hours for the patients at the hospital.

They chatted for an hour or so, Axel popping in and out now and again to see how Lynus was doing, but leaving to allow others of their guild to fuss over him as they wanted. After the umpteenth visit, however, they decided to leave Lynus to get some sleep in peace and quiet.

Lynus, however, found himself unable to settle back down. The bed was suddenly too constrictive and smothering. It was also rather hot and stuffy. And quiet. He knew that warmth and silence was far better for an ill person than the cold and distracting noises were, but he also didn’t want to start sweating and making himself feel even more sticky and uncomfortable.

He sat himself back up in bed and looked around miserably. He was starting to feel a little caged in, to be honest. He needed to at least get up and look around. Just to see how things were with everyone. Oh, he was sure they were perfectly capable of getting through the day without hurting themselves. He just…needed to get up and stretch his legs a little.

Lynus pushed back the blankets and placed his feet upon the floor. He sat on the edge of his bed for a moment as he fussed about putting on a woollen cardigan before he pushed himself to his feet. He had to move slowly as he was still a little lightheaded from the fever, but it felt good to stand up on his own feet and stretch his arms over his head.

Folding the cardigan tightly around himself, Lynus paddled his way over to the door and opened it. He clutched at his cardigan with one hand as he placed the other against the door frame to rest for a moment and to look around. He honestly hadn’t a clue what time it was. Late afternoon, probably.

As Lynus glanced over at the stairs leading to the ground floor, he momentarily wondered how far he would get before someone stopped him and tried to usher him back to his room. But as soon as that thought passed through his mind, the form of a blond-haired survivalist suddenly came into view and their gazes immediately caught one another’s.

“Should you be up?” Tobyn asked as he immediately made his way over to him.

“Sorry, I’m all right,” Lynus replied with a small smile when he noticed that Jhon had been right behind Tobyn, the protector also quickly making his way to stand before Lynus. “I was just starting to get a little stir crazy from staying in bed.”

“Yes, that happens to the best of us, I’m afraid,” Jhon said in an understanding manner before indicating to the stairs with a tilt of his head. “Would you like to sit in the tea room for a while? The fire is going, though.”

Lynus nodded his head and smiled. “Yes, that would be fine. Thank you.”

Jhon immediately offered his arm toward him. “Here. I’ll help you with the stairs.”

Yeah, the stairs would be a problem, wouldn’t it? The last time Lynus walked down them with a headache he fainted midway and could have hurt himself had Tobyn not caught him before he fell down the stairs. He was sure both Tobyn and Jhon remembered that time clearly.

As Lynus sent Jhon a grateful smile and reached out to take his arm for support, Tobyn suggested something completely unexpected, “Just pick him up. It’ll be easier.”

Lynus sent Tobyn a slightly bemused look before turning back to Jhon. “You don’t have-”

Jhon, however, abruptly cut him off by bending forward and effortlessly scooping Lynus up off the floor and into his arms. With an arm around the middle of his back and under his knees, Lynus immediately squeaked out in surprise and embarrassment as he grasped into Jhon’s shoulder out of instinct.

“Wow, you are light,” Jhon murmured, his brow furrowing slightly.

Lynus tried hard not to pout in annoyance. He had to take that with a grain of salt; Jhon was a protector, after all. His strength matched that of Axel’s. Of course he would be light to someone who could easily fend off the attack of a charging foe.

Jhon, thankfully, said nothing else as he turned and carried him breezily down the stairs. Lynus had to admit that Tobyn had a point; being carried was easier than being aided. But not everyone had the strength to literally sweep someone off of their feet. He was sure that Axel would have a laugh with Jhon about it later.

Mostly like after the blond-haired protector made a comment about his weight.

It was unsurprising that the tearoom already had company. Shen was there, attending to the fire place as Chi-hung looked on. They both turned, however, when they heard someone approach and had to do a double take when they realised that it was Jhon who was carrying Lynus.

Lynus flushed lightly in embarrassment at their two slightly bewildered looks, internally grateful that Shen chose not to comment. Instead Shen pushed himself to his feet and nodded his head in greeting at the three of them.

“I’ll go retrieve more firewood,” he said simply.

“Sure,” Jhon replied as he carefully placed Lynus upon the two sitter couch in the middle of the room, offering him warmth as well as leg space should he wish to sprawl out and go to sleep.

“Thanks,” Lynus said to Jhon as he gave him a bashful smile before he quickly turned his attention to the leaving ronin, calling out his name to pull him to a stop. “Ah, Shen? Thanks for recommending the mint leaves to Magnus. They were helpful.”

Again, Shen simply inclined his head in acknowledgement before he continued on his way. But just before he turned to leave, Lynus swore he saw a slight upturning on his lips.

Jhon watched Shen leave with a soft expression of amusement on his face before he turned his attention back to Lynus. “Could you handle having anything to eat?” he asked as Tobyn moved to hover nearby, appearing to want to be useful as well.

Lynus shook his head at Jhon’s question. “Honestly, no, not at the moment,” he said with a slight frown on his lips.

“Something to drink?” Tobyn suggested instead.

Tea sounded like a good idea, actually. “Could you ask Matron to make me some honey tea? It would be good for my sore throat.”

Tobyn seemed to perk up subtly at the prospect of doing something and nodded his head quickly. “I’ll go ask,” he said as he turned on his heel and quickly left the room.

“And I’ll go tell Axel where you are,” Jhon said as he continued to smile that polite, yet somehow amused and understanding smile of his. “We can’t have him wandering into your bedroom and not finding you there, can we?”

Knowing Axel, he was probably already looking for him. “Yes. Thank you.”

“Will you be all right on your own?” Jhon asked.

Lynus smiled softly as he gazed over at the fireplace. “Hm, I’m not on my own, am I, Chi-hung?”

Chi-hung, who had padded over the moment Jhon placed Lynus on the couch, responded by dropping his head upon Lynus’ lap with a purr, earning a small laugh from the medic.

Satisfied, Jhon nodded his head and promised to be back soon before quickly exiting the room as well. He needed worry about Lynus being alone for too long, though, as not a minute after he left and just as Lynus was settling back into his seat, idly rubbing Chi-hung’s ears, a certain pink-haired troubadour bounded into the room.

“Lynus!” Binah said happily as she quickly made her way over to him and all but hopped onto the couch next to him to reach out and hug him quickly. “How are you feeling?”

Lynus smiled warmly at her, noticing from the corner of his eye as Becky toddled into the room, her arms wrapped around a thick blanket. “Ah, a bit better than I was this morning,” he answered Binah before smiling over at Becky.

“H-hello,” Becky said in response as she placed the blanket over the arm of the chair next to Lynus. “I brought you a blanket. You need to keep warm when you’re sick.”

“Thank you,” Lynus said as he internally mused how he was going to convince Chi-hung to lift his head enough for him to drape the blanket over his legs. The white-tiger, after all, was happily purring on his lap due to being scratched behind the ear.

“Mama says that soup helps, too,” Becky continued. “W-would you like some?”

“I’m alright for now,” Lynus said in a reassuring way. “But I’ll try to have something to eat for dinner later.”

Becky appeared as though she wanted to ask him something else but fell quiet when Binah suddenly took Becky’s hand in hers and tugged her toward the door. “We’ll go tell Matron then,” Binah said simply before disappearing through the door.

Lynus tilted his head to the side slightly in confusion. He had expected the two to linger a little longer, but Binah seemed to be in a hurry for some reason. He hoped she didn’t have something planned involving the Guardian Guild and matchmaking again. He had noticed that she had set her sights on Lirit and Macerio this time.

He was pulled out of his musings, however, when a certain white-haired dark hunter stepped into the room, his hands shoved into his pockets and a somewhat…uncomfortable expression on his face. His appearance actually made Lynus wonder if Rahas was the reason Binah and Becky departed so quickly.

“Rahas?”

“…How you feeling?” he muttered as he wandered further into the room.

“I’m all right,” Lynus said out of habit as he continued to pat Chi-hung’s head, finding comfort in the way the white-tiger was pressing back against his hand. “Just overworked myself. You don’t have to worry.”

Rahas’ eyes caught his for a moment before he quickly looked away. “Yeah.”

Lynus couldn’t help but sigh, saddened at the tension that was obvious between them. “…Are you all right?”

Rahas, himself, also uttered a sigh as he scratched the back of his neck and continued to look at everything else but him. “Why would you ask that?”

“We’ve been…different lately,” Lynus murmured and chewed on his bottom lip.

Different as in…avoiding him. Hamza had suggested that time apart would be good, but Lynus still couldn’t help the guilt he felt whenever Rahas would all but scurry away from him should they happen to walk into the same room. He also appeared as if he was…hiding something. Something important.

“It’s nothing,” Rahas said in an unconvincing way. “I’ve just…been hanging around with Simmons. Nothing to worry about.”

A little surprised at the admission, Lynus wanted to ask him if he was doing it willingly, or was if it because of the tension between the two of them now. “Oh…ok,” he said instead, not wanting to force a confrontation between them. “It’s good to see you’re making friends.”

“Yeah…” Rahas murmured before he surprisingly (yet unsurprisingly) headed for the window, opened it up, and slipped out without making a single noise.

Lynus wasn’t entirely sure what drove Rahas to use the window instead of exiting the door that was wide open, the same door he just walked through. However, he soon realised why when Hamza entered the room, his gaze immediately flickering toward the open window. He didn’t linger there long, though, and soon turned his attention back to Lynus and smiled softly at him.

“Wish for me to close the window?” he asked simply.

But Lynus shook his head. “No. The fresh air is nice.”

“Ah, very well,” Hamza’s smile took on an edge of understanding before he turned back toward the door of the tearoom. “You have a visitor.”

Lynus, too, glanced over at the door and found himself sitting up straighter when a certain silver-haired troubadour appeared. “Cedric? Oh, good evening.”

“Hm, polite, even when ill,” Cedric returned with a sense of amusement in his tone. “You really are a treasure, aren’t you?”

Lynus gave the man a shy smile as Chi-hung finally lifted his head off of his lap to also regard the two new visitors. “Hah, I don’t know about that.”

“Hamza told me you weren’t feeling well,” Cedric said with empathy in his voice as he made his way over to him and picked up the blanket that was draped nearby and unfolded it. “You can imagine my surprise upon learning that. You’ve always seemed invincible.”

Lynus released a short laugh as he helped Cedric to drape the blank over he lap and legs, already feeling more comfortable and at ease. “I don’t know about that, either.”

Cedric smiled at him as Hamza busied himself with the fireplace once more. “How are you feeling?” he asked as he perched himself on the edge of the couch next to Lynus.

“Honestly, better than I did this morning,” Lynus said with a smile. “Everyone has been fussing over me all day.”

He was still getting used to it, honestly. All the fussing and concern. A small part of him still wanted to state that he was fine and not to waste any of their precious worry and concern over him. But another part, one that was slowly growing, wanted to be pampered just this once.

As the other members of his guild made their way into the tea room, Axel perching himself on the arm of the chair next to Lynus to kiss him on the forehead, Tobyn with the honey tea he had retrieved, Magnus with the bowl of chilled water for his linger fever, and Shen with more firewood, Lynus leaned back into the couch and smiled contently.

It was true. Being pampered once in a while wasn’t a bad thing.

[recentnews18-blog]

New Post has been published on https://shovelnews.com/mega-millions-mania-players-console-themselves-with-hilarious-memes-as-jackpot-soars-to-an-enormous-1-6billion/

Mega Millions mania: Players console themselves with hilarious memes as jackpot soars to an enormous $1.6BILLION ...

Mega Millions mania: Players console themselves with hilarious memes as jackpot soars to an enormous $1.6BILLION after no one took home Friday’s prize

Meme mania has swept the United States after nobody won the Mega Millions jackpot Friday

People commiserated about having to return to work Monday and made fun of the rush to buy tickets for the draw

Tuesday’s jackpot is now a world record $1.6billion. The previous record was held by January 2016’s $1.586billion Powerball game 

People are 50 times more likely to get struck by lightning and 8,000 more likelihood to be murdered than win the lottery, tipsters claim   

By Leah Simpson For Dailymail.com and Leah Mcdonald For Dailymail.com and Maxine Shen For Dailymail.com

Published: 18:23 EDT, 20 October 2018 | Updated: 20:23 EDT, 20 October 2018

The United States is caught up in meme mania after the Mega Millions jackpot reached a world record-breaking $1.6billion Friday.

Images across the Internet poked fun at the new amount after nobody won the estimated $1billion prize that had ballooned from $868million Wednesday morning.

Many social media users linked the new amount to the memorable scene from Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, where one of Mike Myers’s characters Dr. Evil, demands $1million ransom money before changing it to $100billion.

Tuesday’s jackpot is now a world record $1.6billion. The previous record was held by January 2016’s $1.586billion Powerball game

People are rushing out to buy new tickets after the prize money rolled over when nobody won

As others rushed out to purchase tickets for the next game on Tuesday, those who didn’t land a windfall overnight found humor in the situation by making fun of their financial situation. 

‘Can’t buy my island with the measley $2 I won #MegaMillons,’ one user wrote.

One sentiment expressed in several memes that many could relate to was having to return to work despite hoping they’d become a billionaire overnight when they entered the lottery draw.

‘Well I didn’t win the #MegaMillions…. lemme go to sleep, since I WILL be WORKING tomorrow morning,’ another tweeter posted.

No tickets issued matched all six of Friday night’s winning numbers, which were 15, 23, 53, 65, 70 and Mega Ball 7.

The next Mega Millions drawing, taking place October 23, will tie for the largest lottery jackpot in US history. The cash option is $904million.

Many social media users acknowledged that they couldn’t quit their jobs after a lottery win

The most recently-won Mega Millions jackpot was in July, when 11 California co-workers shared the $543million prize.   

On January 13, 2016 the sister game, Powerball, reached $1.586billion. The sum was split by winners in three states, including Tennessee, Florida, and California, according to lottery officials.

Winners John and Lisa Robinson from Tennessee said they would continue working during an appearance on the Today show. But many of the people posting memes about the Mega Millions showed they had no such intention.

‘Mega Millions has already entered historic territory, but it’s truly astounding to think that now the jackpot has reached an all-time world record,’ said Gordon Medenica, Lead Director of the Mega Millions Group and Director of Maryland Lottery and Gaming, said in a press statement Saturday. 

‘It’s hard to overstate how exciting this is – but now it’s really getting fun.’ 

Friday night’s Mega drawing has managed to turn some people into millionaires, though. 

Players buying Mega Millions tickets since Wednesday inflated the jackpot to $1billion Friday

Video courtesy of Pix11 

Fifteen second-tier winning tickets netting at least $1million were sold in California, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Texas and Virginia. The tickets were said to have matched the five white balls, but not the Mega Ball. 

Tipsters claim that the odds of winning both jackpots is one in 88 quadrillion, which is 88 followed by 15 zeros for the mathematically-challenged amongst us. 

Lottery players will have slightly better odds of winning just one of the jackpots. 

According to Lottery USA, the odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are one in 302.6million, and the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are one in 292.2million. 

If a player is lucky enough to win, Uniondale lawyer Jason Kurland, who has worked with 30 lottery winners, has some advice for would-be lotto winners.

He tells winners to wipe clean their social media so that salesmen, scammers and long-lost friends and relatives have a harder time finding them.

‘They’re a target for everything,’ he told the New York Daily News.

According to Kurland, a $970million winner would take home about $570million in a lump sum before taxes.

The prize is so big that Kurland said he will probably buy a ticket himself. 

The former record holder for Mega Millions was a $656million prize in 2012. The prize was split three ways in both of these drawings, with each winner receiving at least $200million before taxes. 

If nobody claims the Mega Millions jackpot in the required time limit – which varies state by state – each state will get the money it contributed to the jackpot back.  

Lottery officials caution against spending large amounts of money per person in the hopes of striking it rich.

‘We certainly know we get more pool play, people coming in making very large purchases for a group,’ said Chuck Strutt, executive director of the Urbandale, Iowa-based Multi-State Lottery Association that oversees the Mega Millions, Powerball and other lotteries.

He added: ‘When people ask me, I just tell them that the odds of a lottery game make it a game of fate. 

‘Just buy a ticket, sit back and see if fate points a finger at you for that day’. 

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Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6298725/Mega-Millions-players-console-funny-memes-jackpot-soars-RECORD-1-6BILLION.html

[flamingrubys]

so me and my friends were using a website where we put in a adjetive word etc. in a well know sentence/small story these are the horrifying results WARNING SOME CONTENT MAYBE  OFFENSIVE TO YOU SO IF U CLICK UNDER READ MORE ITS YOUR OWN FAULT NOT MINE!

Bird watching can be more fun than a barrel of wings.

Our buff.feathered friends are everywhere, waiting to be

watched. An interesting bird to start with is the nerf

oriole, which builds its nest in Focher Wolf.trees. Early in

spring, we hear the oriole give its mating call, which sounds like this:

"Chandlers voice." Then the male and female get together and

fly. Later, the female lays 9.eggs. Isn't

that biased? Another fascinating bird is the

overpowered-breasted nuthatch. The nuthatch is very tame.

He will fly down and land right on your tail

and eat out of your cockpits. Other birds to

watch out for are the red-crested golden eagles, the

underpowered-necked thrush, and the yellow-bellied

normandy.sucker. Now that you know something about

birds, get out there and watch!

    If you want to become usb port.literate, here are some key

methanphetamines.that you should think.as quickly as possible:

 CD ROM: Stands for compact anchor... read only

Morning. This compact disc can hold as many as 600

cocains, which is the equivalent of 700 floppy phones.

 CYBERSPACE: Stands for the imaginary couch.that people

enter when they slap.with each other through computers on

a collection of sponges, known as the Interjesus.

 E-Mail: Means swimmingly.transmitted bleech.

 MODEM: Is the device that allows a white.computer to

transmit pinapples.over a phone heroin.

  Chesepeak High School.is one of America's bitchiest

institutions of blue.learning. The student body is composed of

7.males and 38,000.meese. The

meese.get the best grades. Students can eat lunch in

the oblong.cafeteria, which features boiled mice

and Cables.sandwiches, with all the blood.they can

drink, for only 74 cents. The principal of the school, milo stewart,

is raising money to build a new Modem.laboratory and a new

football Ram. Any student who goes to this school can

consider himself very white.

   It has come to my Soup Can that you are the Greatest girl/boy in the Windbreaker. My Pelvis starts Raising a Naval Lint every time you speak. I would like to Notice if you want to go to the Super Squad Saturday with me next Sunday. If you Huff please Iterate me at the Syria in 3 Days. I Affix you and everything about you. Serenely, BACON

 Picture yourself in a Coffee Table on a river,

With Hot Dog trees and Bacon skies

Somebody calls you, you Ascertain quite Regardless,

A girl with Obedient eyes.

 Cellophane Houses of REd and green,

Square over your head.

Orient for the girl with the Asparagus in her eyes,

And she`s gone.

 Amy in the sky with Dorks...

Amy in the sky with Dorks...

Amy in the sky with Dorks...

 Follow her down to a File by a fountain

Where rocking horse Cars eat Waste pies,

Everyone Reddens as you Satisfy past the flowers,

That Supervise so incredibly high.

 Newspaper Bows appear on the shore,

Waiting to take you away.

Climb in the back with your Vocal Chord in the clouds,

And you`re gone.

 Picture yourself on a train in a Istanbul,

With Gothic porters with looking glass Sweater,

Suddenly someone is there at the turnstile,

The girl with Obedient eyes.

 Amy in the sky with Dorks...

Amy in the sky with Dorks...

Amy in the sky with Dorks...

   Come Waddle at WALMART, where you`ll receive Unbecoming discounts on all of your favorite brand name Paths. Our Sable and Enhancing associates are there to Jut you 3.504 hours a day. Here you will find Crazy, Flipped-Out prices on the Cranes you need. Outcomes for the moms, Rocks for the kids and all the latest electronics for the Nannys. So come on down to your Electronic Spicy WALMART where the Scabs come first.

  The Teal Dragon is the Purest Dragon of all. It has Burly Toe Nails, and a Gall Bladder shaped like a Hair. It loves to eat Mountain Chicken, although it will feast on nearly anything. It is Ravaged and Efficacious. You must be Dizzy around it, or you may end up as it`s meal!

    Look, I guarantee there`ll be Long times. I guarantee that at some Monitor, 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 or both of us is gonna want to get out of this Insulin Injector. But I also guarantee that if I don`t ask you to be Smelly, I`ll Murderrrrrrr it for the rest of my Rubber Duckies, because I know, in my Pimples, you`re the Green one for me.

  9,028 years after the end of Rush Hour 2, James Carter is no longer a Janitor, but a Botinist on the streets of Eiffel Tower. Lee is now the bodyguard for his friend BoomBoomStick. Lee is still upset with Carter about an incident in Unified Korea when Carter accidentally shot Lee`s girlfriend, Bumper Car Repair Man Isabella Molina, in the Mouth. During the World Criminal Court discussions, as BoomBoomStick addresses the importance to fight the Triad, he announces that he knows the Crooked of the Triad leadership known as the Shy Shen. Suddenly, BoomBoomStick takes a Baseball in the Thighs, disrupting the conference. Lee pursues the assassin and corners him, discovering that the assassin is his brother, Adam Sandler. When Lee hesitates to shoot Adam Sandler, Carter shows up Pissing towards the two and Happily Shitters Lee over, allowing Adam Sandler to escape.

    I enjoy long, Spotted walks on the beach, getting Killed in the rain and serendipitous encounters with Computers. I really like piña coladas mixed with Orange Juice, and romantic, candle-lit Chocolates. I am well-read from Dr. Seuss to Michael Jackson. I travel frequently, especially to Suicide Mountain, when I am not busy with work. (I am a Serial Killer.) I am looking for Lava and beauty in the form of a 'Murican goddess. She should have the physique of Tyler Swift and the Ocean of Chloe. I would prefer if she knew how to cook, clean, and wash my Papers. I know I’m not very attractive in my picture, but it was taken 42 days ago, and I have since become more Stoned.

 White Macdonald had a Mountain, E-I-E-I-O

and on that Mountain he had an Parakeet, E-I-E-I-O

with a Boing Boing here

and a Boing Boing there,

here a Boing, there a Boing,

everywhere a Boing Boing,

White Macdonald had a Mountain, E-I-E-I-O.

  Two Angels, both alike in dignity,

In fair Houston, where we lay our scene,

From ancient Greg break to new mutiny,

Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes

A pair of star-cross`d Ovens take their life;

Whole misadventured piteous overthrows

Do with their Kids bury their parents` strife.

The fearful passage of their Blue love,

And the continuance of their parents` rage,

Which, but their children`s end, nought could Stalked,

Is now the 666 hours` traffic of our stage;

The which if you with Burning Arm Pit attend,

What here shall Run, our toil shall strive to mend.

   It was during the battle of Lamp when I was running through a Chandlier when a Dohvahkin went off right next to my platoon. Our Guina Colleges yelled for us to Peek to the nearest White Run we could find. When we got to the White Run we Slapped to start a fire. As we were starting the fire the enemy saw the Dog from the fire and started Fucking Geese at us. we all quickly ducked behind the Feminist at the White Run and returned fire. we quickly eliminated the enemy and were Horny that we had won the battle.

   Dear Mr. and Mrs. Bennidict Cumberbatch Pickled,

 Will you let me Danced your Night Light? Ever since I have laid Finger Nail on Lydia, I have Mollested madly in love with her. I wish that she will be the Horses of my Cacti and that someday we will Exploded happily ever after. I have a Cat as a/an Prostitute that pays $Zero each month. I promise to KickedLydia with kindness and respect.

 Sincerely,

Bambooza Wacky Sazy

   My "Dream Man" should, first of all be very Scary and Black. He should have a physique like Justin Bieber, a profile like Kardashians, and the intelligence of a/an Dragon. He must be polite and must always remember to Frollicked my Volcano, to tip his Dildo and to take my Pussy when crossing the street. He should move Strategically, have a/an Dick voice, and should always dress Depressingly. I would also like him to be a/an Dark Red dancer, and when we are alone he should whisper Oblong nothings into my Ass and hold my HairyBalls. I know a/an Blender is hard to find. In fact the only one I can think of is Flaming

 Dear My Cousin,

I am having a(n) Cool time at camp. The counselour is White and the food is Furious. I met Chandler and we became Purple friends. Unfortunately, Chandler is Crusty and I Fucked my Appendix so we couldn`t go Running like everybody else. I need more Mice and a Laptop sharpener, so please Chronically Cried more when you Dived back.

Your Mother,

Bacon

 I remember the best teacher Mrs sulivan she bankrupt with shit and she gave later librarians for

money from my mother my fine cold

Spongebob was patties with anthorax in a cage with writers with a magic wand looked forward to mr crabs spongebob obeyed

I one time upon a time eye socket gave me shit projectiles from the best 750 miles destroying the entire headshot past the foolish paladins invested undudeliness

The laptop overheated when cheese melted on its monitor

The man purified the peasants cheeseburger molesting buggers and Comcast spreads HIV throughout Mcdanalds

Microsoft bought the moon along with mars, Uranus, a year’s supply of DLC from Gamestop, a seasons failure to assault My little pony factories, and only to find out we all have cancer.

Angels from hell were suffering from satans dick, tits, and toaster strudels from earth but there was a taxi service murdering thousands of balls.

The young man blindfolded his victim after Africa got chronic dysentery from India which lead to “git gud” at Microsoft incorporated.

The Battlefield Division from AOD was rioting when Bujaross’s mechanical parakeets chirped attacking alien pinapples which hijacked peter pan.

The Apple store succumbed to big apple butts and chucks so America decided to invade Donald trump’s life in Nigeria.

Chandler’s pet peeve is defecating sausage biscuits covered in seamen sailing Viagra waiting in an attempt to  defeat the One Sec’s One Sec band aid covered bleeding profusely from yeah bois

Alright, final attempted failure that slipping down my pants from my tank friken American battleship shipped with skyrim copies spiders and sandwiches procrastinating by watching porn.

The gaming laptop lap danced on her master I don’t know I don’t want to play this weary game anymore because it gives me discentary disinfectant organs oh my god.

There was once a person with a sexual act on screen with a magnificent HIV. Putting my hands in trees cascading into zona

I once spiked a pebble but then a dog in the hospital thought I had contacted chronic tragic rage a lot.

Whenever six flags. Tanks. Large barrel. Eventually depression. Soft killing fries

I had a pet hamster who was tricked into my little pores ass into a house with a dumbass head again don’t worry napoleon killed everyone