#not enough Pana in this world

[pico-digital-studios]

Into, Across and Beyond!: Shared Universe Mentions

So just yesterday, I got praise from @robovoidfrog for the inclusion of their character in IAB!, and I'm honestly chuffed to get this feedback! So through this post, I just wanted to talk about the prospect of the shared universe idea between this project, Funkinverse and the original Spider-Verse trilogy.

NOTE: None of the mentioned points are canon to either of the projects outside of IAB! unless stated otherwise.

So first off, as you saw through the aforementioned post, The X not only had a run-in with this project's Quill Society, but he also seems to be the most remotely aware of the nature of film fics based around Spider-Verse. A lot of these indeed kick off with that world's iconic hero dying and someone else having to take their mantle for them, which leads them into quite the whacky crossover situation.

In this continuity, some things are different for the Funkinverse storyline due to what goes on with the base FNF universe here. For instance:

Boyfriend died long before through the events of Mario's Madness, and a universal reboot is what gave way to Benjamin.

Though, like in canon, BF's WI and Twinsomnia incarnations are generation counterparts in the base FNF universe, they're also separate counterparts in Funkinverse (Twinsomnia's BF being Brooke's little son).

Softie/Benjamin Fairest's counterpart in Funkinverse is separate to the one who's linked to IAB!'s FNF universe.

As Benjamin had befriended several of the other BFs and GFs (those from B-Sides, D-Sides, Neo, Minus, B3 and Arrow Funk specifically), any of those that are linked to the Funkin' Society are quick to understand after Cam's hostilities that Salty's in the right for aiming to save his legal guardians from The X and quickly switch sides against Agent Blueballs' ideals for canon events.

The Sky counterpart encountered by the Funkin' Gang is a more hostile variant compared to ErrorSky, who changed her ways after enough time.

As mentioned above, The X was successfully detained and neutralised by the Quill Society post-Funkinverse, but the fact that it took FOUR of its members to detain him, compared to just two (Pana and SS!Amy) detaining Speedy in his Chaos Emerl guise, speaks volumes of how he is indeed a threat on par with The Spot and Crimtake.

As Beyond the Spider-Verse isn't out yet, we still don't know whether or not The Spot was successfully beaten.

Sunday ending up with protanopia after their encounter with The X didn't sail well with Carol, Benjamin OR Grace, hence why Benjamin calls him out on it. To think it was all because of a little disagreement about breakfast foods.

The Childhood Memories universe canonically NEVER encountered the Corruption (which is apparently a canon thing, according to Agent Blueballs), and even if it did show up, it'd never effect any of the children's shows. Yeah, get lost, Pibby kids.

In the IAB! continuity, Lexi Robin ended up defecting from the Funkin' Society after seeing just how wrong everything is, and she was rooting for the Funkin' Gang and Benjamin's crew from the sidelines.

After Cam's clash with Benjamin, Soft Pico and Neo GF (their original counterparts) sided with Benjamin in a bid to get their boyfriends back out of the Funkin' Society and back to doing the right thing in general.

Identically to Funkinverse, there's a lone repeat customer that the therapist of the bunch dislikes. For Funkinverse, it's the Boyfriend/Keith from Earth-666 (I Can't Sleep) who Softie dislikes, whereas in IAB!, CD Alt Ending Sonic's disliked repeat customer is Charlie (the Sonic from the god-awful "Sonic 2 Lost Prototype" fangame). That said, he does try to bear with the guy's emotional turmoil, though the other major therapist of the Quill Society, Sara, seems to have caught on as well.

In terms of the Gangs' members having possible canon interactions:

Miles, Salty and OMT!Tails would definitely help learn from each other on how to better protect their respective worlds, and also find solace in the fact that they were all treated as anomalies at different points.

Peter B., Brooke and CR!Sonic would be the doting dads after their first outings and talk quite a bit about their sons/daughters.

Gwen, SNS GF and OMT!Mina would be a sort of comfort group to each other, considering their rough pasts and how broken each one is deep down. Gwen, having been most successful thus far, would definitely be the beacon of light girl the other two clearly need.

Noir, Toon BF and Mini Sonic would interact quite a bit about the Rubik's Cubes that they were given as souvenirs, and their different reasons for admiring the cubes.

Spider-Ham, Mobian BF and Mr. Needlemouse are definitely the kind to goof around with their cartoon antics. That said, with the lattermost being the biggest prick, he is prone to being called out for it by the other two, though barely giving a care about it.

Peni, Aloe and EX!Alice are the tech geeks of their respective dimensions and would love sharing their robot-building (maintaining, in Aloe's case) knowledge with each other.

Hobie and the D-Sides versions of BF and Mighty would find common ground in their ideals of screwing over intended consistencies and going their own way in life.

Pavitr, Golden BF and Black Knight Amy would have a way with each other being the naïve newcomers of their respective teams, and BK!Amy, harbouring the most experience, can share some tips for her companions.

The Sonias and CR!Manik would be happy to look after Mayday and Twinsomnia BF, due to them both being toddlers. Them being children sporting superpowers makes it click more.

Margo, Boom, Nicole and Nine could bond from their computer-based knowledge, and the majority could also aim to lift Nine's spirits if he's feeling a bit down.

So that's pretty much the basic gist of things. Another few tidbits:

Of those instigating the canon events, between four candidates: - Melanie / MP (the kid pictured below), despite having tried this himself, didn't do it willingly, and was forced into it by so-called "superiors" who got the short end of the stick big time from Nitro, even after their passing made it look like they could get away with it. - Miguel and Agent Blueballs, despite their cruel methods, at least have good intentions in mind for their approach, but go about it the wrong ways that alienate those around them. - Lost Memory Sonic is the only one of these four to stoop lower than the others would've done, and actually tries DESTROYING universes to maintain the status quo.

(Art will be updated when @mcgamejolter finishes it)

Of the major protagonists between the three universes, OMT!Tails is the only one that's rarely had to use his nanomachine gear to disguise his identity with. That said, he has used it when he visited the dimension of the Hues of Metal (Dimension HoM-2023), and the suit's robotic sheen actually FOOLED the robots. At least, until LM!Sonic was driven away from their base (apparently for, as Rocket Metal put it, being a stereotypical Australian tourist).

In the above point's case, Metallix is the one to catch out OMT!Tails when they're alone, though is ultimately overpowered... from OMT!Tails mentioning that a certain web series isn't officially canon, causing Metallix to go poof from existence. Again.

Despite being a supposed "canon event", Sonic.EXEs are surprisingly quite rare to see in universes that aren't meant to have them, like with the Corruption, Darkness and Venom Symbiotes. That said, the first documented case of one showing up in a Sonic universe in the Quill Society logs is in the Sonic Robo Blast 2 dimension (Dimension SRB-1998), a universe that doesn't even have a canon appearance of the demonic entity.

After "Rivals' Madness" (my unofficial expansion/sequel to Mario's Madness/Vs. Sonic.exe (RERUN)), several of the worlds encountered are their own universes, so the characters within are not solely bound as digital slaves to Ultra M, Xenophanes OR 2011!X.

Related to the above, pretty much all the major cast of FNF ended up dealing with the mess of Ultra M and Xeno in that one adventure, most of which put up with one enemy each; Sophie from Left Behind for Tankman, Mr. L, X.nes and Requital for Pico (the lattermost he fights again later), Stranger for Skid and Pump, OMT for Mommy/Martha Mearest, Awe's Chromophobiac for Senpai, and NMI (No More Innocence) for Daddy/Daniel Dearest.

There are alternate versions of Heaven AND Hell in the IAB! multiverse that aren't solely bound by the Christian bible's depictions. For instance, there's a genuinely friendly community in my version of Hell, which an alternate version of Benjamin dubbed "Keith" discovers after his passing.

Akin to @thestrongestjewel's Eepytale, the Frisk, Chara and Asriel of the IAB! continuity have been living together for some time, albeit independently from adoptive parents like Toriel. Kris also spends some time with them as the biggest sibling of the group, akin to their role in @akanemnon's Twin Runes series.

The full list of those lives lost to the "canon event" theory are as follows:

OMT!Sonic, OMT!Vanilla and OMT!Sally (OMT!Tails)

Uncle Chuck (Crossover Realm Sonic and Extraterrestrial Encounter Sonic)

Sonic and Tails (OMT!Mina)

Caffrin (EX!Alice)

Marc Smith (Nitro; he couldn't even avert this in the Rewritten universe)

Sonic (Antho and Mobiverse Tails)

Amy (ChaosIIUniverse Sonic and Sonia)

ALL of his friends (Hog)

Silver (Lost Memory Sonic)

Tails and Amy (CD Alt Ending Sonic)

The original Boyfriend and Girlfriend (via the original FNF universe's events that led to its rewrite)

Cassandra (both from a tactic Pico pulled to end his school's terrorism early in the new timeline, and for good following the Corruption's events)

Proto Man/Blues (alongside Wily, Bass and Treble) (Mega Man/Rock; these four lost their lives to a rogue Zero build who remains shut down to this day)

For now, that's all I can really discuss. Took me some time to think about all the stuff I could mention here. Until the next post, have a great day/night!

[pardonmydelays]

hii

in the heights/hamilton characters as different aesthetics (preppy, goth, etc.)

this is such a great question! ok, let's think about it. so i decided to pair them up (one ith + one (or two) hamilton character(s) with similar vibes i may also drop some quotes to prove my point) and here's how i see it:

usnavi/alexander (it's all about the legacy they left with me, it's destiny/what is a legacy? it's planting seeds in a garden you never get to see + both the caribbean immigrants + both orphans + both can't shut up sometimes i could write a whole essay about it actually): 90s (i don't have any explanation for this one, i just want to see it cause it's a vibe)

vanessa/angelica (if i'm in the mood, it will not be with some dude who is whistling cause he has nothing to say/i'm looking for a mind at work + so this is what it feels like to match wits with someone at your level you see what i did here, right?): DARK ACADEMIA (oh i love this one, i could even make them a moodboard lol)

nina/eliza: (hey guys, it's me! the biggest disappointment you know BUT nina please believe that when you find your way again you're gonna change the world/i'm erasing myself from the narrative BUT i live another 50 years, it's not enough + and when my time is up, have i done enough? cause in the end they both have done so much, ok? you know what i'm trying to say also this post is a mess): PREPPY (idk i just think it's their vibe)

benny/mulligan (idk, for some reason i was just thinking about how benny was showing off his skills in benny's dispatch and mulligan was showing off... his pants also yes that is the only reason lol): SKATER (do i even need to explain?)

sonny/laurens/philip (they all just have the same young energy for me and i'm not gonna give you any quotes here, it's just something you can see with your own eyes when you watch them on the stage): KIDCORE (i literally had no idea something like this exists but you can google it and it's a perfect choice for them)

kevin/jefferson (ok so look, kevin and camila are married to each other and jefferson and madison are also like a married couple in my head i don't know what else i can say): NORMCORE (just how i see it)

camila/madison (look up): LIGHT ACADEMIA (idk it's just the vibe bro)

daniela/lafayette (mostly because they are both iconic and come on we all love them so much also daniela works in the salon and layafette has majestic hair but it's unimportant): ART HOE (it's just perfect for them, ok?)

carla/peggy (like can't you just see it? carla clearly doesn't have much to say and peggy... and peggy. they are both cute tho! and they are both there just for fun!): SOFT GIRL (cause like i said they are just cute!)

piragua guy/king george (hey, pana! i run this town!/soon you'll see, you'll remember you belong to me! come on they are basically the same person, piragua guy is the king of washington heights): BADDIE (i'm literally crying right now, it's too damn funny)

abuela claudia/george washington (that was abuela, she's not really my abuela but she practically raised me, this corner is her escuela/your wife needs you alive, son, i need you alive + daddy's calling parent vibes lol): COTTAGECORE (it is what it is)

graffiti pete/burr (listen, i don't even have any quotes here, it's just the fact that usnavi hates graffiti pete and hammy and burr are enemies lol you see what i did here): GOTH (just because this is so fucking funny in my head lol imagine aaron burr as goth)

maria reynolds (i don't have a pair for her oops): EARLY 2000s (because of course)

[aikoiya]

LoZ - Faron Cultural Tidbits

Due to how the Zonai used to inhabit the area, Faron culture takes a couple of cues from them. Or at least their architecture & food do.

—

We all know that if you go to Lover's Pond, it's said that you will meet your one true love/soulmate.

However, just seeing a picture of the pond isn't enough.

You have to go there in person or the magic doesn't work.

Sorry, but that's just how it goes.

—

The Koholina Archipelago consists of Eventide Island (the smallest island closest to the mainland), Windfall Island (the capital that hosts the port town & largest market in the archipelago), Stormbreak Island, Outset Island (the agricultural island; said to be where the Koholina culture began), Gale Island, Greatfish Island, Tombstone Island (a sacred island where the Koholinites send off their dead, hold funerals, ect), & Dragon Rise Island (the island with the most Rito living there).

It also goes by the name of the Koholint Domain as many Zora live there.

The name Koholint comes from the Faronic word Koholina, meaning "to choose joy."

Each island has a Hyrulean Common name & a Native Faron name.

Eventide Island = Ahiahi Moku (Evening Island)

Windfall Island = Makani’olu Moku or Makani Pōmaikaʻi Moku (Fair Winds Island or Winds of Fortune Island)

Stormbreak Island = Makani'ino Moku (Stormbreak Island)

Outset Island = Hoʻomaka Moku (Island of Beginning)

Gale Island = Makani’nui Moku (Gale Island)

Greatfish Island = Akua I’a Moku or Ua’nui Moku (Fish God Island or Downpour/Heavy Rain Island)

Tombstone Island = Ha’alele Moku (Island of Departure)

Dragon Rise Island = Kelekona Keha Moku (Dragon Rise Island)

---

It's said that Greatfish Island is home to Kilo Hamuni, who is believed to be an ancient Wai Akua or water deity. Kilo meaning “seer.”

Meanwhile, on Dragon Rise Island, it is said that a great red dragon named Kahu Walu dwells. Kahu translating to “guardian or caretaker.”

Along with them, the residents also exalt a pair of twin wind deities referred to as Polinahe & Inikiniu. The two represent the different ways that the wind can influence the world.

—

The Faronic languages are much like Hawaiian with a bit of several Mesoamerican languages mixed in due to environmental Zonai influence.

The languages mainly consist of the letters A, E, H, I, K, L, M, N, O, P, U, W, & the ʻokina (') with other letters showing up sparingly.

---

Residents of Koholina tend not to use metal; instead, their tools & weapons are primarily made of wood.

They use various types of Lei'o'manō. Like the most commonly known Lei'o'manō, a Palau Papaniho'manō (sharktooth club). There's also the Pahoa'i'a'me Lei'o'manō (sharktooth spear, also used for fishing), & Ku`eku`e Lima Lei'o'manō (sharktooth knuckles). Along with the Ulimasao (paddle club used to end war & steer towards peace).

Lurelinites are lucky in that they live on the mainland near mountains that have ore deposits. Therefore, they have the benefit of metal.

One such weapon being the Nifo'oti (cane knife).

Of course, Lurelinites also use Lei'o'manō too.

They've also been learning to use Luminous Stone since the upheaval.

—

Koholint Rito invented the double-limbed bow called Pālua Lima Pana, which is a high-performance bow with a lot of power behind it.

It was actually modeled after the hunting bow of the goddess of love & passion, Karina, who is one of Faron's oldest still recognized deities & referred to as Kalina by the residents.

—

Faronites are quite adept with weaving & crafting. Their jewelry is typically made from various seashells, pearls, beads, straw, & even flowers, which are all very popular in their fashion.

---

On their wedding days, Faronites wear a type of lovely necklace of woven straw with cowrie shells & a Sweetheart Orchid sealed in resin for the pendant. It's supposed to grant luck & are called Lā Male Puka.

They are then hung near the entrance to the couple's home together to grant guests positive energy & assurance by showing them that a happy couple lives there together.

If you ever see only one hanging there, it might be a sign that there are some turbulent waters between them.

… Or an Inu'waipā'ani passed by during a storm & stole it. Inu'waipā'ani being playful seabreeze spirits of Faron myth that often play little pranks on people. Mostly harmless, but are much like Koroks in that they are very child-like & might not always understand things. For Inu'waipā'ani specifically, how their pranks might affect others.

Never intentionally malicious unless angered or corrupted by Malice.

As such, most of the time, if they notice that their pranks have hurt someone, whether physically or emotionally, they'll often feel very guilty & bless their victims with Moanipōmaika'i or “lucky breezes” that cause fortunate things to happen as a result of said breezes.

Or in the case of them having taken a very sentimental or important item, they also return said item. Though, it's often a bit scuffed up too.

They are thought to play with Koroks, young Keaton, & even Skullkids.

---

Faron weddings tend to feature a lot of flowers.

Like, holy cow, the flowers!

This is partially due to Kalina being primarily known as a goddess of both love & flowers in Faronic theology.

---

LoZ Cultural Masterlist

[hydralisk98]

Short sum for newbie system designer processor steps

Here are a few beginner projects for learning the ropes of customized computation architecture design:

Pana, a '4-4-4' instruction processor derived from Intersil 6100 & GaryExplains' but for 4-bit data. Uses the sixteen (16) RISC instructions shown by GaryExplains and only four (4) of its registers (ACC, PC, LN & MQ) as per of the Intersil 6100 specification. Doing as much work onto nibbles like an MVP Intel 4004 can, great as a BCD & Nibble data converter for later designs.

Tina, a barely expanded '4-4-8' processor derived from the "Pana" design, it uses more registers by adding twelve general-use registers (A-F, U-Z letters) and operate onto a single byte of data at a time. Great for two nibbles operations, byte-wise interoperability and 8-bit word compatibility with all sorts of modern processors from the seventies-onwards.

Milan, a '6-2-24' strong hybrid 8-bit / 12-bit processor derived from the "Tina" design, operating onto three bytes or two tribbles of data at once depending of use-case, while fitting in exactly 32-bit per instruction. Aimed at computing three 8-bit units, enabling 16-bit & 24-bit compatibility as well as up to two tribble operands. A great MVP implementation step towards my next own tribble computing architecture and a competitor to the Jack educational computer as shown in the NAND2Tetris courseware book.

When I am done with such, I will be onto three tribble-oriented architectures for lower-end, middle-end and upper-end "markets". Zara being lower-end (6-bit opcode, 6-bit register & 36-bit data = 48-bit instructions), Zorua being mid-end (8-bit opcode, 8-bit register and 48-bit data = 64-bit instructions) and Zoroark being upper-end (12-bit opcode, 36-bit register and 96/144-bit data (so either eight or twelve tribble operands worth of data) = 144/192-bit instructions, aiming to emulate close enough to an open-source IBM's PowerISA clone with VLIW & hot-swap computer architecture).

By the way, I haven't forgotten about the 16^12 Utalics game consoles and overall tech market overview + history specifications, nor have I forgotten about studying + importing + tinkering around things like Microdot & Gentoo & Tilck. I simply need to keep a reminder to myself for what to do first when I shall start with the computation engineering process. Hopefully that might be interesting for you to consider as well... Farewell!

EDIT #1

Tweaked and added some additional text & considering studying various aspects of Linux and overall copyleft / open source culture engineering scene, especially over Gentoo alternative kernels & hobby / homebrew standalone operating systems (GNU Hurd, OpenIndiana, Haiku... as well as niche ones like ZealOS, Parade, SerenityOS...) as to design a couple computation ecosystems (most derived from my constructed world which takes many hints from our real-life history) and choosing one among them to focus my implementation efforts onto as the "Nucleus" hybrid modular exo-kernel + my very own package modules collection. (Still aiming to be somewhat compatible with existing software following Unix philosophy principles too as to ease the developer learning cost in initial infrastructure compatibility & overall modularized complexity; Might also use some manifestation tips & games to enrich it with imports from said constructed world if possible)

[heyahrenren]

Welcome to Rena’s blog!

ENG: Hey I’m Rena and welcome to my tumblr blog, in here you will find some information about me and my art (if I ever have time to post anything holy shit)

Rena | 19 years old | She/her pronouns | Chilean artist | ENG/SPA 

ABOUT THE BLOG

I’ll be posting my thoughts and drawings of my oc’s in here, I don’t actually like to make fanart but if something catch my attention enough I could make some piece of fanart in the future. I’m also willing to do request of my oc’s or other characters in media as long it doesn’t involve NSFW or Pro-shipping content.

If I ever commit a mistake of some kind you can correct me, I’m learning everyday about different topics and I really like to learn more about the world. Most of the time I’m not really aware if I hurt someone with my words or my actions, so please do not jump into conclussions with me If I fucked up.

DNI

-Proshippers, MAP, Zoophiles.

-Anti-LGBTQ+, Racism, Ableism, Xenophobia, any kind of discrimination really.

-Drama starters / Fight starters

-Romanticize abuse and mental illness

-Share explicit content with minors (The fuck is your problem?)

If you’re nothing of the above you’re fine my guy, have a good time around this page and take care of yourself!

SPA:

Hola soy Rena y bienvenido a mi blog de tumblr, aquí encontrarás información sobre mí y mi arte (si es que alguna vez tengo tiempo para publicar algo puta madre)

Rena | 19 años | Probombres She/her | Artista chilena | ENG/SPA

ACERCA DEL BLOG

Voy a estar publicando mis pensamientos y dibujos de mis oc’s por acá, no me gusta tanto hacer fanart pero si algo capta mi atención puede ser que haga fanart en un futuro. Estoy dispuesta a tomar request de mis oc’s u otros personajes de otros lados mientras no involucre NSFW o material Pro-shipper.

Si alguna vez cometo un error pueden corregirme, todos los días estoy aprendiendo y realmente me gusta aprender más sobre el mundo. La mayoría del tiempo no me doy cuenta si hiero a alguien con mis palabras o mis acciones así que por favor no salten a conclusiones si la he cagado.

DNI

-Proshippers, MAP, Zoofilicos. -Anti-LGBTQ+, Racismo, Capacistismo, Xenofobia, en realidad cualquier tipo de discriminación. -Iniciadores de bardo o peleas. -Romantiza el abuso o transtornos mentales. -Comparten material explícito con menores de edad (¿Cual es su puto problema?) Si no haces nada de lo anteriormente mencionado estás bien mi pana ¡Diviértete en esta página y cuídate mucho!

[purlturtle]

2 and 7 for the deep questions

Hi and thanks for asking! Let's see now:

2. What's a song that you wish more people knew about?

Any song from Pink Martini - for example Clementine, or U Plavu Zoru, or Pana Cand U Te Iubeam, or so many others. I love their songs and especially their arrangements; they are just so lovely to listen to. Big fan of the little big orchestra.

7. What do you think love is?

Oh that's the big one, right there. I think for one thing, love comes in a great many shapes and forms and flavors. The Greeks had it right to use different words for different kinds of love, highlighting that these different forms exist (and not just romantic love); English has it right that these are all love.

I would define the feeling as an intense fondness and appreciation, and a willingness to accept and meet the other where they are, as well as wishing the best for them, and help them with/celebrate their successes. Also, wanting to be/experiencing joy when being around them or in contact with them in some shape or form; be that as a friend, lover, mentor/parental figure etc etc. Also also trusting them and asking them for help and allowing yourself to be vulnerable around them - because if I'm willing to meet them where they're at, surely they'll extend me the same courtesy? And lastly, being open/willing to compromise in order to maintain the relationship (in the sense of any relation between the other person and me, not just a romantic relationship).

And the object of my love can be more than a person. Can be the lil cat snoring next to me, can be the bird swooping in the sky outside, can be the whole entire world and universe, can be myself (!), just as much as it can be my wife.

Love shapes and guides my life so thoroughly, you could even say it suffuses it. I'm suffused by love. It is everywhere, and that is wonderful; I can't get enough of it. Sounds a bit esoteric, perhaps, but it's always been that way, as long as I can remember. It's like I have this big deep source of it within me, that just keeps giving me more.

Thanks again! If anyone else wants a go, here's a link to the questions!

[gryfflepuffinthetardis]

Supernova First Prologue: October 31, 2000

Pana po'o — Hawaiian — When you scratch your head to help you remember something you've forgotten.

"I don't regret my past because it made me stronger."

It was Lillie Tyler’s thirteenth birthday which also doubled as Halloween and she was dressed as Sherlock Holmes with pigtails, she was dressed as a modern day-version of Sherlock, one that wouldn’t be seen on television for ten more years by Benedict Cumberbatch before he was the second biggest ego in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (third if you include Ego) and she was lost. Not surprising since directions gave her a headache and she often got so lost in her thoughts she's not paying attention to the world around her.

She had gotten separated from her mother and sister; she had heard a funny sound. A beautiful yet funny sound. Like something whirring or humming. It was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard; she was sure she had never heard it before yet it sounded familiar. And so she followed it in a sort of trance. She wasn't in a crowd exactly but there were scatters of people... until there wasn't. One moment she was surrounded by groups of people, the next... they were all gone and now she was stuck staring at a statue of a crying angel.

Something in the thirteen-year-old told her not to look away. Not to blink. She stepped backwards away from it, seeing at she couldn't rely on some Prince Charming or a knight in shining armor to come rescue her. She was only thirteen years old, but she already knew that Disney movies were a lie—Sometimes princesses had to save themselves, sometimes princesses had to be like Mulan, fight for what was right, and to save the people they love. Then again, she wasn't a princess... she was a tomboy, she had always been independent

which made her both the protagonist of the story and her own knight in shining armor.

"Little girl!" A guy’s voice shouted but she didn't turn, "Don't turn around!"

"Yeah, thanks for the heads up!" She shouted, sarcastically, still staring at the statue. "Wouldn't of have thought of that otherwise!"

"Don't look in its eyes!" Shouted the voice of a woman.

She was only human, if you tell someone not to think about something, they'll immediately start thinking about it. So, of course, she looked in its eyes but strangely enough, it didn't try to take over her body; it couldn't.

"When I say run, run towards my voice!" He shouted.

She took another step back and felt her foot stand on something, like a compact mirror... a mirror! She crouched down, never breaking eye contact and picked it up, she held it up in front of her face to see that it was in fact a compact mirror.

"Run!"

She turned and ran towards the voice, she spotted a man in around his forties with wild brown hair in an impractically long bohemian-looking scarf. He was ducking halfway down a tube staircase. She ran towards him and jumped down the staircasing.

"Hello-o-o-o-o." He drew out the vowel of the greeting before saying, "Little girl, you're standing on my scarf."

"Stop calling me little girl! I am thirteen! As of two hours ago!" She snapped at him. “And why is your scarf so bloody long! That’s just stupid and impractical!”

“Oi!” He whined before getting back to the matter at hand, "Just keep looking at the statue."

Begrudgingly she obeyed, remembering she had a "stranger-danger" whistle in the pocket of her Sherlock Holmes costume. She was shocked to see that the statue had moved, it was now a few yards away and was facing them with its arms extended and fingers clawed.

"What-what is that?" She gasped.

"A Weeping Angel. If either one of us stops looking at it, it will transport us to another era... didn't know they existed until some time ago, thought they were a myth."

"What do we do?"

"Umm... my plan was to get the little girl to safety, then I would think up another plan."

"Don't call me little girl!" She growled, looking at him.

"Don't!"

She turned back to the statue to see it now almost touching her, she stumbled back and held up the mirror, showing the Weeping Angel its reflection, albeit cracked and it stopped.

"Oh, that's brilliant. Hang on, calling for help." He took out a strange looking object with a silver body and a red top as the thirteen-year-old brunette stared at him in utter confusion.

"What the hell is that?" She asked.

"Oi, language." He scolded as the object made a humming sound.

"If Nova could actually pick up her sonic." He whined.

"Who?"

"Nova, she's like me but not."

"What does that mean?"

"What do you think that is?" He tested.

She examined the creature and she clutched her locket under her costume.

--

In the Tardis, Nova was walking into the console room, seeing her sonic buzzing like a twentieth-century phone and then a light shimmered along her body. She gasped and stumbled. Another one of her must be in contact of someone with the Doctor.

"Sarah Jane!" She shouted, "The Doctor needs saving!"

“What else is new!?” Sarah Jane, a young journalist, shouted from somewhere else in the Tardis.

She ran along the clean, silver console, flicking levers and pushing buttons with her opal-colored curls bouncing.

--

Lillie was distracted when she heard the same whirring, she looked and saw a police box appear out of nowhere.

"It's clearly not supernatural. Or at least not in the Halloween-traditional supernatural, more alien supernatural. The object you used seemed to have caused someone in that 'police box' to bring it here. So, I'm going to say it's alien."

The Doctor was impressed. This girl was barely thirteen and showed impressive deduction skills as he usually had to

Two women stepped out of the police box. Both seemed to be in their early twenties. One looked normal while the other looked like she belonged at ComicCon, yet somehow both seemed familiar.

The more normal-looking young seemed to be in her early twenties with dark brown hair with slight bangs and blue eyes. 

The first woman had curly silver-purple hair in a series of intricate braids and amethyst-colored eyes, high cheekbones and she wore a yellow and black leather jacket over a white Hufflepuff constellation graphic tee, a yellow and black plaid skirt, high yellow boots with buckles, and around her neck were a few necklaces, a round locket that doubled as a compass but it was closed, a D20 dice necklace but it didn't really have numbers but astrological symbols that seem to shimmer and shift, a rose necklace with star sapphire gem in it, and a silver necklace of a sword with a star and a moon and moonstones on it.

She looked Lillie and while her expression didn't change, something flickered in her purple eyes.

"Doctor!" The brunette woman exclaimed.

"Ooh, mirror, bet you didn't think of that." The purple-haired woman smiled. "Brilliant thinking, future warrior." Lillie liked her already and she usually didn't like most people. The opal-haired woman walked to the statue, stepping in front of it, eyeing it, putting on a serious face and holding up a bronze and purple object similar to the man's, it seemed familiar to Lillie, but she wasn't sure why, and she started to scan the Weeping Angel with it. 

"What is that?" Lillie asked, curiously.

"Sonic screwdriver. Common scientific instrument of Kasterborous." The purple-haired woman said, without looking at her, though Lillie didn't consciously understand her words, they seemed to vaguely ring a bell at the back of her head. Her tone suddenly became serious with a dark undertone and Lillie knew this wasn't a woman you'd want to mess with. "Sarah-Jane, take her into the Tardis, we don't know if there are any more around. Besides, don't want her to be around for the, uh, clipping of this angel's wings."

Sarah-Jane pulled Lillie into the Tardis while the Doctor and the purple-haired woman spoke.

Lillie's jaw dropped and she looked around in amazement but she made no comment.

"Were you scared?" Sarah-Jane asked.

"Hmm?"

"When you realized that it was alien, the Weeping Angel?" Sarah Jane clarified.

"I just knew that Prince Charming wasn't going to come save me, that some knight in shining armor wasn't going to. I'd have to save myself because this isn't a Disney movie, this isn't a fairy tale and even then, the real fairy tales are much grimmer than people think they are. I just didn't expect for the supposed knight to be in a ridiculous scarf."

"Why's everyone always on about the scarf?" The Doctor asked as he and the purple-haired walked into the Tardis. He was then jerked back because his scarf got caught in the door of the Tardis, making both the purple-haired woman and Lillie laugh as he embarrassedly freed his scarf. The Tardis made a sound that indicated she was also laughing.

"Maybe that's why." The purple-haired woman teased.

"Who is he?" Lillie asked.

"I'm the Doctor. Would you like a jelly belly?"

"Even though it's Halloween, I'm not accepting candy from the strangest man I have ever met." Lillie said. "And Doctor who?"

The purple-haired woman laughed, "She did the thing!" She squealed.

"Just the Doctor." The Doctor said as if he couldn't think of any other way to say it.

“Trust me, his eyes would pop out of his head if you did say his real name.” The purple-haired woman teased.

“Nova!” The Doctor whined and turned to Sarah-Jane Smith, “Did she say it?”

“Say what?”

“The-the thing.”

“About the Tardis? No.” Sarah-Jane said.

“It’s like a glass of coke.” The Doctor said, “it’s only this big.” He made a gesture measuring something about the size of a coke can. “But it’s actually got this much sugar in it.” He extended his arms. “or did you not notice?”

“What?”

“The Tardis. It’s bigger on the inside.”

“Well, obviously. I just figured it was supposed to be. Like… the wardrobe in Narnia.”

“Most people are confused by that.” The Doctor said.

“I like her. My name is Supernova but my friends call me ‘Nova’.” The purple-haired woman brought her attention to the young Sherlock Holmes and walked towards the young teen with a mission in mind, "what's your name?"

"Lillie. Lillie Tyler." Lillie said as the woman crouched down to look her in the eyes.

“How’s that spelled?”

“L-I-L-L-I-E. It’s short for Delilah.”

“Delilah!” Nova said, eccentrically, “A type of dahlia. Symbolizes beauty, commitment, kindness, elegance, inner strength, change, creativity, dignity, positivity, resilience, wildness, and happiness. Generally, they can symbolize new beginning, fresh starts, enduring kindness and even grace in challenging time. Rebirth. The Victorians used them to signify a lasting bond between two people. Love. Of course, then there’s the Black Daliah. Elizabeth Short. Her death remained a mystery long after her and her killer’s death.”

“What do you mean her killer’s death?”

“George Hodel. He was an awful man. The world may never know but I do. He couldn’t run forever and he didn’t by the time I found him. Last year, 1999. Wasn’t it?

"What?" Lillie asked, very confused. "How could you even know that? It’s unsolved. I should know. I wrote an essay about it in year six. My teacher then sent me home with a note saying I was too graphic and ecstatic about horrifying things.”

“Then you’ll get along with us great.” Nova said, “Time machine, what do you make of the Doctor and me?" Nova said, testing her.

"I don't understand the question." Lillie said.

"Yes, you do. You're smart. What do you think of us?" Her purple eyes were somehow both cold and warm. Both analytical and emotional. As if she were analyzing her through her emotions and psychology.

"That 'Weeping Angel' wasn't human... it wasn't of this world so it must be of another world. Alien. Like you and the Doctor. Like this 'Tardis'. Because it... it defies science. So, it must be alien. You and the Doctor are aliens too, aren't you." She said, impressing all three of the adults with her deduction skills yet accepting nature.

“Yes. Does that bother you?”   

“No. I mean, I’m alien from your point of view.”

“Finally. Someone gets it.” The Doctor said.

“Hush. Can I see your necklace, young female Sherlock?" She asked, gently. “A rose, huh?”

"How did you know about that?" Lillie asked, slightly taken aback by this.

"I'm smart too." She said, vaguely.

Lillie pulled her necklace out from under her shirt and showed it. The woman's eyes flickered with recognition but other than that there was no change of expression on her face.

Her necklace had a deep meaning for a thirteen-year-old, and barely that. A golden rose with a shiny dark red snake wrapped around the stem. It symbolized an eternal internal fight between light and darkness. People often got tattoos of it but Lillie didn’t seem like the tattoo type. A rebel, most definitely but not a tattoo girl.

"A genius, you can see things that no one else sees. Why can't they? Why are you so fast and everyone else so slow? You look and connect things, things people think are random but they're not. They're connected. Sometimes you wonder if there's something wrong with you but let me tell you that there isn't. There's nothing wrong with you. You're just stone-cold brilliant. You're unique, you're one-of-a-kind, you're special but you don't see that. I could scream it at you and you would refuse to believe it. But some day, you will."

"Who are you?" Lillie asked.

"Sorry, rude of me. I am Nova. I am alien, I am from the planet Elder of the Kasterborous galaxy. In a way."

"Nova." The Doctor whined but she literally waved him off like he was an annoying fly, annoyed he stomped off no doubt to sulk.

"How did you know who I am?"

"Alien reasons." Nova said, vaguely.

"Are you a seer or a time traveler?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Ah, while the Doctor is more telepathic than me, I'm more empathetic, though slightly telepathetic. But I cannot see the future; that’s my Mum. I mean, occasionally I can but it’s unpredictable. It’s like bouts of nuclear fission without the satisfying afterburn.”

“What?” Lillie asked.

“Right, you’re human. Nuclear fission is radioactive in large quantities and long-term exposure causes cancer in humans. So to sum up, I am an alien time traveler."

"And who is she?" Lillie asked, nodding to Sarah-Jane Smith.

"I'm human. I'm a companion of the Doctor and Nova." Sarah Jane said. "I'm, uh, from seventy-three."

"Well, welcome to two-thousand." Lillie smiled, awkwardly.

"You want to come with us, don't you?" Nova asked.

"But I can't. I'm only thirteen. I have my big sister, Rose..."

"You have a sister?" Nova asked, slightly surprised. That was new. Then again… "Rose?" She had a ironic smile tugging at her lips.

"She's six months older than me."

"Were you adopted?" Nova asked, bluntly.

"Nova!" Sarah-Jane scolded but was ignored.

"No, I was premature. Doctors said it was a miracle, I lived. I was perfectly healthy as if I were born at nine months." Lillie said.

"Does Rose happen to associate with gold?"

"What?"

"Does she like gold? Has a gold heart? Whatever?"

"She's... she's blonde and she... she has the best heart I know."

"Ah." Nova nodded, knowing more but not saying as the Doctor reentered the console room.

“Where do you live?” He asked.

“What?”

“Where do you live?”

“I wasn’t willing to take candy from you. You think I’m willing to tell you my address?” Lillie shouted.

“It’s not just a time machine. It materializes here and there. We can take you home.” Nova said.

Lillie told Nova her address and Nova drove the Tardis which the Doctor didn’t seem all too happy about.

The Tardis moved as Nova went back to Lillie.

“Question: Do strange things happen around you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Things like when you’re scared or angry. Things you can’t quite explain? Things that you know are because of you even if it seems impossible. Things that only you seem to really notice and if they do notice, they shrug it off.”

“Yeah—wh—yeah, why?” Lillie stammered.

“No reason.” Nova smiled and she took her compass necklace off, “this is an ancient necklace. From my planet.  You can keep this until… one day, if our paths cross again when you're older, we'll reconsider, hmm?"

Lillie looked down at the necklace, seeing it was a compass necklace, the pendant was a shade of black with a purple-ish hue like a dark star, the metal twisted into a rose with a star sapphire in the middle under of the compass rose star, pointing to the north, the east, the south, and the east, the grooves around the rose and the compass rose was a Celtic design resembling roots, a purple glow the openings between the dark metal. When it clicked open it revealed a compass and it played a beautiful music unlike any anyone on Earth had heard before, on the back was an inscription that said, "Not all those who wander are lost."

"And Rose too?"

"Yep." Nova said, "if she's anything like you then she's brilliant, brave, sweet, loyal, and kind. Just like you. Keep true to yourself, Delilah Sherlock Tyler.”

--

They dropped Lillie off at her flat as a panicked Rose and Jackie came back, just in time to miss the Tardis dematieralizing as Lillie watched it in wonder

"Lillie!" A thirteen-year-old Rose Tyler cried, running to her younger sister and throwing arms around her, just about blinding her with her blonde hair

"Lillie, where the hell have you been?" Her mother demanded as Rose hugged her.

"Battling evil angels with the Doctor." She said blankly.

"What? Doctor who?" Jackie asked, incredulously.

That night as Lillie dozed off to sleep, a multi-colored field energy that has surrounded the young Tyler her whole life started to glow in her room before being sucked into the compass which was now glowing, Lillie shifted in her sleep and smiled gently.

*Sorry, if the personalities of Sarah Jane Smith and the Fourth Doctor were off beat. I haven’t gotten to the Fourth Doctor yet in the Classic Doctor Who… or Sarah-Jane Smith’s debut. And I haven’t seen the Sarah Jane Smith Adventures.*

I saved a bunch of compass pcitures that I found on my old laptop but now I've got a new laptop. I did save them on Terrabox but loading the pictures are slow and the scrolling is laggy, so the compass I photoshopped isn't exactly what is described.

The DnD dice is not random. It represents her mother who can see different paths of the future and I felt the dice showed that pretty well and the sword represents her father, Castiel who is the protector of the universe, Elder, and above all else, his daughter. (And perhaps if you think there's a version of Dean Winchester on Elder).

[the-hem]

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand, From Matthew 15: 29-39.

The miracles of Christ are proof He was the Son of God. As we explore proper translations of the Miracles, let's explore the ways we can apply APEST to each one, specifically, what is a rational, contemporaneous application of each one to the possible liberation of all of God's people from the war, poverty, corruption, oppression, and depravity that are being unleashed on us today by our world's leaders?

The Presence of the Christ, the God of Israel in the flesh was not a sign humanity was to compensate for the cruelty of the world, but to remind us of the institutions God gave us that were designed to prevent its onset.

One of these is called Beersheba, the Seven Wells, the Seven Noachide Laws which are referred to in the following:

29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 

30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. 

31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 

37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 

38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children.

 39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.

The story of the Miracle begins in Galillee, the "turning of the wheel." The turning of the wheel refers to the Hebrew calendar and the timing of the Seven Festivals. Each has specific instructions for the kind of knowledge that is to be gained and applied. The same knowledge is to be displayed in public in the visible signs of the conditions of the government and people in the commune that observes the Calendar.

Jesus climbs a mountain and preaches down. This the process of Galilee at work. By reading scripture, we go up, the Spirit of God comes down.

The trouble we are experiencing on earth right now is a sign our leaders are not doing a particularly briliant job of occupying the position Christ takes in the scripture, but have hope, it means we still can.

Note that this word is also identical to the Hebrew version of the name Galilee (Joshua 20:7, 1 Kings 9:11, Isaiah 9:1).

The previous noun made feminine: גלילה (gelila), meaning circuit, boundary or territory (Joshua 4:4, Ezekiel 47:8).

The noun גלול (gillul), meaning idols (Ezekiel 22:3, 1 Kings 15:12). This word occurs only in plural. Scholars can't decide whether this noun came from the idols' shapes (round/curvy?) or whether they were considered "dung-things" or crap, so to speak.

The masculine noun גלגל (galgal), meaning wheel (Isaiah 5:28) or whirlwind (Psalm 77:18).

The masculine noun גלגל (gilgal), meaning wheel (Isaiah 28:28 only).

The feminine noun גלגלת (gulgoleth), meaning skull or head. Note that the noun פנים (panim), meaning face, comes from the verb פנה (pana), meaning to turn. Also note that in Biblical times the head did not hold the same regard as it does to us today. To us the image of a skull represents death or danger, but that symbolism is not Biblical. In Biblical times, the head was also not regarded as the seat of the mind or the intellect, but rather as the most public part of the body, comparable with the door of a house or city.

The head was seen as the seat of individual personality, or rather a person's public profile. It was the part of a person with which that person engaged others and the world around him.

One consumed food via the head, listened to others, spoke to others and viewed others, but the head was not seen as a repository or reservoir of anything.

The consumption of food, of one's views, the ways one listens, hears and then speaks is determined by the ingredients. The Seven Loaves and Fish are examples.

Since the Miracle is laden with Numbers, let us go verse by verse and get to the bones of the real Gospel Torah hidden in the English and the Greek translations:

v. 29: The Value in Gematria is 6224, ו‎ב‎בד‎, "and in the fabric." I have said many times Jesus was a facade. He was the Spirit of God, woven in, hidden in the flesh and is now hidden in the words of this scripture. He came to the earth to put an end the belief the practices of Rome, which included conscription and slavery and the belief human sacrifice was pleasing to God.

All other concepts of the Christ are incorrect. Sane persons will understand and agree.

v. 30: The Value in Gematria is 4548, דהדח‎, "roared." To tend to the needs of the lame and crippled is to roar like a lion, AKA to bring the law and justice where injustice was the apex predator. Lions are needed if the world is ever going to begin turning as God intended once again.

v. 31 : The Value in Gematria is 9097, טאֶפֶסטז‎, tapestry. The Hebrew word for tapestry is marbad, which means "to become myriad, to be multi-colored."

This means to be and observe the mysterious ways the God of Israel cures us of the crippling power of ignorance, freeing the real persons within and around us.

v. 32: The Value in Gematria is 13112, יגיאב‎, yagiav. "God is the father of all that is in one's midst."

It denotes land as that which yields vegetation and produce (Matthew 13:5), or land as supporting a political entity: a country or region (Matthew 2:20), or the whole human realm (Luke 11:31, Romans 9:17).

v. 33-34: The Value in Gematria is 13915, יגטאה‎‎, igatea, "the wish for God's wine."

Bread is the process of sowing, tilling, howing, growing, harvesting and hulling grain and milling it into flour. We take for granted how arduous and complicated a slice of bread is, and how essential to life until it starts disappearing from the shelves or becomes too expensive to afford.

Bread is civilization itself. We depend on the land for bread, and we depend on each other in the same way. Fish, which school, represent the wishful thinking mankind has always had that it will teach itself to depend on the bread in good faith and enjoy life on a very beautiful and comfortable world.

v. 35-36: The Value in Gematria is 11011, יאאֶפֶס‎יא‎, yaepsia, "Jesus teaches the Disciples about the importance of Shabbat."

ya= god

eps=goblet

ia=

 Then there are two more words that are identical to the two previously mentioned: אי ('i). Then there is the similarly spelled interrogative adverb אי ('ay), which spawns a small array of inquisitive particles.

The root אוה ('wh I) isn't used in the Bible, but an Arabic equivalent means (according to BDB Theological Dictionary) (1) to betake oneself to a place for dwelling; and (2) to be tenderly inclined.

This root's sole Biblical derivative is the masculine noun אי ('i) meaning coast or region (according to BDB: a place whither one betakes oneself for resting, etcetera, originally from a mariner's standpoint).

v. 37: The Value in Gematria is 7884, זחחד‎‎, zachhad, "remember to go through the motions":

Do establish laws.

Don’t curse God.

Do not practice idolatry.

Do not engage in illicit sexuality.

Do not participate in bloodshed.

Do not rob.

Do not eat flesh from a living animal.

v. 38: The Value in Gematria is 5182, האחב‎‎, "the love."

v. 39: Jesus went then to Magadan, which means "the harp" or the psalter, which means He mixed his voice and the sound of the instrument together in order to conjure a vision of the future.

The Value in Gematria is 7275, זבזה‎‎, wasted for which the Hebrew word is gamur, which is much more optimistic. The verb גמר (gamar) means to complete, end or come to an end. It occurs only five times (all in the Psalms; Psalm 12:2, 77:9, 138:8, 7:10 and 57:3) and has the basic meaning of to complete, finish, but can also be used to indicate a sudden stop or termination.

The real meaning then of the Miracle is...if we have the right leadership and goals, and they engage us through the belief every life matters and has a purpose to play in the rearing and fulfillment of the rest, the dream of Christ comes true.

If we continue as we are, following madmen and women into or around the craters that used to be farmland and cities, life on earth will end and never return.

All Judaic scripture follows certain tracks. In the Miracle of the Loaves and Fish, Jesus explains how to avoid the end of civilized life on earth:

God is the governor.

Social justice was instituted by God. It is written in the Torah and the Gospels it is also written into Federal Law. It is not optional, not anywhere on this world for any reason.

Human varietals are free to express themselves. The government reflects the unity and variety and protects it.

The land is also a governor.

Civilization is the intersection of the land and the government.

Shabbat -freedom from ignorance about the former preserves the land and the government and gives them meaning and value in our lives which is demonstrated to our children.

Promoting the law in all we do is how we ensure future generations become self-sovereign.

The voice and the music must become one. The world needs to recognize the above principals all at once, not a little at a time through legal agreement.

We know the Greeks learned everything they knew from Jews, so it makes sense translations of Greek accounts of the Christ can easily be decrypted using Hebrew Gematria, the original language of the God of Israel in order to understand His explicit directions underneath the ornamentation used by religion.

As the verse says, "I have great compassion for these people, they have been with me three days."

The Three Days are behind us- we now know we have to move on to the Fourth, to use what God gave us to be good, to attract to ourselves what is inevitable and set by God.

To achieve this, we need to look into our past and see if somewhere, somewhen, the human race used good sense and inquired of the Spirit of God for a way to exceed the annals of a troubled world. By consulting the Gospels and digging, applying the formula of APEST, our prospects for success seem more realistic.

[thebowerypresents]

The Smile Thrill Adoring Forest Hills Stadium Crowd on Friday Night

The Smile – Forest Hills Stadium – July 7, 2023

Do we need another project from Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood? It’s not the world’s most original question, as the spinoff efforts of Radiohead’s head and heart are prolific. But I’m guessing it popped up for some a couple years ago, when the Smile came on the scene. To them I say: What is need? Do you need sprinkles and nuts on that Mister Softee cone? Or a third cigarette? No. Would you like to experience enhanced, if not repeated, pleasure? Even some that, say, gilds the lily? Emphatic yes.

Yorke and Greenwood’s music has a familiar through line, but each manifestation stands on its own. The two, along with percussionist Tom Skinner of Sons of Kemet, have made in the Smile a close cousin to Radiohead but one with gutsier immediacy. That’s due, I suspect, in large part to Yorke, whose jazz background and virtuosity on the drums provide them fertile new ground. On Friday, before an enchanted and loyal crowd at a hot and humid Forest Hills Stadium, the band explored it, opening with “Pana-Vision,” off their debut (and only full-length) album, A Light for Attracting Attention (2022). They were joined by saxophonist Robert Stillman, who opened the show with a lovely solo set that dipped in and out of abstract, free and ambient tones. The night got moving with “Thin Thing,” the riffs climbing, falling, moving sideways and all ending in a beautiful decrescendo of sorts. 

At some point, Yorke suffered for fashion long enough and rid himself of his denim jacket, simply attacking the set, including “A Hairdryer” — preceded by a gorgeously dark improvisation, with Greenwood bowing his bass. “Under Our Pillows,” an unreleased song, found parallels in the staccato time signatures of “Thin Thing” but with more Yorke-style longing and an eerie, atonal end. Other unreleased material made it in, too, like “People on Balconies” and “Colours Fly,” both featuring Stillman. The set-closing “You Will Never Work in Television Again,” the big hit, unsurprisingly killed: “All those beautiful young hopes and dreams / Devoured by those evil eyes and those piggy limbs,” hurled Yorke.

The encore felt like coming home, Yorke crooning over acoustic guitar to a nearly silent stadium crowd on “Free in the Knowledge,” and Greenwood joining in on piano. “Bending Hectic,” the penultimate song, was a favorite — slow, layered and scuzzy that grew terrifyingly immense by its close. The show ended with a 2009 Yorke song, “Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses,” which moved across a synth-y, slinking beat that sent us off into the night. And yes, I did need that. —Rachel Brody | @RachelCBrody

Photos courtesy of DeShaun Craddock | dac.photography

[headspace-hotel]

update on Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves: I looked up reviews for the book on Goodreads and uhh. Uhhhhhhh.

????????????????????????????????...

I'm taking the word "worldbuilding" away from y'all. Please stop. This book barely even has worldbuilding. It's an alien planet and all the animals are the same as Earth animals, except with weird made-up words attached, and the book has yet to explain or describe how they're even different from regular bears, foxes and rabbits.

The politics and culture are vague and developed using preachy infodumping. The planet is controlled by a corporation, and there are "scavvers" which live away from corporate control, and most inhabitants of the planet are prejudiced toward "scavvers." That's it! That's all there is!!

There seems to be a city and there's a forest, but the setting is not described well enough for me to tell how these things are spatially related to each other.

Also can we talk about how the planet is named "Tundar?"

...

Anyway. These reviewers in many cases seem to be confusing "worldbuilding" with "how vividly the setting is evoked/described," which, okay fine, but...this book's descriptions are the absolute opposite of evocative. They are so ambiguous and non-specific.

Here i've got the book I'll give examples

The protagonist's cloak, which has important sentimental value to her, has strands of "silvery-black" in it, which is important because it's connected to the scavver culture. What material? Why is it significant? How does it connect to her culture? What is it even called?? We don't know!

"She'd sing songs the scavvers passed down for generations, not the corpo-produced ones they play in bars around the Ket...those same melodies haunt my darkest dreams." Okay?? Maybe give more details so I'll care, maybe?

"The ion storms mess with most tech, especially things that send signals." (page 116) I have so many questions about this. It's repeatedly emphasized that Technology Doesn't Work on Tundar...except when it does. The wolves can be tracked down using microchips that transmit signals. The wolf races are televised using drones. All the "technology" (what that means isn't consistent) shown in the story is supposed to be constantly broken down and nonfunctional, but no one has thought to USE DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGY in the "hundreds of years" the planet has been colonized.

"Something messed up when the corporations tried to calm Tundar's environment hundreds of years ago...the terraforming attempt that was supposed to stop the ice just made it worse, along with making all the species bigger and more aggressive." ????? (page 23)

And then there's the "splinter woods." There are "splinter trees" that are constantly trying to take the city back. What do they look like? What are they? Is that the only plant in the "splinter woods?"

The main glaring problem, though, is that the "splinter woods" cover the whole area of the world we're shown...which is constantly and repeatedly referred to as a "tundra."

Did the author not google "tundra???" Did she somehow miss, when researching for this book, that a forest is definitionally not a tundra?

Like???? SGSGVVFGVFGBHFFGfsafghjbfbcv

"I say one of the few scavver phrases that has been adopted into everyday speech." Do scavvers speak a different language?? Are there different languages?? We don't know!!!

Because nothing is ever described specifically or clarified!! The dialogue is both unnaturally infodumpy and so vague. Like, the protagonist says "I can show you guys how to strip some bark from the splinter trees and mix it with a few different herbs." (page 119). I've never read anything like this before. "I tell them which animals most likely make which noises." What do you mean, most likely????

We spend a lot of time with a team of scientists, but it's not actually clarified what their actual fields are. Pana is an "expert in many scientific fields, including medicine. The main scientist says he's "not an animal expert" as if "zoologist" is too difficult to say.

The whole book is like this, whatever "Like This" is.

Let's not forget the "slightly scientific-looking junk."

Like, all the reviewers claim the world is so "vivid" and evocative and when you read the book, literally every description is like, "It looks almost like some sort of thingy."

Oh, on the subject of the cold: In the beginning, the protagonist says something about frostbite scars being distinctive of people that have lived on the planet for a while, and then...any sort of behavioral or technological adaptation to cold is Never Mentioned Again.

Like, I don't get the sense that it is cold. The way the main character dresses, acts, prepares for travel, does not suggest that she's going somewhere dangerously cold. Her cloak gets taken away from her and this is important because she's sad about it, not because the planet is deadly cold like the author tells us. The scientists don't have to wear gear or special clothing to protect themselves from cold.

It's so frustrating to hear this being called good worldbuilding I can't take it

[pico-digital-studios]

Into, Across and Beyond! Cast: Tekno the Canary

Replaces: Spectacular Spider-Man Origin: Sonic the Comic

"After helping stop Prime Sonic from getting killed and causing a multiversal collapse, I'm open to helping keep the further multiverse stable with you. I'm happy to be along for the ride!"

Tekno is a character from Dimension STC-1993, who has quite the dab hand in inventing, just like Tails. She used to be working under the Robotnik of her universe, but kept stealing his resources for her own use, landing her in constant trouble.

When she was sent to the Badnik Processing Plants, however, a special Badnik named Shortfuse rescued her from the troops transporting her, and in return, she improved his Megatal armour and helped him take down a Chemical Plant factory AND the twisted Metamorphia.

After enough time, she eventually allied with the Freedom Fighters to apply her tech knowledge to an heroic cause, and even befriended Amy along the way. After Robotnik's empire fell, she allied with Amy more to stop various criminals, and was later sought out by the mysterious Ring of Eternity for her efforts.

Two of her more recent endeavours were helping stop Robotnik from draining Mobius's life force and causing an environmental collapse, and later being one of the few outright challenging Exetior's rule, which later caused the arch-demon to give up and restore the planet to the way it was.

One of her most praised achievements, however, was helping save the ENTIRE multiverse alongside the original Sonic, from the likes of the SSSSS Squad, Scourge, Sleet and Dingo, and even Dark Oak. She even saved her own Sonic from harm's way after he was captured, and his twisted Super form planned to be used against the original blue blur.

Her efforts managed to inspire EV!Sonic when they crossed paths, which led to them allying up and forming the Quill Society together as a way to keep the multiverse outside of the base dimension safe and stable. This also means rounding up any villains that are causing trouble outside of their own dimensions for sorting out.

Like OMT!Tails, the Quill Society has a policy in place where villains are not kept captive for longer than needed. For select cases like Sark here, who's imprisoned for what EV!Sonic states as "unspeakable war crimes that are truly unspeakable" (since I ain't saying his TRULY unforgivable deeds here), they face erasure shortly following their capture.

However, for the majority of the guys captured, they are instead prepared for being sent back home, due to the Quill Society having concerns about dealing with a villain without that world's Sonic. Therefore, killing or long-term imprisonment is a no-go.

The villains in question come from all sorts of areas, ranging from Dr. Qwark from Dimension AO-1992, Sir Fuzzy-Logik in that chamber, and even villains from adaptations of the games, like that ridiculously-small Robotnik from the Game Gear Sonic Spinball. As you can tell from Sunky's expression, literally nobody takes that pint-sized Egghead's threats seriously, considering he's inside a pod inside a dang capsule.

Tekno was one of several to be clearly wary of Lost Memory Sonic's behaviour, and was on OMT!Tails's side when the truth about the "canon event" theory came out. As such, she and Fleetway Amy allied up to help apprehend the selfish version of the blue blur and give OMT!Tails a boost in disrupting the intentions of letting OMT!Cream die to Crimtake. Safe to say, they gladly succeeded in that area.

Oh, yeah. One more thing I can bring up:

OMT!Tails: Hey.

Speedy: Hey. ... It's rude to stare, kid.

OMT!Tails: So, er, what's with Speedy and that altered Emerl suit?

Pana: Birdbrain was causing some chaos in one of the dimensions. Took me and mini Amy here to apprehend him and bring him here.

SS!Amy: Sure I bonked him the best, Pana.

Speedy: You two idiots kidding?! During my escape, I tripped! You heroes just got off lucky.

OMT!Tails: So how many missions have you guys been on together?

SS!Amy: Well, not too many.

Pana: With Mina? A... couple dozen?

OMT!Tails: Wait, what? (a little jealous) Ah, that's cool.

(Cell sprites by RaulHedgeBomber)

[hinahaikyuu]

My Baby’s Baby | 1

Growing up with the twins was an experience, you knew almost everything about them. Including the fact, Atsumu Miya didn’t want a kid, and that was fine. When you got pregnant as close knit friends with benefits, you weren’t going to force him be a dad, but you were surprised when his twin jumped in the moment he got the news.

Masterlist

Tags ;  @onigirintarou @bokutokiya @moonlit-mizukage @thisbicc @kitsunekanojo @em0tor4 @callmekda @ssuna @alpha-mommy69  @tripleoyaa @pana-dolle @kaaay-renee @jojowantstocry​ @tsukina​

a/n: I wanted to release the first two, but due to work and several things I need to do before a specific date, I couldn’t finish the second one. I tried to do it today, but I had a migraine. I will release chapter two early if I can. 

all works owned by @hinahaikyuu— please do not plagiarize, copy or modify my works.  

The car ride home was quiet, too quite. Akaashi played some music off his phone through the cars Bluetooth and letting it sit low but no matter what played it just wasn’t loud enough. You at in the passenger seat, buckled up with your knees to your chest and your face burried in your skin. 

Akaashi had never seen you so scared. You always seemed, you were confident, and determined to make every choice a good choice or at least learn from the mistakes. It’s been that way for a couple years now, at least since hes known you. He made note of your phone, constantly going off from one of the group chats if not several that you were apart off and in his peripheral vision he saw you take out the battery and put it in your bag. 

It took too long to get back to his and Bokuto’s apartment to his liking, parking the car and walking around. You took his hand, holding it firmly with your fingers intertwined while he brushed your hair. You started crying before he even got you in the house, by then you were a sobbing mess. 

“Breathe, yn. Breathe.” Akaashi sat with you on the couch. He gave you credit where credit is due, you’ve been handling this well until you got to the safety of his apartment. You didn’t know if you through up from the baby or from the mass tornado of emotions in your heart, head and apparently your stomach. 

“I’m trying Kaashi...” you sat back, fighting back sobs between broken breaths. You were so young, and just in your last year of college. This wouldn’t be the end of the world, but you didn’t know what to do. Thankfully you had a large support network, but everything could change you weren’t stupid. You told your friends first, and your sure the twins told their mom, or maybe not when you thought harder about it. 

“We’ve been so careful! We always have condoms, and always pay attention to the expiration date. I’ve never missed an appointment in my life or anything for my birth control and we’ve been so careful to always plan around my ovulation cycles with that stupid app!” You counted on your fingers before tossing your hands in your hair. Akaashi took your face in his hands, getting you to focus on himself. You matched his breathing and soon you were content and no longer suffocating yourself. Akaashi was always so calming, and you would never take his friendship for granted. 

Until you started thinking again. Maybe announcing it in the group chat wasn’t the best. Would you still be Kita’s favorite? Should you have waited? Probably.

“Hey! Hey! Hey! Bokuto is home!” Kou slammed the door open, surprising both you and Akaashi in a slight jump off the couch. He shut the door, and put down his bag, kicked off his shoes before turning to give you the big hugs he always did. Akaashi did tell him he you were there, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw your face. “yn..? What happened.”

“She got some very scary news today Bokuto.” Akaashi started, rubbing your back before standing. “She’s just trying to process it. I’ll get you some tea and some crackers..” Bokuto sat next to you in place of Akaashi, opening his arm and letting you rest into his chest at your own pace. After years of friendship and setting boundaries he knew when you needed a calmer, kinder, stronger presence and he was more than happy to be that in your time of need. 

“Bo.. we’re good friends right?”

“You bet.”

“and if I happened to be involved in a big accident you wouldn’t stop being my friend?”

“of course not.. are you okay?” Bo looked down at you after pulling you from his chest, he took his sleeve and wiped your tears. 

“I’m pregnant, and I don’t know what to do.” Bokuto didn’t say anything, he sat there, almost dumbfounded before pulling you into his arms again and laying down slightly with you on his chest. Next to Akaashi, you were one of his closest friends right now outside his teammates. 

“He’s a dead man...” 

[alien-doodles]

Oooh since we’re asking about OCs, I wanted to ask about the God of Chaos you have. You said this was in Pana’s universe, are they and the Mages of Kahn involved in any way to Pana? Or are they just kind of chilling in separate places and have never run into each other?

Kahn is the god of order ive decided. He usually keeps to himself from the other gods really bc hes super busy tbh keeping two worlds in check and hes antisocial lmao. He did however send some of his mages to fight Kareem bc Kareem in-listed a lot of spirits to aid him.

The mages ill be focusing on will not really be involved with pana personally. Maybe some fun cameos but nothing huge. There are some mages stationed in the city close to where pana lives but theres barely any action there now due to Kareems presence

No spirit is stupid enough to come near kareem bc of his godly presence so he kinda acts like a keep away charm lol

[antlerwreath]

ashari gender & expression: part 1/?

views on gender & expression

gender among the ashari, and among druids in general, is very fluid.  they don’t subscribe to a binary for many reasons; however, one of the most prominent reasons is because they feel every living being is unique.  a binary of simply man/woman or male/female essentializes that one gender exists in spite of or ‘opposite’ to another and, in their view, forces the two against one another.

within the air ashari specifically, they view gender as a concept through a motif of the wind, in the sense that...  you can’t see wind until it interacts with something, be that through fabric, hair, trees, or the ocean.  the wind exists as a whole entity, in and of itself, whether or not anyone can see it.  as such, wind alone has sovereignty over what the wind looks like or ‘is’.  only the wind can define itself.  it may blow calmly over a field of wildflowers one day, only to violently upend trees the next.  it is always moving, changing; alternatively, it may hold fast in its loyalty to one sacred place.

perhaps it favors one aspect (shorter hair that does not move as easily in a breeze; longer clothing that catches gusts freely; lips painted with colors that act as a buffer between wind and the moisture of the mouth), but maybe it doesn’t.  it’s possible that its favor changes over time, or that it remains steadfast throughout its existence. the point being that, only an individual can know or decide, and once an individual knows their truth, that is considered sacrosanct.

gender neutral child-rearing

unsurprisingly, this leads most ashari who choose to bring a child into the world through birth to raise them under neutral terms.  there is no pressure to express themselves one way or another, no expectations thrust upon them.  the child is encouraged to live as they please and, once old enough to do so (whatever age that may be), ask to be called by what they like. most children will be referred to as they/them until they show interest otherwise (typically by hearing how others are called).  

pronouns & neutral address

it is for the previous reasoning that most ashari are comfortable with initial neutral address, even if their preference lies with other pronouns or titles.  they will accept the address and correct someone, if they desire, only becoming upset if this correction is not honored.

aside from pronouns in common, pronouns pulled from the ashari language of iktilkean (or, tilke) are as follows: 

nor (he/she/it) / wha (him/her/it)

omi (they) / kol (them/their)

pana (wind) / kepana (windself)

[shuuen-no-cimory]

Ok now here’s a post about my Anemo sword user OC from Snezhnaya, the courier Praskovya or Pana (or who I usually refer as Panya because it just sounds better wwww

Courier - Pana, 25. A part of Adventurer's Guild of Snezhnaya branch who specifically works on mailing and package delivery to and from Snezhnaya. She never picky with whom her client is but coincidentally, most of her clients are either low ranking Fatui members or their relatives. It doesn't matter to what corner of Teyvat the package had to be delivered, she wouldn't mind doing it. Such a free-spirited anemo sword user.

When she was young she had a really close childhood friend she called Granya, a man coming from a well-known merchant family. The two was like two peas on a pod who understand each other deeply. That's why the time when they turned 15 and both of them had an argument over Granya's wish to run away from his family, she can't understand why did he left her too into thin air. Losing your best friend isn't something she can be used to, this is what drove her to join Adventurer's Guild to heal herself as she turned 17. That's where she met her senior, a well-known courier in Snezhnaya.

That courier taught her many things, about places in Snezhnaya and about the world outside it that she never had a chance to see yet, being a rookie and all. That courier was a good person and she was the first person that propose the idea of international delivery service for the people of Snezhnaya that has been separated from their family members. It was a hard fight but eventually, the courier idea got accepted.The night before her senior's delivery debut, both of them had a drink, told each other their story and how Pana wished she could also follow her senior's track. That senior had helped her heals from her young loss and if there's anything she wanted is that for her senior's ambition to be true.

But as the next day came and days turned months, she never heard of them again. It was only at the fifth month that news finally arrived that the senior had an accident and died. This affect the international shipping project's credibility which then was planned to be terminated.

This second loss she got,

This time she faced the Guild's head. Tell them she willing to replace her senior place and refuse for the project termination. They decline at first since she isn't credible enough for such job but she take it anyway. She wanted to face her loss better this time, not just by facing the other way and attach herself to some new good person to be her anchor. And she will.By the time she finished her first batch of delivery to Fountaine, she found her own bag to be heavier. That's when she got her Anemo Vision.

When she was 22, she met a Fatui man on Liyue, a Hydrogunner Legionnaire who catch her when she was about to move again to Snezhnaya.

"You are that Courier right? I heard you from the other men that you do delivery from and to Snezhnaya, right?"

She nods, and that man handed her a letter with his scarred, grubby hand, "Please, send this to my family."That was how she met Dmitri, a leader of certain Fatui Skirmishers' team that will stir up her life in an interesting turn.

About two months later...Dmitri's family want her to send a reply. It was not a message but instead a bulky box. She remember the time his wife and their children hugged her and told her how grateful they are to finally heard from him after many years, just like almost all the other families that asked her service.When she stepped onto Dmitri's camp, she was stopped by a tall man with a staff and bandage covered his face who stared omniously at her.

"What business an Adventurer had with a Fatui Skirmishers' camp?"

"Oh, I'm looking for sir Dmitri, the Hydrogunner Legionnaire." She then saluted at him, "Name is Praskovya of Snezhnaya's Adventurer's Guild, part of Guild's the International Delivery Service to and from Snezhnaya. May I have an audience?"

The man, a Geochanter, was frozen for a moment. He then slowly nodded and led her the way. There was silence between them as they approach the camp. It is not unusual since she does found some Skirmishers to be a quiet individuals.

As she approaching, there was also three other men at the camp: a Cryogunner, an Electrohammer, and Dmitri, the Hydrogunner. When all the eyes on her, the big guy clads in blue welcome her warmly as he introduce her to his other team members. That's when she learned that the man that escort her named Yevgraf, quite an uncommon Snezhnayan name that is oddly familiar.She then handed him his package and told him about his wife and children, Anatolya and Pyotr. He rejoiced, "Oh May Tsaritsa bless your work, dear miss Courier. Can you come again tomorrow? I will write a reply for them as soon as possible.”

Since then, it has become some sort of habit to visit that team every time she went to Liyue, for Dmitri had become her regular. Eventually, two other guy enter the team. First it was an Anemoboxer named Valentin who somehow hit it easily with her as a sparring buddy. Later, it was a new energetic rookie, a Pyroslinger named Konstantin who enters when the team was moved to Dragonspine after 2 years of knowing them. This guy was also another fun addition to the group who shared the same passion on Vodka with her.

Around that time, she also tried to get close to Geochanter, who somehow kind of unwilling to be around her. She even tried to get to talk to him by giving him some package from 'unknown origin' that actually came from her. Eventually they get closer and would sometimes he'd willingly accompany her when she left the camp.

But at one point, they become sort of distanced themselves when both starts to dig out that they indeed shared a past: for Grasha was her long lost childhood friend. This make their relationship became a tad bit awkward but eventually, they made up and get back on their feet once again.

Will it ended up with romance? How would it turns out? I’ll left it into your interpretation.

APPENDIXES (QnA):

Q. Why not make her a Fatui if she'd be kind of associated with them?

Honestly, I want her to be some sort of 'neutral' character. It'd give me (and her) more freedom to write and play with her character wwww

Q. Why 'Praskovya' and 'Pana'?

She wants other to not be too formal with her that's why she usually insist people to call her nickname instead of her first name.

Q. Does she has any relation to the higher ups and Harbingers?

Not at all. For one, I think those higher ups barely need her help for sending letters and communication for they had their own connections. On the other hand, I feel like the low-ranked Fatui and other Snezhnayan might not have such things and had to rely on common delivery services. With that idea in mind, I want Pana to be that person that provide such service. That's why while she had many contacts among the Fatui, she never had any with the elites and Harbingers. So yeah, basically I want an OC that can chill with the Fatui, without being a Fatui, but still can make sense. I mean, isn't it comforting when you, a homesick worker for some organization that works internationally who haven't be heard of your loved ones probably for months, years, or maybe never, one day finally met someone that can help you tied the loose ends? That's what kind of a person Pana is.

[sujalkashish]

OS : Rajveer-Naina Weep no more my lady

By the time Rajveer focuses back on Naina, she is already gone. This skips Rajveer's heartbeat. This eagerness to meet her, will it ever come to an end? Reaching back to KMA gave him hope that finally he would be able to meet her; talk to her but when has god been so easy on him? Before he could walk to her and if not much than address her, Brigadier Chandok chose to become the first obstacle, though unintentionally.

Obstacle he indeed was at that time but that didn't get Captain Rajveer Singh Shekhawat disappointed. As much as he was an obstacle between Rajveer and Naina, he was also a treat to the eyes of Captain Rajveer Singh Shekhawat. During the entire brief conversation between Captain Rajveer and Brigadier Chandok, Rajveer's mind kept dragging towards Naina.

Why did she go away? Why didn't she meet him? Is she not eager to meet him? The anxiety bubbled all the more as these questions clouded his mind.

In her room - Naina has no intention to sleep. But what is the big deal in acting to be asleep if this ensures to be a good reason to escape? Escape from everyone and everything. She doesn't want Pooja to enter their room anytime soon. She knows what would follow the moment she does enter the room! She doesn't want to talk about 'him'!

Oh yes! She can weep! Weep night over night without fail - thinking about him, but please she doesn't want to talk about him to anyone. She knows, she knows it well enough that Pooja who acts to be asleep while Naina weeps throughout the night, stays awake with her. No, it is not because the sound of Naina's weeping doesn't let Pooja sleep, it is rather the fact that her best friend is hurt; her best friend is feeling lonely as the one who completes her is no more - not only in the academy, but may be.... just may be.... not even in the world!

How hard might it be to believe these words, but alas! Pooja couldn't refrain herself from accepting the truth. She of course was not delighted by the fact but she was mature enough to understand that life goes on.... one has to continue living even if the people who were leading the life with you earlier ceases to live and walk with you through the further journey of your life. This is called maturity!

But isn't it strange though easy it is to say - 'grow up!' 'act like a mature person!' But when it becomes the need of the hour to get matured, sometimes we still fail in the process of getting matured. May be, we just don't want to get matured! May be we enjoy the pain of being immature more over relishing the good taste of being mature.

"Kisko saza dene ka irrada hai?",

asks Pooja, as soon as she pushes the door open of their room.

Naina surely felt that she is dead, for that brief moment. Damn this girl!

Still resting her palm on her throbbing heart, trying to calm herself down; with her face still turned away, she says,

"Mere sir mein bohot tez dard ho raha hai Pooja. Aur mujhe kuch samajh nahi aa raha ke tu kya keh rahi hai.",

she holds her breath, silently praying for Pooja to end this topic here itself.

Pushing the door close, never taking away her eyes off Naina; raising her voice - the voice transmitting the waves of her irritation, Pooja says or rather scolds Naina,

"Haan dard to hoga hi, itne saarey aansuon ke SMS jo bheje hain, balance to khatam hona hi tha."

Her words irk Naina, though she very well understands the concern hidden under the words that looks like dipped in red chilli ketchup.

Naina doesn't reply but Pooja's words pinch her, as a result of which her eyes shed tears with more fervour than earlier. How difficult it is being to hold herself, only Naina knows.

It is not that Pooja is being cold and harsh on Naina. It is rather her concern for Naina and her want to see this Naina converting back into her old best friend Naina that are doing the talking.

As much as it hurts Naina; Naina's condition hurts Pooja too. And hence after uttering the words which she knows must have hurt Naina, Pooja softens her eyes on Naina. Why does she have to punish herself unnecessarily? - wonders Pooja.

She walks to Naina, concerned. Sitting next to her, Pooja rotates her hand on Naina's head and lovingly asks her,

"Naina ja! Please ja aur unse baat kar."

Naina converts her right hand into fist as the mere thought of approaching him makes Naina to shiver. It surely feels like eternity that she approached Rajveer. She had already given up the aspect of approaching him ever again. That fateful accident changed Naina's perspective of perceiving life, all over again. Naina wipes her tears but doesn't reply. Her face stiff - exhibiting her disapproval.

"Kuch kadmon ki duri baki hai Naina. Tu kyun unhe aur apne aap ko saza de rahi hai?",

questions Pooja, although frustrated, yet keeping her emotions under control. She knows she has to be patient with Naina.

Sniffing, in a broken voice, Naina says,

"Main kisi ko saza nahi de rahi."

"Tu de rahi hai saza Naina. Sirf unhe hi nahi khud ko bhi.",

Pooja raises her voice, as her temper rises too - frustration is the reason. Frustrated herself, Naina turns her face to the opposite side.

"Jab wo nahi the tab tu routi thi wo baat samjhi ja sakti hai. Par ab jab wo yahin hain to ye rona kaisa Naina? Ye duri kaisi? Ye khud ko saza dena kyun?",

asks Pooja, her voice still raised; her brows knitted out of confusion.

"Wo mujhse aur main unse durr rahein to hi acha hai.",

says Naina, her tone serious, never blinking her eyes, drowned into the pool of innumerous thoughts.

"Aur ye taye karne wali tu kon hoti hai?",

asks Pooja, scolding Naina.

Naina turns to look towards Pooja. They stare each other, both quiet for few moments.

"Problem kya hai? Baat kyun nahi karna chahti tu?",

asks Pooja.

"Mujhe... mujhe na jane kyun aisa lagta hai ke inn sub ki wajah main hun. Aisa lagta hai ke main unke saath rahi to unhe siwaye dukh ke kuch nahi milega.",

Naina shares her fear with Pooja.

"Oye tu pagal ho gayi hai kya?",

Pooja slaps Naina's forehead lightly, pushing it a little to shake her and hence pull her out of the unnecessary and ridiculous thought.

"Mujhe... mujhe pata hai Pooja ke agar maine unse baat ki to humari firse dosti hogi aur main firse liberty lungi unse jab marzi; jo marzi share karne ki.",

says Naina, fresh lump forming in her throat.

Pooja couldn't believe what she heard. She finds Naina being ridiculous.

"Oye Sir ke saath jo kuch bhi hua uss mein tu beech mein kahan se aa gayi?",

asks Pooja, annoyed.

Naina looks towards Pooja fully prepared to give her the reason; the explanation.

"Agar mere liye Red Box itna important nahi hota to kya wo inn sub mamlo mein funste Pooja? ",

asks Naina, deeply hurt afresh, no not because of her own stupidity.

She weeps, helplessly,

"Naina maana ke Red Box tere liye 'bhi' zaroori tha pana, par Captain Rajveer ke liye bhi to important tha?",

Pooja tries to put brain into Naina.

"Wo tujhse pehle se Naveen bhaiya ke case se deal kar rahe the tu ye baat kaise bhool sakti hai?",

asks Pooja, irritated.

Naina looks away, puzzled.

"Tum dono apni apni tarah se Naveen Bhaiya ko begunah prove karne ki koshish kar rahe the Naina. Isliye na tu galat hai aur na hi wo.",

Pooja desperately tries to make Naina understand this.

"Bohot dard diya na maine unhe?",

asks Naina, her voice tells Pooja how much hurt she is.

"Nahi Naina....!",

breaths Pooja.

"Teri aankhein teri zuban ka saath nahi de rahe Pooja. Jhoot mat bol. ",

scolds Naina.

Pooja rolls her eyes understanding that it is futile to explain her anything.

Sighing, she says,

" Tu mere bus mein nahi hai ab.",

rolling her eyes again she stands up to leave.

"Hmm... main apne bus mein hi nahi hun ab Pooja.",

mummers Naina loud enough for Pooja to hear her and turns to look towards her.

Pooja thinks of replying but soon dismisses the thought shaking her head as if finding Naina hopeless.

Pooja without saying anything further turns and walks to the door. Something comes into her mind that she turns to face Naina again and says in desperation,

"Apne apko bus mein karne ke liye tujhe kisi ne kaha bhi nahi hai Naina. "

Naina looks towards Pooja confused.

Pooja understanding her confusion, clarifies by adding,

"Kyunki agar 'apne aap ko apne bus mein' karne se tera matlab hai ke tu firse wohi Naina banna chahti hai jo Rajveer Sir ke jaane ke baad tu bann gayi thi....",

Pooja stands straight confident and says,

"To sorry Naina main tujhe firse wo Naina banne nahi dungi. Tujhe badalna hoga. Main Rajveer Sir ke jane ke baad wali Naina ko aur nahi jhel sakti."

"Aur inn kuch palon mein jabse Rajveer Sir wapas academy aye hain to mujhe firse muddaton baad meri purani Naina ki jhalak mili hai!",

says Pooja, desperately.

Naina knits her brows as Pooja's words touch her heart.

"Main usey firse khone nahi dungi Naina.",

says Pooja, sternly.

Naina's throat chokes as her heart fills with so many emotions. Her weeping turns frantic.

But she knows, she cannot put down her guards. Hence, she replies with determination,

"Maine faisla le liya hai!"

And her tone tells Pooja that she indeed has taken a decision - a wrong decision.

Pooja stares Naina whose back is turned towards her. She doesn't say anything out of frustration and nods her head vigorously, a gesture of pouring out her frustration.

"Maine bhi!",

states Pooja, clearly, glaring Naina.

Naina turns to look towards Pooja, her rate of heartbeat increased after getting such unexpected answer from her.

Glaring her one last time, Pooja leaves.

There! She has done it again. She has successfully hurt one of her dear friends again!

So what exactly were you expecting Naina, that your best friend Pooja would understand you and your non-sensical thoughts?

Pooja storms through the corridor. In her anger she doesn't even care to notice Huda, Yudi and Alekh are standing at a corner and talking.

As Pooja passes by them, they all turn towards Pooja, shocked on witnessing Pooja's off mood.

Huda and Alekh look towards each other in horror. Ali and Yudi look towards each other in horror, as well.

"Zaroor Naina ke saath koi lafda hua hoga.",

suggests Alekh, tensed.

"Chaliye chal kar dekhte hain.",

says Ali, tensed too.

Reaching Pooja at the mess they take their seats, sitting next to Pooja.

"Kya hua Poojaji?",

asks Ali, concerned.

Pooja whose head is down - resting on her crossed arms on the table, looks up towardd Ali on hearing his voice.

They all get tensed on discovering her weeping but the one who gets tensed the most is - Ali.

With his eyes wide open, Ali - in a voice filled with eagerness and tension asks,

"Kya... kya hua Poojaji?"

"Ali kya main Naina ki dushman hun?",

asks Pooja, in between her hiccups.

That gets all shocked.

"Hua kya Punjaban? Tu aisa kyun keh rahi hai?",

asks Huda, desperately.

Alekh doesn't say anything out of restlessness, knowing that if he asks anything that would just mean delay in Pooja's reply.

"Huda tu hi bata kya galat kiya maine agar maine Naina se kaha ke wo jaye aur Captain Rajveer se baat kare?",

asks Pooja, looking towards Huda, her brows knit together.

Her words skip Huda's heartbeat. Sitting in front of her - Huda's creased brows relaxes on hearing her - a gesture that Yudi, Ali and Alekh read well enough, and understand how unintentionally has Pooja hurt Huda's feelings.

Shocked Huda, whose voice turns low out of awkwardness asks,

"Kya baat karni hai Naina ko Captain se Punjaban?"

Alekh, Ali, Yudi look towards Huda, understanding his condition. Whereas Pooja, too occupied in thinking about Naina doesn't realize what she just said and to whom. And in her state of confusion, frustration - say whatever, she continues hurting Huda's feelings by her words - unintentionally.

"Yahi kaha na sirf maine ke wo Sir ke saath apna connection firse jode?",

shouts a frustrated Pooja.

All of them go quiet, understanding the seriousness of matter. Huda although starts thinking in different tangent - hurt, but nevertheless he focuses back on the matter in hand and asks,

"To Phoolan ne kya kaha? Kya wo baat karegi Captain Rajveer se? ",

holding his breath, his eyes glued on Pooja, not wanting to miss her reaction by any means Pooja out of anger, answers in one word yet emphasizing on it properly to make herself clear,

"Nahi!"

Where on one hand Ali, Alekh and Yudi get disappointed on hearing Pooja; there on the other hand Huda secretly sighs in relief. He quickly looks towards his friends through the corner of his eyes in order to make sure that none caught him smiling.

This gets Alekh angry and he curses under his breath,

"Iss Naina ko to apun..."

Training off out of anger, he looks towards Pooja and asks her, his angry tone intact,

"Kahan hai wo?"

"Kaun?",

asks Pooja, confused.

"Dekh dimag ki dahi mat kar! Teri dost!",

scolds Alekh, glaring Pooja.

This shocks Pooja and the three boys too. They stare Alekh out of shock.

"Meri? Oye Qaidi kya wo teri dost nahi?",

scolds Pooja..

"Apun ki to ab wo kuch bhi nahi hai!",

curses Alekh, out of anger.

This comes as a shock for all of them.

"Oye Qaidi ye kaisi baat kar raha hai yaar tu?",

asks Huda, shocked.

All others too stare Alekh out of shock.

"Alekh dekho abhi tumhara dimag garam hai. Ye lo paani piyo and just relax.",

says Yudi, forwarding a glass of water in front of Alekh.

"Haan hai dimag garam apun ka. Kyunki wo yedi samjhti nahi hai kuch - kya sahi hai; kya galat, kuch nahi!",

shouts an angry Alekh, looking towards Yudi.

Huda intervenes at this,

"Oye Qaidi sunn..."

Huda reaches in front of Alekh in order to make him understand,

"Dekh yaar Phoolan ne jo faisla liya hai kuch soch samjh kar hi liya hoga na?"

"Huda yedi ho gayi hai wo!",

states Alekh; looking straight into Huda's eyes.

"Sochne samjhne ki kshamta kho baithi hai.",

shouts Alekh.

"Dekh yaar Qaidi Captain Rajveer ke jane ke baad jaise humari zindagi mein ek badlaw aya tha ussi tarah unke wapas ane ke baad bhi ab ek nayi shuruat hui hau humari zindagi ki bhi, Captain Rajveer ki iss nayi zindagi ke saath.",

Huda tries to explain Alekh.

All stare Huda, knitting their brows, trying to understand his point.

"Jis tarah humein iss baat ki aazadi hai ke hum Captain Rajveer ko ek baar fir apni zindagi mein wapas lana chahte hain; ussi tarah Naina ko bhi iss baat ki aazadi hai ke wo unki maujudgi apni zindagi mein firse nahi chahti!",

says Huda, lowering his eyes as he reaches the last line of the whole thing.

His words skip the heartbeats of his friends - did he really say that? How could he even think that?

Alekh's anger rises with each passing moment.

"Apun sub ka ek dusre ki zindagi mein rehna jitna ahmiyat rakhta hai na Huda, utni hi ahmiyat Captain Rajveer ka apun ki zindagi mein rehne ka hai.",

states Alekh clearly, glaring Huda .

Yudi, Ali and Pooja nod their heads in agreement.

"Par haan ye baat bolkar tu ne apni ahmiyat zaroor kam kar di hai apun ki zindagi mein.",

says Alekh, spitting venom through his each word and gets up to leave.

"Maine galat kya kaha Qaidi?",

asks Huda, getting up as well.

Pooja gets nervous on witnessing Alekh's glare. She regrets saying whatever she said that spaeked this argument.

"Alekh, please rehne do.",

says a nervous Yudi, wanting the argument to come to an end.

"Huda bhai aap bhi rehne dijiye na.",

Ali tries to convince Huda.

"Tu mujhe kyun samjha raha hai yaar Usool?",

asks Huda, looking towards Ali, knitting his brows.

Alekh glares Huda and shakes his head in slow succession. Turning towards Pooja he asks,

"Naina apne kamre mein hai?"

Nervous Pooja nods her head.

●●●●●

At the infirmary Captain Rajveer sitting in front of Dr. Shalini, resting his head against the chair, looking somewhere at the ceiling with his elbows rested on the handles of the chair and fingers joining each other, such that forming a cave with his hands, says ever so calmly,

"Wo mujhse shayad baat nahi karna chahti."

Dr. Shalini inclined towards him, sitting at her desk, resting her arms on the table, entwining her fingers, her head tilted towards her left, her eyes reading Captain Rajveer's each gesture.

"Aur apne ye faisla kiya uski marzi ke barey mein bina usse baat kiye?",

asks Dr. Shalini, her tone bearing a tinge of taunt - healthy.

Captain Rajveer, with his head a little bowed as if thinking deep, he only raises his eyes to look towards Dr. Shalini.

"Main usse achi tarah janta hun Dr. Shalini.",

says Captain Rajveer, resting his right hand on the table and with the lift holding the handle of his seat, looking straight towards her.

Dr. Shalini smiles and shakes her head in slow succession. Her smile tells Captain Rajveer that it is a taunt coated with a smile. That certainly hurts Captain Rajveer. First Dr. Shalini out of all is smiling at him sarcastically and for topping it is that she thinks that he doesn't know Naina yet!!!! LIke seriously? Captain Rajveer Singh Shekhawat doesn't know his Cadet Naina Singh Ahluwalia? - is it even possible?

"Main usse pehchanu-napehchanu par mujhe aisa lagta hai aap zarur mujhe bhool gayi hain!",

states a hurt Captain Rajveer.

This makes Dr. Shalini to laugh.

"Do you even know how adorable you are Captain?",

asks Dr. Shalini, lovingly.

Although her words make Captain Rajveer to blush and melts his heart but he quickly plasters his now fake anger on his face.

But Dr. Shalini being Dr. Shalini, says,

"Now stop being fake in front of me. Ye nakli gussa hataiye apne chehre se."

That makes Captain Rajveer to laugh and blush.

Dr. Shalini smiles too.

"Captain bhale hi aap Cadet Naina Singh Ahluwalia ko achi tarah pehchante honge magar Naina ko...",

she shakes her index finger, smiling a little she says,

"Nahi!"

That skips Rajveer's heartbeat and his cheeks warm up.

"Bataiye Captain kya maine kuch galat kaha?",

asks Dr. Shalini, smiling politely.

Captain Rajveer's look tells Dr. Shalini how awkward is he feeling and is in all blushed up state. Blushing but not smiling. He stares her helplessly.

"Par wo mujhse baat kyun nahi kar rahi?",

asks Rajveer, helplessly.

"Kya usne aisa kaha apse Captain? ",

asks Dr. Shalini, smiling politely.

Rajveer looks towards her sheepishly.

Smiling, Dr. Shalini asks,

"Apke jaane se pehle kya aap dono mein koi mann-mutav tha?"

Captain Rajveer whilst staring her seriously shakes his head in slow motion.

"Fir? Wo kyun apse baat nahi karna chahegi Captain?",

asks Dr. Shalini, wanting him to think.

"Wo hi to samajh nahi aa raha mujhe Dr. Shalini.",

says Captain Rajveer, helplessly.

"To samajhne ki koshish kariye Captain! Think...",

smiles Dr. Shalini.

Captain Rajveer looks towards Dr. Shalini, cluelessly.

Smiling, she says,

"I must say Captain, aap Captain Rajveer hi theek hain.",

she rolls her eyes.

Unable to comprehend with her words, Captain Rajveer asks,

"Matlab? Main Captain Rajveer hi to hun!",

he knits his brows, eager to understand her words.

Dr. Shalini nods her head and says,

"Wohi to main nahi chahti."

"Kya? Ke main Captain Rajveer hun?",

asks Captain Rajveer confused and shocked.

Dr. Shalini slaps her forehead, and curses,

"Oh god! Kya karun main inka?"

Captain Rajveer knits his brows all the more; wrinkles his nose, trying to understand when Dr. Shalini hasn't said yet.

Taking a deep breath, Dr. Shalini says,

"Captain if I am not wrong then she must be crying at this moment. Forget about crying, she must be weeping by now."

This skips Rajveer's heartbeat. He cannot even imagine seeing her weeping. The thought deteriorates his mental peace all the more.

"Main kya karun Dr. Shalini?",

asks Captain Rajveer, helplessly.

"Jaiye aur usse baat kijiye.",

smiles Dr. Shalini.

"Par main usse bolunga kya?",

asks Rajveer, seeking for Dr. Shalini's help.

Dr. Shalini rotates her eyes to her left, wondering. Meanwhile Captain Rajveer stares her helplessly, desperate to get a real quick suggestion so that he can put it into implementation more quickly.

Looking back towards him, raising both her eyebrows, as if being skeptical about her idea,

"May be you should start from where you left?"

And as soon as she says that Rajveer's cheeks turn warm as that reminds him of the last hug they shared.

*Flashback*

Ending the group hug, Captain Rajveer whilst bringing out his pistol commands them,

"Alright, now help me get out of this place.",

his eyes scanning the place, checking for the goons.

Together they walk forth. Rajveer's cadets covering him up. Naina stays besides Rajveer, not wanting to miss being at his side for the last few minutes.

They all run and scatter around, firing, protecting Rajveer. Rajveer, leading the group, fires too, protecting not only himself but his cadets too.

Rajveer runs forth, a little away from his cadets, unintentionally. Naina who had been trying to get a little time alone with Rajveer, runs after him, tensed about his well being. Tensed, what will happen thereafter. Tensed, where will he go now. Tensed, will he be able to escape the men who are after him. Tensed, even if he escapes them, will he be left free.

"Sir... Sir...",

she cries, calling him desperately.

On hearing her voice, Rajveer stops abruptly and turns to look towards her. By then Naina reaches Rajveer, her eyes moist out of fear, helplessness, anticipation, out of feeling of being clueless about what is going to happen next with him!

"Sir lekin aap jayenge kahan?",

asks Naina, still in the same state. Looking straight into his eyes, desperate to get a hint to know what is going on in his mind. Her heartbeat not under her control anymore. Her eyes welling up all the more.

As much as she is trying to read his eyes; she is desperate for him to read her eyes too!! But she knows in the given scenario he might miss acknowledging what her eyes are shouting to him. Only if she shows enough courage to word her thoughts, then she might be able to change what apparently seems to be written in their destiny. But would she dare? Of course not! How can she put him in dilemma, especially when she knows he is already occupied with so many tensions to deal with. No, she would never want to become a burden for him, even if it is for a minute moment. But hey, why would she be a burden on him? She would rather turn as an asset for him. Wouldn't he understand this much?

But she has no time to ponder into her thoughts as for now. She is desperate to get an answer right now.

On the other hand, Rajveer knows it is not safe to waste this precious moment to escape, but as much as he wants to run away and save himself, he is well aware of the fact too that once he leaves, he might not be able to see her again. And hence he doesn't want to keep her from knowing anything she wants to know about him. Afterall this might be the last time she is coming up to him with her queries and he clarifying them for her!

"Naina maine apna pura career intelligence mein nikala hai, wo log mujh tak nahi pohonch payenge.",

Rajveer tells her, looking straight into her eyes. The speed of his uttering of each word describes his hurry well enough.

He continues without blinking or looking away from her even for once,

"Haan lekin agar main apne maksad mein kamiyab nahi raha, to mujhse wada karo..."

"Ki meri jung tum larhogi!",

by the time he is about to complete his line, he out of immense trust and confidence in her, holds her tight by her upper arms. The tightening of his hold doesn't affect her even a wee bit, she doesn't even care to give heed to the pain she is feeling in her upper arms. The pain of his drifting away from herself, is way more, is way more difficult to endure.

She keeps staring him, hearing his each word. Her mind clouded with the realization that he is about to leave her, for how long she knows not. And this faith and trust he is putting on her, she... will she be able to stand upto his expectations? How would she when her mentor would not be there to guide her to lead the right path? Her life would surely go haywire. How can he sound so ridiculous? How can he think that she can even imagine leading a life without his existence in it?

He continues, leaving her, his head slightly turned towards his left, his eyes focusing somewhere on the ground out of desperation. His rate of heartbeat increasing out of anger and frustration as he keeps uttering each word. His speed of uttering each word mirroring his rate of heartbeat.

"Jo kuch bhi unhone mujhse cheena hai - mera career; mera dost; mera p....",

and in his hurry, in his desperation to pour his frustation in front of Naina, Naina - who is the only one in front of whom he can put his real feeling that he is going through right now without any hesitation; Naina - who he knows would understand him the best; Naina - the first name that comes in his mind after Naveen; Naina - the name; the person without whom Rajveer's life is incomplete; Rajveer is incomplete; Naina - who might give him immense pain and hatred but she would remain the person in his life he would care for immensely. He doesn't realize what is he blabbering and as soon as he does, his heart skips a beat; his expression changes into horror as he stares her, wondering did she hear him? Did she understand? Would she care to forget and let it go? Or.... Would she care to understand and consider his unsaid words? The latter one is just a hope! But when has his hope turned into reality? When?

When?

May be today!

Naina who has never understood Rajveer's unsaid feelings. And even if she did brush by his feelings, she cared less to read more into it. Naina who never realized her own feelings for Rajveer, thanks to her so called mission, will she care to read his eyes aptly for once today, even if it's too late for doing so? Will she care to brush away her all other priorities for once and consider him as her top most priority for once? Understand him for once?

Will she care to realize that what she felt for him at POINT 1857, she wouldn't have felt the same had she shared the journey to the place with - Brigadier Chandok or Captain Chauhan or may be just may be.... Major Nair or the Vice Principal of Major Nair - Major Bhargava!!! It was all because of him that she could enjoy those fluttery feelings at that place.

Naina doesn't fail to notice the sudden change in his expression on realizing the blooper he committed. She notices the gradual change in the colour of his cheeks as the realization sinks into him all the more. His eyes which were moments ago filled with uncertainity of future; got filled with horror on realizing the blooper made; and within moments they filled with expectation and helplessness. Expectation that she would understand his unuttered words. Expectation that during these moments, which apparently are the last moments they are going to share, she wouldn't break his heart by saying a NO to his unsaid proposal.

His heart stops beating altogether for those few moments. The way Naina stares him, makes him to realize that she too is feeling as vulnerable and uncertain as he is feeling right now. To make it easy for her, he let go of his expectation for an answer and turns to leave again. Inside he craves to hug her. Hug her tight to make her know for once how much love is he holding in his heart for her. Hug her to cry his heart out just like the last time they cried together, hugging each other, thinking about Naveen. Cry with her to make her realize how this hug is no different from the hug they shared in his room. To make her realize that it is her who took this much time to realize what had already developed between them! To make her realize how possessively was he hugging her that day!

As for Naina, her heart skips a beat on understanding his unsaid words perfectly! Today, finally she shows enough courage to indicate him with her expression that she does understand what he hasn't said! And why won't she? Didn't she understand something that day when he saw her in the red saree? She understood! She did understand! In fact she waited for him to finally put his feelings into words, but alas! That never happened! Didn't she visualize herself and him as a couple too when he mentioned about couples at Point 1857? She visualized! She did visualized! Or else why would she blush? Why would she cascade down her eyes on hearing his words? Why would she look towards him with her eyes that indicated how much she is enjoying his presence beside her. She keeps staring him, holding her breath, silently pushing herself to finally let go of her barriers that she has put for herself.

But for Rajveer, keeping all his desires at bay, giving Naina a last longing look, with a heavy heart turns to leave. But to his utter surprise he gets stopped! The hand that adornes around his wrist, he knows the feeling of it. He is familiar with that touch. The heat of the skin, he is not unfamiliar with it. The hand that arrests him before he could get arrested by the law, is the hand he always wanted to hold, hold forever. But alas! may be destiny had other plans for him, and hence he is in such a circumstance where he has no other option but to let go of her for her own good and for his welfare as well. The fingers instead of entwining themselves with his fingers, are snaked around his wrist - this fact pierces Rajveer's heart. The hand which should have been soft on his hand, is holding him tight, desperate to hold him back to herself. How he wants to change the fact, but alas! that seems impossible at the moment.

But what does seem possible is converting the desperation of theirs into reality!! Desperation to hug each other! Desperation to feel each other differently, unlike other times, for the first time!

The look that he gives to her, that explains everything to her, his feelings for her!

Rajveer turns to look towards Naina immediately, to know what else she wants to say. But somehow he knows; he understands what is about to follow! Having succeeded in reading her eyes, how could he not see this coming? It is just that like always, this time too he doesn't want to force her. He wants her to take the first step, he needs to have her consentment. That has always been his priority; it is still the same. And hence he waits, his heart beating frantically inside his chest. His eyes staring Naina with expectation and longing....

Naina's situation is no better, hence without waiting any longer, desperately wanting to feel him, especially after having realized her feelings for him. The adrenaline rush she could feel inside her right now, she could see the same in his face too. Both of which increase the want and desire all the more and hence Naina embraces Rajveer into a tight hug. Quenching his days' thirst for it; as well as her newly discovered thirst too. Rajveer hugs her back with equal fervour, or rather more, as his wait has finally got to an end. The level of his feeling, he knows Naina's too cannot match that. The more you wait the more the end result means to you!

This hug, they know is not a hug between a mentor and a cadet; it isn't even between a teacher and a student. Today it isn't Captain Rajveer and Cadet Naina hugging each other but it is Naveen's friend, Rajveer and Naveen's sister, Naina, Rajveer and Naina hugging each-other!

The hug isn't a quick one like it should be, given the circumstances they are in. It is rather a proper emotional hug. It is as if, none of them wants to let the other go. As if at this moment they regret the fact that although they had ample time to be with each other; to talk their heart out to each other; to tell what's hidden in their hearts - the truth, the true feelings for each other, the position they have given to each other in their lives but they wasted all the opportunities that life had provided them with.

At this particular moment Rajveer regrets that he didn't show his dominance to her! During those days, when after knowing the truth that he killed Naveen, Naina refused to talk to him. Hell about refused, she rather made sure that her each action hurt him to the core! He could have pulled her to a corner behind the walls while she was passing by the corridor. He could have shown her right there, right at that point of time that if Rajveer can be too friendly with her, then if time comes he can also make sure that she obeys him! It's not that he would have tortured her, that of course he would have never done to her, not even in his dreams but he surely could have taught her - who he is to her and how should she behave with him!

As they hug each other their saviors - Pooja, Alekh, Huda, Ali, Yudi take their chances to look towards them to know are they safe? What is going on between them? - No, no naughty or ill feeling is attached to the thought. They rather are tensed about them. As chance by chance they happen to have a glance towards their teacher Rajveer Sir and their friend Naina, what skips their heartbeats is the position they find this duo in - hugging each other tight, forgetting about the world.

What else comes as a surprise for all of them is their own reaction to it. Alekh of course wanted this since forever now. He knew this is what future is going to be like someday. Hence, it doesn't really skips his heartbeat, rather gives him a sense of relaxation that finally they have heard their hearts' desires. The realization dawns upon him afresh that the culprits of Captain Rajveer and Naina are in front of him. Anger surges through him afresh and with a new rage, a rage much more than before, he turns towards the culprits and shoots at them senselessly! But as for others like Pooja, she had taunted Naina about Rajveer earlier, but today the smile on her face justifies how satisfied is she on discovering them this way! Yudi, who has always respected Captain Rajveer's and Naina's space and never judged them, his heart swells too, he realizes that deep down he wanted this for them but of course not in such circumstances! Ali, who unknowingly had become a reason for them to pass through a phase where they endured humiliation, feels light on seeing them together. The fact that he is protecting them gives him a sense of immense satisfaction. He feels this is apt way to repent for his past deeds. And as for Huda, no denial that initially his heart skips a beat on seeing them together in such a position but he accepts it, the fact that it was always about Rajveer and Naina, always about them.

The way Rajveer rubs his hand on Naina's back whilst hugging her, his eyes closed, feeling her; taking in the fragrance of her so that it havocs his mind for the rest of his life, it tells Naina about his desperation. Naina too hugs him tight to let him know that her feelings are same for him.

Rajveer gets out of the world he had been, where there was no one other than Rajveer himself and Naina. Opening his eyes, realizing that he needs to leave, he tries to lose the hold on Naina, making her to understand that he needs to go. But Naina although understanding it all doesn't leave him! She rather hugs him tighter.

*Flashback ends*

"Nahi... nahi main wahan se shuru nahi kar sakta. Nahi kar sakta main wahan se shuru!",

says Rajveer, inside his heart sinks as he realizes that nothing stands same between him and Naina anymore!

Dr. Shalini absolutely clueless about what he is talking stares him, knitting her brows tighter. She notices how he is nervous about something.

Tilting her head a little, gauging his mood and reaction Dr. Shalini asks,

"Wha...what happened Captain? Is everything alright?"

Captain Rajveer looks towards Dr. Shalini and with a heavy heart, almost helplessly he asks her,

"Nahi aana chahiye tha na mujhe wapas Dr. Shalini?"

That certainly comes as a shock for Dr. Shalini. Resting her hand on his hand, Dr. Shalini says,

"Nahi Captain! Aap... aap aisa kyun keh rahe hain?"

"Majdhar mein lakar khada kar diya na maine usse?",

asks Captain Rajveer, his eyes at the verge of having tears.

Dr. Shalini shakes her head into negative, her eyes turned all the more soft on him.

"Aisa kuch nahi hai Captain.",

she tries to assure him.

"In... In fact I am sure uski majhdhaar mein ayi hui zindagi ko firse kinara mila hai, apke laut ane se.",

says Dr. Shalini, smiling reassuring.

Captain Rajveer looks towards Dr. Shalini, his cheeks emitting heat as he deep down feels guilty for having returned back.

Snapping her fingers, she asks,

"Apko meri baat par bharosa nahi hai na?"

Rajveer keeps staring Dr. Shalini, having nothing to say to that. Grabbing his unuttered words, Dr. Shalini with full confidence says,

"Okay! Do one thing Captain, agar main sahi hun; meri soch jahan tak ja sakti hai; jitna main Cadet Singh ko janti hun - having not talked to you yet, must have affected her equally; just as much as it is affecting you - not talking to her. As I said she must be weeping. Go have a check on her."

Captain Rajveer's rate of heartbeat picks up pace.

"Aur agar aisa hi hai Captain...",

says Dr. Shalini.

Captain Rajveer holds his breath to know what follows further.

Taking a deep breath, Dr. Shalini says,

"You are smart Captain, you know what it means.",

smiles Dr. Shalini.

Grabbing her unsaid words, Rajveer blushes hard, but doesn't smile. He lowers his eyes feeling shy.

Captain Rajveer without wasting any time further, gets up - all excited to reach Naina. As he turns and walks only a few steps, Dr. Shalini calls him from behind,

"Captain! Naina ke chakkar mein aap ye mat bhul jana ke you are not fit yet. So agar aap kisi romantic hero ki tarah apni heroine se bhaagte hue milne ja rahe hain to Mr. Hero yaad rakhiyega ke apki personal doctor - Dr. Shalini can turn really very strict if needed. Friendship ko bhi bhul jati hun main when I get into doctor mode.",

saying so she arches her right brow.

Rajveer laughs - his mouth closed, just his smile stretches wide.

"And trust me doctor bachpan se mujhe doctors se bohot darr lagta hai.",

jokes Captain Rajveer.

"Wo kya hai na, wo injections lagate hain na!",

says he, almost like whispering.

That makes Dr. Shalini to laugh. Captain Rajveer laughs too.

"All the best Captain and take care.",

smiles Dr. Shalini.

That reminds him what he was heading towards. As a result of it his smile diminishes as nervousness grabs him again.

"Thanks Doctor and I will.",

smiling, he leaves.

●●●●●

While Captain Rajveer and Dr. Shalini were busy discussing Naina and Rajveer, an angry Alekh knocks the door of Naina's room.

The knock drags Naina out of her thoughts.

Sitting on her bed, resting her back against the pillow, with knitted brows Naina looks towards the door. Knitted, because she had been deep into thinking about Rajveer and everything that happened that fateful day and what followed thereafter.

The pillow on her knees, on which she was resting her elbows, she grabs it with both of her hands, getting nervous on hearing the knock.

Is he standing outside the closed door? What now? How can she escape the situation now?

It feels as if Naina has almost forgotten breathing.

What look must he be carrying right now - angry? tired? confused? - the thought doesn't help her to reduce the nervousness. Is she ready to face him? What if he asks anything regarding the last hug they shared? Is she prepared well enough to face him while he asks that? What does he expect her to say? Will this meeting be more like Captain Rajveer meeting his Cadet Naina 'Ah' Singh? Or would it be Rajveer meeting Naina? What will she say if he asks - why didn't she try finding him? Know about him? Will he understand that she was left too broken to think rationally as to what needs to be her next step?

Before she could continue with her trail of thoughts a voice calls her from outside,

"Apun ko pata hai tu anderich hai Naina aur jagi hui hai. Isliye apun ke saamne shaanpati mat dikha. Chup chap darwaza khol."

Naina shuts her eyes and shakes her head taking a deep breath.

"Dekh agar tu ne darwaza nahi khola na to apun ye darwaza tod dega. Uske baad agar apun ko Lolita Ma'am ya BC ne saza bhi di na tab bhi apun....",

and before he could continue, the door opens.

Alekh's heart skips a beat on the sudden opening of the door. After the initial surprise he focuses on gauging Naina's mood.

"Kya karne ka irada hai tera Alekh?",

she scolds him for his constant beating the door.

"Yahich to apun tujhse puchne aya hai Naina. Kya karne ka irada hai tera apni zindagi ke saath?",

asks Alekh.

Naina lowers her eyes. Her brows knitted out of frustration.

"Tu kayeko itna bhaw kha rahi hai?",

asks Alekh, frustrated himself.

"Mujhe kuch samjh nahi aa raha tu kya keh raha hai Alekh.",

saying so Naina turns leaving the door open for him to enter and walks further into her room.

"Magar apun ko sub samjh aa raha hai. Kyun bhagti rehti hai tu?",

asks Alekh.

Naina looks here and there, feeling suffocated.

"Kya karke tujhe chain milega Naina?",

Alekh raises his voice.

"Main jo kar rahi hun uss se sirf mujhe hi nahi balki subko chain milega Alekh.",

says Naina, her voice low, hesitant.

"Chain milega?",

asks Alekh, knitting his brows. His rate of heartbeat increases out of irritation and anger.

Naina walks away from him but doesn't leave the room. She doesn't want to have this conversation with him. He always manages to manupilate her, change her mind. And at this moment she doesn't want to listen to anyone.

"Tere aur Captain Rajveer ki bechaini ka tujhe kya lagta hai apun subko pata nahi?",

asks Alekh, raising his voice.

"Na main bechain hun.... aur.... aur na wo!!",

says Naina, her eyes cascaded.

Frustrated Alekh walks in front of Naina, and scolds her,

"Ye khamoshi jo tum dono ke beech mein hai na Naina, iske peeche chupa sailab apun achi tarah samajhta hai."

Naina looks towards Alekh, her eyes welling up gradually.

"Ye ansun jo tu ne itne din bahaye hain, unn ko ponchne wala aa gaya hai tere paas to tu unhe khudse dur bhejne ki koshish kar rahi hai?",

asks Alekh, angry.

Naina's heart skips a beat hearing that.

She looks away.

"Main inhi ansun ke layak hun Alekh.",

says Naina, sadly.

Alekh stays mum.

"Kis liye Naina? Isliye kyunki tu ne Captain Rajveer ko bachane ki har mumkin koshish ki? Ya isliye kyunki tu Captain Rajveer ke har dushman ki dushman bann gayi?",

asks Alekh, lowering his voice.

Naina shuts her eyes fathoming his each word.

Opening them she says,

"Isliye kyunki unhe khush rehna ka haq hai. Isliye kyunki ab main nahi chahti ki meri wajah se unki zindagi mein koi pareshani aye. Isliye kyunki main janti hun ke jo main ek baar firse wohi Naina bann gayi, to itni mushkil se jo khudko maine unse durr kiya tha....",

she pauses and takes a deep breath,

"..main firse unse koi rishta nahi banana chahti. Na....",

and before she could continue, Alekh intervenes,

"Rishta banaya hi kab tha tu ne Naina?"

That comes as a shock for Naina. She turns to look towards him. Her eyes wide open. Did he really say that?

Alekh who understands her state well, nods his head vigorously out of anger,

"Theek sunna tu ne!"

His words pierce her heart.

"Theek bol raha hai apun!",

states Alekh out of anger and frustration.

"Alekh...",

Naina fails to create a coherent sentence out of shock.

"Jab jab unhone rishta banana chaha - kabhi tu ne to kabhi haalat ne unhe tujhse durr kar dia!",

Alekh declares the bitter truth in front of her.

Naina shuts her eyes, tear rolls down her cheeks.

"Ab dekh na aaj bhi tu wohi galti kar rahi hai!",

Alekh tries to put brain into Naina.

Naina looks away, feeling suffocated.

"Kis baat ka intezaar hai tujhe Naina? Aur kitna intezaar likha hai tere aur Captain Rajveer ke naseeb mein?",

asks a frustrated Alekh.

Naina gets anxious.

"Aur waqt zaya mat kar Naina. Mann le ke tu utni hi akeli hai, adhuri hai Captain Rajveer ke bina, jitne ki wo hain tere bina.",

says Alekh.

Naina looks towards Alekh, her brows knit together, eyes soft.

"Mujhe... mujhe sochne ke liye thoda waqt chahiye.",

says Naina, hesitantly, lowering her eyes.

Alekh shakes his head staring her helplessly, realizing that it is futile to explain her anything further. Out of frustration Alekh leaves.

Upon his leave, Naina cries.... cries hard.... soon she ends up weeping!

Angry Alekh walks through the corridor to in order to reach his room that on his way he collides with Rajveer.

"Arey Cadet Alekh, itni jaldi mein kahan ja rahe ho?",

asks Captain Rajveer smiling a little.

Angry Alekh glares him.

"Der ho chuki hai itni ke apun ko laga shayad apun ke jaldi chalne se hi mamla sulajh jaye!",

says Alekh, his voice raised.

Captain Rajveer doesn't get good vibes from Cadet Alekh, hence knits his brows, his smile vanishing gradually.

"Kya hua? Sub theek hai na?",

asks Rajveer, concerned.

"Apke gairhazri mein kuch theek kaise ho sakta hai Sir?",

says Alekh, turning a little polite.

"Main kuch samjha nahi.",

says Rajveer, worried.

"Apki amanat ko apun ne bohot sambhal liya. Ab apun ko iss 'bojh' se azad kar dijiye aap.",

says Alekh, out of anger.

"Bojh?",

asks Rajveer, still confused about what Alekh is talking.

"Naina!",

states Alekh, before Rajveer could ask anything further.

That skips Rajveer's heartbeat. His knitted brows relaxes out of surprise. Blush creeps his cheeks but of course there is no smile attached to the blush.

Alekh sighs.

Rajveer slowly looks towards him, smiling a little whilst asking,

"To Naina ab tumhare liye bojh bann gayi hai?"

Alekh shakes his head into negative, helplessly, rolling his eyes.

"Usse samjhana apun ke bus ki baat nahi."

"Tum kaho to main koshish karun?"

Alekh smiles.

"Apko apun se puchne ki zarurat hai kya? Apki hi to amannat hai.",

smiles Alekh.

Hearing that Rajveer blushes, smiling and lowers his eyes.

Patting Alekh's shoulder Rajveer assures him,

"Main baat karta hun Naina se."

Alekh smiles and nods his head into positive.

Rajveer crosses Alekh to walk to Naina's room that suddenly a thought strikes his mind and he turns calling Alekh,

"Alekh..."

Alekh turns to know what has he to say.

"Meri... meri amannat ko itne dino tak sambhalne ke liye, mere absence mein, shukriya. Thank you so much Alekh.",

smiles Rajveer, blushing.

Alekh's heart swells hearing that.

Smiling wide he shakes his head into negative in slow motion.

"Jaiye... kahin train patri se nikal na jaye.",

teases Alekh.

Rajveer blushes.

Smiling further, Alekh says,

"Apne kamre mein hai wo."

Rajveer looking towards him nods, smiling.

"Shayad aap hi ka intezaar ho.",

teases Alekh.

Rajveer widens his eyes out of shock on hearing that. His blush deepens.

Alekh laughs. Rajveer leaves for Naina's room.

Reaching in front of the door of her room, Rajveer raises his hand to knock the door that something comes in his mind and instead of knocking, he slowly holds the handle of the door and pushes it open lightly.

The sight in front of his eyes shocks Rajveer to the core. This wasn't how he anticipated the situation. Is he hallucinating or what? He goes numb out of shock! His mouth forms an 'O' - reflecting his shocked state.

Naina who was about to pull the inner shirt of her uniform stops suddenly on getting a vibe of someone's presence there. The increase in the rate of her heartbeat tells her that this couldn't be Pooja. Afterall she enters the room usually with a loud commotion. This is silent. This one is.... different!

She quickly turns and gets shocked to find Rajveer standing in front of her.

His state, Naina notices is as awkward as is hers. She quickly leaves her shirt free so that it gets adjusted back to it's place, never looking away from Rajveer in her state of shock.

As soon as she does that, shocked Rajveer realizes that he has been staring her and quickly he lowers his eyes out of hesitation and awkwardness.

(Slow guitar tune begins)

"Wo... main... actually....",

in his state of shock, Rajveer fails to construct a coherent sentence.

Naina keeping her eyes lowered, asks him,

"Ahmm.... kuch kam tha?"

"I... I am sorry... Mujhe... mujhe knock karke ana chahiye tha.",

Rajveer apologizes, sincerely, keeping his eyes cascaded.

Naina slowly looks towards him. He doesn't dare to look towards her out of hesitation.

This brings a little smile on Naina's face and blush creeps her cheeks.

"Nahi....!!!",

says Naina, staring him longingly.

That skips Rajveer's heartbeat and he immediately looks towards her.

Naina realizes what it sounds like.

"I... I mean...",

she elaborates or rather rectifies her words,

"Meri hi galti thi ke maine darwaza lock nahi kiya."

(Rajveer-Naina slow flute tune begins)

She keeps her eyes cascaded.

Rajveer looks towards her although his head bowed. A naughty smile stretches on his face.

"Hmm... galti to tumhari hi hai!",

teases Rajveer.

Naina looks towards him, glaring him a little. That makes Rajveer to laugh secretly.

"Wo darasal aadat nahi hai apke presence ki KMA mein ab to shayad isliye dhyan nahi gaya tha ke ab aap bhi aa chuke hain to mujhe apse bach kar rehna chahiye.",

Naina retorts, almost like teasing, in a single breath out of excitement.

She doesn't realize how her words might hurt Rajveer.

Rajveer's smile diminishes and gradually vanishes.

"Haan... nahi rahi hogi aadat meri ab iss academy ko; mere... mere cadets ko; aur.....",

he pauses before continuing and looks towards her,

"...tumhe!"

Her heart clenches hearing that. They stare each other.

Rajveer walks closer to Naina, as a result of which he could get a proper glimpse of her puffed up eyes.

"Ro rahi thi?",

asks Rajveer in a hushed voice, standing in front of her - close.

Naina's heart thumps inside her chest, her eyes lowered,

"Nahi to... main... main kyun roungi?""

Rajveer, tilting his head a little towards his left keeps staring her.

After few moments of staring her without blinking his eyes, Rajveer says,

"Mujhe laga ke shayad tum academy mein mera intezaar kar rahi hogi."

Naina clenches the corner of her trousers, not looking towards him - feeling awkward.

"Par ab lagta hai ke tum khush nahi ho mere wapas ane se.",

says Rajveer, all serious - trying to gauge her reaction.

Naina immediately looks towards him. Her suddenly knitting of her brows tells Rajveer how she is disappointed on hearing those words from him.

"Hmm..??",

prompts Rajveer.

"Mere haan ya na kehne se kya hota hai? Aap anyways ab academy mein hain - sahi salamat.",

says Naina, hesitantly, keeping her eyes cascaded.

And as soon as she utters the last two words, she gets an urge to look towards him and get assured that he is indeed fine.

Rajveer notices how she is holding back her tears.

"Rona hai?",

asks Rajveer plainly, as if it is not a big deal for him if Naina cries.

Naina immediately looks towards him, her eyes turned slightly bigger out of shock.

"Nahi agar rona hai to tum ro sakti ho.",

says Rajveer, calmly.

Naina for whom holding back her tears is becoming difficult especially because of the tone he is using at the moment, turns away trying to control her tears.

"Apko... apko zara sa bhi andaza hai ke mujh par kya beeti thi uss din?",

asks Naina, turning her head to her right but still not turning completely to look towards him. Her eyes staring the floor. Her brows creased.

Rajveer lowers his eyes realizing the depth of her emotions.

"Har lamha... har pal... main yahi sochti rahi ke akhir kyun? mere saath hi kyun hota hai aisa ke jisse main apna manti hun; jinke ird-gird meri zindagi hoti hai; jo mere liye important hote hain; jinse main pya....",

she suddenly stops realizing where she was about to head towards.

Her unuttered words skip Rajveer's heartbeat as he realizes what she was about to say. His eyes widens out of shock. His rate of heartbeat increases out of anticipation.

He doesn't provoke her to speak further and slowly lowers his eyes and smirks. That smirk was more to his fate than it was to Naina.

"Ye acha hai na jab mann kiya chup chap durr ho gaye aur jab mann kiya wapas aa gaye.",

scolds Naina and looks towards Rajveer.

Rajveer stares her innocently.

"Nahi... main apko maaf nahi karungi. Nahi karungi main apko maaf.",

Naina cries.

"Magar meri galti kya hai?",

asks Rajveer softly, knitting his brows.

Naina looks towards him, staying quiet for sometime. Rajveer keeps staring her waiting for her to reply.

"Aap mujhse durr gaye, ye hai apki galti!",

says Naina, never stopping glaring him.

"Tumne hi kaha tha bhagne ko.",

reminds Rajveer, calmly.

That frustrates Naina.

"Aap mujhe bhi to saath le ja sakte the na?",

scolds Naina.

"Tum chalti?",

asks Rajveer, immediately, as if daring her to answer.

That comes as a challenge for Naina.

"Kya??? Apko ye lagta hai ke agar aap mujhe apne sang le jate to main mana kar deti?",

asks Naina, shocked.

"Tum do (2) baar sochti zaroor!",

challenges Rajveer.

"Apke saath... apke saath jane ke liye main sochti??",

what nonsense is he talking does he even know?

Rajveer nods confidentely.

"MAIN APSE PYAR KARTI HUN. Apko lagta hai ye jhoot hai?",

asks Naina, angry.

That comes as a surprise for Rajveer!!

Is he hallucinating? How.... how easily did she say that as if it is just another sentence she says usually to him.

"Naina!!!",

breathes Rajveer, shocked.

Naina looks away.

Crying a little, controlling herself, she closes her eyes, still not turning to face him, and asks him,

"Kya har baat kehni zaruri hoti hai kya?"

That comes as yet another shock for Rajveer.

After gaining back his equilibrium, he says, ever so calmly,

"Nahi! Bilkul nahi!"

Naina opens her eyes, her heart thumping inside her chest.

"Magar kabhi kabhi kuch hints dena zaruri hota hai Naina. Akhir jisse tum pyar karti ho usse andaza to ho iss baat ka.",

teases Rajveer, emphasizing on 'tum'.

Naina smiles a little, almost like a smirk out of blush.

"Shayad mera mentor mujhe sikha hi nahi paya ke pyar kaise kiya jata hai.",

says Naina, her voice hushed,

Tears roll down her cheeks as she realizes that today her mentor - whom she thought she has lost forever - is standing in front of her. Deep down the mere feeling of Rajveer's presence around herself, quenches her thirst of being with her mentor again.

"Kya tum ek aur mauka nahi de sakti apne mentor ko? Taki wo tumhe wo sub kuch sikha de jo wo pehle nahi sikha paya?",

asks Rajveer politely, tilting his head a little towards his left.

Smirking, Naina says,

"Mujhe nahi lagta ke ab unke paas mujhe sikhane ko kuch bhi bacha hai. In fact, mujhe to aisa lagta hai jaise main unhe bohot kuch sikha sakti hun ab."

"To sikhao na!",

replies Rajveer immediately.

His immediate reply comes as a surprise for Naina. She turns to look towards him - dumbstruck.

Hum mein tum mein jo tha Woh khatam ho gaya Mod pe aakhri main reh gaya

"Kya sub kuch khatam ho chuka hai humare beech Naina?",

asks Rajveer, expectantly.

His asking so clenches Naina's heart.

"Itne agey barh chuki ho Naina ke ab peeche ane ka raasta hi nahi dikh raha tumhe?",

asks Rajveer.

How... how can he even think like that? Can she walk even one step without him? Naina looks away, without answering. Her brows knit together.

Maine koshish bahut ki bacha loon magar Pehle dil baad mein ghar jal gaya

"Kya mera wapas aana bekar gaya?",

asks Rajveer.

Blood drains out of Naina's face.

"Haar to apka yaar hai na? To apko kis baat ka ghum?",

taunts Naina.

Rajveer looks towards Naina whose back is turned towards him.

"hmmm..",

he says softly, sadly, smiling sarcastically.

"Wo  kya hai na jab tak yahan nahi pohncha tha zada soch nahi raha tha kisi baat ke barey mein.",

says Rajveer.

Naina knits her brows eager to know where is he heading towards with this statement.

"Par jab yahan pohnch gaya to...",

Rajveer looks towards her before continuing,

"Umeed barh gayi."

His words pinch Naina's heart. She understands that how much KMA and she herself mean to him.

Seene mein di jagah maine jis raaz ko Aankhon se woh meri beh hi gaya

Tears roll down Rajveer's cheek. Naina knits her brows as her heart tears into pieces on seeing him crying. She laughs whilst crying and says,

"Aap kyun ro rahe hain? Apne to wohi kiya na jo apke liye sahi tha."

Rajveer somehow manages to force his voice through his choked throat and says,

"Haa..n Naina! Mujhe bhi humesha... humesha yahi laga... ke main jo kar raha hun... wo sahi hai."

Naina smiles sarcastically. Lowering her eyes she nods her head into affirmative and says,

"Hmm... wohi kiya apne.... jo apko sahi laga."

Rajveer looks towards her, understanding the taunt behind her appreciation.

"Dusro ko.... apne protegee ko sahi raasta dikhane wale mentor ko akhir rok bhi kaun sakta hai apne zindagi aur apne... apne protegee ke zindagi ka faisla lene se?",

taunts Naina.

Rajveer knits his brows as her words hurt him.

Hum mein tum mein jo tha Woh khatam ho gaya Mod pe aakhri main reh gaya

"Kar diya na khatam sub kuch apke ek faisle ne Captain Rajveer?",

asks Naina, crying, glaring him. But her voice soft.

Rajveer looks towards her helplessly, feeling guilty.

"Sub agey barh gaye hain Rajveer Sir. Sub!!",

Naina cries.

Getting closer to him, Naina holds Rajveer by his collar, pulling it a little out of frustration she asks him,

"Ab aap mujhe ye bataiye ke kyun ijjazat nahi di apne mujhe agey barhne ki?"

Blood rushes to Rajveer's face immediately on hearing her question. Her sudden getting close to him, holding his collar, he for the first time finds her being..... intimate with him! Who says that to get intimate you need to go naked?

Rajveer's stare on Naina turns all the more possessive on hearing that. Naina gives him tough competition in staring.

Rajveer slowly rubs off her tears and whilst doing so he asks,

"Tumhare paas pura waqt tha Naina agey barhne ka. Tum mujhe ye batao ke tum kyun nahi barhi agey?"

Naina leans to his touch - feeling it, remembering his touch.

Rajveer rubs his thumb on her left cheek slowly such that her already heaten up cheeks heats up further, this time by his touch!

Mere liye tu wahi hai Badla kuch nahi Khel hai ye waqt ka sab Bigda kuch nahi

Naina opens her eyes and stares him. Rajveer prompts her,

"Hmm...??"

"Kyunki mere liye aap wohi hain jo aap the. Kyunki jab maine agey barhna bhi chaha, to aap jaisa koi nahi paya. Aap jaisa.... jo mera har kadam par saath de sakey. Har kadam par mujhe tok sakey, mujhe sahi raasta dikha sakey.",

says Naina, in a hushed voice, staring him throughout.

Rajveer stares her back, all quiet.

"Aap agey kyun nahi barhe?",

asks Naina.

Rajveer focuses on her cheek, then looks back towards her and says,

"Kyunki maine tumhari tarah agey barhne ka kabhi socha hi nahi!"

This skips Naina's heartbeat and she suddenly feels guilty about her earlier words.

Naina lowers her eyes out of hesitation.

Rajveer smirks.

Hai kasam tu aake le chal Mujhe phir waheen Aye masiha mere Aa zakhm bhar bhi de Dard mein doobi hui gehraiyan

Naina, still crying looks towards Rajveer and pleads him,

"Mujhe yahan se kahin aur le chaliye please. Kahin durr!"

This comes as a surprise for Rajveer.

They keep staring each other hurt and love visible in both the pairs of eyes. Naina cries hard. They stare each other. The longing in her eyes is indication enough for Rajveer to embrace her into a warm and passionate hug. He pulls her to him with an urgency, hugging her. Naina hugs him back with equal fervor.

The hug not only stitches Rajveer's wounds but Naina's alike! Naina doesn't understand when her crying turns into weeping. But all she understands is that this weeping she is enjoying. This weeping is to drain out the feeling of longing, hurt, loneliness.

"Ab main aa gaya hun Naina. Tumhe ab aur rone ki zarurat nahi hai. Bilkul zarurat nahi.",

says Rajveer, tightening his hug.

Naina smiles whilst crying hard on hearing him.

-THE END-