#now who wants to hear about how a lot of our equipment is outdated and/or dangerous because the government hasnt reviewed it yet

[lizamango]

Finding You (Bucky Barnes x Reader) 3/?

 A/N: Hey everyone, sorry this took so long!! This chapter was kinda hard to write, I felt like there wasn’t much that I could add but I did my best! I wanna get to Bucky as much as you all do! 😭😩

Summary: You’ve been one of SHIELD’s top spies for years but what happens when the organisation you’ve put your trust in crumbles and Captain America gives you a mission to help him find his best friend? The last thing you expected to happen was to fall in love with your assignment and become best friends with a witch.

Taglist ~ just comment if you wanna be added

@buckylokisimp​​, @white-wolf-buckaroo​​, @austynparksandpizza, @markandlexies​

Word Count: 2098

​Masterlist

Chapter 1 ~ Chapter 2 ~

Warnings: none

Chapter Summary: You and Steve run from HYDRA

Chapter 3: TOMORROW ISN’T PROMISED TO ANYBODY

I enter a shopping mall where I buy a hoodie for myself and a jacket, glasses and a hat for Rogers using cash. I pass by JD sports and see some Supra Vaders I know the Captain will just love so I go in and grab a pair, and get a pair of Nike Dunk Sky His for myself. I leave and meet him where he waits, away from any crowds and we put on our simple yet effective disguises.

“First rule of going on the run, is don’t run. Walk,” I say, recalling my operations training.

“If I run in these shoes they’re gonna fall off.”

I smirk. “Sorry, thought you’d be bigger.”

Ignoring my innuendo, Steve huffs. “They’re ridiculous, why can’t I lace them up?”

“It’s a fashion statement.” I glance at a map as we pass by. “Apple store’s upstairs.” We ride the escalator and enter the store.

Finding an empty laptop, I get to work. “The drive has a Level 6 homing program so as soon as we boot up, SHIELD will know exactly where we are.”

“How much time will we have?” he asks, surveying the area not so subtly.

“About 9 minutes from…” I insert the drive. “now.” I enter the coding commands to unlock the intel but something inverts each one… now comes in my training from the Academy of Science and Technology. “Fury was right about that ship. Somebody’s trying to hide something.” As I look through the coding script my inputs are rewritten to counter the commands. “This drive is protected by some sort of AI.”

“Like Stark’s robot voice? Can you override it?”

I raise a brow as I type away. “The person who developed this is slightly smarter than me. Slightly. I’m gonna try running a tracer. This is a program that SHIELD developed to track hostile malware, so if we can’t read the file, maybe we can find out its origin.” The map tracks a location and pinpoints it as we are approached by a store employee.

“Can I help you guys with anything?”

I react quickly and give him my best charming smile. “Oh, no. My fiancé was just helping me with some honeymoon destinations,” I giggle, placing my hands on Rogers’ shoulders.

“Right,” he adds awkwardly. “We’re gettin’ married.”

“Congratulations! Where are you guys thinkin’ about goin’?”

I go back to the laptop and the state has been pinpointed.

“New Jersey,” the Captain reads aloud.

“Huh,” the employee lets out, surprised. “I have the exact same glasses,” he says after a pause.

“Wow, you two are practically twins,” I remark as I type away.

“Yeah, I wish!” he chuckles. “Specimen. Uh, if you guys need anything… I’ve been Aaron.”

“Thank you,” Rogers rushes out. “You said 9 minutes,” he checks his watch. “Come on.”

I shush him. “Relax… I’m working.” The screen reads Wheaton, New Jersey. “Done.” I look up at him and he has a frown on his face. “You know it?”

“I used to. Let’s go.” He pulls the hard drive out of the laptop and we walk out of the store. “Standard tac team. Two behind, two across,” he turns to face forward. “two comin’ straight at us. If they make us, I’ll engage, you hit the south escalator to the metro.”

As he speaks I roll my eyes, this guy was definitely not meant for the spy world. “Put your arm around me and laugh at something I said,” I say.

“What?” he sounds utterly confused.

“Do it.” I feel his arm rest on my shoulder and he gives the most awkward laugh I have ever heard come from a person. “See, Captain? No need to make such a scene.” We work our way to the escalator and I spot Rumlow on the escalator coming up. I turn to look up at Rogers. “Kiss me.”

“What?” he says again, flustered.

“Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable.”

“Yes they do!” he whispers.

I put my hand to the back of his neck and push him towards me so our lips meet and I feel his hand fall on my waist. I open my eyes and pull away slowly after enough time has passed.

“You still uncomfortable?” I ask turning and walking down the escalator.

“That’s not exactly a word I would use,” he murmurs and quiets down as we get to the parking lot.

“We could get bus tickets to New Jersey, think I’ve got enough cash for the trip,” I suggest.

“Keep a look out,” he says approaching a truck as I frown but do as he says. In no time I hear the start of an engine and whirl to look at him. “Come on, we don’t have all day,” he says smugly.

I get into the passenger’s side and he starts to drive to the Garden State.

“Can’t believe Captain America can steal cars…” I say striking up a conversation.

He chuckles. “Kind of a necessary skill when you’re fighting a World War and you’re in enemy territory.”

I hum and he glances at me. “And it’s not stealing if we give it back so get your feet off the dash.”

“Bossy,” I remark but do as he says. “I like that,”

There’s a pink tint to his cheeks and his jaw clenches but he doesn’t say anything.

“So I have a question for you…” I start with a raised brow. “But you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, although no answer is an answer in itself so-“

“Get to it, L/N,” he interrupts authoritatively.

“Was that your first kiss since 1945?” I smirk.

“That bad, huh?”

“I didn’t say that!” I laugh.

“Well it kinda sounds like that’s what you’re saying.”

“I was just… wondering if you’ve had practice… since going… into the ice,” for a super secret agent, that answer lacked finesse. “It’s just, I don’t know how you did it in 1945 but guys normally move their mouths for a long kiss like that,” I shrug.

“I don’t need practice.”

“Everyone needs practice.”

“It was not my first kiss since 1945. I’m 95, not dead.”

“Oh?” I say, curiosity piqued. “Who’s been kissing Captain America then?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Someone special?”

He chuckles. “It might come as a surprise to you but it’s hard to find someone with shared life experience,” he says sarcastically.

“That’s okay, you just make stuff up.”

“What, like you?” I know he doesn’t intend for it to sound mean so I shrug it off.

“Not everyone can handle the truth, can they? I wouldn’t mind a few white lies to keep something good going… and you don’t need shared life experience, right? Not really… there’s that whole opposites attract notion, after all.”

“But it’s good to have someone who understands what you’re going through, right?”

I shrug… sometimes not knowing is better. Safer. “Maybe. But in this occupation…” I sigh. “Well I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been in love.”

“You’ve – you never had someone?” Looks like I threw him for a loop.

Shaking my head I turn to look out my window at the trees we pass by. “I don’t hate love or anything… it’s just dangerous to love someone like… us. Isn’t it? They’d either get hurt by people we go after or… ya know, if we don’t come back… it hurts them too.”

“But tomorrow isn’t promised to anybody,” he reasons. “So why deprive yourself of something as great as love on the off chance you die?”

“Because it’s easier.”

“For who?”

“Why the interest Rogers? You wanna fill that spot? Play a little house? Imagine we don’t have to save the world from domestic terrorists?”

He hums at my decision to not answer the question. “No, that’s not what I need right now.”

“And what do you need?”

“Just…” he sighs. “a friend.”

Of course. “Well, there’s a chance you might be in the wrong business, Rogers…”

“Maybe we could start with not calling each other our last names?” he offers.

I smile. “Maybe.”

We arrive at the location the tracer indicated as the sun is setting.

Camp Lehigh is on a sign but it seems to be long abandoned.

“The file came from these coordinates,” I say as I pick the lock on the chained fence.

“So did I…” Steve says looking up at the sign in nostalgia. “This camp is where I was trained.”

“Change much?”

“A little…”

I wonder around, scanning the area for any thing to indicate a power source. “This is a dead end. Zero heat signatures, zero waves. Not even radio. Whoever created the file must have used a router to throw people off.” I tuck the scanner in my back pocket and the Captain looks up at me then shifts his gaze to behind me, frowning. “What is it?”

He starts walking and I follow. “Army regulations forbid storing munitions within 500 yards of the barracks. This building’s in the wrong place.” He breaks the lock with his shield and we enter as it leads us underground.

I turn on the lights and it reveals the insignia painted on the wall. “This was SHIELD. The early days, after it evolved from the Strategic Scientific Reserve,” I say, recognizing the outdated logo.

We wander around, finding a wall of three portraits. “The three founders.” He looks at me. “What? The history is one of the things they teach at the academies. Colonel Philips, Howard Stark and Margaret Carter.”

“There are academies?”

“Three. Very tough admission.”

Rogers spots something and looks closer. “If you’re already working in a secret office…” he pushes the shelves apart. “Why do you need to hide the elevator?”

Using my SHIELD issued code breaking device I type in the code for the elevator which takes us down even further to a room of computers, monitors and servers.

“This can’t be right… this equipment is ancient how could it be used to make the files?”

There was one place that looked like it came from this century and I decide to take a risk and plug in the usb drive. The servers whir and more lights come on.

“Initiate system?” a computerized voice says.

Yes, I type. “Creepy.” As we wait for the system to boot up I smirk. “Shall we play a game?” I laugh at myself. “It’s from a movie that was really pop-“

“I know,” he interrupts. “I saw it.”

A camera moves to Rogers and a voice recites his name and year of birth. Then it turns to me and does the same.

“Is this the AI that was blocking my commands back at the mall?” I say looking closer.

“I may not be the man I was back when the Captain took me in 1945 but I am.” A photo appears on one of the other screens.

“You know this… thing?”

“Arnim Zola was a German Scientist who worked for the Red Skull.”

“He’s been dead for years,” I add, remember something of the history lessons.

“First correction, I am Swiss. Second, look around you. I have never been more alive.” The robot voice recounts his end of life story and how he uploaded his consciousness into databanks.

“How did you get here?”

“By invitation.”

“It was Operation Paperclip after World War II. SHIELD recruited German scientists with strategic value. Always thought they shoulda just locked them all up… we probably wouldn’t be in this mess if they did.”

“HYDRA would have died with the Red Skull.”

“Cut off one head… two more shall take its place,” I recite their mantra aloud.

“When history did not cooperate… history was changed.” A flurry of photos of the Winter Soldier in the back ground of significant political events appear on the screens.

“That’s impossible, SHIELD would have stopped you,” I say, moving closer.

“Accidents would happen.” News of Howard and Maria Stark’s car accident shows up next.

Rogers punches the screen as Zola provokes him.

Does that mean…? I don’t finish the thought as the mad scientist explains what the drive contains.

“What kind of algorithm? What does it do?” I ask.

The doors begin to close as Steve is too late to throw his shield. A beeping comes from my communicator, detecting something. “Steve, we got a bogey. Short range ballistic 30 seconds tops.”

“Who fired it?”

“SHIELD.” I pull out the drive and Steve pulls a grate from the floor. I jump in and he follows, putting the shield up above us as rubble rains down on us. He strains against the weight of it all and the debris settles.

💖💖

Thank you for reading!

I'll be gone until Monday again but I'll try to write on my phone!! I have literally never been so busy throughout this summer until now!

Chapter 4

[lildoodlecat]

So I joined a cult at work yesterday

all who praise the :D will convene again on Saturday next week.

[missmentelle]

Hi. I’m reading your FAQ page and see that you’ve listed the suicide crises in First Nation communities as something you know about but rarely get asked about. As a fellow Canadian, I’d love to hear, based on your experiences, what’s helping the most in these communities? (Including but not limited to any recommendations for agencies accepting charitable donations.) Thanks!

Figuring out how to solve the suicide crisis among Canada’s First Nations communities, particularly Northern communities, is more of a PhD thesis than a Tumblr ask - there are no simple solutions here, and I certainly don’t have all the answers. This is more of a systemic issue than a matter of charitable donations; the issues in these communities are deep and complex, and what’s needed is widespread policy change, rather than intervention from charitable agencies. A lot of this crisis is deeply rooted in the fact that First Nations communities have been intentionally prevented from becoming self-sufficient and have been forced into a position of dependency on the federal government - trying to fight this crisis with charitable donations is well-meaning, but ultimately makes the issues of dependency and lack of autonomy even worse. 

The specific needs and issues of First Nations people vary from community to community, and I am certainly not in a position to speak for any of them, or make absolute statements about what they need to solve this crisis. However, many reserves and bands have been pretty vocal about what is needed to reduce the poverty and despair in their communities - and by extension, alleviate the mental health issues. Some of the big things include:

Giving First Nations communities autonomy over their own lands. Under Canadian law, reserves are considered “crown lands” - they technically belong to the Federal government, and individuals are not allowed to own the land they live on. Again, this issue is way more complicated than can be covered in a Tumblr post, but not owning land means that homeowners cannot take out mortgages and loans, since they have nothing to offer as collateral to secure the loan - so if they want to build a house, they have to offer 100% of the building costs up front, something that most people can’t afford to do. The result is that many First Nations families live in outdated homes that are not up to building code and are dangerously crowded. Not owning the land they live on also means that First Nations people cannot build equity, and face enormous obstacles in trying to start businesses - reserve land cannot be used as collateral, which can make it next to impossible for people on reserves to get the kinds of business start-up financing that other Canadians can get. Moving off reserve is also a lot easier said than done; many reserves are quite remote, and leaving is expensive. The lack of opportunity on reserves makes it difficult for First Nations people to secure the skills and work experience needed to compete in the job market, and starting over in a new city with no connections and no money is not necessarily going to improve your situation at all. Again, the solutions here are complicated - implementing private property on reserves is not a cure-all and is not necessarily the best solution - but the current situation is unworkable, and is contributing to a severe housing and economic crisis. 

Implementing high-speed internet access on reservations. This is actually a project that is being worked on now, but many remote and Northern communities in Canada have only the most basic of internet access. This is hugely crippling for those communities; it contributes to their isolation, restricts education and economic opportunities, and puts them even further behind in a job market that is increasingly tech-savvy. Implementing high-speed internet access also gives First Nations people improved access to mental health and medical professionals via Skype, or other forms of online communication.

Improved access to mental health and addiction services in remote communities. It is incredibly difficult to get mental health and addictions workers to actually stay in remote communities long-term - the conditions in these communities are harsh, the cost of living is high, and in the case of Northern communities, not everyone is equipped to deal with the “six straight months of darkness, six straight months of sunlight” thing that happens in the far north. Instead, most of these communities rely on “fly-in, fly-out” professionals, which are exactly what they sound like. A professional will fly into the community, stay for a few weeks to try to deal with the mental health crisis, and then fly out again, with a new person flying in to take their place. This makes it extremely difficult for people in these communities to get any continuity of care, and makes it all but impossible to develop a strong therapeutic relationship with one care provider. Creating much greater incentives for professionals to stay in these communities long-term and training people within these communities to provide services is something that’s sorely needed. 

Addressing the water crises on reserves. Many reserves and remote communities do not have access to clean drinking water, which is absolutely unacceptable in a nation that has the world’s largest supply of fresh drinking water. There are reservations that have been under “boil water” advisories since the early 1990s, which is unacceptable - there are First Nations people who are nearly thirty years old and have never been able to safely drink the water that comes out of their taps. This is hugely degrading for people who live in these conditions, it has caused numerous health issues and generally worsened the quality of life for people in these communities, and it underscores the pain that these communities feel at having their deep connections to the land severed and being treated as second-class citizens in their own homeland. Resolving this crisis needs to be a priority. 

Closing the First Nations education gap. Schools in First Nations communities are grossly underfunded compared to non-First Nations schools. As a result, First Nations schools struggle to attract and keep qualified staff, they struggle to meet the needs of an often deeply traumatized student body, and they generally struggle to provide the same caliber of education that other Canadian parents expect from their children’s schools. In urban environments, First Nations students attending mainstream public schools often face discrimination and don’t have access to the services that they need to thrive. As a result, graduation rates among First Nations youth are abysmal - 61% of First Nations people in Canada do not earn a high school diploma or equivalent by their 25th birthday. First Nations people who do graduate from underfunded First Nations schools are often well behind their peers who graduate from non-First Nations schools, which leaves them struggling to keep up when they attend university. Only 8% of First Nations adults hold a university degree, compared to 23% of the general Canadian population, and that number is even bleaker when look at First Nations people living on reservations. Not providing First Nations children with the education and the services that they need can leave them at a lifelong disadvantage, and contributes hugely to mental health issues and despair. 

Ending housing and employment discrimination. First Nations people face huge amounts of discrimination when it comes to applying for jobs or looking for housing in urban areas. Even having an obviously First Nations name can get your application thrown in the trash, and First Nations people who do land interviews for jobs and apartments often find that they are treated much more harshly as soon as they show up in person and their First Nations identity is discovered. Landlords will often demand extra documentation, demand months of rent payments up-front, or ask insulting questions about the First Nations applicant’s drinking habits. Facing discrimination when you are trying to land a job or find an apartment is humiliating and degrading, and ultimately contributes to despair and mental health issues. Stronger protections for First Nations people are needed, and more resources are needed for people who’ve faced discrimination to report their experience and receive recourse. 

Detangling hundreds of years of oppression, intergenerational trauma and systemic racism is not an easy task. There are no quick fixes here, and I haven’t even touched on all the issues that these communities face - there is the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis, domestic violence crises, police brutality, discrimination in the justice system, food insecurity, and so much more. I don’t have all the answers here. But I do know that we as Canadians need to decide that this is a priority. All of us - not just those of us with direct ties to these communities - need to decide that it’s fucking unacceptable that we let this happen in our country, and we need to make this an issue that we fight for. Canadian children are dying at their own hands by the hundreds; apathy is not an option. This needs to be an issue that decides elections. This needs to matter. MM

[iamvegorott]

Salt of the Sea Ch. 11

Calming Down...Almost

Google stood with a hand over his arm, holding his torn sleeve so that no one could see what was underneath. He was fine, more stunned than anything and he found himself leaning against Bing and grumbling about how he shouldn’t have panicked over what was basically a curious child. Blank had scared him when he had grabbed his arm, his claws had latched to Google’s sleeve when Google jerked in reaction to suddenly being touched. Google moved without thinking, he pulled out his pistol without a thought, he went into action instead of using his head. And he hated that. 

“We were told that we could get our guidance system fixed,” Dark stated to the stranger that the Sirens knew as Mad. 

“Who told you that?” Mad asked, arms crossed and eyes hard in a glare. 

“The Sirens,” Dark said. “The green ones-”

“Your Sirens told our Sirens that told us to follow them and lead us here.” Wilford cut Dark off, knowing Dark would beat around the bush about some wording and Wilford didn’t feel like listening to it. 

“Your Sirens? You’re friends with Sirens and yet you still threaten a pup? A child?” Mad asked.

“We-re not fr-”

“It’s new to us.” Wilford stopped Dark again, feeling that Dark was now glaring at him as well. “Our buddy Google over there also has a thing about his arm and the kid probably scared Google more than he scared him.” Wilford was flashing a bright smile and JJ looked at Mad with wide eyes, clinging to Wilford’s arm and mouthing something. Mad opened his own mouth to say something but Henrik rushed up to him. 

“You’re Mare’s mate, right?” Henrik asked

“I-I-” Mad went stiff and red-faced, any sign of his ‘tough demeanor’ was long gone as he sputtered. 

“Can I heal Google, please.” Henrik pleaded. 

“Y-Yeah, but I-I’m not-” Mad started picking at his fingers as Henrik took off to where Google, Bing, and Edward were. “I’m-” 

“JJ, Anti, come with me.” Marvin knew what Mad was going to say and as long as they didn’t hear it, they were fine to do what they were doing. JJ and Anti both caught the hint and followed Marvin away, leaving Wilford and Dark with Mad. Dark saw that CJ, RJ, Bim, and Yandere had joined where Chase and Robbie had gone to talk with the new Sirens. 

“I’m not his mate.” Mad finally got to say. “We’re-we’re just...we-uh-we…” 

“Are you capable of fixing our guidance system?” Dark asked. 

“Am I capable?” Mad scoffed with a laugh. “The guidance system most of you use is like a child’s building block.” Mad looked over at Mare and his laugh died off before he turned back to Dark and Wilford. “If I fix it will you leave?” Mad asked. “I live like this for a reason.” 

“Yes.” Dark nodded. “You can head to the ship with-”

“I’m not going on your ship,” Mad said. “I think you can understand why I don’t trust you enough to do that.” 

“He’s got a point,” Wilford said. 

“How do we know he won’t break it further?” Dark asked.

“I don’t think that’s possible.”  

“I want you to leave, why would I try making it so you’d be stuck here?” Mad rubbed at his forehead in annoyance. “Plus all of my equipment is here, including spare parts and by the sounds of it, you have none so you need to bring the system to me.” 

“Again, he has a point,” Wilford said. 

“Tell Edward, Google, and Bing to go back to the ship and get the guidance system,” Dark ordered. 

“Yes, Captain.” Wilford chuckled and walked away, making it so it was just Mad and Dark together. 

“You placed a ship on land?” Dark asked after a pause of awkward silence. 

“Yeah,” Mad said. 

“Why?” 

“None of your concern.” 

“That’s fair.” Dark looked around some more. “Is that a garden?”

“I have to eat.” 

“It looks complicated.” 

“It’s easy for me.” 

“I see…” There was another awkward pause, lasting much longer than the previous one. 

“I’m Mad,” Mad said, holding out a hand and sighing when Dark just looked at him. “My name is Mad.” 

“Dark.” Dark took the offered hand and shook it. 

“I figured sharing names would lessen some of the tension.” Mad sniffed. “The Siren pup is Blank, you already know which one is Mare and the other is Phantom.” Dark hesitated but after seeing how Mad had relaxed a good bit when relaying information, he decided to point and list off the names of the Sirens he knew and his crew. 

“Would you just do it already!?” Phantom’s sudden shout had Mad and Dark turning towards him. “You and him are both too smart to be this dumb!” Dark saw how Chase was making a face of regret and Marvin was ushering Robbie away.

“It’s more complicated than-”

“More complicated my magically-produced ass!” Phantom scoffed. “Stop avoiding this! Just give him a shell! It was funny at first but now it’s just pathetic!” Mare said nothing and just turned away. “Ugh!” Phantom shouted again and went to the water. “I’m going to go eat.” Phantom dove into the water and was gone faster than Dark could blink. Blank looked like he was going to follow but Mare placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

“Let him pout,” Mare said. 

“Is that something we should be worried about?” Dark asked. 

“No, Phantom pouts a lot and it sounds like a Siren thing we don’t understand,” Mad said. “I might ask about it later to be sure.” 

“They’re back.” Dark was thankful for the change in subject. 

“What is he holding?” Mad made a face, looking at Google.  

“That’s the guidance system.” 

“That’s the guidance system!?” Mad started to laugh loudly. “How long have you had that? It’s so outdated!” 

“It’s only a few years old.” Dark felt a little protective of his guidance system now. 

“There’s no way!” Mad had to hold his stomach from laughing so loud. “Do you not have anyone that knows tech on your crew?” 

“I have two.” 

“They need to go back to school if they think that’s a valid guidance system.” Mad used a hand to wipe tears from his face. “That’s is hilarious!”

“It’s hilarious?” 

-------------------------------

Tag List: (let me know if you want added) @takethepainawaybae @shadowkitten0321 @adverseflyer909 @constantgaycrisis @m0th-goo @rainymae523 @rukus-kiss-my-lips-platonically@robot-intestines @phonenix @vociferous-chaos @batsam19 @bapbee @walking-mess25 @voonespelle @madallice329 @grnpurplgrmln @graveyardlettuce @aoimatsurika @nightwillow14 @the-writing-from-space-world @teenwithaphone @bisexual-trash-666

[stereksecretsanta]

Merry Christmas, @beerwolves!

Read on AO3

*****

The Prisoner

Beacon Hills, capital city of the Kingdom of Beacon, 2004

Stiles stuck close to his dad, barely looking up from his feet as they toured the Beacon Hills Sheriff's Hall. He wasn’t really sure what his dad’s new job was. Maybe he was in charge of all the other deputies in the kingdom of Beacon now? There had been a letter from the King, but Stiles hadn’t really been paying attention to anything since his mom-

“What’s down here? Storage?” his dad asked.

“It’s mostly unused cells,” their guide, one of his dad’s new deputies, said. “For long-term prisoners. But yes, there’s also some storage down here. Outdated equipment, old files, anything we don’t need on a regular basis.”

His dad hmm’ed thoughtfully. Not too long ago, Stiles would have laughed at that and maybe tried to warn this deputy what that thoughtful hmm meant, but now he just looked up and finally paid attention to the hallway they were in. They were standing next to a door with a sliding panel set in the middle and a slit of a window so narrow that Stiles’s dad would have had to lift him up and hold him right next to it if he wanted to look through it. He might be a kid, but he recognized a solitary confinement cell door when he saw one. He sidled closer to his dad and leaned against his leg.

“Is there anything else I need to see today?” his dad said. He put his hand on Stiles’s shoulder and squeezed.

The deputy looked between them and visibly changed his answer. “No, I’d say we’re all done for now.”

His dad nodded, and they headed for the stairs. Stiles thought he saw a gleam of light in the cell door window, but there was nothing when he looked again.

~

Beacon Hills, capital city of the Kingdom of Beacon, 2006

His dad had a dungeon.

Not a dark and damp stone one lit with torches - which would have been way cooler - but there were prison cells in the basement of the Sheriff’s Hall and that counted as a dungeon and there was someone in one of them . Probably a murderer.

His dad had the best job.

Stiles approached the door of the occupied cell and slowly slid the panel open. He darted back, out of arm’s reach; he wasn’t stupid. He tried to look inside, but it was too dark to see anything without getting closer. He squinted; was that movement? He took a step forward.

“Stiles,” his dad said from the top of the stairs. “I told you not to go down there.”

That was his dad’s ‘I mean business’ voice, so Stiles ran back upstairs.

Next time he was going to talk to the murderer in the dungeon.

~

Beacon Hills, capital city of the Kingdom of Beacon, 2007

Stiles waited until the nearby deputies were distracted, then slipped downstairs. If his dad was really serious about keeping him away from the basement cells, the door would be locked, right?

He didn’t bother to turn on the lights - there was just enough sunlight coming through the tiny window set high on the wall at the end of the hallway for him to see by. He could probably find his way to the Prisoner’s cell blindfolded anyway.

He slid open the panel and peeked through the opening. The room was dim; the Prisoner was to be kept in darkness, no matter how much his dad didn’t like it.  “Hi,” he whispered. “Got you something.” He placed an apple on the ledge that jutted out from the opening.

There was a deep sigh from one corner of the room. “Why?”

“Prison food sucks. Dad says so.”

“Why do you keep coming back? Talking to me?”

Stiles shrugged. He didn’t know why himself. “Because.”

There was a pause.“...thank you.”

Stiles moved away and after a moment the apple disappeared from the ledge. The Prisoner didn’t like for Stiles to get too close or try to see him.

When Stiles had first started bringing outside food for the Prisoner, he had worried about things like apple cores and orange peels. Apparently the orange peels could be flushed if they were broken up into tiny pieces, but the Prisoner ate the apple core, seeds and all. Ew. Stiles didn’t like to think about it, so he started doing what he did best: chatter.

“So my buddy Scott has a crush on the Little Princess and Lydia is all ‘Don’t be stupid, you don’t have a chance’ and it’s not like Scott actually thinks he does, but he can still like her, right? It’s like having a crush on a movie star. I mean, I have a better shot with Lydia than Scott does with a freakin’ princess, and Lydia is like, unattainable. Plus she’s going steady with Jackson, just because his dad is Lord Mayor. She has a genius brain, but I guess even smart people do stupid things.

“Anyway, Scott’s got her picture in his wallet and he looks at it and sighs a lot, which is kinda lame. I don’t do that with Lydia, and I’m an expert at having a crush. I-”

“Someone’s coming,” the Prisoner said suddenly. “Close the panel and hide.”

“What?”

“Stiles, hurry,” the Prisoner hissed, and Stiles did as he was told.

Just as he finished sliding the panel shut, the overhead lights came on. Stiles whirled and ran for the storage closet, which was always unlocked despite his dad’s efforts. He dashed inside and shut the door as quietly as he could. There was less than half an inch of space at the bottom of the door; Stiles lay down and pressed his face as close to the crack as he could. He wouldn’t be able to see anything, but he could probably hear enough to learn something interesting.

A clatter of footsteps marched down the hallway, echoing off the bare cement walls. Stiles had learned early on to be quiet while visiting the Prisoner, who had really sensitive hearing - these people either didn’t know or didn’t care.

“Open the door and leave us.” A woman’s voice, very commanding. Nobility for sure.

“My lady-” A man, probably a personal guard. The nobility always had personal guards.

“He wouldn’t dare try to harm me. He knows what will happen if he does. Open the door and wait by the stairs.”

“Yes, my lady.” There was a metallic groan - the cell door opening? - and then a bunch of footsteps clomping away.

“Der-ek,” the woman sing-songed. “Come out, come out wherever you are.”

Stiles didn’t like her.

“Then I’ll have to come to you.”

A muted step and then all he could hear was the muffled sound of her voice, no matter how he adjusted his position. He waited an eternity, with only her unintelligible words and the occasional sound of her mocking laughter audible from the Prisoner’s cell.

She finally emerged. “I’m finished,” she called. The guards came back and as the door was groaning shut, she said mockingly, “Until next year, sweetie.”

Stiles really didn’t like her.

Their footsteps marched away and then up the stairs. Then the lights went out and there was a faint sound of a door closing. Stiles waited.

After another eternity, Stiles got up and opened the door. He stepped out into the darkened hallway - the sun had set at some point - and quietly closed it again. He made his way to the Prisoner’s cell - hey, he really could find his way blind - and slid the panel open.

“Hello?” he whispered.

No answer.

“Derek?”

“Forget you heard that name.” Derek’s voice was low and sad.

“I’m sorry she was mean to you.”

“Just go away.”

“Oh. Okay. Um, I’ll talk to you later?”

No answer.

Reluctantly, Stiles slid the panel closed and left him alone, creeping down the hallway toward the stairs, not only because it was dark.

At the top of the stairs, he opened the door a crack and peeked out. It didn’t look like anyone was around, so he opened it a little more and squeezed out. Then he closed it again and heaved a sigh of relief.

A heavy hand came down on his shoulder. Stiles yelped.

“How long were you down there?” his dad whispered, furious.

“Um-”

“Were you down there when Princess Katherine arrived?”

Stiles’s eyes went wide. “Princess Katherine?”

“Do you know what she would have done if she’d found you down there? We would both be spending the rest of our lives in one of those cells.”

“Dad-”

“Don’t, Stiles. You can’t talk your way out of this one. We’re going home. I’ll figure out your punishment for this once I’ve calmed down.”

His dad let go of his shoulder. “We’re leaving.” He strode away and Stiles hurried after him. He’d never seen his dad so angry, not at him.

The drive home was silent. Stiles felt bad, but he couldn’t think of anything he might have done differently. Not get caught?

When they got home, his dad sent him to his room. Neither of them mentioned supper.

“Dad?” Stiles asked hesitantly from the staircase. “Who is he?”

“Stiles-” His dad sighed and rubbed his forehead. “His name is Adrian Harris. He plotted against the royal family and now he’ll be in prison for the rest of his life. Stay away from him.”

Why would Princess Katherine call the Prisoner Derek if his name was Adrian Harris? Something wasn’t right. Something that might be dangerous for his dad to know. “Okay.”

Stiles trudged up to his room. He had some research to do.

~

Beacon Hills, capital city of the Kingdom of Beacon, 2011

Stiles burst into the kitchen of the Sheriff’s Hall, carrying a small bag of apples. “I’m here! I brought them! It’s not too late, is it?”

Stiles had been helping out in the kitchen since he was eleven, although at first it had been part of his punishment for going places he wasn’t supposed to go. Prison food really did suck. Stiles wasn’t sure if the bad food was part of the criminals paying their debt to society, but he did know that prisoners were supposed to be fed nutritious meals. His dad had agreed and at Stiles’s suggestion, they had added fresh fruit to the prisoner’s meals to go with their otherwise nutritionally adequate slop. For years, Stiles had been allowed to place said fresh fruit on the lunch trays before they were served (because he definitely was not allowed to cook anything or handle sharp objects) and today he had been sent to buy more apples because the ones in the kitchen had gone bad.

“I’d swear you were still eleven years old,” Brenda, the kitchen manager, said fondly. “You aren’t too late. Go on, we’re about to load everything on the carts.”

Stiles rinsed the apples and started putting them on the trays, moving as fast as he could without dropping anything or knocking anything over.

“Sooo, Brenda,” Stiles said as soon as the kitchen workers started loading the trays on carts. “Do you think I could…” He gestured vaguely with hands and smiled, his eyes wide and innocent.

“No,” Brenda scolded with a laugh. “You can’t help deliver the meals. I don’t know why you keep asking.”

“Because one day you might say yes,” Stiles said with a charming smile.

Brenda shooed him away and Stiles went.

As soon as he was out of sight, he hurried down the hallway toward a place he was definitely not supposed to be. He ducked into an unused office and hurried over to the vent, mentally thanking the fates that the Sheriff’s Hall was new enough to have central heating and old enough to have a ventilation system that required repair people to actually enter the vents to fix shit when it broke.

He pulled the grate away and crawled inside. He carefully replaced the grate behind him and began to make his way along the route he’d mapped out from building schematics. Hopefully they had been accurate. He moved as quickly as he could, cursing every thump and scrape he caused. If his luck held, the noise would be dismissed as the random sounds of an old HVAC system.

There were a few heart-stopping moments when he had to climb down to the basement level vents - the maintenance ladder needed maintenance - but soon he was letting himself down into the supply closet where he had hidden from Princess Katherine all those years ago. The door was still being kept unlocked - another uncontrollable variable working out in his favor - and he crept out into the hallway.

The sliding panel on Derek’s cell door barely made a scraping sound as he pulled it aside. “Derek?” he whispered. “It’s me, Stiles.”

“Stiles?” Suddenly a face loomed in front of him in the darkness. Derek was pale, and his dark, unkempt hair and beard were shot through with silver, but he still looked like the pictures Stiles had found on the internet. “What are you doing here?”

“I snuck in. Listen, there’s no time. I need you to promise to eat your apple today, okay?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“It’s going to taste funny. Maybe smell funny. Just eat it, all of it, okay?”

Derek’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

Stiles pulled a chain out from under his shirt. The attached pendant was etched with a swirling symbol. “The sun, the moon, the truth. Your mother sent me, Prince Derek. Please, just trust me.”

Derek stared at him, then nodded. Stiles placed his hand in the opening, palm up, and waited to see if Derek would take it. After a moment, Derek did.

When Stiles started to pull away, Derek tightened his grip. “Stiles,” he whispered. “Thank you.”

Stiles nodded. “Good luck.” Then he closed the panel and hurried away. Getting back out would be just as tricky as getting in had been.

He was almost back to the unused office when his phone buzzed with an incoming text. Shit, he was behind schedule. He sped up, muttering ‘Don’t notice me, don’t notice me’ under his breath as his progress made more noise than could be explained by it being old. He almost crashed through the vent grate, still muttering, and quickly got out and replaced it. He stopped at the door, closed his eyes and placed one hand on the knob and the other on the wall. “Don’t notice me,” he said one more time, and opened the door.

There was a deputy in the hall when he stepped out of the office, but she only looked at Stiles with uninterested eyes and continued on her way.

“Holy shit, it worked,” he whispered, then he started running. No one tried to stop him. When he reached his dad’s office, he stopped, let out a slow, deliberate breath, and said, “All done.”

He was panting with exertion when he burst into his dad’s office.

“Stiles, what’s wrong?” his dad asked, halfway out of his seat.

“Dad,” he gasped. “Can I… stay… with Scott… tonight?”

His dad sat back down. “And you rushed in here to ask because…?”

“Scott’s waiting,” Stiles answered, still catching his breath.

“And you couldn’t have called? Texted?” His dad raised a ‘my son is an idiot’ brow at him.

“I… could have done that, yes. But then I wouldn’t have seen you at all today, dad-dad-daddy-o.” Stiles shuffled his feet. “Sooo, can I?”

“How does Melissa feel about this?”

“She’s working the night shift all weekend. She told us not to set anything on fire and not to eat all of the Oreos.”

His dad gave him a piercing look, then nodded. “Fine, you can stay at Scott’s. But if I find out you didn’t clear this with Melissa…”

“Yeah, yeah, grounded for life, no driving until I’m thirty-five, bread and water diet, all that good stuff.”

The phone rang and his dad waved him out. “Don’t cause any mayhem,” he said and answered the phone.

Stiles hurried outside, where Scott was waiting for him in Stiles’s jeep. “Did you do it?” Scott asked while Stiles was buckling his seatbelt.

“All done. Now we live normal teenage boy lives for a while.”

“Awesome. Call of Duty tonight?”

“Scotty, you are going down,” Stiles said as he started the jeep.

The next morning, his dad told him the Prisoner had died in his sleep. The day after that, the news stations reported that the Prisoner’s body had disappeared from the morgue. His name was not given. Princess Katherine was seen storming in and out of the Sheriff’s Hall every day for a week. Stiles stayed far away.

~

Beacon Preserve, neutral territory between the kingdoms of Beacon and Triskele, 2016

Princess Allison Argent, formerly known as the Little Princess, now heir-apparent to the throne of Beacon, waited at the edge of Wolf’s Glade with her honor guard, which counted her secret fiance Scott McCall among its number. On the other side, Princess Laura Hale, heir-apparent to the throne of Triskele, waited with several of her brothers and sisters, including Prince Derek, formerly a prisoner of Princess Allison’s aunt, Princess Katherine. His escape had led to a brutal war, and now, five years later, both sides agreed that the cost of the war was too high. Stiles privately thought Princess Katherine’s death in battle, followed by King Gerard’s fatal heart attack upon hearing the news, had helped the end of the war along.

Stiles, as someone with ties to both sides, stood in the middle of the Glade with Emissary Deaton. Nobody was leaving until they hammered out a treaty, not if he had anything to say about it. He wanted to date his new boyfriend in peace. He looked over at Derek and winked.

[littlemisssquiggles]

Hello! I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, but have you watched the Alita Battle Angel movie? If not, the synopsys is that an old doctor finds a cyborg bust in a scrapyard of trash that is dumped everyday by the floating city above, called Zalem. In your latest musing you mentioned something about trash being dumped from Atlas. What would you think if Upper Atlas were similar and it would dump trash in a scapyard, in Lower Atlas? And the workers there making use of it however they can?

‘SupYellow.Always a pleasure to hear from you so no worries there fam. Unfortunately I have notseen Alita.But I definitely want to since I’ve heard positive things about it; both themanga and the recent film adaptation. Despite knowing jack about the series, Ido like the idea you present here. 

It wouldn’t surpriseme if something like that were possible with Atlas. It’s funny. Folks keepreferring to Atlas by Upper and Lower. Wouldn't Upper Atlas technically be just Atlas while the lower sector is the remnants of Mantle?

That’swhat I assumed it was. The lower city being Mantle below, unless I am deeplymistaken. I like the idea of Atlas dumping their trashinto Mantle with the People of Mantle living the life of scavengers;only managing to survive due to their resourceful nature by crafting workingmachinery and equipment from whatever scraps of and parts they managed tosalvage and/or pilfer from the junkyards dumped from Atlas.

It’dbe interesting if Atlas has become rather snobbish and discriminatory towardtheir Mantlese brethren over the years to the point that they don’t even donate their broken or unused materials to Mantle’scitadel, only granting them use of whatever they can scavenge from the massivepiles of junk they dump into their kingdom periodically. Like the rich andelite only granting charity to the poor by allowing them to take what they canfrom their trash bins for the week and considering that an act of generosity.

Imagine if … the Atlesians are the typeswho have grown so spoilt from their riches that they no longer see worth in their products anymore. To Atlas, it’s allabout advancement.Forwardever, backward never and when theold outdates the new, the old is disposed of so that the new can rise up andthrive. Take over even and lead them successfully towards a bright future. Itwouldn’t surprise if that is the mantra of Atlas because that is precisely whathappened with Atlas and Mantle’s history. Atlas rose up to the point that it overshadowed Mantle and rather than aid those left behind intheir predecessor kingdom, it seems that Atlas has lost all touch with itsroots.

Allthe more reason why I’m digging the concept of the People of Mantle being scavengers—thegood kind who see worth ineverything around them, since their generations have been forced to survive onso little for so long and thus become more adaptive and more appreciative ofwhat they have and cherish.  And becauseof that, they are able to make wonders with what bit they can use from the UpperWorld.

Thisalso makes me think of a really cool hunch I have concerning Penny Polendina’sfather/creator. For the sake of my musings, I’m going to refer to him as Dr. Japheth Polendina until his official canon name is revealed. If mymemory serves correctly, Gepetto isthe Italian form of the name Japheth whichis a name of Hebrew origin meaning ‘expansion’.  

I think Japheth is afitting pseudo-name for Dr. Polendina since my assumption is that he is a greatand well-renowned scientist and inventor in Atlas whose inventions hascontributed towards the kingdoms’ advancement. Makes sense, right? Beyond that,another theory I have is Dr. Polendina is unlike a lot of Atlesians . Itwouldn’t surprise me if Dr. Polendina, like many from his generation (MariaCalavera and Nicholas Schnee) was born after the Great War and contributedtowards Atlas taking over from Mantle.

Howeverunlike other Atlesians who seem to have discarded theirMantlese heritage and traditions, Dr. Polendina still holds stubbornly onto his.I like the irony of Dr. Polendina being old-fashioned despite being the inventor of so many creationsthat helped Atlas move forward. I think that could be a cool contrast to hischaracter. I like the idea of Dr. Polendina being a smart yet modest and humbleold man (maybe even a lil cuckoo for coco puffs), who doesn’t just create foradvancement but rather help humanity because he genuinely sees wonder and value in everything around him. Despite it being a traditionhis younger associates don’t understand and have tried to beat out of him foryears, y’know since they all mostly consider him a fossil and only keep himaround for his unique genius. Nonetheless Dr. Polendina sees worth in everything—includinga lifeless robotic husk he treated and loved like a daughter. That’s my theoryfor Dr. Polendina if you or anyone who were ever curious.

Ithink an anon-ninja once asked me what elements of Gepetto/Pinocchio I think will be incorporated in V7. Well I thinkthat’s one of them. I’d love to think that Japheth also shares a history with Arthur Watts.I can’t help this nagging hunch I have that Arthur Watts was probably the formerapprentice of Dr. Polendina who he loved like a son.

Inthe Pinocchio tale, Geppetto was an elderly woodcarver whoseemed to not have any former children of his own hence why he createdPinocchio and wished for him to be a real boy.

Imagine if it was the same for Dr.Polendina. Whatif… Japheth was a man who had dedicated his life so much toadvancing Atlas that he never got the chance to have the thing he wanted morethan anything—a family or at least someone to love him like one. Picture Japheth living a depressing life where he losttouch with his former family in Mantle and the closest thing to a family he hadin Atlas was a former apprentice who he cherished like the child he never had whoended up betrayinghim before disappearing entirely,believed to be dead (i.e. Dr. Arthur Watts) and lastly, Penny—the android heloved like a daughter but also ultimately lost.

Ican go on and on about my theories for Dr. Polendina but that’s the theory Imainly wish to share here. As you brought up Alita, it made me think ofsomething interesting. I have this Penny-centric theorywhere as soon as our heroes arrive in Atlas, they soon discover, much toRuby’s shock and disgust that Penny was made into a line of sentient service androidswho was being mass produced and sold to the People of Atlas.

Picture Detroit Become Human but with just Penny asthe sole android series. RWBY Chibi S2 kindof teased the concept of Penny being sold as a doll. So what ifthat will be the case for V7? What if…in current Atlas, Penny is now a popular brand of service androiddolls sold to the Atlesian public to perform many different roles insociety. Picture Penny being like the Barbie Doll of Atlas exceptthat she’s a life-sized sentient machine. Picture all kinds of Penny models beingsold each programmed with a series of different functions tailor made to fitwhatever role her user/buyer bought her to perform.

Imagine Ruby standing in acity populated with different Pennies—-Waitress Penny, Nurse Penny, Traffic Cop Penny, TourGuide Penny, etc.—who all look and sound just like Ruby’s Pennybut isn’t her. And what’s even more horrifying to Ruby is what Penny’s legacyhas dissolved into. Back in V3 I believe, Penny told Ruby that she wasoriginally made to protect Remnant. She was made to be a hero. The first of her kind tobe used to protect humanity.

Imagine howmuch of an insult it would be if this is what Ruby finds out Atlasdid to her friend after she was murdered. Not remember her as a hero butbasically a living toy to beused and abused as her consumers feel.

That’sinsane!Which is all the more reason why I want this theory to come true. I was askedlong ago by a FNDM fam about how Ruby would feel if she saw Penny locked away insidesome pod inside a laboratory. I never got around to actually answering that questionbecause Tumblr buried the original response post I was going to edit. If thatuser happens to read all of my answer posts, here is my answer to your questionnow.

Rubyreacting to a rebuilt Penny being locked safely inside a pod? Ahahaa! How about I giveyou something grimmer?

Ontop of Atlas mass producing Penny and treating her like a plaything rather than the heroshe was meant to be, you wanna know my theory for what they did with originalPenny?

Myhunch is that originalPenny is put in the trash. Meaningthat after her body was returned to Atlas, there was a meeting between themembers of the Atlas Council debating on whether or not the military projectPenny was born from should be terminated or not. Even though Ironwood is the mainauthoritarian from Atlas that we’ve met so far, I’d like to think there is another topleader calling the shots whoIronwood actually serves under.

Ifthe Atlas Council is anything like Vale’s, then there are at least threemembers on the council governing the Kingdom. From what I remember back in V4,Ironwood says he holds two seats on the council. This leaves the third and lastseat and it’s here where I think we’ll have a new authoritarian character who Ironwoodlistens to.

Basicallyit was this Atlas Council Member introduced and signed off on the idea ofturning Penny into a doll to be sold to the public.  I don’t know of any puppet masters in any knownfairy tales but perhaps this Councilman, as I’ll refer to him in mymusings, could be based off of the Coachman from Pinocchio. In the 1883 book TheAdventures of Pinocchio, the Coachman was a villain who kidnapped children tobring them to Toy Island in which the bad children turned into donkeys.

IfFNDM fam thought General Ironwood was a cross due to his deep authoritarian waysand leadership then imagine someone worse than Ironwoodbut lacking the compassion. Picture… the Councilman being the type to make ajackass out of the General Ironwood since Ironwood generally has torun everything by him and the Councilman has Ironwood wrapped around his pinkie,especially now that he hasn’t been well—psychologically. I actually kinda digthis idea.

Sothe Councilman convinces Ironwood that the best way to dissolve the mess the Vytalescapade left on the military and the People of Atlas following Beacon is to turnPenny into a doll series—allowing her to fulfil the purpose she was made for.Serving humanity by serving humanity as a service doll. There are even Penniesbeing used by the military.

WhileDr. Polendina wouldn’t sign off on something like this—imagine it being oneof those uncomfortable scenarios where one’s hand is forced because they arebacked into a corner by people trying to either bullyor manipulate them. In the case of Japheth, it was both theCouncilman trying to bully him into doing his job for the military and Ironwood,though sympathetic towards the doctor and his loss, still trying to somewhatemotionally manipulate the man into doing as he and the Councilman ordered byusing Penny and the reasons she was made in the first place as his motive.

It’snot a nice game but in the end, against his wishes, Dr. Polendina had no choicebut to hand over his research and the original body of Penny and concur as themilitary—mainly the Councilman did what they pleased with her.

Andin the end, once they were done, they didn’t even have the common courtesy toreturn Penny to her father. Instead, like many things in Atlas, Penny wasdiscarded and her remains ended up in the junkyards near Mantle. I even have away RWBY canincorporate Monstro into the Atlas Arc. You know how in Pinocchio,Gepetto got swallowed by the giant whale?

Wellwhat if…at some point, the heroes visit Lower Atlas on their voyage towards Mantle. Mytheory is that at some point during the Schnee Family Affairsstoryline of the Atlas Arc, Weiss will go in search of her missing grandfatherNicholas Schnee and her searches will take her and her friends down from Atlasinto Mantle’s depth. During their voyage, the group end up in the junkyardsbelow.

Apparently,people aren’t allowed to go in the junkyards. Part of it is due to Atlas being stingy towards Mantle even with their junk and anotheris for the reason that there is a massive Grimm known to roam the junkyards.That monster is GrimmMonstro—a colossal land whale type Grimm that burrows undergroundand swims through the sea of garbage in the junk piles looking for anyunsuspecting victims to rise up and swallow.

I have this idea where Ruby andOscar are swallowed alive by Grimm Monstro and it’s in the belly of the Grimm where Ruby discovers Penny’s originaldestroyed body. Perhaps…as a better alternative, that’s how she and Oscargot swallowed in the first place. Ruby spots OG Penny while in the junkyard.Goes off on her own to retrieve her despite Oscar’s initial warnings that somethingfelt off about the junkyard however Ruby ignores hisadvice. Ruby makes it to Penny’s body in time for Grimm Monstro to rise up.Oscar jumps in to rescue Ruby. The two try their best to outrun the giant Grimmbut end up getting swallowed alive. That could be FREAKING EPIC!

Little Red Riding Hood and PrincessOzma working together to escape Monstroand save themselves plus Pinocchio is a future RWBY episodeI’d love to see for Atlas. YES PLEASE! Sign my ass up!

Andif all that comes true, we could even get Ruby and Oscar working together to revive original Penny.

Ifmy theory about Oscarawakening his inner mechanic and inventor comes to fruition, imagine Ruby begging Oscar to help her revive her formerfriend using his skills. Knowing and fully understanding how much this means toRuby, Oscar accepts and the two rosebuds get to work together. I would lovethis so much!

Ithink this could be really cool especially if after Penny gets successfully restoredthrough Oscar’s know-how, she starts calling Oscar ‘brother’. I’ll give you three veryimportant reasons why I love this idea.

Firstly,I’ve seen some fans comparing Oscar to Penny so me, being the proud Pinehead and Polendiva (Penny Polendina fan) that I amstarted to dig the idea of Penny and Oscar having a brother-sister dynamic.Like after Oscar helps rebuild her, Penny starts treating him like he was her big brother.Not father since Dr. Japheth is her father.

Secondly,I like Penny calling Oscar ‘brother’ because of the obvious, very on the nosecall back to FMA. Come on! You know how much I love those.

Andlastly, I love this idea because it appeals to another Pinehead headcanon I have where Oscar becomes an apprentice under Dr. Polendina anddevelops a father/son bond with the old inventor. I did say I wantedOscar to have a godmother type character who adopts him in Atlas. Perhapsinstead of a fashion designer, it’s an genius inventor who acts as hisgodfather.

Penny andDr. Polendina both adopting Oscar into their family = HELLA FREAKING YES.

You know my mantra. #EverybodyAdoptsOscar

I’dlove to expand more on this idea some more but I think I’ll save it for anothermusing. This response post is long enough. But for what it’s worth, I hope youlike my answer Yellow.Let me know what you think if you can pretty please. Would like to hear yourthoughts on my thoughts.

~LittleMissSquiggles(2019)

[emybain]

After Archenemies 3/?

In honor of not getting on Tumblr tomorrow, here is part 3 of whatever this is to anyone who liked the first two parts. In all honesty idk what this part is, and it might be a little soon for what follows, but I wasn't planning on making this fic long anyways so...yeah. Here is part 1 and here is part 2 if you care. feel free to check out my other works also! enjoy! warning: I dont really edit these that much, so please be kind if you see errors! this is also shorter than what I usually write, just fyi.

Edit: heck i forgot to post the links to the previous parts...ill do it later lmao

Nova’s communicator band had gone off three times in the past hour. She had taken it off and set it on her mattress after it first went off. She didn't need the distraction, especially if that distraction was Adrian Everhart.

“Why are you still staring at that thing?” Nova looked up to see Honey in the doorway of their shared room, leaning against the cracked door frame. She was examining her polished nails. “If you look at it any longer, the filthy Renegade will be able to turn back to normal.”

Nova pushed back the chair she was sitting on in front of Honey’s vanity where Danna’s butterfly was currently trapped. It remained immobile for the most part. When Nova would start to worry if it had died, it would crawl around its little prison. “Just thinking.” About her uncle. About how they would be able to free him from the Renegades. About Nightmare. About a certain Renegade boy.

She closed her eyes, feeling a headache forming at the base of her neck.

“Well, you can think and answer your little Renegade buddies.” Honey gestured towards the communicator band resting on top of a jewelry box. “That ringing is driving me nuts. I can hear it all the way downstairs.”

Nova rolled her eyes, but picked up the band nonetheless. “It’s only gone off three times, Honey. Don’t be so dramatic.”

“Me? Not dramatic?” Honey laughed, the sound like bells. “In your dreams, sweet girl.” She strutted into the room, reached over Nova, grabbed a magazine that was open on her vanity, and sauntered back out. Her perfume lingered, stronger than ever. Nova waved her hand in front of her face. Vintage fumes were the last thing she needed for her aching head.

Her communicator band went off again, and she heard Honey yelling from the first floor to shut it off before she did. Nova looked down at the device, scrolling through her notifications. The first one, nearly an hour ago, was from Adrian.

This is last minute, but we’re meeting in the HQ library in about 30 minutes, Let me know when you get here. It’s about Nightmare.

Nova froze. That couldn’t be good. This was it, she thought. They figured her out, and this was Adrian trying to lure her into a trap to arrest her.

Taking a deep breath, she checked the next message, which was sent twenty minutes after the first.

Nova? Are you busy? If not, please respond.

The third one was five minutes after the first.

Of course you’re busy. You would’ve responded by now. Ignore my last message.

The most recent text was sent two minutes ago.

Nova? We’re all here. You’re not dead or something, are you? Please tell me you aren’t because I would be really upset.

Nova snorted, shoulders relaxing in relief. She believed she was safe, for the time being. She bit her lip, thinking of a response.

Hey. Sorry. Turns out I’m pretty sick, and my uncle took anything that could distract me so I could rest.

Nova thought back to a few days before, when she had pretended to feel under the weather in order to have an excuse to leave the visit to Max. She couldn’t stand to be there any longer without being weighed down by the guilt. It was a believable lie. Besides, she didn’t have time to do detective work with Adrian on her secret identity, nor did she have the patience for it. The quicker she and the rest of the Anarchists figured out a way to free Ace, the sooner she could drop the ridiculous Renegade charade.

Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Do you want me to come by later to give you some company?

The smile that grew on Nova’s face was inevitable, along with the giddy spark in her stomach. She suppressed it though, and denied his offer, pushing away all thoughts of being able to curl up against Adrian while they did something as mundane as watching a movie.

No, thank you though. My uncle is pretty strict whenever I get sick and doesn’t like visitors. Maybe another time?

She received a response almost immediately.

Definitely! I hope you get to feeling better, Nova.

It was so sweet. Nova’s heart ached. Even though she wasn’t sick, she had a feeling she would feel better soon anyways.    

Thanks, Adrian.

Nova sent the text. She debated on whether or not to send something else. Something came to mind, and she immediately cringed. Then Ace’s words floated through her mind. Earn his affection.

Well.

With a defeated sigh, Nova reluctantly sent a text with a heart.

Sweet rot, her IQ just dropped by 20.

Downstairs, Honey started singing. Nova suspected she was cleaning; she tended to sing when fixing up the old house. Nova groaned. Honey wasn’t a terrible singer, but it did not mix well with Nova’s pounding head. Maybe she was actually getting sick.

Standing from the vanity, Nova brushed off her leggings. The butterfly was moving in its prison, crawling lazily along the side of the glass. Nova bent down to eye level with it. She could’ve sworn it made eye contact with her.

“I’m sorry it has to be this way,” she murmured. “Maybe in a different reality we’d be friends.” She meant it, much as she hated to admit it to herself. Danna was a lot like her; it was a shame they were too alike, for that’s what got Danna trapped in the first place.

Nova sighed and rose back up. She took off her communicator band, then reached for her coat lying on the bed and headed downstairs. Honey’s trilling voice grew louder. She was singing some song about the beauty of the southern countryside.

Leroy was seated in the dimly lit kitchen, surrounded by lab equipment. Nova saw the samples of Agent N she had snatched in the past few weeks. He nodded in Nova’s direction as form of greeting, too engulfed in his work. As Nova suspected, Honey was cleaning. She was standing on a towel on top of the counter, wiping a wet rag across the higher cabinets.

Nova cleared her throat. “I’m going for a walk. You guys need anything while I’m out?”

They both chorused a “No.” Nova nodded.

“I’ll be back, then.”

“Hey, Adrian...um… come check this out,” Ruby whispered hesitantly from the computer across his. Adrien looked up from his communicator band, the faint trace of a smile on his lips from Nova’s last text. The heart was unexpected, and frankly, not like Nova at all, but it radiated Adrien’s body in warmth. The concentrated set in Ruby’s eyes made the smile fade, however.

They were in the Renegade library and archives, doing research on Nightmare. Adrian had about five open tabs about her most recent sightings and activity. One of the tabs was an article discussing the identity of the Anarchist, but the information was of no use to Adrian.

He got out of his chair and walked around the table to stand behind Ruby. Next to her, Oscar leaned over, craning his neck to see the screen. There was an unopened file in front of Ruby.

“So I was thinking about what you told us, about Nightmare being Ace Anarchy’s niece?” Adrian nodded, and Ruby continued. “Well, his last name is Artino, correct?” Adrian nodded again. “I looked up the name, and well, I guess you should see for yourself.” She clicked on the file. It was a report from about ten years ago filed by his own dad, Hugh Everhart.

Four people found dead. David Artino: age 31. Tala Artino: age 30. Evie Artino: age 11 months. One unnamed man: age unknown. Suspected Anarchist or Roach affiliation.

Forensics confirm all deaths were a result of direct trauma from bullet wounds, without prodigy interference. Prints found on the gun matched both those of the unnamed man and also those of Alec Artino (alias: Ace Anarchy).

There is reason to suspect the deaths of the three family members were done as a killing for hire. The motive for the homicide remain under investigation. See the full report as filed by Hugh Everhart (Captain Chromium) here.

Additional notes: The eldest child, a six year old girl, was not found at the scene. Neighbors have reported no knowledge of her whereabouts. A report has been made to the Renegades missing persons unit.

Oscar whistled lowly. Ruby had highlighted the last paragraph. She was watching the two boys, lips pursed. Adrian read the report, over and over again. Something about it wasn’t right.

“Was the girl ever found?” Oscar asked. Ruby answered his question by opening another file. This one was a missing persons form, dated ten years ago. 

Name: Nova Jean Artino

Age: Six (6) years old

Height: Unknown

Weight: Unknown

Description: Black hair, blue eyes, parents were Italian and Filipino.

Status: Not found

If any information is known, contact the Renegades Missing Persons Unit.

Below the information was a fuzzy picture of a girl, taken by an outdated camera probably. She grinned at the person behind the camera, a wide gap below her upper lip where two front teeth should have been. In her arms was a newborn baby, fast asleep in her sister’s arms. Adrian let out a small gasp. He took the mouse from Ruby and zoomed in on the girl’s face. Her features were chubby, but the hard set of her jaw was unmistakable.

“Great skies,” Oscar breathed. “That’s not...it can’t be..”

“It is,” Ruby confirmed, disbelief in her voice. “That’s our Nova.”

[cosmiciaria]

World of Final Fantasy Review! (Spoiler free)

I know the game is pretty old by now. It was released in October, 2016, before Final Fantasy XV wrecked the fandom. I've always wanted to give it a shot, but the apparent light-hearted approach didn't suit me well – so I waited for a decent discount in PSN, and I finally managed to get it in my hands! Disclaimer: this is a review of the vanilla version of the game. Saw there's a big expansion adding quite a a lot of stuff, including gameplay mechanics, so… either way, the game is quite enjoyable as it is, I don't deem an expansion necessary in my case to make me like the game more.

So yes, this is a GUD game. Even GUDER than I'd thought it would be. Like REALLY. Real good.

I'm not explaining myself. You see, this game seems made for younger generations. It was the result of the 30th Square Enix Anniversary, and it's the cocktail boiling in the cauldron every Final Fantasy fan wanted to have. It's a crossover, it's the perfect fanfiction across all the universes we've learned to love and care in this franchise. It's a love letter to fans, and I want to stress this idea, because… this game is great, is awesome, is moving, but only if you're an FF fan.

I mean, you'll still enjoy it for what it is, but… there are a thousand nods and references to the previous FF games that you won't get if you at least are not familiar with their premises. I, for instance, haven't played many of the mainline FF, including I, II, V and XI. I knew about their characters and some of its most characteristic thingies (like Gilgamesh being from FFV), so I still could get some of the references, but it's not the same.

It's not the same, because, like I said, this game is a love letter to fans. And it shows.

But – wait, are those chibis? Is this a children's game? What are you talking about? I know it's hard to take chibis seriously, but hear me out – this game is more serious than it seems at first sight. I expected nothing but RPG tropes and I did get many of those, but DUDE (pun intended) did I had a great (TRAGIC) time with those twists and turns!

So we follow Lann, a fifteen year old ginger boy who goes to work at his usual café. He doesn't seem to notice the Pokémon – I mean, the Mirage on his head, a cute white little fox that seems to defy the laws of gravity by gripping to his hair. In the café, Lann meets Enna Kros, a mysterious woman who asks for a very sugary coffee. Minutes later, we meet our other protagonist, Reynn, Lann's twin sister, who crashes into the place to tell her brother that there's nobody anywhere. Lann is like, hey, there's this woman over here, but truth be told… the neighborhood is empty.

So this woman, Enna Kros, introduces herself and tells them that she's a goddess of some sort (her nature is, eh, well, never fully explained and that's fine). She reveals they are in a place called Nine Wood Hills, a land that looks like it's stuck in time and space. Lann and Reynn had forgotten what the hell they're doing there, or who their parents were, or anything, so Enna Kros gives them (or more like, reminds them of) the Prismariums: the ability to imprism Mirages, like the little fox I mentioned, and bend them to their will. The purpose, she says, is to catch as many Mirages as they can, across Grymoire, the world she's the goddess of, and collect memories about their past. Then the little fox is introduced as Tama, a very important Mirage that is going to accompany the twins for the rest of the journey.

Off they go to Grymoire, and this is where the crossover starts: here people are tiny (chibis) called Lilikins; Reynn and Lann remain normally proportioned (Jiants), but they can turn into Lilikins whenever they want. Jiants had disappeared from this world a hundred years prior, so the twins kind of attract everyone's attention. This only feeds the mystery that shrouds this pair.

Grymoire is full of towns, regions and dungeons. Across all these places, the twins will irremediably come across the chibis we all know and love: the FF characters. Their storylines are so well intertwined that you forget that they belong to an original game, for their personalities and backgrounds fit this story very well. We have a Bahamutian Federation who's conquering everything in its stride, except for a few kingdoms that still fight against it. The League of S, the resistance group, wants to recruit as many people as they can, and it's up to the twins to help this insurgence grow. But this is not everything: it seems that in the Federation there's a prophecy, a Crimson Prophecy, that foretells the arrival of two Jiants twins who are Mirage Keepers…

The story gets more and more complex, until it reaches a point where I couldn't believe my eyes. And this was a game for "children"! But I won't spoil it for you. Instead, let's talk about the gameplay first!

I said Pokémon earlier – It's the closest approximation and I'm not lying. If you wanna be the very best, you gotta catch 'em all. Mirages will appear as your ordinary enemies in dungeons, and every first time you encounter one, Enna Kros will give you a new prismarium to imprism them in it. But to do this, you first have to create a prismunity: a chance that leaves the Mirage vulnerable to the imprism. This prisminuty is quite easy to achieve in the early levels, but they get more and more difficult and specific to attain as you progress. Each Mirage has an ability tree to develop, in which you'll spend SP points, and most Mirages have also evolutions (is it Pokémon enough yet??) that you'll be unlocking once the requirements are met.

Catching Mirages is not everything, though. Mirages are actually useful: you can equip them. Since we don't have equipment or ability tree for the twins, the Mirages are our only source of power, so their stats and their abilities become our own when we fight. Each twin in Jiant form can 'stack' on their heads a Medium and Small size Mirage, and in Lilikin form, they can stack on a Large Mirage and still have one Small Mirage on their heads. The stack becomes your shield in battle, and at first it looks ridiculous, but once you understand how it works, you can create MAGIC out of its mechanics. Careful because the tower you form can topple and your Mirages can fall from your character's head in a quite funny animation.

Twins don't have ability trees, I said. Well, that's partially true. You see, in the ability trees of the Mirages, every now and then you can come across a Mirajewel: this is the equivalent of a skill card in the Persona franchise – meaning that you can equip that Mirajewel into Lann or Reynn as you please. The Mirajewel doesn't lock to just one character, you can switch it between the twins as you like. The slots for these Mirajewels take a while to unlock, though, and it's related to the twins's levels.

Battles are your good old friend turn base combat. And it's great. IT'S GREAT. Like really. They can STILL do this and it's still loved, I don't know why people say that turn base combat is outdated and old fashioned. It's pretty slow paced, but fear not, because there's an ACCELERATOR button that lets you fast forward battles. Isn't it convenient? In fact, everything in this game is so convenient it makes me wanna cry: you wanna leave the dungeon? No prob, just use this unlimited teleport stone; wanna change your Mirages for others? Never fear, you have a save point every half hour. You wanna fast travel to this place? Nine Wood Hills got it covered for you. You're not enjoying this minigame? You can skip it and still advance in the main story! You kinda not dig this new menu we created for this game? Try the old style FF menu and play like you did in the old FF titles!

Really. Everything is there for you, at your disposal. The option to choose how and when you play is available, and it's kind of heart-warming they did this. I just wish every new FF could work like this one, on terms of gameplay! This game is SO Final Fantasy that I wanna cry a river.

Alright! Too much gameplay. What about characters?

Lann and Reynn are just hilarious. Their interactions are natural and casual: they truly make us believe they're twin brother and sister who deeply care for each other. Each of them has their own quirks, like Lann being quite slow, always saying "dude!" and protecting his sister at all costs; and Reynn being determined, direct and fearless, but also hiding her nervousness behind blurting trivia into the void whenever things seem to get nasty. There's one particular funny scene in the game where Reynn is angry with a Cactuar and she wants to, basically, punch it to death, which she can't, because Cactuars have their agility skyrocketed to high heaven more or less, and her hysteria is so relatable that you want to get yourself inside the screen and pat her on the head.

On that note, voice actors for the main protagonists were a delight. I was kind of surprised to discover that the guy who voices Lann also voices Shiro from Voltron: I couldn't recognize my favorite gay spaceship leader anywhere in this upbeat character, but there were moments where Lann became serious and angry, and damn, did that Shirogane emerge! All the other FF characters that we know have their original actors returning –not only that, but also we hear some characters from the older FF games that had never ever had, in any other media, voices. I swear my control almost fell to the floor when I heard Vivi f*cking SPEAK.

The FF characters remain in their personalities and they're never out of character. They bring about a thousand references from their original games, that are not forced at all. The script is clever enough to blend these moments inside the main story in such a way that you never see them coming, and more than once I was at the verge of tears, specially with Tidus and Yuna who belong to, I may very well say it now, my favorite Final Fantasy game (Oh I never wrote a review for FFX, even though I played like six times). I won't tell you, just play the game and discover these scenes for yourself. They make the game ten times more loveable. There are also instances of 4th wall breaking so beware yourself for a good laughter. Read the Mirage's Manual, I fully recommend it.

The game has all the RPG tropes you can ask for: the mandatory ice, fire and water levels, the really really bad guy you can tell he's bad because of his demoniac appearance bad villain bad oh bad he's bad because reasons, treasure chests, chocobos, cactuars, tomberris, flans, malboro menaces and anything you can expect from an FF game. But this isn't a copycat of previous installments. Towards the second half the game shows its true colors and we're faced with an original story, with huge twists that left me open mouthed, and you forget about the first few hours of the game that seemed taken straight out of any other FF, because, you know it, honk's got real. (Oh, btw, Lann used 'honk' every time he should've used the f-word, it was so funny, once he says 'shut the honk up' I'm cryinggG)

On the music department, I just couldn't really get into it. There were some boss fights that caught my attention but that's all there is to it. Nine Wood Hills background music gets under your skin after a while of continually listening to it, and sometimes it plays during important sequences, so I guess it's the most memorable piece of music. On the other hand, we have remixes of all those FF's themes we liked so much that play during certain characters' arcs and they may bring more than one tear to players' eyes (I did NOT cry when Suteki Da Ne started playing I did NOT). Visuals are nice and all – you can tell it had less production than, let's say, FFXV, its contemporary companion in release dates, but damn, some places were vivid and realistic! And lighting and shadows were real enough! And who cares about an anime appearance or chibi characters when everything SHINES and the story is good either way!

This game made me for some reason ship Cloud with absolutely everyone? What the honk?

All in all, this is a Final Fantasy game in all its glory, and it shines bright in many aspects I believe it was done even better than most of the newest games in the mainline. I just wished it had a more 'independent' story, in the sense of what I first mentioned: that this is a game for fans, that the experience would be very different if you haven't played the majority of the FF titles (and even some spin offs!). Still, the main story holds up well and at the end of the day, the main characters are the twins, not Cloud or Squall.

I do have one or two tiny complaints: there are some FF titles vanished to oblivion in this vanilla version. Firion from FFII only appears in the expansion and Balthier from FFXII, although he is a free dlc, he's not part of the story and he doesn't even have a page in the people's compendium, his appearance being the only silent presence of that title in the game. Also there's something spoilerish I wasn't really fond of – I'm just gonna say, without revealing anything, that I don't like how certain character was handled. And no, I'm not speaking about the masked woman. Anyway, that's all I can complain about, actually.

I think credit must be given where credit is due. And this game is due a lot of credit. For its amazing gameplay, giving us a taste of what we've been asking for years, and for the good use of the Extrauniverse to weave this story for us. Interactions between characters are a delight because of how well written they are. And there's a lot of post game content so, here I go, the route to platinum!

If you enjoy FF, then you'll love this game.

[dcwastelands]

Throwback Theurgist Event - Jan 1, 2018

Eevelion: It was roughly noon as the crowd finished gathering in the meeting hall a tall sharply dressed scientist stepped up to the podium, adjusting his tie and glasses before straightening a stack of papers in his hands, clearing his throat, and adjusting his glasses again before addressing the crowd “Alright, is this all the attendants? Mediocre turnout, but sufficable. Anyway, onto business, at eleven-hundred hours this morning a ghost was found to have escaped lab containment, on checking the surveillance cameras, the closest time we can point to it having escaped was around ten-hundred hours. Now on-” As they were about to continue another scientist, this one smaller and significantly more energetic than their stick-in-the-mud colleague, ran up to their side and started pushing him away from the podium “Shoo, you weren't supposed to be handling this briefing, the effects still haven't worn off.” The male scientist was somewhat resistant at first but relented shortly after, yelling back at the admin as he head off into a back room “I'll be telling HR about this!”As the admin took her place at the podium she pat some dust off her coat and gave a sigh before continuing “Okay, sorry about that, okay let's see, he gave the times, well, military time, It was found to have escaped at 11-o-clock and the cameras said it got out at 10-o-clock, just so we're clear.” She gave an inquisitive look at the papers the other scientist left on the podium before wadding them up and tossing them at a nearby trash basket “Anyway, so what you saw with that guy was kind of one of the effects of the ghost we're looking for, got him while it was on its way out, I'll explain that in more detail later. So, this ghost, Throwback Theurgist is what someone in the labs named it, firstly, it can disguise itself as any sort of appliance, phones, laundry machines, radios, only problem with that disguise is that it always looks like a really outdated version of that thing, like, it could be a landline, a washing board, or a walkman respectively, that's kind of how it escaped, someone didn't notice one of those 1980's brick phones at the checkpoint. Okay, second power, it's got this tongue, usually hidden under a grille or something on whatever it's disguised as, any appliance it licks with that tongue turns into an outdated version of itself, so pretty much the same thing as its disguise ability but applied to other things.” She stopped to take a breath before continuing the briefing“Finally, last power, it's what you saw with that guy and is kind of the hardest part to explain, when people get licked by the ghost, it turns them into sort of like, a flatter version of themselves, like, they're not uhhh, fully developed as people, using our example, as you saw, he was a very boring straightlace scientist, well, last week he was balancing a hoagie on his nose among other things. Anyway, using what we know of the ghost, it's likely still in the city, probably hiding in some appliance store, we want you all to make your best effort to recapture it, it's probably one of the least destructive ghosts we have down there, so we're not authorizing you to destroy it, but feel free to rough it up a bit if it'll make capture easier. Just remember if you notice any super obsolete equipment in a store or something, that's probably where it's hiding and to keep any grilles or the like pointed away from you, if its tongue touches you this mission will be harder on everyone. There is both digital and analog ghost capture gear available for you all in the lockers, use whatever you feel will work best for you.” With her briefing concluded she head the same direction her afflicted colleague went, mumbling to herself “Stupid papers didn't even have anything written on them.”

EverSoNitro: Mous crossed her arms as she listened to the briefing, quirking an eyebrow as the first scientist was shooed off the stage. From the sound of things, this didn't seem like an especially destructive ghost, so at least PR didn't have to worry about having a lot to cover up when this was all done with. So long as her colleagues weren't running around like a bunch of lunatics, at least. But hey, this promised to be a good excuse to get out from behind her desk. She'd have to keep her phone on her though, in case her favorite radio station got wind of things while they were trying to take care of it.

Dezzy: Pendant eyed around the room with hidden caution. She would try to get to the ghost first before anyone took advantage of freedom to rough up the ghost. Poor little thing is genuinely harmless… And if Pendant could capture it first they could have it lick and transform her appliances into vintage aesthetic. A colorless TV, VCR, tapes, phone and the such would sure do nicely to gothen up her cove. She simply gave a nod at the end of meeting, striding over to Mous since she seemed one of the more reliable attendees. “Might be a good idea to search in pairs, or something, to catch Throwback,whatever.” Her tone was tonless and nonchalant, ready to get down to buisness but also with an air of dismisal.

Gigi: Ascot leaned back in her chair, arms behind her head. She let out a tiny smirk, what kind of silly prank was this? It'd be a break from the normal shenanigans in her department at least so, whatever. Being roped into stuff pertaining to research was always weird, but....apparently they needed crowd control, or something.Why couldn't they get their own succubus for this, anyway? "Hey, question," she raised her voice a bit, otherwise unmoving. "What if we're dumber than a box of rocks and don't know exactly what model of ipod from 2069 we're looking for, anyway? People are all about going retro these days, maybe it's a new Nebula s420 or something I didn't hear anything about."

Proph: Peasant Top picked his teeth with a small knife, scoffing to himself as the ghost's list of "powers" was rattled off. "I thought we'd have literal walking cannons or somethin' by now." Regardless, he was trained as a frontliner, so odd jobs like this are par from the course. Listening to Ascot's question, he was glad  all he carried on him was the aforementioned wittling blade. What can that downgrade to, raw steel?

Eevelion: Admin stopped short of leaving the room to turn to Ascot “Well, Throwback seems to only be able to disguise as and turn things into versions pre-year 2000, so it definitely won't be disguised as a smartphone at all, please use your best judgment and try not to break someone's nose to get their Blackberry or whatever.” she'd also turn to Peasant Top “The walking cannons are in a different section of research, please don't underestimate the diversity of our projects.”

Proph: "'s'fair." was his reply. Let's be fair, we all know who would issue walking cannons, or at least watch them get made, and the last thing PT wants to do is cross that amazon in ANY way. Self preservation at its finest.

EverSoNitro: Mous glanced to Pendant and nodded. "Indeed. Having a few smaller groups would help us keep a low profile out in public, I imagine a large swarm of us roving around would raise suspicion." Of course, as Ascot spoke up, she couldn't help but give out a little scoff. "Well, fortunately for those less observant among us, the... let's say more experienced and worldly among us should have an eye for such minor details, like myself, for instance. If you're not sure about something, I'd be happy to help you identify a "genuine article" from a vintage reproduction."

Gigi: She gave Mous a look that seemed just as boredly acerbic as her voice. "I'm pretty sure I can tell a gramophone from a record player, grandma."

HappyPaca: She-la was just comming out of a repair shop after getting her bike a good old fashion tune up from one of the only repair shops in city tht would take her old clunker. But  it was her old clunker and she love it. doesn't matter how old her bike gets it's still running like a dream to her. She didn't have much planned for that day so for a moment she pulled over and parked to take a drink of water and take out her phone to see if there was anything going on today.

Dezzy: Pendant knew she had picked the perfect partner for today, vintage mood board post on tumblr here she come. She was going to get sooooo many followers after this. “The mall might be a good hotspot to check out. Plenty of tech like phones, tvs, kiddy video games a plenty for it mess with and junk.” Pendant could already imagine the tears on some 10 year olds face as their precious  game console turned into gameboy classic.

EverSoNitro: Mous huffed a bit at Ascot's reply, particularly the "grandma" comment. "Well, if you discover you can't, I'll be here to assist." She nodded to Pendant. "Good thinking. And, if it does happen to be there, it shouldn't be too hard to keep it contained until we capture it."

Proph: "You always bicker like this?" Peasant Top snipes as he stood into a groaning stretch. "I know you're a bit eccentric like any celebrity, but do you even HAVE a limit?" He starts to lumber off in search of anything pre-pre Fall looking. Hopefully he remembers that capture gear? No? Yes? Maybe?

Gigi: Ascot rolled her eyes at Peasant Top's departure, good luck setting out on your own, dude.  She propelled herself into an elbows-on-knees position, looking at the others. "You two have a point though with the malls. Does anyone think more than one location is likely? Do we know anything about behavior patterns that would suggest other locations?"

Dezzy: “Car and motor dealerships might be worth checking out as well. Electronic warehouse stores too.” Ew capture work how troublesome Falda thought to herself, rounding out the edges of her nails with a file. But it couldn't be helped she guessed having rejoined HQ a few months ago. Even it seemed like grunt work given her rank with them it was fitting. She gave a small huff, slipping the file away into a pocket.

EverSoNitro: Mous squinted a bit at Peasant Top, opening her mouth to defend her bit of cattynes, but decided to drop the subject, for the sake of keeping things running smoothly. Collecting up her own capture gear, she shrugged a bit. "That would be a question for Research personel. Though that does raise the question, will someone be on-hand to assist?"

Eevelion: Throwback was enjoying its current freedom, walking down the park disguised as a heating iron as its synthetic brain replayed the objects it had devolved so far, a block back it turned a really nice stove into its cast iron counterpart and a fridge into an old icebox, while crossing the street it turned a food truck into a hot dog cart, luckily the guy was out for a smoke break and didn't get crushed when the truck compacted, that would have been grotesque. As more memories of things it recently changed played through whatever would be analogous to its head it noticed a Harley motorcycle, and its presumed owner distracted, scurrying up next to the metal beast it extended its tongue out of one of the holes in the grille of the heating iron, making a faint “Rerorerorero” sound as it licked the Harley, quickly turning it into a Penny-farthing bicycle. Not wanting to be on the receiving end of its owners wrath, Throwback waddled off, there seemed to be a neat looking mall just a block down it was interested in.

HappyPaca: Pin fixed his shirt collar some what aloof to all that was going on, he was suppose to be over seeing preparations at his restaurant that day but had to put this meeting first. "sigh, i suppose i should go check on my business to make sure the kitchen hasn't been converted to the point my sues chefs have no idea how to use the equipment" he stood up. An looked to Falada "care to look with me mon cheri?" he offered hoping to make the day more barible with a search partner.

Eevelion: When Mous asked about on-hand assistance she suddenly received a call on her phone, when she would answer it a voice on the other side would ask “Waddup, pimp?” Robe chuckled from a chair behind where Mous' group was standing, one leg crossed over the other.

Gigi: "Oh great, a baby is babysitting instead of me. Perfect," Ascot went over to grab some gear herself. Frankly she didn't care who was supervising, as long as she didnt have to do it. Fuck if she knew what she was doing with research business. She knew how to do cop stuff, and that was about it.

HappyPaca: She-la felt her self being raised up as Cyclone was converted into something she has only seen once in a cartoon  she autibly gasped and yelled "WHAT THE FUCK?!" as the bike tipped over and she fell harshly onto the side walk not knowing how to keep her balance on the damn thing. if she wasn't wearing her Riding suit it would have been a much nastier fall. "What happen to my bike!?" after recovering quickly as she could from the fall, she stood up and looked at it up and down trying to fathom what happen to cyclone.

Dezzy: With impeccable timing Lessy pulled up to the repair shop and spotted She-la, giving her a honk with her car’s horn, “ Hey, Ghost Rider!” Once she noticed the… just what the hell was that? Lessy scoffed in uncontrollable laughter, covering their painful smile with a gloved hand. “ HAHA, What the fuck? I didnt think your ride couldnt get any shittier than before but DAMN did you prove me wrong!”

EverSoNitro: Mous quirked an eyebrow as her phone began to ring, though as she answered it and heard the voice, she sighed a bit, hanging up as she turned to Robe in person. "Alright, well, if that's everything then, I can drive us all to the mall." Mous's own Aston Martin was in the shop, and so her current vehicle of choice was a bit more cartoonish, and oddly appropriate given the circumstances. She'd taken her reproduction Mystery Machine out of storage.

Eevelion: Robe looked at her phone with an annoyed expression as she was hung up on “Wow, she hung up on me, that's crazy rude.” She'd announce loud enough the group could hear her before actually addressing the group “So yeah, I'm not going, but if you need to know something you can call me, I helped with Throwback once or twice. They're alright.” After that she'd wave them off.

Dezzy: Pin’s familiar face brightened Falda up if only just a little bit, “Oui, but i’m not sure if the restaurant is the best place to start for this mission, don’t you agree? What with the heavy preference for electronics for its meals,” she gave his shoulder a soft pat with rub. “Not that your menu isnt delicious enough, I assure you. Maybe the car dealership would be fruitful with electric cars and the such.” plus, she just really wanted to check out some sweet lambos. "Shotgun," Pendant announed after the phone call.

Gigi: Ascot let out an exasperated scoff, letting her head tilt lamely onto her spine. "Seriously? I hope you all aren't expecting me to actually know what the fuck I'm doing." She absently grabbed for a capture set, regrouping to the others. "I already don't have hope for whipped-cream-for-brains here."

Eevelion: Robe sent out a tweet about the rudeness of some people then checked the rest of her timeline before thinking to herself, she was bored, “I'm going to the mall.” She'd announce to no one in particular.

HappyPaca: Pin smiled glad to see he could brighten up her day abit with a simple gesture. "As usual your right, i supose my staff isn't entirely hopeless if a problem arose." and besides it thing should be alot easier to spot in an open are if they cn find it that is. Pine grabbed some equiptment being sure to be ready to go when ever. "would you like to ride with them or take my car and we follow?" he gestured to Mou's forming group.

Proph: While everyone else was smart and paired up, Peasant Top just walked the sidewalks of the city alone.  Destroying a kebab, his lone wolf tactics (accidentally?)bore some fruit, finding some poor joe bawling over a vintage hotdog cart. With over half the kebab left, he kept following the trail of nostalgia while looking for a ride.

Dezzy: With the inclusion of Ascot, Pendant’s team could split up an search various stores in the mall. “Right, so, with Ass here we can search the Phone, Game, and electronic stores at the malle no problem. I call dibs on checking out the cells.”

HappyPaca: She-la  was on the phone calling the repair guy she just went too "And your SURE this isn't some god damn joke your  pulling on me?  then how does a Harly davison turn into a damn 1900 bicycle?!" she was confussed and alittle embarissed rubbing her temple.

EverSoNitro: Mous huffed again, grimacing at Ascot. "I hope you're not just using ignorance as an excuse to not help." Mous replied, before motioning for her own squad to follow her to the psychedelic van. "We'll head for the mall first, perhaps pick up Peasant along the way if we see him." Rounding to the driver's side, she climbed in, waiting for the others to join her.

Gigi: She followed along, putting her hands up a bit. "Nah, I'm just letting you guys know I'm not research, I catch things but this is a little different than what I usually do." She opened up the back sliding door, and made herself comfortable with the extra room. "Place me where you see fit, I can't make any guarantees I won't beat up the first mlg softboy that throws shit my way, though."

Dezzy: Pendant slide into the passenger side next to Mous but not before giving the rather cartoonish car a double take, “Zoinks,” she mumbled before taking the passenger set net to Mous. "Take the game store then I guess," she waved to the back at Ascot. "Pry a Nitendo 64 outta some dude's hand if you gotta." From the looks of it Mous’s car would be a tight squeeze, so she shook her head, wrapping an arm around Pin’s and locking elbows, “I’ll ride with you, of course.”

HappyPaca: He was alittle bit ahead of Falada already pulling out his car keys to his convertable "To be honest i wouldn't mind if the ghost licked my car. It would be fun to see an old french convertable again" He laughed as he open the door for Falada bfore getting in himself. "my grandmother had one." he added.

Proph: "Oh hey, a carpool." said the meat-loving giant. He glanced around, glared at the van, shrugged, then worked on trying to wedge his large frame inside it. "Don't complain if your gas mileage takes a hit." he calls from the far back as the shocks moaned from his settling in.  RIP Ascot's ears, though; his burly tone in such a confined space had to be a bit loud.

Dezzy: Falda hummed approvingly at the thought as she got in,”Ooo, vintage isn’t so bad in some aspects.” She couldn't help but think back to straight out of a Scooby-doo van Mous and the others were riding in and gave a small giggle. “ Some, that is.”

EverSoNitro: Once their riding situation was figured out, and her passengers were loaded in, Mous nodded and backed out, quietly dying a little inside as she realized Falda would be seeing her driving a hippie bus. Trying to to let her embarrassment totally rot her soul, Mous pulled out, following the breadcrumb trail of out-of-place vintage vehicles. Pulling up as she spotted PT, the van was thankfully accomodating to his frame, if only just. Still, it'd get a bit more cramped for Ascot in the back, PT being a bit larger than a great dane. "We were headed for the mall," Mous explained. "That seemed like the best place to start looking, and from the look of things, that's where it was headed." Mous glanced to the Penny-farthing bicycle as they passed by, grimacing a bit. "Someone might want to be making a note of where incidents are, clean-up might be a bit of a hassle..."

Proph: He gave a thumbs up while stuffing the remainder of the kebab into his maw. Some of these things stood out like actual sore thumbs, kinda hard to miss

HappyPaca: Pin started the car and started driving toward the dealer ship closetest to trail of vintage memorablia following Mous's car for some time, he never visited the dealership often but he remebered something they coud use as an excuse to look. "if the dealer ship gives a hard time for looking so throughly, let's just tell them since your new in town i'm getting you a new car as a small welcome back gift." He gave a charmming smile and winked "and if you find something mon cheri don't hesitate to ask, it would make things more believeable." he suggested.

Eevelion: One by one, everyone (sans She-la) would hear a ping on their phone as Robe added them to a group text channel, with the first post reading [I just realized you all probably need a way of telling each other if you find Throwback without having to yell across a crowd.] with the second post reading [FYI, maybe try not to cause a bigger panic]And a third reading [BTW, nice van Mous]

Gigi: Ascot gave an affirmative grunt and not much else, being shoved into a corner.  She checked her phone, looking at the messages. [Thats gonna depend on how many sweaty guys are out today.]

EverSoNitro: As Mous pulled into the mall parking garage, she'd hear the ping on her phone, reading the message and pausing for a moment. "Panic... Oh, damn it all..." Mous seethed, quickly checking social media. Sure enough, there were those leeches sticking their noses into their business. "You all go on ahead, I've got to deal with this... everyone pick a store and fan out." Mous's nose was buried in her phone, hanging back for a moment and working on a cover story to quell suspicion.

Proph: Peasant looked at the phone hanging from a lanyard around his neck, looking fun-size in comparison in his meaty hoof of a hand. With the nail on his index finger, he carefully typed out a [ok boss] before letting the device drop under his namesake, dangling like the dongle it is as he poured out of the back of the van.

Eevelion: As Mous' group started to make their way through the mall they would come across a handful of people walking towards the exit with bulky CRT TV screens, NES cartridges, a couple brick phones, and one person even leaving with a ColecoVision, indicating a sort of trail left by Throwback, even more indicative, hastily taped signs to a few storefronts saying “Retro Sale!”

Dezzy: With a click of her pen Pendant was already on taking notes of the incidents as they drove by them, “ On it.”  Pendant shuddered in her seat as Peasant munched the remainder of his kebab. Food crunching wasn’t her preference in asmr. Once they pulled up Pendant hopped her short legs out with equipment  safely tucked into her bag. “Find me at phone shops when you catch up,” Pendant said Mous and trotted over to the cellular stores. At the sight of all the people leaving with archaic devices Pendant could tell Throwback had been there. “Perfect cover,” agreeing with a soft giggle she heard the noise go off from her phone. Falda then began to type and verbally read out loud her response for Pin[ Pin and I will let you all know if we see anything at the dealership. Good luck everyone]

Gigi: "Hah, try not to get chewed out by the vampire too much!" She got out, closing the door behind her and walking in. Unfortunately she was in enough time to see that yes, she'd have to smack a few gamers today, if the boxy consoles that looked nowhere near as sleek as the usual models she's used to dealing with on smuggling cases was any indicator. "Oh , for the love of......FUCK."

HappyPaca: " ah merci, I can't reply while driving" Pin pulled into the dealer ship actively looking around for ny retro car the may have seemed to pop up out of no where, it seemed that day though their was a wide varity. he parked and got out putting on some shades that were acutally perscription so he could look a bit more throughly. "Let's get started shall we?"

Proph: PT wasn't too far behind, watching a couple frat boys carry out a big screen box-set tv straight out of an 1980's sitcom. Not being the biggest tech guy, he thought it the Best Idea to check out every home entertainment section in the major chain stores, keep the search simple. He liked simple.

EverSoNitro: Mous huffed a bit as she put her phone away. "Damn it, I don't have time for this..." Mous intoned. She'd have to help with the official statement later, right now there were more pressing matters to attend to. Stowing the device in her pocket, Mous headed up to the mall proper, deciding that she should investigate the food court. Surely there'd be a number of unattended phones for Throwback to slobber all over.

Eevelion: As Mous checked the food court, sure enough there were a couple of retro-fied phones, but not enough to establish a sort of pattern. Back over by the electronics section there lay on a bench a TI83 Graphing Calculator, sitting there in all its monopolizing glory despite being an outdated piece of junk.

EverSoNitro: As Mous spotted the phones, she squinted, approaching cautiously, arming herself with the capture gear. She stepped closer to the first, an old Mickey Mouse rotary phone (and mentally recalling the one she had in her own collection) before carefully nudging it with an activated glove.

HappyPaca: She-la was just sitting on the curb by this point kinda stranded and still lil confused on what the hell to do with this bike. but then basically said 'fuck it zipped down her ridding suit tied it around her waist and tied her helmit to the back and after a few minutes of trail and error started riding the stupid looking bike back to her appartment.

Gigi: Ascot stormed in, stretching out, the chaos in the air tasted nice but there was just too much joy in it. Terrible. No time for asking people questions, she followed upstream of the surges of people running about, pushing aggressive customers out of her way with minimal effort.

Dezzy: Pendant browsed around the cell store she was at, so far there was no noticeable signs of Throwback had been there. A couple brick phones sure but it seemed like it had already done its damage by the time she arrived. [Nothing at the cell shop. Less you count last year’s Ipad as archaic.] With a nod and link of their elbows once more Falda agreed and began the search. Falda eyed the cars like it was she was a little girl in a candy shop. “Call me what you want, but I just think lamborgini’s to be so stylish.” she mused happily at the sight of gold lambo, walking around and fawning over it like it was an adorable puppy.

Proph: Muscling through one department store only to turn right back around and leave, Peasant took the time to peck out an update. [dept store on E end looked clear didnt come this far] Slipping the phone under his shirt PT went into another shop. Oh. An ACTUAL home entertainment store, good call.

HappyPaca: he smiled as she hung on his arm browsing the more suspious cars as they walked. looking particuarly at models that were more then 40+ years old. looking up and down the lambo as Falada fawned over it. "i Personally i'm more found of Charcoal grey cars but a lambo of any color is always nice. This seems like a newer italian model too." he chuckled and made sure to keep looking around but stood by as falada was fawning over the nice car. checking throughly of the cars around them for any suspious activity enjoying his time more with Falada there to lighten things up.

Eevelion: As Mous nudged the phone suddenly a voice came from one of the other food court tables “You really gonna try to touch it?” Robe asked from her seat, but that distraction was just enough that the phone, in truth Throwback, was able to climb past her glove and jump at her face, tapping her forehead with her tongue before skittering off towards the entertainment section of the mall. Robe laughed at Mous as she changed, typing out on her phone [Critic down :P]

EverSoNitro: Mous glanced up as she heard the voice, squinting a bit as she saw Robe lounging nearby. "You know, you really ought to be properly helping, considering this came from your-" Of course, while Mous was preoccupied with criticizing Robe's work ethic, she failed to notice the beloved cartoon icon grab for her upper arm, yelping and stumbling back as it scrambled up and slapping her forehead with her tongue. Falling on her rear, Mous's head began to spin, until she gave her head a shake, seemingly recovering. "Ugh... you detestable little insect..." Mous began, carefully getting to her feet. Once standing again, she seemed to look down her nose at the imp a bit more, than normal, taking a rather haughty and self-important stance. If one were to look closer, it also appeared that her makeup was a bit heavier, as if concealing injuries. "I would have had it, too, if you hadn't divided my attention..."

Proph: Of all the people to first reply, it was the 9 foot literal meatslab. [is ms ego ok? is ghost there?] Clearly not in the right neighborhood, Peasant left the store he was haunting, awaiting a reply. Or a return volley, depending on who answered.

Eevelion: "Maybe you would have had it if you used your capture gear instead of just trying to grab it." Robe snarkily replied, waving her off "Now go get back to work, it already hit you so you're immune to any further effects." meanwhile she tapped out on her phone [She's fine, just bratty, ghost head towards electronics section.]

Dezzy: “ I like my cars to stand out amongst the crowd,” the are was so clean that Falda could ee her reflection on it. She flashed a cute smile at herself till her phone went off, to which she huffed and unlocked her phone. “Ah, it seems the experiment is at the mall. Poor Mousquetaire.” she feigned sadness at that last part if only out of respect. “We should head to the mall now, I guess.” She gave the yellow lambo a pet on its hood. Someday, but not today. Pendant meanwhile left the store and headed to the food court with Robe and Mous. Helping Mous onto her feet and into the food court's chair she asked flatly, “ Where did it go?”

Proph: PT replied with a thumbs-up emoji because it was faster before stomping off to where he was pointed. He fingered the capture gear as he thundered down the thoroughfare; Hitting things is is forte, but since Mous was ALSO a member of the Hit Things club, he decided to be cautious this time.

Gigi: Ascot heard a buzz, and checked the message. She typed a hasty [ok, on it] before taking off her neckpeice and readying the kit. Guess everyone in the games department would be spared for now. Though...if they spotted the ghost, things weren't going well already....Thankfully not too many people were in her way this time, as people tend to avoid a large, blackened sword that's vaguely skeletal-looking. Someone screamed, and she whipped out a badge. "Sheesh, woman, don't you see the crowds! It's not black friday!"

EverSoNitro: Mous rolled her eyes. "I was using my capture equipment, imbecile." She flashed her activated buster gloves, which presently seemed just a bit bulkier than normal. "Besides, in the very probable case that you hadn't noticed, there's tons of potential candidates for that ghost's disguise in this mall." She jerked her arm away from Pendant as she was helped up, before looking incredulously at Robe. "You're telling me what to do?" She let out a rather haughty laugh, before planting herself in her seat. "I don't think so."

HappyPaca: Pin sighed "Poor dear, we should invite to take her out for dinner later." he said as he once again pulled out his car keys and took off his shades. "Let's hurry so we can possibly try to minimize the damage knowing the group thats currently there at the moment" now that he thought about he wounders how Mous is now while under the affcts of throw back.

Dezzy: Raising her hands up defeatedly Pendant shimmied around the angry Thrownback!Mous  and headed for the electronics store, retrieving a mask and metallic pointer that one would use for presentations from her bag and began proding around the area. “Agreed,” she kissed into her hand and placed it one the lambo before Pin and her were off again on the road to the mall.

Gigi: Something particularly old and boxy caught the periphery of Ascot's eye, and she tried to rush and swipe for it. It lunged at her, and she began backing up quickly, thrusting her arm out quickly to let her sword extend properly. No connection, but that did seem to scare the moving appliance for now....she kept following, more slowly this time. Her eyes were still peeled onto it, and she wove her way through the crowd a few hundred feet back.

Proph: Blade resting on his shoulder, Peasant storms in right as Ascot swatted the critter away. He followed Throwback through the food court as best as his bulk could go. Clearly, it won out in raw speed, so, Without a thought, he hefted the sword up and held it inverted, hefting the massive sword he flipped it around so he held it inverted, and matching his stride, chucked the heavy blade at the ghost like a javelin. PT managed to clip the ghost along the side, but this made it run /faster/.

Eevelion: As Throwback ran down the corridors it ran into MORE people that seemed to want at it, narrowly dodging a sword from one and taking a slight clip from the other, as it circled back it gave them a wide berth, not wanting to take another hit, back towards the food court it went.

HappyPaca: Looking at the way falada liked the lambo hmm... maybe pin could get her a welcome gift after all it's a strong maybe. As soon as the two found a parking space convently next to Mous's van, He grabbed the equiptment from his trunk while Falada was stepping out of his car and got them both ready as they headed for the Mall's entrance making sure both of them were prepared for whatever may come their way. As if he was prepering a excellent meal for an importent guest.

Dezzy: At the sound of Throwback making its way back to the food courts Pendant sharply rose up from inspecting, grabbing onto her namesake to allow it to transform into its true rapier form and  made long strides for the ghost. “C’mon goth momma needs a new…” she took a swipe “Aesthetic!”  her sword missed, stumbling on her feet a little before she could fall. She cursed under her breathe bitterly.

Eevelion: As Throwback barreled back towards the food court it passed by Pendant who seemed very intent on capturing it as well, as it ducked past her rapier and head towards the food court Robe popped the lid off her drink, controlling the liquid inside to try to make a cage of ice around the escaping ghost, unfortunately her placement was off, and instead of encapsulating it, the ghost launched off the side sending its trajectory... straight towards her, “Oh crap” she muttered, as it collided with her its tongue lolled out and tapped her on the scalp. As she held her head where it had bumped her she seemed to shrink into her clothes a little, but that was more overshadowed by those clothes getting bigger, and when she stood up she was almost completely covered in her robe, except for the top of her head, which she quickly put a huge wizard cap on, the gremlin was here. Meanwhile, Throwback continued its escape path, running into the same direction Pin and Falda were entering through.

HappyPaca: Pin thrusted forward the secound he saw the lil bastardheading towards him and flada causing a ruckus umong his associates. "It's time to falay the main ingdent!" cheesy phrases aside pin nly manages to graise throwback as he passes him, quickly turning back to Falada "Quickly grab it mon cheri!" hoping she could use the moment to her advantage being so close to him.

Gigi: Ascot was still chasing after it, though it was getting increasingly difficult to follow it within all the ruckus. She grabbed her phone in frustration, tapping out a [DO WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO ATTEMPT A QUARANTINE, BECAUSE I THINK WE REALLY OUGHTA]. The way it was going it looked like she was getting closer to the entrance, about back where she came from...no good, no good at all.

Eevelion: Gremlin Robe gave a quick peace sign with a playful “See ya, suckers!” before running off to the electronics section with surprising quickness for someone covered so wholly, as she passed by Pendant she leaped, snatching her hat off her head and placing it on top of her own hat, continuing down the electronics section she slowed down and held her primary hat over her face as she saw the absolutely gargantuan Peasant Top, taking a wide arc around him and never taking her off him till she was far away enough to start running again, straight out of the mall.

Proph: Still catching his breath, PT just watched the jittery imp circle around him with a look in her eyes like he was going to eat her. He shrugged it off, though, truth be told, he got looks like that a lot. Looking at the latest page, he gave an exasperated sigh before retrieving his blade from the floor it was impaled in and following the others.

Dezzy: “Hopefully the team inside has it managed,” she said, shoving her phone back into her jacket as she entered the mall, only to be greeted by the said ghost the group were aiming to capture.  “God damn it.” grabbing the hem of her long skirt and with one swift movement it turned into its pistol form around Falda’s hands and for Falda to stand in her pantsless glory. She pulled the trigger and missed by the skin of her teeth. [Quarantine sounds good. Box it off before it can escape. Through the parking lot.] Pendant went to go grab Robe but it seemed that the small imp had, somehow, gotten visibly smaller than thought possible. She ran a hand through herbangs and sighed but it was short lived as her big hat was taken from here. “What the-” Pendant shook her head. Nevermind that they had to contain this thing before it got out.

Eevelion: Throwback had almost made it to the door, sweet sweet freedom was at hand, then suddenly it found itself in front of a couple pulling out weapons, it managed to dodge their attacks, but couldn't risk trying to pass the two, so it turned and head back into the food court, jumping up onto a table to try to figure which way it could run to next.

Gigi: [on it, I'll notify the blarts.] She held ground, calling up a security line. "SUP, its Enforcer Pheles, I'm gonna need you guys to keep guard on entrances for any rogue objects that look like they're moving on their own..................Don't shut down the place but have people recommend they either don't go in or go into another shopping center...........Dude just do what I say okay and make sure nobody panics!" She hung up. Might as well stay in the food court to do what she does best, crowd control. Also, eating.

HappyPaca: Pin's cheeks turned pink seeing falada in her under garments and quickly un button his shirt having an undershirt on underneath  do to recent cold weather. so he did not mind lending his shirt to Falda to tie around her waist "Here, i'm so sorry this is all i have at the moment. but if you do not mind contenueing we should try and follow it"  he gestured towards the food court.

Dezzy: Pin was much taller and larger than Falda that the ends of his shirt went down to just above her knees. “Thank you mon cheri,” she gave him a small peck on his cheek with a wink and jogged to the food court. [Food court] Pendant typed in the group chat and approached the ghost once more. She gave another strike at Throwback but blade only seemed to collide with the floor tile and fell back into a chair. Taking a knee Falda tried to line up a good shot at the thing but also missed. This is why she just left the action to CGI.

HappyPaca: Mean while She-la fell off the penny bike again and just decided to sit on the side walk and contiplate life.

Gigi: Ascot was in a fair amount of concentration, trying to sap energy out of everyone. Panic wasn't quite her favorite flavor but it'd work--and crowds around her seemed to clear out. Good. Pendant and Falda's noises gave her a general idea where to watch where the ghost was going--and took a guess at the location it'd land in, and slap. SATIN extended outward, slamming into the floor and holding the ghost firm by one of its legs. "FUCK, DID I GET IT?"

Proph: With the wind back in his sails, Peasant reconvened with the others, blade held firm, tip resting on the ground. e watched Ascot work, waiting to strike when the proverbial iron was hot. Much as he would love  being a gloryhog for once, it didn't feel right to steal the kill. Then she acted. Well then. Nothing against getting an assist! With the critter pinned, he lunged forward with a throaty roar, swinging the chunky sword up then down in a solid arc,like an oar, slapping the ghost into the ground one last time.

Eevelion: As Throwback was well and truly pinned an energetic clapping could be heard from behind the group, the first scientist from the briefing stood there “Good work everyone! Very impressive work, anyway, the effects wore off on me about fifteen minutes ago, so I figured I should come by to bring Throwback's containment cage over so you don't have to bring it back to HQ at arm's length.” Mentioning Throwback's cage he'd pull out a small bird cage before leaning down to where the ghost was, picking it up gingerly from behind and placing it inside the cage “All done!” he exclaimed “Don't worry about getting it returned, I'll handle that, the rest of you just enjoy your day, and again, thank you for your work.” Bowing out he head back to HQ with a small enforcement team just to make sure the ghost didn't escape again.

HappyPaca: She-la resorted to walking the penny bike home wanting nothing more then a cup of hot coco when she got back.

Dezzy: Pendant gave a half hearted fist pump as the scientist from earlier took her vintage dreams away in its cage. She tilted her head back exasperatedly and let it hit the table behind her, running a hand through her hangs. Well… the effects hadn’t totally worn off the other effected appliances yet, there was still hope to be salvaged. She sharply rose up from her seat and pulled out her camera she had tucked away in her bag. “I’m going to just… take some photos record today’s events for research,” she announced before scuttling away. Falda gave a sigh of relief and wrapped her namesake back to hug at her hips,. “Problem solved, now to deal with clean up and those tontos at Panic.”  How did they even know her panties were edible?

Gigi: Ascot wiped her brow and dismantled her kit. "NOTHIN' TO SEE HERE FOLKS, EVERYTHING'S UNDER CONTROL." She shooed off shoppers that looked like they were lingering too much. Don't think about it too hard. She looked over to the rest of the team, with a slight grin. "Good job, guys, we...got the job done and I got lunch free of charge."

HappyPaca: Pin nodded to falada after thanking the scientists for their work and strentch alittle, "it sounds good to me. we can end the day with a good drink." He could here his wine cellar calling his name just thinking about panic and their shenanigans. He looked around abit and thought "maybe we should call chaleco to pick up robe as well where ever she went."

Proph: "That's all one can wish for, right?" Peasant once again donned his namesake, just in time his bare barrel chest was gettin' nipply. "Jus' thowin' it out there, but how about we DON'T go hunting next time we go out, okay? A run, some lunch, little weightlifting, make a day of it!"

Gigi: Whatever joy was on her face got replaced with narrowed eyes and a slanted, tight lipped look. "Don't push it, dude."

Proph: He raises his hands is mock surrender. "Jus' bein' nice, calm down. We're all friends, here." The ONE time he wasn't trying to put the moves on someone...

Dezzy: Falda hummed as she texted her brother to come pick up Robe, "The only exercise I want today is...." She stopped herself right there and smiled innocently, "I could go for a drink though."

HappyPaca: Pin gave a chaismatic smile and said "if anyone else cares for free drinks just tell inferno i sent you in. there all on me" he'd ask falada on the ride back if she wanted to have drinks at his place or inferno, options are always nice.

[waveridden]

FIC: versus the world

So the three of them are rebel agents, and not even important rebel agents. And they’re on a forest planet, where nobody will come looking for them. Blue’s not feeling great about their odds of getting help. (A Mynock/Bluebird roleswap, 2.4k)

AUcember || read on Ao3

#

They don’t crash-land on Myrkr, per se. Zero doesn’t like it when they call it a crash-landing, especially because the ship can still fly afterwards. But It’s the kind of landing that includes words like “brace yourself” and “it’s gonna be bumpy” and all those other things that give Blue a headache to think about for too long.

“I thought we had fuel,” Synox snaps, once the ship isn’t smoking anymore and they’ve determined that all the pieces of fuselage are still attached. “Didn’t you say we had fuel?”

“I said we had some fuel,” Zero says coolly. His feet are kicked up on the kitchen table, and his mask is blank, but Blue can hear the irritation in his voice. “There’s a chance that there’s a mechanical issue we overlooked, or a nav-computer glitch-”

“There’s not a nav-computer glitch,” Blue says, before he can stop himself. Synox, predictably, rolls his eyes, and Blue would guess that Zero is doing the same. “There’s not. I wouldn’t let there be.”

“The point remains that we’re stranded.” Zero stretches his arms along the booth-style seat. “And we need to figure out what to do now.”

The kitchen is… well, kitschy. It’s set up like a vintage diner, with booths instead of chairs and actual tile floors. Blue got it secondhand, swindled some poor bastard into thinking it was outdated and traded his ship for it and some creds. He’d been off-planet by the time the guy had realized that Blue had sold him a hunk of junk. It’s what he does: charms people into giving him better equipment. Most of that equipment goes straight to the rebellion, because they need what they can get, but this one had been Blue’s. Getting paid commission, he’d called it. Zero had rolled his eyes until he flew it for the first time. He’d stopped complaining after that.

“There are probably other ships on-planet,” Blue suggests. “We could try and find old ones and drain their fuel cells.”

Synox sighs and leans over, burying his head in his arms on the kitchen table. One of Zero’s feet swipes towards Synox’s head, but he doesn’t react at all. “This cannot be happening.”

“Okay, so Sy still can’t cope with things not going to plan,” Blue says. He means it as a thinking-out-loud thing, but Synox kicks his shin without looking. Hard. Blue has to bite his lip so he doesn’t yelp in pain. Synox doesn’t see it, but Zero definitely does, and Blue… is going to have to live with that. “Zero, what are our options?”

“Option one.” A number one pops up on Zero’s visor. “We call the rebellion, send out an SOS, see what they advise. Wait for orders.”

“I like option one,” Synox says, muffled by his arms.

Blue grimaces. “Option two?”

The one on Zero’s visor scrolls up, replaced by a two. “We try to find ships and drain their fuel cells. Dangerous, because we don’t know what’s on the planet. There could be an Imperial presence.”

Synox slides into the booth opposite Zero and props his chin up on the table. “You think we could beat Imperials in a fight?”

“On a good day, yes.”

“Is today a good day?”

“I don’t know, Sy, are you having a good day?”

Synox looks thunderous for a second, so Blue clears his throat. “I think we should look for fuel cells.”

“And we have to listen to you?” Synox snaps.

“My ship,” Blue says, which is kind of the ultimate trump card here, and they all know it. Blue wouldn’t call himself the captain or anything - he can’t even fly the ship, not manually - but he owns it, he keeps the navigational systems in pristine shape, and he’s the one who hired Zero to fly it. The Mynock, which he really needs to find a better name for, is all his, and that means this is his decision to make. “The rebellion is stretched thin as is. If we have the resources to solve this problem on our own, we’re going to solve it on our own.”

The rest goes unspoken: as competent as all of them are, they’re not a top priority. Blue is a conman, and he’s a damn good one, but he’s… unreliable, is the official term. The one they use in meetings to mean that he looks out for himself too much to be in any key role. And Synox is a trained Imperial strategist, but he refuses to do anything more than grunt work for the rebellion. Blue has his theories about why, but he mostly thinks that Synox just doesn’t want to fight any more wars. And who can blame the guy for that?

Zero, though, that’s a mystery. He’s a pilot, one of the best in the galaxy, and he’s a kriffing good bounty hunter, too. He could be in the center of the rebellion if he wanted to, but he’s always declined to move further up in the ladder. On his more sentimental days, Blue likes to think that’s because Zero doesn’t want to leave him. He’s never asked, though. He’s not sure he wants the answer.

So the three of them are rebel agents, and not even important rebel agents. And they’re on a forest planet, where nobody will come looking for them. Blue’s not feeling great about their odds of getting help. It’s easier to take matters into their own hands.

Synox and Zero exchange a long look before they turn to Blue. Zero projects a raised eyebrow. “Alright, boss,” he says, “what’s the plan?”

#

There is one other ship that is definitely not Imperial and is definitely still functional. It’s hidden, and it’s hidden well at that, with all sorts of cloaking and signal masking and slicing. Whoever hid the ship is good. Blue is better.

It’s about two klicks away, close enough that they can walk without having to strain the Mynock’s fuel cells any further. Synox stays behind to guard the ship, leaving Zero and Blue to make their way through the forests of Myrkr. Zero insists on walking in front of Blue the whole time, which would be a nice gesture if he didn’t include the words “so you don’t get lost.”

“I don’t get lost,” Blue- listen, he’s not going to say he’s whining, but he’s definitely closer to whining than he gets most days. “I know where we’re going.”

“Me too,” Zero says, and waves a hand in front of his helmet. Which is a valid point. Blue has done a lot of the programming on Zero’s helmet. The navigations, the communications, the data interface, they’re all top notch. Zero can get them where they’re going. That’s why Blue hired him to begin with.

The walk is mostly silent, which means that Blue spends it cataloguing details about the planet around them. When they get to the coordinates that Blue had narrowed down, it’s an empty clearing, but it takes Blue thirty seconds to slice into the ship and disable its cloaking. It’s a small cruiser, not the kind of thing that you’d want to live on forever, but it looks like it’s been there for some time.

Zero puts a hand on the hilt of his vibrosword. “How long is this going to take?”

“Depends if there’s anyone on the ship.” Blue adjusts the mini-datapad on his wrist. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

Blue opens the ship’s hatch. It’s barely halfway open when he hears a sound that he can’t quite place, a pseudo-electronic whoosh. He’s barely registered the noise and the glow of something red before Zero grabs his shoulder and wrenches back, hard. Blue stumbles back, and looks up.

There’s a woman, standing in the open hatch of the ship. She’s short and pale - Dathomirian, he thinks, although he can’t be sure - and she has a lightsaber pointed at Zero. Zero, who is standing in front of Blue, vibrosword at the ready.

“So here’s how this is going to work,” the woman says, casual as can be. “You’re going to leave me on my ship and go on your merry way, and I’m not going to skewer you.” She tilts her head to meet Blue’s eyes, and Zero shifts uneasily. “Either of you. Does that sound fair?”

“Hey now,” Blue says, even over his heart pounding in his ears, because there is a lightsaber involved and he’s never even seen one of those in person. “We’re not looking for trouble-”

“Blue,” Zero growls, “not the time.”

“You should listen to your friend,” the woman says. “I’m not feeling particularly patient today, not that I’m ever patient with people who try to invade my home.”

Blue lifts his hands slowly. “No home invasion, ma’am, we’re just a couple of lost guys looking for fuel.”

“On Myrkr?”

He flashes the sharpest smile he can. “We’re very lost.”

“I’m getting that impression.”

“So if you could direct us to a refuel station, or someone else we can steal fuel from-”

“You were planning on stealing from us?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say this went as planned.”

“Adnau,” Zero says, sounding pained, and that’s enough to give Blue legitimate pause. True first names are a codeword between them, a sign that something is really, truly wrong. Zero must think that this is serious danger, if he’s pulling that out of his arsenal.

The woman opens her mouth, but before she can say anything, a new voice from inside the ship says, “Aunt Aava?”

Blue frowns. That sounds like a kid.

The woman’s face contorts into something between frustration and fear. “Not now, Tamlin.”

“What’s happening?”

“Go to your room, Tama,” Aava says through gritted teeth. “It’s not-”

“Are they looking for us?”

“Should we be looking for you?” Blue asks without thinking. It’s a stupid question, he knows it as soon as he’s out of his mouth, and the woman’s eyes drift towards him. Along with the blade of her lightsaber. “I mean that in the least malevolent way possible. We’re not with the Empire or anything.”

From the edge of the hatch, a tiny head peeks out. It is a kid, and a pretty young one at that. His skin is blanched white, except for black tattoos covering half his face, and he has little nubby horns. Aava makes a pained face, but the kid ignores it, searching around until his eyes land on Blue. “Do you think the Empire’s bad?”

“I’m not their biggest fan,” Blue answers cautiously. “In fact, you could say I’m going up against them.” Zero coughs, and Blue rolls his eyes. “I mean, we are.”

“We don’t like the Empire either.” Tamlin looks up at Aava. “Right?”

Aava sighs. “No, Tama, we don’t like the Empire. We also don’t like people who come knocking on our door to steal fuel.”

“We’re not going to steal it now that we know you’re here,” Blue points out. “Right, Zero?”

“I hate you,” Zero says with feeling. “I hate everything about this situation, and I just want you to know that.”

Aava’s eyes flick to Zero. “You’re his babysitter?”

“Yes,” Zero says, like Blue knew he would, even though he’s not. “And you have a nephew?”

“Who I’m trying to keep safe from the Empire.”

“What a coincidence.” Zero sounds like he’s smiling. Maybe he’s even projecting it on his helmet, judging by the way Tamlin’s eyes widen. “I’m trying to keep mine safe too.”

“I’m doing alright,” Blue protests. “Besides, we all have common ground here, we’re trying to stay away from the Empire! If anything we should team up.”

“Team up?” Zero repeats incredulously. “What, we should just take them on our ship, right back to the rebellion?”

“The rebellion?” Aava repeats sharply. Zero winces. “You two are with the rebellion?”

Zero doesn’t say anything. Tamlin is staring at them wide-eyed, and Aava is looking at them like she can’t believe what she’s hearing. Blue glances between them all, furiously running the calculations. She must either love the rebellion or hate them, for a reaction that strong. And judging by the desperate edge to her voice, the way she’s blocking off most of the hatch so that Tamlin stays mostly hidden, she needs help. The rebellion helps people.

Blue makes a snap call and steps forward. Zero throws out an arm to keep him back, and Blue lets him, but he still stands by Zero’s side, looking up at Aava. “We can give you safe passage on our ship. We just need your fuel so that we can get off planet, and we can take you anywhere you want to go.”

Aava narrows her eyes, looking between the two of them. And then she looks at Tamlin, and all of the tension radiating off of her melts away as she meets his eyes. “What do you say, buddy?”

Tamlin chews on his lip for a second. “Will I have time to pack?”

“Yes, you will.”

“And you’re gonna be with me?”

“Every step of the way.”

He nods. “Then I wanna be a rebel!”

Aava deactivates her lightsaber, and Zero lets out a breath. She looks amused. “You wait out here for fifteen minutes. If we get out here and you’re gone, we can find you, and we can make you regret leaving.”

“No leaving,” Zero says. “Fifteen minutes.”

Aava nods and disappears into the ship, and Zero finally drops his vibrosword and turns to Blue. He’s not projecting anything on his visor, which is somehow even scarier than any anger he could be projecting. “What were you thinking? She could’ve killed us in a heartbeat, they don’t give lightsabers to just anyone!”

“I was thinking that these people needed help,” Blue says, surprising even himself. And he was thinking about children, trying to get away from the Empire. About the way Aava looked at Tamlin. “And besides, you don’t think it would be cool to have a Force user on our ship? That’s a good thing to have on our side.”

Zero’s shoulders slump, but Blue can’t tell whether it’s in disappointment or in relief. “You’re unbelievable,” he mutters, and Blue… doesn’t know what to make of that, either. “And you have to be the one to tell Sy we adopted a kid.”

“That’s fair,” Blue mutters, and Zero flashes a smirk up on his helmet. “But we’re the rebellion. We help people.”

Zero looks at Blue for a long moment before shaking his head, slowly. “I guess we do,” he says softly. “And we’re going to help them.”

[faketextstuff]

The Arrangement Pt6

Summary:: You’ve never imagined yourself being a sugar baby but because of some playful friends and a stroke of luck, you find yourself with a man who is apparently willing to give you the moon and stars. The only problem is, no strings attached. Don’t catch feelings, don’t fall for a man who thinks money can solve all your issues and doesn’t want commitment.

Warnings: Very brief sexual content, if you squint you’ll see it. Eventual smut. Slow burn!!!!!

Pairing: Yoongi x Reader

A/N: Sorry this part took me forever to crank out! It was much longer but it wouldn’t post I had to shorten it! SORRY FOR ANY TYPOS! I DID THIS ON MY PHONE!

You were amazed at the size of Yoongi's penthouse! He had saved you from a traumatic day at work by just showing up and giving you a shoulder to cry and vent on, now he was showing you how large and amazing his penthouse was! It was a total of four bedrooms and three full bathrooms. Three of the four bedrooms had a huge king sized bed, full walk-in closets and the bathrooms each came equipped with a jet tub and shower. Half of the penthouse didnt looked lived it, it looked like something you'd see in a magazine. The only sign that this flat had someone living in it, were the dishes that were in the sink and the couch that looked beyond worn out. There were a few work files on the coffee table next to a cold cup of coffee. Clearly Yoongi brought his work home with him.

As he lead you through the flat, you noticed a large single door at the end of the hall, the door was a glass down but the glass was frosted over making it impossible to see in side. You also noticed the small keypad that replaced the normal lock and door knob. "What room is that?" You asked giving his hand, that was held firmly in yours, a gentle tug.

Yoongi paused his tour and glanced to the door. "That's my private studio. I'm the only one with the code and that's the only room that's off limits to you." He explained briefly before giving your hand another tug as he lead you away from the mysterious studio door towards the last room on the tour. "This is the master bedroom, normally I'd say this is where you would be sleeping. But since we're not physical, this is my room. You'll take the room right across the hall." He smirked over at you before releasing your hand and pushing open the large doors.

Your jaw instantly dropped when you stepped foot into the room. It was massive! It was a modern day mansion. All the furniture and decor was silver and black. The bed was a large king size that sat on a low black frame. The headboard was black and looked to be made of some kind of smooth metal or steel. The sheets were fluffy and white. It looked as if you could drown in all the comfy pillows that lined across the headboard. There was a large flat screen mounted on the wall right across from the bed and under the TV sat a black dresser with silver hardware. The room as utterly beautiful. "You live here in this huge flat alone?" You asked glancing over at Yoongi.

He simply shrugged his shoulders and headed towards the double sized walk-in closet, disappearing momentarily only to return with a oversized button down shirt. "No, lately Jimin, our I.T. guy has been staying over. He recently bought a house and is just waiting for everything to be final before he moves. Normally it's just him here. I work a lot and sometimes sleep in my office."

You frowned at the thought of him staying alone in that cold office sleeping on a hard leather couch. You took the shirt from his hand and gave a tilt of your head. "You should really sleep in your bed. You'd get more rest that way."

"Maybe I find it lonely." He shot back with a smirk, taking a step closer to you.

You bit your lip to hold back your own smirk. Clearly he loved teasing you so you had to give back a little teasing of your own. You didnt always want to be a blushing mess when he was around. You wanted to show that you could give it back as good as he could. "You mean you'd sleep in your bed if I was with you?"

"Babygirl, if you were in my bed, I'd get even less sleep than I do now." He teased with a chuckle, his long fingers going up to grip a piece of your wine stained hair. "However if you wanted to edit the contract..." he hummed in thought, closing the gap between you, his body millimeters from yours.

"Seven days, Yoongi." You muttered under your breath.

Yoongi's expression hardened for a moment as his body tensed. "That only means I have seven days to win you over. On the eighth day..." he trailed off, giving the strand of hair in his hands a gentle tug.

"What happens on the eighth day?" You already knew where his mind was leading but a.part of you needed to hear him say it, to actually hear what his intentions were with you after the contract was up.

"That day is a surprise." He smirked before pulling back. "Go get a shower, Taehyung will be here in about thirty minutes to take you shopping."

Your eyes went wide, "T-Taehyung? Kim Taehyung? The designer?"

Yoongi chuckled at your response and nodded, "He works for me. He's a close personal friend of mine. Plus he loves dressing people up so he's gonna love you, you cute little dress up doll, you." Yoongi playfully reached up and pinched your cheek.

You winced and batted his hand away. "Hands off the face." You hissed in a teasing manner.

"Oh? Where else would you like my hands then?" Yoongi smirked taking a step forward so his body was pressed close to yours, his hands circling around to press against your lower back.

Unable to suppress the gasp that fell from your lips, you stumbled forward at the sudden contact, your hands landing against his chest. "I...uh..." you breathed out looking up at him through the strands of sticky hair that hung in your face. He was wearing a smug expression as he watched you become so red faced and flustered by just being in his arms.

"Babygirl, are you going to be able to resist me for seven days?" He asked cockily. Your gaze locked on to his and you couldn't even respond. You knew he was just teasing and messing around with you, but being so close, feeling his chest rising and falling under your finger tips, smelling his cologne, his warm breath fanning your face, it was all too much and you suddenly got an urge. You wanted to kiss him. Maybe it was the playfulness of his words, or the fact it had been years since you had any physical contact, you just wanted to taste his lips. Your eyes traveled down to his lips for a quick moment.

He watched your eyes and at that moment, it was as if he could read your mind. He knew what you wanted because it was what he wanted. He wasn't sure what it was about you that had him so intrigued but he was. Maybe it was your stubborn streak, maybe it was the fact that you needed his help now more than ever, or maybe it was because you were just a normal woman. Normal in the best way. You were real while all the other women he had were high maintenance. No matter what it was, he wanted to kiss you, he wanted to protect you, you make you his. Although he could never give you love, because he vowed never to fall in love, he could give you physical and material pleasures. That would be enough right?

"Ahem.." a voice came from the door way causing both of you to jump back away from each other with shocked faces. Your eyes fell to the door and the intruder that just interrupted your intimate moment. He was a young man with dyed blonde hair, he had an almost angelic like appearance but the way his lips curled up into a mischievous smirk as he leaned against the wooden door frame, made him seem much more darker. "Am I interrupting anything?" He asked with a chuckle.

"No." Yoongi said cooly as he smoothed out his suit coat. "What are you doing here Jimin?" So this was Jimin, the I.T. guy.

Jimin shrugged causally and pushed himself off the door frame. "I heard Miss Y/L/N was in the building and since you neglected to bring her to the IT department I decided to come find you." Jimin then turned and looked at you, bowing his head. "I'm Jimin and if you don't mind, miss, may I see your phone? I need to install some software that will allow you to access door codes in case you misplace your keycard."

Yoongi glanced between you and Jimin before butting into the conversation. "Its a simple installation, it'll take maybe three minutes. He can do it while you shower."

You watched between Jimin and Yoongi as they explained the installation and slowly nodded your head. Normally you'd be up in arms about someone installing a strange program on your phone, but you had read something about this in the contract. The fine print. "Uh, sure." You reached into your pants pocket and pulled out your small phone, handing it over to Jimin. You saw his brow raise as he looked down on the old outdated phone. "I'm sorry, I know it's not the newest model." Your face flushed from embarrassment, your eyes falling helplessly to the ground.

"It's fine," Yoongi spoke up, sensing your embarrassment. He wrapped a protective arm around you, much like he did in the car, and pressed a light kiss to your temple. A simple action that made your stomach do cartwheels. "Besides, Jimin, we can upgrade her phone for her cant we?"

"Oh no, you dont have too..." You started but Jimin was quick to cut you off.

"Of course, I have several company phones that aren't being used. I can transfer the data no problem." He nodded quickly before rushing out of the room, your small phone still in his grasp.

"W-Wait! My phone works just fine." You called after Jimin, Yoongi just let out a breathy chuckle and held you a little bit tighter.

"Consider this your first gift from me, Babygirl." He grinned before pulling himself away from you. "Now, shower and put on this shirt, Tae will be here shortly. I'll probably be gone by the time you get out. I have a meeting but I'll see you I a few hours. Here..." He paused while pulling his wallet from his suit pocket. He fished out a silver credit card and thrust it into your hand. "Use this to buy you something pretty to wear. Tae will try to put you in something flashy but only buy what makes you feel beautiful." He smiled at your shocked expression as you looked down at the credit card, noticing it had your name on the front.

"Its in my name?" You asked in shock.

"Of course. That way you can use it anywhere. I have a budget set up for you, Eleven K a week. Is that enough?"

Your jaw might as well hit the marble floor at his words. Your eyes so wide they might just pop out. "Eleven thousand dollars a week?!"

"Is that not enough for you? You greedy thing." He huffed, clearly teasing you, his eyes were dancing in amusement as he watched your shocked expression.

"No! It's too much! There's no way I could spend that much money in a week."

Chuckling, he reached up to stroke your cheek affectionately, "Babygirl, that was a low ball budget. I was gonna up it each month if you stayed on after a week."

"That's....that's crazy, Yoongi. Eleven thousand is...that's a lot of money!"

"Is it? I wouldn't know." He shrugged off your comment as if it was nothing before pulling back. "I have to go, have fun shopping and I'll see you back here tonight. I have a fun evening planned." With that he turned around and sauntered right out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

As you stood there still in shock, eyeballing the credit card, you quickly dropped it to the dresser top as if it had burned your hand. You weren't sure how women could spend that much money a week and still sleep at night. It was ridiculous!

Shaking your head you quickly rushed into the bathroom and began looking around. It was massive and beautiful like the rest of this flat. There was a large jacuzzi tub that was clearly made for two people up against the wall, it was facing a large glass window that looked over the entire city. You suddenly felt exposed just thinking about shedding your clothes in this open space with such a large window that over looked the whole bathroom. Luckily since the sun was out, it was near impossible for anyone to see in so that out your mind at ease.

Down from the tub, you saw a large glass shower with a bench in it. The showerhead was large and hung right over the middle of the shower and was large enough it would still get you even if you sat on the bench. You scoffed noticing it was also built for two people. Clearly Yoongi liked having people close even in the shower, despite what he said about sex being far and in between.

You noticed the shower was stocked with not only his products but products for women, expensive products that you had seen in stores but never dared to buy.

Taking a shaky breath you walked towards the shower, reaching in to turn the large stainless steel knob. Your hand fell under the water falling and you smiled feeling the water warm up as it fell. You wasted no time in stripping off your uniform and jumping in the shower. You were desperate to get the dried on wine off your skin and out of your hair.

You took a deep breath as the water ran through your hair and down your body, you could faintly smell Yoongi's shower products lingering from his shower this morning. The smell oddly soothed you and unable to stop yourself you reached for his shampoo, not the one for women. A part of you didnt want to use a product that another women left behind and truth be told, his scent relaxed you. So if you were going shopping with Kim Taehyung, you wanted to feel as relaxed as possible

Your shower took much longer than you anticipated so now you were rushing to get ready, you slipped on the button down shirt, Yoongi gave you and slipped back on your pants from work. You quickly towel dried your hair before venturing out into the living area of the flat to see if Jimin was still there with your phone.

As you turned the corner, you saw Jimin sitting on the sofa, typing away on his laptop. You just stood there awkwardly not wanting to interrupt him. The look on his face made it clear he was busy, so busy you thought he didnt even see you enter the room, at least until his soft voice spoke up and startled you. "I'm finished with your phone, miss." He called not even glancing up.

You jumped and nodded, making your way over to the love seat across from the couch. "You can call me Y/N if you like. Miss seems too formal." You muttered sitting on the edge of the couch.

Jimin chuckled and glanced up over the top of his computer towards you. "It's just a habit. Normally the women Yoongi dates are so uptight that they get offended if you call their name."

Your nose crinkled in disgust at the thought of someone getting mad about not being referred to as Miss. "Well I'm not that kind of girl."

"Clearly." Jimin muttered before closing his laptop and glancing up at you. "You're not the kind of girl Yoongi goes for, I was kinda shocked when I saw you for the first time." He confessed, a look of dread washing over you at his words. Did he mean that as a compliment or an insult? He was quick to speak again when he saw the look of worry on your face. "That's a good thing though. I think someone different is what Yoongi needs in his life. Just be careful with him." His cheerful expression quickly turned to a serious one.

"What do you mean?" You asked with an arched brow.

"Yoongi is a very private person, but he's also very passionate. His work is his passion. He's had fall out with his former girl friends that wanted to be first in his life, not second or third."

"I dont want to come between him or his work. Truth be told I dont even know why I'm here. I dont fit in with this lifestyle and I feel like im constantly in shock with how extravagant his life seems to be. I dont fit in here so I don't know why he wants me." You muttered, yours eyes drifting down to your hands as they fiddled nervously in your lap.

Jimin smiled watching you, "I think it's because you dont fit in that makes him want you. What's the saying? We're all looking for something different from what we have? My old mentor used to tell me that when I'd start looking for new jobs or jump from date to date. Maybe that's why he's taking a chance on you? You're that something different he needs? Plus Namjoon gave you a thumbs up. He never gives anyone a thumbs up so feel special." Jimin shrugged as the doors to the flat opened up behind the both of you. Jimin leaned forward and tossed a newer Samsung Galaxy phone into your hands. "There's your new company phone. All your numbers and photos have been transferred over. I've put my number in there too so if you have any questions call. Namjoon's number is in there as per his request. Taehyung's number is in there as per Yoongi's request. I heard you already met Hobi so his number was added just in case of emergencies. The doctor Yoongi wants you to see is added in there. You'll need to call him tonight and set up an appointment, his name is Jin. Plus, this number is important, if you're ever in trouble and need someone to help you, like if someone is following you, or you feel threatened, call the number named Jungkook. He's Yoongi's personal bodyguard and after today with Caroline, Yoongi wanted to make sure you were safe and had access to protection." Jimin explained in a quick breath.

The sudden blast of information made your head spin! So many new numbers, you just hoped you could remember them all. "Jin for appointment, Jungkook for protection. Got it." You muttered, clutching the phone as if it were precious, to your chest.

"Jiminie-ah!!!!" A deep voice called out from the door. You spun around to see a very smiley man you automatically knew as Kim Taehyung come bouncing happily into the room and tossed his arms around Jimin from behind.

Jimin let it a grunt and began to desperately try go wiggle away from the younger man. "Let me go!" He whined, crawling his away towards the other end of the couch.

"But I've missed you!' Taehyung chuckled before releasing Jimin suddenly, causing the blonde haired male to jerk forward. "Anyway I heard you boring our new friend with your phone crap. I had to rescue her." Taehyung smirked over at you, causing you to giggle.

"Crap?! This is important business!" Jimin huffed angrily and he stood ho and grabbed up his lap top.

"Blah blah," Taehyung mocked him playfully before getting up and making his way over to you, bowing slightly. "I'm Kim Taehyung and Yoongi said you'd be my shopping buddy for the day? I heard you also like Gucci?"

You stood up and returned his bow politely. "I'm L/N, Y/F/N. I'm glad to meet you, um...yes I do like Gucci but I've never been to a Gucci store before."

Taehyung gasped as if you had just publicly offended him. "Well then. That will be our first stop." Tae grinned before offering you his arm which you hesitated before taking. "Jimin, I'm stealing your friend. I have orders to take her shopping."

Jimin muttered under his breath before giving a wave of his hand. "Yeah, yeah...bye!"

You smiled at the playfulness between Taehyung and Jimin but you also couldn't help but bubble with excitement at the thought of finally getting to see your favorite brand of clothing up close! Especially with a famous fashion designer like Kim Taehyung! Maybe being a sugarbaby wasn't gonna be so bad?

[tinamaetales]

A question of Morals

“In an era of infinite competition, it’s devour or be devoured. Trample or be trampled. People that believe that winning against someone is a fight with his or her pride on the line. A world that encourages that kind of mentality. The reality that one will not be acknowledged unless he wins against someone else. The fear of being a failure after losing made people more fiercely competitive.”

Eleventh K Drama: Romantic Doctor Master Kim

Isn’t selfishness a part of human nature? I always have this belief that no matter how good a person is, there will always be a part of him/her that tend to succumb to selfishness in one way or another. Some might refer to it as self-love however there is a thin fine line between loving yourself and being greedy; Selfishness will always be different from self-love. Since we live in a fast paced and very competitive world, it is already a guarantee that we will have our “me, myself and I” mindset because if we give it all, we’ll end up with nothing in return because the amount of kindness that we give won’t always come back to us. The world is a big jungle – it is a survival of the fittest. However, I do believe that despite all of that, there are still a few, rare and unique individuals who are willing to give it their all for others and most of the time they aren’t being given the credit that they deserve. With the eleventh K Drama that I’ve watched, it was a roller coaster ride of emotions and at the same time it made you think further outside the box because your sense of morals will be shookt.  

I decided to carry on with my “tradition” of starting my k drama year with a medical drama and ending it with the same one so for 2018, I started my K drama journey by watching Romantic Doctor Master Kim and even though it’s too early to say this but I just have to: IT IS THE BEST MEDICAL DRAMA EVER. It tells you more than the story of doctors in a hospital but it would also make you question what is right and wrong. While watching this I can’t help but be reminded of the two statements – first one is from Zootopia: “Sometimes you do the wrong things for the right reasons” and the other one was something that I’ve read online: “Don’t let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what’s right” The medicine field is complicated especially with all the protocols and procedures one must follow before giving treatments and even refusing one and this drama has shown all of those harsh yet realistic events. What also make this drama unique from the rest (at least the ones I’ve watched) is that it was set in a small hospital in the middle of freaking nowhere, wherein medical equipment aren’t as modern as the big hospitals in the city would have and yet, it became a breeding ground of genius doctors.  At first, I didn’t find its plot appealing at all but as the show moves forward I tend to appreciate the story it was telling and before I know it, I’m already hooked. Romantic Doctor Master Kim is definitely one of the best if not the best K drama ever.

Synopsis

Dr. Boo Yung Jo is a genius triple board passer doctor. He is considered as a “rockstar” surgeon because of his great skills at the operating room. In fact, he is famous in Korea because of his greatness; a lot of people wanted them to be treated by him. However, he suddenly disappeared without a trace.

Dr. Kang Dong Joo is a young General Surgeon who wants to become the best in his field – however that dream of his become uncertain when he got kicked out of the hospital he is working and was transferred to Doldam Hospital. Doldam hospital, despite it being old and has outdated equipments, have hardworking staff lead by the surgeon who goes by the name Master Kim. Now, Dong Joo has to deal with Master Kim’s diva attitude but he can’t deny the fact that the Master Kim everyone refers to is in fact a genius.

 I once dream of becoming a doctor too – a cardiothoracic surgeon to be specific so medical dramas like these always spark my interest. The world of medicine has always been fascinating to me; I’ve always imagined myself wearing the doctor’s gown with my name on the upper portion of its pocket: Kristine Boces, MD and at the bottom it says Cardiology Department. But most of the time, things won’t go as we planned them to because maybe something better is in store for us or we’re not just deserving of it. In this K drama, it shows how each of us has our own paths to take and our actions influence it. Each character reminds me of different kinds of people and their principles in life and how they take a stand on what is right despite the “panggigipit” that those in power are doing. Nobody’s perfect, but such phrase should not be used as an excuse to fell short on things especially with our humanity.

Key figures:

Master Kim

The flawed genius

As you watch this drama you can’t help but wonder how a Triple Board Passer Doctor like Master Kim would prefer to work at a provincial hospital that is really old and has almost “outdated” medical equipment; that hospital was also understaffed and the salary that their employees received are lower compared to the hospitals in the city let alone a University Hospital in which Master Kim used to work. He chooses to stay and give his services at that “dying” hospital because for him he is a doctor first and everything else comes after that. He is a doctor whose main role is to save a patient’s life; he is and never was after the money. He is a genius, that’s already a given fact but he also has some “attitude” lol. I guess all geniuses have, right? He might sometimes be a “diva” but HE GETS THE JOB DONE. Sometimes, he is also a bit harsh in disciplining his “students” but he does that for their own sake – because one will not grow in their comfort zones, we must always allow ourselves to be challenged. However, there are instances that make me question Master Kim’s principles. The quote I mentioned above, “Don’t let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what’s right” is relevant to him (in fact, to all the characters that I will be discussing it is applicable). We are all aware that there are a lot of protocols that one must follow when you’re in the hospital – we can’t just make adjustments just because we feel like it is necessary at the given situation but sometimes we have to. I don’t really wanna spoil much but allow me to discuss just one scene from this drama: Master Kim’s surgery was interrupted by a hostage taker because the person he is performing a surgery on is a criminal. That person raped the hostage taker’s pregnant wife and daughter but he was set free after two years of imprisonment because he was a “model” prisoner and it was his first offense (what the fuck is that kind of justice system?!). What that criminal did had a lasting effect on the family of the hostage taker because the wife miscarried and the daughter has to live the rest of her life with a catheter connected to her body. Master Kim remained calm during that tensed situation; he told the hostage taker to just allow him to finish the surgery then after that he can do whatever he wants to the criminal. He said that even if the surgery was a success, the criminal won’t be able to live normally again for he will be paralyzed – that criminal would wish that he should’ve died instead of living lame. It’s a karmic justice but a person who is mad is a person without reason, right? He wants to kill the patient. I’ve seen that very short scene of Master Kim hesitating to continue the surgery after he heard the story of the hostage taker; it seems like he does not want to continue and just let the man die but he fought against it and decided to carry on with the surgery. Although what he did was dangerous, I was amazed with how he handled the situation. Master Kim might be a bit bizarre but there is no doubt that he is the best surgeon out there.  

Kang Dong Joo

Young and Reckless

At such a young age, he learned how pain can change a person. It was his father’s death that led him to the world of medicine because he realized that revenge alone cannot change the fucked up system; he experiences the pain of losing someone he loves because of the quite “unfair” system in the hospital, revenge might feel good but only temporary. It was Master Kim’s words that made him realized that revenge is not the answer: “Don’t get revenge with anger, but with skill. Got that? If you don’t change, then nothing will” It was after hearing those words that he realized that the best revenge is to not inherit dysfunction – he knows the pain of losing someone because of the unfair system so why let others experience it too when you can help change the system? Dong Joo, after having a short conversation with Master Kim, was determined to become the best. However, in doing so, he lost his “self.” He was very determined in being the best surgeon that he was willing to do whatever it takes to reach such goals – which ended up with him being the kind of people he hates the most. He could’ve just continue with his scheduled surgery but homeboy got bigger dreams that he ended up accepting a very risky surgery in hopes that once he succeeded with that, he will become the “hotshot” surgeon he’d always wanted. He was kicked out of the hospital because of that – which then led him to a really different path: Master Kim’s hospital. He was hopeless when he get there but little does he know that such event in his life is what he needed the most to become the great surgeon he wanted – of course he has to face Master Kim’s diva attitude but nonetheless, it was the redirection he needed the most.

The amazing thing about Dong Joo’s journey is that he might have been lost at first but at least he was lucky enough to find his rhythm back and become the “real” doctor he wanted to be in the first place. A taste of success sort of gave him the pride that ended up being his downfall and I guess he deserves that. Sometimes, when we are too focused on a certain goal, we end up doing things that we shouldn’t for they could hurt other people – if your journey to success included stepping down on others then you’re just a piece of shit, IDC if you’re world’s no. 1 for me you are cancelledt. I am happy that he learned his lesson and was humbled early and got the chance to meet Master Kim and the rest of the Doldam hospital staff who taught him that being a real doctor doesn’t mean all brains and skills, you also need to have a heart that cares.

Yoon Seo Jung

A sad soul

She was labelled as their hospital’s “Crazy Whale” because she’s just fearless when it comes to performing surgeries. She’s a very skilled surgeon too. However, all of these changed when an accident happened resulting for her former lover to die and it took a toll on her – she can’t stop blaming herself for what happened. The event made her feel worthless. She couldn’t move on from what happened that she ended up running away from everything. Luckily, she was saved by Master Kim. She ended up working as a surgeon at the same hospital that Master Kim is working on and even though she’s also one of the best ones in the field, she still couldn’t forgive herself from what happened in the past. She developed an attitude of punishing herself because she feels like she’s not worthy of being happy again – which I find really sad. I find it sad because I see myself in her. I can see how past mistakes can affect one’s present and eventually their future. However, being a part of the medical team of Master Kim seems to be a good idea for her because it helped her get back up and pick up the broken pieces to make herself whole again. Of course, as expected, Master Kim was nowhere being the kindest when it comes to dealing with her but it pushes her to do better. I am inspired by how Seo Jung was able to rise back after her fall. She’s an inspiration that’s for sure. Her journey reminded me of this phrase I’ve read somewhere online, “Your past mistakes are meant to guide you, not define you”

What we can learn from Seo Jung is that we can’t change what happened in the past but we can control our present and the way we live the present is how we can make up from the mistakes we’ve done before. It is when we choose to fight and become better than who we are yesterday that we can make peace with our past. Just like what Selena Gomez said, “If you are broken, you don’t have to stay broken” we must continue to fight for our battles might end up being someone’s inspirational story to look up to someday. We can always get back up from our falls because that’s how life works – you fall but then you get to get back up stronger than ever.

Do In Bum

The wanderer

It sucks having to live your entire life being known as someone’s shadow; when people respect you not for who you are but for who your family is known for, it kinda feels a bit degrading. What In Bum has to face every day is people discrediting his own achievements because they will always just look at him as the CEO’s son – not for the doctor that he is. And I guess being thrown at Doljam Hospital is an advantage for him. He faces challenges there, of course. The CEO’s son, who’s used to the comforts of life, will now have to work at a Hospital that is way too different from his father’s. In Doljam, he has to learn how to step up and become a real doctor; if he really wants to prove that he’s a real doctor and not just a doctor because he’s the CEO’s son, then he has to work hard and that includes having to deal with Master Kim’s way of educating his students. If in his father’s hospital they have all the modern equipments, at Doljam he has to learn how to trust his skills more and to keep on learning ways how to treat patients despite the lack of modern equipments. At Doljam Hospital, he is not the CEO’s son – he is Dr. Do In Bum.

Ye Hwa

A quitter?

She’s one of the most interesting characters in this drama because of her being mysterious in the beginning. She was introduced at the show as someone who has nowhere else to go. She told the staff that she can’t pay for her bills so might as well just work for them as their cleaner. But upon the discovery of who she really is, I can’t help but feel sad for her and at the same time see myself in her situation. Before I could further discuss her character, let me just say this: spoiler alert.

Ye Hwa is actually a doctor too. She just got tired and burned out of the hospital life so she decided to run away. And I can actually say that I feel that too. Sometimes, when everything feels way too much to handle, I also just wanna leave everything behind and run away – I just don’t know where but running away seems like the only way to save yourself from all the mess of life. (let’s play iKON Bobby’s Runaway to heightened the mood) However, running away doesn’t really solve anything, right? Her time at Doljam Hospital made her realized how much she actually loves the field of medicine and she’s not a quitter. Upon seeing the dedication of the hospital staff, it feels like an awakening for her. Every day, she will see the staff of Doljam working their hardest in order to tend to the demands of the patients. At times, there would be way too much patient to attend to and their doctors won’t be enough – and those are the times when she feels a bit powerless. She can do something, she can treat the patients but she can’t because she ran away from her responsibilities. And I guess, that was her greatest wake up call. As I watched her story unfold, I was reminded of this certain phrase I’ve read online: If you’re tired, you rest but don’t ever quit for you only quit when you’re really done.

 The best thing about this drama is that it was brave in showing the reality that doctors, nurses, and other medical staff are facing every day. The environment in the hospital always feel so tense because they are dealing with human lives. What I find ironic is that it is those who are in the field of medicine who keep on reminding us to live a healthy lifestyle so we can avoid getting sick and yet they are the ones being deprived of it. They have their own shares of sacrifices in order to provide the best healthcare service. They often deprive themselves of proper meals and proper sleep because when a patient comes in, they have to be up and do their duty – sometimes, when they got a “full house” sleeping is not a thing anymore. Skipping meals has also become a habit because most of the time, they’re busy with reviewing, diagnosing and monitoring their patients’ status. This drama showed us how “crazy” the field of medicine can get. Different cases will always present their selves at the hospital that will challenge even those who are already “great” doctors. Every patient is different that’s why doctors are always on the process of learning new things. I’ve labelled this as the best medical drama because it makes the viewers feel like they are a part of every surgery; the medical jargons used won’t make you feel left out for they are well explained not in a lecture way.

The highlight or the climax of this drama is the Chairman’s surgery.  (And I won’t be discussing it here anymore so that I won’t spoil anything, just see it for yourself you won’t regret it)

 What we often forget is that doctors are humans too – they have their flaws but it doesn’t mean that we shall give them a pass when they “commit mistake” rather, we must assess the situation first before making a conclusion. I personally believe that conclusion without reason is just premature judgment.

 Best quotes:

“Don’t get revenge with anger, but with skill. Got that? If you don’t change, then nothing will,”

“In an era where one’s success trumps everything else, an era in which everything including one’s morals and others’ lives are pushed aside for selfish gains. People who offered excuses and justified his or her actions by saying that “it couldn’t be helped” while sacrificing others, and who used their own lack of power as an excuse to turn a blind eye to the truth. Such cowards banded together and dominate the world out of a sense of entitlement.”

“In an era of infinite competition, it’s devour or be devoured. Trample or be trampled. People that believe that winning against someone is a fight with his or her pride on the line. A world that encourages that kind of mentality. The reality that one will not be acknowledged unless he wins against someone else. The fear of being a failure after losing made people more fiercely competitive.”

“In an age in which people ignore others’ pain. People who don’t care about others’ pain as long as they can get what they want. People who don’t care about such things as long as they can maintain authority. And and age in which people can’t even get a good look at the nature of their own pain. Because all of them justify themselves, saying that they didn’t have time to worry for others when they had their own situations to deal with.”

“In an age in which the truth is concealed. In an age in which truth submits to power and runs amok. Baseless rumors and a plethora of tales have been piled up while the truth has been forced to take a back seat. And it’s become hard to tell what is real and what is fake. Such is the world we live in.”

“In an age of ‘needs.’ An age in which one’s own desires are outranked by the desires of others. An age in which one is forced to live according to the world’s standards before even figuring out what he wants for himself. He adds detail to support his lies and the lies grow larger in size. One sometimes lies to make himself seem better than he is. Eventually he must even render another’s efforts useless and push them down in order to raise himself up. Such is what the world has come to.”

“Patients need to be treated based on how much they need attention, not in the order that they showed up.”

“An age of hierarchy, when usefulness is valued and judged over personal character or ability. An elite group, and a world that’s controlled by people who know how to effectively manipulate that group. It’s become a strange world, where loyalty to the winning faction becomes the greatest virtue, and principled and skilled people are thrown away, as if they’re valueless.”

“You can fool me with your words, but not with your hands. A surgeon’s hands can only move with confidence through experience and effort.” 

“An age where real facts are ignored, and the words of the powerful become fact while the powerless stay helpless. Although the truth is based on fact, not all facts were righteous.”

“Sometimes in life, there are things you can only see after time has passed. Such as the reasons why those things happened to me. Why I’d met someone like that. Why I’d taken a detour like that.”

 “Teacher Kim said that the scariest thing to do is to act as you normally do instead of backing down in the face of uncertainty and fear. Teacher Kim may have already known that our worries and fears could become even lighter than feathers.”

“The principles that most people know exist but ignore while wishing that someone else would uphold them. To live is to walk a new road every day and deal with reality, whether it is wanted or unwanted. Even though there is no right answer to life’s every moment, Teacher Kim once said, ‘Never give up searching for why we live. If you forget your reason for living, your romantic ideals will end.'”

X,

TinaMae

 PS: You’ve read it right, this was my first K Drama in 2018! And because I’m such a procrastinator, I only get to finish writing this last December 2018 lol. I’ve watched a total of 7 K Dramas in 2018 and I have yet to finish writing my reviews/reflections about them lol. Mianhe :)

PPS: I’m really into Kpop nowadays especially iKON’s music and they’re just amazing, any iKONICS here?

[corgisocks]

wait just curious, why don't u believe in the concept of sexuality? like what do u mean

warning: very long post incoming because i got carried away oops

POINT A: it doesn’t work for everyone

what we think is uncertainty actually isn’t, but we’re afraid of it anyway. it’s referred to as ‘questioning’ and that makes people feel like they have to leave that ‘stage’ of not having a label. but i find that the most certain thing in the universe is that we can’t know anything for certain, and that comforts me. it’s also what’s helped me accept myself as well as others–i’m not inclined to make assumptions or jump to conclusions anymore, so i have more potential to actually understand people. i think.

in regards to ‘sexuality’? i don’t need to know what my preferences are. it’s not like i’m seeking people out based on them; i’m just letting stuff happen. and i’m acting on my feelings genuinely, too–like, i’m not confusing attraction or wanting to ‘be with someone’ with anything. i have no standards for any kind of bond; i’m open to anything, really, as long as it doesn’t harm anyone involved.

i’m not saying i’m like ‘above’ having a sexuality or that my way of existing is the ‘right’ way or whatever. it’s just what’s worked best for me (whereas attempting to label myself has actually been detrimental in many respects). and from there, i’ve reached this conclusion:

POINT B: sexual preferences are a thing, but sexuality doesn’t have to be.

you might be going “wtf???” right now, but hear me out:

labels are fucking CONFUSING. it’s like people can’t always find labels to fit into, so more often than not, they settle for an imperfect one. and then others incorrectly judge them based on it. or like people who also use the label might not accept you if you’re not like them. or like…they misunderstand you. and from there you stop understanding yourself. granted, this isn’t what happens to everyone, but the fact that it IS happening is a problem. it’s happened to me. it’s happened to people in my life. heck, it’s happened to a lot of people in my friend group–they were too scared to speak up about it until i did, and even then, they don’t trust the queer activist/very openly bisexual/social justice enthusiast of the group (who still assumes that all of us are exclusively heterosexual and complains that they don’t have enough non-straight friends) to know because they’re terrified that they’ll be shut down by them like i was. 

that one friend assumed i was ‘too pansexual to be able to get it’ or that i was ‘claiming not to be straight in order to make it seem like [i’m] a good person.’ 

she was so set on sticking to the concept of everyone having a sexuality that she felt more inclined to invalidate me than she did to support me regardless of her own views. and it fucking hurt.

POINT C: sexuality is a fabricated concept based upon heteronormativity

sexuality, from what i can tell, is primarily related to gender (re: homo vs hetero vs bi vs pansexual/romantic, etc). then it’s based upon extent (i.e. demi, allo, lith, asexual/romantic, etc). then categorisation is considered.

but like…how does ‘gender’ actually apply to it? do we even know? like, does being gay include attraction to people who aren’t cis? if it does then, does that mean those people’s concept of gender is not good or that they’re immoral or less valid or WHAT? and does it depend on one’s personal definitions of things? like…it’s mind-boggling. it probably prevents people from expressing themselves fully. it keeps people from actually understanding themselves and staying true to that. and it’s caused me and many others a lot of confusion.

you don’t have to identify as straight to only want to date people whom you perceive to be belonging to the opposite sex, and you don’t have to specify romantic vs sexual attraction in order to prove it. you don’t have to identify as bisexual in order to make it known that your sexual attraction isn’t necessarily limited by gender.

unfortunately, there is something that prevents people from actually believing this, hence the importance we place upon ‘coming out’, representation, and the like. that something is called heteronormativity.

here is an example of heteronormativity:

person a: i’m not like all these people getting married to the opposite sex and having kids. i like the idea of marriage but i don’t want a husband; i want a wife

person b: you’ll come around one day and have beautiful children with a lovely man. you’ll be such a good wife and mother…

person a: no…fyi……i like vagina.

person b: you’re delusional. one of these days you’ll realise that you only want to be with men and you like the idea of having a husband and–

person a: no. i’m not like that. i’m DIFFERENT.

see what i’m getting at here? heteronormativity, in some cases, can lead to the need to explicitly differentiate from others in order for them to actually be understood. that is why sexuality exists instead of something similar to it just being an aspect of one’s sexual preferences.

here is a timeline (of sorts?) of the most frustrating concept of all, aka heteronormativity:

- a very very long time ago, on this wonderful planet we call earth, life was created.

- pretty much every life form’s goal was to survive and/or carry on its species because that’s all they were equipped to do. they didn’t have the time or energy to do other things.

- as such, many species have mating rituals/events. our counterpart to that is partnership, and it’s probably because humans value interpersonal connection AND it’s generally easier to work with someone than alone when it comes to optimising one’s chances (whether in regards to a group/species/an individual) of survival.

- we WANTED to optimise our chances of survival, so we’ve been trying to. that’s why humans have become the 'most advanced’ species on the planet even though many species that are technically 'smarter’ than us have remained content with doing what they’ve been doing for millennia.

- that is also why couples have always tended to consist of people who can reproduce with one another. sex happened to be pleasurable for some people, sure, but partnership was about reproduction because reproduction contributes to the continuation of a species. since specific types of sexual intercourse are directly linked to reproduction, the two things became intertwined to the point where it became a norm, hence the existence of heteronormativity. just because it exists doesn’t mean it’s actually biologically normal; in fact, there probably IS no normal as we each have our own individual preferences that don’t have to depend on anything. THAT should be the norm.

- sexual intercourse can lead to reproduction and/or pleasure (or even neither of the two). however, reproduction is directly linked to neither pleasure nor all types of sex, so the concept of 'a->b and a->c so b->c’ (sex->reproduction and sex->pleasure so reproduction->pleasure) does not work at all here because not even the first two situations are always true.

- most people in first-world countries don’t need to worry about reproduction anymore unless it’s in regards to making the choice to procreate. our main goal has shifted from survival to surviving comfortably. as such, our long-surviving 'norms’ for being in relationships (and the norm of valuing being in a relationship at all) are obsolete because the things that led to their existence are obsolete.

we still have instincts, though. they are connected to survival/reproduction/fertility, but we’ve passed that point as a species. we don’t need to worry about dominance or 'who will have the best kids’ or having kids at all anymore.

instead, people who are already equipped to survive generally need to worry about living their lives to the fullest or living their truth or just living well enough, whatever that may mean to them. and when an outdated version of that prevents them from achieving that and even makes their lives worse in the process, that’s how we know we need to change. it’s not just about morals; it’s about logic, too, especially considering that that logic is meant to validate people.

how does this apply to sexuality? 

well, it’s simple: it stemmed from the fabrication of heteronormativity and the gender binary (which kept being reinforced by religious establishments, etc, because they’d been 'normal’ anyway). heteronormativity and the binary didn’t apply to everyone, so those people were labelled as being different, and umbrella terms serve to cover those who don’t conform to societal standards that don’t even need to exist. by using such terms, even with good intentions, we might be reinforcing those standards; we’re inadvertently differentiating ourselves further from what is supposedly typical. we’re giving ourselves more of a voice and making ourselves more visible, sure; people don’t doubt that we exist anymore, but we need to improve upon that. we’re connecting over similar experiences, too, which is part of the reason why umbrella terms usually refer to communities (and why people can be a part of them without having to label themselves). but that’s not the same thing as normalisation–we’re just becoming a more vocal and more confused 'minority’ that isn’t actually a minority at all.

we’re confused as fuck. and we’re angry; we’re upset; we want change. but most importantly, we NEED change for everyone’s sake. this is my justification for it.

[theresistanceandtheforce]

Chapter Fifteen: I am Ben for Her

His eyes, marred by a dark scar, glistened with tears, their expression all together apologetic but determined. His face however was crumpled with pain, his countenance displaying his inner turmoil, his lifetime of personal conflict, of a destiny that saw him torn in two halves that could never reconcile.

She wanted to scream, she wanted to grab him, to tear the lightsaber from his hands as she realized what he was about to do, but she was merely a spectator to the scene, not truly there.

Ben knelt before her, his body shaking with the inescapable fear of death that resides in us all. Shirtless from the waste up, trickles of sweat dripping down from the tips of his tangled dark hair, the muscles of his arms flexing with anxiety as they held his glowing red lightsaber to his left side.

A moment of silence passed between them as he stared into her eyes, bottom lip quivering. A tear escaped his fixated stare, slipping past the dark circles beneath his eyes, rolling down his cheek until it fell from his chin, followed by another, a stream now flowing from both.

Suddenly Ben’s face jerked with shock, his mouth falling open with a gurgled sound, as Rey watched on in horror, the glowing red of the lightsaber slicing through his side with the unnerving, yet familiar sound of searing flesh. With a movement too swift to follow the lightsaber appeared at his right, carving across his abdomen.

The image turned black as if wash away by night.

“You have got to be the most incompetent pilot I have ever met!”

“I’m sorry, but did we not just save your life? Did we not just save a bunch of people?”

“Oh yes, because ramming a ship in to a building is the best strategy.”

“Look, it was Rey's idea, and it was our only option.”

***

“Of course it was her idea,” Ben grumbled, glancing down at Rey in his arms, her limbs limply swaying as he briskly walked down the long hall of a medical centre, following behind an anxious medical droid that led the way. Behind him followed a gaggled of individuals. Trying to keep pace with him was the pilot, Dameron, a little bloodied and worse for wear, who was trying to explain what had happened. Just behind was the ex-stormtrooper practically trailing on Ben’s heels like a worried pup, chiming in with concerned comments about Rey’s well being. At the end of the odd parade was Senator Calrissian, hand on his chin, other arm resting behind his back, deep in contemplation as he listed to the pilot.

“Solo, do you have any idea who could have been behind this?” Calrissian finally spoke, fingers still stroking his chin as his bright cape trailed behind him.

Ben's face twisted with disgust at his familial name. Years of loathing his identity could not suddenly be erased with a move towards the lightside of the force. “I have an unfathomable number of enemies, who's to know. I'd have to inspect the ship and the body of the pilot. Although I will say, something about this all just does not feel like a mere assassination attempt. It feels too calculated. Your pilot here says this ship was just out of orbit, it seems too risky to linger there. And how did they know when the trial conclusion was starting and where I would be? And how was the ship not detected on any warning radar?”

Ben knelt down slightly as he passed through the doorway of a small hospital room, making sure not to bump Rey’s head or limbs in the process. The medical droid motioned for him to lay her down on a small bed as it turned around and began busying itself with equipment. Supporting her head he lay her down. Blood, now crusted, was falling off in small flakes from her forehead. Her face was dirty from the smoke that had began to suffocate the Falcon. He stared down at her, adjusting a strand of her hair out of her eyes. He wished he could scold her for her stupidity, but also wished he could commend her for her bravery. In truth it was his fault. Had his guards been down she could have warned him sooner, he could have then warned others and hoped they would believe him.

Although he could feel the worry and concern emanating from the pilot and deserter, Ben knew she would be alright. It was only a mild concussion and lots of bruising. She simply needed rest. He glanced up. Calrissian stood just outside of the doorway, staring at him. As soon as they made eye contact he flicked his head, motioning for Ben to join him in the hall. Even though her life wasn’t in danger, if he left, he did not know whether he would be able to return to her. The results of the trial were never announced. His fate may be sealed in death.

Ben looked around the room. The pilot and deserter we in a corner talking in hushed tones, ignoring him. Happy to be unobserved he knelt down and gently kissed Rey’s cheek, closing his eyes at the sensation of their contact, at the warmth of her skin. Standing abruptly he stalked out of the room, mouth in a hard-set line, arms stiff at his sides, and stopped just outside of the door.

Calrissian paused, his mouth opening as if to say something but then he closed it, looking up at Ben before finally speaking, “I have a feeling you’ll know who the pilot of that craft is, or at least, will know how to find out. I also think you’re right to be suspicious of this whole thing.”

Ben raised a brow, “...and why aren't you suspicious of me? And for that matter, why am I not flanked by guards right now? Why haven't I been taken back to my cell?” There were too many questions left unanswered, they were keeping him anxious and confrontational. He’d been kept away from the public, been isolated, and now he was spoken to like a regular person, he was treated not as Kylo Ren, but as Ben Solo, for once in a very long time by anybody but Rey.

Lando laughed, his dazzling smile flashing across his face, “Good question. Technically I am guarding you. And why might you ask is it just me? Well quite frankly the tenseness of what has been happening, the trial, the attack, I did not want you feel like a cornered Wampa with guards all around. If I hadn’t said something there would have been no chance of anyone letting you take the girl here, of walking out of that place.” He shrugged smugly, proud of the level of clout he had at Cloud City. “Either way I think I trust you kid. Under that tortured soul and intimidating front, I see your mother and father. I even see a bit of Luke in there. I definitely see my godson.”

Flashes of his night terrors streaked across Ben’s closed lids, fire, agonizing screams, death and destruction, splatters of blood maring his pale cheek, a red lightsaber in his grip. He shook the images free, face twisting in a snarl, “Well you shouldn’t trust me. That is not who I am anymore,” he spat out through gritted teeth, “I’ve turned yes, but I’ve turned for her,” he pointed behind him in to the room, “Who I am at the core has not changed, I am still Kylo Ren, but I am Ben for her, I saved those lives for her, I stayed in chains for her. I’ve done the right thing, and will do the right thing not because I believe it to be so, but because to her it is what needs to be done. I am who she wants me to be, but I am still Kylo Ren.”

Calrissian shook his head woefully, “You’re wrong. In your heart you do not believe that. I won't stand here and argue with you because I know you're too headstrong for that, just like Han, just know you’re wrong. But for your sake and mine, let’s hope, either way, you do what is right. If you're curious, you were given a prison sentence, not death, and if you can help come to the bottom of this then you may have some freedom after all. I'll have to broker some sort of deal on your behalf, but we'll see. Now come on, let’s take a closer look at that ship, and the body.” Calrissian thrust out his hand towards Ben, a security clearance pass in his palm.

***

The flurry of activity in the trial chambers had died down significantly when Lando and Ben returned to inspect the ship. The bodies of the dead had been removed, along with most of the crumbled ceiling. What remained were the two mangled ships, one half in the building, and the other outside, their fires extinguished. Dawn had broken, and through the gaping hole left by the foreign ship light shone into the room. Next to the unfamiliar ship lay the covered body of it’s pilot.  As the two came up to the wreckage Ben could hear Calrissian mumble something under his breath about the loss of his beautiful ship.

Ben circled what was left of the ship as members of the city’s security personnel in grey armor joined them. One spoke up. “It’s an MRX-BR Pacifier.”

Ben turned to the soldier annoyed, “Yes I know,” He grumbled the words, turning back to the ship.

“Well was it a part of the First Orders fleet?”

Ben scoffed, “We never would have used such outdated equipment, these ships were produced during the Imperial era. I’m not surprised only one body was found aboard, typically these are only flown by a single individual for colonization missions. It seems whoever this was simply used whatever ship they had at hand, and by the state of this particular one,” he pointed towards an undamaged section of the ship at a series of welded on scraps of metal on the hull, “it’s been given some repair. I can only assume this attack did not come from any First Order force, if any remain.” He paused, standing up straight in contemplation. “That is of course unless it was carried out by a bounty hunter.” He turned to look down at the covered body of his unknown attacker.

Crouching down next to the body Ben pulled back the white tarp covering it. The creature beneath was a familiar species to him. Standing it would have reached up to his shoulders. The creature was ape-like with a thick layer of dark green fur covering it’s muscular body. The only parts devoid of fur was the very top of its head, it’s hands and feet. The creature was clothed in an even darker green tunic and pants, torn and burned from the crash. Ben reached towards the creature which lay on its back and grabbed the collar of it’s tunic, turning it back to reveal a small, hand-stitched Bounty Hunter insignia. “Strange,” he said, almost to himself, pulling the sheet back over the creature and standing up to face Senator Calrissian and the inquisitive city security force.

“What?” A pair of soldiers ask in unison.

“It is extremely rare that a Yrashu would become a bounty hunter.” Ben eyed Calrissian who was nodding, having followed the same train of thought, but he continued for the benefit of the soldiers. “They have in the past aligned themselves with the republic and the Jedi Order for they themselves are force sensitive beings. It would be unheard of for one of their kind to stoop as low as becoming a bounty hunter considering their aversion to taking how, and how high their moral compass is.”

One of the soldiers stepped forward, their words full of venom, “And what would you know about a moral compass. I can't believe they let a killer loose among us.”

Calrissian stepped in between the soldier and Ben, sympathy in his eyes. He wrapped his arm around the soldier in a friendly fashion and steered him away from the small grouping, “Why don’t you go take a walk Jax.” The soldier nodded and walked off. Calrissian turned back to Ben. “His sister died fighting with the Resistance.” Lando whispered toward Ben before turning back to look at the body. “What do you propose?”

Ben wasn't sure what to say. Was his opinion really being asked? He hesitated for a moment before speaking up, “I propose a small contingent of forces, non-intimidating forces, travel to Baskard and talk with the Yrashu tribe there, or even talk with the human monks living among them. If anyone will know anything about this pilot or why he defected from his tribe, it will be his own kind.”

“Then that is what we shall do” Calrissian smiled, adjusting the sleeves of his shirt, “I’ll ask you men to pass on the message to Baron Administrator Vox and to the Resistance’s new lead General who may still be in Hospital Wing Y.” The soldiers gave Calrissian curt nods before turning and leaving.

Ben had a sneaking suspicion that Calrissian knew all along what conclusions Ben would draw, and that this all was a little game to play in front of the soldiers, in front of witnesses, to highlight Ben’s capabilities and benefit to the New Republic. He played along with the facade. “I’m assuming this small force would benefit from having someone already adopted in to their tribe so that talks could go much smoother?”

Lando beamed at Ben with satisfaction, “Exactly”

So the Senator remembered after all, Ben mused. He thought back on his youth and the time he had spent on Baskarn, left there to be taught by the monks and Yrashu while his parents were on yet another diplomatic mission for the Rebel Alliance. While there he was initiated through Momu and became part of the tribe until he was taken away again to be housed by another group of strangers, neglected as Leia and Hands allegiance to the galaxy seemed stronger than their allegiance to their own son, than their duty as parents. Ben's hands curled into angry fists at his sides. Although his time on Baskarn was a happy one, the history of his neglect and what it had acted as a catalyst for, what it started within him, made him seeth. Seeth for the familial years lost in the past, and for those lost in the future by his own hand. “I suppose I am to join this mission?” He said through gritted teeth.

Calrissian turned to leave the wreckage, motioning for Ben to follow, which he did. “You suppose correctly. See now I’m still formulating this plan in my head but what I’m thinking is you, the girl, once she’s recovered, the ex-stormtrooper, and the new Resistance General. He’ll need to go of course, mostly to ensure your compliance.” Calrisian, walking at a fast pace led them down a series of maze-like hallways, mostly talking to himself. “It needs to be a small force, as you said, so that it doesn’t intimidate the Yrashu, but also so that it can go undetected in the case this mission goes further than intended. Hmm yes, we wouldn't want to alert anyone that the New Republic perceives a threat now that there is some peace. If other planets are on edge they may not want to join us, especially if they think the First Order is rising again.” He paused in front of a non-descript door along a hall with other such doors. “I will plan this out and submit an official request for this mission, but I suspect we will have no qualms on the part of the new General. Convincing others to let you go may be a bit tricky but I’ve been told I have a way with words.” He gave a short chuckle. “Now this is your chambers, you are welcome to use it, or not. You are free for now until I sort things out, but I suggest you not venture from the senatorial or administrative areas of the City. You’ll be monitored of course.” The Senator played with the edges of his mustache as he spoke, his tone light-hearted. “I should be off now, there will be much to go over with others and I have some errands to run. We will inform you when Rey has awoken of course and proceed from there.” He turned to leave, cape twirling around him.

“Wait. Why are you doing all of this?” Ben couldn’t fathom. Of course Calrissian was his godfather and must feel some ties to his parents through him, but he had killed Han, Lando’s friend. He had betrayed the New Republic and the Resistance. Why wasn’t there animosity?

Calrissian paused, foot mid-step, and turned around, his face serious. “Hope played a large roll in the lives of your parents. As long as there was hope, in a single mind, there was potential for change. They are gone now, they cannot hope, and so I hope for you on their behalf.” With that he turned and left, leaving Ben behind speechless.

***

He came to her as soon as he heard she'd awoken, practically skidding across the slick floor of the medical centre despite his exhaustion. He slowed his speed however as he approached her door. The halls were empty but for the sounds of sleeping patients and buzzing medical droids rolling down the halls. He peered around the corner of her room.

It was dark except for a small orb-like lamp in the corner next to her bed, illuminating the side of her small frame. She was sitting up, hair dangling in her eyes and falling just past her shoulders. She was fussing with the robes she had been changed in to by the medical droids.

He smiled to himself. He’d seen her as a warrior, as a rival, but he’d never seen her so vulnerable and so human. He opened his mind to her and projected what he saw. As soon as the image passed from his mind to hers Rey looked up confused.

“You’re alive” She said the words almost breathlessly, her eyes scanning him over frantically before she calmed, realizing he was okay. “What, what happened?” She crossed her legs, making room for him at the end of her bed and placed her hand down, inviting him to sit.

He strode across the room with long steps and gently lowered himself down on the edge of the bed, his face in shadows. “The quick version is I was a selfish fool and only caught the end of your message. I saved as many as I could but there were a handful of casualties. Your friends are all okay. You’ve suffered a concussion and have been unconscious for a day. You also have some serious bruising here and there, as I’m sure you can feel. There is no serious damage though. We’re going to find out who that pilot was; you won’t be cooped up here for long. We fly tomorrow.” His voice was somber, he couldn’t mask his own displeasure at the way events had unfolded.

“We?” She raised a brow in question.

He stood, gathering the small pile of her belongings on a nearby counter in to his arms; his back to her. “They chose not to execute me, they chose to act as an example to the galaxy.” His tone was flat, almost emotionless. Ben turned, clutching her things in one arm, he extended the other for her. Smiling she threw the blanket back, took hold of his hand and hopped out of the bed shakily. “ I’m here now because they’ve given me a small chance at freedom if I can show that I truly have changed. If I can prove my allegiance is now with the Resistance and New Republic. Solving this attack is that chance. For now I am free, but it may not last.” He steadied her, taking her hand gently in his and wrapping it around his arm so as to better stabilize her.

Rey’s happy expression melted away, and she squinted her eyes up at him as she took hold of his arm, letting him lead her slowly down the hall of the hospital. “There’s something you aren’t telling me.” She stared up at him with seriousness, noting the dark circles under his red eyes.

He kept his eyes in front of him, avoiding her gaze. “I suppose I feel guilty without chains. I feel that I should not be allowed outside of my cage for what I’ve done. I should not be given even the small pleasure of escorting you back to your chambers, although inside it brings me immeasurable comfort.” She was right, it was true. And he did in fact speak the truth that his guilt acted as an invisible restraint upon him. But it wasn’t just the guilt that kept him from rejoicing at the potential to start new, for a second time. He didn’t trust himself to be free. Something was bubbling within him. Was it the dark side of the force like the core of a planet, melting and churning, waiting for cracks in the surface so that it may spew forth in a destructive eruption? He couldn’t be sure. Perhaps it really was the guilt of what his life had become, of the wrongs he had committed, of the lives he had taken. Possibly he has just spent so long being Kylo Ren, acting under the assumption that he was destined for greatness, that others were below him, that love was not something tangible to him. How could he be expected to act once again like a man when he had been an animal for so long.

Rey was quiet at his side. He sensed the thoughts and questions bombarding her mind, but she remained silent. They walked in silence out of the small hospital in the senatorial quarters of the city to Rey’s chambers not too far away. Passing out of one building and in to the next, the night around them was alive as ships whirled above the city, but the halls of the buildings were silent and deserted. Ben had mapped in his mind as soon as they had arrived in Cloud City where Rey’s chambers were in case an opportunity would come to see her, in case she was in danger, it had been an automatic thing to do, and so he brought them to her door without pause.

He gently untangled Rey’s arm from around his and passed her her security pass that he had been holding. She grabbed the pass and opened her door, turning around to look up at him. “Please stay.” She whispered the words, her eyes pleading.

He shook his head, extending the rest of her things towards her, “I don’t think I should.” He wasn’t sure why he wasn’t giving in to what he truly wanted, which was to hold her, be held by her, sleep soundly for once in his cursed life.

She grabbed her bloodied and burnt clothes from his arms and turned on her heels, walking in to the small living quarters, leaving the door open behind her.

Ben sighed, a small smile playing at the corners of his pout, and followed in behind her, closing the door after himself. Inside the rooms were pitch black, save for the light of Bespins two moons shining in through a number of circular windows. He slipped off his boots, and stripped off his black tunic, letting it fall to the floor and found Rey in the small bedroom, streaks of moonlight illuminating her figure as she tiredly slipped under the blankets of the bed. He followed, pulling back the covers on the other side, his body relaxing as he reached out for Rey across the bed and pulled her back up against his chest so that she was curled against his body. Knowing she was badly bruised in some places, he gently slipped his arms around her waist and tucked his face in to her neck. He inhaled deeply, finding comfort in the smell of her, Ithorian roses.  

Rey shifted slightly against him, her tired voice almost a mumble as she gently spoke. “It’s felt like a lifetime since that escape pod landed. Since we built a small fire in a cave and huddled together for warmth through the night, too uncomfortable to really sleep. After everything that’s happened, fighting you, war, death, destruction, and now the trial. All I’ve ever wanted was your arms around me. I’ve never been in love before, but that’s part of it, isn’t it? We’ve never had that. Ever. In our lives. It doesn’t seem like you’ve ever had that from your parents, I know I haven’t from mine. You can’t imagine what it feels like to have that from you now.”

He held her tighter. He could imagine. He’d never felt something like this before, the comfort of love in one's arms, the mental and physical ease, and the security of being in her bed. He hadn’t curled up in bed like this since he was a young boy, but even then his mind has been full of anxiety and frustration. Now his mind was calm, content. He closed his eyes feeling a deep sleep begin to overtake him. He could say it now with ease and certainty, it was a fact of life now, not simply a troublesome dilemma or something that caused more conflict in his already strained life. “I love you,” He whispered as he began to drift to sleep.

[orbemnews]

They Can’t Go away the Bay Space Quick Sufficient SAN FRANCISCO — The Bay Space struck a tough discount with its tech employees. Hire was astronomical. Taxes had been excessive. Your neighbors didn’t such as you. When you lived in San Francisco, you may need commuted an hour south to your job at Apple or Google or Fb. Or in case your workplace was within the metropolis, possibly it was in a neighborhood with an excessive amount of avenue crime, open drug use and $5 coffees. Nevertheless it was value it. Dwelling within the epicenter of a growth that was altering the world was what mattered. The town gave its employees a selection of attention-grabbing jobs and an opportunity on the brass ring. That’s, till the pandemic. Distant work supplied an opportunity at residing for just a few months in cities the place life felt simpler. Tech employees and their bosses realized they won’t want all of the perks and after-work schmooze occasions. However possibly they wanted elbow room and a yard for the brand new pet. A spot to put the Peloton. A prime public college. They fled. They fled to tropical seashore cities. They fled to extra inexpensive locations like Georgia. They fled to states with out revenue taxes like Texas and Florida. That’s the place the story of the Bay Space’s newest tech period is ending for a rising crowd of tech employees and their corporations. They’ve all of a sudden movable jobs and cash within the financial institution — cash that can go loads additional elsewhere. However the place? The No. 1 decide for folks leaving San Francisco is Austin, Texas, with different winners together with Seattle, New York and Chicago, in accordance with moveBuddha, a web site that compiles information on shifting. Some cities have even arrange recruiting applications to lure them to new properties. Miami’s mayor has even been inviting tech folks to maneuver there in his Twitter posts. I talked to greater than two dozen tech executives and employees who’ve left San Francisco for different components of the nation during the last 12 months, like a younger entrepreneur who moved house to Georgia and one other who has created a group in Puerto Rico. Listed here are a few of their tales. Ah, the traditional life “I miss San Francisco. I miss the life I had there,” mentioned John Gardner, 35, the founder and chief govt of Kickoff, a distant private coaching start-up, who packed his issues into storage and left in a camper van to wander America. “However proper now it’s similar to: What else can God and the world and authorities provide you with to make the place much less livable?” A few months later, Mr. Gardner wrote: “Greetings from sunny Miami Seaside! That is in regards to the fortieth place I’ve arrange a brief headquarters for Kickoff.” Distant private coaching occurs to coincide effectively with distant life, however he mentioned his start-up’s progress this previous 12 months was additionally because of his leaving the tech bubble and immersing himself in additional regular communities, just a few days at a time. The largest tech corporations aren’t going wherever, and tech shares are nonetheless hovering. Apple’s flying-saucer-shaped campus is just not going to zoom away. Google remains to be absorbing ever extra workplace house in San Jose and San Francisco. New founders are nonetheless coming to city. However the migration from the Bay Space seems actual. Residential rents in San Francisco are down 27 % from a 12 months in the past, and the workplace emptiness charge has spiked to 16.7 %, a quantity not seen in a decade. Although costs had dropped solely barely, Zillow reported extra properties on the market in San Francisco than a 12 months in the past. For greater than month final 12 months, 90 % of the searches involving San Francisco on moveBuddha had been for folks shifting out. Twitter, Yelp, Airbnb and Dropbox have tried to sublease a few of their San Francisco workplace house. Pinterest, which has some of the iconic places of work on the town, paid $90 million to interrupt a lease for a web site the place it deliberate to develop. And firms like Twitter and Fb have introduced “earn a living from home ceaselessly” plans. “Shifting right into a $1.3 million home that we noticed solely on video for 20 minutes and mentioned sure,” wrote Mike Rothermel, a designer at Cisco who moved from the Bay Space to Boulder, Colo., together with his spouse final summer season. “It’s a mansion in comparison with SF for a similar cash.” The quantity of room they’ve felt surreal after numerous Bay Space residences. He instructed me they’ve a lot counter house, they’ll maintain home equipment just like the meals processor within the kitchen itself. After which the folks round them — neighbors — began doing one thing unusual. They introduced cinnamons rolls and handwritten welcome notes. Wait, no revenue tax? “We’re promoting our home and shifting out of SF. The place ought to we go and why?” Justin Kan, a serial entrepreneur who co-founded Twitch, requested on Twitter in August. Joe Lonsdale, a co-founder of the software program firm Palantir, which moved from Silicon Valley to Denver, wrote again: “Come to Austin with us. Rising tech ecosystem and Texas is one of the best place to make a stand collectively for a free society.” Additionally: no state revenue taxes. Austin, inhabitants a million and the Texas metropolis most would say is closest in spirit to the Bay Space, has lengthy had a wholesome tech business. The pc large Dell is predicated close by. The College of Texas is without doubt one of the prime public faculties within the nation. And the music scene is eclectic and artistic. Now the native tech business is quickly increasing. Apple is opening a $1 billion, 133-acre campus. Alphabet, Amazon and Fb have all both expanded their footprints in Austin or have plans to. Elon Musk, the Tesla founder and one of many two richest males on the planet, mentioned he had moved to Texas. Begin-up investor cash is arriving, too: The buyers at 8VC and Breyer Capital opened Austin places of work final 12 months. A few of the favourite gurus of tech employees are already there, like Tim Ferriss, life-hacker, who left for Austin in 2017, and Ryan Vacation, whose writing about stoicism is influential among the many start-up set. Sahin Boydas, the founding father of a remote-work start-up who had lived in San Francisco and its suburbs during the last decade, noticed all of that. He checked out his spouse and two younger kids, working and studying from house whereas crammed right into a Cupertino rental that had seen higher days. A lot of the late summer season, the air was stuffed with smoke from wildfires. For days, electrical energy would go out and in at his home. “You begin to really feel silly,” mentioned Mr. Boydas, who’s 37. “I can perceive the 1 % wealthy folks, the very prime buyers and entrepreneurs, they are often completely happy there.” So he and his household moved to Austin. For a similar value as their three-bedroom house in Cupertino, they’ve a five-bedroom house on an acre of land. For the primary time, Mr. Boydas has outside house. He simply acquired two rabbits for his kids. Positive, it’s (very) scorching, however he’s prepared for it. “We’re going to get a cat and a canine,” he mentioned. “We might by no means do this earlier than.” And it’s not simply the price of lease that’s decrease — the water invoice is decrease; the trash invoice is decrease; the price of a household dinner at a restaurant has fallen considerably. Mr. Boydas mentioned he hadn’t even recognized in regards to the taxes. “I run payroll for myself, and once I noticed zero, I referred to as the accountant like there’s an error — there’s no tax line right here,” he mentioned. “And so they had been like, ‘Yeah there’s no tax.’” “Okay guys hear me out, what if we transfer Silicon Valley to Miami,” tweeted Delian Asparouhov, a principal at Founders Fund, which invests in start-ups. The mayor of Miami wrote again final month: “How can I assist?” Now there’s a very vocal Miami faction, led by just a few enterprise capital influencers, making an attempt to tweet town’s start-up world into existence. The San Francisco exodus means the expertise and cash of newly distant tech employees are up for grabs. And it’s not simply the mayor of Miami making an attempt to lure them in. Topeka, Kan., began Select Topeka, which can reimburse new employees $10,000 for the primary 12 months of lease or $15,000 in the event that they purchase a house. Tulsa, Okla. can pay you $10,000 to maneuver there. The nation of Estonia has a brand new residency program only for digital nomads. A program in Savannah, Ga., will reimburse distant employees $2,000 for the transfer there, and town has created numerous social actions to introduce the newcomers to 1 one other and to locals. “We attempt to make the transition straightforward,” mentioned Jennifer Bonnett, vice chairman of Innovation & Entrepreneurship on the Savannah Financial Improvement Authority, whose program began in June. Keyan Karimi, 29 and a start-up investor, took Savannah’s invitation to maneuver there (although he didn’t ask for the reimbursement). Seeing the inequality of billionaires in San Francisco’s rich Pacific Heights neighborhood and the homeless camps down the hill floor on him. So Mr. Karimi went house to his dad and mom home in Atlanta to experience out a number of the pandemic. Then he detected one thing unusual. The town he thought was boring had gotten fairly attention-grabbing. Or possibly he had simply by no means observed earlier than. “I had no thought how a lot was occurring right here. I used to be form of myopic,” he mentioned, pausing and correcting himself: “No, I used to be conceited.” Mr. Karimi began taking a look at Zillow and learning the Southern cities he had ignored. He likes outdated homes and desires to repair one up. Savannah has a number of these. So only a few months after leaving his $4,000-a-month one-bedroom in San Francisco, he’s working with the native enterprise growth group to place collectively a maritime innovation heart in Savannah to put money into and information delivery and logistics start-ups. He purchased a kind of outdated homes. Savannah has one of many largest ports within the nation. “Nobody is aware of that,” Mr. Karimi mentioned. “I determine we will do one thing with that.” The one draw back is mosquitoes, he mentioned. “I get eaten alive.” There are 33,000 members within the Fb group Leaving California and 51,000 in its sister group, Life After California. Individuals submit footage of shifting vans and hyperlinks to Zillow listings in new cities. The founding father of each teams, Terry Gilliam, is planning to take members on a house-hunting street journey by jap Tennessee this spring with stops in common post-S.F. locations. One tour shall be Chattanooga, Knoxville and Johnson Metropolis. “When folks resolve to depart San Francisco, they often don’t know the place they wish to go, they only wish to go,” Mr. Gilliam mentioned. Mr. Gilliam, who met his spouse once they labored at a Bay Space Chili’s restaurant, mentioned she wouldn’t let the household transfer but. And so the Pied Piper of the California-bashing Fb group remains to be in Fremont, on the jap finish of Silicon Valley. The gang’s all … right here now “Individuals at all times get pissed at me once they hear birds in my Zoom,” mentioned Ed Zaydelman, a longtime chief in San Francisco’s Burning Man group (and former New York Metropolis membership promoter), who’s forming an entrepreneur group in Costa Rica. “And I say, ‘Come be a part of.’” If San Francisco of the 2010s proved something, it’s the ability of proximity. Entrepreneurs might discover a dozen start-up pitch competitions each week inside strolling distance. In the event that they left an enormous tech firm, there have been start-ups keen to rent, and if a start-up failed, there was at all times one other. They might stay jammed right into a rambling Victorian with fellow nerds who — because of the recognition of polyamory — had been having a number of intercourse. Extra money was made quicker within the Bay Space by fewer folks than at every other time in American historical past. Nobody leaving town is arguing {that a} tradition of innovation goes to spring up over Zoom. So some are attempting to recreate it. They’re moving into property growth, constructing luxurious tiny-home compounds and taking up massive, funky homes in outdated resort cities. “All these folks wish to do is that this live-on-the-land stuff, but it surely’s not as straightforward as folks suppose,” Mr. Zaydelman mentioned. He calls his new growth firm Nookleo, and he’s constructing 5 tiny-home communities for distant employees. The little homes value between $30,000 and 40,000. Every compound has 4 to 6 properties, a small natural farm, a yoga deck, a swimming pool and a kitchen clubhouse. Two clusters are already underway in Costa Rica, with Mexico and Portugal subsequent. In Puerto Rico, Gillian Morris, the founding father of the journey app Hitlist, can be recruiting. Her San Francisco breaking level got here after her roommate was attacked on their avenue, and she or he did a form of intestine examine of herself over whether or not the road scenes and feeling of hazard had been well worth the excessive lease. She moved to San Juan in 2019, regardless that it additionally has against the law drawback. However now she lives in an enormous home in the course of town. “I’ve 12 folks leaving San Francisco over the following three months to affix a co-living group I arrange,” she mentioned. “It’s superb right here.” And for the Baja-leaning, there may be Bear Kittay, a co-founder of Good Cash, a web-based banking platform. Now Mr. Kittay, one other longtime fixture of the Burning Man pageant turned developer, is constructing a property for the brand new digital nomads. “The issues that make this metropolis sick will not be inside my management to alter,” he mentioned of San Francisco. “Lots of people are selecting to go to locations the place there’s alternative, and possibly it’s a spot that’s extra conservative and there will be an integration of dialogue. Or a spot the place they’ll stay nearer to nature. That’s what we’re doing.” Nikil Viswanathan, who co-founded the blockchain start-up Alchemy, not too long ago fled San Francisco. He mentioned that there was no purpose anymore for him or his colleagues to be there, and that he had at all times needed to stay on the seashore. So now he does, in San Diego. However the expats nonetheless discover each other. Not way back, he discovered a cluster at a celebration. “I knew it was an S.F. crew as a result of once I walked in as a result of that they had the total twin monitor with the ergonomic keyboard on a standing desk,” Mr. Viswanathan mentioned, including that dialog revolved across the decrease value of dwelling. “One of many S.F. guys was like: ‘I simply had a burrito for $6. It was superb.’” The final burrito he had in San Francisco value $15. They gained’t essentially be missed Longtime Bay Space residents could effectively say good riddance to folks like Mr. Viswanathan. Individuals who distrusted the younger newcomers from the beginning will say this transformation is an effective factor. Hasn’t this steep progress in wealth and inhabitants in a tiny geography at all times appeared unsustainable? These tech employees got here like a whirlwind. Just about each group from San Jose within the south to Marin County within the north has fought the rise of recent housing for the arrivals of the final decade. Possibly spreading the tech expertise round America is sensible. Locals have additionally seen this play earlier than. Shifting vans come to take a technology of tech ambition away, and some years later shifting vans return with new dreamers and new ambitions. After the dot-com bust in 2001, there have been fallow years earlier than the most recent, long-lasting growth — simply as there have been fallow years after the PC business consolidated a decade earlier. That led to the dot-com growth. It’s the circle of life within the Bay Space. And people who are staying are digging in. “When 12 mates left, it felt like powerlessness,” mentioned Diana Helmuth, a 32-year-old author and marketer in Oakland. “Like these forces had been too massive. The forces of the world felt too massive.” Now, although, she is hardening towards those that say life is best elsewhere and had been on the town just for a job. “I say, ‘Nice, goodbye, have a good time elsewhere.’” Supply hyperlink #area #Bay #Fast #leave

[dailynewswebsite]

Cyber Monday's best fashion sales are here! Shop Nordstrom, Amazon, Walmart and more

Yahoo Life-style is dedicated to discovering you one of the best merchandise at one of the best costs. We could obtain a share from purchases made by way of hyperlinks on this web page. Pricing and availability is topic to alter.

Fashionable financial savings forward. (Photograph: Again Nation, Coach, New Steadiness)

Whether or not 2020 was the 12 months you improved your loungewear sport, swore off denims endlessly, or lastly determined that you just dress for your self and nobody else, this stretch of time has definitely pressured us to take a very good exhausting have a look at every thing in our lives. Together with how we costume, even when nobody is wanting.

No matter you found about your relationship to garments, it’s all good. However chances are high you’re within the temper for one thing new to put on—both within the super-comfy class or within the when-we-can-go-out-again class. There’s no higher time to make a transfer than immediately. As a result of for Cyber Monday, the style gross sales are wonderful. You’ll discover no matter you’re longing for your self or for these in your vacation record—from cozy sweaters to designer purses—at surprising reductions. We searched all over the place to deliver you one of the best wintry mixture of style offers. Scroll to identify some favorites.

Save on sneakers, athleisure, and extra. (Photograph: Adidas)

Rating as much as 50 p.c off choose types.

Adidas Supernova Winter.Rdy Footwear, $55 (was $110), adidas.com

Adidas Gazelle OG Footwear, $48 (was $80), adidas.com

Adidas Supernova Footwear, $60 (was $100), adidas.com

Adidas NMD_R1 Footwear, $84 (was $140), adidas.com

Adidas Continental 80 Footwear, $60 (was $100), adidas.com

All boots will likely be as much as 50 p.c off via December 1.

As much as 70 p.c off leggings, hoodies and extra.

Snag cold-weather necessities, like this ultra-warm jacket. (Photograph: Amazon)

For those who solely store in a single place this Black Friday, make certain it’s Amazon. The retailer is marking down males’s, ladies’s and child’s style, with explicit emphasis on activewear and loungewear (becoming, no?) It’s also possible to scoop up chilly climate gear courtesy of Columbia, and equipment like blue mild glasses.

Story continues

Snag 30 p.c off cool-girl types and residential decor.

Hear up, outdoorsy sorts: Rating as much as 85 p.c off jackets, boots, gear and extra.

Every part is 50 p.c off. No code required.

Take an additional 50 p.c off clearance gadgets and 25 p.c off choose full-price and sale gadgets.

Must deal with a person in your life? Rating 30 p.c off fits, costume shirts and extra.

Rating half off bestselling types like this one. (Photograph: Coach)

Rating as much as 50 p.c off choose bestselling luggage.

Maintain on to your hats: You’ll be able to snag 70 p.c off every thing plus free delivery.

Want new boots? The label is providing as much as 70 p.c off sitewide.

Take 30 p.c off sitewide on Reese Witherspoon’s line of preppy types.

Rating 50 p.c off your buy.

Take 50 p.c off nearly every thing — denims, clothes, activewear and extra.

How beautiful is that this high-low knit? (Photograph: HSN)

Whether or not you’re searching for new sneakers, a comfortable new cardigan, or a brand new pair of PJs, you possibly can rating them for much less at HSN. Many gadgets even include free delivery from now till November 30!

Vince Camuto Abrinna Ankle Bootie, $80 (was $129), hsn.com

Sporto Minor Waterproof Suede Mid-Calf Boot with Fake Fur Trim, $67 (was $74), hsn.com

Heidi Daus Sweater Knit Topper with Fake Fur Trim, $100 (a $145 worth), hsn.com

G by Giuliana Black Label Crossover Maxi Sweater, $66 (a $109 worth), hsn.com

BEARPAW Rosy Suede Sheepskin Button Boot with NeverWet, $55 (was $62), hsn.com

FILA 2-piece Velour Hoodie and Jogger Pant Set, $80 (was $104), hsn.com

Time to get these boots you had your eye on: Rating 30 p.c off almost every thing sitewide.

Take 50 p.c off your buy, and 60 p.c off clearance.

Take as much as 70 p.c off sitewide.

Save on types for the entire household — types begin at simply $2.

Dear, however they’re going to final years. (Photograph: Lululemon)

Store leggings for as little as $59.

Whereas markdowns may be discovered sitewide on the massive day, top-of-the-line is 25 p.c off activewear.

Rating 40 p.c off your buy and free delivery with code BESTNEWS.

Take as much as 50 p.c off sale gadgets out of your favourite designers.

Take 25 p.c off your order — and snack a pair of trendy kicks, like these. (Photograph: New Steadiness)

Take 25 p.c off your buy.

Boots and booties are 50 p.c off.

As much as 50 p.c off choose gadgets — together with Zella leggings, Ugg boots and extra.

Snag these booties and extra on sale. (Photograph: Nordstrom Rack)

It’s a sale on sale! Nordstrom Rack is providing an additional 40 p.c clearance gadgets, together with knits, activewear and a lot extra. A few of these costs are so low, they appear like typos!

How beautiful is that this leopard knit? (Photograph: Outdated Navy)

Take 50 p.c off every thing — sure, every thing. Now’s the time to select up the model’s top-notch leggings, or maybe get cozy with a brand new set of pajamas. Both manner, you possibly can’t go incorrect.

Further Excessive-Waisted Sky-Hello Straight Uncooked-Hem Black Denims for Girls, $20 (was $40), oldnavy.com

Cozy Blouson-Sleeve Crew-Neck Sweater for Girls, $20 (was $40), oldnavy.com

Plaid Ruffle-Yoke Flannel Shirt for Girls, $15 (was $30), oldnavy.com

Quilted Utility Puffer Jacket for Girls, $30 (was $60), oldnavy.com

Excessive-Waisted CozeCore Jogger Leggings for Girls, $18.50 (was $37), oldnavy.com

Snap up this tote earlier than another person does! (Photograph: QVC)

Nobody likes paying further for delivery, so QVC made positive you’re in for an actual deal with: Transport is completely free on all Black Friday purchases via November 30. There’s loads to scoop up, too, from loungewear to booties and extra.

Arctic Expedition Quilted Zip Entrance Down Coat with Hood, $130 (was $158), qvc.com

Ceaselessly Lazy Fleece Onesie, $35 (was $38), qvc.com

Diamonique Set of 6 Necessities with Jewellery Field, Sterling Silver, $42 (was $62.50), qvc.com

Honora Cultured Pearl Stretch Bracelet, $133 (was $300), qvc.com

Frye Leather-based Gia Tote, $186 (was $348), qvc.com

Minnetonka Betty Bootie Knit Slippers, $45 (was $55), qvc.com

Rating as much as a ridiculous 85 p.c off sitewide.

Take 20 p.c off sitewide — would possibly we advise the model’s iconic leggings?

Take 25 p.c off choose sparklers.

Step out in fashion. (Photograph: Toms)

Rating as much as 60 p.c off, plus 35 p.c off your whole buy.

Snag as much as 50 p.c off sitewide.

Choose types are as much as 30 p.c off.

Do not undergo winter with out this puffer. (Photograph: Walmart)

Don’t neglect to scope out Walmart’s style choice — it’s stuffed with some severe gems at loopy low costs. We’re speaking robes for $11, pajamas for $13, and a ton extra.

Time and Tru Girls’s Packable Puffer Jacket with Hood, $20 (was $25), walmart.com

GBH Womens Heavyweight Vogue Parka With Fur Hood, $65 (was $215), walmart.com

Time and Tru Girls’s Mock Neck Tunic Sweater, $17 (was $25), walmart.com

Girls Button Down Strong Shade Cardigan, $20 (was $40), walmart.com

Blue Star Clothes Girls’s 3/four Size Textured Plush Gown, $11 (was $26), walmart.com

Rating 40 p.c off sitewide and choose up the model’s traditional leggings for simply $25.

Save on these boots and extra this weekend. (Photograph: Zappos)

Take as much as 40 p.c off high manufacturers like Sorel, Crocs and extra.

Learn extra from Yahoo Life:

Observe us on Instagram, Fb, Twitter, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered contemporary to your feed, each day.

Need day by day popular culture information delivered to your inbox? Join right here for Yahoo’s publication.

from Growth News https://growthnews.in/cyber-mondays-best-fashion-sales-are-here-shop-nordstrom-amazon-walmart-and-more/ via https://growthnews.in