#one today sent me three identical messages in a row

[lady-merian]

I didn’t realize how wealthy I seemed until so many desperate people began clamoring for financial aid in my inbox. 🙃

[chilling-seavey]

Qui Totum Vult Totum Perdit (d.s.) - 5

A/N Now the long chapters are really starting

Warnings: This story is centered around a murder so there will be graphic descriptions of blood, death/manslaughter, dealing with corpses, possible domestic abuse (physical/verbal), crime/covering up a crime, shock/grief, and other possibly heavy or triggering topics. Please read at your own discretion.

Avalon’s purse was left on the kitchen island right by the door. It was on its side as if it had been thrown there in some sort of haste when she came inside. I picked it up and ruffled through the small bag; pushing aside the tube of lipstick, small medicine bottle, few feminine hygiene products, and her wallet before accessing her phone.

Her lockscreen was a photo of me, taken on our honeymoon some time by the resort pool. If I didn’t feel the breath of shame and guilt on my neck, that certainly sealed it in. I typed in her passcode but was met with ‘incorrect pin’. I tried again, only to receive the same message. Since when did she change her passcode and not tell me?

We must ignore the fact that I changed mine a few weeks back without telling her as well.

The last thing I wanted to have to do was facial recognition, but it seemed that was my only option.

So I found myself back in the studio, patting softly over the blood soaked rug to the body of my wife to stick her iPhone in her face. Jonah watched from the doorway as I crouched down carefully on the balls of my feet and held the screen towards Avalon’s blank expression. The phone unlocked and the home screen appeared. I didn’t look at her for too long – honestly I couldn’t without risking being sent to empty my stomach again – and I simply took her phone over to the studio couch and sat down on the arm. Jonah stood beside me to watch over my shoulder as I opened up her contacts app and scrolled down to J.

You can imagine my surprise when the very first contact under that letter was simply the letter itself. It was too easy. I brought up any messages she had with that person and scrolled to the top of the reasonably short text thread. They had messaged her first,

Hey. Thanks for reaching out. I’ll have the stuff together for the end of the week as promised.

Great! Looking forward to it.

When’s your fiancé out next? I can drop by your place if you want.

He usually works late every day so whenever is good. Lunch tomorrow maybe?

Yeah, sounds good. See you then :)

There was only one other date that they had messaged – at least by text – and it was also a short yet cryptic conversation.

If you’re ready today I can come by. Daniel’s held up in meetings so I’m alone.

Yeah that’s fine. I’m at the Lincoln Motel in Pasadena. Room 19. Come by whenever.

1559 Lincoln Ave

Okay! I’ll head over now. I’m excited! :)

The green monster was never a kind friend, dear reader, and I couldn’t help but feel near sick again with the question as to if my wife had been cheating on me. Sure, I was no perfect man and I seemed to put a lot of my efforts into my work – maybe more than I should have – but never would I have dreamt about being unfaithful to her. Seemed as though she had thought differently. I locked Avalon’s phone and slid it in my pocket as I stood up, trying to act like it was something that just rolled off my back.

“What the fuck.” Jonah breathed.

I pushed a hand through my hair and rubbed the back of my neck tensely, ignoring his rhetorical question.

“You okay?” Jonah asked, setting his hand on my shoulder.

“Fine.” I nodded stiffly.

“Do you want to stop by the motel?”

I contemplated his offer for a moment. It was on the way out of state anyway and it would have been nice to get some answers. Maybe it would even help me figure out what happened to Avalon. This mysterious J person wasn’t necessarily in my good books at the moment.

“Yeah. We should.” I finally answered.

The first step before we could leave was to clean up the brutal scene that I had found myself amidst just in case anyone was to come past while we were gone. Our safest bet was to keep Avalon with us until we figured out what had happened; this was imperative especially if it came to the possible outcome where I had killed her. I grabbed an extra towel from under the sink in the studio and Jonah and I stood beside the body.

“Jesus Christ.” Jonah breathed as we stared at her.

I held the towel out to him, “You tuck this under her. I’ll lift her up.”

He nodded silently and watched as I stepped over my wife who was still laying out over the ruined rug. With one foot on either side of her, I bent down and slid my hands under her armpits and just around her back. She was terribly cold and I could feel it through the shirt she was still wearing. Ironic choice of words, but it was chilling.

Jonah slid the towel underneath her and the strain of me holding her limp body up caused more blood to trickle out of the gash across her neck and I looked away to keep from seeing any more. Waking up in it was enough. We moved down her body and I held up her hips so Jonah could tug the towel completely underneath her.

“Let’s move her to the hardwood.” I instructed flatly and we each took two corners of the towel to hoist her up off the blood-soaked rug.

Jonah and I shuffled across the studio and gently set her down on the hardwood in front of the front door to keep her off the rug. The knife still rested on the carpet, glinting teasingly in the late morning sun and I finally worked up the nerve to bend down and pick it up.

“I’ll leave you alone when you get it through your head what a psychotic bitch you’re being!”

“I’m psychotic?” she shrieked, whipping around to face me once we both entered the studio and I flicked on the light. The large collection of wedding gifts was piled neatly along the kitchenette counter and on the couch, the rest of the small single room building taken up by all of my music equipment. Avalon got right up in my face, pointing her finger at me behind furious brown eyes, and screaming until the minimal soundproofing almost muffled the edges of her voice, “Look at yourself! Screaming at me for simply missing my husband on our honeymoon! You’re so fucking psychotic it’s nearly goddamn comedic!”

“I’m not going to keep having this same argument with you, Avalon! I’m getting so sick of needing to defend myself against you time and time again! You just don’t respect me or my job!”

“Who even are you?” she scoffed humourlessly, “It’s nothing about respect, it’s about you being a decent human being – a decent husband – and actually showing me that you care about me!”

“Avalon, I swear to God if you don’t-”

“If I don’t what? Shut up? Be a good little wife and shut up and look pretty for you? Big important business tycoon Daniel Seavey is going to…do what exactly?”

With the knife in my hand, my eyes drifted to the stack of wedding gifts on the studio couch, the thin polished wooden box on the top capturing my attention. The lid was left open, revealing the velvet trimmed interior and the rest of the silver knives resting in a row inside. It was a wedding gift from my brother, the high-end knife set purchased and engraved with our surname on each dark wooden handle until they looked no less than ridiculously expensive and classy. The one empty slot in the velvet box had its assigned subject resting in my hand, the largest knife from the box weighing down in my fingers.

How strange and ironic it is; Avalon killed by a knife wielding her own surname. The surname only given to her a mere three weeks earlier. I had no time to stew on that, however, as I was sure that the fact she wasn’t at work that morning (and that neither was I) would start to raise suspicions. We had to get out of there before someone came looking for us.

I took the knife to the sink in the kitchenette along the far wall of the studio and turned on the hot water to rinse the blood off the blade. I found myself trembling slightly as I scrubbed, my hands struggling to keep still even under the warmth of the water. The red stained the water and flooded around the base of the stainless-steel sink as the drain pulled it down and soon my hands and the knife were left clean and spotless.

Jonah had the rug rolled up from the floor by the time I finished cleaning the knife and I thanked him quietly as I set the chef’s knife back in its slot in the wooden box. The handles stared back at me, twelve identical silver engravings of my surname staring back at me as if they knew what I had possibly done. I closed the lid and snapped the silver clasps shut.

“What do we do with the rug?” I asked my best friend.

Jonah exhaled deeply and brushed the back of his hand over his forehead. He thought for a minute before replying, “Bring it with us?”

I nodded in agreement, “Okay. I’ll grab my keys.”

I headed back into the main house quickly to grab my keys and anything else I might want to bring with me. My laptop case was an obvious and I tucked Avalon’s letter in my bag too just in case I might need it again while figuring everything out.

I was ready for a quick getaway but of course that would have been too easy. Another thing that drove my wife insane? The fact that I constantly was losing everything. My keys were usually the victim of my carelessness and this moment was obviously no exception. I couldn’t find them anywhere, along the front console table or in my laptop bag or on the kitchen counter.

Jonah stepped inside the back door again, “Are you coming?”

“Yeah.” I rushed back down the hallway to the master bedroom, scanning the side tables and the front pocket of our packed suitcase hurriedly.

Time wasn’t on our side and my tendency to misplace everything I own certainly wasn’t helping. On my way back down the hallway, I caught myself on the doorway to the walk-in-closet when I saw a glint out of the corner of my eye and stepped back to see my keys peeking out of my jean’s pocket. You would think I would have checked their first. Well, sorry to break it to you, but nothing was going as expected that morning.

I grabbed my keys from my blood-stained jeans and stuffed the hoodie and pants into my laptop bag too. I stopped to grab a baseball hat and set it on my head followed by my darkest sunglasses I had in my closet to try and keep some sort of physical neutrality for going into public before meeting Jonah back on the porch. I held my keys up to him as I walked right past him and around the side of the house to the gate. He followed right behind me with the expensive box of knives in hand.

The driveway backed right onto the side gate and I unlatched it and pulled the white pickets open to let ourselves through. Ah yes, my pretty expensive Los Angeles house and my white picket fence and my dead wife. Really living the perfect American dream, huh?

I unlocked my Tesla and yanked open the back door to toss in my overflowing laptop bag and Jonah’s heavy work bag while Jonah opened the trunk and tucked the knife set in the corner. We hurried back down the driveway towards the studio door and slipped back inside, stepping over Avalon to grab the rug first. We each took an end of the heavy rolled up vintage Persian and took it down to my car. I was lucky my car had been parked in reverse in the driveway which prevented any neighbours from possibly seeing us loading the trunk with questionable items.

The last thing we needed to take care of was Avalon but we couldn’t necessarily carry her outside in a blood streaked towel. We stood over her in thought of what to do next. We needed something to keep it discreet while still being able to keep her in one piece. There was no way I would be able to stomach cutting any limbs. I had gone through enough that morning as it was.

My eyes scanned my studio for any possible solution to our situation and quickly landed on one of the large travel cases I used for my production keyboard. I looked back down at Avalon’s body and then back to the long trunk. 

This was insane.

I stepped over her and walked over to the corner of the studio where the travel trunks were stacked up. I moved a few smaller ones from the top and Jonah came over to help me once he caught on to what I was doing. I flipped open the top of the trunk and made sure it was empty except for the thin plush padding that lined the interior. 

I refrained from making a joke about it at least being a comfortable place for her to lay.

Jonah and I each took an end of the towel again and hoisted her stiff body up and over to the trunk and lowered her in slowly. I made sure the towel was tucked inside and that her arms and legs were resting flatly before closing the lid and buckled up the case. Jonah and I met each other’s eyes over top of the trunk but didn’t speak a word before picking up either end and made our way out of the studio.

The walk down the side of the house to the driveway felt like forever. There we were, in broad daylight, on a regular Tuesday morning, carrying a dead body into the trunk of my car. The production case fit nicely into the trunk – I knew it would from the amount of times I had to bring it into work or over to Jonah’s house – and I shut the trunk over top of it. I let out a shaky exhale and Jonah and I glanced blankly at each other.

Detective Team: @jonahlovescoffee​ @randomlimelightxxx​ @stuffofseaveyy​ @hopinglimelight​ @tempus-ut-luceant​ @br4nd1s​ @xkelsev​ @hiya-its-amber​ @sexyseavey15​

[wisteriashouse]

aflame (ii).

pairing: firefighter!rengoku kyoujurou x cook!reader

genre: fluff, modern! au

word count: 2073

ii. chicken soup

Rengoku Kyoujurou and you have a rather strange relationship.

He’s what you would call your life benefactor — the man had saved you from a fire a couple of months ago when the gas pipe in your kitchen had exploded, leaving your eatery in flames and you choking on smoke, thankfully out of the blast range.

That’s when he’d appeared, charging through the flames fearlessly in full gear, looking like an angel descending from the heavens to rescue you. His eyes had met yours through the visor, a shining golden colour that you had never seen before, full of determination and courage, and you think it was that moment that you’d fallen in love.

In the middle of the roaring flames, his voice had been gentle and comforting, his arms strong and reliable as he carried you out of the fire like a prince from the pages of a fairytale.

That single encounter had left you completely starry eyed for a man whose name you hadn’t even known. After three weeks of fruitless agonizing over your mysterious savior’s identity while your eatery was being rebuilt, you had decided at the end of it to put the man firmly out of your mind — you had other things to focus on, such as filling the hungry bellies of your patrons.

As if fate would have it, however, the very day you had decided to reopen your eatery and forget about him, the very man you had been searching for this entire time walked right through your doors with the brightest smile on his face.

Rengoku Kyoujurou visiting your eatery that day had been a pure stroke of luck, you later learned. According to him, it’d been two months since the previous designated chef of the fire house had resigned, leaving him and the firefighting crew with no form of sustenance but cup noodles and microwavable meals. That had already sounded absolutely deplorable to you already, but the breaking point for them had come when the only microwave in the fire house had broken down right before lunch break, leaving all of the firefighting crew tired, stressed and downright angry.

Kyoujurou had then proceeded to lose at janken, the responsibility of finding an alternate food source before his co-workers went completely ballistic thrust upon his shoulders. Upon being tossed out onto the streets, he happened to remember about the eatery fire that he had attended to a few weeks ago, and hence decided to give it a shot.

That was how he had come to enter your eatery that day, very nearly giving you a heart attack and causing you to fall for him all over again. When he’d explained his plight to you with a rather sheepish smile on his face, you had insisted on treating him and all his co-workers to a hot lunch in return for saving your life. And that’s how things had gone from there.

Now, Kyoujurou drops by your eatery daily at twelve exactly when his break starts to collect lunch for the fire house crew. You hate to admit it, but his visits are easily what you look forward to the most every day; they never fail to brighten your mood with his presence and chatter.

So, you’re understandably put out when Kyoujurou doesn’t come by one day.

“Boss, is your Prince Charming still not here yet?”

You whirl around from where you were staring at the clock on the wall, mouth falling open in shock. “Stop calling him that!” You insist, fanning your cheeks wildly. The new part timer at your eatery, Kanzaki Aoi, only laughs in response as she rushes to fish the tempura from the deep fryer.

You smack your cheeks lightly, shaking your head in an attempt to clear your mind, it’s now lunch hour and the eatery is fully packed - you can even see a queue beginning for form outside. This isn’t time to be distracted!

“Aoi, take the tempura and chicken soup to Hakuji-san’s table, don’t forget to give them a cup of hot green tea on the house too–”

“Because his girlfriend catches a cold easily, I know.” Aoi calls back, already nimbly balancing three trays on her hands. You have to take a moment to admire your protégé, only two weeks of working here and she’s already so capable! Pleased, you turn back to the pan you’re tending to, but you find your eyes wandering back to the clock once more. The stack of bento boxes sit at the side, untouched.

It’s already fifteen minutes past twelve. Is he really not coming today?

“If you’re really that worried about him, just drop him a text.” Aoi’s voice interrupts your thoughts once more and you yelp at the sight of Aoi staring at you with her arms crossed, terribly embarrassed about having being caught distracted twice in a row. Is it really that obvious that you’re thinking about him?

“A text message?” You repeat dumbly. Aoi nods, gestures to your phone lying on the counter.

“Yes, a text message. With alphabets and words. Ask him why he hasn’t come yet, and tell him that you’re worried about him.” Aoi speaks slowly, as if she’s coaching a baby, and squints at you out of the corner of her eye. “You do have his number, right?

Sure, you have his number saved on your phone, but the only messages you’ve sent each other have been meal orders so far. To ask him why he hasn’t come yet... does that seem a little too awkward? Too personal?

“He should take responsibility for ordering food and not turning up to it. Imagine if he takes you out on a date and ends up blindsiding you... If he’s that sort of man, then you should just kick him to the curb. ” Aoi suddenly declares, folding her arms across her apron. You gasp.

“Don’t speak like that about Rengoku-san!”

“So just text him.” Aoi snorts, grabbing the stack of bento boxes and hefting them into the trolley your eatery uses for deliveries. “I’ll get this to the fire station and see if he’s there, so you just focus on finding out what happened to your prince charming, alright?”

“He’s not my prince charming!” You squeak, voice even more high pitched than earlier, but Aoi is already on her way out of the door, humming a merry tune to herself. Nervously, you heed her advice and pull out your phone, studying your most recent conversation with Kyoujurou.

The last message he’d sent you had been the evening prior.

Rengoku-san: I hope you’ve had a fantastic day at work! Your customers must be lucky to have your delicious food to strengthen their bodies and warm their hearts, as I am.

Rengoku-san: According to the weather forecast, it seems that it will rain tomorrow morning, so remember to take an umbrella with you. Although it may be cold and wet, I am sure that it will not dampen your spirits!

Rengoku-san: Uzui would like to request for extra onigiri. I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow! Thank you very much <3

See? Just a normal conversation between the owner of an eatery and their customer. Chewing on your lower lip, your fingers hover over the keypad, unsure of how you’re supposed to phrase your message.

How are you, Rengoku-san? No, too formal.

Are you alright, Rengoku-san? What if he isn’t sick? The message sounds like you’re assuming that he’s already sick. He might just be busy, and have forgotten about lunch.

Good afternoon, Rengoku-san, I was wondering if you were...

No, you wail internally, hitting the backspace again and again. All of it sounds awful! Absolutely awful! Come on, you can form one sentence right, can’t you?

Taking a deep breath, you stare at the screen of your phone with renewed concentration. “You didn’t come by today to pick up your lunch...” you mutter under your breath as you type out the message carefully. “I had Aoi send the food to the fire house instead. Are you alright?” You hit send before the scraps of courage you managed to gather earlier flee you again.

The message stays at two grey ticks.

You add a ‘:(’ for good measure and toss your phone to the side, too anxious to look at it any longer. Just as you do, there’s a light rap of knuckles on the counter top and you glance up to see on of your regulars, Hakuji, standing there with a big grin, holding out the money for lunch. “No luck with fire boy?”

“I’m not trying to do anything with him!” You exclaim frantically as you take the money from him. You wish your voice sounded believable, at the very least, because Hakuji only raises an eyebrow in amusement. “Oh, is that so?”

“Anyways! How is Koyuki-san doing?” You ask, desperate to change the subject as you root about in the cashier for his change. At the mention of his girlfriend’s name, Hakuji’s eyes soften almost immediately, head tilting back to glance at the slight young woman in the back sipping carefully at her cup of hot tea. His jacket rests around her shoulders.

“Better.” He says, unable to keep the happiness out of his voice. “She loves your chicken soup. It’s the only thing she wants to eat when she’s sick. I like to joke that it’s more effective than the medicine.”

You beam, joy welling up in your chest at the praise. “Well then, in repayment, remember to invite me to your wedding.” You joke, dropping the change into his hand. The man waves goodbye, flashing you a playful grin and a wink, before carefully escorting Koyuki out of the eatery.

Staring after the sweet couple as they leave with a smile, you’re startled when your phone suddenly buzzes, indicating a new message. You take a deep breath and pick up your phone.

Rengoku-san: My deepest apologies, I was feeling under the weather today. My younger brother turned off my alarm, so I ended up sleeping in until now. It’s my fault for forgetting to inform you.

Rengoku-san: I promise I’ll make it up to you the next time I see you. I’m really, really sorry about this.

Rengoku-san: Ahh, it’s only been a day, but I already find myself craving your cooking.

The last message makes you flush a little, but you snap yourself out of it, rereading his messages once again. Not a single exclamation mark? He must really be feeling awful, you think.

Chef-san: It’s no problem!

Chef-san: Rest properly and get well soon, Rengoku-san! I look forward to seeing you again.

Just as you hit send on your reply, a crumpled slip of paper is thrust into your field of vision. Bewildered, you look up to see Aoi standing there, one hand cocked on her hip. “Oh, you’re back from the fire house. What’s this?”

“Rengoku-san’s address.” Aoi says matter of factly, as if it’s perfectly normal for her to have people’s addresses scribbled on random slips of paper. “I got it from the angry white haired man at the fire house.”

You blink. “From Shinazugawa-san? Why?”

“So that you can deliver food to his house, of course.” Aoi nods at the phone in your hand. “Didn’t he say he wants to eat your cooking?”

What Aoi is trying to imply finally pieces itself together in your mind and your mouth falls open in horror at the thought. “You mean, me, deliver food to Rengoku-san’s place? Personally?”

“Exactly.” Your part timer waves the paper in your face even as you continue to gape at her like a goldfish out of water. “He’s sick and you have some chicken soup left over from earlier. You know, the one you made for Koyuki-san? Close shop early after the dinner crowd, go deliver it to him and voila! Affection stats raised instantly!”

You... visiting Kyoujurou’s place... bringing him dinner... “B-but, the washing up–” you stutter, trying to wrap your head around the idea of seeing him outside of your eatery and failing terribly.

Aoi clicks her tongue.

“I’ll take care of it. You, Boss, just need to focus on keeping the soup warm for him. Alright?”

The little slip of paper is pressed into your palm. The words on it stare back at you, as if encouraging you to go give that very special man a visit.

“Okay.” You whisper, clutching it tightly in your hand.

[tanyawritesstories]

Love On The Front Lines pt. 2 | Captain Rex x Reader

Here is the sequel to my Rex fic! I hope y'all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. @snips-n-skyguy0501 I hope you like it, thank you again for the request. Sorry it took so long. 😊

Warnings: fluff, mentions of nudity, more fluff, peril, depictions of birth, Rex is finally happy

•••

The day had finally come. You woke up in your bedroom on Coruscant just as light was streaming in through the viewports. You begrudgingly sat up and groaned, looking down at your huge stomach. The baby had woken you up at the crack of dawn with violent kicks to your insides for the third day in a row. You were starting to get tired of it. The little one inside you wanted out, and honestly you wanted the same thing.

You got up and ate breakfast before starting to pack what little things you needed. Rex’s two week leave started today and you had to be ready to go when he touched down. He and Anakin had formulated a plan and commed you last night to discuss it. You were to meet them at the landing platform, they would come to you. Anakin had gotten you passage on one of the transport ships that carried civilians and it would take you all the way to Naboo. When there, Padme would show you to your hideaway where you would be safe and your marriage would take place. You had memorized every detail and was ready to go. You stuffed everything into a backpack and donned a large hooded cloak, pulling the hood up to hide your face. After grabbing the backpack you locked up the apartment and made for the landing dock.

You stood off on your own near a pillar, quietly observing everything and trying to blend in. You were glad the cloak hid your stomach, you weren't an uncommon face in the GAR. Maker knows what would happen if you were recognized. You had been standing for a total of 13 minutes when you spotted two figures, also wearing hooded cloaks, heading towards you. You saw the faces of Anakin and Rex and you stepped away from the pillar to meet them. Rex's eyes met yours and he smiled. You and Rex ran the last few feet and embraced each other, in the process you accidentally pushed the hood off his head. He had ditched the armor and blacks and was wearing simple civilian clothes. You shared a quick kiss and you pulled his hood back up.

"Hey Rex," you greeted. "Hey, (Y/n). You ready?" He asked. You nodded and Rex placed a hand on your stomach, "You feeling alright?" You nodded again.

"Hurry, we haven't got much time," Anakin stated. You grabbed onto Rex's arm and you both followed Anakin to the correct platform. The General took you as far as he could then pointed out the correct ship.

"That's it down there, Rex has everything you need to get on board. Senator Amidala will be waiting for you when you reach Naboo. Good luck," he bid. You both thanked him and you parted ways. Rex and you made your way to the ship.

Not far away, a small probe droid watched the entire interaction. The Separatist droid recorded everything, sending coded messages to it's leaders.

Positive identity: General Anakin Skywalker.

Positive identity: Clone Captain Rex.

Unknown subject: Female, pregnant. 

Possible link.

Rex and you entered the ship and found a place to huddle together for the journey. He put his arm around you and held you close to him. The probe droid moved undetected, slipping through the ship door just before it closed. It sent another message.

In pursuit. 

~~~~

Sunlight assaulted your eyes as you stepped out of the ship. Rex put his hand on your back and led you away from the crowd. You both scanned the people at the landing platform finally spotting a woman stood away from everyone else. She was wearing a cloak too but hers was a light purple color and decorated beautifully. That must be Senator Amidala. Rex and you walked to her. You saw her face underneath her hood as you got closer. You reached her and she put a comforting hand on you and Rex.

"Welcome, both of you," she greeted, "Captain, it's good to see you again." Rex nodded, "Likewise Senator."

Padme turned to you, "(Y/n), am I correct? It's nice to finally meet you in person." You bowed your head, "It's a pleasure Senator Amidala." She smiled, "Please, both of you may call me Padme. Come this way."

She ushered you through an alleyway and behind a building where a man was standing with a small ground transport nearby. "Captain Typho," she addressed, "Our guests are here, are we ready to depart?"

The man nodded and hopped into the driver's seat. Padme sat next to him and Rex helped you into the back. The speeder took off, traveling through the Naboo streets. The entire trip took about an hour as Captain Typho drove into the hills. The house you would be staying at was secluded but not too far away from the city, just in case something happened. Padme walked into the house with you to show you around.

It wasn't very big, but it had the essentials and was much nicer than your shared apartment. Padme showed you around and gave you her comm frequency just in case.

"I'll see you both tomorrow to make sure your ceremony clothes fit. Until then, enjoy your time together," Padme bid.

You watched and waved as she left. You and Rex walked back into the house and he immediately picked you up and spun you around. You squealed and held on until he planted you back down on the ground. Your lips met with his as soon as your feet touched the ground and you held each other tight until you needed air.

“This place is perfect,” Rex gushed, pushing the hood off your head so he could see your face, “We’re far away from the war and it's just you and me.” You pushed the hood off his head and put your arms around his neck, “I couldn’t think of anything better.” You sighed, happily in the arms of the man you loved, “I still can’t believe we’re getting married in two days.”

~~~~

The next day went by with a blur. Rex and you had to visit Padme to make sure your formal wedding clothes fit. Rex’s was perfect because the measurements were taken from his armor, whereas yours needed more tampering to accommodate your large belly. You and Rex had dinner with Padme that night and discussed details. Upon waking up the next morning you and Rex had breakfast together before being whisked away to different sides of the house.

Your dress fit perfectly. The white strapless dress wasn’t anything super fancy but it made you look beautiful. There was beadwork on the bust and navy blue ribbon on every hem, it was loose and flowy with a small train. You were also given a navy blue veil to add to the 501st colors. Rex was ready before you and the small beach that you were to be married on was secluded and beautiful. When you were finished, Padme checked in on you and told you everything was ready and that Rex was waiting.

“This is it, are you ready?” She asked. “I couldn't be more so,” you responded. Padme laid a hand on your shoulder and handed you a small bouquet of native flowers. “Good luck.”

You made your way down to the beach with Padme close behind you. You walked slowly through the sand to where Rex and another man were waiting. Rex looked so handsome. He was wearing a blue officers uniform with his awards across the chest and white accents throughout. He looked overwhelmed with emotion, a mixture of joy, pride, and all out love. You smiled at him and he smiled back the brightest you’d ever seen. You stood in front of him and Padme took your flowers so you could join hands.

“Before we start you have two guests,” she said. You were both confused as Padme set two holodisks down in a sand a few feet away, facing you. They blinked to life to show full sized holograms of Fives and Echo.

“Sorry we weren’t invited, sir, but there was no way we were going to miss your wedding,” Echo said, Fives nodding in agreement. You laughed and thanked them both, looking at Rex. He looked proud and happy that his men were here to support and celebrate with him and gave their holograms a genuine smile. “Thank you Fives, Echo. I’m glad you’re here.”

The ceremony started and you and Rex exchanged your vows, promising to love, care for, and trust each other for the rest of your lives. “I now pronounce you, Captain Rex, and you, (Y/n) (L/n), husband and wife. You may kiss.”

You and Rex found each other’s eyes, the pure joy and light to be found was enough to make the sun jealous. At the same time, Rex and you flung your arms around each other and smashed your lips together. Applause immediately erupted from Padme, Echo, and Fives, with Fives shouting: “Way to go, Captain!”

You were finally married, you and Rex were one.

Your lips parted after a while and you both stood and basked in each other’s presence. For once, truly happy, truly safe.

~~~~

Rex stood looking out the large bedroom window at the stars in the Naboo sky.  He was still shaken from the fact that he was now married to the love of his life. It was just too good to be true, whatever did he do to deserve a time like this. A time to be free from the fighting, to relax, calm down and focus on loving you rather than battle plans and the enemy’s next move. He had since changed out of his ceremony clothes and was now sporting comfortable leisure pants and had foregone the shirt. He flinched when you wormed your arms around his middle, your head resting against his back.

“How is my husband this fine night?” Oh how much Rex loved hearing that name come from your lips. “At peace,” he said, “For the first time.” You planted a kiss to his shoulder blade.

“You know what’s supposed to happen on the wedding night, don’t you?” Rex’s eyes widened, “I don’t think that’s a good idea given your current state.”

You took his arm and turned him around to face you, Rex swallowed thickly. You were wearing a sheer robe and nothing else. He couldn’t take his eyes off you. “Darling, your due date is in two weeks and three days, I’m not sure-”

“Relax,” you said, running your hands up and down his arms, “Kix said it’s completely safe as long as you’re gentle and we lay on our sides.”

“You discussed our sex life with Kix?” Rex asked, baffled. You giggled, “He kind of needed to know, dear, he’s a medic. Plus, he’s seen the marks you’ve left on me earlier in the pregnancy.”

Rex blushed, now his medic knew the ins and outs of what goes on between his Captain and weapons expert beneath the sheets. “C’mon Rex, it’s just one night,” you begged, taking his hands and placing them on your hips.

“Captain, you haven’t had me in five months, you must be so pent up.” Rex shuddered and felt a stirring sensation in his groin, it always got to him when you used his rank. He smirked, “Alright, get on the bed.”

~~~~

It had been three days since you and Rex were wed, and everyday since then had been spent together. Picnicking in the meadows, walking through the city, swimming in the lakes, just enjoying being married before you had to go back to the war.

“I was just thinking, we haven’t discussed baby names,” you voiced. Rex looked up from polishing his blasters, which he insisted on bringing along. “What did you have in mind?” You were about to answer when you both heard a huge splash from outside.

“That’s odd, we’re the only ones up here, and there are only little fish in that lake,” you said. Rex loaded his blasters and headed for the door that led out to the porch, you followed close behind. He couldn’t see anything outside but thought it best to check it out. “Stay here.” He opened the doors and walked out onto the porch. There were still no signs of anything, but the noise was suspicious and Rex was determined to figure it out, he had to protect his family.

He walked to the railing and looked out over the beach. Nothing. He lowered his weapons, confused. It was silent now, strangely so. In the blink of an eye, a commando droid sprung up in front of him. Rex reflexively aimed and shot the droid square in the head. The surrounding area seemed to move as several droids came out of the water and foliage, aiming their blasters and opening fire.

“Get inside!” Rex shouted.

This can’t be happening, how is this happening, thoughts ran through your head faster than the blasts being fired your way.

“Rex how did they find us?” You yelled. Rex grabbed your arm and pulled you with him into another room, firing as he ran. “I don’t know,” he said. He took a point at the door and fired back at your attackers. You backed away from the door, trying to think of some way to help. Metal arms suddenly wrapped around your neck and pulled, a droid had you. You screamed. Rex turned and fired, killing the droid. You fell to the floor with the hunk of metal, wincing in pain. 

Rex rushed to you, putting his back to the door. “Are you ok?” You saw three droids come through the door, you grabbed the blaster from the fallen droid and shot all three, stopping them in the doorway. Rex looked at the droids you just shot, then back at you.

“Sometimes I forget you’re a weapons expert.” He helped you to your feet and you took cover behind a sofa, popping up and shooting from behind it. The pain you felt from hitting the floor hadn’t gone away, your back was starting to hurt more and more. You shot down two more droids then ducked back down. You winced from the pain, increasing by the second. You felt liquid gush down your legs and you looked down to see a puddle of water at your feet.

“Oh no.”

You turned and shot another droid. “Rex!” 

He didn’t hear you.

“Rex!” You shouted over the noise of the guns.

“What is it?” He responded. You both ducked down and he looked at you. “My water just broke.” Horror spread across his face. "What do we do?" He asked. You shrugged, a bullet blasted through the sofa between you and Rex. "We need to move!"

Rex helped you up and you instantly doubled in pain, yelling out. Rex shot at more of the metal intruders as he helped you to the bedroom. You hid on the other side of the bed and Rex stayed at the door again. You pulled the comm device out of a pocket and contacted Padme.

"Hello, (Y/n)?" She answered. "Padme!" You shouted, "We need help, droids are attacking, they're after us!"

"Ok, I'm sending forces your way. Can you hold out until then?" You looked over at Rex who was backing away from the door and looking for new cover. "No, we're being overrun."

"Alright. If you can, get to the bedroom. There's a hidden entrance behind the bookshelf. It leads to an old security room. You should be safe in there until help arrives," she instructed. 

"Ok, tell them to hurry!" You turned off the comm device and screamed in pain. The contractions not letting up and only getting worse. "Rex! I have a plan!" You shouted. You crawled to the bookshelf and tried pushing it. "There's a security bunker behind this, we'll be safe until help comes!" Rex ran to you and shoved the bookshelf out of the way with ease.

"How do you know someone is coming?" He asked. "I commed Padme, she's sending help," you clutched your belly, trying not to scream. Rex picked you up and punched the open button for the blast doors. He carried you down the stairs and set you in a corner. He pushed a few buttons into the door and they closed and locked with a slam. Rex returned to where you sat panting and groaning in pain.

"Help better arrive soon, we need to get you to a doctor," He said, panicking. "You're not due for another two weeks, how-" 

"I don't know, but this baby is coming whether we like it or not," you screamed the last few words. You latched onto Rex's leg and he hissed in pain at how hard you grabbed him. Rex watched as you squirmed and screamed in pain. You came to a realization as the pain became mind numbing. Rex turned his head towards the door as he heard the droids attempting to shoot it down.

"Rex this baby is coming now," he turned back to you, "you're going to have to deliver it."

Rex was scared shitless. "Me? (Y/n), I have no idea what I'm doing, how am I going to-" 

"I've done my research and I remember what Kix told me, I can walk you through it," you panted. Rex paled and stuttered over his words. "O-ok, what do I do?" "I need to lay down with my head propped up, and you need to remove my pants and underwear."

Rex scrambled nervously to lay you down but keep your head and upper body propped up with some debris he covered with his jacket. He took off your bottom layers and put them under your butt to protect you from the dirty floor.

"Alright now what?" You screamed out and reached for his hand, Rex hesitated to give it to you because he was afraid you'd break it with how hard you squeezed his leg.

"I do the rest of the work, and you provide moral support," you laughed lightly. Rex was shocked at the fact you were able to laugh in this situation. An explosion went off outside the door. "Whatever you do make sure I do not stop breathing or pass out from hyperventilating," you added.

Rex nodded and got you to breathe with him in between screams and contractions. He encouraged you to push, all the while the explosions outside the door got bigger. You continued to scream and groan in pain as Rex waited and provided support.

"Rex, I don't think I can do this," you whined. "Yes you can, darling," he urged, "you're strong, I know you can do this, (Y/n). C'mon now push!" Rex's abilities as a leader came in handy as his words gave you strength. There was a massive burst of blaster fire and the door began creaking. "Rex.." you said, concerned. "Don't worry, they're not getting through," he assured, hoping he was right.

You kept pushing and Rex reacted to something, reaching down between your legs. "The head is through!" He said, "c'mon (Y/n) you're almost there!"

Rex removed his shirt and held it out to catch the child. You took a deep breath and pushed as hard as you could, screaming at the top of your lungs. Then the pressure and pain subsided a small amount.

"Oh my Force.." Rex breathed. The next thing you heard was a baby crying.

Rex had paled again as the newborn was covered in blood and fluids unknown to him. "Is there supposed to be this much blood?" You sat up a little, "Yes, you need to clean them off and cut the cord."

Rex held the baby as if it were transparisteel, gently wiping away the blood and other liquids. You reached into your shirt and pulled out a small knife, handing it to Rex. "The father always gets the honor of cutting the cord," you said. Rex took the knife and gently severed the connection. He wrapped the baby in his shirt and carefully handed the small bundle to you. You cradled the small life form in your arms, unwrapping the shirt a little bit. "It's a girl."

Rex sighed and slumped against the wall, relieved and happy. He crawled and sat next to you looking at the small being in your arms that you had pressed to your skin. She had stopped crying the second she was pressed against your warm body. 

"She's perfect, Rex," you voiced. Rex looked at the baby. His daughter, his creation, it was love at first sight. "She's beautiful," he said, tears welling up in his eyes, "I helped make that?" You nodded and smiled at him, "yes, we made that." You reached up and pulled Rex into a kiss. "We did it, babe."

You both were startled out of your moment when the blast doors were heard opening. Rex turned as he heard footsteps rushing down the stairs. He was about to reach for his blasters when he caught sight of who all it was.

General Skywalker stood at the bottom of the stairs with Fives and Echo by his side and the rest of Torrent Company behind them. Rex sighed in relief again. "We heard you needed rescuing," Anakin said. You peered out from behind Rex seeing the boys all standing there. Rex leaned back to show you holding the little human, Kix rushed to your side to make sure you and the baby were in good health.

"Alright men, let's give them some room until Kix says it's ok," General Skywalker ushered the men upstairs and allowed Kix to check out you and baby. "You're both perfectly healthy," he said, putting a blanket over your bottom half. "Have you decided on a name?"

You and Rex looked at each other. "I like Raina," Rex said. "Raina is beautiful," you agreed. Kix smiled at you both, "Congratulations. I'll give you a few minutes and then let the men come down if that's alright." "Sounds good, Kix. Thank you," Rex nodded. Kix went back upstairs, leaving you and Rex with your new baby girl. "C-can I hold her?" 

"Of course, you're her papa," you showed Rex how to hold Raina and he took her gently in his arms. "She's so light," he whispered. He took in the image of his daughter, staring at the little life form that he helped create and that was now his and yours to cherish and raise.

"Rex.." he looked at you, "Are you alright, honey?" You offered a warm smile. Rex now registered that he had tears streaming down his face.

"Yes, I'm just so happy. This is something I never thought I'd get," he confessed, "To be able to see and hold my daughter, to have a child. I'm just a clone, and she makes me feel like I have so much purpose now."

You took his face in your hands, wiping away his tears. "I feel more motivated to win this war knowing I'm fighting for you and her," Rex sniffed, you put your arm around him and a hand on Raina's head. Rex blinked to hold back more tears and sighed happily. "Cut was right." 

You kissed Rex on the cheek and he shuffled Raina back into your arms. You smiled, rubbing your thumb against her little cheek. You burst into a fit of giggles and Rex smirked at you. "What is it?"

"I just realized something," you said, "Raina now has millions of uncles." Rex laughed along with you, "She'll be spoiled for sure."

A chorus of footsteps came down the stairs and the bewildered men gathered around you to look at the baby. "Now don't get too close," Kix warned, "and don't be loud." Curious gazes all shone down at you and your husband. "She's so tiny," Fives voiced. "Congratulations," Echo added. "You never told us the baby was Rex's," Jesse said, eyebrow raised.

Rex glared at his brother. "We weren't sure what to do and we're sorry we lied," you admitted.

"Don't worry," Jesse said, "as far as any of us are concerned, she's still the result of the Coruscant guy." You and Rex looked confused.

"He means, your secret is safe with us," Hardcase put in. "All of us," Tup added. "Thank you all so much," you gushed. 

Fives looked to the rest of the men, "That means we're all uncles now, boys. Raina is our responsibility now too."

"You were right, love," you said to Rex. "About what?" He questioned. "She is going to be spoiled."

[pamphletstoinspire]

What Logic & Reason Is There for Christ’s Coming?

An inquisitive student of mine came to ask me a string of questions one day after class. He led with this: Why did Jesus come to earth when he did? Isn’t it convenient that Jesus came 2,000 years ago when there was no technology to record him? Wouldn’t it have been much easier for us (and other generations) to believe in him if he came when someone could take a picture or a video of him that could be uploaded to social media and the internet? His questions came directly after our discussion on God being omniscient (all-knowing). This sharp student wondered God’s reasoning for sending his Son when he knew that other time periods would be more conducive to bringing about belief. 

St. Paul states that “when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption (Galatians 4:4-5). The Christian understanding of Jesus’ coming revolves around this “fullness” of time which St. Paul references. The Incarnation completes something; Christ’s birth, life, mission, teachings, miracles, suffering, death and resurrection bring God’s rescue mission to completion. They fulfill countless promises and foreshadowings from the Hebrew Scriptures.

Without the Old Testament Jesus’ coming and mission does not add up. He is merely the son of a carpenter who gained renown as a rabbi and was convicted and executed as guilty of a capital offense. He was simply a famous death row inmate whose following continued after his death. The history and writings of the Hebrew people show us something different, that the coming of Jesus is what the people of Israel needed and were waiting for all along. God chooses Israel to be his own for the sake of incorporating all nations and peoples into his love (Genesis 22:17).

Everything starts “in the beginning” (Genesis 1:1).The first three chapters of Genesis set the stage. God creates humanity as the pinnacle of his creation, but they choose themselves over him. Directly after their sin of selfishness, greed and lack of trust, God walks in the garden in pursuit of Adam and Eve while they take cover to hide in the shame of their sin (Genesis 3:8). Their decision has eternal consequences, but before God can even finish explaining the results of their disobedience he says to the serpent: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers. They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel” (Genesis 3:15).

This promise of God’s renewal is the first foreshadowing of the coming of Jesus. Theologians have coined the term protoevanglium to describe this verse. Here, we have the “first gospel or good news.” We receive the message that God will set things right. Jesus will be the offspring of the woman (The Blessed Mother) who will be struck by evil’s strongest weapon, but will come about victorious. The weakness of the crucifixion is the achilles heel of faith for so many while Jesus’ resurrection is the proof that he crushes the powers of evil definitively. This verse is the foundation for all conversations on the coming of a Messiah (anointed one) who will save the people from their sins.

The rest of the Bible recounts how God draws near to Israel, forgives them mercifully, and highlights how the Israelites consistently reject, deny, and ignore God. Some of the major figures from the Old Testament history provide the details for Jesus’ birth, life and mission. Moses is sent to save Israel from slavery and death in Egypt (Exodus 3:10) as Christ is sent into the world to rescue us. David is chosen to be king and later promised that his kingdom and reign will have no end (2 Samuel 7:12-14) while we know that Joseph is of the house of David (Luke 2:4). Isaiah the prophet foretold that “a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and he will be called Emmanuel” (Isaiah 7:14) while we know that Mary conceived her son when she had no relations with a man (Luke 1:34).

The prophet Micah foretold that Bethlehem will be blessed because: “From you (the city) shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:1). “Origin of old” refers to the one having no beginning or end, and this is where Jesus will be born because of the census taken at the time of his birth (Luke 2:1-4). The prophet Isaiah tells the people that God is coming to them in power and glory. That the time of the God’s reign will be established by the one who gives sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf as well as the ability for the lame to walk and the mute to sing (Isaiah 35:4-6a).

Christ performs miracles in all these categories included in the oracle of Isaiah (John 9:1-12; Mark 7:31-37; Luke 5:17-26). Perhaps, the most important and striking example foretelling Jesus’ death and final victory is the Suffering Servant Song (Isaiah 52:13-53). The servant of the Lord was one who had a face like us who would be beaten, mocked, scourged, and killed for our sake. “He was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes us whole, by his wounds we were healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Despite the pain inflicted on him, he was found to be blameless and would see the light which death cannot quench. Jesus’ brutal suffering, mockery, death, and resurrection are undoubtedly being called to mind.

These passages, and countless others, spanning across the entirety of the Old Testament portray the logic of Christ’s work and entrance into time. They show the fact that he was born, the manner in which he lived, and the way in which he died and rose from the dead are not the result of random circumstances, but part of a plan that God was preparing the world to encounter in a particular time and place. While these passages give insight into how Jesus’ identity is in line with Sacred Scripture, they do not necessarily answer my student’s question. God could have simply waited longer in order to send Christ, so that it would be easier for us to believe in him after witnessing the hard evidence of photography or video surveillance, but he chooses not to do it that way.

The answer may be a paradox. The truth is that Jesus makes his age the fullness of time because that is when he comes. Things are not squared away until his Incarnation, life, and salvific work is accomplished. The question from my student is a great one, and a novel one in many ways. However, it is partially flawed. Faith is not meant to be an easy exercise of viewing evidence but a dramatic, dynamic and transformative encounter with Chrsist as a real living person who we can meet today.

Jesus comes in a certain time and place because this is the age that God deemed was most perfect to inject his lifeblood into. Christianity has an abundance of evidence which makes it reasonable to believe that Jesus is God. Could all of the above Scripture references to Jesus, which literally span thousands of years, simply be a coincidence? Galilee two thousand years ago was the place and time for God’s historical arrival in a fashion unlike ever before. The timing does count, but the person and what the person accomplished matters more. Because his arrival was no accident, Jesus Christ places the finishing touches on God’s love letter to the world — nothing will impede his search for and victory over your heart.

BY: THOMAS GRIFFIN

[janaikam]

It’s Just the Start

This is my @mlsecretsanta gift for @theluckiestwitchathogwarts. I hope you enjoy it! Thank you so much @chatnoirinette for beta reading this!

Happy Holidays!

FFnet. Ao3.

Word Count: 4101

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From a young age, Marinette Dupain-Cheng has been well aware of the meaning of soulmate tattoos. Soulmate tattoos don’t just mean romantic soulmates. The tattoos are the names of important people in a person’s life, like best friends, romantic partners, or even a person’s worst enemy. 

The number of these tattoos always differs from person to person. Some people get one tattoo, meaning their romantic soulmate is also their platonic one. Most people tend to get two tattoos—usually one for their romantic/platonic soulmate and one for their soul enemy. Others get three. One soulmate for each of the main types, plus one soul enemy. However, Marinette was an odd case; she had four soulmate tattoos.

Adrien, Alya, Lila, Luka

Adrien’s and Luka’s names are on her right wrist, while Alya’s and Lila’s are on her right ankle. Ever since she was able to understand the meanings behind the tattoos on her wrist, Marinette has been searching for an answer to why she has four names. Marinette visited many tattoo experts to try and figure out the meaning behind her four tattoos. Everyone had a different answer. Some people said she had another soul she was connected to. Others said that she didn’t truly have a soulmate and the names were people she could potentially be soulmates with.

For years, Marinette used long sleeves and makeup to hide her tattoos for fear of being made fun of because she wasn’t normal. Especially around Chloe Bourgeois. That girl would torment Marinette if she knew there was something remotely different about her. So Marinette hid her names and never spoke of it until she saw an interesting post online.

The post was made by a user named Chat Noir and read: Anyone have four soulmate tattoos? I’m just a curious kitty :). 

Under the post, there were a lot of people who commented that four soulmate tattoos weren’t possible. Someone even joked that “curiosity killed the cat.” The specificness of the post sparked something in Marinette, which caused her to click on Chat Noir’s profile. With her cursor over the private message, Marinette debated responding to his original post.

Well, it’s not like he could ever find out that I’m the person behind Ladybug’s account. With that thought, Marinette clicked on the button and typed out a quick message to Chat.

LB: Do you have four soulmate tattoos?

After about five minutes with no response, Marinette chose to work on her sketch for a dress she was working on. When she finished up her design, she went down to eat dinner with her parents. By the time she got back to the computer, Marinette had forgotten all about the message she had sent earlier in the day. Thus Marinette was surprised to see a little red notification telling her she had a message. 

CN: Maybe I do. Maybe I don’t. It all depends on who’s asking.

Frustrated by the vague answer, Marinette went to the user’s profile to block him, but before she could, another message popped up.

CN: I’m not all too comfortable sharing these purr-ivate secrets with a stranger.

LB: You’re the one who decided to post an oddly specific question on a PUBLIC website.

CN: Fair point. So let’s assume I have four soulmate tattoos. Is it okay for me to assume that you have four tattoos?

Marinette paused, considering how she should answer the question. On one hand, Chat Noir could have two and just be trying to out some weirdo. On the other hand, he could just genuinely be curious. 

LB: Well if I’m assuming that you have four soulmate tattoos, I guess it’s only fair you can assume that I have four. 

CN: Well my lady, it seems we have reached a good understanding of where the other stands. May I ask what do you think it would mean if a person does have four soulmate tattoos?

LB: I guess I would think that they might have two best friend soulmates and one of the other.

CN: Interesting theory Miss Bug. Got any more?

Marinette was surprised by how quickly he responded given that the last response took a couple of hours to come through. However, what Marinette found more surprising was the fact that she wanted to just keep talking with this stranger on the computer. And that’s exactly what she did late into the night until both of them had to go to sleep. 

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Marinette found that she and Chat Noir got along very well despite not really knowing who the other was. For the rest of her summer break, Marinette found herself messaging Chat Noir and getting to know him behind the screen. Though Marinette did make sure that they did not share anything too personal so that Chat could never figure out it was Marinette who had four tattoos. 

Throughout their chats, Marinette learned that Chat was the same age as her (or so he claimed), he was a piano genius, and he had the cutest black cat named Plagg. 

After about a month, the time came for school to start for Marinette, which in turn meant less time for her and Chat to talk online. Since she didn’t want to leave Chat in the dark, Marinette decided to let him know about the upcoming shift in her schedule.

LB: Hey Chat, I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to be starting school soon, which means that I won’t be on all the time.

CN: Thanks for letting me know Bugaboo :)! If you don’t mind me asking, what is public school like?

The question surprised Marinette mostly because she had assumed that Chat Noir had attended public school. 

LB: Uhh. It’s alright. The teachers are fairly nice and try to help with what they can, and the other students are pretty cool. I’m good friends with most of them.

CN: That sounds cool. I wish my father would let me go.

LB: Why won’t he let you go?

CN: He thinks the world is too dangerous and he keeps me in our house unless it’s for a photoshoot or something. It sucks :(. 

LB: That’s dumb reasoning. He can’t protect you from the world forever.

CN: Well he’s sure gonna try.

LB: You should sneak out to go to school

Marinette half meant it as a joke, definitely not expecting the next slew of messages from Chat Noir.

CN: I totally should.

CN: So I just messaged one of my friends. She goes to Francois Dupont and they start tomorrow as well. 

CN: She said she can get me enrolled without my father filling out all the forms.

CN: Wanna help me figure a plan of escape?

Not being able to say no, Marinette ended up spending the next three hours helping Chat plan a way to escape a home where there was a bodyguard and a personal assistant that could ruin the entire plan. Since too many specifics couldn’t be shared without risking Chat’s identity, Marinette was very lost during most of the planning, which distracted her from the fact that the user Chat Noir was going to try and show up at her school the next day.

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Despite setting her alarm super early, Marinette still manages to be running late for the first day of classes. After quickly throwing on her clothes, she runs downstairs to their kitchen, where her mother was cleaning the things from her breakfast.

“Good morning, Maman,” Marinette greets, giving her mother a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Good morning, Marinette,” Sabine Cheng responds, watching with amusement as Marinette grabbed a banana and her school bag and rushed out the door.

When Marinette gets down to the bakery, she gives her dad a kiss on his cheek and grabbed the box of macarons he made for her class.

“Have a good first day of lycée!” Tom Dupain yells to his daughter as she runs out of the bakery. Marinette quickly rounds the corner, preparing to dash across the street, only to have to stop abruptly because the light is red. The sudden stop causes Marinette to lose her grip on the macaron box and drop it on the sidewalk.

“Oh no!” Marinette exclaims, leaning down and picking up the remains of the macaron box and its contents. “Why am I so clumsy?” By the time Marinette gets back up, the light is green and people start walking across. Marinette sighs and starts running towards the school. 

Thankfully, when Marinette enters the classroom, Mme. Bustier is still moving students around. “Nino, why don’t you come sit in the front this year?” Mme. Bustier says, prompting the boy in the back to move to the desk at the front of the classroom. 

As Nino is moving, Marinette quickly takes her usual seat in the second row, breathing a sigh of relief now that she is in class. 

Unfortunately, she can’t relax for too long, as a perfectly manicured hand slams down on the desk. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” Chloe says, grabbing Marinette’s attention. 

“Here we go again,” Marinette mumbles underneath her breath. 

“That’s my seat,” Chloe states as if it were common knowledge. 

“But Chloe, this has always been my seat,” Marinette responds, hoping Chloe will leave her alone.

“Not anymore.” Marinette is startled when Sabrina, Chloe’s lackey, speaks from the seat next to her. “New school year, new seats.”

“So go and sit beside that new girl over there,” Chloe demands, pointing towards a dark-haired girl with dark red highlights. Marinette starts to protest, but Chloe cuts her off. “Adrien is coming today and since that’s his seat”—Chloe points to the spot in front of Marinette—“this is going to be my seat. Get it?”

“Who’s Adrien?” Marinette asks. She tries to keep her hopes down because despite the fact that one of her soulmates is named Adrien, it doesn’t mean this Adrien is the same person. 

In response to Marinette’s question, Chloe and Sabrina laugh. “I can’t believe you don’t know who Adrien is. He’s only a famous model and my best friend. He adores me,” Chloe brags. “So go on and move.”

Marinette starts to move only for the new girl to stop her.

“Hey, who elected you the queen of seats?” the girl asks Chloe.

“Oh, look, Sabrina, we’ve got a little do-gooder this year,” Chloe mocks the girl. “What are you gonna do, shoot laser beams at me with your glasses?”

Instead of backing down like other people would have, the new girl says, “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Chloe takes a step back with surprise etched on her face, allowing the dark-haired girl to grab Marinette’s arm and drag her to the desk at the front of the classroom. Unfortunately, the sudden, unexpected movement causes Marinette to spill the remaining macarons on the floor. 

“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” Marinette says, picking up the box and quickly taking her seat.

“Alright, does everyone have a seat?” Mme. Bustier asks, looking up from some papers on her desk. 

Marinette stares down at the box with the lone macaron with a frown on her face. 

“Chillax, girl,” says the new girl. “It’s no biggie.” 

“I so wish I could handle Chloe like you do, ” Marinette says as a way of thanking her. 

“You mean like the way Majestia does it. She says, ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that the good people do nothing.’” The girl turns and points towards Chloe. “That girl over there is evil, and we’re the good people. We can’t let her get away with it.”

“Well, that’s easier said than done. She likes to make my life miserable. It’s a wonder she isn’t my enemy soulmate,” Marinette says dejectedly.

“That’s because you let her, girl. You need more confidence.”

Smiling, Marinette grabs the sole surviving macaron and splits it in half. 

“Marinette,” she says, holding out the macaron half. 

“Alya.”

The two girls share a moment of understanding as they both realize what the other’s name could mean for them both. Before they can address it, Mme. Bustier starts class.

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

“Adrien, where do you think you’re going?”

Adrien cringes as he turns to see Nathalie on top of the steps in the foyer. He quickly tries to think up a reason as to why he is attempting to sneak out the front door with a school bag.

“Uhh...I was going to go visit Chloe,” Adrien half lies while turning around and putting on a fake smile. 

“Mlle. Bourgeois is currently at school, Adrien. I know you remember that your father does not want you attending public school,” Nathalie reminds Adrien. She walks down the stairs and meets Adrien near the door. “Please go upstairs and practice your piano. I will finish preparing our lessons for today.”

With that, Adrien heads upstairs towards his room. Once Adrien enters his room, he brings his piano up from underneath the floor and plays pre-recorded music from his iPod. After setting everything up, Adrien lies down on his bed. Plagg, Adrien’s cat, comes up and sits right next to him. 

Adrien pulls out his phone, opening one of his favorite messaging threads.

CN: Plan A failed :(. I guess I’m glad you had me make a plan B.

LB: Well you can never be too prepared. 

Smiling to himself, Adrien sends a quick message to one of his other close friends. 

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

“Adrien, it would seem Mlle. Tsurugi would like to spend the afternoon with you. I have cleared your schedule, but please make sure you are back by 5 for your Chinese tutoring lesson.” By the time Nathalie is finished, Adrien is practically out the door into Kagami Tsurugi’s cherry-red car. 

“Thank you so much for doing this, Kagami!” Adrien thanks, practically squeezing Kagami to death as soon as he’s in the vehicle. Once Adrien lets go, he turns to put his seat belt on so the car can start moving.

“It was no problem at all, Adrien. You are my best friend, and this seemed to be something you really wanted,” Kagami replies, unfazed by Adrien’s excitement.

“To make this up to you, I’m going to introduce you to Chloe the first chance I get,” Adrien decides.

This prompts Kagami to sigh. “Adrien, while I appreciate your efforts, who is to say that Mlle. Bourgeois is the same Chloe that is on my wrist? Not everyone is as lucky as you to have unique names for their soulmate tattoos.”

“Hey, Gabriel isn’t a unique name!” Adrien protests. “That’s my dad’s name, and I wouldn’t say there’s any strong connection there.”

“True, but Marinette, Nino, and my name are unique.”

Adrien goes to argue, but the car stops, announcing their arrival at Francois Dupont.

“I will see you at 3, Adrien,” Kagami says. “Try not to be late.”

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

Once it is time for their lunch break, Marinette takes Alya to the park across the street from the school. Marinette leads Alya towards a bench in a secluded area of the park so they could talk with relative privacy.

Once the two girls get settled, it’s Alya who breaks the silence first. “Okay, so we’re soulmates in some way. And I would like to assume that we’re meant to be best friends because you seem really chill, but you’re not exactly my type romantically.”

Marinette releases a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “Well, that makes two of us.”

“Okay, so if you don’t mind me asking, what other names do you have?” Alya asks, getting excited. “I always promised myself that whenever I found my best friend I was always going to help them if they hadn’t found their soulmates. So may I see your names?”

Marinette hesitates. For all she knows, this girl is pretending to be her friend to lull her into a false sense of security and turn her soulmates against her. Before Marinette can get too lost in her inner ramblings, she looks into Alya’s eager and curious face, noticing that there is not any sign of malice in the girl’s features. 

Taking a deep breath, Marinette takes off her dark jacket. “So, my tattoos are a little weird. I, umm...I have four of them.” With that, Marinette shows Alya the two tattoos on her wrist and lifts her right leg so she can show her the other two names on her ankle.

For a bit, Alya doesn’t say anything. Then she suddenly shouts, “NO WAY!” Marinette immediately jumps up and covers the girl’s mouth, silently praying that no one will come over.

“Please don’t yell. I don’t want a lot of people to know this specific information,” Marinette pleads, with her hands still covering Alya’s mouth. Slowly, Marinette removes her hands and sits back down.

“Okay, so my new best friend just told me the best thing I’ve ever heard. Girl, I didn’t even know it was possible to have more than three tattoos. That’s amazing!” Alya exclaims.

“Really?”

Alya nods her head furiously.

“Wow, I guess I never really saw this as a good thing.”

“It totally is, girl. Now, who are the lucky people? Besides myself, of course,” Alya questions, barely containing her excitement.

“Luka, Adrien, and Lila.” 

“Interesting names. Have you met any of them?” 

“Only Luka. He’s Juleka’s brother. He’s very sweet, but I’m not really into him like that.”

“So I’m on the lookout for an Adrien and a Lila. Good to know.” Alya pretends to write the names on her hand, causing Marinette to giggle.

“Hey, do you have any other soulmates?” Marinette questions.

“Just one other. I’m boring like everyone else.”

Marinette giggles.

“Their name is Nino and hopefully he or she is nice and not a jerk.”

“You know, there’s a Nino in our class. I should totally introduce you guys. Maybe you’ll hit it off!” Marinette teases.

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

“Hey, Chloe,” Adrien greets as he walks up to her in the school’s courtyard. 

“Adrikins! You came!” Chloe runs and jumps into his arms as other students in the courtyard start to recognize who he is and crowd around him.

Thankfully, Chloe manages to shoo most of them away as she leads him upstairs towards the classroom. Still, Adrien does sign a few autographs for some students.

Once they get to the classroom, Chloe shows him to a seat in the front row. “This is your seat, Adrikins. I saved it for you, right in front of me.” As Adrien walks in, he notices his deskmate, a boy in a blue shirt with a red cap, sitting in the seat next to the one Chloe saved for him.

“Thanks, Chloe.” Adrien walks up and takes the seat in the front. He stretches out his hand toward his deskmate. “Uhh…hey….Adrien.”

The boy seems to react to Adrien’s name, but instead of responding with his name, he says, “So you’re friends with Chloe then, huh?”

Adrien looks over in the direction of where the boy was looking and sees Chloe taking out the gum that was in her mouth and giving it to her red-headed friend. The girl then puts the piece of gum on the seat right across from Adrien. 

“Hey, what’s that all about?” Adrien questions the two girls with a disgusted look on his face. 

“The brats that sat here this morning need a little attitude adjustment,” Chloe states as if it makes perfect sense why she’s doing what she’s doing. “I’m just commanding a bit of respect, that’s all.”

“Do you think that’s really necessary?” Adrien says, moving to try and remove the gum from the seat. 

Chloe laughs, walking towards her desk behind Adrien. “You’ve got a lot to learn about school culture, Adrikins. Watch the master.” Chloe leans back in her seat with a confident smirk on her face while the redhead comes up next to her, mimicking Chloe’s pose. 

Adrien continues to try to remove the gum until a feminine voice from behind him stops him. “Hey, what are you doing!?”

“Uhh...I…” Adrien attempts to explain himself, but he is at a loss for words as he takes in the beauty of the blue-haired girl behind him. Then, when Chloe and her friend start laughing from their seats, Adrien becomes even more flustered as he reaches for an explanation. An angry look of understanding flashes across her face.

“Okay, I get it. Good job, you three. Very funny,” she congratulates sarcastically.

“No, no. I was trying to take it off,” Adrien attempts to explain, not wanting to ruin his chance at making friends at school.

“Oh really?” the girl questions, getting in his face while Chloe and her friend continue to laugh. The blue-haired girl attempts to remove the gum herself but instead chooses to cover it with a tissue from her bag. “You’re friends with Chloe, right?” she asks, turning back towards him.

“Why do people keep saying that?” Adrien mumbles under his breath. The girl gives him one last dirty look before sitting down in her seat, prompting Adrien to take his own seat. 

“Now do you see what I mean about respect?” Chloe comments from behind him. Adrien sighs, looking down at his desk. 

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

“I know I’ve seen him somewhere before,” Marinette comments, staring at the blond boy sitting across from her. Alya gasps from beside her, showing Marinette what she found on her phone,

“Of course! Adrien Agreste,” Marinette gasps. “He’s the son of my fave designer, Gabriel Agreste!”

“Daddy’s boy, teen supermodel, and Chloe’s buddy? Ha! Forget it.” Alya points to Adrien. “If that boy is your soulmate, it’s probably not good news.”

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

Adrien’s deskmate stares at him for a good minute. “Why didn’t you tell her it was Chloe’s idea?” he questions.

“I’ve known Chloe since I was a kid. I know she’s not perfect, but I can’t throw her under the bus. She’s one of my only friends,” Adrien explains.

“I’m Nino. It’s time for you to make some new friends, dude.” The boy smiles and offers out his hand. Recognizing the name, Adrien gasps before understanding the implications of this new friendship. Adrien takes the boy’s hand and shakes it. 

“Just some helpful advice. Marinette over there is a pretty chill dude. I’m sure if you just explain to her what happened, she’d be very understanding.”

“Wait, did you say Marinette?” Adrien questions quickly, looking back over to the bluenette. Before Nino could reply, Mme. Bustier starts class by taking attendance, stalling the curiousness stirring in Adrien’s mind.  

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

Marinette walks out to the front of the school with her bags prepared to leave only to see it pouring outside. She considers making a run for it to the bakery, but after seeing how hard it’s pouring decides to wait out the rain for a bit. 

Hearing another student approaching from behind her, Marinette moves to the side of the entrance so she wouldn’t block them. Unfortunately for her, it is Chloe’s friend who just started. 

“Hey,” he greets. Marinette turns away, trying to ignore him so he would just go away and leave her alone. A red car pulls up to the front with a young girl in the backseat. The boy sighs and looks at his umbrella, then opens it and takes a step out in the rain. “I just wanted you to know that I was only trying to take the gum off your seat. I swear.”

Marinette gasps and turns towards the blond. “I’ve never been to school before. I’ve never had many friends outside of my father’s associates’ kids. Everything here is all sort of new to me.” The boy turns around and offers Marinette his umbrella. Marinette stares into his eyes, searching for any sign of malice, and realizes that the boy in front of her is truly being genuine. She reaches out for the offered umbrella, hesitating a bit. Still staring in awe, Marinette doesn’t realize she has pressed the close button on the umbrella until it closes on top of her head. 

Not a second later, Marinette hears the sweetest and most innocent laugh she has ever heard in her life. She peels back part of the umbrella to see the teen supermodel smiling a genuine smile, causing her to laugh a bit as well. 

“Well, Marinette, I hope we can become great friends. See you tomorrow!” Adrien waves good-bye, heading into the red car.

“Maybe we could be something more,” Marinette whispers as his car drives away. 

Marinette pauses to pull out her phone and opens her chat with Chat Noir.

LB: I think I just met my romantic soulmate...

CN: I think I did too… 

[corona-extra-newsletter]

3/17/20 corona extra: cracking open cold covid facts

Announcements & Thank Yous

Thank you to everyone who’s messaged me or sent asks! Specific thanks go to:

@catrope for verifying Netherlands information

@ruffboijuliaburnsides​ and @fleurdeneuf​ for helping me collect county level data and for extra sources

@ineloquent-tumbling​ and Dr. Mehta for sharing an excellent source of data

@stebuklai for info about NJ

@halcyonhowl​ for the homeschooling resources

@stone-stars​ for info about FL

@planb-is-in-effect​ for sources about Canada

Georgia anon for information about Georgia State

Twitter users @molly0xFFF and @goblinartificer for their continued help with the Wordpress site

@marywhal​ for the cat videos

@epersonae​ for the Gritty tipoff

If you have reliable information from a good source that I don’t seem to have, please shoot me a message/ask/pigeon!

Places now included in the newsletter are: Australia, Indiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, Arkansas, and Wyoming. Please send an ask or a message if you would like a place included! Germany will be included in full tomorrow.

I have started a website for the newsletter! Find it at coronaextranewsletter.com. If you know me from fandom, please be chill about my meatspace identity. Please.

Sorry the newsletter is late today. There was some late breaking news and also a lot of stuff happened today! Tomorrow I will make more of an effort to be on time. :)

Just The Numbers

Case numbers

Total cases: 179,112 (+11,526)

Total deaths: 7,426 (+475)

Mortality rate: 4.15%

WHO is now breaking cases down by region, and I will follow their lead from here on out

Western Pacific: 91,779 cases (+289), 3,357 deaths (+23)

Europe: 64,189 cases (+8,507), 3,108 deaths (+428)

SE Asia: 508 cases (+124), 9 deaths (+2)

Eastern Mediterranean: 16,786 cases (+330), 873 deaths (+3)

Americans: 4,910 cases (+2,234), 68 deaths (+18)

Africa: 228 cases (+42), 4 deaths (+1)

159 countries/territories reporting cases, 8 new including:

Guam (3), Somalia (1), Bahamas (1), Aruba (2), US Virgin Islands (2), Benin (1), Liberia (1), and Tanzania (1)

Italy is reporting 27,980 cases (+3233) and  2,503 deaths (+349)

Iran is reporting 14,991 cases (+0) and 853 deaths (+0)

Germany is reporting 6012 cases (+1174) and 13 deaths (+1)

International/General News

Italy has had approximately the same number of cases three days in a row. This means that their strict lockdown/quarantine procedures are working! GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!

China is endorsing the use of favipiravir as an experimental treatment for COVID-19. It has been used to treat influenza before and is showing some promise in COVID patients, by decreasing the duration of the illness and the severity of their lung disease. Watch this space for more!

Virology Corner

Today’s question comes from @greenfairyarmadillo​ and @heturnedleft​. Both asked a variation of the same question: Do we know yet if people who recover from COVID-19 are immune to reinfection or not? Do we expect COVID-19 to be like measles, like flu, or somewhere in between?

We don’t know yet! We know that people have protective antibodies, but my guess based on what I know about other coronaviridae is that the protection will wane pretty quickly, which is more like the flu. But we’ll see! Watch this space for data from China, where we’ll see hard data first.

The other thing to consider is the way that coronaviruses can attenuate, or get less strong, as they spread through populations. So it may be mitigated in the future less by herd immunity and more by attenuation of the SARS-CoV-2 strain itself. But I’m not sure! If I could predict the future I’d be super popular right now. Like, super popular.

If you have questions, ask them and they’ll appear here in the next issue of Corona Extra!

Tomorrow’s topic: Why 6 feet of separation? How does that help? How is COVID-19 spread? Stay tuned!

Regional News (if you want somewhere added just let me know. Don’t be shy!! I highly recommend you just skip to your area if you don’t wanna be overwhelmed.)

Australia: last updated 3/17 at 6 am

375 cases, 5 deaths, 27 recoveries

189 cases acquired overseas (US, Iran, Italy, UK)

Community spread not confirmed

States affected include: ACT (2), New South Wales (170), Queensland (68), South Australia (29), Tasmania (7), Victoria (71), and Western Australia (28)

I have to question why y’all have states called just “South Australia” and “Western Australia”, where’s the panache??? Where’s the creativity?

COVID-19 information line: 1800 020 080

Canada: last updated 3/17 at 10:30 am

Total cases: 424 confirmed (+100), 16 presumed (-1), 5 deaths (+4), 5 recovered

Symptoms began for these cases between 1/15 and 3/15

13% of cases have required hospitalization (no change)

74% of cases are in travellers, and a further 6% in their close contacts

Affected provinces include: Alberta (74, +18), BC (103, +30), Manitoba (7, +0), New Brunswick (7, +1), Newfoundland and Labrador (1, +0), Nova Scotia (5, +0) Ontario (177, +5), PEI (1, +0), Québec (50, +9), and Saskatchewan (7, +1).

Totals here include confirmed and presumptive positives

8 cases in repatriated travellers (+4)

Restrictions/Closures:

No formal restrictions/closures at the federal level

Recommendation to cancel or postpone gatherings of >50 people

Recommendation to avoid non-essential travel, particularly cruise ships

All international travelers must self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival

Wash your damn hands

Federal information line: 1-833-784-4397

Alberta: last updated 3/17 at 1:40 pm

74 cases, 18 new, 0 deaths

Community spread confirmed in Calgary

Affected zones include: Calgary (52), Edmonton (18), Central (2), South (1), and North (1)

This is all of them I think

Restrictions/closures

K-12 schools and in-person post-secondary classes/training are closed

Licensed childcare facilities, out-of-school care programs, and preschools are closed indefinitely

State of Emergency declared 3/17

Sit-down restaurants are operating at lower capacity

All events over 50 people are prohibited

Rec centers, bingo halls, casinos, theaters, other entertainment/public spaces are closed

British Columbia: last updated 3/16 evening

Dedicated phone line: 1 888 COVID19

103 cases (+30), 5 recoveries, and 6 critical cases

4 deaths, 3 new

Affected public health units include: Fraser, Interior, Island, and Vancouver Coastal

Clusters of infection have been reported at Lynn Valley Care Centre, Hollyburn House Retirement Residence, and Lions Gate Hospital (admin staff).

An exposure occurred at the Pacific Dental Conference 2020 (Vancouver Convention Centre, 3/6 and 3/7)

All present on those dates are in self-isolation until 3/22

Poor teeth man :(

Restrictions/Closures

All hospitals have postponed elective surgeries and are on Outbreak Response Phase 2

Lions Gate Hospital is going to open a dedicated COVID 19 unit and is in Outbreak Response Phase 3 (emergency patients only)

Long term care facilities have restricted visitors to end of life only

Public gatherings & buildings with >50 people are prohibited

All casinos are closed

Manitoba: last updated 3/17 AM

HealthLinks Line: 204-788-8200 or 1-888-315-9257 (toll free)

8 cases, 1 new

Affected regions include: Interlake-Eastern (1) and Winnipeg (7)

Closures/Restrictions

Hospital and long term care visitors restricted to only exception circumstances (incl. end of life care)

Licensed child-care centers are closed effective 3/20

Casinos are closed effective 3/17

Health care workers and first responders who need child care due to school closures are advised to call  204-945-0776 or 1-888-213-4754

New Brunswick: last updated 3/17 4 PM

8 cases, 2 new, 0 deaths

Affected areas include Zone 3

I don’t live in NB so I have no idea what this is beyond one of at least three zones

Closures/Restrictions

Schools are closed starting 3/16 for two weeks

Newfoundland & Labrador: last updated 3/17

1 case, 0 new

Sorry that’s all the info I have ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Nova Scotia: last updated 3/16 at 12:58 pm

7 cases, 2 new

Affected areas include: Halifax Regional Municipality (2)

Closures/Restrictions

Gatherings over 150 people are disallowed

Casinos are closed starting 3/16; VLTs are not allowed in bars

Childcare facilities are closed starting 3/17 through 4/3

Public schools are closed until 4/6

Long-term care facilities are closed to visitors until further notice

All incoming international travelers are required to isolate for 14 days upon arrival

Hospitals are limiting visitors but limitations vary by centre

Ontario: last updated 3/17 at 10:30 AM

Telehealth Ontario: 1-866-797-0000

177 cases, 69 new, 5 recovered, 1 death

Affected public health units include: Durham (1), Halton (1), Hamilton (9, +5), Middlesex London (2), Niagara (1), Ottawa (3), Peel (4), Sudbury (1), Toronto (11), Wellington Dufferin Guelph (1), York (6, +1)

Only cases from 3/16 on are counted under here based on how the site works

No hospitalizations since 3/16

Closings/Restrictions

All schools, restaurants, libraries, childcare facilities, theaters, public venues, and recreational spaces are closed

Events over 50 people (incl. parades and worship services) are prohibited until 3/31

P.E.I.: last updated 3/17 AM

1 case, in Queens County, connected to a cruise, no new cases

Closures/restrictions

Libraries and community events are closed/canceled

Child care facilities are closed for two weeks starting 3/17

Public schools are closed until April 6

General queries: call 1-800-958-6400

Business-related queries: call 1-866-222-1751

Québec: last updated 3/17 at 1 pm

74 cases, 24 new, no deaths

Affected regions include: Capitale Nationale (3, +1), Mauricie - Centre du Québec (3, +0), Estrie (9, +6), Montréal (22, +4), Chaudière-Appalaches (4, +0), Lanaudière (6, +3), Laurentides (7, +4), Montérégie (13, +3), and undetermined/outside Québec (7, +3).

State of health emergency as of 3/13

Closures/restrictions

Indoor gatherings of >250 people prohibited, many public buildings closed until further notice

Daycare/childcare facilities and all schools closed until 3/27

Elections scheduled for 3/15 have been rescheduled to after late April

Non-essential visits to hospitals and long-term care institutions are prohibited

Saskatchewan: last updated 3/16

8 cases (+2), no deaths

Restrictions/Closures

School K-12 is suspended indefinitely effective 3/20

Gatherings >250 people are prohibited, except for distributed places (malls, universities, etc)

Public gatherings >50 people with attendees who have traveled internationally in the last 14 days are canceled/prohibited

Hospital and long term care visitors are only allowed in end of life care

Dammit Saskatchewan, why are you making me download PDFs :(

Greece: last updated 3/17 at 6:45 pm local time

Note: I do not speak Greek, and I therefore am struggling to find official data from somewhere more granular than the WHO. I’m sourcing most of this from the WHO and from Ekathimerini, but if you know where I can find better/more up to date info, please let me know. Thank you!

387 total cases, 56 new, 14 recoveries

5 deaths (1 new)

Restrictions/Closures:

All arrivals to the country are required to isolate for 14 days

Beginning 3/19 at 6 am, the country is closed to non-Greek and EU nationals unless exceptional circumstances warrant

Parliament has suspended all committee meetings and restricted each party to one MP in attendance at a time

Businesses are closed starting Wednesday 3/18, with the exception of gas stations, pharmacies, and groceries

Supermarkets are restricting the number of patrons to allow 1 person per 10 square meters

Migrant camps on various islands are on total lockdown for 2 weeks

Religion is canceled until 3/30

Ireland: last updated 3/17

292 total cases, 69 new (nice), 2 deaths (0 new)

Community transmission is confirmed

The following regional breakdown is available of the new cases: 48 eastern, 5 north/west, 3 west, and 13 southern

Restrictions/Closures

All pubs & bars are closed until March 29. House parties are discouraged.

Schools, colleges, and childcare facilities are closed until March 29

Indoor gatherings of >100 people and outdoor gatherings >500 people are prohibited

State run cultural institutions are closed until further notice

The Netherlands: last updated 3/17 at 2 PM local time

1705 confirmed cases, 43 deaths

292 new cases, 19 new deaths

314 hospitalizations

Average age of decedents is 79, with a range from 63 to 94

The report of a decedent aged 59 years was in error, this is now corrected

Provinces affected include: Drenthe (17, +1), Flevoland (24, +2), Friesland (14, +1), Gelderland (173, +38), Groningen (10, +0), Limburg (197, +48), North Brabant (634, +80), North Holland (152, +36), Overijssel (45, +9), Utrecht (173, +33), South Holland (175, +39), and Zeeland (20, +3).

There are 70 non-residents/unknown location patients

Restrictions/Closures

Schools, restaurants/bars, sports and fitness clubs, sex clubs, saunas, and childcare facilities are closed until April 6

If it’s fun it’s probably closed unless it’s your house

New Zealand: last updated 3/17 in the morning

13 cases, 5 new

12 confirmed, 1 probable

2 in Wellington contracted in the USA (sorry guys :c)

1 in Dunedin contracted in Germany

2 family members of the case in Dunedin

No hospitalizations reported

Exposures are reported on the following flights and in the following locations:

AA83 on 3/14, Los Angeles to Auckland, seats 4A and 10H

NZ419 on 3/14, Auckland to Wellington, seats 1B and 1C

Logan Park HS in Dunedin, now closed for 48h while contact tracing and thorough cleaning occurs

If you are concerned about possible exposure please call Healthline (number below)

Testing capacity: 770/day, expected to be 1500/day by the end of the week

Anyone coming into the country from anywhere except a small list of other Pacific islands is directed to self-quarantine for 14 days. This started on 3/16 at 0100 and is expected to continue for at least the next few weeks.

New Zealanders currently overseas should register with SafeTravel (https://register.safetravel.govt.nz/login)

Healthline number: 0800 611 116

Norway: last updated 3/17 at 10 pm local time

I still don’t speak Norwegian so if I screwed up lemme know

1469 cases, 3 deaths (+0)

67 hospitalized (+14), 15 critical (+4)

139 new cases during the 24h of March 16

423 cases acquired in Norway, 757 acquired outside of Norway, the rest are undetermined. Community spread is confirmed.

Locations where people became infected include Austria (513, +0), Italy (148, +0), Switzerland (20, +2), UK (15, +1), Spain (18, +4), France (8, -2), USA (7), Iran (5), Germany (5),  other countries with more than 3 cases (128), and other countries with less than 3 cases (18).

Breakdown of cases by area: Agder (67, -20), Innlandet (88, +0), Møre og Romsdal (20, +0), Nordland (11, +0), Oslo (329, +37), Rogaland (150, -14), Troms og Finnmark (24, +1), Trøndelag (61, -13), Vestfold og Telemark (59, -10), Vestland (141, +10), and Viken (358, -15)

I’m not sure if the numbers dropping means that those are people recovering or people being moved from place to place for intensive care/hospitalization. If you speak Norwegian and can clarify, please shoot me a message!

Restrictions/closures

The whole country is under shelter in place type restrictions for two weeks. Hang in there, y’all.

Switzerland:  last updated 3/17 at 1:45 pm local time

2650 cases, 19 deaths (+5)

Restrictions/closures:

Whole country is on lockdown as of 3/16: no entry or exit until further notice (maximum of 6 months)

schools are closed until 4/19

all events are canceled

all personal service establishments are closed

United Kingdom in general: last updated 3/17 at 9 am

Boris is hopefully starting to realise how severe this thing is, fuck Boris and his stupid cronies for not acting earlier. I’m still furious about how this has been bungled in multiple countries.

Where’s that milkshake guy who got Nigel? He could probably hit Boris from 6 ft away to both do a public service and maintain social distancing.

Given the numbers, it might be too little too late. I personally would encourage everyone in the UK to shelter in place, but I have zero authority there.

1,950 total cases (+26.3%), 407 are new today

55 total deaths as of 3/16, deaths on 3/17 have not been announced

England: last updated 3/17 at 9 am

1,557 total cases, 361 new

Affected UTLAs with at least 10 cases are as follows: Barnet (24), Bexley (14), Birmingham (20), Brent (24), Bromley (23), Buckingham (23), Cambridge (12), Camden (20), Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (10), Cumbria (22), Devon (24), Ealing (21), Enfield (10), Essex (21), Gloucestershire (11), Greenwich (19), Hackney and City of London (22), Hammersmith and Fulham (23), Hampshire (69), Haringey (17), Harrow (15), Hertfordshire (36), Hillingdon (16), Hounslow (15), Islington (11), Kensington (49), Kent (18), Lambeth (43), Lancashire (15), Leeds (11), Lewisham (18), Liverpool (11), Manchester (14), Merton (13), Newham (17), Northamptonshire (12), Nottingham (12), Nottinghamshire (13), Oldham (10), Oxfordshire (25), Slough (12), Southwark (58), Staffordshire (10), Stockport (10), Surrey (30), Sutton (10), Tameside (10), Tower Hamlets (23), Trafford (12), Walsall (13), Wandsworth (21), West Sussex (10), Westminster (58), and Wolverhampton (18)

I had to download an Excel spreadsheet situation for this, hopefully it is being updated the way I think it is. Let me know if these numbers are totally off.

Also, I am alphabetizing starting today because the hardest-hit areas will change day to day. Tomorrow will have deltas and all that good stuff.

My dad is from Cheshire, I know a fair amount about the UK, I was still fucking SHOOK by the fact that Nottingham and Nottinghamshire are two separate places.

Also “Slough” is kind of a gross name for somewhere, are y’all ok?

Deaths are not being reported by the PHS but I will do my best to split these out in the next few editions using news reports etc. It will hopefully be included by the 3/18 edition but no promises? If you have a good source for deaths by county/area, please let me know.

Scotland: last updated 3/17 at 2 pm local time

195 cases, 24 new

2 deaths, 1 new

Affected health boards are as follows: Ayrshire and Arran (6, -1), Borders (7, +0), Dumfries and Galloway (1, +0), Fife (7, +0), Forth Valley (12, +2), Grampian (22, +10), Greater Glasgow and Clyde (49, +5), Highland (5, +3), Lanarkshire (21, +1), Lothian (30, +1), Shetland (15, +0), and Tayside (20, +3)

Maybe this is all of them? Time will tell.

If anyone knows whether negative numbers are patients dying, being moved, or recovering, please let me know.

Wales: last updated 3/17 at 4:30 pm

136 cases, 12 new

2 deaths, 1 new

Areas reporting deaths are: Swansea (1)

Affected areas include: Blaenau Gwent County (8, +1), Bridgend County (3, +2), Caerphilly County (15, +1), Carmarthenshire County (7, +0), Ceredigion County (1, +0), City & County of Swansea (22, -1), City of Cardiff (14, +1), Conwy County (1, +0), Flintshire County (1, +0), Isle of Anglesey (2, +0), Monmouthshire County (8, +0), Neath Port Talbot (11, +0), Newport City (24, +3), Pembrokeshire (2, +0), Powys County (7, +2),  Rhondda Cynon Taf County (2, +0), Torfaen County (3, +1) Vale of Glamorgan County (1, +0), and Wrexham County (2, +0).

Note that some of these numbers have changed more than you might see from looking at yesterday’s report; this is because residential locations of patients are being confirmed. 0 cases remain unlocalized and 2 are residents outside of Wales.

Northern Ireland: last updated 3/17 at 2 pm

62 cases, 10 new

Health dept is not providing more detail than this at this time as far as I can tell

If you know more or know where I can find more info, please let me know!

US in general: updated 3/17 at 4 pm

4,226 total cases, 739 new

75 deaths, 8 new (1.75% mortality rate)

54 jurisdictions are reporting cases: 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, and US Virgin Islands

Shelter in place orders and curfews are coming into effect in lots of places

Alabama: updated 3/17 at 3:30 pm

39 cases, 11 new

0 deaths

Affected counties include: Baldwin (1, +0), Elmore (2, +1), Lee (3, +2), Jefferson (21, +4), Limestone (1, +0), Montgomery (2, +1), Shelby (4, +1), and Tuscaloosa (3, +0).

Newly affected counties include: Madison (1) and St. Clair (1)

State hotline: 1-888-264-2256

Arkansas: updated 3/17

22 cases, 0 deaths

Affected counties include: Cleburne, Cleveland, Desha, Garland, Jefferson, Lincoln, Pulaski, and Saline

Exact numbers by county are not available from the state department of health

Y’all have a county called YELL, that’s the best county name I’ve seen yet

Graphic design is their passion

State hotline: 1-800-803-7847

Arizona: updated 3/17 at 11:36 AM

20 cases, 2 new, no deaths

Affected counties include: Graham (1, +0), Maricopa (9, +1), Pima (4, +0), and Pinal (5, +0)

Newly affected counties include: Navajo (1)

Community spread is confirmed in: Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties

Closures/Restrictions:

“Strong recommendation” that restaurants in areas of community spread close their dine-in services

Recommendation to cancel/postpone gatherings >10 people

Schools are closed through 3/27

State hotline (rolled into poison control): 844-542-8201

California: last updated 3/16 at 6 pm

The Governor has recommended the following:

Those with chronic health conditions and those over 65 should shelter in place.

Gatherings over 250 people should be canceled.

Drinking establishments should be closed but restaurants can operate at 50% capacity.

Hospitals and long term care facilities should prohibit visitors except for end of life situation

Total cases not including the ones at Miramar (discussed below): 472, with 11 total deaths

Deaths have occurred in the following counties: Los Angeles (1, +1), Placer (1, +0), Riverside (3, +3), Sacramento (2, +0), San Mateo (1, +0), Santa Clara (4, +2)

The following counties report recoveries: Humboldt (1), San Benito (2)

The following counties report numbers of hospitalizations: Los Angeles (2), San Diego (9, +1), Santa Clara (56, +4), Tulare (1, +0)

Affected counties include: Alameda (27, +9), Amador (1, +0), Calaveras (2, +0), Contra Costa (39, +5), Fresno (2, +0), Humboldt (1, +0), Imperial (2, +0), Los Angeles (144, +50), Madera (1, +0), Marin (9, +0),  Nevada (1, +0), Orange (29, +12), Placer (8, +0), Riverside (15, +0), Sacramento (40, +7) San Benito (3, +0), San Bernardino (2, +1), San Diego (51, +18), San Francisco (43, +3), San Joaquin (13, +5), San Luis Obispo (3, +0), San Mateo (64, +23), Santa Barbara (2, +1), Santa Clara (155, +17), Santa Cruz (13, +4), Shasta (1, +0), Solano (8, -1), Sonoma (6, +1), Stanislaus (3, +0), Tulare (3, +1), Ventura (10, +5), and Yolo (4, +2)

Note regarding San Diego: The four federally quarantined people are not included in the county statistics. Cases of non-residents diagnosed in San Diego are included.

Unaffected counties include: Alpine, Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Glenn, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Napa, Plumas, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Yuba

Counties with confirmed community transmission include: Los Angeles, Marin, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Sonoma, and Yolo

Newly affected counties include: Monterey (2)

Closures/Restrictions by County

Alameda: Shelter in Place until 4/7

Alpine: County activities are canceled, schools closed, no non-essential services

Contra Costa: Shelter in Place until 4/7

Del Norte: Schools closed through 4/20

El Dorado: Schools closed through 3/20

Los Angeles: gatherings >50 people prohibited

Marin: Shelter in Place until 4/7

Mendocino: Modified schooling starting 3/17, gatherings >50 prohibited

Mono: Schools closed through 3/30, Alterra Mountain closed, libraries closed through 3/31

Monterey: Shelter in Place beginning 3/18 until 4/8

Napa: gatherings >50 people prohibited

Nevada: Schools are closed until 4/13, libraries closed until 4/12

Orange: Shelter in Place until 3/31

Riverside: Schools & daycares are closed, gatherings >10 people prohibited

Sacramento: Shelter in Place until further notice

San Benito: Shelter in Place until 4/7

San Bernardino: County operated attractions are closed

San Diego: gatherings >50 people prohibited, restaurants are carry-out and drive through only, all schools are closed, and entertainment establishments are closed

San Francisco: Shelter in Place until 4/7

San Luis Obispo: Alcohol sales on site are banned through 3/18

San Mateo: Shelter in Place until 4/7

Santa Barbara: Dining is takeout/drive through only

Santa Clara: Shelter in Place until 4/7

Santa Cruz: Shelter in Place until 4/7

Siskiyou: gatherings >50 prohibited, hospital/LTAC visitors prohibited

Stanislaus: Gatherings of >1000 people are prohibited indoor and outdoor from 3/16 to 3/31

Tuolumne: Schools are closed from 3/16 to 3/30

Ventura: All schools and public libraries are closed starting 3/16 until further notice

Yolo: Many schools are closed at the local level, non-essential gatherings canceled through 3/31

School closures listed here: https://www.yolocounty.org/health-human-services/adults/communicable-disease-investigation-and-control/novel-coronavirus-2019;

Counties with no closures/restrictions beyond those mandated by the state: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Madera, Merced, Modoc, Placer, Plumas, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Solano, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, and Yuba

Drive through testing is available in Marin County

Colorado - last updated 3/16 at 4:00 pm

183 cases (+52)

2 deaths (+1)

20 hospitalizations

Counties reporting deaths include: El Paso (1) and Larimer (1)

Affected counties include: Adams (8, +2), Arapahoe (18, +3),Boulder (8, +5), Clear Creek (2, +1), Denver (38, +14), Douglas (10, +2), Eagle (34, +12), El Paso (6, +2), Gunnison (11, +3), Jefferson (17, +5), Larimer (1, +0), Mesa (1, +0), Pitkin (11, +9), Pueblo (1, +0), Summit (3, +2), and Weld (5, +0)

4 cases are designated “unknown”

Out of state visitors are now included in the tally of the county where they were diagnosed/are being treated

Confirmed community spread

Newly affected counties include: Garfield (2), Routt (2)

Drive through testing is available in: Denver and Lowry

Residents of Gunnison, Eagle, Summit, Pitkin are recommended to minimize social contact due to potential exposures

Anyone who visited the Colorado Springs Bridge center in late Feb-early Mar may have been exposed, call the DPH for more information

Closures/restrictions

Public places are closed, restaurants are takeout only until 4/16

Gambling is canceled

Schools are iffy, check your local district news

Colorado’s new website looks way nicer but takes 5ever to load

Dark colorado give me the forbidden numbers

Connecticut - last update 3/17 at 4:30 pm

68 cases, 27 new

The following counties are affected: Fairfield (48, +19), Hartford (7, +3), Litchfield (5, +1), New Haven (8, +4)

This continues to support my conjecture that Connecticut only has 4 counties

Restrictions/Closures

No gatherings >50 people until further notice

Nursing home visits restricted

Schools closed through 3/30

Restaurants are carryout/drive through only through 4/30

Fitness/recreation centers and movie theaters closed through 4/30

Gambling is canceled until the end of April

Delaware: last update 3/17 at 2:55 pm

16 cases (+8), 0 deaths

Affected counties include: New Castle (15, +7) and Sussex (1).

Update: you apparently have three counties

Restrictions/closures:

Events over >100 people are encouraged to cancel/reschedule

Schools closed through 3/27

District of Columbia: last update 3/17 at 7 pm

31 cases (+14), no deaths

There’s no counties in DC, you can’t trick me

Restrictions/Closures

Food service/drinking establishments are restricted to <250 people, <6 people/table, no standing or bar seating, and tables separated by 6 feet

Nightclubs etc are closed

Most government stuff is telework so if you want to report a Ponzi scheme you have to email them or call them

Florida - last updated 3/17 at 6:03 PM

216 (+61) cases and 7 deaths (+3)

Community transmission remains unconfirmed but highly likely

Affected counties  include: Alachua (6, +4), Broward (55, +16), Charlotte (1, +0), Citrus (2, +1), Clay (4, +1), Collier (7, +1), Duval (10, +5), Escambia (1, +0), Hillsborough (9, +4), Lake (1, +0), Lee (7, +3), Manatee (7, +2), Miami-Dade (43, +20), Nassau (1, +0) Okaloosa (2, +1), Orange (6, +3), Osceola (7, +3), Palm Beach (13, +5), Pasco (2, +0), Pinellas (4, +0), Santa Rosa (1, +0), Sarasota (4, +1) Seminole (4, +0), St. Johns (3, +1) Volusia (9, +2)

Newly affected counties include: Brevard (1) and Polk (1)

State hotline/call center:  1 (866) 779-6121

Georgia: last updated 3/17 at 11:34 AM

146 cases (+25),1 death (+0)

Affected counties include: Bartow (10, +1), Charlton (1, +0), Cherokee (7, +0), Clayton (4, -1), Clarke (3, +0), Cobb (25, +3), Coweta (3, +1), Dekalb (15, +5), Dougherty (6, +0), Fayette (5, +0), Floyd (6, +2), Forsyth (1, +0), Fulton (33, +6), Gordon (2, +0), Gwinnett (7, +2), Hall (1, +0), Henry (2, +0), Lowndes (4, +1), Lee (2, +0), Newton (1, +0), Paulding (1, +0), Polk (1, +0), Troup (2, +1)

Newly affected counties include: Barrow (1), Columbia (1), Rockdale (1), and Richmond (1).

Closures/Restrictions

USG universities are closed through 3/29 and will be online after that for the semester

Athens-Clarke County has a curfew in place from 5pm to 9 am probably. There’s a lot of uncertainty as I have heard. I will try to clarify this in tomorrow's edition provided the government clarifies things.

Asks from Georgia Anon can provide more details

Illinois: last updated 3/17

160 confirmed cases (+55), 1 death (+1)

Confirmed community spread

Affected counties include Champaign (1), Clinton (2), Cook (107), Cumberland (1), DuPage (26), Kane (3), Lake (7), McHenry (2), Peoria (1), Sangamon (3), St. Clair (2), Whiteside (1), Will (2), Winnebago (1), and Woodford (1)

ILDPH started publishing numbers for each county, YAY.

Med students have been infected (not at my school, but still yikes)

Deaths are reported in the following counties: Cook (1)

Closings/Restrictions

Bars and restaurants are closed (except for carryout and drive through) until 3/30

All gatherings >50 people prohibited

Gyms/fitness centers/clubs/theaters are closed

DMV is closed! I personally hate the IL DMV so this isn’t like, sad news in particular…..

Community colleges and public schools are closed - like in other places I will attempt to include county-by-county news soon.

The IL governor dunked on Trump for a really long time during his press conference tonight and it was totally fucking awesome.

Indiana: last updated 3/17 at 10 AM

30 cases, 2 deaths

Affected counties include: Adams (1), Bartholomew (1), Boone (1), Floyd (1), Franklin (2), Hamilton (1), Hendricks (3), Howard (2), Johnson (3), Lake (2), La Porte (1), Marion (9), Noble (1), St. Joseph (1), and Wells (1)

Deaths are being reported in the following counties: Johnson (1) and Marion (1)

Indiana, good job on your website. Thanks for making this easy on me.

Iowa: last updated 3/17

29 cases (+7)

Affected counties include: Allamakee (2, +0), Carroll (1, +0), Dallas (3, +2), Harrison (1, +0), Johnson (18, +3), Polk (1, +0), and Pottawattamie (1, +0)

Newly affected counties include: Adair (1) and Black Hawk (1)

Community spread confirmed

Closures/restrictions

Schools closed for 4 weeks starting 3/16

Public places closed, restaurants carryout only until further notice

Kansas: last updated 3/17

16 confirmed cases (+5), 1 death

Affected counties include: Butler (1, +0), Franklin (1, +0), Johnson (10, +2), and Wyandotte (3, +2)

Newly affected counties include: Douglas (1)

Deaths are being reported in the following counties: Wyandotte (1)

Closures/Restrictions

Schools closed through 3/23

Gatherings >50 people prohibited

Public places must maintain a 6ft bubble

Phone line:  1-866-534-3463

Kentucky: last updated 3/17 at 4 pm local time

27 cases (+5), 1 death (+0)

Counties reporting deaths: Bourbon (1)

Counties reporting recoveries: Harrison (1)

Affected counties include: Bourbon (1, +0), Clark (1, +0), Fayette (6, +1), Harrison (6, +0), Jefferson (9, +3), Montgomery (1, +0), and Nelson (1, +0).

Newly affected counties include: Lyon (1)

Closures/Restrictions

Restaurants and bars closed to in-person service

State Capitol closed to nonessential personnel

Entertainment/nonessential services are closed

Schools are closed statewide

Phone line: (800) 722-5725 (rolled in with poison control)

Louisiana: last updated 5:30 pm 3/17

196 cases reported, 60 new

4 deaths, 1 new

Parishes affected:  Ascension (1, +0), Bossier (1, +0), Caddo (4, +1), Jefferson (35, +14), Lafourche (2, +0), Orleans (136, +42), St. Bernard (2, +0), St. Charles (3, +0), St. John the Baptist (1, +0), St. Tammany (6, +0), and Terrebonne (3, +1)

New parishes affected: East Baton Rouge (1) and Washington (1)

Parishes reporting deaths: Orleans (4, +1)

Maryland: last updated 3/17 at 10 am

57 cases (+20), 0 deaths

Counties affected: Anne Arundel (3, +2), Baltimore (6, +2), Baltimore City (1, +0), Carroll (1, +0), Charles (1, +0), Harford (2, +0), Howard (3, +2), Montgomery (24, +9), Prince George’s (14, +4), Talbot (1, +0)

Newly affected counties include: Frederick (1)

Community spread confirmed

Exposure risk advisory for Lorien Elkridge

Closures/restrictions

Casinos, racetracks and other gambling situations are closed

Gatherings >250 people prohibited

All schools closed through 3/27

Senior centers closed until further notice

Elections postponed - vote by mail implemented for urgent elections

Massachusetts: last updated 3/17 at 4 pm

218 cases (+21)

Affected counties include: Barnstable (2, +1), Berkshire (14, +3), Bristol (5, +3), Essex (8, +0), Hampden (1, +0), Middlesex (89, +6), Norfolk (43, +7), Plymouth (5, +2) Suffolk (42, +6), and Worcester (8, +2)

1 case of undetermined location

21 hospitalizations (+7)

Michigan: last updated 3/17 at 2 pm

54 cases (+21), 25 hospitalizations, 0 deaths

Affected counties include: Bay (1, +0), Charlevoix (1, +0), Ingham (2, +1), Kent (5, +0), Macomb (8, +2), Monroe (1, +0), Montcalm (1, +0), Oakland (16, +2), St. Clair (2, +0), Washtenaw (7, +0), and Wayne (17, +3)

Wayne County includes Detroit (8 cases, +2)

Newly affected counties include: Jackson (1), Leelanau (1), Otsego (1), and Ottawa (1)

Two employees of the corrections department have tested positive

Jackson County Probation Office and Detroit Detention Center have both been exposed, contact the health department if you have been exposed

Closures/Restrictions

Bars and restaurants are carryout/drive through only

Public spaces (casinos, theaters, etc) closed

Public offices open by appt only

Minnesota: last updated 3/17 at 12:00

60 cases (+6)

Affected counties include: Anoka (3-5), Benton (1-2), Blue Earth (1-2), Carver (1-2), Dakota (6-20), Hennepin (20+), Olmstead (3-5), Ramsey (6-20), Renville (1-2), Stearns (3-5), Waseca (1-2), Washington (1-2), and Wright (1-2)

Still working with just ranges due to everything popping off today. I apologise for the imprecise data.

Drive through testing available in Olivia

Missouri

13 cases, 0 deaths

Affected counties include: Boone (1), Cass (2), Cole (1), Greene (4), Henry (1), Jackson (1), St. Louis City (1), St. Louis County (4)

Hotline: 877-435-8411

Montana: last updated 3/16 at 7:22 pm

8 cases (+2)

Affected counties not being reported at this time, and due to everything being all the time all the time I haven’t sorted out where the cases are. Please forgive me and watch this space, I’ll try to get to it asap.

Closures/Restrictions

Public schools closed until 3/30

Many counties have closed libraries

State of Emergency

Nebraska: last updated 3/17

Community transmission confirmed: many locations in Douglas County are potential places where transmission has occurred; if you live or have traveled to Douglas County (Omaha), please check the Douglas County COVID-19 monitoring site at: https://www.douglascountyhealth.com/latest-news.

There were also two exposures in Knox County on March 5, at basketball games at Lincoln Southwest HS and North Star HS.

21 cases (+2), no deaths

Affected counties include: Cass (1), Douglas (18, +3) and Knox (1)

Nebraska, please update your shit. (Or possibly I can’t find the updated shit)

Hotline (bling): (402) 552-6645

New Hampshire: last updated 3/17 at 9 AM

26 cases, 0 deaths

Affected counties include: Carroll (1), Grafton (7), Hillsborough (4), and Rockingham (14)

Nashua (1) is included in Hillsborough county totals

Exposure reported at the Manchester DMV on 3/2, 3/3, 3/4, 3/5, and 3/10.

My desire to avoid the DMV at all costs continues to be vindicated

Your governor has a really good last name, btw

He announced a state of emergency

Sununununununu

New Jersey : last updated 3/16 at 2 pm

267 cases (+89), 2 deaths (+1)

Affected counties include: Bergen (84, +23), Burlington (5, +2), Camden (3, +0), Essex (32, +12), Hudson (24, +5), Hunterdon (4, +3), Mercer (6, +5), Middlesex (22, +5), Monmouth (22, +8), Morris (7, +2), Ocean (3, +0), Passaic (10, +2), Somerset (7, +2), and Union (15, +7)

17 cases are unassigned to a county

Closures/Restrictions:

No gatherings >50 people

Restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, and other public spaces are closed

Curfew in effect from 8 pm to 5 am, anyone out without a valid reason is committing a misdemeanor and is also a total dick, don’t expose people

New York: last updated 3/17 at 8 PM

1,374 cases (+424), 10 deaths

Affected counties include: Albany (23, +11), Allegany (2, +0), Broome (1, +0), Delaware (1, +0), Dutchess (16, +6), Erie (7, +1), Greene (2, +0), Herkimer (1, +0), Monroe (10, +0), Montgomery (1, +0), Nassau (131, +22), Onondaga (2, +1), Ontario (1, +0), Orange (15, +4), Putnam (2, +0), Rockland (22, +6), Saratoga (9, +4), Schenectady (5, +1), Suffolk (84, +21, Tioga (1, +0), Tompkins (2, +1), Ulster (8, +1), Westchester (380, +160)

NYC has 644 cases (+351) as of 3/17 at 2:30 pm

Areas/counties reporting deaths are: NYC (7), Rockland (1)

I can’t find the two others, if you have information leading to the whereabouts of these last two deaths in New York State please let me know. There is no reward other than my gratitude.

Newly affected counties include: Clinton (1), Rensselaer (1), Sullivan (1), and Wyoming (1)

Why do so many states name their counties after OTHER STATES

Drive through testing in New Rochelle, Long Island, Staten Island, and Rockland County

Closures/Restrictions

Bars, restaurants, entertainment venues closed

No gatherings >50 people

Public schools closed until 4/1

Village elections delayed until 4/28

New legal protections and stuff from the state came down today

Job protection and pay are guaranteed for those quarantined

Permanent comprehensive sick leave policy

If you are a retired doctor or nurse, New York needs you. Like, real bad. Contact the state or local health dept to see how you can help.

North Carolina: last updated 3/17 at 8:57 AM

40 cases (+7), 0 deaths

Affected counties include: Brunswick (1, +0), Cabarrus (1, +0), Chatham (1, +0), Craven (1, +0), Durham (1, +0), Forsyth (2, +0), Harnett (3, +1), Johnston (2, +0), Mecklenburg (7, +3), Onslow (1, +0), Wake (15, +1), Watauga (1, +0), Wayne (1, +0), and  Wilson (1, +0).

Newly affected counties include: Iredell (1) and Sampson (1)

Advisory for an exposure at Raleigh convention center on March 8

Please call Wake County if you were there, they are tracking exposures

Closures/Restrictions

Schools are closed statewide until 3/30

Events >100 people canceled

Restaurants and bars are closed

Ohio: last updated 3/17 at 2 pm

67 confirmed cases (+17)

17 hospitalizations (+3)

Affected counties include: Belmont (2, +0), Butler (6, +0), Cuyahoga (31, +7), Franklin (4, +1), Geauga (1, +0), Lorain (4, +1), Lucas (1, +0), Medina (3, +1), Stark (3, +0), Summit (4, +2), Trumbull (2, +0), Tuscarawas (1, +0)

Newly affected counties include: Coshocton (2), Lake (1), and Mahoning (1)

Closures/Restrictions

Bars/restaurants are closed

Gatherings >50 people canceled

Oregon: last updated 3/17 at 9 AM

65 cases (+26), 1 death (+0)

Counties reporting deaths: Multnomah (1)

13 hospitalized at time of positive test

The following counties are affected: Clackamas (6, +5), Deschutes (6, +2), Douglas (1, +0), Jackson (2, +0), Klamath (1, +0), Linn (15, +5), Marion (4, +2), Multnomah (3, +2), Polk (1, +0), Umatilla (2, +0), Washington (21, +8), and Yamhill (1, +0)

Newly affected counties include: Benton (2)

Pennsylvania: last updated 3/17 at 5 pm

GRITTY HAS SPOKEN: https://twitter.com/GrittyNHL/status/1239962668208779266

96 total cases (+20)

Counties affected include: Allegheny (7, +2) Bucks (8, +3), Chester (4, +2), Cumberland (10, +5), Delaware (9, +2),  Lehigh (1, +0), Luzerne (1, +0), Monroe (8, +0), Montgomery (32, +2), Northampton (1, +0), Philadelphia (10, +2), Pike (1, +0), Washington (2, +1), Wayne (1, +0)

Newly affected counties include:  Beaver (1)

Closures/restrictions:

Restaurants and bars are closed in the following counties until 3/30:  Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery

Rhode Island: last updated 3/16

21 confirmed cases (+1), no deaths

Chanston High School West had an exposure; 1700 people are currently quarantined after this exposure

I will attempt to sort out county level data soon, since apparently y’all have counties

If anyone knows where to find more frequently updated information than that from RIDOH, please let me know. I apologise for this data being out of date.

South Carolina: last updated 3/17 at 4:35 pm

47 cases (+13), 1 death (+1)

Affected counties include: Anderson (2), Beaufort (4), Calhoun (1), Charleston (3), Fairfield (1), Greenville (2), Horry (4), Kershaw (22), Lancaster (2), Lexington (3), Richland (1), Spartanburg (1), and York (1)

Deaths are reported in the following counties: Lexington (1)

South Dakota: last updated 3/17

11 confirmed cases (+1),  1 death (+1)

Affected counties include: Beadle (1, +0), Bon Homme (1, +0), Charles Mix (1, +0), Davison (1, +0), McCook (1, +0), Minnehaha (5, +1), and Pennington (1, +0)

Closures/Restrictions:

Schools closed week of 3/16

Tennessee: last updated 3/17 at 2 pm

73 (+21) cases, no deaths

Affected counties include: Campbell (1, +0), Davidson (42, +17), Hamilton (1, +0), Jefferson (1, +0), Knox (2, +1), Rutherford (1, +0), Sevier (1, +0), Shelby (2, +0), Sullivan (1, +0), and Williamson (21, +3)

Texas: last updated 3/17 at 12 PM

64 (+7) total cases, 1 death (+1)

Highly likely that there has been community transmission, unconfirmed currently

Affected counties include: Bell (1, +0), Bexar (3, +0), Brazoria (2, +0), Collin (6, +0), Dallas (9, +1), El Paso (3, +2), Fort Bend (9, +0), Galveston (1, +0), Gregg (1, +0), Harris (10, +0), Hays (1, +0), Lavaca (1, +0), Matagorda (1, +0), Montgomery (3, +0), Smith (3, -1), Tarrant (3, +0), and Travis (3, +1)

Newly affected counties include: Denton (1) and Webb (1)

Hail Satan for the best ever death metal band out of denton

(this is what the kids call a Reference)

2 cases are pending county assignment

Utah: last updated 3/17 at 12:45 pm

51 cases (+22)

Affected health districts include: Davis County (4, +0), Salt Lake County (22, +4), Southwest Utah (1, +0), Summit County (15, +4), Tooele (1, +0), Utah County (1, +0), Wasatch County (2, +1), and Weber-Morgan (4, +2)

Newly affected districts include: Bear River (1)

I wonder what Bear River has in its rivers

Definitely not bears

Community spread confirmed in the following counties: Summit and Utah

Exposure at Wasatch High School identified

Schools, Mormonism, skiing, and restaurants are canceled until further notice

The zoo and a bunch of museums are canceled too :(

Vermont: last updated 3/17 at 1 PM

17 cases total (+5)

Affected counties include: Bennington (3), Chittenden (4), Orange (1), Springfield (1), Washington (1), and Windsor (3)

County by county data was not updated on 3/17

Hospitalizations are reported in the following counties: Bennington (3), Chittenden (1), Springfield (1), Washington (1), Windsor (1)

Closures/restrictions:

No gatherings >50 people or >50% capacity, whichever is lower

Schools are closed starting 3/18

Bars/restaurants are closed until 4/6

Virginia: last updated 3/17

67 cases (+16)

Affected counties/cities include: Alexandria City (2, +0), Arlington (13, +4), Chesterfield (4, +2), Fairfax (12, +2), Hanover (1, +0), Harrisonburg City (1, +0), James City (12, +2), Loudoun (5, +0), Prince Edward (1, +0), Prince William (4, +1), Spotsylvania (1, +0), Stafford (1, +0), Virginia Beach City (4, +0), and York (1, +0)

Newly affected areas include: Charlottesville City (1), Goochland (1), Henrico (2), Williamsburg City (1)

Are we being pranked by the Commonwealth naming something Goochland? Studies are inconclusive

Washington State: Last updated 3/17 at 3:15

1012 total cases (+108), 52 deaths (+4)

Current mortality rate: 5.1%

Deaths have occurred in the following counties: Clark (2, +2), Grant (1, +0), King (43, +0), and Snohomish (6, +2).

Affected counties include: Clark (4, +0), Columbia (1, +0), Grant (7, +4), Grays Harbor (1, +0), Island (14, +7), Jefferson (3, +0), King (569, +81), Kitsap (7, +0), Kittitas (3, +0),  Lewis (1, +0), ,Lincoln (1, +0), Pierce (45, +7), Skagit (9, +2), Snohomish (254, +54), Spokane (4, +1), Thurston (5, +1), Whatcom (6, +3), and Yakima (5, +1).

70 cases are currently unassigned to a county

Newly affected counties include: Chelan (2) and Klickitat (1)

Closures/restrictions: widespread, will have county-by-county info soon.

Hotline: 1-800-525-0127

Wisconsin: last updated 3/17 at 2 PM

72 total cases (+25), 0 deaths

Recovery is being reported by the following counties: Dane (1)

This is updated every Friday, next update expected 3/20

Affected counties include: Dane (19, +9), Fond du Lac (11, +0), Milwaukee (24, +11), Outagamie (1, +0), Pierce (1, +0), Racine (1, +0), Sheboygan (3, +0), Waukesha (4, +1), Winnebago (3, +0), and Wood (1, +0)

Newly affected counties include: Kenosha (4)

Community spread is confirmed in the following counties: Dane, Kenosha, and Milwaukee

Closures/restrictions

Schools closed starting 3/18 for minimum of two weeks

No gatherings >10 people until further notice

Wyoming: last updated 3/17 AM

11 cases (+1)

Affected counties include: Fremont, Laramie, and Sheridan

Today’s Hot Tips

If you’re a parent, you’ve likely been charged with homeschooling your kids, no small feat not in the middle of a pandemic. A kind reader (@halcyonhowl) hooked me up with a collection of resources that I’m excited to share with you all!

Find it here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rcV0cLYYj7TftfyTYU-3Z1bvI90tOqAz6yR7XenzYHA/edit?usp=sharing

I’m not a teacher by any means but I checked out some of these resources and they seem super super cool.

My personal favorite resource is SciShow, and they make a great podcast for curious adults called SciShow Tangents! Check it out here: www.youtube.com/scishow

Hand Washing Song of the Day

If you hate singing happy birthday while you wash your hands (I certainly do) try Bohemian Rhapsody!

Sing from the beginning through “as if nothing really matters” as dramatically as possible to follow CDC handwashing guidelines! Use soap and water for maximum efficacy. And then finish the song, you monster.

If you’re this talented, you can sing it on a rubber chicken. And then sanitize the chicken with bleach. And wash your hands again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDrdZM1iGrc

Good News, Everyone!

The Shedd Aquarium penguin adventures continue!

Check it out here: https://twitter.com/shedd_aquarium/status/1239661654629023747?s=21

People in Italy are singing from the balconies, whereas New Yorkers are yelling “GO THE FUCK HOME” to people who are out. Different ways of coping, I suppose…

Italy’s lockdown is working - transmission has slowed dramatically over the past few days!

Vaccine testing continues in the United States, where testing kits are finally becoming more widely available.

China has sent the United States a massive aid package with tests and personal protective equipment (PPE) since many hospitals in the States are completely out of materials.

Chill Cat Corner

This is a thread of cat cams for people in quarantine, it’s totally amazing and will provide you with so much fucking serotonin.

https://twitter.com/margiehousley/status/1239545102831366144?s=20

This makes me want to post pictures of my cats all the time though

About this newsletter

I’m Emily, I’m a 4th year med student w/ a degree in molecular biology. I started this because I’m an infectious disease and epidemiology nerd and also all my friends have questions & anxiety. Hi internet!

The archive/proper website is located at coronaextranewsletter.wordpress.com.

All this info is sourced from regional & national public health organizations, plus the WHO. It’s as up to date as humanly possible. I’ve been beaming information about this outbreak directly into my brain 24/7 but I still miss stuff. Please let me know if I miss something!

Most public health departments stop updating their information around 4-5 PM local time on weekdays. That means that the earliest this will come out is around 6 PM Pacific time on weekdays going forward. On weekends things update more sporadically and earlier, so who knows what I’ll do then, but I’ll do my best.

The excellent title is courtesy of @marywhal​ and the Wordpress site is courtesy of @molly0xFFF and @goblintinkerer, thank you all!

For More Information

JHU COVID-19 data center: https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

List of peer-reviewed publications: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/publications.html

WHO FAQ: https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses

CDC cases in the US: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html, this also has links to each state’s health dept

[spaceiplier]

Nepenthe

The sun was rising slowly, casting a dull light. Freezing fog rested over the rows and rows of soldiers standing before the barracks. The sounds of marching and trucks rolling by were muffled by the fog. The soldiers shifted uncomfortably. They were all young, ten years old at most. Each wore a gray jumpsuit, their hands behind their backs, staring forwards with tense anticipation.

It was happening today.

Today decided everything.

In their natural form, the shape-shifters glowed with a faint, colored light. This base, humanoid shape let them flow into any body they wished. Each one was lit with their own unique color, identifying them to one another. In this natural form, those of other species could see the faint color in their skin. To each other, they always glowed with it.

They had to stay in these natural forms as they stood in their rows. It sent them a message.  They were exposed here. Weak. Easy to kill. It was a threat.

Near the center, a boy stood. His fingers tapped his leg without rhythm. His eyes darted from person to person. His heart beat steadily, despite his need to move. On his jumpsuit, his identity was printed out: 08518. The number he’d owned since birth.

He wasn’t nervous; this happened to everyone. No, he was excited. He wanted to see who he would be paired with, who his teammates for the rest of his life would be. 08518 wanted to run forward, grab that list from the commander, and find out who his team was.

But his stayed still, tapping out his nerves.

Tap.

Tap, tap, tap.

The commander was talking quietly with someone else. They weren’t like them. No glow, no color. Bland. Looking down at his own hands, 08518 saw the pink glow coming from himself. He liked his color. It was fun, and happy. Things that weren’t often allowed. Emotions were reckless. They were for those who had earned them.

“101017!” The commander suddenly yelled.

A boy standing a few rows down from 08518 stiffened, his blue glow flashing with a burst of fear. 08518 knew him. He was the youngest out of their barracks, and also a twin. The youngest of them all by three minutes.

He stumbled forward when beckoned. Small, frail, and shivering in the cold, his natural form was smaller than most. A runt, 08518 had heard the boy called.

“Take this.” The commander handed him a knife, then placed a strong hand on his shoulder, turning him to face the rows of soldiers. “Weakness will not be tolerated. You begin your training today. Let it be known that if you show any weakness, you will be punished. If you fail in anyway, you will be punished.”

The crowd collectively shifted as someone was dragged into view, a bag over their head, arms and legs bound together. They were struggling, but their movements were weak.

“This boy,” the commander continued, “is the weakest of you. The runt. The youngest. A child with attachments.” He spat the last word, eyes landing on a girl who glowed red. She straightened her posture, staring him down. 08518 felt himself smile before he caught himself.

“Kill him,” the commander told the boy.

“Wha… what?” The boy stuttered, hands suddenly trembling around the knife.

“Will you be weak? Disposable?” The commander asked, speaking more to the crowd than him. “A body meant to be thrown into battle only to die? Or will you be strong, and rise above the others? Prove your worth, and become a soldier.”

The boy’s blue aura was quivering.

“Or will you be weak, like this fucking pathetic child?” The commander pulled out a gun, aiming it at his head. “Kill him, or I will dispose of you right here.”

The red girl started forwards, as if to do something. She stopped herself, her body poised to run, but holding herself back.

08518’s tapping accelerated.

The blue boy approached the hooded man, pressing the knife against his heart. The struggling increased. The muffled noises increased. The knife wavered, and then fell. He couldn’t do it.

Coward.

08518 might not know a lot, but he knew that failing to kill was a death sentence of its own. Seeing the gun rise, he felt a surge of protectiveness for the  other boy. Something tugged at him, pulling him towards the other boy.

“You have--” the commander started to say, but suddenly 08518 was moving forwards. He pushed through the crowd, only stopping when he reached them.

Before anyone could say anything, he took the knife from the blue boy and plunged it into the hooded man’s chest. He held it there, keeping eye contact with the commander as the man died at his hands.

“Insolent brat,” the commanded snarled, reeling back and slapping 08518 across the face.

He gasped in pain, falling back against the pavement. The blue boy made a move to help him, but stopped himself.

“I’ll take the punishment,” 08518 said, staggering back to his feet, meeting the commanders eyes. “I’m the killer. Isn’t that we’re supposed to be? Hell, I’ll kill him if you want.” He pointed at the other boy.

The blue boy’s aura flared in alarm.

The commander looked him over, then down at his list. He smiled cruelly, looking over into the crowd. “101217,” he called. The girl ran forwards, stopping between 08518 and 101017. “You three are paired for a team. Maybe that killer in you will rub off on these two weak links. Now report back to your barracks.”

The three of them ran off, the red and blue pair shying away from him.

Tap.

Tap, tap, tap.

08518 tapped his leg as they marched, ignoring their fearful and hateful stares. They’d get used to it. They’d get used to death. That’s what they were. Killers. Ignoring that fact was pointless. They weren’t good, they were born to destroy.

Anything else was pointless.

.

.

“I’ll take his punishment!”

08518 raised his hand, stepping forwards. 101017 looked at him with regret and surprise. They had been training for a few weeks now, and the young boy still couldn’t bring himself to kill.

Coward.

Weak.

They were going to hurt him. Punish him for refusing to kill.

So 08518 stepped forwards.

What did he care? Punishment was nothing compared to watching his teammate suffer for kindness.

101217 watched him coldly. It was just the three of them stuck in this classroom. A dead body was being dragged away. 101017 hadn’t killed him. The commander had, out of frustration, snapped his neck and demanded 101017’s punishment.

“Fine.” Their commander pushed 101017 back. “Get over here and change.”

08518 stroad forwards, ignoring 101017’s terrified expression. He let his shifted form fall away, exposing his natural pink form. The commander scowled. They hated their natural forms. Too shifty. Too unsettling. It was when they were weakest, however; a cut on a natural form stayed.

The commander pulled out his knife. He grabbed 08518’s face, letting the blade cut into his neck. 08518 gritted his teeth, struggling to stay still. 

Don’t fight it. Don’t show weakness.

When he was done, the commander pushed him back, letting 08518 collapse to the floor.

“Don’t assume you have paid for your weakness,” the commander snarled at 101017. “You will never be strong.” He stalked out of the room.

The other two ran to him, hands hovering over his natural form, uncertain if they should touch him.

“You’re an idiot,” 101017 said.

“You’re welcome,” he said back, shifting into a new form. The cut pulled and stung. Alone with them, he cried out quietly. They held his hands while he gritted his teeth and pulled himself into a new body.

He was an idiot, sure, but he was a protective idiot.

.

.

“Duck!” 08518 barked at 101217. The girl dropped immediately; 08518’s blast barely skimmed past the top of her head, and struck the robot behind her. Without hesitation, she launched herself at another robot, her knives digging into the joint between the neck and head.

101017 backed up, his back pressing against 08518’s. He could feel the sweat sticking them together. Both of their chests were heaving with exertion. 08518 could feel his knees waver, but he widened his stance and took out another robot.

“I’ll cover you,” 08518 said. “Get 101217 and take the tower. I’ll hold them off.”

“Are you sure?” 101017 growled, his staff coming down and crushing the head casing of the robot lunging at him. “There are still so many left. There is no way you’ll be able to hold them all off. It’s not according to plan!”

“Trust me,” 08518 catch 101017’s eye, winking. “I got this.”

101017 swung his staff, taking out a few more robots before turning to face 08518. “It isn’t according to plan. My plan. I’m supposed to make sure this goes perfectly.”

“And a good leader should trust his team,” 08518 shot a robot over 101017’s shoulder. “There are more than we thought. We won’t make it to the tower in time. Sometimes you have to sacrifice a few pawns to kill the king.”

101017 scowled. “You are not a pawn.”

08518 scoffed, “We’re all pawns. Don’t play dumb. Now, get 101217 and get going, leader.”

101017 hesitated, then took off running. As he passed 101217, he tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to turn and follow him. The two ran through the simulated terrain, robots spilling over the rocks to kill them.

None of the constructs got even close. One after another fell to 08518’s blasts, his deadly accuracy taking out any who dared get close. A few smart ones noticed him and abandoned the blue and red beings to target him.

08518 leaped back. He wasn’t very good yet, but he managed to teleport a few feet up into the branches of a tree. It would give him a few more minutes before they got to him. Robots crashed into the tree as he continued to take out those following his team.

All that mattered was that they reached the tower.

101017’s blue aura glowed stronger for a brief second as he built up his strength. In a burst, he unleashed it onto the tower door, the wood shattering. He and 101217 burst inside, just as the robots started clawing at 08518’s feet.

“Come on,” 08518 muttered, kicking at the robots below him. “Kill the fucker.”

Suddenly, everything froze. Then the sky flashed red, and the scenery melted away. They’d reached the top floor. They’d killed their target.     

“Congratulations,” a cool female voice said. “You have passed the final level of your training. Please report to your commanding officer.”

08518 hopped out of the tree as it dissolved around him. 101017 and 101217 ran up to him, their hair sticking to their foreheads with sweat and eyes alive with adrenaline. They paused for a moment, just looking at each other.

They wanted to hug. 08518 knew it. They wanted to grab each other and scream and cheer until their voices were hoarse. But they couldn’t. They couldn’t show emotion.

“Well done,” 101017 finally said. His voice was official, but his face split into a wide grin.

“You too,” 101217 added, and snapped to attention. 08518 joined her.

The three of them left the training room. The halls seemed so much smaller, now that 08518 knew they would be leaving soon. They were done. They would finally be sent on real missions.

As they walked down the hall, they passed a window. He caught sight of himself, and winced. Marks lined his face and arms, bright pink and raised slightly. Some were older than others, but they all told the same tale. He was a wildcard who disobeyed orders and became too attached to others.

Whatever. Nobody would know what they meant when he left.

The three of them finally reached their commanders office. He was glaring at 08518, but what else was new?

“Soldiers,” the commander began, “as recognition for your passage of training, and becoming members of the special race of warrior beings, you all have earned your names.” He handed them each a file. “Inside are your new names and the location for your first assignment. Congratulations.”

They grabbed their files, ripping them open to see what their new names were.

“Celine,” she said, her red aura flickering slightly with excitement as she read her name out loud. “My name is Celine.”

“I’m Damien.” He turned and grinned at 08518. “What’s yours? Oh no, is it something stupid?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “No… it’s just… this is my name. These are our names.” He looked up, smiling as he looked at his team. His friends. “My name is William.”

        .

        .

William stared into the mirror.

Ugly.

Deformed.

Monster.

He had so many scars. Some of them were for Damien. Some of them were for Celine. Most of them were because he never knew when to stop. When to just roll over and take it.

William ran a thumb over one of the ugliest ones. Right over his heart. That had been a huge fuck up. William had let the Federation Official they had been escorting get killed. He’d deserved it, stuck-up bastard. When William had come back with his failure, he’d been forced down as they carved into his chest.

Make it ugly. Make it hurt. So he would never forget.

All William wanted to do was forget.

Forget his scars. Forget his life.

Forget and float away.

“Hey, are you okay?”

William jumped, pulling his shirt on quickly. He turned, seeing Damien standing in the doorway, his face a mixture of pity and concern. William felt his hands tighten. He hated that pity. He wasn’t weak.

Broken? Yes. A fucked-up soldier who could barely sleep without seeing the faces of the only two people in this mad universe that he cared about in his nightmares? Yes. A wild animal that killed upon orders of uncaring organizations? Yes.

But he wasn’t weak.

“I’m fine,” he snapped, yanking on his jacket. “What do you want?”

Damien reached towards him, but then pulled his hand back.

Coward.

“There’s a meeting happening soon,” he said. “Commander wants you there.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

Damien nodded before slipping away without another word.

William turned and stared at himself in the mirror. He shifted his face, going from species to species. The scars on his face stung as they were pulled into differing faces. Faces he barely used to faces he knew better than his own. Something different. Something that he didn’t hate.

Nothing fit. Nothing felt right.

Why didn’t anything ever feel right?

He punched the mirror, his reflection shattering under his hand. William watched the skin stitch itself back together, slowly and painfully.

He wanted the pain.

.

.

“Do you ever wonder what we would be like if we weren’t war dogs?” Damien asked, his voice absent and far away, like he was talking to himself.

William looked over from where he was crouched at the window. The three of them were stationed on a desolate planet inhabited by pirates and war criminals. The natives had long since abandoned the planet, leaving ruins and criminals. The three of them were sent to find information on a warlord; their instructions were to observe and report back. Fairly boring, but better than the alternative of running away from bullets.

Damien was lying on his back, staring between the broken slats of wood at the stars. He blinked lazily, his blue aura a soft glow. Celine looked between him and William from where she sat at the opposite window. The three of them were shifted into Sicore, a gentle and unassuming species that was easy to slip into. Each showed some sign of their aura color: Celine with red hair, Damien with blue eyes, and William with pink freckles on his skin.

“What?” she asked.

“Just…” Damien gestured aimlessly at the sky. “What if we weren’t soldiers? What if we were normal people with normal lives doing normal things? Who would we be? Would we even know each other?”

Celine and William caught each others’ eyes. Damien had always been too kind for his own good. Half of William’s marks were from taking his punishments because Damien preferred to spare than kill. He was kind, but also… he was scared.

Coward.

“I don’t know,” Celine said, playing along with his fantasy. “But I think I’d be rich and mysterious. Maybe using my seer abilities to find out the secrets of those rich Federation officials and using them to get into a comfortable life where I didn’t have to see any military official again.”

William chuckled, “Sounds like you. I’d probably go hunting. Find some dangerous animal to hunt down. Put my skills to good use. Or maybe get a huge mansion and live out my days a million miles away from anyone who wanted to tell me what to do again.”

Damien was smiling at him, and William smirked back.

“Maybe I’d let you visit me in my mansion,” William said.

Damien nodded. “Oh yeah. It would be huge, like your ego.”

“Hey!” William protested, but Celine and Damien laughed.

“I’d probably try to help people,” Damien said. “I don’t know how. Maybe try to get into the Federation and make it better. Use those leadership skills and actually try and make a difference.”

“Oh, of course you choose the noble route and make us feel bad,” Celine teased.

Damien shrugged. “Not my fault you two are selfish assholes.”

Celine and William made eye contact, coming to a silent agreement. Simultaneously they got up and rushed Damien, pinning him to the ground. He laughed in surprise as they tickled him, hands running over his sides as his arms were pinned behind his back.

“Take that back!” William and Celine said, their own giggles barely held back.

“Never!” Damien gasped for air between his laughs.

They ended up in a pile on the ground, watching the stars slowly move across the sky with smiles on their faces. They were a mess. Limbs tangled together, breathless and happy. Soft purrs rose in their chests, the forms they had taken making themselves known in their happiness.

William looked at his hand. They didn’t know when it had happened, but somehow their colors had started showing up on each other. Little lines of red and blue in his pink. The others of their kind hadn’t noticed yet, it was so faint. But they were there.

“I think we’d still be together,” Damien said softly. “Even in every other universe out there… I think we would find each other.”

“Me too,” Celine said, snuggling into his side. “I’ll always be your sister.”

William nodded in agreement. He didn’t know why, but he suddenly felt… sad? No, that wasn’t it. Maybe just remorseful. A faint feeling that they could never have what they wanted. They could never be who they wanted to be.

Celine reached over, taking his hand, her gentle fingers tangling with his. She smiled at him, but it was a sad smile.

She knew something. Something he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

Stars burned millions of miles away, and William felt them all in his skin.

.

.

He didn’t know when it started, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

She was powerful, determined, daring, sharp and soft. When she smiled at him, he couldn’t breathe. When she touched him, every part of him felt alive. When she spoke, he couldn’t tear his attention away.

She made everything feel wild and alive.

But then sometimes, it wasn’t her. It was him. He was kind, honest, and confident. Stong, but fragile at the same time. His eyes made him feel at ease. His touch made him feel calm and open. His voice made him feel at home.

They haunted him.

He was scared of these feelings. They weren’t allowed. You didn’t choose who you loved, or who you held at night. Those feelings weren’t okay.

So, he hid them, and died more and more inside for their sake.

He could never hurt them.

.

.

“Watch out!” William, grabbed Celine, yanking her back as an alien twice her size swung at where she had just been. “Aren’t you supposed to be able to see the future?”

“The future is muddy,” she snapped back, using him to launch herself at the alien, her knives digging into his eyes. The alien screamed and choked, falling to the ground with a thud. “I don’t know exactly what is going to happen. I just have a vague idea. Where is Damien?”

“A floor up.” William shot a few aliens coming up behind them. “We got separated.”

“Let’s go then.” Celine pulled another knife out, slicing a throat, and pressing forwards. “We cannot let her escape.”

They had been commissioned by the Federation to capture a dangerous fugitive. A Xanhull. They didn’t say why they wanted her alive, but did, and their crew was the best in the business. Unfortunately, it seemed that she had anticipated them arriving. The place was swarming with hired mercenaries.

William and Celine stood back to back, fighting them off.

The crumbling building shook around them. The Xanhull had sheltered in the ruins of Akishiao, a lost and desolate planet ravaged by a disease that had wiped out the natives. A perfect place for a fugitive to hide.

A perfect place for an ambush as well.

 “Hurry up,” William heard Damien think at him. “I’m getting overwhe-ARGH!”

“Damien!” William shouted, panic flooding through him. He grabbed Celine and concentrated. It took a lot out of him, but William managed to jump them a floor up. The moment they arrived the world started spinning and his tongue felt like cotton. He hated transporting others with him, but Damien was in pain.

He couldn’t let Damien get hurt.

Neither of them.

“Oh no,” Celine whimpered. When William’s eyes cleared, his heart dropped.

Damien was lying on the ground. Several slain mercs laid around him, dead. A gaping hole was in his stomach, seeping blood. He groaned in pain, reaching out for them. William and Celine rushed to him.

“They… they got me,” Damien coughed. Blood dribbled down his chin.

“No no no no no no,” William said, frantically hovering his hands over the wound. “I can fix this. I can… this… this is fixable. I can… I can…”

He was failing.

He was falling.

“She’s in the next room,” Damien said. “You can finish the mission. Bring her back.”

No. There was no way he would leave Damien. He couldn’t just leave him here to die. Not when there was a chance. Celine took Damien’s hand, her eye’s starting to fill with tears.

“Damien… it’s okay, you can heal from this.” She sounded more like she was trying to convince herself. “You’re in shifted. You can heal… you can heal from this. They didn’t get your Kisei. You’re going to be fine.”

He laughed, but it ended it a bloody cough. “Really? You’re going to start lying to me now? We’ve always been honest with each other, sis. Don’t stop now.”

Celine’s eyes darted over to William, and then back to her brother.

“I…” Her voice faltered, but then her face hardened. She turned to William. “We need to capture her. We have to complete the mission.”

“Are you fucking serious?” William asked, the hurt and outrage in his heart tinging his words. “We need to save him!”

“If we don’t capture the Xanhull, they’ll hurt us,” Celine said. “They won’t be happy. Damien might survive a little while longer. Then we can get them both—”

“No!” William interrupted. “I won’t leave him.”

They stared at each other for a moment, their wills clashing and breaking against each other. Finally, she dropped her eyes. She reached out, grabbing Damien’s hand.

“I’m sorry,” she choked out. Tears were flowing freely down her face. Celine looked like she was hanging on by a thread. That one line holding her to the two of them, stretched taut.

Damien weakly smiled at her.

Celine let go of his hand, grabbed William’s face, and kissed him. It was hard, desperate, and tasted like blood and tears. It was a mess of teeth and skin, and it made William’s body feel like it was on fire. Stars burning in his skin. She let go, and they stared at each other.

She was beautiful, even bloody and scared.

Celine ran away.

The thread broke.

William didn’t know what he was feeling anymore, but he turned back to Damien. He needed him. “Look at me,” William grabbed Damien’s face. “Stay looking at me, okay? I’m going to get you fixed up. They can fix you back at the base, okay? Just hold on. I have bandages. I can fix… I can fix this...”

        “Will…” Damien’s hand came up, the blood staining William’s cheek as he cupped his face. “I never thought I would end any other way. This—” He coughed again. “—this was always going to end like this.”

        “No!” William, reached into his bag, pulling out bandages and wrapping them around his stomach. “No, remember? You’re going to help people. We’re going to live in my mansion, and you’re going to be the good person you always wanted to be.”

Damien smiled sadly. “That dream is a joke, Will. It’s all just a joke.”

William refused to respond. He just focused on saving his friend.

Save Damien.

Ignore reality and save Damien.

Then Celine’s choked scream shattered his mind.

“Celine!” His head jerked up. Dread seeped into him, his body growing heavy. There was a moment of quiet… and then the door creaked open at the end of the hall.

The Xanhull stood there, wiping her hands of blood. Some of the blood pooled in her hands, which she let fall into a vial. She pocketed it. Behind her, William saw the last fading light of red. The Xanhull walked forwards, looking at William quizzically.

“Huh,” she said, voice soft and curious. “I assumed your kind were murderers. Yet you try to save him? Strange. You have a heart.”

“Fuck off,” William spat.

The Xanhull smiled, and kept walking until she was gone.

They failed.

William didn’t care about the mission. She was gone… he couldn’t think about that right now. He just needed to save Damien. He needed to save Damien, and forget Celine. Forget the red glow that no longer came from the room. Forget her.

Just forget.

.

.

“You failed!” the commander screamed, spit flying from his mouth. His face was pulsing red in fury, veins standing out on his neck. “Do you know how much money you have cost us? Federation credits! Millions of Federation credits for what? For a soldier?”

William remained at attention, but his attention wasn’t on the screaming man. It was on Damien, weakly stabilized and sitting in a chair next to him. His shifted form had fallen away a while ago, leaving his weak blue form.

Damien was barely staying awake. He had to stay awake.

“I accept any punishment,” William said. “It was my fault. I made the call.”

“Oh, you will be punished.” The commander stalked forwards, inches away from William’s face. “You will not forget how you have failed. You will never forget this day, William. Take them to the cell block.”

“Wait! Damien needs a medic,” William tried to protest, but the two of them were escorted down the halls. Farther and farther down, until they were in the prison cell block. Cold and dark. The walls were thick, hiding whomever might be behind them.

“In here.” The commander pushed Damien and William into one of the cells.

William was pushed against the wall. His wrists and ankles were chained, allowing him little room to move.

Damien was placed against the other wall. Only one chain was put around his ankle.

The commander walked up to Damien, his eyes locked with fury onto William’s. “Don’t think I haven’t seen how you look at your team. I know your weakness. I know you love them.” He spate out love like it was venomous. “You failed us. This is what you deserve.”

He leaned over, and stripped away Damien’s bandages. The rough tearing caused the skin to break again, blood seeping out. Damien gasped in pain as they tore. He weakly attempted to stop him, but his hands were batted away easily.

“NO!” William screamed, thrashing against the chains. “NO! Stop! I’ll do anything! I’ll take any punishment, just let him live! Let him go!”

The commander ignored him, instead pulling out a knife. He plunged it into Damien, barely scraping the one organ that insured Damien’s death. Kisei. The one organ that could kill them. William’s struggling increased, his pleas echoing through the cell.

“STOP! PLEASE STOP!”

The commander scowled at him, “This is all your fault.”

He left.

“Damien!” William leaned forwards as far as he could, getting as close as he could to him. “Damien, stay awake! Please, stay awake.”

Damien smiled at him, tearing running down his face. He tried to speak, but all that came out was rough coughing and more blood.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” William repeated over and over, pulling at the chains uselessly. He tried to teleport, but all that happened was something snapped in his brain, leaving him breathless and still chained to the wall.

“I’m sorry.” William reached out for Damien. He reached back, but they were too far apart. They couldn’t reach. They couldn’t be together.

There was no indication of the passage of time. All there was were two men, desperately trying to get as close to each other as they could before it all ended. William’s pink aura was frantically wavering, the reds and blues moving sluggishly though the colors.

“Remember that night on Ijida?” William asked, his voice rough from screaming. Damien’s head perked up, smiling with memories a million miles away in his eyes. “Ce… Celine was off on some mission. It was just us. Do you remember?”

Damien nodded.

“We slept outside, under the stars. It was so quiet. Do you remember what you told me? I do. I remember everyday. You said that you wanted to run away. You wanted to run away, you fucking coward.”

William was crying again, his vision blurry. Damien was reaching out for him, wanting to comfort him even though he was the one dying. They couldn’t reach each other. Not now. Not then. Not ever. They were so far away.

“Was that just a dream, too? Just a joke?”

Damien tried to respond, but his lungs were clogged with blood and all he managed to do was cough.

William slid down the wall, watching Damien as Damien watched him. There was nothing left to do but wait. Just wait for this all to end.

It felt like it had been only minutes, or maybe years. The room was drenched with the stench of blood. William felt empty. Nothing left to give, but every time he saw his best friend his chest seized. Looking up now, Damien looked back at William and mouthed something.

“What?” William croaked. “Wait, Damien, what did you say?”

Damien smiled sadly.

“Damien… what did you say?”

Damien didn’t blink. He was still. Unmoving. Unseeing. The blue was pulsing slower… and slower… and slower…

“No… no no no no no!” William struggled with new energy. “No, Damien, what did you say? Damien, wake up!”

He didn’t move.

He just stayed frozen, staring at him.

William closed his eyes and collapsed to the ground, breathing into his curled-up form. His heart was racing, hands shaking, and vision blurry. He shifted over and over again, trying to find something that would make it stop. Make everything stop, and go back. Make him forget. Something… something else…

Not this.

It wasn’t real.

This wasn’t real.

Forget, forget, forget, forget, forget…

When the door opened, William was back in his normal form. He didn’t look up at the commander. He didn’t look at the soldiers.

“I think I may have just broken you,” the commander laughed. “Unlock him and send him for retraining.”

A soldier – one of his own – bent down to unchain him. Maybe it was just the purple aura, maybe it was something else, but the moment William’s hands were free, his hand snapped up. The soldier’s throat was in his hands, and then it was broken.

They fell to the ground, dead eyes staring with surprise at nothing.

William rushed the others. They weren’t like him. They died easier. They fell like the pawns they were. The commander turned to run, but William dove at him, pushing him out into the hall and against the wall. They smashed into the wall with a sickening crack.

“Now, soldier,” the man tried to sound commanding, but his voice broke.

Coward.

William punched his face. Over and over and over and over until blood stained everything. He punched until the man stopped groaning and begging. He punched until he didn’t look like the man who had killed Damien. He punched until he held a bloody mess that stopped begging like a cur.

William ran for the ships in a bloody haze. Anyone who got in his way didn’t matter. It was just the sound of his heart pounding in his ears.

The world was a blur of blood and noise, colors harsh and distant.

He rushed onto the ship, flicking the switches and yanking the throttle. The engines roared. He was gone, racing into the stars. The base faded behind him, and the twin moons grew closer.

William collapsed back into his seat, the world coming into focus.

Oh.

He just realized what Damien had said.

William put the ship onto autopilot. He wrapped his arms around his legs, and shivered, eyes closed tightly.

“You’re a good man,” Damien had said.

A good man…

William wailed, fist lashing out to destroy the closest thing to him. The panel crunched under his fist, sparks burning his skin. It hurt. It needed to hurt.

He wasn’t a good man. Good men didn’t let their friends die. Good men saved the day. Good men weren’t him.

“I am not a good man,” William cried quietly.

.

.

.

“Don’t you love me?”

Red and blue.

“You’re going to leave, aren’t you?”

Blood stained hands.

“Just one more night, please.”

Chapped lips against his.

“Fuck you.”

Dark eyes that had seen too many deaths to count.

“Stay.”

A name found on a gravestone.

“You’re a bastard.”

Hair tangled in the wind.

“Why won’t you stay?”

Red and blue.

.

.

.

He stepped out of the bar, feeling tipsy and a little less than steady. The world was spinning faster than he was moving. Everything was colors and blurs. Bright and brighter fighting in his brain. He laughed at it.

He didn’t know what was going on. He didn’t know who he was, where he was, or even what he was. The world was a mess that he blocked out with drinking and dancing.

He didn’t care.

Stumbling into an alleyway, he pulled out the notebook tucked in his coat. The one thing that he couldn’t lose. Why couldn’t he lose it? There was some reason. Something important. Flipping it open, he saw the names.

Those names were so important.

Never forget the names. He couldn’t remember the faces, or where the names came from, but he knew that he couldn’t forget. So, he wrote them down. Over and over until they were almost meaningless.

Maybe that was the point. Who knew. He couldn’t remember, so who cared.

He tucked away the notebook. He knew the names now.

The colors sharpened for a moment, and he saw a woman. A beautiful, familiar woman whose entire being called to him. Her hair was dark with a red fringe, and her eyes took in the world with malice. She wore a white suit, the top unbuttoned, exposing her collar bones. Two lines ran from her eyes, one red and the other blue.

She glanced at him, and the world stopped spinning.

He looked at his hands. Red and blue. He looked at her. Red and blue.

“Hey,” he said, leaning against the alleyway wall. “Hey, pretty lady.”

She looked at him, somehow managing to look down her nose despite being shorter than him. “Who are you?”

There was no name attached to whatever he was. Whatever he was… it didn’t matter. It hadn’t mattered in so many years. He pulled a name out of nowhere. In his drunken, half giddy with inebriation and laughter, he snorted as he said, “Wingleheimer.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

He shrugged. “I’ll admit, I don’t have much of a name. Or any name. You can call me Wingleheimer though.” He smiled and winked.

Her lips curled into a dangerous smile. “Not much for attachments?”

“People come and go. Names come and go. Everything comes and goes. Nothing is permanent, and everything changes. I just move with the world and watch the world change.”

She considered him for moment, before moving closer. She moved with purpose, every step confident and powerful. As she got closer, he noticed a faint red glow about her. It wasn’t strong like his own pink one. It was muted, like a faint copy of the real thing.

“Well, Wingleheimer,” she said, causing him to giggle stupidly at his own name. “You seem familiar.”

“I would say the same to you.” He wiggled his finger around his ear, making a mockery of his own inability to remember. “Things get jumbled though. Memories come and go. Faces, names, places… I seem to forget the simplest things.”

She stopped, inches from him. He could see every freckle across her cheeks. The faint red light in her eyes.

“So familiar,” she mused as she reached up, touching his scars. Wingleheimer flinched, and her lips curled cruelly. “Oh. These scars… I remember these. It’s you, isn’t it? The one who gave up. The killer with a heart.”

He felt frozen, staring into her eyes. It was like staring at a wild animal; afraid to move and scare it into either leaving or attacking. You wanted to stare at its beauty. Revel in it. But the beauty had claws and teeth, and you knew that the moment you were deemed food you were dead.

It was thrilling.

“That was so long ago,” she continued on softly, seemingly talking to herself. There was a hint of sardonic laughter in her voice. “There are so many bodies behind me, I also seem to forget them. You were different though, weren’t you? You had a heart.”

He wanted to remember. It scratched and clawed at the back of his head, but something held it back. Don’t remember that. Don’t look at it.

Just let forgotten things be forgotten.

“What a strange thing you are.” She stepped back, hands clasped behind her back. She leaned towards him, dark eyes alight with amusement. “It’s exciting; knowing there are endless possibilities. Let’s see how this plays out, shall we?”

He wanted nothing more. He leaned forwards, ready to kiss her back but she laughed and turned, starting to walk away. Wingleheimer called out, snapped out of his awe.

“Wait! What’s your name?”

She just laughed, lifting a hand and waving without looking back.

Another ghost that walked away.

.

.

.

Abe had never been one for parties. He preferred the slow, steady motions of his day to play out as planned, like the rocking of a boat on the an ocean. He would work his cases, catch the criminal, and spend his nights relaxing with the comforts of home. The GLE was his life. Like a hamster running his wheel, Abe had worked his ass off to become one of the best detectives they could brag of having, all while going nowhere special in life.

When an invitation from the man who reminded Abe of the clowns from his three weeks in clown school – who also happened to be his boss – was dropped upon his desk, Abe’s first reaction was to refuse.

“Lighten up!” his boss laughed, reminding Abe of his time with the clowns. “It’ll just be me, a few friends, and some co-workers. You know Steve, right? He’ll be there with his wife. Come on, it will be fun!”

Steve… Steve… who the fuck was Steve?

“You know!” his boss said. “Steve? The guy you punched at poker night?”

Ah, that Steve.

Abe glanced at the stack of holo-files he had to get through. He had planned on working late. But this was his superior… and besides, a few drinks and some dancing couldn’t hurt.

“Fine,” he sighed.

“Excellent!” His boss clapped him on the shoulder. “Life is too short to be wasting away at the desk. Live a little!”

.

.

The music was loud; a raucous roar of laughter and fast tempos like a storm on the ocean of Abe’s life. There were more people here than Abe had been expecting. Every room was crowded, and every person was nearing some point of inebriation. Abe had found himself near the bar, downing whiskey and watching the dancers move across the dance floor. A live band played, clashing with the pre-recorded music coming from the other rooms, like a clown at a funeral.

“Another?” the bartender asked Abe as he finished off his drink.

Abe checked his watch. Nearing midnight. He wouldn’t be able to get any work done tonight, so why not. He nodded, watching the golden-brown liquid fill his glass like paperwork filled his desk.

“My, my, my.” He heard a voice come from his left. Glancing over, Abe saw a man with pink marks the color of strawberry milkshake across his face leaning against the door frame, smiling sweetly at Steve’s wife. Abe frowned. He didn’t recognize the species. “I must say, your dress brings out the blue in your eyes spectacularly.”

The woman was blushing, and she slurred back with all the eloquence and sobriety of a drunken Velm who’d spent their last credits on silný, “Why, thank you. I’m Ivory. What’s your name?”

Abe saw the man opened his mouth to answer, but at that moment the band kicked up, drowning out any more conversation Abe might have heard. They were obscured from his view, so Abe returned his attention back to the matter at hand.

Drinking until he was as drunk as a Velm on Scarlix Day.

Tracing his hand across the bar, his fingernails caught on something. Looking down, he saw someone had scratched two names into the wood.

“Who’re Damien and Celine?” he muttered.

“Abe!” It was his boss, throwing a sweaty arm around him and breathing heavily in his ear. Just like the clowns had when he’d said he was leaving clown school. “How are you? You look so grumpy!”

Abe managed to shrug him off. “Just a little tired, I guess.”

“Come on!” His boss reached out into the crowd and pulled out a pretty girl with hair that waved like it was underwater and wide pink eyes. “Dance with Jilly here!”

Jilly smiled shyly at him. Word of advice to those who dedicate their lives to running that hamster wheel to nowhere: never become too attached to anything or anyone. Family, lovers, glasses of whiskey that you had just forgotten about but were now being drunk by your very intoxicated boss.

Abe was torn between refusing or just giving in when an angry shout broke through the noise.

“That’s my wife, you bastard!”

“Well then I must say you have fine taste in women…”

“Get your hands off of her!”

“… and she has fine taste in men. Where did you get your hair done? It looks superb!”

Abe abandoned his boss and the girl, pushing through the crowd until he saw the man from earlier, pushed up against the wall by Steve. Ivory was off to the side, looking very confused. Steve was beet red with anger, his hands trembling in the man’s shirt. The man, however, looked completely calm. He was looking Steve up and down with a lazy smile and hooded eyes, continuing to compliment him.

“I’ll kill you!” Steve roared.

 “Well that’s not very nice.” The man tapped Steve’s nose, which was as red as the clown nose Abe had worn for a week when he’d lost a bet. Abe swore steam was coming out of Steve’s ears. “Here I was just swept away by your fine looks and…”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Abe stepped in, separating the two before they started either making out or fighting. He wasn’t sure what was going to come first. “Steve, go get a drink and calm down. And you—” Abe turned around, but the man was gone. “What the fuck?”

He whirled around, scanning the crowd. He wasn’t anywhere near him. The crowds shifted and rolled against him like waves, pulling and pushing. There, deep in the dancers. How had he gotten over there so quickly? The man was spinning with a Ninkain, winking and laughing. Was that a gun in his hand?

That was a gun!

Abe ran into the crowd, shoving people left and right, trying to get to him. The crowd was packed, though. Abe only managed to get wedged between two large men who were dancing their hearts out. Grabbing and pulling like a frantic monkey trying for that dangerous banana, he finally managed to get to where the man was.

“You!” Abe shouted above the music. “Put the gun down!”

“What?” he shouted back.

“PUT. THE. GUN. DOWN.”

“WHAT?”

Abe rolled his eyes. Fine. He reached out and grabbed the man’s arm, attempting to pull the gun out of his hands. The man was clearly just drunk and showing it off. He wasn’t going to actually shoot…

BANG!

The gun went off. A moment of silence hung like a dead man on the gallows before the crowd screamed and scattered, making a mad dash of the exit. Abe stumbled back, the crowd pushing against him, surprised that the man had actually fired. The man didn’t look concerned, only confused as everyone left.

“Why’d the music stop?” he asked, turning around to look where the band had rushed out the back doors.

“Put the gun down,” Abe shouted at him, getting over his surprise and raising his own gun.  

The man spun around, looking back at him. Abe was surprised to realize that the pink marks weren’t a species mark. They were raised and ragged. They were scars.

“Oh, it’s you again! So sorry to dash away like that. The fellow clearly had some issues going on upstairs, if you know what I mean. But not to worry, I am J. Barnum, but you can just call me Barnum.” He winked at Abe. “And who are you?”

Abe pulled out his badge. “I’m an officer of the GLE. Put the gun down and get on the ground, now!”

Barnum leaned in. “Abe? I like it.” He twirled the gun around his finger.

“Get down, now!” Abe shouted, frustrated.

“Now, now,” Barnum lifted the gun and fired. There was a groan of pain, and Abe turned to see someone fall backwards out the door. “Let’s not be so forward, although I like it. I must say, I love your hat.”

“You… you just killed somebody,” Abe said in shock, turning back to Barnum.

“He’ll be fine,” Barnum said.

“No, he won’t.”

“He might.”

Abe was getting more and more frustrated. This man wasn’t listening to him, and was flippant and clearly drunk. Dangerous to society. Maybe a GLE cell was in order. A long time in a GLE cell. A GLE cell with no key, and the cell was in the center of a star, and the star was imploding, taking the cell with it.

Abe tucked his gun away, pulling out his handcuffs. “Okay, I’m just going to put these on you and we’re going to take a ride down to the station.”

Barnum froze. His eyes were locked on the handcuffs, and his hands were trembling  around the gun harder than an earthquake on Múscadh. He was whispering something to himself, but Abe couldn’t hear what he was saying. Clearly having a breakdown faster than Bozo did during his first year of clown school.

Abe reached forwards to put Barnum’s hands into the handcuffs.

BANG!

Abe stumbled back. There was pain in his chest, like when his teacher told him he’d never be a real clown. Something was staining his shirt. Barnum was staring at him with shock and confusion. He was saying something, but everything sounded far away, like he was on a distant moon and Abe was on the opposite side of the planet. Abe blinked, his vision going fuzzy. His mind was racing faster than a Slipstream Cruiser, the world was a blur of color, and Barnum was saying something over and over again. And then Barnum was gone.

Abe reached out for help, and blacked out.

.

.

He woke up in a hospital. Light, whiter than heaven itself would allow, washed everything out. Something beeped out a mechanically steady tone. He was on his back, but as he rolled his head he was faced with the image of his past.

A picture of a sad clown.

“Good morning, detective.” The doctor walked into the room. He carried a clipboard, and a mask hung around his neck. He looked fairly feline, his wide eyes darting from clipboard to Abe with a nervousness that was unsettling. “Glad to see you awake.”

“What happened?” Abe asked, his voice raspy from a throat drier than the deserts of Varellex.

“You were shot. In the heart, in fact,” the doctor said. “You were rushed here, and we managed to replace your heart with a top-of-the-line GAAP-issued heart.”

“You put a machine inside of me,” Abe said. Somehow, the shock wasn’t catching up to him yet. It was just facts, passing by his head in dull monotone words. He had been shot. His heart was gone. It was replaced with a machine that steadily beat out a code he couldn’t understand. That man had nearly killed him.

“What happened to Barnum?” he asked.

“Who?” the doctor asked, his ear twitching.

“The… the man who shot me.”

“Oh, the pink fellow,” the doctor said. “He was brought in, but when the GLE went to interrogate him he was gone. They are still investigating.”

“He escaped?” Abe attempted to lifted himself off the bed, but the doctor rushed forwards, pushing him back down.

“Sir! Your body is still adjusting to the heart! Please, do not strain yourself in any way.”

“He escaped,” Abe growled. “That… that murderer escaped.”

There would be nowhere he could run; Abe was a fantastic runner. There would be no hole that he could hide in; he meant that literally, metaphorically, and euphemistically. There would be no fight he could win; Abe had fought many clowns in his day. Barnum was a fugitive of the law. He couldn’t hide from Abe. He couldn’t fight. He couldn’t run forever.

Abe would find him.

.

.

.

“How long has Jack been out of contact?”

“Just for the weekend. He’s working on a project.”

“He isn’t going to get obsessed with it again, is he?”

“Don’t worry, Jack said he added a feature to Chase and JJ to make him go to bed after a certain amount of time.”

“Good. I don’t want to have to babysit him either.”

Mark and Tyler sat in the lounge. Amy, Kathryn, and Ethan had gone down to the planet they were orbiting for a shopping day and to let the dogs get some fresh air. The two boys had decided to stay behind, hanging out in the lounge.

The two of them were sitting back to back on the couch. Tyler’s warmth set into Mark’s back, letting a cozy feeling settle over the living area. Mark was holding a tablet, scrolling through several media sites from Ventos Beta. Tyler held his crystals, watching the light change as it passed through them.

Casual conversation was interrupted by a loud bang coming from down the hall. The two froze as footsteps ran towards them. Soon heavy breathing came from down the hall, and shortly after someone burst through the door.

For a moment, Mark couldn’t tell what they looked like. For a second, they looked faintly Nasazza, but then it was gone; replaced by a fairly humanoid shape of pink with streaks of red and blue.

“Hmm,” the form hummed. “I like it.”

Then the form was shifting, pulling and stretching. The pinks faded, and darkened. Soon the form looked like Mark, but with a pink mustache, pink hair, and several dark pink scars lining his face and arms.

They stared at each other for a moment before they frowned. “Hmm, could be taller.”

“Hey!” Mark protested.

They shifted just slightly taller.  “Thanks!” they said, giving a salute to the two. And then they kept running until there was another bang and everything went quiet.

“Uh,” Mark said, still staring at the empty doorway. “What?”

“Who knows anymore,” Tyler sighed.

Mark’s watch beeped a few times before a voice echoed out. “Attention! This is the GLE. Please prepare to be boarded.”

“Awesome,” Mark slowly got to his feet. “Go hide that, uh, good shit that Jack gave us.”

Tyler ran out, and Mark made his way towards the docking port. Just as he arrived, the docking door slid open, revealing a flustered and sweating man.

“Where is he?” the officer demanded.

“Who?” Mark asked.

The man sputtered, “The criminal! He was on your ship, I know it.”

“You mean the guy who stole my face and then left? I still don’t know.”

Still sputtering and cursing, the man stormed out as the door slid shut behind him. The Barrel alerted Mark to the departure of the GLE ship, and Tyler walked up behind him.

“What did he want?”

“Apparently my face is now on another criminal.”

“Oh,” Tyler said. There was a moment of silence before Tyler added, “Want to go pretend that didn’t happen?”

“Yeah, sure,” Mark answered, and the two headed back to the lounge.

.

.

.

How long had he been here?

Did it matter?

The music was loud, the alcohol was free, and the party-goers were coming and going, keeping the vibe alive. The air was thick with some kind of cotton candy-flavored smoke. Lights flashed through the heavy air, bodies moving and grinding against each other. Time moved but to where, nobody knew.

Wilford sat on a plush couch on a raised platform in the corner. A few beautiful Cahaynta sat around him, the glowing lines of their bodies making their corner come alive. He wasn’t paying much attention to them as he regaled them with a story even he wasn’t sure was true.

His eyes were locked on the crowd.

Watching.

Waiting.

Where was he?

“Hello, ladies,” Danny sauntered into the lounge, winking at the Cahaynta. They laughed, their collective glow pulsing brightly as he drew near. “How are you doing this evening?”

“Wonderful,” one purred, getting up to trace a long claw across his chest. “Even better now that you’re here.”

Danny gave the Cahaynta a coy smile, but glanced over at Wilford. “If you’ll excuse me, I have need to have a quick word with our guest here. Then my attention is all yours, baby.”

“Be quick,” she said, she and the others getting up and leaving.

Danny threw himself onto the couch next to Wilford, startling him. “Wilford! How are you, you old dog?” His hair waved, pulling itself back into a ponytail and out of his face.

“Oh, same old,” Wilford said, still distracted by the crowd. “The party is wonderful, as always.”

“Been going on for twenty years,” Danny said proudly. “Only a few murders.”

“A few?” Wilford glanced over at Brian, who was crouched in the shadows, watching. He locked eyes with the darkly dressed man. A black aura surrounded him, and Wilford glanced down at his own pink. Brian was like him, he knew that much, but he didn’t know what that meant.

When he looked up Brian was gone.

“That’s besides the point. I feel like you aren’t enjoying this party.” Danny leaned into his line of sight, an eyebrow raised. He knew he was right.

“I’m waiting,” Wilford looked around him. Still no sight of him.

“For what?”

“A friend.”

“You have friends?”

Wilford huffed. “Of course I have friends.”

“Uh-huh,” Danny chuckled, shaking his head and letting his hair fly into a mess. “I’ll take your word for it. I hope you find what you’re looking for. In the meantime,” Danny said, his smile taking on a more mischievous look, “I have some ladies to entertain.”

Wilford huffed as Danny walked off, glitter and sequins flashing in the strobe lights.  

He hadn’t expected it to take this long. Normally he found him within weeks, but Wilford had been here so long. Had he given up? Was their chase over so soon? He hoped not.

Something sourer floated through the air, and Wilford sat up straighter. Ethismós. A common smoke among GLE officers. It smelled disgusting, but it was cheap and kept the officers awake during long stings.  

Obvious among the sickly-sweet scents of the party smokes.

Wilford grinned, settling back into the pillows.

Sure enough, the sweaty detective soon came into view. Swearing up a storm, and marching through the crowd, gun raised. Most didn’t pay much attention to him. They had better things to pay attention to. The roll of bodies and music together, pushing and pulling Abe through them.

Wilford stifled a laugh as Abe was dragged into the arms of an especially drunk Genello.

Finally, Abe and Wilford locked eyes across the room. Wilford raised his drink, attempting to take a sip. The damn straw kept escaping him. Abe stalked with determined focus towards him.

“Get your ass down here,” Abe snarled, raising his gun and pointing it at him.

Wilford grinned, standing and hopping off the raised platform. The music kicked up and he started dancing circles around the detective, lights flashing.

“Don’t move! Show me your hands!”

Wilford threw his hands up, wiggling to the beat.

“Not like that, put them down!”

Wilford dropped his hands with the drop of the music, shimmying past with a strut and a slide.

Abe shot, but missed. He fired again, and missed again. Wilford danced around the bullets, laughing as Abe grew more and more frustrated. Nobody noticed them, off in their little corner of the world. Wilford saw Arin and Suzy shooting him a stern look, but he just laughed. It didn’t matter; he would stop shooting eventually.

“Stop!” Abe yelled, finally firing into the air. Wilford spun to a stop, coming to lean against one of the pillars.

“Hey,” Wilford winked, popping out a finger gun at the detective. “Long time no see.”

“You are coming with me,” Abe snarled.

Wilford raised an eyebrow. “Why? The party is here!”

“How do you not get it?” Abe tucked his gun back into its holster. “You are a criminal. You are under the arrest for the murder of way too many people to even count! You are going to prison, and you are going to stay there this time.”

“Well that’s just ridiculous! I would never kill anyone.” Wilford attempted to sip again. Damn this straw!

“Is that right?” Abe pulled out a taser. “Well, whatever you say, buddy.”

Wilford attempted to reach the straw again when Abe pressed the taser into his chest. Pain zipped through his skin, causing it to shift and harden against the electricity. Wilford yelled, his vision going dark.

Time moved on.

.

.

Wilford woke up with a yell. For a moment he didn’t know where he was. That wasn’t so unusual, but as his senses came back to him, Wilford frowned.

He was strapped down to a seat. The space was all cold and metal; nothing personal decorated anything. So bland and lifeless. There were bars between him and the pilot’s seat. As Wilford lifted his hands to try and sip again, Abe climbed into the ship.

Wilford smiled pleasantly at him. Abe smiled tightly back.

“It’s the end of the line for you.” Abe said, settling into the pilot seat. “They’re going to throw every book they have at you. And then they’re going to throw you into a cell, and after that they’re going to throw away the key, and after that they’re going to throw… the cell… into a star.”

Wilford nodded along. He was sure that they were going to try. It never stopped him.

The detective started up the ship, taking off quickly. The stars blurred as Abe sped up, taking them towards the nearest GAAP station.

It had been a while since Wilford had reached out, so he did. Abe’s mind was easy to read. So black and white. Nothing broken or hiding. What he thought he thought, and Wilford liked that about him.

“... sort out the paperwork. Is he staring at me? What does it matter. I get one night alone with him to get some answers, and they it’s off to prison forever with him.”

Wilford frowned. “One night alone?”

“Yes, I am taking you back and--”

Abe froze, then whipped around to face Wilford. His eyes were wide.

“How the hell did you do that?”

“Do what?” Wilford reached down to sip the martini. It kept escaping him, just barely at the tip of his lips.

“Do… how did you…” Abe’s eyes darted around, searching for an answer. Suddenly he threw up four fingers. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

“Four,” Wilford thought. Obviously. He put them right out in the open.

Abe somehow managed to look more shocked. “Sirgon.” He thought, looking at Wilford with determined, stubborn face. “NASAZZA. ZUFORIU.”

“What are you doing?” Wilford asked.

“NGALAN!”

“Are you okay?” Wilford asked, concerned. Abe kept throwing random words at him.

“How are you inside my head?” Abe yelled, hitting autopilot and turning completely around.

“Why are you shouting?” Wilford asked, gesturing with his martini.

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!”

“YOU’RE STILL SHOUTING!”

Abe started yelling.

Well, if you can’t beat them, join them.

Wilford started yelling.

He didn’t know why they were screaming, but Abe reached for his taser. Wilford, still screaming, started frantically shaking his head, but it was too late. Abe pressed the taser into Wilford’s chest, pain raced through his skin, and then it all went dark.

.

.

“... yes. No, I understand.”

“AAAAAAAAAA!” Wilford woke up screaming. “AAAAaaaaa. Aaaaa?”

He was in a barren room. One wall was covered with a holographic board covered with information and pictures of him in his various forms, a few lists of his aliases, and little lines of light connecting everything. Prominently featured on the board, though, was one question that even Wilford didn’t know the answer too.

Who are Damien and Celine?

Wilford looked down. He was still tied to a chair. Well, at least he had his martini.

“You’re awake.” Abe was sitting on his desk, putting down the comm he had just been using. “Good. Enough games.”

Wilford frowned, attempting to drink the martini. Why would they end this game?

“Your ass is mine for the next twenty-four hours. And I am going to take my sweet time with that ass.”

Wilford raised an eyebrow suggestively.

“To… to get answers… out of it,” Abe clarified uncomfortably.

“Well.” Wilford looked around the place. “I suppose I could stay a while. Get comfortable. Nice place you got here. A little bland. Could use some color…”

“Just stop.” Abe picked up a file and slammed it on the table, cutting Wilford off. “How do you not get it? Are you really so stupid to not realize that you are a criminal? A murderer?”

“There is no need for name calling,” Wilford protested. “Words can hurt! You should be kind, and courteous.”

“Name calling?” Abe huffed. He stalked over to the holoboard, tapping on a few files so they enlarged. “And what name, exactly, would you like to be called? Wilson Jackson?”

Wilford laughed, “Well, that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.”

“Winston H. Sanders?”

“Oh!” Wilford said. “Interesting time for that name it was. Met this wonderful woman whose husband just couldn’t keep up. Paid me a little extra to help out, if you know what I mean”

Abe blinked. “What?”

“Lovely lady, she was--”

“William C. Darren.”

“Ah! That was--”

“Wingleheimer.” Abe said, then did a double take. “Wingleheimer?”

“Alright, I’ll admit that I was drunk and there was this pretty woman--”

“Name after name after name!” Abe double tapped the holoscreen, the names shrinking. “Sometimes within days of each other! What exactly is your aversion to names? We have you on file. You cannot run away.”

“I quite like the one now. Wilford. Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?” Wilford said, attempting to get those last sips at the bottom of the martini glass.

“You just don’t get it,” Abe rubbed the bridge of his nose. “How do you not get it? You’re a criminal. You shot me!”

Abe closed his eyes, still rubbing his nose. He was so distressed. Wilford felt his stomach drop as he realized how tired Abe was. There were dark circles under his eyes, stress wrinkles on his forehead. His clothes were stained, and obviously hadn’t been washed in a while. The poor man was working himself to death on their little chase.

Huh.

He needed to let loose.

Wilford teleported out of his seat, appearing next to the holoboard where Celine and Damian’s names were highlighted.

“Wait, WHAT?” Wilford heard Abe exclaim. He looked over his shoulder at Abe, who was standing, pointing at the empty chair and looking with wide eyes at Wilford. “What… how…?”

“Names get jumbled in here,” Wilford said, gesturing with his drink at his head. “I find myself forgetting simple things. Those two, though” -- He returned his gaze to the holoboard -- “I know I cannot forget them. I can’t remember who they were, or if they’re even out there, but I know I cannot forget them. They’re so important. Just like you.”

“How did you do that?” Abe yelled, yanking his gun out and pointing it at Wilford. “How did you get your ass out of that chair? You are going to tell me, right now. You are going to tell me how you got your ass out of that chair so I can get your ass back in that chair. Now!”

Wilford smiled at him. “How did you find all of this? Some of these pictures and names are so old.”

“I’ve been collecting them. Hunting down your old hideouts, old friends and lovers, just so that one day I could bring you down.” Abe cocked the gun.

“That’s so sweet.” Wilford was touched. Abe had gone to so much trouble for him.

“That’s not sweet! It’s sickening!”

“Sickeningly sweet!”

“That isn't what I meant,” Abe said. “You know what I meant. Seriously, you need to get back in the chair. I can get more rope. Maybe some handcuffs.”

“Eh.” Wilford shrugged. “Worth a shot.” He turned on his heel and ended up sitting in Abe’s chair.

“How are you doing that?!” Abe whirled around, aiming his gun with shaking hands.

“I just am. I’m not sure how either,” Wilford riffled through some of Abe’s files. “Oh! Now I remember this. Do you? Running all over the city, never stopping. Or were you there? Was that before you?” Wilford sighed, putting down the file. “I can never remember. Events blur together. Names, faces, dates… they’re all the same.”

“I… I don’t understand,” Abe said, lowering the gun for a moment. “How can you not remember?”

“There is something I am forgetting. Sometimes I wish I knew what it was, but I can never find it,” Wilford looked at his drink. “Maybe it’s them. The names that haunt me. I don’t know, but now I just forget. It’s easier that way.”

Abe opened his mouth to say something, but it came out a shriek as Wilford teleported right in front of him. His gun went off, but the bullet shot harmlessly into the ground.

“I do remember you.” Wilford tapped the gun, lowering it. “When we met, that night at the party. You started chasing me, and you won’t stop. You’re the first one who hasn’t stopped, you know that? Running and chasing. The thrill of it has been a treat. But, there has been something I have been meaning to tell you. Something that I have been meaning to give you after all this time.”

Abe tensed.

Wilford leaned in and hugged him. “I’m sorry.”

There was a moment where it was just him hugging Abe’s strong, broad shoulders, but then he was pushing Wilford off of him. Wilford let himself fall back into the chair.

“I shot you, and that wasn’t very nice,” Wilford said.

“You… you’re saying sorry?” Abe asked.

“Over these past however many hundred years,” Wilford said, gesturing to the holoboard. “I have met many people, forgotten many people. Things come and go. Nothing sticks around, and maybe it was better that way. But you stayed. I left and you would follow.”

“Of course. I’m an officer of the law. You’re a criminal!”

“Exactly!” Wilford pointed at him. “This cat and mouse chase. It keeps us together. You, chasing me all over this damn galaxy; it’s what makes this friendship work!”

“F-friendship?” Abe stuttered, taking a step back.

Wilford nodded enthusiastically.

Abe shook his head, as if clearing it. “No! You’re the bad guy. You killed people. So many people. I am GLE. I’m supposed to capture you.”

“Then why haven’t you?”

“What?” Abe snapped, turning to face Wilford, who had caught his mustache on the rim of his martini glass. He could just shapeshift out of it, but he liked it too much. “We are not friends. I’m catching you right now. You’re caught! Sort of.”

“You didn’t take me back to GAAP.”

“N-no,” Abe said. “But that’s because I need answers.”

“So ask. What would you like to know?”

Abe swallowed, eyes darting around the holoboard. “I, um, Scorsa! You were shacked up with some Raga’am. How did you get away? And Damien and Celine, who are they? What are you? None of the DNA we’ve gotten has matched any data we have. Where did you come from? We have tracked you back to before GAAP, but your trail stops around the time… uh… that time you went by Wingleheimer! Why? Where? How did--”

“Slow down,” Wilford waved his hand. “You’re focusing to much on the details of it all. The who’s who, the when and the where. You aren’t seeing the bigger picture.”

Abe stared at him. Clarity rose in his eyes. “You don’t remember.”

“Well, that also, yes.”

“Fine, then answer this. What do you remember?”

Wilford closed his eyes, setting the drink down. “It comes and goes. Memories are waves. Crashing into me, then gone again. Chaos of my past and present, clashing and mixing. One day my mind is fine, but then tomorrow comes and I can barely remember a thing. Spending hours upon hours writing those names… I can’t forget them.”

Wilford stood. His eyes opened, landing upon Abe, who only looked confused.

“I am broken,” Wilford chuckled. “And isn’t that what makes this so interesting? You’re so black and white. I’m such a mess of colors. This opposite chase that led us to each other. This is wonderful, and strange. And sure, you could catch me and I could go to prison. The chase would be over, and where would we be? I would be alone, chained down until I died. You would be back behind that desk, pretending to care about cases you hate. You could end this.”

Abe’s eyes were growing clearer, but his conflict was growing worse.

“But who cares?” Wilford waved his hands. “That doesn’t matter now. Life needs a little madness every now and then.”

“But…” Abe started.

“Shhh.” Wilford walked forwards, slinging an arm around Abe’s shoulder. “My friend, you have been working too hard. The stress is getting to you. This is chase is thrilling. The struggle, the hiding, the clues. Brilliant. But you are burning yourself to the ground.”

Wilford could see Abe fighting himself. He was supposed to catch Wilford. He was an officer. He wasn’t supposed to stop, he was supposed to catch him.

But then his shoulders sagged in defeat. Wilford smiled and concentrated. He couldn’t remember the last time he had done a jump this far, but it had been a long time. The world folded for a moment, and then the two of them were back on the party ship.

The music was still throbbing through the air. Beings from every corner of the galaxy danced and tangled together. Danny and Arin waved from the dias; Brian flipped them off.

“Why don’t we,” Wilford began, turning Abe towards the dance floor, “have a little fun?”

Abe looked at his gun, at Wilford, and then at the crowd. They were having fun. Letting loose. The world was theirs for the night. Why shouldn’t it be his as well?

Just one night of fun.

Abe shrugged, then turned and grabbed Wilford’s hands, dragging him into the crowd.

.

.

.

“That dream was a joke.”

“I’m not leaving him!”

“Strange. You have a heart.”

“DAMIEN, WAKE UP!”

Wilford woke up. His breathing was uneven, his body was drenched in sweat, and his hands were shaking. The world was spinning, refusing to make sense. Where was he? He couldn’t remember. Everything wasn’t right. Why couldn’t he remember?

What had he been dreaming about? He couldn’t move. Something he didn’t want to think about.

Wilfords face was wet. Had he been crying?

“Just let me forget,” he quietly begged his pillows. “Please. Let me forget.”

Nothing answered him. It didn’t need to, when the dream was already gone from his mind like sand through his fingers.

The fear remained.

Wilford rolled over, staring out the window. The sun wasn’t up. Just pitch black with only the light of the moon. Slowly, he remembered. This was his house. He couldn’t remember the name of the planet, but here he was. Drifting through a galaxy he didn’t remember on a planet he didn’t care to know.

For a moment the bed felt too big.

Too empty.

Wilford pulled himself out of bed, letting the form he’d chosen fall into place. It had been an accident, he was certain, but his natural form had started appearing when he had bad nights. Meaning, of course, that his natural form appeared every night.

The nightmares were just a part of his life now.

Wilford couldn’t stop them. Nothing did it. Not booze, not lovers, not wasting his nights thinking of anything but the fear. They came, and then he forgot.

He caught sight of himself in the mirror. He’d never learned the name of the man whose face he wore, but it didn’t matter. It was just a face he liked. Another false piece of himself he couldn’t place. He wouldn’t have remembered it anyway.

Morning birds sang outside of the window as Wilford moved about the room. The house was only one room. His bed was shoved into one corner, a small kitchen in the other, and a couch on the opposite wall, facing him. It was small, but it was his. His own corner of the universe that nobody really knew about. The walls were covered in names. Scratched, written, it didn’t matter. They were there. Wilford dragged on pants, shirt, shoes, and belts. Why did he wear so many belts?

It was just beginning to rain when Wilford stepped outside. Nothing intense, just light morning showers, gently covering the fields of grass with droplets. The first sun began rising, painting the sky pink and gold. The twin rings appeared as the sun illuminated them, crossing the sky and giving the world a shadow.

Lonely wasn’t ever a word Wilford had considered himself. He was never alone. He surrounded himself with people. Parties, full of vibrant and lovely beings. Crowds of people who could love or hate him. Lovers whose beds he found his way into. Wilford wasn’t alone.

Standing on the edge of the porch, watching the sun rise, Wilford felt that hole in his heart grow bigger.

Maybe he wasn’t alone, but now Wilford was realizing he was still lonely.

Wilford had been running from that hole for as long as he could remember. The hole that clawed at him, scratching and tearing at his heart. It demanded to be filled, and so he fed it. With drinking, dancing, sex, murder, whatever caught his eye. For those brief moments the beast inside was sated, and he went on.

Then that hole was back, demanding more.

There was something missing. Someone. Maybe it was them. Celine and Damien, whomever they were. Maybe it was the red and blue on his pink. Maybe it was just a feeling that he was stuck with, pushing him until he finally died.

Wilford closed his eyes, stepping out and letting the rain fall over his face.

Cold.

Temporary.

Meaningless.

Wilford fell back against the porch railing, letting his eyes remain shut. He missed them. Was that strange? Missing someone you had couldn’t remember? They had to be important, didn’t they? The reason behind his obsessive writing.

Maybe it didn’t matter and he was making a big deal out of nothing.

A hum - quiet but steadily growing louder - came from a ship entering the atmosphere. Wilford frowned. Nobody but Abe knew where he was, and Abe was on vacation. The ship was growing closer though. It was nice, but not standard GAAP.

Wilford’s hands tapped an old rhythm on his leg.

Tap.

Tap, tap, tap.

It landed in the field, the morning rain spraying as the landing force-fields pushed it away. It reminded Wilford of something, but he couldn’t remember. The roar of the engine slowed, coming to a stop.

The door opened, revealing a man standing at the top of the ramp. He stood with confidence, surveying the world with distaste. Someone stood behind him in the shadows, features hidden. Wilford caught a flash of metal in the sun. Robot or android, or even cyborg, he couldn’t tell. They stayed behind, just watching.

The man walked towards him with purpose, jacket billowing behind him in the wind. His hair was dark. Two lines ran down his face.

He looked like him.

He looked like her.

Wilford glanced down at his hands, and then back at the man.

Red and blue on his hands. Red and blue on the mans face.

“Hello again,” the man said, coming to a stop before Wilford, his lips curling into a smile. “Did you miss me?”

[aspected-benefic]

Prompt #6: First Steps

Reonora moved her hand to to pinch herself. But once her fingers brushed against delicate silk, she jerked her hand away. She didn't want to ruin her brand new dress.

Or, rather, her mother's dress.

She gazed upon her reflection in the mirror. The shocking white, although matching her permed hair to the exact shade, contrasted sharply against her brown skin. Grey lace and golden jewelry glittered across the attire like the moon and stars. She didn't have her mother's figure exactly; the band laced across her chest groaned slightly when she breathed too deeply, and the cuffs around her forearms  and although the waist fit around her own - her mother had an extraordinarily small waist after all - the extra inches of her abdominal muscles proved to be an obstacle. She emerged victorious, but not without scars to show for it - scars in the form of perfectly outlined ridges. Still, the dress fit her well enough. The elegant ballroom style made Reonora feel like a princess, or at least someone about to attend a fancy banquet. She pulled slightly on the sides of her large hat and giggled with childish glee as the edges snapped back to place with a couple of slight wobbles.

Most importantly, regardless of how the dress fit on her or of whom it originally belonged to, the attire signified a status. A job. An ideal dream that Reonora never thought would come true.

By wearing this attire, not only she, but the entire world was forced to accept that Reonora was now a full-fledged Astrologian.

Silently praying that her actions didn't make her a narcissist, she continued to stare at her reflection in the full-sized mirror. She wanted the image of herself as an Astrologian to etch permanently in her mind.

Although she could only stand looking at herself for so long. 'At least I look the part. Now for the most important task: Astrologian's first divination!'

Her heart fluttered so quickly, Reonora felt sudden swings of giddiness with each sharp movement. But she couldn't help herself. Her spurts of excitement fueled her and soon she placed herself in front of the walnut table she called her work desk.

Now her divination table.

The door leading between the upper and lower levels locked, her retainers upstairs at the store front to manage things until she had finished indulging her selfishness, Reonora's moment of truth could now begin. A broad smile spread across her face as she rubbed her hands together with glee. Placing her leather satchel atop the table, she pulled out not the Sharlayan deck she used in battle, but a deck of her own.

A system known as Lenormand.

On the one hand, Reonora's mother had always claimed that she herself had devised the system from her own experiences to suit her own purposes. A system that could fully bring out her true potential. On the other hand, Reonora had also heard stories that Lady Lenormand was once a famous astrologian from Ishgard of renowned accuracy. Although she did have her own deck, this current system was not the one she used, nor did any signs of a creator show on records. Though regardless of where this system came from, she had the most familiarity with this system.

Not that she had ever used it before.

Taking the cards out of the well-worn wooden box, Reonora spread the cards across the table. Years had worn and frayed a few of the card edges, adding an antique charm to their imagery. The colourful illustrations depicted two young women of various hair colours depending on the card's element and the weapon she possessed. Although a stranger not in the know would easily assume that the depiction showed only one women, not two. Reonora knew, however. These two young woman - identical twin princesses - starred in one of Reonora's favourite childhood book series. On a quest to retrieve six stolen royal treasures, their exploits made them legendary. And thus, Reonora had come to identify these cards as the legendary heroine deck. As she brushed her hands across the smooth paper surface, images of her mother flashed in Reonora's mind. When Reonora was little, she watched with hands on her head and a playful kicking of her feet as her mother divined readings that always came true.

"When can I have the deck, mommy?" a young Reonora had asked.

"Even though you are my daughter, the stars must deem you worthy. Even I had to be deemed worthy. These are powerful tools we wield, Reonora, not mere toys that we can wield on a whim. You must wait and see if the stars will grant you the same blessing that they granted me." had said Reonora's mother.

That day of worthiness never happened. When Reonora was sent to live in the Temple of Nymeia, never to return, Reonora took her last ounce of selfishness to snag the legendary heroine deck. If this deck was truly hers, then she should have it, so said Reonora's young entitlement. Years may have had her question that statement's legitimacy, but not like Reonora could see her parents again. She would be going against their wishes. Thus, the deck remained in her care to this day.

But today, she would finally use the deck for its intended purpose and not just to stare at the pretty pictures.

The voice of Reonora's mother echoed in Reonora's own mind. "For beginners, a spread of three, five, or seven cards aligned in a single row is the most recommended. Even I started with this simple but effective reading, and I continue to use it to this day. It always me to focus my gift in order to deliver direct, truthful messages."

Reonora shuffled the deck. The smooth surface of the cards glided across each other easily and felt nice in her hands. Just like how she imagined her mother to do, Reonora muttered a question, aligning her mind to nothing else but her single thought. Voices of her mother's advice still drifted into her conscious thought. "Ask your new deck of what it can do for you." "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" "What are you here to teach me?" But Reonora let thoughts thoughts play out and fade away in the same direction of where they came. Her question was different, one that she truly desired to know.

"Do you think we will be able to work together?"

After what seemed like forever, Reonora realized she had to start shuffling before the sun set. Heart racing, anxious to see the results, she placed the cards on the table. First card to the far left. Second card to the far right. Third, fourth, and fifth in between.

Sun. Clover. Ship. Snake. Stork.

"This journey together? I am pleased to partake in this fortunate voyage as well. This journey you desire will bring about a transition to a world anew. It will be a joyous change of a fortunate transformation."

Reonora smiled. "Yes. Let us partake in this journey together."

((A really huge thank you to @abeat for providing lines for Reonora's Mom. Abeat's so good at lines, I swear!))

[app-jelly]

Christmas Aesthetic

Hello everyone! I’m finally back with another installment of my domestic AU. It’s March, but fuck it. As always this one is dedicated to all my bot followers.

It was a week before Christmas. The Amari household was decked out with reindeer and Santas and elves. Christmas trees filled every corner that could fit one and, in every doorway, hung a mistletoe. Outside, snow and even more reindeer, Santas, and elves blanketed the lawn. Christmas lights hung from every available surface. It was a bit much, but that was how the Amaris enjoyed their decorations.

Christmas was one of their favorite holidays, the only catch being that neither Fareeha nor Angela celebrated it. They were into it for the aesthetic and consumerism. Fareeha also really liked Santa.

She woke up that morning excited for the day’s plans. Every year since they first got together, Fareeha and Angela would drive to all the nearby malls and Christmas events in their area and get a picture with every Santa they came across. They’d make one giant collage with the pictures and send copies to their friends as gifts.

“Angela, are you up yet?” Fareeha whispered to the still form of her wife nuzzled comfortably into the mountain of pillows and blankets she accumulated every night.

No response.

She nudged her and spoke louder when she said, “Angela, I love you. Please get up.”

Angela finally cracked open one of her eyelids. Her sight was bleary from sleep, but she could make out the form of her excited wife just fine. “Good morning,” she mumbled out, closing her eye as soon as she said it. She rolled over and pulled her nest of blankets closer to herself, hoping to manage at least five more minutes of sleep.

The blankets were pulled from her body, revealing her naked form to the cold morning air. Angela shrieked from the icy assault against her body. She was definitely awake now. “Okay, okay. I’m getting up.” She sat up against the headboard, yawning as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “Today’s pictures with Santa, right?”

“Yup,” Fareeha said. She tossed her wife a pair of thermal pajamas. The top matched the bottoms exactly. “I got us these pajamas to take pictures in. And I was thinking that maybe we could mix things up this year.” She put on her own pair that looked exactly like Angela’s. They had nonsensical stripes and snowflakes interspersed with Santas.

“Oh, what would you like to do differently this year?”

Fareeha pulled out yet another pair of identical pajamas, this one smaller than either of their pairs. “Let’s invite Hana. Her parents are hardly ever home so I thought it’d be nice if we took her out today.”

“Fareeha, that’s a wonderful idea.” Angela kissed her wife, laughing when she pulled back and saw her nose crinkled.

“Angela, I love kissing you, but, please go brush your teeth.”

Angela swooped in for another quick kiss before heading for the bathroom. “Why don’t you invite Hana over for breakfast as well?”

Might as well, Fareeha thought. She put on a coat and Santa hat as she made her way downstairs and out the door.

Fareeha walked through the knee-deep snow until she arrived at her neighbor’s front door. She could have used the sidewalk, but she loved messing up the snow.

“Hana!” Fareeha said as she rang the doorbell five times in a row. The door also suffered a series of harsh knocks to make sure that a certain teen would answer.

A loud thump could be heard from inside followed by the sound of slippers dragging across the floor. The door jerked open a crack revealing the sleep-deprived face of Hana Song. She shot Fareeha a glare before slamming the door closed and undoing the chain. She opened it fully, clutching at the blankets she had wrapped around herself when she felt the morning chill.

“You’re lucky I fell asleep on the couch. I literally couldn’t ignore you if I tried. What do you want?” Hana said.

Fareeha shoved the pair of thermal pajamas she brought with her into Hana’s arms. “Here, put this on. When you’re done, come on over. We’re making breakfast next door.”

Hana pulled out her phone to check the time. The display flashed an eight followed by two zeros. Eight AM, the time of day she was never awake unless she stayed up from the previous day. It was uncouth to be awake at such a time. People lacked morals, respect, common decency to be awake this early. Truly, the world possessed no good reason to –

BLARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGG

Ah, yes, hunger. It would be hard to go back to sleep on an empty stomach.

“Fine. I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Hana slammed the door closed and hurried upstairs to change.

Fareeha returned home to the sight of her wife preparing pancakes on the griddle. She watched as Angela sprinkled cut slices of fruit onto the bubbling batter before flipping them over. The pancakes cooked for another minute before they were piled onto three separate plates.

“I didn’t know you could cook,” Fareeha said once the griddle was off.

Angela frowned and smacked Fareeha’s arm with an oven mitt. “Oh, hush. I was a microwave connoisseur before I met you. Pancakes are a real improvement.”

Fareeha put her hands up in surrender before grabbing the syrup and powdered sugar, bringing them to the table.

As soon as they sat down, the front door slammed open. Hana quickly stepped through, closing the door with her foot. Her nose followed the scent of fresh pancakes until she was sitting at the table with Fareeha and Angela.

“Good morning, Hana,” Angela said.

“…ornin’,” Hana managed to croak out, her eyes drooping from lack of sleep. She stared at the pile of pancakes in front of her. Their fluffiness was an admirable trait, along with their golden brown hue. They would make a great pillow to rest her head on.

Fareeha looked on at the imminent collision with wide eyes. “Hana,” Fareeha said, jarring the teen out of her sleep haze. “Would you like something to drink? Tea? Coffee? Maybe a soda?”

Hana drowned her pancakes in syrup as she thought about her options. “Could I have a hot cocoa with a shot of espresso?”

The couple raised their eyebrows at her request. “We have instant hot chocolate mix and some leftover coffee from earlier,” Angela said.

Hana dumped a quarter of the powdered sugar onto her plate. She cut into her pancakes and stuffed them into her mouth, smiling at the perfect combination of flavors. “Hmm. I’ll just have a water then,” she said after a long bout of chewing.

Fareeha grabbed a water bottle from the fridge for Hana, who gratefully accepted it. She needed to wash down her food practically after every bite.

“Are you busy today, Hana?” Fareeha asked once everyone had finished their food.

Hana shook her head. “No, I was just going to go back to bed and then wake up fifteen hours later wondering where the day went.”

Angela looked concerned. Fareeha just smiled. “Great, why don’t you come with us to take pictures with Santa instead?”

Hana got up from her chair and pushed it back under the table. She avoided all eye contact when she said, “Thanks for the invite, but I’m going to pass. I don’t celebrate Christmas.”

Fareeha shrugged. “Neither do we.”

Hana looked at the couple suspiciously before turning her attention to the rest of the house absolutely drenched in Christmas decorations. “Your house looks like the North Pole and you win best decorated house every year.”

Angela and Fareeha both shrugged this time. “What can we say? We love soaking up the attention and it’s nice to win a three-night stay at a fancy resort every year for participating in a holiday we don’t even celebrate.”

Hana relented and took out her phone. “Fine, just let me tell my parents that I’ll be gone… How long are we going to be gone?”

“All day,” Fareeha replies.

Hana sighed as she sent the message to her parents. “When do we leave?”

She found herself buckled in the backseat of the Amari’s car soon after.

The first mall they stopped at was the local megamall. Shoppers packed the building and they had to walk fifteen minutes just to reach the first Santa of the day. Since it was so early, Santa’s Little Village had no line. The trio walked right up to Santa and posed for their first picture. Fareeha and Angela shared matching wide smiles. Hana had her arms crossed and her lips set in a frown.

For the next few Santas, the Amari’s brought props to wear. They took pictures with Santa hats, reindeer antlers, clown noses, and even Santa beards. Hana eventually lightened up, taking a more active role in their Santa hunt. For the last picture, she convinced the Amari’s that it would be fun to stage a presents heist. Of course, they didn’t let the workers know that’s what they were doing.

“Santa hasn’t caught on yet, so we should be good for a few more minutes,” Hana said.

They were hunched by the giant Christmas tree in their last mall shoving all the fake presents into huge red sacks. Grinch fingers adorned their hands.

Hana rounded the tree when all the presents were snatched to make sure there were no stragglers. “Here,” she said, handing her phone to a random shopper that was paid thirty bucks to help them. “Take pictures of us running away from Santa and security. Meet us at the west exit when we get kicked out.”

The Grinch trio hoisted their spoils over their shoulders and yelled to get Santa’s attention.

“Hey, big guy!” Hana shouted.

The mall Santa turned around to acknowledge them.

“We’ve got your presents!” Fareeha shouted next.

“And we’ll be making off with them now!” Angela finished.

The three Grinches laughed together as a surprisingly fit Santa chased after them with security in tow. The photos from their stunt were an instant favorite.

“I had a great time today,” Hana said once they arrived home. “Thanks for the invite.”

She gave the Amari’s a big hug before going back home. The couple watched her go, to make sure she made it back safely. Aside from tripping into a sizable snow pile, Hana made it back without incident.

Angela and Fareeha retreated back to their study, eager to start their collage. They dropped their photos from the day into an editing program. They smiled at Hana’s progression from grumpy to full bright smiles.

“I have to say, this year’s pictures with Santa are my favorite,” Angela said.

“Yeah, mine too.”

[mummifymecaptain]

ghost in your eye

Read me on ao3!

Pairing: Bucky Barnes/OC

Rating: Mature (18+)

Chapter Two

The library was largely empty, which Lena didn’t consider all that surprising, given that it was eight in the morning on a Wednesday. She wasn’t due at the museum until noon, giving her nearly four hours of access to the public computers.

After signing in with the on-duty librarian— who, despite seeing nearly every morning, she could not seem to remember the name of —she sequestered herself to a computer in the far corner of the room.

Logging in with the provided password, she opened up the web browser while simultaneously digging in her bag for her journal. Opening a secondary tab from the preassigned search engine, she pulled up her seldom used email. She’d never had one until two months ago, upon finding that one was required to create an account on the forums she visited. A necessary nuisance, but one she was actually grateful for today.

The only electronic letters she’d ever received were automated notifications relating to said forums. But not today.

Today, there was a group email sitting at the very top of her inbox, headed by a user she’d joined a discussion with some days prior. The subject line said, “OPEN THIS”, and nothing else. After a moment’s hesitation, Lena clicked the message.

The body only contained one thing. A link.

Lena hesitated again, but she couldn’t positively say for what reason. At worst— she guessed —the link would lead to information she’d already found herself. At best, whatever was on the other side of that link would lead to another breakthrough.

She clicked it.

A whole new window opened up by itself, a dizzying mess of text scrawling across the screen at lightning speed until it filled nearly the whole thing, and then some. Blinking rapidly to assuage the assault her eyes had just received; she scanned the first line once she could properly read it. And then she scanned it again.

Sweet Mother of Mary.

She sat back in the creaky desk chair, taking a moment to absorb the magnitude of what was in front of her.

Someone had accomplished what she had begun. They’d created a working timeline of the Winter Soldier’s whereabouts throughout history. And it was far more extensive that she ever would have imagined. Suddenly, the theory about it being more than one person didn’t seem so farfetched. There was no possible way so many atrocities, committed so close in time to each other and yet in so many different places around the globe, could have been the work of a single man bearing the name. It simply wasn’t humanly possible.

About a fourth of the way down the list was when she first noticed it, eyes narrowing as she took in the gap. Scrolling back up to confirm her growing theory. Sure enough, she hadn’t been mistaken. While not all of the entries had a corresponding month, such as the one she’d found last night, there were enough that did to support her idea.

Every three months, he would disappear for nearly a year. No mentions, no missions. Just empty spaces in history. Gaps on a timeline.

To most, it might seem like nothing. Possibly missions not yet found or translated. Or perhaps they’d been so secret, they’d never been documented at all. Lena was quick to brush those notions aside. The gaps were too precise to be anything but deliberate. And if that were the case, what could possibly warrant such a thing? Thinking on it, she decided the answer must have lied somewhere with those responsible for holding the Winter Soldier’s leash.

Even with all the years she’d spent absorbed in the past, she’d never once heard of Hydra until two months ago, when their existence had been unceremoniously thrust into the light.

To find out just how much of a chokehold the previously unknown organization held on the world had been something of a shock. Hydra’d had their grubby fingers in nearly every pie. And judging by the recent Winter Soldier sighting, were still very much in operation. The idea was more than a little terrifying and gave her sudden pause.

It had been easy to justify her investigation of the obviously dangerous agency when she’d thought they’d been no more. But now that she knew the opposite to be true, she worried. Based on what she’d read in the reports, she couldn’t imagine they would much care for people digging into all their dirty little secrets. And she knew what happened to people they didn’t much care for.

And the absolute last thing she would ever want to do is put herself on their radar. If she wasn’t already.

No, the smart thing to do would be to cease and desist. Give up her investigation and dump her research.

She went as far as hovering the little arrow over the red X, but paused when something caught her eye. A mission, three days before the sighting in Calgary. The unknown author of the timeline had listed it as an unsuccessful scouting mission. It had only been a city away.

Scribbling down the mission report’s information in the top margin of her journal, she hastily closed out of everything and shut down the computer, moving to a different one in the next row and booting it up.

He— whoever he might be —had been close. And he’d been looking for something, something he hadn’t found. She needed to know what. To know if she was in danger.

Because her gift didn’t just work on objects.

In all of her near three decades of life, Lena Taggerty had touched another person with her bare hands but once.

She’d still been a child then, but couldn’t seem to recall an exact age. Nor could she remember the circumstances regarding the touch. What she could remember was the softness of skin beneath her palm. And what had happened next.

It had caused her to withdraw into herself, molding her into the person she was today. Someone— she didn’t know who —had warned her against using her gifts where others could see. That if anyone found out, certain people in the world would stop at nothing to have her. She wondered now if Hydra were those certain people.

Though, she couldn’t fathom what possible want they would have of her. She could do little more than glimpse into the past through touch. Hardly a skill of worth.

She spent the better part of an hour trying to find the elusive mission report, without any success. Vainly, she wished she knew the identity of the person who’d created the timeline, to ask them where they’d gotten their information. She was near desperate to know now, her mind running rampant with wild scenarios, and none of them good.

Lena tried to reason with herself. Yesterday at work was the first time in almost a year that she’d purposefully used her gift, and she was positive she’d been alone. Few ventured down into the museum’s basement, and she’d taken the time to check before she’d removed her glove. There was no feasible reason that anyone should know— that anyone should be looking for her.

But the worry never receded, not even when she reluctantly gave up her search and instead started looking up the names she’d pulled from her lockbox and started weeding out the unlikelies.

It hung over her still like a black cloud as she navigated the crowded sidewalks to the museum. By the time she’d slipped through the heavy front doors, her nerves were shot, imagined dangers lurking around every corner and in every shadow. She spoke to absolutely no one, didn’t so much as falter in her steps, until she was safely tucked away in the basement.

Breathing came easier now, as she flicked on the desk lamp, and she silently berated herself for being so ridiculous. No one was after her. It was simply a fluke, an unlikely, random coincidence. The only danger in her life was the amount of dust accumulating in her workspace. One of these days, she was going to take a feather duster to the whole place.

Pushing all thoughts from that morning firmly from her mind, she settled in her chair, running gloved fingertips over the lockbox lovingly and flipping the lid. The contents were the exact same as they’d been the day before. Removing the topmost letter first, she noted that it was still sealed, and felt slightly bad that she would be reading a private correspondence that had never reached it’s intended recipient.

The sender was one M. Nelson, which she jotted down in the work journal she kept in her desk, and addressed to a S. Samuels. No doubt she would find the true names behind those initials inside. Still, she paused. It wasn’t as though she’d never opened letters she’d found before, but something about this one felt heavy, palpable even without the direct use of her gift. It weighed her heart with grief, tears threatening to gather at her waterline.

With the gentlest of hands, she took up her letter opener and gingerly split the envelope, inspecting the inside. A single sheet of paper, filled with beautiful calligraphy, and— to her surprise —a small photograph. An entirely gorgeous woman smiled up at her in black and white, clutching an equally adorable toddler to her breast. There was a real life about the woman, her eyes practically sparkling with it, captured even in the still. Lena flipped it over to reveal two names: Anna and Teddy.

Not M. Nelson then. But yet, the sender had taken it upon themselves to include the photograph. And Lena knew that it couldn’t have been for good reasons.

Resigning herself to her inevitable heartbreak, she set the photo off to the side to focus her attention on the letter. She barely made it three lines in before her tears overtook her. She’d always wavered on the side of emotional.

Dearest Spencer,

I wish I were writing to you with better news, brother. I truly do. I know that you are fighting hard to come home to us. To Anna and Teddy. The news they bring back to us from overseas is nothing short of tragic. More and more men are sent to the front every day, and so few ever return. We pray every day for your safe return, but I wholly fear that after reading this letter, you will not wish to.

Anna and Teddy… Oh, Spencer! My entire heart weeps for you! The winter was harsh this year, as you well know from our previous letters. Anna and Teddy, they grew terribly ill. Pneumonia. Ma and some neighbors scraped what they could for a doctor, but it wasn’t enough. Spencer, my most beloved brother, your wife and son passed not two days ago. Though surely longer than that now, by the time you receive this. Ma was beside herself with how to tell you. I told her I would.

Please, brother, if you’re still reading this, come home to us. Do not let your grief make a martyr of you. They wouldn’t want that. We love you, Spencer. Truly. Just come home.

With all my heart,

Marianne

Lena was openly weeping by the time she’d finished, for a myriad of different reasons. Chief among them was that Spencer Samuels had died without ever knowing what had befallen his family. She didn’t know if it was a small blessing or not. And she wept for Marianne Nelson, who had been forced to deliver the worst possible news to her brother, knowing it might destroy him, and had begged him to come home. And in a way, Lena supposed, he had. The worst possible way.

This wasn’t the first time a piece of history had brought on the waterworks. Hank had teased her about it once or twice, on evenings where she emerged from the basement red eyed and sniffling. Said he’d never met another person who cried so much for dusty, old things.

“It’s not the things themselves that make me cry,” she’d told him. “It’s the people who held them.”

There was a memory, deep inside her, that didn’t feel like a memory at all, but rather a dream. Of someone telling her that it was alright to feel, and to express those feelings. And to never let anyone use them against her. And though she didn’t know who’d told her that, or if she’d actually truly dreamt it, the advice had stuck with her for years.

Drying her eyes with the tissues she kept handy, she carefully transcribed the letter into her journal, along with four names. Marianne Nelson. Spencer Samuels. Anna Samuels. Teddy Samuels.

She would find them, she resolved. She would find them; she would write to them. She would uncover the truth of Spencer’s death. This family had suffered enough in life— they needn’t suffer in the afterlife too.

After detailing her notes, Lena couldn’t help but find herself drawn back to the photograph. Anna was undeniably beautiful. Even without knowing him in the slightest, she could see why Spencer had married her. There was something of a softness to her, a gentleness untouched by the war-ravaged world she lived in.

Lena couldn’t rightly say what prompted her to do it. Only that, wholly without conscious thought, she had her middle finger between her teeth, sliding the glove off to brush the pads of her fingers across Anna and Teddy’s smiling faces.

As always, the effect was both immediate and disorienting. She felt of two minds, past and present, but also neither, caught somewhere in between. She experienced a rush of love for a husband she did not have, dizzying in its intensity, and something warmer, a mother’s love, for the life they had created together. But under that was a worry so deep, it stole her breath away. Forcibly recoiling her hand, she had one last errant thought that wasn’t her own— Spencer will love this.

If she’d held any doubts for Anna Samuels’ feelings for her husband, they were more than quelled now. While short courtships and fast marriages were commonplace in that era, plenty had been due to infatuation than any sort of real love. And for those war wives who’d had their soldiers returned to them, married life hadn’t always been a happy life. An awfully unfortunate byproduct of making decisions beneath a swinging sword.

Shaking the last of the echoes from her head, she replaced her glove and tucked both the letter and photograph back into their envelope. What she’d just done had not only been foolish— it’d been downright stupid. Especially in the wake of that morning’s discovery. She would have to take much better care from now on. She’d read about the nasty things Hydra’d been responsible for, and she had absolutely no interest in becoming a forced lab rat. She didn’t even like going to the doctor, for goodness sake. She would not do well as an experiment.

A shadow flickered on the edge of Lena’s vision and, against her better judgement, she turned towards it, finding the echo of Anna Samuels preparing for bed. She wore a robe and house slippers, her dark hair tied up in rags, and seemed to be rubbing some sort of cream on her face. She looked...content. A far cry from the soldier she’d been faced with the night before. She wondered now if that might have been Spencer. She sorely hoped not. He’d looked as though he’d been to Hell, and had still been trying to find his way back.

Pawing carefully through the other items of the lockbox, she located the dog tags she’d seen before and pulled them out to inspect under her lighted magnifying glass. Two of them belonged to Spencer, as she’d suspected they might. Perhaps the box itself had once belonged to him, packed with his personal effects and sent to his next of kin after his death. But the second set of tags troubled her. The U.S. Army hadn’t been in the habit of assigning duplicates apart from the original two. And the other ones were in rough shape, so tarnished and caked with nearly seventy-year-old mud, she couldn’t make out the name, only the city and state stamped at the bottom, which matched Spencer’s. So, they must have been his then. Perhaps he’d lost his originals during whatever events she’d witnessed last night and had been given new, only for the first set to be recovered later. A— while unlikely —not wholly implausible theory.

An idea struck her suddenly. A terrible, awful, foolish idea, one that could cost her job, should anyone find out.

She could just...take them.

Bring them back to her apartment tonight, scrape the mud off, give ‘em a good scrub, and have them back in the box by morning. She hadn’t filed her report on the box and its contents yet. Wouldn’t, until she’d had the chance to give everything a thorough inspection. No one would ever be the wiser.

Without giving herself the time to second guess— or even consider —her actions, she’d wrapped the tags in a few tissues and had them hidden away in a zippered pocket of her satchel.

It would only be for one night, she reasoned with herself. She’d have them back first thing in the morning, and the only one who would know what she’d done would be herself.

And when that failed to reassure her, she reminded herself that it was for the sake of history. For finding out the truth. It made her feel only a little better. She was sure she’d be a guilty, nervous wreck by the time she left for home.

Anna Samuels caught her attention then, when she suddenly whipped around and stared directly at Lena, as though she’d called the woman’s name. Her heart was well and lodged in her throat when a massive, adoring grin split Anna’s mouth, her eyes glittering with love and arms outstretched as if beckoning for an embrace.

After the initial burst of panic had receded, Lena realized that Anna wasn’t looking at her, but rather someone behind her. Someone that only Anna could see. She turned away from the strange sight of Anna hugging this invisible person, her arms wrapped around nothing but empty air like a well-executed pantomime.

It had always been a bizarre thing, watching the ghosts interact with people and objects that were not visibly present in an echo. Floating in the air as they sat or laid in beds or chairs. Speaking to themselves, one-sided conversations that she knew were really with at least one other person. And in one extremely awkward occurrence when she’d first come to work for the museum, a single man having passionate sexual intercourse without a visible partner. That one, she’d actually been grateful for. Her cheeks had been stained red for weeks. She could only imagine how much worse her embarrassment would have been, had she been privy to the entirety of their coupling.

Years later, she still remembered it so vividly, all but burned into her memory. The man’s head thrown back and eyes squeezed shut as he was lost in the throes of his pleasure. The way his skin seemed to shimmer in a manner different than that of the usual ghosts, as though the gyrating thrusts of his hips left him glistening in sweat. How occasionally, his lips would move beyond that of silent moans, as if murmuring to his lover. It had been as transfixing as it had been mortifying. Before then, she’d never given much thought to people and sexual attraction. Most days, she still didn’t. Objectively, she understood what it was, but not much beyond that. And she couldn’t say for certain if she’d ever experienced such an attraction. Given her difficulty with just making friends, she’d never been much bothered by the notion. Romantic and sexual relationships were even more of a mystery to her than platonic ones.

She’d witnessed such relationships bring about wars and revolutions. Jilted lovers who murdered in the name of vengeance. Bastard children abandoned to the streets, forever slighted and looked down upon for circumstances outside of their control. Families torn apart by a spouse’s wandering hands. Entire civilizations lead to ruin.

People were so captivating, but also complex. They didn’t fit together in her head the way her artifacts did. They were constantly changing, evolving and devolving. But one thing had always remained constant. And that was the lengths they were willing to go for their people, the one’s they deemed important to them.

She’d read once about humans being pack animals, though not exclusively restricted to their own species. They were willing to bond with just about anything. Domestic animals, non-domestic animals, aliens. Hell, even robots. Humans will attempt to pack bond with anything. Lena found it sweet, in its own way. A little bit of normalized oddness.

A swift movement had her turning her head in time to see Anna plummet to the floor, hands fitted over her mouth, shoulders quaking as she coughed hard enough to loosen a lung. An icy spike of dread impaled her heart, melting into a hefty sense of hopelessness. This must be when Anna contracted pneumonia, the illness that would ultimately steal the lives of her and her son. It only strengthened her resolve to find Spencer, to finally deliver his sister’s message. And tomorrow before work, she would try and look up Anna and Teddy’s final resting place. If it was nearby, she wanted to pay them a visit. Maybe plant a flower.

She made a note to stop at the supermarket on her way home for a bulb.

<- Chapter One ✪ Chapter Three ->

[b0blegum]

Friends With Benefit [Part 4]

Author: b0blegum

Pairing: College Student Lim Changkyun x Reader

Rating: NC-17

Genre: Smutty-Fluff

Status: On Going

Part: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - …

"Okay, everyone. I think that's all for today's lecture. Don't forget that exam is in four days, so you better be ready." The professor closed his thick book and shoved it in his messenger bag before leaving the lecture hall as fast as he can. Students were getting ready to go home when you heard couple of girls vaguely whispering one familiar name. "Oh my God, he really is a hot stuff!" Said one who was standing right behind you. "I know right! No wonder lots of girls are after him. Even some are willing to do crazy stuffs for him. You remember the science girl right?" Said another. "But who is he here for, though? I don't think he has bestfriend in our clas— oh my God, he's coming our way!"

Curious, you looked at the direction the girls were talking about. There you saw Kihyun, confidently walked up every stairs. His expensive pair of boots were making a thudding noise as he took a step up and he gave smiles to whoever gave him first. Until he stopped right on your row, couple of seats from yours. "What are you doing here?" You stood up and mouthed him. The guy only smiled and gestured you to follow him out. "Kihyun seriously? Those girls are talking about me walking with you now." You whispered as both of you walked out. "Why? I don't mind at all. Do you?" He looked at you from his side. "It's a bit uncomfortable to be completely honest." You walked faster, following his pace. "You'll get used to it, soon. Don't worry." He gave you a sly smile. "What do you mean?" "You'll know." He winked. "Now follow me. I'm taking you to somewhere exciting!" He jumped a bit excitedly. You didn't question him much and only talked about random things in the car as you both made your way to the place Kihyun referring to. It was a three-story building with a big neon writing that said 'Escape Room'. You looked at Kihyun who's currently parking his Chevrolet. "Have you been here before?" You asked. "This is the first time for me, don't worry. Thay makes me can't spoil the way out." He replied with fading voice as he pulled the handbrake and stop the engine. You followed him out and entered the building. Kihyun lead you by filling the form and stuffs you weren't interested in. "So, we will give you thirty minutes to finished the game, to went through all five rooms and that would be at 7pm sharp. If you don't get out at 7, it means you failed to escape." The intern at that place briefed the two of you as you both were standing before a wooden door with 'DANGER' written on it. After the intern asked 'are you ready?' And Kihyun excitedly replied with a yes, the door swung opened, letting you in to a dark room with only one neon light at the corner. There were riddles in the first room and you managed to solve three while Kihyun solved slightly more than you, four. The second room was the mirror room, where there were a lot of mirrors facing each other, confused you to find the exit. It took both of you quite a lot of time to finally got out and entered the next room, the one filled with giant gym balls. It was so much fun coming to a place like this. The last time you played such games was when you were in junior high. You always love playing this kind of games, the fun but you still have to use your brain kind of game. "(Y/n), this is the last room. Finally." He tip toed, walked avoiding the lasers shooting randomly from one wall to the other. "We... have only seven minutes left, Kihyun!" "Don't worry. Wait, look. You pull that rope and i'll push this button. I think this is what it said at the first room, remember?" You did as he told and it worked! The door slid open and smoke were blown. "We made it!" You and Kihyun jumped and gave each other a high five. Happily, both of you marched out to a room where there was a giant cardboard frame with 'WE ESCAPED!' On it and some other stuffs decorating the frame. "Congratulations! Both of you managed to escape on time!" The same intern guy congratulated you and gestured both of you to stand behind the frame, to take a picture of you both. "(Y/n), wait. I should post something to my sns." He grabbed your wrist and pulled you to his side. "A selfie?" Smiling, you nodded and posed for him. After four photos, he finally decided which one to post and went straight away on his instagram. 'Had a really great time escaping the rooms with @(y/n's username)! WE ESCAPED!' "Done." He pushed back his phone to his pocket. "(Y/n), you up for round two? Dinner in a great crab place i know?" Your eyes quickly widened in shock after he said the word 'dinner'. "Kihyun, what time is it?" Your eyes wandered around the room, looking for a clock or anything that tells time. "Ten past seven, why?" "Shit, i'm dead."

Changkyun's POV Why was her apartment's lights off? The one in the balcony should actually turned on when she's at home. Her phone was off and i don't even knew any of her friends' number to know where she was now. I'm checking my look once again on the rearview mirror as i was thinking a positive thought, maybe she was already down on the elevator. Ten minutes passed and she was nowhere to be seen at the entrance door. Maybe i should better go up there and check her for myself. I turned off the engine and swung the door opened when my phone vibrated like crazy. It was my class' chat groups. I took a quick look at the message previews and scrolled them fast, almost locked my phone back before i found two names that was too familiar for me to not noticed. 'Are Kihyun and (y/n) dating?' I froze, standing next to my car with the door hadn't even closed yet. Above that preview, another girl from my class sent the link to Kihyun's instagram. Without thinking twice, i clicked on the link. Then there it was, The photo of the two of them. Kihyun's arm hanged over (y/n)'s shoulder and cheeks were touched Well, everyone would've thought they were dating at this rate. I exhaled and messed my perfectly styled hair and almost threw my phone. "Hyung, seriously." I threw myself inside the car and drove back home.

The room is still dark. Kihyun wasn’t at home yet. Maybe he’s still hanging out with (y/n). Changkyun chuckled sarcastically, pitying himself as he turned off his phone and threw it away on the bed. “Fuck you, Hyung. You always got what you wanted.” He hissed. “You stole my mom, my room, my car and now the girl i love?” He rubbed his face roughly before he unconsciously kicking the leg of my bed. The door suddenly slammed open. A guy with a big smile plastered on his face came in whistling a random tune. “Hey, bro! How’s your night?” He waltzed to Changkyun who was glaring at him. “Whoa, whoa. What’s with the face?” “Cut the bullshit.” “Who-hoa. Words, bro. I am older.” Kihyun felt tensed. He licked his lower lip and stretched his arms as he was ready for a fight. “You got problem with me?” “Problem my ass.” Changkyun scoffed. “Where is (y/n)?” Kihyun suddenly laughed. “I now have figured out! You knew i was with her!” “Where is she?” “See, i won’t go easy on you because you’re my broth– half brother.” Kihyun patted Changkyun’s chest. “She’s safe.” Kihyun turned around to undress himself and changed into sleeping attire. “We had dinner together and have couple glass of Soju and—“ “Soju?” “Yeah. She looked so cute when she’s drunk! You know, she said lots of—“ “She can’t drink!” Changkyun shouted. “What do you mean?” Kihyun turned around. His chuckles were all gone. “She is allergic to alcohol. Fuck. How many glass did she drink?” “Four, fiv—“ Without Kihyun could even finished his sentence, Changkyun already sprinted outside. He started the engine of his motorcycle in a rush and pushed the gas pedal immediately. In a second he was already riding on the quiet road. His mind was now focused on you. He knew too well you can’t take any alcoholic food or beverages, because an hour after it spread in your system, you’d start having seizure. He never seen you in that condition, though, but you told him multiple times already. “Wait, (y/n). Please, just wait a bit.” Changkyun whispered. He pushed the pedal deeper and went straight through the intersection without seeing the traffic light. It was red for him. He felt something bright hit the edge of his eye as he rode right at the intersection. Instinctively, he looked to his side. His pupils dilated as his eyes met a gigantic truck coming his way with its horn screamed loudly.

“Oh my God. I am so sorry! Please, wake up!” He panicked as he run along with other nurses and doctor as they pushed the bed into the emergency room. He looked at a body who was already unconscious. The face fell to the side with white substance coming out from the edge of the lips. “I’m sorry, sir. But you’re not allowed to go in.” Said one nurse as they stood up in front of the room. “What?” He gasped. “But i need to be with her! Please!” “I’m sorry, Sir. You have to wait here. It won’t take long and we will tell you as soon as we’re done.” She added. “Fuck.” Kihyun kicked the nearest wall and messed his hair. It took almost a minute for him to finally sit and just hoping you’d wake up immediately. “We need two more in the ER!” Someone shouted, making Kihyun turned his his worried head a bit before he looked back to the cleaned floor. From the reflection he could see another bed– the identical bed with the one where you laid just now, was pushed in the alley where Kihyun was seating. A blood dripped to the floor, forcing him to pulled his head up and gave a bit of his attention to the patient that just brought up to the room next to yours. Almost thirty minutes passed. Finally the doctor came out from the room you was in and searched immediately for Kihyun. “You are...?” “Her boyfriend.” He answered quickly as he stood up. “Boyfriend. Well, good news for her boyfriend,” the doctor smiled as he patted Kihyun’s shoulder. “She’s fine now. You may visit her once she’s moved and...” he smiled again, “Just, never let her near alcohol ever again. Understood?” The sweat on Kihyun’s skin suddenly dried up. “Yes. Yes, doctor. I won’t let her touch that evil thing ever again. I’m sorry.” “Good. Now, i’ll get going. Take care of her, will you?” The doctor smiled before he left. Just when Kihyun bowed a thank you to the doctor, a nurse came out from the room next to yours and ran pass him, shouting about a critical moment of the patient.

to be continued...

[dfroza]

seeds.

some seeds are planted to grow in earth, and others are acts of kindness towards others.

Paul describes this in his Letter:

[2 Corinthians 9]

There’s nothing further I could add about your efforts for God’s people in Judea. I know you are ready. I bragged on you throughout Macedonia, telling them how the people in Achaia have been prepared since last year; and your passion has been contagious. Still I thought it would be best to send these brothers and sisters ahead to help you finish the final details so all my bragging wouldn’t be for nothing. If some of the Macedonians decide to travel with me, all of us would be more than embarrassed if we arrived and you weren’t ready to give after the way we’ve been going on about you. So to help you get your previously promised gift ready, it made sense to me to ask the brothers and sisters to go on ahead so you will have all the time you need to put it together as planned and so it doesn’t look thrown together or coerced.

But I will say this to encourage your generosity: the one who plants little harvests little, and the one who plants plenty harvests plenty. Giving grows out of the heart—otherwise, you’ve reluctantly grumbled “yes” because you felt you had to or because you couldn’t say “no,” but this isn’t the way God wants it. For we know that “God loves a cheerful giver.” God is ready to overwhelm you with more blessings than you could ever imagine so that you’ll always be taken care of in every way and you’ll have more than enough to share. Remember what is written about the One who trusts in the Lord:

He scattered abroad; He gave freely to the poor;

His righteousness endures throughout the ages.

The same One who has put seed into the hands of the sower and brought bread to fill our stomachs will provide and multiply the resources you invest and produce an abundant harvest from your righteous actions. You will be made rich in everything so that your generosity will spill over in every direction. Through us your generosity is at work inspiring praise and thanksgiving to God. For this mission will do more than bring food and water to fellow believers in need—it will overflow in a cascade of praises and thanksgivings for our God. When this mission reaches Jerusalem and meets with the approval of God’s people there, they will give glory to God because your confession of the gospel of the Anointed One led to obedient action and your generous sharing with them and with all exhibited your sincere concern. Because of the extraordinary grace of God at work in you, they will pray for you and long for you. Praise God for this incredible, unbelievable, indescribable gift!

The Letter of 2nd Corinthians, Chapter 9 (The Voice)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 7th chapter of First Kings that details the construction work in Jerusalem under King Solomon’s direction for the Temple and for his own residence:

It took Solomon another thirteen years to finish building his own palace complex. He built the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon a hundred and fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet high. There were four rows of cedar columns supporting forty-five cedar beams, fifteen in each row, and then roofed with cedar. Windows in groupings of three were set high in the walls on either side. All the doors were rectangular and arranged symmetrically.

He built a colonnaded courtyard seventy-five feet long and forty-five wide. It had a roofed porch at the front with ample eaves.

He built a court room, the Hall of Justice, where he would decide judicial matters, and paneled it with cedar.

He built his personal residence behind the Hall on a similar plan. Solomon also built another one just like it for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married.

No expense was spared—everything here, inside and out, from foundation to roof was constructed using high-quality stone, accurately cut and shaped and polished. The foundation stones were huge, ranging in size from twelve to fifteen feet, and of the very best quality. The finest stone was used above the foundation, shaped to size and trimmed with cedar. The courtyard was enclosed with a wall made of three layers of stone and topped with cedar timbers, just like the one in the porch of The Temple of God.

King Solomon sent to Tyre and asked Hiram (not the king; another Hiram) to come. Hiram’s mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali. His father was a Tyrian and a master worker in bronze. Hiram was a real artist—he could do anything with bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all the bronze work.

First he cast two pillars in bronze, each twenty-seven feet tall and eighteen feet in circumference. He then cast two capitals in bronze to set on the pillars; each capital was seven and a half feet high and flared at the top in the shape of a lily. Each capital was dressed with an elaborate filigree of seven braided chains and a double row of two hundred pomegranates, setting the pillars off magnificently. He set the pillars up in the entrance porch to The Temple; the pillar to the south he named Security (Jachin) and the pillar to the north Stability (Boaz). The capitals were in the shape of lilies.

When the pillars were finished, Hiram’s next project was to make the Sea—an immense round basin of cast metal fifteen feet in diameter, seven and a half feet tall, and forty-five feet in circumference. Just under the rim there were two bands of decorative gourds, ten gourds to each foot and a half. The gourds were cast in one piece with the Sea.

The Sea was set on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; the bulls faced outward supporting the Sea on their hindquarters. The Sea was three inches thick and flared at the rim like a cup, or like a lily. It held about 11,500 gallons.

Hiram also made ten washstands of bronze. Each was six feet square and four and a half feet tall. They were made like this: Panels were fastened to the uprights. Lions, bulls, and cherubim were represented on the panels and uprights. Beveled wreath-work bordered the lions and bulls above and below. Each stand was mounted on four bronze wheels with bronze axles. The uprights were cast with decorative relief work. Each stand held a basin on a circular engraved support a foot and a half deep set on a pedestal two and a quarter feet square. The washstand itself was square. The axles were attached under the stand and the wheels fixed to them. The wheels were twenty-seven inches in diameter; they were designed like chariot wheels. Everything—axles, rims, spokes, and hubs—was of cast metal.

There was a handle at the four corners of each washstand, the handles cast in one piece with the stand. At the top of the washstand there was a ring about nine inches deep. The uprights and handles were cast with the stand. Everything and every available surface was engraved with cherubim, lions, and palm trees, bordered by arabesques. The washstands were identical, all cast in the same mold.

He also made ten bronze washbasins, each six feet in diameter with a capacity of 230 gallons, one basin for each of the ten washstands. He arranged five stands on the south side of The Temple and five on the north. The Sea was placed at the southeast corner of The Temple. Hiram then fashioned the various utensils: buckets and shovels and bowls.

Hiram completed all the work he set out to do for King Solomon on The Temple of God:

two pillars;

two capitals on top of the pillars;

two decorative filigrees for the capitals;

four hundred pomegranates for the two filigrees

(a double row of pomegranates for each filigree);

ten washstands each with its washbasin;

one Sea;

twelve bulls under the Sea;

miscellaneous buckets, shovels, and bowls.

All these artifacts that Hiram made for King Solomon for The Temple of God were of burnished bronze. He cast them in clay in a foundry on the Jordan plain between Succoth and Zarethan. These artifacts were never weighed—there were far too many! Nobody has any idea how much bronze was used.

Solomon was also responsible for all the furniture and accessories in The Temple of God:

the gold Altar;

the gold Table that held the Bread of the Presence;

the pure gold candelabras, five to the right and five to the

left in front of the Inner Sanctuary;

the gold flowers, lamps, and tongs;

the pure gold dishes, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, ladles, and

censers;

the gold sockets for the doors of the Inner Sanctuary, the Holy of

Holies, used also for the doors of the Main Sanctuary.

That completed all the work King Solomon did on The Temple of God. He then brought in the items consecrated by his father David, the silver and the gold and the artifacts. He placed them all in the treasury of God’s Temple.

The Book of 1st Kings, Chapter 7 (The Message)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for friday, november 20 of 2020 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible, along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

A post by John Parsons about the invitation of God that is given to His children who are first chosen:

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you" (James 4:8). There are no conditions given here -- other than your raw need to connect with God for help. "Purify your hearts, you double-minded ones" (δίψυχοι, lit. "two-souled ones"); make up your mind and be unified within your heart: "How long will you go limping between two different opinions?" (1 Kings 18:21). You are invited to come; God has made the way; your place at the table has been set and prepared. "Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith (ἐν πληροφορίᾳ πίστεως), with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful" (Heb. 10-22-23). [Hebrew for Christians]

https://hebrew4christians.com/

11.20.20 • Facebook

Today’s message from the Institute for Creation Research

November 20, 2020

Godly Examples

“Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.” (Colossians 4:15)

Some Pauline epistles, which included the letter to the church at Colossae, were written during Paul’s imprisonment in Rome approximately 60 through 62 AD. Three cities (Ephesus, Philippi, and Colossae) were close together and were near Laodicea. Paul instructs Nymphas to read the Colossians letter to the church at Laodicea.

There is a group labeled “fellow workers” (Colossians 4:11)—Tychicus, Onesimus, Aristarchus, Marcus, and Justus. They were the men who ministered to Paul in Rome. There were also friends from the third missionary journey: Epaphras, Demas, Nymphas, and Archippus from the cities around Colossae who kept in close contact and probably supported Paul financially. Luke, the “beloved physician,” apparently joined Paul on the second missionary journey on the trip to Rome (Acts 16—the “we” passages).

Several godly attributes are identified. “Beloved brother” is used to emphasize the intense relationship that Paul had with some of these men. “Faithful minister” (a “deacon”), along with “fellow servant” and “fellow worker,” stresses the service Paul enjoyed with them. “Fellow prisoner” is an obvious identification.

“Labouring fervently” (the Greek word agonizomai) is used to speak of Epaphras (Colossians 4:12), who was always praying for the church at Colossae with great zeal. This and other lists such as the 16th chapter of Romans give us precious insight into the lives of godly men and women who shared the lives of key leaders and made their ministry more effective.

May it please the Lord Jesus to have us so named in “the books” of eternity (Revelation 20:12). HMM III

[avengeultrons]

Title: The Kids Are Alright (Reader x Peter Parker)

Summary: an intruder at Midtown High causes best friend duo Peter and the reader to team up to help save the school, even if that means the reader has to expose their secret to their best friend.

Word Count: 1977

A/N: Honestly I highkey love this and hope you do, too? I’m trying really hard to write a bunch of imagines to have as a stockpile for when I go on my birthday trip to disney world in two wks SO PLEASE bear with me, lol. I hope you guys enjoy! Also I’m obsessed with The Who please enjoy the title insp and this song. Song. 

--

It was nearly lunch time, nearly time for you to run off to your preferred table and regroup with your friends. All you had to do was get through five more minutes of your chemistry class with your best friend Peter as your lab partner, his safety goggles pushed up onto his forehead as the two of you wrote out the steps to your experiment. He looked all too cute sitting there next to you, the sleeves of his Midtown High sweatshirt rolled up past his elbows as he scribbled down equations in his perfect handwriting.

All was going well until a loud boom coming from the street across from you caused the glass windows of the classroom to shake like an earthquake was erupting.

“Alright, everyone stop what you're doing. It seems like there's been a sort of disruption on the street outside, I’ve been told to lock the doors and turn off the lights until we know more. Everybody stay calm; remember what you've practiced,” your chemistry teacher hustled to the door to lock it and draw the shades before switching off the lights and ushering all of you into one area of the room with a large utility closet and spacious corner out of sight.

You glanced over at Peter wearily, pulling the safety goggles off of your head. When you had drills for this sort of thing, no one took it seriously. They were always talking loudly and goofing off.

Now, you could practically hear a pin drop, “What's going on?” you whispered, your heart beating loudly in your ears. Another boom made you jump, followed by the sound of gunshots. You grabbed ahold of Peter’s hand, silently pulling him into the closet and shutting the door softly.

“Before you ask, my suit’s in my locker!” Peter whined helplessly. You clamped a hand on his mouth when you heard a group of kids whispering outside the door, suspicious of the noises coming from the closet.

You pulled up a chair and carefully stepped on top of it, using it as a ladder while you pushed a piece of the ceiling out of its matching spot, “Do you have your web shooters?” you asked, hoisting yourself up into the air duct. Of course he did; one thing Peter never left behind was web shooters.

“Y/N, what are you doing? You're going to get us killed. Or expelled!” he stared up after you, mind boggled that you had the kind of upper body strength to pull yourself up like that. Peter followed suit, joining you in the tight squeeze of a vent with nothing but the flashlight on your phone, “I’m not going to let you put yourself in danger over something that we don't even know of.”

A groan escaped your lips as you crawled along the cold metal vent, headed straight for the hallway. The flashlight sent eerie shadows up the wall, dancing along as the two of you moved slowly and quietly, “You have no idea what I can do, do you?” you laughed quietly to yourself, stopping in front of the vent in the hallway.

Weird things had been happening to you ever since you’d had a near death experience last winter. You'd somehow become stronger, faster, and more agile than you could have ever imagined. It was...freaky.

“Do you hear that?” Peter whispered,his breathing picking up. There was the sound of squeaking shoes on clean, freshly waxed tiles that you brushed off as just being made up in your head. You pried the vent out of its snug place in the ceiling and lowered yourself down, your breath catching in your throat.

You couldn't breathe. There was someone pacing the halls, someone you'd never seen before, “Pull me up,” you whispered as quietly as you could, clawing yourself back into the safety of the air duct, “There's someone there. Peter, someone is in this school that's not supposed to be!” You we're trying to refrain from freaking out, but you couldn't help it. You clutched your chest and tried to breathe slowly, but the walls of the vent were suddenly closing in on you. There was an actual intruder; this wasn't a drill. Peter took your hand and held your gaze, your heart seeming to stop completely as he did so.

“We’ll figure out what to do. It's okay,” he spoke quickly, peeking down at the hallway, “Hold my feet,” he said and, without warning, hung upside down from the vent to scope out the area. You held onto his ankles, flabbergasted as you watched him, “Coast is clear,” he announced.

Peter wriggled himself free from your grasp and somehow managed to flip right side up again during his fall to the ground. He landed on his feet, staring up at you while you looked in horror. You dangled your feet and carefully dropped from the vent, shooting him an annoyed glare, “This is how non spider humans get out of small spaces, you know,” you followed him through the long stretch of dark, barren hallway of metal lockers, keeping a close watch all around you.

“If we can just get to my locker, I can grab my suit and then we can-,” Peter was cut off by the sound of gunshots behind you. You pushed him forward and the two of you broke into a sprint, ducking behind a locker.

It was just then hitting you that it was naive of you to pull Peter out of the safety of the classroom to stop a bad guy, “Go, turn into Spider-Man or whatever. I'll hold them off,” you whispered. His eyes went wide and he shook his head fiercely, gaping at you. Peter couldn't believe the words that had just come out of your mouth.

“Are you crazy, Y/N? No way!” he spoke in a hasty whisper, raking a hand through his hair nervously.

You rolled your eyes, peeking around the metal locker to see if the coast was clear, “Peter, I can handle this,” you placed a hand on his shoulder, pleading him with your eyes, “Please, go.”

“I-,” there was no way Peter was going to let you take this on your own. Not without knowing what you really could do. With a sigh, you stood up and clapped your hands together to clear them of dust, Peter shushing you the whole time.

You tiptoed across the hall and glanced over at him nervously. The only way he would believe you is if you showed him, but you also didn't need him passing out, “You can't freak out. We kind of have a situation, so,” you took a deep breath and squeezed your eyes shut as you carefully lifted the whole row of lockers in front of you with complete ease. You heard Peter audibly gasp, your face burning red from embarrassment, “I said you can't freak out!” you ran back over to him after setting the locker back down carefully.

“Okay. I-I’m not freaking out. But, like, you lifted that whole row of lockers? I'm not freaking out here, I promise! I just...how long?” you yanked on his arm to pull him to his feet.

With a roll of your eyes, you dusted your jeans off and sighed, “Since last year when I almost died. Look, we don't have much time. Go, please. I can take him. Your identity can be kept a secret too if you hurry,” you smiled at him, pulling him back to the safety of your hiding spot once you heard footsteps.

“Oh, okay. I-okay,” he couldn't keep a smile off of his face as he turned to leave, looking back at you, “That was awesome, by the way!” you laughed lightly as you turned your attention to the hallway, pushing a row of lockers over to keep the intruder away.

The police were finally able to enter the school, after they'd figured out that all three of the intruders were now unconscious and stuffed into lockers in the gym’s locker room. You and Peter had worked well together, almost as well as you worked in chemistry class. Well, minus the fact that you were questioned and almost put in the back of an ambulance because you were found lying in an exhausted heap near the door.

Sirens blared outside the school, parents pulled up in their work clothes to pick up their children, teens called friends and family to let them know of two things. One; Spider-Man had saved the school and two; they were fine, no need to worry.

You sat on the front step of the school with Peter who had changed from his super suit and stuffed it in his backpack quickly. Both of you were waiting for rides home, ready to be rid of the commotion from the day, “We’re a pretty great team, I must say,” Peter said with a smile, checking his phone for a text message from his aunt.

“You can't tell anyone, you know that right?” Peter laughed as you said it, “Hey, I mean it!”

He nodded, rolling his eyes at you, “I promise I won't,” Peter said, a small smile flitting across your face as he did so.

“I… thank you for helping today. And not freaking out, you know. Just, thank you,” you busied yourself with stuffing things into your backpack, tapping your foot anxiously, “You mean a lot to me, so, yeah.”

You felt like you were going to suffocate on feelings, feelings that you never thought you'd come close to voicing. They made your face grow hot and Peter’s cheeks turn red in a blush. A smile made its way to his face and he looked down at his sneakers while you stared up at the sky, pretending you didn't say anything, “You mean a lot to me, too,” he said quietly.

A smile grew on your face as you looked over at him, your heart beating loudly in your ears. You had just practically helped save the school with your best friend, and now you were nearly close to confessing your feelings for him. It was all a lot for just one day.

“Peter, are you okay?” May Parker herself jumped out of her car and ran up the steps to where the two of you were sitting, your faces turning scarlet, “Hi, Y/N! Do you have a ride home? I can just shoot your dad a text and let him know I'll drop you off,” she was so warm and inviting, willing to go out of her way to help others. You could see where Peter got those attributes.

You smiled and shook your head, “He’s on his way, thank you,” you smiled, watching Peter jump to his feet and hastily grab his things. May glanced between the two of you wearily, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she suddenly put two and two together. Her face lit up and she threw an arm around Peter’s shoulders, waving at you.

“You wanna go out for some ice cream?” she asked, leading the way down the steps, “We can talk about your crush on Y/N.”

May laughed mischievously as she watched his face turn red once more, “What? I...what? A crush on Y/N! That's ridiculous. Gosh, you know that two people can be friends, right? Jesus, that's..no,” Peter laughed nervously, glancing at you as if you could hear the conversation happening inside the van. You waved gleefully as he drove away, “That's… that's totally absurd, May.”

“You're blushing! Besides; I was young once, too, Peter,” she glanced over at Peter, stifling her laughter as he turned away to look out the window.

Peter scoffed and turned up the radio so that neither of them could talk over the 2000’s pop music, “I am not blushing, Aunt May!”

[miraculouscatnoir]

telling friends

just a little adrinette one shot! 

Marinette, for once, was not rushing about this morning, nope she had already had a shower, gotten dressed and was just finishing up her makeup whn her phone buzzed, smiling when she saw the name popping up she unlocked her phone to see the message her boyfriend had sent her.

From: Adrien <3

Goodmorning Princess, I can't wait to see you today and to finally be able to tell our friends and classmates about how i'm the luckiest boy in the world, see you soon my lady<3

Marinette sighed pushing her nerves away, Adrien and her had discovered each others identity's a month ago, They had talked everything over and also discovered they liked eachother, so started dating, they managed to keep it a secret for a week until after a very hard akuma battle Chat had kissed Ladybug and a reporter caught it and told the news, soon the internet was breaking with news that Ladybug and Chat Noir were romantically involved. It was because of this Adrien and Marinette had decided to hold off telling their friends as not to raise suspicion as they had started dating at the same time as Ladybug and Chat Noir. Today though it had been two weeks since Ladybug and Chat Noir had been caught, So the young couple decided to go public with their relationship, although Marinette was sure Ayla and Nino already suspected something was going on between them as the young superhero couple couldn't help but flirt a little, plus Marinette is a lot better at speaking to Adrien, she still stutters and blushes but only sometimes now.

To: Adrien<3

Goodmorning kitty, you mean tell everyone I'm the luckiest girl right? See you soon mon minou <3

Marinette went downstairs, grabbing croissants for her and her friends, she kissed her Mama and Papa goodbye before heading over to school. She saw Ayla and Nino by the steps and jogged over to them.

"Morning guys" She called out coming to a stop by them, both looked at her in surprise "You're not late? wow this must be a record girl two days in a row go you!" Ayla called out, Marinette rolled her eyes.

"I got a good sleep last night and the night before" Marinette replied truthfully, maybe because a certain cat superhero came along and cuddled her until she fell asleep, she tried to fight down the blush on her cheeks. Ayla however noticed.

"Ohh Nino she's blushing! Oooh did someone help you get to sleep?" Ayla teased nudging her shoulder, making Marinette blush more. Thanfully Nino stepped in before Ayla could tease her more.

"Give the poor girl a beak Ayla, before she combusts" He turned and smiled at Marinette who nodded in thanks, she was thankfull Nino was there to keep Ayla calm when she got full on reporter mode.

"Okay okay, you will tell me soon though right? You defiantly have a secret cuddle buddy I don't know about and I won't rest until I know who it is!" Ayla replied, Marinette giggled.

"You'll see" Was all Marinette said, that's all she said as a car pulled up, the htree looked over as Adrien stepped out of the car, Marinette felt her breath get blown away as she saw her rather attractive boyfriend get out the car. He smiled as he saw the three of them and walked right up to them, keeping his eyes on Marinette.

He walked up with a smile on his face "Morning guys" Adrien said as he put his arm around Marinette, She blushed but let him, so this was how they were gonna do it? just give little hints? She could play along, she kissed his cheek just as the bell rung, laughing at their friends shocked faces the two hurried to class before the questions could start.

they laughed all the way to class hand in hand, they stopped right outside the door "Did you see their faces?" Adrien laughed.

"Yes It was so funny, think they've figured it out?" Marinette replied.

"Defiantly, Nino will be trying to talk to me about it all through class"

"Same with Ayla, gosh what have we started?" Marinette let out the last of her laughter. Adrien smiled in awe of her laughing, He loved her laugh, loved it even more when he was the cause of it. He couldn't help himself, He pulled her close and lay a sweet kiss on her lips. She kissed back.

It was a couple of seconds later they heard a cough, the broke apart to see miss Bustier smiling slightly at them "Whilst I am happy for the both of, do you mind actually going into the classroom and sitting down and leaving that until lunch time?" She said sweetly, Marinette and Adrien nodded and went in and sat down at their seats, just in time for Ayla and Nino to walk in and sit down too.

As they sat down and class started Marinette saw Ayla notebook slide closer to her with writing on it, making sure the teacher wasn't looking she read what it said.

What was that are you and Adrien dating?

don't freak out okay? but yeah we are, sorry we wanted to tell you guys but didnt know how to do it

OMG! girl this is big! Well done you finally got sunshine boy! wait...does that mean Adriens been cuddling you to sleep at night?

what no? we video call and talk until we fall asleep.

okay i need all the details about how this happened!

after class Adrien and I will explain together

Marinette sighed as Ayla seemed to accept her answer. She and Adrien already had a story ready, How they both got stuck together during an akuma attack, they got talking found out they had lots in common, decided to meet up again and started flirting with eachother until they decided they were practically going on dates, soo decided to make it official by dating, they kept it a secret as they were still figuring out exactly what they felt for eachother and wanted time to see if it would work out between the two of them.

Infront of them Nino and Adrien sat, Nino wrote on a bit of paper and passed it to Adrien who read

See you finally figured out Mari likes you

yeah bro, its a long story will tell you at lunch, but yes we figured out we like eachother

awesome dude! can't wait to hear this!

Class seemed to drag on for the four, but as soon as it was lunch both Adrien and Marinette had been grabbed by the arm, presumably so they wouldnt run away again. The both rolled their eyes, but went along with it.

"Lets go get something to eat and we can talk" Marinette suggested. The other three agree, Nino and Ayla let go of their best friends and Adrien held out his hand to Marinette who happily took it. They all walk down to the nearby cafe and order some food, Marinette trying to protest when Adrien payed for her. Once they all sat down, Adrien and Marinette took a deep breath.

"Right okay so how did this started? we have been trying for a year and a half to get you two together, what happened?" Ayla asked, Adrien was the one to answer her.

"We got trapped together during that water akuma, we got talking and decided to meet up more, it got to the point were we realized we were basically going on dates so decided to try dating" Adrien said taking Marinettes hand.

Marinette nodded "We kept it a secret because we wanted to see if it would work out...turns out it is" She continued, Adrien smiled bringing her hand up to his lips and kissing it, she blushed but giggled.

"Wow I've known about this relationship for 4 hours and its already rotting my teeth, you two are adorable!" Ayla commented jokingly.

Nino nodded "I'm happy for you two though! I always knew you two were perfect for eachother" Nino said "anyone else know?" Nino asked curiously.

"My parents know but thats it" Marinette commented.

"Nathatlie knows but my father doesn't yet, I plan on breaking it to him soon though" Adrien said, the others understood. They spent the rest of lunch talking about possible double dates and plans.

After school was over, Adrien had gone over to Marinettes to play some video games, they got to her room and put their bags down. Adrien came up behind Marinette and wrapped his arms around her, she smiled and leaned back into him.

"Can I tell you something?" He whispered softly, Marinette nodded.

"You can tell me anything Kitty" Adrien smiled and kissed her cheek.

"It might be too soon but I dont care" He paused nuzzling her neck "I love you"

Marinette gasped and turned around in his arms, She rested her hands on his cheek and leaned in closely "I love you too" She whispered back. He leaned down and kissed her, pulling her close to him. She kissed back, tangling a hand in his hair.

They broke apart when breathing became a thing but stayed close "Today went well then" Adrien said kissing her nose, Marinette giggled.

"Yes I knew they would approve though, just wait until tomorrow when we start acting couply in front of the whole class" Marinette responded.

"I think everyone will be happy for us, from what Nino's told me they have all 'shipped' us for a long time" Adrien laughed.

"Yeah everyone except Chloe and Lila, can't wait for all their remarks to come my way" Marinette joked.

"Their remarks won't matter, because I love you and only you, no matter what" Adrien replied, Marinette smiled.

"I know kitty, It will just be water of a ducks back!" They kissed again then decided to play some video gamse until Adrien had to go home.

The next day they walked into class hand in hand, as predicted most of the class cheered, whilst Lila didn't look to happy, Chloe gave the couple a small smile. Marinette didn't question it, If Chloe was going to approve then leave it be.

[marcusssanderson]

5 Best TED Talks That Will Transform Your Thinking, Part I

TED Talks are Miracle Grow for the body, mind and soul! They are cutting edge philosophy, psychology, science and insight, among many other wonderful “ideas worth sharing.” The very first TED Talks were posted online in July, 2006 and continue to serve as a phenomenal resource for seekers like us who are striving to make ourselves and this world a better place.

  I never run out of curiosity, or the need to grow into someone I like more than the day before. As a teenager, I had two choices. I could cave and let hard situations and obstacles drive the essence of me deep into the ground, where not even a flicker of light existed. The alternative was to start asking questions, to seek understanding and greater insight, and to let myself learn from events that might otherwise keep me in dark places.

  I searched for answers in books on spirituality, religion, relationships, psychology and all other things self-help. I attended seminars, twelve-step groups, webinars, and creative circles to untangle the beliefs I learned early—beliefs and philosophies that no longer served me. Eventually I discovered TED Talks, which continue to disclose the answers I seek. Whether you’re new to TED or an avid fan, the following best TED Talks are a must-watch and worth repeating. I had a difficult time narrowing down my favorites, so these five are the first batch, with more to follow.

  Best TED Talks That Will Transform Your Thinking

1.) Tony Robbins: Why we do what we do

  TED Description: Tony Robbins discusses the “invisible forces” that motivate everyone’s actions — and high-fives Al Gore in the front row.

One of the first six TED Talks posted online July, 2006, Tony Robbins’s talk is worth watching again today. Tony reveals his thirty-year obsession about what makes the difference in the quality of people’s lives. He is quick to point out how many of us have figured out the achievement part of life, but very few of us have learned how to become fulfilled and impactful to the world around us.

“I look at life and say there’s two master lessons. One is: there’s the science of achievement, which almost everyone here has mastered amazingly. How do you take the invisible and make it visible. How do you make your dreams happen? Your business, your contribution to society, money—whatever, your body, your family.

The other lesson that is rarely mastered is the art of fulfillment. Because science is easy, right? We know the rules, you write the code and you get the results. Once you know the game, you just up the ante, don’t you? But when it comes to fulfillment — that’s an art. The reason is, it’s about appreciation and contribution. You can only feel so much by yourself.”

Growing up feeling lost with a sense of never really belonging, I made an early decision to master achievement. I made the best grades, won the contests, got great jobs and blew the company records off the wall. I had everything I ever wanted, so why wasn’t I happy? I hadn’t yet tapped into the second key: fulfillment. We have to nurture the desires of our souls in a way that spills out and touches the people around us in a significant way. If you’re not there yet, don’t sweat it. You’re still gathering lessons so keep searching.

2.) Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability

TED Description: Brené Brown studies human connection — our ability to empathize, belong, love. In a poignant, funny talk, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity. A talk to share.

  Are you one of the more than twenty-three million viewers who’ve seen this TED talk? Have you had the pleasure of watching Brene Brown demonstrate why it’s so powerful to be vulnerable, and what some might confuse with being “weak?” As Brene Brown dug into her research and focused on connection, she realized how many of us actually feel disconnected, and what’s worse, we are ashamed of that, adding to our overall bad feelings.

“And shame is really easily understood as the fear of disconnection: Is there something about me that, if other people know it or see it, that I won’t be worthy of connection? The things I can tell you about it: It’s universal; we all have it. The only people who don’t experience shame have no capacity for human empathy or connection.

No one wants to talk about it, and the less you talk about it, the more you have it. What underpinned this shame, this ‘I’m not good enough,’ — which, we all know that feeling: ‘I’m not blank enough. I’m not thin enough, rich enough, beautiful enough, smart enough, promoted enough.’ The thing that underpinned this was excruciating vulnerability. This idea of, in order for connection to happen, we have to allow ourselves to be seen, really seen.”

Oh did this ever touch a nerve in me the first time I listened! I understand shame and feeling inferior. My solution? To act confident and to accomplish great things! But that didn’t solve anything and in fact, it only buried my real problem which made it that much harder years later to excavate my soul and tell myself it’s okay to have the need to belong and feel connected.

We weren’t meant to live life separate from everyone else, and we certainly weren’t born unworthy and fearful. Please watch this (again) as Brene shares the key differences between those of us who battle a grave sense of unworthiness and shame, and those who don’t. As a bonus, she manages to convey this soulful topic with laugh-out-loud humor. Watch!

3.) Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are

  TED Description: Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how “power posing” — standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident — can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success.

  What I love about TED Talks is that many of them seem like good common sense but they are backed by science. It’s the best of both worlds! Amy Cuddy is a social psychologist who overcame a debilitating car accident that caused her identity and worthiness to plummet. Her research is focused on nonverbal body language, but not so much what we observe in others, but what our brains conclude from our own nonverbal cues, including our thoughts and posture.

“So when we think of nonverbals, we think of how we judge others, how they judge us and what the outcomes are. We tend to forget, though, the other audience that’s influenced by our nonverbals, and that’s ourselves. We are also influenced by our nonverbals, our thoughts and our feelings and our physiology.

…When I tell people about this, that our bodies change our minds and our minds can change our behavior, and our behavior can change our outcomes, they say to me, ‘It feels fake.’ Right? So I said, fake it till you make it. … She comes back to me months later, and I realized that she had not just faked it till she made it, she had actually faked it till she became it.”

One of the many ways I’ve rebuilt my psyche from a troubled past is by using positive affirmations and visualization. In fact, the first few mantras I learned as a teenager in twelve-step recovery was, “ Fake it till you make it,” and, “Take the actions first, and let the feelings follow.” When our internal software is critically flawed, we can keep limping along with broken beliefs or we can take an active role in re-programming our internal language. But this TED talk goes well beyond basic affirmations.

Amy offers an engaging talk and demonstrates scientifically how a confident person shows up in the world, versus someone less confident. She offers a proven technique which only takes two minutes a day to literally change your hormone levels and boost your esteem. You will present an improved version of “you” to the world, yes, but most importantly … to YOURSELF. Our sub-conscious believes what we tell it and I think yours is telling you to watch this TED talk (again) right now!

4.) Andrew Solomon: How the worst moments in our lives make us who we are

  TED Description: Writer Andrew Solomon has spent his career telling stories of the hardships of others. Now he turns inward, bringing us into a childhood of adversity, while also spinning tales of the courageous people he’s met in the years since. In a moving, heartfelt and at times downright funny talk, Solomon gives a powerful call to action to forge meaning from our biggest struggles.

Andrew Solomon’s TED Talk made me feel like I was listening to a gentle giant—gentle in nature and giant in reach. His message of compassion, shifted perspective and gratitude boldly amplifies a message so desperately needed in a world filled with daily tragedy and injustice. His talk brings up a heated topic widely disagreed upon in our society. This serves to only further demonstrate the purpose of his talk and offers us an even greater challenge. While we may not understand or always agree with our neighbors, we can all strive for more empathy for one another.

“As a student of adversity, I’ve been struck over the years by how some people with major challenges seem to draw strength from them, and I’ve heard the popular wisdom that that has to do with finding meaning. And for a long time, I thought the meaning was out there, some great truth waiting to be found. But over time, I’ve come to feel that the truth is irrelevant. We call it finding meaning, but we might better call it forging meaning.”

This TED talk could aptly be named, “Finding the Gift,” the title of my own book and a topic that is near and dear to my heart. We all face adversity, but it’s how we use that adversity that really defines us. Do we let it destroy us? Do we believe the lies it told us? Or do we choose instead to see the opportunity for growth within it?

I found the use of “forge” to be curious so I looked up its definition: make or shape (a metal object) by heating it in a fire or furnace and beating or hammering it (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary). Woah! How better to describe taking the tough stuff in life through a painful transition process, to ultimately mold it into something more desirable?

Gifts are often gift-wrapped in obstacles, so leave no gift unopened. It may not be obvious at first glance, but if we keep looking, chances are good that with enough time and perspective, we can find reasons to be grateful in all things. Andrew demonstrated that well. Even when I can’t find the gift, I choose to believe it’s there anyway—in some way being the lesser of two evils, in teaching me something I need to know, or simply in shaping my character to handle challenges down the road.

Adversity makes me more relatable to my fellows and can serve as a point of connection and hope. We can’t change what’s happened to us, but we can change how we think and feel about it, and how we use it for good. Watch and be inspired to transform your biggest struggles too.

  5.) Steve Jobs: How to live before you die

  TED Description: At his Stanford University commencement speech, Steve Jobs, CEO and co-founder of Apple and Pixar, urges us to pursue our dreams and see the opportunities in life’s setbacks — including death itself.

Seriously? I don’t even know where to begin on this one, much less decide which quotes to bring out. I’d prefer to just give you the entire transcript, it’s that good! Steve Jobs tells three stories about his life to illustrate three key lessons: connecting the dots, love and loss, and what we can learn from accepting that death is unavoidable.

Steve Jobs had the courage to find a career he loved, rather than simply follow suit with what everyone else was doing. We learn how this college drop-out discovered what he was passionate about pursuing. He never settled for anything less and encourages others to keep looking if they haven’t found it yet. Steve Jobs trusted his gut and arguably accomplished far more in his life following his heart, than had he stuck to a prescribed, one-size-fits-all path.

“And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on … None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me…. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward, when I was in college, but it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something— your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever—because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well-worn path. And that will make all the difference.”

Personally, I did not consider what I loved or what my talents were when choosing my career path. I grew up feeling invisible and we were extremely poor, so making money was my main objective. Achieving external validation and recognition was a close second. One was to fill my bank account and the other was supposed to fill the deficit inside my soul. Unfortunately, I learned that neither accomplishment made me happy or fulfilled.

For so many years, I was playing it safe instead of finding the courage to pursue my authentic, yet unknown calling. My heart aches for anyone else who feels trapped in their present circumstances—certain there must be more to life, but not knowing what that might be and afraid to make a change.

Just as Steve Jobs getting fired from Apple led him to the most creative years of his life, my twelve year, award-winning sales career ending due to injury led me to the place where I can now make the most impact while loving every minute of my “work.” Chase your heart first and let the paycheck follow. That’s easier said than done so if you did it the other way around, like I did, just know it is never, ever too late to change course and do what you really love.

I also subscribe to Steve’s last point: letting death shape how we approach life. I have a weird habit of studying obituaries looking for people who really lived. If we think with the end in mind, what would we do differently now? What do you want said about you when you’re gone? Writing what we want read at our memorial service is the ultimate goal-setting session.

Steve Jobs asked himself every day for thirty-three years, “If today was the last day of my life, would I want to do what I’m about to do today?” He shared how understanding his mortality helped him fearlessly make big life decisions. Again, I could have chosen many more life-transforming quotes from these fifteen minutes so watch this talk to get them all!

    Please enjoy these classic TED talks and stay tuned for part two! Until then, cheers to you finding the gift!

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