#over the simplest of things

[xarrixii]

Chapter_29 : "Strike" ━━━━━━━━━━━━━

CW: drinking, smoking previous chapter | beginning | masterlist

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Harlow yanked on Ainsley’s shirt collar, holding them back and receiving a searing glare for it, watching their fist clench. “We cannot go knocking everyone out. That ruins the point.”

“Why should I waste time delaying the inevitable? Everyone they put me with is always the same, including you. I’m not one of their trainers, this is real shit. It’s not sunshine and rainbows.”

He frowns in response.

Ainsley swats Harlow’s hand away. “If you have any other ideas besides coming with and fucking it up, be my guest. The longer we stand here the more suspicious we get.”

“Do you strive off being constantly paranoid?” Harlow drums his fingers against his lighter, leaning against the car they took facing away from the bowling alley.

“If you’re gonna stay here, my rules, alright?” Ainsley unclenches his fist, taking out a cigarette from a pack and lighting it with his thumb.

“Do your rules include trying to actually be stealthy about this?”

Ainsley grumbled, taking a moment with their smoking before tossing the still-burning cigarette to Harlow. “If it prevents you from ratting on me, fine.”

“Then what’s the plan?”

Swirling the drink in his hand, Harlow watched someone set a basket of seasoned fries in front of him from over his shoulder. With a muttered thanks, he set down the drink and almost instantly popped one into his mouth.

“You know,” the bartender said while wiping a glass clean, “If you wanted to fill your stomach before drinking, I’d recommend something heartier.”

“Trying to upsell me, are we?”

They smiled, setting the glass down and pouring someone else their next shots. “You the local fries taster then? Need the drink in case they taste worse than across the street?”

“You wish they were. Bet it’d make good money,” someone cut in after clapping their glass on the table. “Really, though. Mind sharing?”

Harlow shrugged, beginning to jog his foot on the stool. “Go on ahead.”

He watched the guy reach over and pop one of the fries into their own mouth. “First time in an alley bar? Just waiting on some friends to start bowling with or what?”

“Ooh, friends,” Harlow winced to himself. “Nah. Thought about celebrating my new place with myself by throwing a few down the lane, but by the time I walked down here I guess I was more into reminiscing on everything else. Then my good buddy said he’d be up to come down, so I’m just waiting.”

“That can’t be any good. You’re gonna need something a little stronger to wash away that kind of feeling.”

“What’d I say about harassing our customers?” The bartender strolled back around, refilling the guy’s shot, which they immediately downed.

“To stop.”

That elicited a low chuckle from Harlow, feeling the vibration of the phone resting in his back pocket. He chucked a few more fries into his mouth, drank a decent amount of the glass on the counter, and stood up, still bouncing his leg as undeliberately as possible. “Think you can watch the fries? I’ve gotta take a moment.”

“Not the drink?”

“Never been one for liquor anyway. All yours if you want it.”

“Why’d you order a drink, then?”

“It’s been a while since I’ve had one, tastebuds change. Guess the right ones haven’t yet.”

Harlow shrugged, backing off and listening to the sounds of pins crashing as he wrestled the phone from his pocket, feeling the controlled flame of the cigarette in another.

“Ainsley?”

“You’re still inside?”

“Yeah, I’m still in here. I can buy the lane now if you want.”

“Buy the lane? What the fuck are you⸺”

“Alright. I’ll get on it.” Harlow listens as Ainsley scuttles away in the above vent, shoving his phone away and going down to rent out a lane. He’s surprised with a playful arm around the neck, raising his arm and stealing the loaded USB stick Ainsley drops into his sleeve.

“You sure you’re up for this?”

“‘Course I’m up for bowling. Oh, go set up the screen and everything, I’ve gotta grab some fries I left at the bar.”

“Fries?”

Harlow looks into Ainsley’s baffled expression with a smile, stepping back over to the bar. He politely takes back his fries and returns.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Ainsley hisses into his ear while stepping up to the platform, rolling the ball down the lane and hitting a few pins.

“Improvising. You were paranoid in the parking lot, imagine how paranoid Storm would be if some random dude just stood there for God knows how long.” Harlow replies back through gritted teeth, shoving a hand in his pocket while Ainsley throws the ball a second time.

He fiddles with the USB for a bit before it finally slots into the data reader.

“You⸺”

Harlow ignores him, grabbing his bowling ball from the rack and sending it down the lane for a strike.

By the time the basket of fries is emptied, Harlow had given the USB to Ainsley again with a pat on the back after a row of spares and they’d gone off to “the bathroom.”

Harlow was returning the two pairs of bowling clogs when Ainsley returned from the bathroom doors and ushered him outside into the car. Where Harlow promptly started breathing way faster.

“The plan was for you to stay put.”

“Wouldn’t have needed to do any acting if you’d remembered to wear the pants with our more casual uniform.” Harlow rummaged out his lighter and drummed his fingers against it.

“Do not fucking remind me.”

“You also could’ve, I don’t know, let me do it?”

“Something tells me you are used to being in charge, and that attitude has to change. I vaguely taught you how to knock someone out with fire, and now you think we’re buddies. We’re not. You’re just another Cinder operative who happens to be on Liam’s good side. Let me tell you, you’re not the only one.”

“Just ask to go on solo missions if you don’t like other people that much.”

Ainsley snarled, kicking the car into gear. “I’m not the one who breaks down when I summon fire.” Harlow frowns, forcing himself to wrap his drumming fingers around the still-lit cigarette in his pocket to smother it in the car’s ashtray. “Just drive us back.”

next chapter

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this is where i'd say something funny... if i had something funny to say. anyways, new format, again. experimenting is really cool, also i finally got to use the divider bar i made a month ago lmao

[ghost-bxrd]

Prompt:

A whole ass zombie apocalypse wasn’t something Jason thought he’d ever have to worry about.

Not that he has to worry about it now, either, considering he just got bit.

Everyone knows what you gotta do in these scenarios. Your loved ones will cry (“awe, Dickie, you do care”), they’ll try to find a different way (“shut up Bruce. Even you can’t concoct a cure in two hours”) and blame themselves (“fuck you, Timmers, I want you to know I died because you wanted that damn coffe!”…. Yeah, he could have handled that one better in hindsight) and then, ultimately, they’re gonna put a bullet in your brain. For the sake of the group.

And it’s fine, really. Better than turning into a mindless, flesh eating meat sack. He was ready. He got to say goodbye. It’s fine.

Or it would have been fine, if any of those damn cowards had pulled the friggin trigger.

Now Jason is clinically semi-dead (don’t ask him, he doesn’t know how this shit works either) and still annoyingly in charge of his mental faculties while also harboring a rather concerning craving for human flesh.

Fuck.

[lovewithoutagony]

i love being an artist bc if my brain demands old men kissing my hands would dive right into it and be done in 40 minutes

[leohttbriar]

kira: this is your wedding, too.

dax: but consider. bridezilla worf is hilarious.

[beforetimes]

personally i don't want an x-men reboot. they got the cherik gay tension down right the first time in a miraculous turn of events (considering this was a comic book movie franchise) and i don't want to see disney fuck it up the way they have been marvel movies the past few years #tbh. call me selfish if you must

[kideaternomnom]

Can JJK, ATLA, and Sailor Moon fandoms not come up with a god horrendous objectively wrong take for just…one second?

[angelof-thevoid]

Favorite Ship / Supernova

(disclaimer: i hc eris morn with they/them pronouns)

Lately, things have been calm and she got her paperwork for the day done sooner than usual, so with the free time Ikora decided it would be nice to have a spontaneous date. She sends a message to Eris, hoping they aren’t busy at the moment. At least, far as she knew there shouldn’t be anything taking up their time. After a few moments Ikora smiles when her screen lights up with a response.

-

It’s a cool, clear night where you’d swear you could see every star in the galaxy that wasn’t eclipsed by the moonlight. A sight like this wasn’t possible in the last city, and seldom did Ikora get the chance to venture out of it. Duty was a chain and it kept her not too far from the city, but in the rare chances she had the opportunity she wanted to take advantage.

Setting down a blanket on the side of a hill, Ikora places two comfortable, large pillows she had against the incline. Eris patiently stood by, their form illuminated by the light of the moon as they looked up to the sky. She wondered how much hive eyes could pick up on the distant pin-pricks of light, having been told they weren't the same as human ones. If you compared it to human vision, technically you could say they were blind.

Nonetheless, they mentioned their way of “seeing” just works differently now. They still had a sense of their surroundings, even knew the distance between themselves and the moon. An odd thing to be precognitive of but they chalked it up to it being the birthplace of their transformation, when Eris became kin to the very enemy they sought the end of.

How things have changed. Outside of that Eris had a sensitivity to paracausality which gave her a refined sense of other guardians as well as the shape of their light, despite being without. Strange changes, but not without some benefits. Ikora reaches over to gently bump her hand against theirs to catch Eris’ attention without startling them. As if much could startle them anymore.

“Finished?” Eris asks as they turn to look at Ikora who nods, the pair’s hands linking together as they settle onto the cozy patch. They lean back, side by side with hands still intertwined and multiple points of contact between their bodies. Silence hung in the air for a short time as they enjoyed the view, until Ikora broke it with a question. One she had long wondered about since Eris’ ascent from the Hellmouth. 

“Do you miss it?” She softly questions, gently squeezes Eris’ hand with her thumb rubbing against the length of theirs. “Miss what?” They reply after a short second. “The light. What you were, before-” Ikora stops herself choosing not to say the rest. 

A contemplative pause, “It doesn’t matter now, does it? It happened. All I can do is move forward in spite of it.” That solemn answer cuts straight through Ikora’s question with a knife’s edge. She turns her head toward Eris who continues, “Nothing good comes from dwelling on what’s missing.” and then a little quieter. “Do you wish I was unchanged?” 

Ikora frowns and quickly sits up, turning her whole body towards them. “I only wish for you to return from the things you hunt every time, safe and sound.” Eris gazes at her as she leans over to rest a hand against their cheek. “It doesn’t matter, as long as you’re still here.” She gives Eris an affectionate smile.

Eris’ own lips quirk up as they sit up as well, faces hovering inches apart before they make the first move to kiss Ikora. It lasts mere seconds as they slowly break apart but still close enough to feel each other’s breath. “In my darkest, loneliest moments, I miss the presence of your light over mine.” 

To think, after everything that’s happened including losing the light, Eris would rather have Ikora leaves her feeling a certain way. She feels the void open its empty maw in her chest, wanting to devour her heart over the proclamation. “Do you?” Ikora breathes out, letting the void energy trickle through her fingertips against Eris’ cheek.

Eris’ shivers a little from the sensation as they turn their face more into her hand, the ever present dark tears dissipate against Ikora’s radiant light. “I do.” Almost reluctantly, they retreat from the physical contact to look Ikora full on when they ask, “Show me your light.”

It comes out not as a question but like a lover’s request for their partner to share their body. And traveler save her, she finds herself bending easily to it. Usually Ikora wasn’t for unnecessary displays of her light, but she couldn’t resist Eris. So she adjusts into a kneeled position and brings her hands to hover in front of her mid-air.

Fluorescent violet light begins to form in a small, concentrated ball between her hands, steadily growing in size and luminescence. Ikora envisions in her mind pouring the void into a container, particles being shifted in an even circular motion that continues to slowly get bigger. 

It’s the size of a kick ball when she decides to stand up, purple light shining its hue across the two of them. Eris watches the nova bomb increase further and further until Ikora has to lift it over her head and release it up toward the sky, flying up and up to a seemingly impossible height until it explodes like a collapsing star.

Like a firework streaks of void shoot outward from the center and leave glittering trails of void as the bolts try and fail to find a target, thus bursting into smaller showers of purple that sparkle amongst the starry sky. An imprint of the void lingers like the burn of an afterimage from a too bright light.

“Beautiful.” Eris says in appreciation. Ikora sits back down with them as they reach out to grab her hand and trace it, making her shiver in return. She pulls their hand up to her mouth and kisses the knuckles of it, huffing a short laugh. “I’m glad you can still find beauty in the light.”

[fyeahvarchie]

every varchie moment (14/♾️)

[smokestarrules]

So I finished watching Revue Starlight and it was amazing, phenomenal, incredible, and many other words! The one thing I’m stuck on is, why a giraffe? Why have I seen people talk about this show so much and nobody ever mentions the giraffe?! He’s just there, being a giraffe?! What the hell?!?!

Because he's us. He's the audience, watching from above, encouraging the story to play out as it does. He needs to be able to see from all angles, needs to be able to observe no matter how far away he is, and ultimately, his gaze is what causes the show to exist in the first place. He's the audience, and the audience needs to be able to see from a certain height, otherwise they won't enjoy the show at all.

[craske]

did the friendship meme, lets ignore the fact they didnt even meet eachother in canon and didnt have that much screentime together in the q2 game. And their dynamic is even more different since teddie is also older by 4-5 years

its basically the whole serious vs the silly except the serious is also silly but is much better at hiding it

or in tldr autism vs adhd

[lwiann]

I just woke up and immediately saw transphobia from my country i truly do not wanna be alive in this world anymore

[mumintroll]

knitting is very hard especially with my hand strain problems i cant do it for very long at 1 time.... ive done like 5 rows of a coaster since i started last night :O

[hero-of-the-wolf]

AUUUGGGHHH

[theragamuffininitiative]

😣

[mrsoharaa]

The negativity for some people under a certain age on this app is fucking hilarious and a little sad 😂

[alkaloidalypse]

SPOILERS FOR ELEMENTS EXCEPT ITS THE GENUINE REVELATION ANIMATION MV THEY UPLOADED SO MAYBE NOT BUT JUST IN CASE IM PUTTING IT UNDER KEEP READING my brain is not cooking anything however i need to lET MY THOUGHTS OUT FOR SOMEONE TO PUT IT TOGETHER LIKE A DETECTIVE

first of all i want to say that all that budget fr went to the quality of the mv like damn??? and i heard that theyre making an animation MVs series so we’ll be expecting more of such MVs like this in the future (MANIFESTING ALKALOID ANIMATION MVS PLS HAPPYELE)

ok but continuing on

i knew some of the context of past fine thanks to the anime, but i was unprepared at how clear they show tsumugi’s frown at the start. but then they have him smile for the performance and UGH the change in expression is so good but pAINFUL

this exchange piqued my interest but i didnt know what the details were exactly until i finished the whole mv and rewatched it again. 

the somewhat bittersweet/sad expression on tsumugi’s face as he looked towards eichi. then immediately followed by eichi’s look of surprise as tsumugi turns to continue singing. now my thoughts were all over the place so i actually went and search for the lyrics video of Genuine Revelation on youtube to find the english translation 

and apparently, this was the line they were singing; “The stars that can no longer shine will be annihilated”. Thankyou Nasumi Violet for their video (link sends straight to where they sing this line)

my brain is small for this i feel like this has an underlying meaning because of the contract and because this is their last performance but i feel like im reaching 

the next part that interested me was eichi’s surprised expression, and i was thinking to myself, why’s the man surprised?

his eyes were kept on tsumugi’s in confusion/curiosity(???) so whAT’s happening why is this here happy ele whAT ARE YOU COOKING

so i decided to look at the other mv and went to the part where they sing the same line. you know just out of curiosity its not like they have the same movements or anyth-

oh. no wonder eichi’s surprised

obviously im not expecting them to do the same choreography because their stage is different here, but this action of having their hands reached out like that is definitely something they planned beforehand. so for tsumugi to not reach his hand out the same time eichi does, maybe eichi does have a reason to be a bit surprised. not enough to disturb the performance, but enough to be taken aback

makes it a bit interesting, however, that their duo line lasts for four bars, and their hands reaching out like that only comes on the second bar. However, tsumugi reached out for eichi on the first bar. a whole, 4 count bar before eichi does it (that is to say, the one in the animation mv, eichi’s hand reaching out was delayed slightly compared to the game mv but its basically the same thing)

its one thing to have their choreography be like that, camera angles and everything. but its another thing if eichi tenshouin is SURPRISED mid performance and thEY MADE THAT VERY CLEAR 

i also noticed, at least for the game mv, that this was the only time tsumugi and eichi interacted onstage. the other 89% of the time, the two were apart with hiyori and nagisa between them, as if deliberately keeping them separate

so for tsumugi to not even have his hand out the same time eichi does, where its the ONLY time for them to interact onstage, on their LAST performance together makes it oh so painful 

ignoring technicalities aside, its also like tsumugi cant bear to look at eichi for long. and eichi’s surprised expresssion while he reached out to tsumugi, who’s turned away from him, its like he’s watching someone slip away from his fingers, the consequences of his actions catching up to him and he’s not even realizing it

anyway they did amazing i cant wait for eccentric party night <3333