#pd: market chaos | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

kamyru · 3 years ago

Text

My Top 10 Voltage Guys. Ordered as favorites and as most likely to get along with in real life (2022 Version)

2023 Version

A year ago, I made this post. For me, it was one of the funniest things to do. So, to make it even more interesting, I decided to do it again, after a year, to see how my tastes and ideas changed. Everyone interested, please participate. I'll gladly read your tops.

In the "Most likely to get along with me in real life", the first brackets are the comparison with the results from the last year. The second brackets show how the characters changed places in the top compared to their ranks in favorites.

P.S. You can send request about all the boys from this top.

My favorite Voltage Inc guys

10. Hyogo Kaga (-4)

9. Toshiki Kasumi (-7)

8. Kuranosuke Kiba (New Entry)

7. Munechika Takado (-2)

6. Suzumu Mado (New Entry)

5. Taro Akuchi (New Entry)

4. Takaomi Tsugaru (New Entry)

3. Jun Araki (-2)

2. Hideki Ishigami (+2)

1. Toshiaki Kijima (+2)

My favorite Voltage Inc guys ordered as I'm most likely to date/get along in real life:

10. Hyogo Kaga (-1)(=)

I admit that he and MC have a stable relationship, and he is one of the most emotionally intelligent characters Voltage has. At the same time, he is from a group of characters, together with Jun, that shows their love through sex. And I'm that person with the 'sex is good, but have you ever tried doing anything else' mentality. Moreover, I don't like to be ordered around. I have a bratty personality that would drive him nuts. Our relationship would be a 'push and pull' type.

9. Toshiaki Kijima (-3)(-8)

I adore him because he can stay in silence for hours. Please, send me someone who can understand the pleasure of not saying a single word an entire day. He is soft and loving. Out of all Voltage Inc characters that I know, he is one of the best husbands. And there's the idiotic me who would be too overwhelming for someone as calm as him. Let's make it clear. I'm unusually calm, patient, and laid back. Though, I am chaos. Going to market on the peak hours only in the pajamas? Yes. Talking in the middle of the city, where the echo is the best and are most people are, about BDSM? Yes. Trying to pet every single cat from the streets? Every single day. Sarcasm over sarcasm? That's how I live. Toshiaki wouldn't be able to keep up with all my quirks.

8. Toshiki Kasumi (-1)(+1)

I have a love-hate relationship with Kasumi. I love him genuinely. Though, some of his actions make me speechless. He has some things that I don't like in people, like controlling, lack of communication, and jealousy. I'm the kind of person who respects others to no end. At the same time, if a person tries to make me do something without explaining it, the brat in me awakes, and I do everything except what they want me to. He is nosy, while I don't care about other people's business. And his jealousy is too much for me. I know that every single Voltage character is jealous. Though, some of his actions don't stay right with me. But he is a doctor, kind, selfless, empathetic, funny, sarcastic, silent, and a good leader. And that's why I love him so much. He is a fantastic character but not a good partner for me in real life.

7. Taro Akuchi (New Entry)(-2)

Taro is another character who can stay in silence. Also, imagine two people that can say the strangest and dumbest things without changing their expressions. That would be us. I have to say that I adore his MC. She is one of the best Voltage Inc MCs (along with Metro PD MC and Our Private Homeroom MC). He is a better match with his MC than he is with me. I also think that I would be too much for someone like him. He is too calm to put up with the energy pill that is me. And I wouldn't want to make too many jokes on this pure soul. Though, we would be great friends due to how many I have in common with Suzu, both acting like stray cats with their views about this world.

6. Kuranosuke Kiba (New Entry)(+2)

Oh, please. I was made for Kuranosuke if we are talking about character. I am the introverted version of Kunihiro. He is the type to make a lot of sarcastic comments. And I am the type to accept them without saying anything because I talk a little. But if I get into the mood to talk, I give mind-blowing comebacks. My problem is that I don't take life as seriously as him. And I'm talking about every part of life. He would be worried and annoyed because of me. He is a good cook, while I think that things that take longer to be actively cooked than 30 minutes are a waste of time. Also, he would be like: "It's cold and dark outside, where the fuck are you going?" to me, while I'd be in shorts and a shirt, to go walking because I felt like walking in the middle of the night. But hey! He had Kunihiro. I'm a little bit more adaptable than him.

5. Takaomi Tsugaru (New Entry)(-1)

He is a dork. And I adore dorks, being one myself. I have a post on this blog where I mocked the characters who say that MC is strange when I'm at least ten times worse. Moreover, I make strange food combinations. People who know me say that I'm the best person to talk with when it comes to their problems. Additionally, I'm a suicide hotline counselor. So, I could make a pretty good Little Hare with therapy proprieties. At the same time, even if I'm exceptionally patient, my mental health isn't in the best condition. A couple with both partners with suicidal ideation and mental health problems isn't the best couple if you ask me.

4. Jun Araki (+4)(-1)

During this year, I finally understood his work philosophy. Now, we are both workaholics. I spend so much time chasing my dreams and enjoying hobbies that I don't know how another person would react to my living style. Also, he is funny, caring, a good leader. Jun shows character development and is a fantastic guy. At the same time, he is too obsessed with sex to be higher.

3. Suzumu Mado (New Entry)(+3)

We are the same, and I'm not kidding. I have my own life that I care about and don't feel like letting everyone in. I can disappear somewhere without explaining and make strange decisions because I felt like this. Also, people would assume that I am extroverted because I can talk when required, while I'm the most natural introvert. If I ever find someone like Suzu, I would date him. We would spend some time together before getting too tired of interacting with people. Then we would disappear somewhere to persuade our dreams and goals. Then, return to each other, spend some time together without giving any explanation, care for each other a lot, and go somewhere again. Can anyone deliver Suzumu to my bed, please? I want to cuddle with him. Also, I nearly forgot. We both get along with people that are more silent or more talkative than us.

2. Hideki Ishigami (+3)(=)

Ishigami is someone who can take a joke, make a joke, stay in silence, be kind, lead people. He wasn't shown to be too jealous (or at least in comparison with other characters). He is more stable emotionally and mentally than other people at this top (even if he is not a functioning member of society). Out of all Her Love in the Force characters, I think he is the most sarcastic. But not in a very harsh way. He isn't pushy or sexually obsessed. And, unexpectedly, he is pretty vocal about his feelings. I adore this introvert. If someone knows where I can find him, don't hesitate to contact me. His only problem is that he has a dangerous job. Like I said in the previous year, I worry if people who are supposed to contact me don't.

1. Munechika Takado (=)(+6)

He is one of the best Voltage Inc characters that won't destroy your mental health, along with Rei Rindoh and Toma Kiriya. He is normal but in a good way. Funny, intelligent, kind, human-like. Takado loved, lost people, got dumped, tried to date other women before MC. We would make sarcastic comments over sarcastic comments, work more than is healthy, eat instant ramen, and cuddle. Out of all the Romance MD characters, he is the most mentally stable, if not the most. If I find someone like him in real life, I'll marry him.

#irresistible mistakes #her love in the force #tokyo love hustle #romance md: always on call #oops i said yes #toshiaki kijima #hideki ishigami #jun araki #takaomi tsugaru #taro akuchi #suzumu mado #munechika takado #kuranosuke kiba #toshiki kasumi #hyogo kaga #voltage inc #personal

11 notes · View notes

alphacomicswriting · 3 years ago

Text

Nightingale #1

Jane had been used to the shadows. Perched atop one of the skyscrapers in her suit, gripping the edge of the building with the bird-like talons of her prostheses that were central to her moonlighting as Inverness’ Nightingale. She remembered being confused why her parents kept her out of the limelight and away from their celebrity until she was about eight and saw the headlines “Johnny Snow, Snow Heir, Born Wrong” or “Johnny the Freak.” Her legs had been formed wrong and bent backwards and necrotized before she was born. When her parents took their child out, it was as one of their charity cases or to explain their lavish donations. Even her transition had all been optics to them. Look, the perfect Snows were perfect parents for supporting their daughter.

Behind closed doors had been different. And they weren’t happy when Jane had started getting politically active, especially not when she called her parents out for hypocritical practices, exploiting laborers, contributing to the extreme inequality of Inverness that allowed them to live their lavish lifestyles while so many were trapped in dire poverty in the city. They weren’t on speaking terms when a radical outside of one of the Inverness SnowTech manufacturing plants shot her parents.

As the heir of the SnowTech empire, she vowed to make changes: ethical treatment for workers, carbon neutral productions within five years funded by her parents’ estates, an end to the company’s participation in military-drone production and the end of all weapons trading by SnowTech, among others. And this declaration upset the board. She found herself pinned, powerless, despite her position within the company: be complicit in the ongoing production of weapons as Logan Exeter bought more and more of her company, or walk away. She walked away. She used the money from the sales to make investments in ethical tech companies and started her work as the Nightingale to undermine SnowTech being a puppet company for Exeter Industries’ continued expansion into the weapons market.

But the more she worked in the shadows, the more work she learned there was to do.

A scream came from the streets below. Go time.

She leapt off the art-deco building, a memorial to Inverness’s glory days, as her cape detected the wind resistance and her hands on the edge and firmed into her glider, allowing her to sail down to the earth harmlessly to the bank below. She could already see the chaos inside.

Six walking skeletons, bursting with flowers in their pelvises, rib cages, and spines, with vines wrapped around their legs and arms, held guns shooting by the security guard below.

Jane had been dealing with these for weeks. She burst inside and threw two smoke grenades into the room, firing off three sets of titanium rope to wrap three of the skeletons up, preventing them from doing any more harm. “Rip the flowers out,” she barked to the security guard through the voice modulator, before she leapt through the smoke and utilize her immense martial arts training to quickly dispatch of the remaining three. It took several minutes and she had to dodge quickly out of the way of the hail of bullets from one of their automatic weapons, but she downed them fast enough.

But her focus had been pulled to the combat. It wasn’t until she heard the guard choking that she realized that something else was happening. And then she saw the smoke had a slight greenish hue through it with a swirl of glittery articles in it. Fuck. She knew what that meant before the woman’s figure walked through the smoke. She was here. Annabel.

“Dryad,” Nightingale spat.

A wry smile crossed her lips. “You keep flying back to me, little songbird.”

Jane didn’t know if Annabel knew who she was, but she knew her. After her exile from her family’s company, Jane found herself working with other organizations to try to make a difference in the world. One of them being Annabel’s lab. The two fell in love. And it took Jane way too long to realize the underside of Annabel’s lab’s intentions and work in ecoterrorism. Or that Annabel had… abilities. One of them was the use of her pheromones, which made Annabel wonder if she ever loved Annabel of her own free-will.

And it was enough to make her feel weak in front of her now.

“Poor Songbird… lost your voice?” she teased.

Jane grunted and hurled herself at Annabel. She was just as capable a fighter, but she didn’t need to work as hard as Jane did as she just simply emitted more nerve gas. Even her air filtration couldn’t filter out all of it this close to the source, and it slowed her down.

Dryad just simply wore her down until she was on the ground, struggling to breathe, before she walked effortlessly into the bank to steal all she wanted to fund all her efforts. Nightingale had to make a decision: risk her life further, or save the guard’s and return the bones to their graves. She chose the latter. She brought them to a safe place, to a coroner friend of hers, Conroy Weskil, who was as distrusting of the Inverness PD as she was. He was able to treat the guard and her, and promised he would ID the bodies and return them to their homes. Jane would catch the Dryad one day, once she figured out how.

#Nightingale #Dryad #Inverness #original writing #my writing #writing #writer #superhero #superheroes

1 note · View note

roslinadama-sinequanon · 5 years ago

Text

Saying Good-Bye to Yesterday-Chapter 11

So, yes it’s been forever and day. I haven’t dropped off the planet or quit writing for Shandy. It just got difficult for a while.

You can find the chapter here https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13004092/11/Saying-Good-Bye-to-Yesterday and here https://archiveofourown.org/works/15321687/chapters/53083987 and here

****

"Hey, hon." Andy paused in buttoning his shirt at the greeting, his lips curving into a smile when he took in Sharon's disheveled appearance as she entered their bedroom, fresh from a workout, spandex shorts clinging to her long toned thighs, loose tendrils of hair slipping out of her high ponytail.

"How was the Barre class?" He asked.

"It wasn't Barre. It was Spin." Over the past few months, Amy had convinced her to start taking spin classes with her, adding to her usual regimen of Body Barre, Pilates, and Yoga.

"Well, how was Spin?"

"Ugh." She pulled the sweaty racerback tank over her head. "Jelly legs."

"Gorgeous legs," he corrected.

"Yes, well, that takes work, darling." Though she ate healthily, for the most part, was supple, naturally active, and thanks to genetics and a great metabolism, didn't have to fight hard to maintain her slender figure, she exercised to keep toned and fit. In addition to the classes she attended when her schedule allowed, she swam laps almost every day, did some light weights at the PD gym, and also got out to Malibu to a riding stable as often as she could. When she first mentioned her horseback riding to Andy as a full-body workout, he gave her a typical Andy quip, "for the horse, right? " She'd ignored the comment until she could prove her point. One afternoon she'd taken him on what he referred to as a "ball crushing" ride, and he'd sheepishly eaten his words. Later still, when they'd become intimate and he'd felt those "thighs of steel" around his waist, he'd come to an even greater appreciation of that "full-body" exercise.

"Well, I'm pretty gross right now, so I'm going to hop in the shower." She pulled off her sports bra and wiped at the sweat under her breasts before dropping it in the hamper and disappearing into the bathroom. When she emerged 15 minutes later, she had one towel wrapped around her torso, the other turban-style around her head.

"Don't forget, I have book club tonight," she said.

"Yeah, I'm gonna hit a meeting."

She glanced up sharply from her dresser, a pair of rose-colored panties dangling from her fingertips. "Everything okay?"

Though her tone remained neutral, Andy picked up the tiny inflection of worry. It wasn't his usual meeting night. "Yeah, everything's fine," he assured her. "I had to skip last week because of our case, and I haven't gotten the chance to talk to Isaac."

"About us?"

"Yes."

Once in her fresh panties, Sharon shimmied on a pair of black leggings that she paired with a long, slouchy v-neck cashmere sweater in a soft shade of blush. To finish off the casual outfit, she slipped on a pair of two-tone quilted Chanel ballet flats, big silver hoop earrings, and a silver cuff bracelet. Andy continued to watch her dress. Watching her shed her professional persona for her personal one was kind of a ritual for him. At work, she was all fitted, classic, sleek lines. Understated and sophisticated. At home, her wardrobe was softer and a little more eclectic. Even her jewelry was different. At work, simple diamond studs in her ears and her watch, no bracelets, no necklaces, no dangling earrings. At home, she often wore pretty bracelets, hoops or dangling earrings, and a variety of necklaces, including the crucifix she never wore to work. Separation of church and state and all. He asked her once why she stopped wearing necklaces when she took over Major Crimes. After expressing surprise that he had actually noticed that, she told him that Brenda had warned her that wearing a necklace when interviewing suspects was dangerous because they could use it to try to strangle her. Given the violent animosity their former Chief seemed to bring out in suspects, he figured she was speaking from experience. Probably a good idea that he wore his sobriety necklace tucked in under his shirt. He was pretty sure there were hundreds of suspects over the years who would have loved nothing more than to strangle him.

A half-hour later, with her hair blown dry and her make up re-applied, Sharon came out of the bedroom to see Andy slipping on his jean jacket as he prepared to head out. Rusty was sitting on the couch on his laptop.

"You boys are on your own for supper tonight," she reminded the two.

"Okay. " Rusty glanced up. "What do you want to do, Andy?"

"I have a meeting, so I thought I could pick something up for us on my way home. Want a pizza from Palermo's?"

"Just make sure my half isn't loaded down with veggies."

Andy rolled his eyes. "No veggies. Got it."

Sharon smiled and started to reach for the Trader Joes bag she'd left on the table.

"I've got that, babe." Andy took the heavy bag and followed her out the door. Not so long ago, she might have bristled at the move and argued that she could carry the bag herself, but Andy knew that. It was simply a gentlemanly act of kindness, and she no longer looked for any sort of underlying misogynistic meaning to his kind gestures.

******

The strong smell of flowers hit Sharon just outside the storefront, and she glanced up at the pretty awning hanging over the doorway. "Lotions and Potions," her friend Summer's bath and body shop in Mar Vista. She opened the door, and the floral and spicy scents grew more pronounced. Taking a few steps in, she scanned the room, looking past the displays of soaps, bath salts, body creams, and lotions to see Summer with a customer over in the incense and essential oil section. The little bell that jangled at her entry drew Summer's attention, and when she glanced over and saw who it was, she gave Sharon a smile and a hand gesture indicating that she would be with her in a minute. Sharon nodded and began browsing, lifting and examining the vintage apothecary jars Summer used to carry her product. The old-fashioned jars and antique-looking sepia labels with their intricate designs and calligraphy lettering harkened back to another era as if she was stepping back in time.

Several years ago, this had been a New Age jewelry and clothing store where Summer worked as a clerk. Summer fit right in with today's millenials, often flitting from job to job, but for as long as Sharon had known her, she grew herbs and made homemade soaps and lotions in her house, selling her creations on the weekends at craft fairs and farmer's markets. Then Anabel, the storeowner, allowed her to put a few samples out for sale at the store, and they were a big hit. Soon she had a whole product line for sale. When Anabel decided to sell the store, the first person she approached was Summer, which had taken Summer completely by surprise. She was an artist, after all, not a businesswoman. I mean sure, she practically managed the store, but what did she know about running a business? At least that's what she said to Sharon when they were talking out the pros and cons. It was a moot point, anyway. Summer didn't have the kind of money needed to start a business.

But Sharon did. When her grandparents died, she was bequeathed quite a large inheritance. Some of the money was in a trust, but she had more than enough to lend Summer for the start-up costs. Summer hadn't seen it that way. It had been a battle royal for Sharon to get her best friend to agree to the loan. The very idea of it terrified Summer. What if she didn't succeed? What if she couldn't pay Sharon back? Sharon had gone through hell digging out of the mess Jack created for her financially, and she didn't want to see her have to deal with anything like that again. And most of all, she didn't want the money coming between them. Their friendship was too important. But Sharon prevailed. They worked it all out, with Sharon as an investor, and then they worked together to make Summer's vision become a reality.

The quirky little store was a reflection of its quirky little owner, and it was a hit. Situated only a few miles from both Venice Beach and Santa Monica, it drew in both the unconventional crowd and the well-to-do. Summer paid Sharon back several years ago, but Sharon still took pride in all that she had helped her friend accomplish here.

Grabbing a bottle of her favorite vanilla/jasmine body cream, Sharon glanced back around to see that Summer was still engrossed in conversation with her customer, her light brown curls bouncing on her shoulders with every enthusiastic nod of her head. Rather than stand around waiting, she decided to make her way to Summer's office in the back of the store. She pushed aside the beads that hung in the doorway, in lieu of an actual door, giving a loud sigh at the chaos. As usual, Summer's desk was filled with clutter: folders, papers, coffee mugs, and a bunch of opened boxes. No way could she ever work surrounded by such a mess. In fact, she could already feel the prickles of anxiety at the very idea. She started to move things around to make a spot to set her bag down when an item in one of the boxes caught her eye. Reaching in, she pulled it out, eyes widening with both surprise and curiosity.

"Find anything you like?"

Sharon jumped, nearly dropping the glass object. "Dammit, Summer! "

Summer's wide grin grew even wider. "Gotcha. Either you're losing your cop instincts, or that object holds more than a little interest for you."

"What is it?"

"If I have to tell you, Andy has a real problem."

Sharon flushed. "I know what it is; I just mean why do you have boxes of this stuff?"

"That stuff, as you call it, is luxury personal care products. "

One elegant brow rose skeptically. "Luxury? They're…"

"Glass dildos."

"And again, you have boxes of these, why?"

"I had a distributor come in for a meeting today. She wants me to try selling her line here."

"You're going to sell sex toys? Here? At Lotions and Potions?" Sharon looked so appalled that Summer had to giggle.

"No, I am possibly going to sell luxury personal care items. I told her I would think about it. It's a big and pretty lucrative business right now. Look at them, Sharon, they're works of art."

Sharon looked again at the item in her hand, eyeing it critically. Blown glass with swirls of color, graceful lines. She had to admit, it really did look like a piece of art.

"Much more attractive than the real thing. Am I right?"

Sharon gave a little snort-laugh. "Oh my God, you're right. It is. Though we better not let the guys hear us say that."

"God, no. Men do love their penises, don't they?"

"Mmm…" Sharon hummed affirmatively.

"Almost as much as they love our boobs."

Sharon shook her head with amused affection and another little snort-laugh. She never quite knew what was going to come out of Summer's mouth. In that respect, and in so many more, they were as different as night and day. Oil and water. Chalk and cheese.

Summer was as outgoing and irreverent as Sharon was private and respectful. As unconventional and flighty as Sharon was traditional and responsible. As loud and boisterous, as Sharon was soft-spoken and reserved.

Summer was thrift store boho gauzy tops, flowing skirts, Birkenstocks, and arms covered in bangle bracelets. Sharon was Neiman Marcus pencil skirts, Armani suits, killer heels, and diamond earrings. Summer lifted her arms in worship to the winter solstice while Sharon knelt in reverent prayer at midnight mass. Summer was homeschooling and a childhood spent on a commune. Sharon was private Catholic schools and summers on Nantucket. Summer was Stevie Nicks to Sharon's Grace Kelly.

And yet, they clicked. For 26 years, they had been best friends. From the day that Sharon and Jack moved into their new home in Mar Vista and a bossy little child knocked on their door stating, "I'm five. Do you have any little girls my age I can play with?" With baby Ricky on her hip, Sharon smiled at the little ragamuffin with Popsicle lips and a mop of brown curls and then introduced her to a bashful four-year-old Emily. Within seconds, a harried woman in a tank top and an Indian wrap skirt straight out of the 1970s followed. Since she shared the same wild head of curls with the little moppet now dragging Emily along by the hand, Sharon assumed she was her mother. Indeed, the woman said she was looking for her daughter and, like Sharon, she too had a diapered little boy resting against her shoulder. Sharon introduced herself then invited the gypsy looking woman in for a cup of coffee. It was the beginning of three very important friendships: Sharon and Summer, Emily and Jade, and Ricky and Cody.

Despite their differences in background, personality, and temperament, the two young women easily found common ground. Their kids were the same age, they both loved the arts, and they were both in difficult marriages. Their bond was quick and strong. They spent their days off from work building sandcastles with their kids at the beach, pushing swings at the park, or attending children's reading circles at the library. They babysat for each other, swapped books, and on those rare occasions when they had time for themselves, browsed through art galleries, bookstores, and museums together. Most importantly, since neither had extended family in Los Angeles, they created a much-needed support system for each other. And that was something that became increasingly important, because, within a few years, they were both on their own. Single parents.

Summer came across as flaky, but she was everything Sharon needed in a friend: supportive, warm, honest, and a strong shoulder to cry on-one of a very select group of people whom Sharon allowed to see her vulnerability. They had journeyed together through all the difficulties and heartaches life threw at them, helping each other raise their children, bucking each other up when things seemed bleak, and sharing in each other's joy as they each found success in their professions and new love. From breast-feeding to hot flashes, they had seen each other through it all.

"So, " Summer continued. "Go ahead and take whatever you like. I know you're not a prude. Try one out and let me know what you think."

"I'm good." Sharon placed the item back in the box with a little quirk of her lips. "I've got the real thing now."

"Yeah, well what about these? Could be fun." Summer dangled a pair of handcuffs.

"Again, I've got the real thing."

"Pfff… Those things would hurt. These are love cuffs. Nice and soft. See." Sharon admired the plush cuffs Summer thrust in her face, faux fur with little tiny bows, definitely not standard LAPD gear, but shook her head negatively. "I'm all set." She glanced down at her watch. "Come on, Sum. We really have to get going or we're going to be late."

"Oh, no, we wouldn't want to be late."

Sharon rolled her eyes, ignoring the sarcasm. Fate had surrounded her with smart asses. "No, we wouldn't. So, let's go."

"Okay, okay, don't get your panties in a wad. Just promise me you'll think about it."

Sharon blew out a long-suffering sigh. "Fine, I'll think about it, now let's go."

*****

Sitting in the back corner of the bookstore, Sharon found herself center stage, surrounded by a group of women gushing with excitement over the diamond on her finger, grabbing her hand to look at it and pumping her for all the details of the proposal.

"It's so beautiful, Sharon. " Aggie's eyes went dreamy, her hands in a prayer triangle under her chin, lost in the fairytale of Sharon's proposal. "And how romantic. I can just picture it…A winter wonderland. A romantic sleigh ride through the woods and Andy down on one knee professing his undying love for you-" She broke off, swiftly coming back to reality when everyone burst into laughter. "What?" She defended herself. "I love romance."

"As if we didn't know," Marina scoffed. Whenever it was Aggie's turn to pick their monthly book, it was invariably a romance of some sort.

"Hey, I thought Russians were supposed to have romantic souls." Aggie's protest was made in the soft New Orleans drawl she hadn't lost despite having lived in LA for the past 20 years.

"I had one of those…Four husbands ago." Marina, a ballerina, had defected to the United States in the late seventies and had later opened a ballet studio in LA after retiring from the stage. Sharon met her when she signed Emily up for lessons at her studio after her young daughter had become more serious about studying dance and outgrown her instructor. It was Marina who had seen the talent and drive in Emily and helped her become the principal ballerina she was today. Marina was also cynical and pragmatic and went through men, mostly younger men, the way Andy used to go through younger women.

"Don't listen to her," Sharon said. "You're right, Aggie, Andy couldn't have picked a more romantic way to propose. Hard to believe I found a man whose sense of occasion can actually rival mine. It's certainly a night I will never forget."

"I still can't believe Andy took Gavin to help pick out your ring and not me," Summer sulked. The room went silent, all the women turning to her with wide eyes before erupting in giggles. "What?" She held her hand's open palms up and shrugged in a "what the hell" gesture.

Rachel, a pretty blonde, responded. "Come on, Sum, when it comes to style, there is nobody, other than maybe Roz here, who is more opposite from Sharon than you."

"I'd take exception to that if it weren't 100% true," was Roz's good-natured response. A writer for a comedy sitcom, Roz was notoriously sloppy in her dress, preferring the sweatpants, t-shirts and Converse sneakers she was wearing right now to any other attire. When she was forced to wear something nice, she chose boxy male suits and would never be caught dead in a "girlie" skirt or dress.

"I don't think we're that opposite." Summer's protest drew more peals of laughter.

"Summer…" Rachel lifted her friend's skirt, smirking when she exposed plastic clogs. "You are wearing Crocs. Need I say more?"

"There's nothing wrong with Crocs. They're comfortable." Summer pushed her skirt back over her shoes.

"No offense, I love you to pieces, but they're fugly and Sharon wouldn't be caught dead out in public in them." With her sleek dark blonde bob and stylish clothes, Rachel Garner had far more in common when shopping with Sharon than Summer. Like Andrea, Rachel was a lawyer, now an advisor to Mayor Garcetti. She and Sharon had become friends back when Sharon was promoted to the LAPD's Women's Coordinator position and they had worked together on numerous cases.

"What I don't understand is why you want to get married in the first place. I mean you just got out of a bad marriage, why jump right back in?" The room went silent, this time with tension, not humor. Roz sat back, arms crossed over her chest, seemingly unconcerned by the group's collective disapproval.

"What the hell are you talking about?" It was Summer who quickly jumped to Sharon's defense. "Just out of a bad marriage? She's been done with that ungrateful, immature, disloyal prick for 23 freaking years! Just because she only formally divorced him a couple of years ago doesn't mean-"

"Summer," Sharon tugged on her friend's arm. "It's okay, calm down."

"It's not okay; she has no right to say that. You," she pointed a finger at Roz, "have no idea what she went through. You've known her for what? Four years? You have no right to question her choices. And just because you hate men doesn't mean she has to feel the same."

"Okay, okay, whoa. I didn't mean to start World War III." Roz held her hands up in defeat. "And for the record, I don't hate men. Well, all men anyway. I'm just saying, she doesn't need a man…a husband."

"Roz is right." Sharon agreed, taking a sip of her wine.

"What?" Summer turned to her with confusion.

"She's right. I don't need a man. But I can want one without needing him. And you know what? That makes this the purest relationship I have ever been in, ever. I don't need Andy's money, I don't need his security, I don't need his protection, I don't need him to provide shelter for me, I'm not looking for a father for my children. I am with Andy for one reason only. I love him. It's as easy and as simple as that. I love him and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. And yes, I want the formal commitment of marriage. I know I don't need it, but I want it. And that's my choice." She tapped her fingers on her chest, stressing the point. "I am at a place in my life right now where I can do what I want to do, not what I need to do, and you have no idea how much freedom there is in that for me."

"And we're thrilled for you." Summer's narrowed eyes shot daggers at Roz, causing Sharon to suppress a smile. Summer was about as laid back a person as she knew, however, one thing they did have in common was that you didn't mess with the people they love.

"Yes, we are." Patrice set a gentle hand on Sharon's knee. "Andy is a great guy, and he loves you to the moon and back." As Andy's caregiver while he was recovering from his surgery, Patrice had gotten to know the man and the way he felt about Sharon better than any of them.

Andrea nodded in agreement. "You all know how I feel about marriage, but hell, if I had a guy who looked at me the way Flynn looks at Sharon, who knows?"

Aggie, who had gone off to pilfer through the shelves, returned and flopped down in an oversized chair. She opened the small book she'd been looking for and began reading. "To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable."

"That's C.S Lewis, isn't it? " Sharon recognized the passage from having read a lot of Lewis's work.

Aggie nodded. "From The Four Loves."

"Well, he sums it up rather nicely, doesn't he? " Sharon poured a little more wine in her glass, then sat back. "Loving someone is a risk, no doubt about it, but I will always believe that it is a risk worth taking." She was well aware of how easy it would have been to encase her heart in one of those caskets after Jack, to allow herself to become unreachable. But that just wasn't in her DNA. Barriers, yes, she had certainly erected some of those, but closed off completely? No. She simply had too much love inside her to shut down like that. She knew people often thought she was cold, aloof, unemotional. They never knew it was all a façade, a shield meant to hide the fact that she actually felt things very deeply. She'd had to learn how to contain those emotions, to hide her feelings, but they were there, they were always there. And, had she entombed her heart, she never would have been able to let Rusty in, nor been able to embrace the man who had become the love of her life. Vulnerable? Yes, love made you vulnerable, but the rewards far outweighed any risk.

"I agree, we all need to remain open to love. Now, who's hungry?" Helen, the owner of the bookstore, set to restore order to their opinionated little group. "We'll eat, then dive into the book."

Sharon shot the older woman a grateful look. They might all be friends, but she had never really been comfortable with people dissecting her life.

The food was potluck. Each member of the club took a turn hosting the meeting, but it was always potluck so no one was stuck having to feed the whole group. At the end of each meeting, they drew out of a hat to see if they would be bringing the beverages, an appetizer, or an entrée to the next meeting. Though it wasn't a rule, they often tried to base whatever food they brought on the setting of their book. The only part of the meal they did not draw for was dessert. Mary Agnes Boudreaux McCormack, Aggie, always brought dessert. Twenty years ago, Aggie had moved to Los Angeles after Craig McCormack walked into her bakery in New Orleans and swept the 37-year-old widow off her feet, taking her home with him to California. Aggie opened a pretty little bed and breakfast near Venice Beach and brought with her the French and Creole delicacies of her former home, including the to-die-for beignets she brought to each meeting, regardless of the setting. No one was willing to forgo those beignets.

This month's book was set in Mexico, so there were cheesy nachos with garlic guacamole, sweet potato and black bean taquitos, a creamy taco soup, Mexican chicken and rice, and fish tacos. Sharon had drawn beverages at their last meeting, so, along with a case of seltzer water, she'd brought a few bottles of a Baja Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend along with the makings for Mojitos.

"And these," she drew out two large bottles of champagne. "Because we can't celebrate 10 years without a little bubbly. I still can't believe we've been doing this for 10 years." She poured the champagne and passed the glasses around to the ten incredible women sprawled over the sitting area. Ranging in age from their late forties to early sixties, with most in their fifties like Sharon, black, white, and mixed heritage, native Californians and transplants, gay and straight, single and married, they were a diverse group who had come together to bond over a shared love of books. And somewhere along the way, they had become friends. Friends that had seen each other through infidelity, divorce, infertility, empty nests, cancer, adoptions, menopause, job losses, promotions, and new loves gained and lost.

The book club had come about rather organically not long after Helen and her business partner, Jenny, opened "The Book Nook", a combination bookstore/café a little over 10 years ago. Helen's husband, Christopher, had accepted the position of visiting professor at USC, and the British couple fell in love with the climate and laid back lifestyle of Southern California. So, when a permanent position became available, they decided to leave the gray skies and rain of England behind and settle in the land of sunshine and surfers. At the time, Jenny was a stay at home mom whose marriage had fallen apart after her battle with breast cancer. Divorced, her children in college, and cancer-free, she was ready to embrace a new life when Helen became a patron of the coffeehouse where she was working as a barista. Soon they were discussing a joint venture. A few years later, their bookstore/cafe became reality, and Sharon, Summer, and Rachel became some of their first customers. Recommendations of authors and long chats over coffee regarding the books they read or were interested in reading had Jenny suggesting the idea of starting a book club.

For Sharon, it was perfect timing. Ricky had just gone off to Stanford, and with Emily across the country at NYU, she was reeling from the effects of her empty nest. For 21 years, her life had revolved around her children and their needs, car-pooling, cooking, laundry, helping with homework, getting them to practices, cheering them on at games and recitals, and most recently visiting college campuses in preparation for their futures. And then suddenly they were just…gone. The house was too quiet, too empty, too filled with memories. And, with her children gone, the fact that she did not have a love life only became more pronounced, her bed suddenly emptier, colder to the touch. And it didn't help that she was starting to feel like she was in a rut at the PSB. Melancholy enveloped her in its insidious web, eating away at her, telling her that her best days were now in the past.

Later, she would find that she actually enjoyed the peace and solitude of being on her own, the freedom of not having to organize anyone but herself. But in the beginning, the loneliness was crushing. Both Rachel and Summer commiserated with her because they were going through the same thing. It was Marina who encouraged her to use that time to focus on herself and do some of the things she'd wanted to do but hadn't had time for in the past.

For many years, Sharon had helped out a few nights a month at St. Joseph's soup kitchen, bringing Emily and Ricky along with her, which was how she'd gotten to know Aggie. Now, she began volunteering at the church's domestic violence shelter, counseling the women on their rights, teaching them how to defend themselves, and helping them to find jobs. She coached them through the interview process and helped them select outfits from donated clothes-including her own-that would help them look professional. Eventually, she ended up on the board of directors. She also became the LAPD's liaison with "The Sunshine Kids Foundation" helping kids with cancer, worked with Rachel to raise money for "Emily's List", sold her house and bought the condo, and then she joined the book club.

It was the perfect hobby and helped her to expand her group of friends. Other than Gavin, Summer, and Rachel, she didn't really have any close friends, confidantes. It wasn't that she was anti-social, she had many friendly acquaintances: Marina, Aggie, a few women and men at work. But, the truth was, she had never had the time to cultivate deep friendships. As a single mom, she was usually either working or taking care of her kids. And where most people made friends on the job, her work within the PSB made that impossible. Barriers were essential in her position, and that had not been easy, especially in the beginning. Even though she'd always been a bit reserved, she was not a naturally unfriendly person, so having to close off that side of her had taken time and effort. But she'd become good at it. Maybe too good. Once her walls were built, it was hard to let people back in.

The book club started out small, and though it had not been intentional, they were all women: Helen, Sharon, Summer, Rachel, Jenny, Marina, and Aggie. Roz, Patrice, and Andrea were later additions. Once the only women thing was established, they decided to keep it that way, which pleased Sharon. She was surrounded by men all day long, worked in a profession dominated by men, and she didn't have a problem with that. For the most part, she liked working with men, liked their direct ways, and had always felt that the best teams had a combination of women and men. On the other hand, it was nice to spend time with her women friends and immerse herself in the female perspective. It was also easier to be herself and let her hair down without the male/female dynamic, without feeling like she had to prove that she was tough enough, strong enough, smart enough, the way she did at work, every… single… day. Around these women, she could express her emotions, and frankly, her sexuality, without being embarrassed or viewed as weak.

"To ten years!" Helen raised her glass of champagne.

"To ten years!" The group chorused.

TBC

#shandy #sharon raydor #andy flynn #Major Crimes #shandy fanfic

23 notes · View notes

plutozy · 4 years ago

Text

Personalized Grooming: A solid initiative by plutozy app for post pandemic placements

Amidst the chaos of covid-19 pandemic and the boost it has given to massive un-employment, an Indian start-up 'plutozy' is making efforts to balance out the equations for graduates. Indian youth has always been successful to develop their footprint as a young and vibrant generation of India. But still on a very considerable level, this generation plays on back-foot when it comes to their first interview. Nervousness, poor communication skills, lack of market knowledge, low personality aticets and little things like these plays a major role for this back-foot. Plutozy app has done considerable efforts there to bridge this gap. This is how it works. Plutozy is SAAS app wherein apart from just a web application, actual mentoring is provided to the user. This application churns the user through five + one modules, as one module is a bonus for its early subscribers. To cater most of the interview rounds, Product Development (PD) team of plutozy app has categorized the recruitment process into 4 rounds viz. Aptitude round, GD round, HR round & technical round. To know more about the app architecture, click here: Link: https://plutozy.blogspot.com/2020/08/plutozy-genuine-effort-to-boost-careers.html The tech stack used for this web app is designed in a hybrid way, where user get access to the digital course-ware instantly whenever he/she needs and on the other hand, gets counselling assistance in a traditional way. PD team of plutozy app explains the reason for keeping the way of counselling traditional is to deliver the full potential of counselors, so that user can yields full benefits out of it. This new hybrid app structure also helps developers to stay more connected with the users and to serve better.

Integrated advising technology avails industry experts to connect with the graduates & help them out with their mock interviews. User gets personalized analytics of his/her interview, generated by the stats algorithm of the application, designed to assess performance of a candidate. User can take mock test and mock interview as per his schedule. This flexibility creates opportunities for user to self-assess him from time to time. The application is equipped with ‘Analytics tools’ which provide instant results for user in the form of statistics and pie charts. Whenever user submits his mock test, results gets generated demonstrating which are the strong areas of a candidate and which are the weak to work hard on. This feature lets user to learn at his own pace and saves his time by giving insights of the exact areas on which he/she needs to work on. Furthermore, to know about the behavioral and decision-making abilities of a candidate, plutozy app interlocked this assessment with SJT (Situational Judgment Test). SJT system evaluates the adaptive learning based on different scenarios. It helps recruiters to have a quick scan of thought process of given interview candidate. Through competency-based program, users move to next levels as soon as they demonstrate mastery over the specified learning objective. Interlock on each level helps to create an ‘Employability Score’, which ultimately filter outs the best candidates for the recruiters. Personalized interview-assessment reports created by our expert faculties helps user to make improvements quickly before he faces the actual job interview. Also, bio data fed by the user in the application gets automatically fetched to create ready to download CV. Besides, any academic project data uploaded by the user gets circulated among the corresponding recruiters by the project portfolio feature of ‘plutozy’ app. Thus, the application, proposes a packet of tailor guided solutions for each individual graduating student. This integration of tools and systems of the app facilitates the kind of personalized grooming that can improve employability level, boost student’s confidence & accountability. Personalised counselling extends the benefits of skill development and leverage the user to stand out of the mob. As a result, the program provided in the plutozy app encourages students be get ready for the market & industry hits. At the end student with low income, low confidence, introverts need more assistance in placement processes which can be solve by more technologies like ‘plutozy’ app.

#plutozy #plutoventures #e-learning #edtech

1 note · View note

rizkianriz · 4 years ago

Text

Dum Dum Land #2| Bolang Edition

2018

Di penghujung 5 hari penelitian kami di Thailand, aku menyempatkan diri untuk mewujudkan kenekatan yg kurencanakan sejak semalam. Jam sudah menunjukkan pukul 3 sore. Hatiku ga tenang tp terdorong untuk ttp ngebolang. Sayangnya teman sekantorku lebih memilih stay di dorm dan Dita ada acara programnya.

Perjalanan dengan Van

Segera aku berlari ke gerbang belakang BIOTEC dan menelepon teman Dita (yg bahkan ga kenal & belum pernah ketemu) untuk jd peta berjalanku. Pertama-tama aku naik mobil van (mirip mobil travel) tujuan Mo Chit Station. Harga tiketnya 35 baht. Satu-persatu van mulai penuh, di sebelahku seorang anak remaja dengan wajah muram terus duduk memandangi HPnya, dan seorang lelaki heboh ingin cpt sampai. Sepanjang jalan ga berhenti aku memandangi jalan yg menjauhi daerah Pathum Tani. Kulihat satu satu landmark yg mudah diingat#takut diculik wkwk.

Perjalanan dengan BTS (sky train)

Sekitar sejam setelahnya aku sampai di pool akhir dan turun di dekat stasiun BTS. Karena ini pertama kalinya aku di Thailand aku belum paham samsek gimana mekanisme naik BTS disana. Sebelum antri tiket kuperhatikan satu2 cara org bayar tiketnya baru setelah paham aku memberanikan diri membeli tiket untuk sampai ke tujuanku. Yg paling sulit disini? Org thailand bnyk yg ga bisa bhasa inggris jd kebanyakan aku berbicara dengan bahasa isyarat sebagai mekanisme survivalku selama perjalanan ini. Tanya sana sini ke org yg bisa bahasa inggris gimana caranya aku bisa sampe ke Wat Arun. Ternyata aku harus transit dulu di Siam untuk menuju Sapan Taksin. Selama perjalanan aku pasang telingaku baik-baik takut caleuy ketinggalan stasiun hhaha. BTS disana cukup nyaman, mirip sekali dengan MRT di Jakarta skrg. Masalah penuh sih sama aja ya gaes. Btw harga tiket sampai sapan taksin yaitu 44 baht.

Perjalanan dengan Boat

Sampai di stasiun sapan taksin aku kebingungan mencari dermaga. Ternyata eh ternyata dermaganya tepat di bawah stasiun ini! Karna bingung, aku ikutin aja org di depanku. Sampai di dermaga ada banyak pilihan rutenya, bingung lagi kan tuh milih yg mana. Untungnya aku ketemu mas mas baik hati yg menjelaskan detail gimana caranya aku bisa sampe ke Wat Arun (naik di Pier 8, harga tiket 15 baht). Sayangnya badai datang, seakan akan ga merestui perjalanan mendadakku ini. Sempet berpikir buat pulang lagi karena udh mau Maghrib tapi toh udh terlanjur sampe?? Selama naik boat ke Wat Arun aku berharap badai segera reda. HP juga kumatikan untuk menghemat baterai.

Arrived @Wat Arun

Dan doaku terkabul!! Badai pun berhenti bergantikan gerimis. Setelah sampai aku lgsg ON FIRE buat menjelajah. Eeets tp aku beli payung dulu disini sebelum jalan jalan. Amazed bgt sm wat yg satu ini, keramiknya yg khas terlihat amat megah. Belum lg ukiran ukiran rumit di dindingnya. Walaupun g bisa liat wat ini di cuaca yg cerah, keindahannya ga tertutup sm awan mendung sekalipun. Disana rasa rasanya aku doang deh yg keliling sendirian wkwk caleuy cakeuy deh, bahkan minta fotoin sm turis yg lewat hahaha. Jauh jauh ke Thai ketemu juga sm turis Indo disana, asiknya mereka liburan full disini.

Crossed to Wat Pho

Setelah sejam berkeliling sendirian di kawasan candi, ga kerasa udh mau maghrib. Saking penasaran sm Wat Pho (lagian nanggung juga tinggal nyebrang), akhirnya kulanjutkan acara ngebolang ini dengan menyebrangi sungai Chao Phraya seharga 4 baht. Sebelum masuk kita diwajibkan melepas alas kaki. Patung Buddhanya disini benar benar ikonik dan menarik. Apalagi ada tradisi memasukkan koin yg unik (membawa keberuntunhan katanya). Bangunan dihiasi lukisan di bagian atap. Aku inget bgt disini minta difotoin turis asing pas lagi gelap. Sayangnya kameraku kurang bagus jd hasilnya selalu gelap. Turis yg membantuku ini smp take berkali kali dan ga lelah bantu fotoin (doi semangat bgt saking semangatnya jd ga enak karna emg kamera akunya aja yg ga bagus wkwk :( ) terhura aku tu makasih mas!

Pulang ke Dorm

Jam menunjukkan pukul 7 malam. Jujur perasaanku ga tenang karna masih mikirin gimana ya cara baliknya?? Aseli takut nyasar udh malem pula. Setelah lama nunggu akhirnya sampe juga perahunya. Eh di perahu ketemu lagi sama mas mas yg bantu nunjukkin rute ke Wat Arun tp kepisah jauh, doi duduk di depan. Pemandangan sungai malam hari di sungai Chao Phraya ga kalah indah. Berbagai jenis perahu dengan lampu berkilauan lalu lalang di hadapanku membuatku ga bosan menikmatinya. Sampai di tujuan, dermaga penuh bgt berjejer org pake baju rapi kyk mau dtg ke acara red carpet. Eh taunya ada acara pembukaan mall baru disana. Yg dtg pd bawa tiket eksklusif. Syg ga bisa gabung, dandananku kucel sih wk.

Sampe stasiun BTS jujur bingung gimana pulangnya. G keliatan ada tanda tanda van yg aku naikkin td sore. Sok ide aku mau naik bis ke pathum tani tapi karna org yg ditanya ga meyakinkan akhirnya aku balik lg ke pool van. Di pool liat antrian ternyata van ini tujuannya bnyk dlm 1 antrian. Sempet bingung, tp alhamdulillah bgt ketemu org baik hati yg nunjukkin van ke Pathum Tani. Perempuan thai yg aku temui ramah bgt, dia ngajarin aku sedikit bahasa thai dan dia juga kepo dgn pengucapan beberapa kata dalam bahasa inggris. Sebelahku seorang perawat RS di Pathum Tani ikut nimbrung ngobrol. Pas naik van ternyata aku 1 van lg sama cewe yg duduk di sebelahku pas naik van sore td bahkan 1 van juga sm tmn Dita.

Aseli perjalanan singkat yg nekat ini berasa dijagain bgt sama Allah selalu dipertemukan sm org baik & selamat smp dorm!

Chatucak Market

Besoknya sebelum ke bandara, kami menyempatkan berbelanja oleh oleh di pasar paling terkenal di thai yg cuma ada pas weekend. Bela belain bgt kesini smbl bawa koper wkwk kebayang ga tuh bikin sempit LRT yg selalu rame sm orang yg naik. Untung ada tmpt penitipan koper koinan di jalan jd bisa kesini tanpa repot bawa bawa koper. Disini mata susah bgt dikontrol ya ampun rasanya pgn borong semua dr makanan, baju, smp aksesorisbdan mure muree! Dita juga bisa nemenin kita kesini yeay!

Insiden di Bandara

Pas mau pulang ada insiden nih di bandara. Boarding passku ilang dong sebelum masuk ke pesawat. Parah dan caleuy bgt ga tuh???! Udh ngobok ngobok tempat sampah, liat lantai & tmpt duduk ga ketemu. Untung aja petugasnya ramah & sigap membantu huhu makasiiii!!

Gimana perjalanannya seru bgt kan?? Hal yg paling kusyukuri adalah "aku berasa dijagain banget". Walaupun aku sendirian ngebolang, alhamdilillah bgt selalu dipertemukan dengan orang orang baik selama perjalamannya dari tmn Dita, mas mas ganteng penunjuk jalan di wat arun, bule bule yg bantuin fotoin aku, turis yg ngasih tmpt duduk di perahu, mba mba yg ngajarin aku bahasa Thai, perawat yg ikut nimbrung ngobrol, smp driver van yg nganter aku smp ke dlm kompleks penelitian. Makasi semuanyaaa aaa!!

Pengen kesini lagi ya Allah. Semoga ada rejeki & pandemi segera berakhir..

#ceritanris #Thailand #bolang

1 note · View note

lethe-rpg · 5 years ago

Photo

Welcome to the 2020 Winter Festival!

When: December 31, 2020 Where: Irving Plaza From: 1PM to 1AM.

With the storm passing, and the ice slowly thawing, Lethe welcomes the year end celebration. The annual Winter Festival has arrived, though this year the council has voted for an event much smaller than the previous years -- and with security rivaling any other event. Once Letheans pass the small security check-point at the entrance, they are issued a wristband, color coded for their species, and released into the festival. It features a winter market, where civilians can purchase goods from vendors, or participate in small games and events hosted by local volunteers. The eye-catcher this year being the large ice-skating rink in the back, and the five hundred dollar prize for whoever wins the ice-skating tournament set to begin at 10PM.

light blue for selkie

dark blue for nymph

red for vampire

black for lich

light purple for witch

yellow for shifter

green for werewolf

white for lamia

dark purple for fae

For all its grandeur and fun, no one can miss the presence of Lethe PD patrolling, nor can they miss the way the council keeps its guard up. Every event has ended in chaos, and the council will do everything in their power to ensure this event doesn‘t end like the others. Only time will tell if they succeed...

For the muns

This event will take place from now until we announce a date later on.

It will feature a plot drop in a couple days -- and possible wildcards (one per person) if people are interested in them.

Please tag your posts lethe: winter 2020 as non-event replies and writing are welcome alongside this.

#lethe: event #lethe: winter 2020 #lethe event

5 notes · View notes

bang7an · 7 years ago

Text

A list of BTS’ UNOFFICIALLY RELEASED socially-conscious, non-love songs:

Not only does BTS have a bunch of socially-conscious officially released tracks, they have a ton of unofficial/non-group releases with meaningful lyrics as well.

OT7

흔한 연습생의 크리스마스 (A Typical Trainee’s Christmas) * = about the insignificance of holidays to trainees and feeling lonely, overwhelmed, and belittled because of the industry’s expectations

Born Singer * = about pursuing your passion despite criticism from society and the uncertainty of the future

흔한 아이돌의 크리스마스 (A Typical Idol’s Christmas) * = comments on how the grass is not always greener on the other side; about feeling overwhelmed due to the work load/expectations of being an idol. also a thank you to ARMYs for continuously supporting them

So 4 More * = about constantly working harder in order to pursue one’s passions and to reach one’s dreams

We Are Bulletproof PT 1 4 BEGINS Ruff * = about surpassing your rivals by being yourself & not letting other people’s words get to you

RM, Suga & Jin

학교의눈물 (School of Tears) * = comments on the apathy of the current education system that pits children against each other and teaches students to step on the weak to rise to the top

어른아이 (Adult Child) * = about how reaching the age of adulthood is not as special and revolutionary as others make it seem; it is just another chapter in the book called Life. also a shout of gratitude to Korea’s armed forces who are often forced to serve for 2 years when they reach the age of adulthood

Jungkook, Jimin & J-Hope

졸업 (Graduation) * = about seeking freedom from the educational system and realizing everyone will take a different path towards their respective dreams

RM, Suga & J-Hope

땡 (DDAENG) * = about thanking the antis and internet trolls for their dedication because BTS used their hate to motivate them to rise to even higher fame and success

RM & J-Hope

널 웃게 할 노래 (The Song That Will Make You Smile by Lee Seung Gi ft. Rap Monster & J-Hope) = RM & J-Hope’s part is about not being afraid of standing tall and facing one’s adversaries head on

RM & Jungkook

Like A Star * = about regret for being afraid of being different from others and not pursuing one’s dreams/passions

알아요 (I Know) * = a thank you to male and female ARMYs for supporting them the last 3 years & a promise to be always there for ARMYs in the future

RM & V

네시 (4 O’CLOCK) * = about that ambiguous time between night and day when the blue moonlight seems to stop time and you can heal from the chaos of the light/reality

Jimin & V

95 Graduation * = about how fast time flies & the importance of preserving and remembering the past that was built to create the present. also an apology to their classmates for not being able to attend their graduation

Hookgayo (w/ Iron & Supreme Boi) = calls out the repetitiveness of the industry & artists who use swear words/graphic content simply to catch the interest of the general public (a response to Brave Brother’s diss track “Round and Round,” where he dissed producers, like Bang Shi Hyuk PD)

Fuck Cockroachez (w/ Zico) = about facing the uncertainty of the future and staying strong

Seventeen = about feeling lost in the world and not knowing how to actualize your dreams. comments on how only you can take control of your life

DREAMIN = about taking the unbeaten path and looking towards the future while never forgetting one’s humble beginnings

Glory = about pursuing your passions despite the disapproval of people around you

Naa = about the sweetness of pursuing one’s dreams and the curious beckoning of the unknown future

Suicide = about the feeling of failure even when others label you as a success

7 Dayz (w/ Popinjay) = about how dreams cannot always shield you from reality

130305 = about newbies who disrespect the senior artists that came before them

Tipsy (w/ Supreme Boi) = about pursuing your passions not for the applause, but for your own pleasure and personal satisfaction

94 Line Rap (w/ 삼순, 윤달, Suprema, Kyum2, LUPE, Wildbuck) = about the power of attacking your haters mentally rather than physically

Swag Player (w/ Tangent) = dissing wanna-be-rappers that compare themselves to those from the underground scene

You Can’t Do That (대남협 w/ Supreme Boi, i11evn, Marvel J, Kyum2) = addressing haters that say idol rappers can’t be considered truly “hip-hop”

Check the voice (w/ 라이머, 문화의사대, Black $heep, rap k.o, 문스피어, Kwind, TL, 몽숭이, Star Yankie, 찌질보이, 대포, BLAGI) = about ignoring the haters and looking straight ahead

Listen To Me = about breaking the music industry by being one with the beat

닥투 (Vote, or Just Shut Up) * = telling people we should voice our opinions by exercising our right/power to vote

Party (XXO) [Lyrics by RM] * = about fighting hatred with love & standing up for the minorities of the world. also contains pro-LGBT lyrics

I Like That [Lyrics by RM] * = about self-love & being independent and confident after a break up

FREESTYLE * = about the uncertainty of the future & the societal pressures that come with choosing music over college

FREESTYLE 2 = about how his tears for the past have dried & how he can’t go back now. also about being grateful and wanting to give thanks/strength to the people who have helped him along the way

FREESTYLE 3 * = about feeling lonely in a room full of people & the importance of self-motivation to reach your dreams/success

Freestyle 4 * = about longing for a past when time was infinite and dreams were limitless

Rap Monster * = about his dream to lead the new generation of hip hop by writing and conveying his own words/message

Where U At * = about the uncertainty of the future in such a competitive/saturated job market. also comments on how today’s youth is explicitly taught that money isn’t everything, but is implicitly pressured to earn a high salary

Too Much * = about feeling alone and trying to find where one belongs (in this case, he is rapping about the rejection he feels from hip hop fans for being an “idol” and idol fans for being a “monster”). also a question as to whether one can be truly happy/content in life

Unpack Your Bags (w/ DJ Soulscape) * = about the difference between his “idol” self and his “non-idol” self & the path towards finding his true identity

P.D.D (Please Don’t Die w/ Warren G) * = about serving revenge to haters by using the hate as a stepping stone for success

부끄부끄 (Bucku Bucku by MFBTY ft. EE, Dino J, RM) * = RM’s part is about showing magnanimity to the haters out of pity. he also gives respect to the seniors that he had always looked up to and are now able to write songs with

목소리 (Voice) * = about overcoming his past and finding his true source of happiness in music

Do You * = about living without labels/societal restrictions and doing “the fuck you want!”

각성 (覺醒/Awakening) * = addressing the fear and inevitability of failure. also about embracing the title of “idol” & not letting the label restrict his mind or actions

Monster = about becoming better than your haters by enjoying what you do everyday

농담 (Joke) * = “I’ll say one word about your rap, don’t rap.”

God Rap = about accepting and loving oneself, as well as accepting and not ridiculing others with different beliefs/views

Rush (ft. Krizz Kaliko) * = about preventing the negativity from affecting you by focusing on your own life

Life * = questioning the differing levels of loneliness that people feel and the blurred line between life and death

표류 (Drift) * = about trying to determine one’s purpose in life, but feeling lost

I Believe * = about trusting oneself and making the most out of one’s life by following one’s heart

튀겨 (ProMeTheUs by Yankie ft. Dok2, Juvie Train, Double K, RM, Topbob, Don Mills) * = RM’s part is about seniors/the older generations who look down towards and dismiss the youth

always * = about feeling like the world is not listening to you and will never be able to accept you for who you are

Change (w/ Wale) * = about trying to change the current state of the world we live in. also comments on the corrupt education system and police brutality, as well as cyberbullying

코끼리 (Gajah/Elephant by Gaeko ft. RM) * = RM’s part is about fighting for oneself and not letting life/destiny push you around

SUGA/AGUST D

Diss = about how you can’t buy talent with money

Swagger = about being destined for success

All I Do Is Win = about surpassing your competition by improving yourself day by day

싸이하누월 MIX Final * = about how music is a part of him & not being afraid to display his true self, despite the stigma that comes with the label “idol”

Agust D * = about rising from the bottom to the top and breaking away from the stigma of “K-Pop” and “idol”

give it to me * = “Born tiger, ain’t gonna live like a dog.”

치리사일사팔 (724148) * = about pursuing your passions to reach success. also comments on social classes and the priviledge of old money

140503 새벽에 (140503 at dawn) * = about loneliness and pretending to be okay on the outside while fighting your inner struggles. also comments on his social phobia, that was an onset of his restricted lifestyle as a trainee

마지막 (The Last) * = about the dangers of comparing oneself to others & not recognizing who one has become. comments on self-hatred, depression, social phobia, suicide, and mental health. also about the sweetness of success after hardship & learning to find pride in one’s self-esteem

Tony Montana (ft. Yankie) * = about the switch from wishing for the downfall of others, to focusing on his own success and taking care of his family, fans, and team. also about the trials that come with rising from the bottom to the top

so far away (ft. SURAN) * = about the meaningless of living life without a purpose/dream, but also struggling to find that purpose. in addition, conveys a message of hope that one will find happiness through hard work and not giving up on the seemingly impossible

J-Hope

Animal (Jo Kwon ft. J-HOPE) = about not letting anyone take control of your passions (in this case he’s talking about his passion to perform)

1 VERSE * = about the gratification of watching your hard work and effort come to fruition

Hope World * = about opening up oneself to the world and living with hope

P.O.P (Piece of Peace), Pt. 1 * = about the role of music in bringing about change and comfort in a chaotic world

백일몽 Daydream * = about dreaming the impossible dreams and living life without fear of restrictions

Base Line * = about discovering the “base line,” the inner catalyst, that drive’s one’s motivations and achievements

항상 (HANGSANG ft. Supreme Boi) * = about how BTS is his driving force and his pride in reaching the top with his members by his side. also about his hope that they will be together forever

Airplane * = about reminiscing on his youth, when he used to dream of the skies, and finally realizing that he has surpassed his childhood goals

Blue Side (Outro) * = about wanting to preserve his memories of his younger, naive self, even if it’s through a dream

name: video w/ lyrics

=: live performance/dance practice

*: official music video/trailer/SoundCloud release

#bts #bangtan #masterlist #kpop #i luv their music :')#rm released so much pre-debut like wow #m

174 notes · View notes

elementarypolitics · 7 years ago

Text

The Joke of Phoenix Comicfest...

Phoenix Comic Fest* has decided to up the ante from last year and just blatantly say “fuck you fans, we don’t care about you.” So, a quick recap of last year’s insanity. Some lunatic came in with a slew of weapons with the goal of killing the actor who played the Green Power Ranger. Because even at its most lax, Phoenix PD and convention security aren’t unspeakably incompetent, the lunatic didn’t make it very far…but while the powers that be aren’t unspeakably incompetent, they are incompetent. Their genius idea in response to this clearly out of the norm incident was to ban all weapons—real looking, fake looking, wood staffs, plastic blasters, light sabers. That’s really smart because one of them fake plastic lightsabers might be the real physics defying tool of mass destruction and some Sith might decide to just start hacking people apart. It got so bad one of the vendors selling really good collectible lightsabers (still just plexiglass and lights, so not remotely deadly) was escorted off the dealer’s floor. And the company in charge of the event had many contradictory explanations as to why (none of them remotely believable)… because you never know when the plexiglass could magically turn into a stick of deadly plasma hotter than the core of the sun apparently. But it gets better. Every person had to be searched by the woefully understaffed security of the event which meant that people wait in lines…lines that went around the building several times…on Memorial Day…in downtown Phoenix. Yes, more people were harmed from heat stroke last year in line than were harmed by lunatics with weapons in the history of Comicon (I’ll admit I didn’t search every police report, but I did do a search and couldn’t find anything). Also despite the fact that the police requiring this level of security just created a huge mass of stationary targets for any lunatic who did want to hurt people, they also overreacted and instead of realizing the truth that “well we hit the lunatic quota for the decade, probably won’t have any more problems this weekend” as, you know as sane and moderately intelligent person would do, according to several people who spoke off the record, all of SWAT was out on the rooftops ready for action all weekend. As any idiot could have told them before hand, they weren’t needed. Please do remember this is Arizona, where police give contradictory orders and then shoot to kill unarmed people who can’t follow two contradictory orders at the same time…because Arizona police are both stupid and fucking cowards. They also fire gas on people who protest tyranny.** But back to Comicon. In addition to all of this, vendors on the floor also had a lot of trouble breaking even, and I know some aren’t even going this year. So last year was a cluster fuck of epic proportions. But the company in charge thought that they could do better this year!

How you ask? Well in the past most conventions have panels. Lots of panels. They rent huge convention centers and the goal is to fill each and every conference room with as many different panels from open to close to keep the nerds happy. Movies, comics, cosplay, cartoons, games, writing, trivia, dating, blood donation, signups. You name it there was probably a panel for it. Yes, the company running the convention ran through submitted panel ideas, but they accepted anything and everything, let the fans pick the topics, and tried to simply offer as wide a variety of ideas and discussion out there to entertain as many people. It was little more than organized chaos, and it was wonderful because it let the ideas and intellect of geekdom shine in the free flow way the creative process and the love of fandoms relies on. But letting nerds be nerds was apparently not for Phoenix Comic Fest. What do the nerds know, after all? They’re only the people paying the tickets and the ones coming to see all the stuff. Please don’t just take my word for it. Here are the actual words of the Square Egg:

Yes “Themes.” Do they even tell you what those themes are? Nope. They are keeping things so tightly controlled that you need to hold a seance just to know how you goose-step in line with them.

Now I could go off on them…but, the original response to this is so much better than I could ever put it…

My personal favorite was that one of our panels that was turned down because it didn’t meet with the themes/celebrities of the Con was a panel of the political implication of Star Trek…because Star Trek has nothing to do with a convention whose headline celebrity this year is William Shatner. In the 25th Anniversary year of DS9. At a nerd con where Star Trek is always relevant. If that doesn’t leave you going WTF, I don’t know what would. If you want to say the description of our panel wasn’t interesting, that’s fine. That’s a matter of taste. But to say Star Trek isn’t relevant…I have to assume the people who run this shit show have never actually had anything to do with any fandom ever.

Now do they have every right to do this? Yes, yes they have every right to do it. They’re fronting the money for the convention center, they’re booking the guests, they’re the one putting all the risk on the line. So, I’m not going to be a petulant child and scream “censorship” because this is not censorship. They’re not stopping me or anyone else from speaking, they’re only saying the podium they paid for isn’t open to everyone. They have every right. But we as fans have every right to say we don’t like what they’re selling. We liked the free exchange of ideas, not a spoon-fed list of topics. We’d like diversity of thought in what to choose from in terms of what panels to go see. We’d like to see our fandoms have a panel even if you couldn’t get a celebrity from that particular show or movie to make it out to the city which is hotter than seventh circle of Hell. So, this is not censorship, censorship only applies when it’s done by the government…this is the free market, and they have the ability to profit or fail (given their incompetence I would bet against profit, but who knows).

So, if this isn’t censorship, why is any of this important? If you believe that politics isn’t downstream from culture then this isn’t important. I am just a nerd bitching into the darkness because only one of his panels was approved. But if you believe that politics is downstream from culture, then it really matters because it means that culture is becoming more controlled than any time I can think of. Science Fiction, Fantasy, Comics and all the other genres that traditionally go along with conventions of this sort were once the bastion of free thinking ideas, of politically unpopular statements, of the voices on the fringes for good and bad. Star Trek is the first place to show a woman of color in a position of power—it may seem all too trite now where mass media slobbers all over itself to put out one formulaic piece after another with all the main minority and interest group boxes checked—but in its time it was a powerful message. Robert Heinlein and Margaret Atwood’s works warned of the dangers of religiously driven populism. The Twilight Zone and Star Trek offered hope in the future. The science fiction stories of even more traditionally serious writers like E.M. Forester, Kurt Vonnegut, and George Orwell offered us warnings about technology and what government can do with it. This has always been some of the richest ground for the seeds of social change and intellectual freedom. But now Disney through Marvel and Star Wars offers formulaic tripe in the form of explosion joke explosion joke explosion joke tied together with a paper-thin plot…and with Justice League DC jumped on that mindless bandwagon. Star Trek has become a poor imitator of Star Trek on the big screen and a teen dystopian novel on the small screen. And speaking of teen novels, the genre that once gave us Wrinkle in Time gave is now spewing mindless YA novels with characterless protagonists that aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on and would be an insult to kindling to use as fire starter (and the less said about that Wrinkle movie from a writer and director who clearly never read the book the better). The only visions of the future exist somewhere between the Thunderdome and Battle Royale. The optimism in the human spirit in The Twilight Zone and Babylon 5 has been replaced by the bleak pessimism of Orphan Black and Black Mirror. Hell, even The Doctor has become a bitter and cynical shell of its former self. And while the written has fared a little better, the fact that Martin—with his message that humans are all vile disgusting things—has seen major success, doesn’t say much either. And now the conventions are ensuring that this single line of argument continues by ensuring only the topics they want are the ones discussed.

Now I’m not saying that all these new visions of science fiction and fantasy are bad. There has always and SHOULD always be that strain in the deeper levels of these genres. The problem is that there is yin to the yang. The DCEU under Snyder and Nolan with its philosophical richness was the perfect counterpoint to the mindless entertainment of Marvel. If you didn’t like one you had the other. Now they’re both mindless. The thoughtful science fiction of Star Trek which had a vague understanding of science and powerful social commentary was the perfect balance to the fun space opera of Star Wars. Now you just have mindless fun from both. The Twilight Zone countered the Outer Limits, Babylon 5 balanced Stargate, Buffy was not Xena, Dollhouse was for people who wanted more thought than Dark Angel. There used to be balance between hope and cynicism, fun and thoughtfulness, utopian and dystopian visions, substance and style. As there should be. But now we’re just being fed the same cynical, stylistic, fun, and dystopian vision from the content makers and being told by even the fan conventions to march lockstep to their tune. The people selling this crap will respond it’s what the people will buy…but Dennis Miller had a response to this for two decades, it’s for the same reason Eskimos eat whale blubber: it’s the only thing we’re being offered. And the fact is that the Snyder vision of Superman made money, that Whedon pile of trash barely broke even. If you don’t think this both reflects society’s problems and creates those problems, you’re deluded. Phoenix Comic Fest is a symptom, but it’s a big one. Because if you don’t think this is a trend that will continue if not protested that it won’t spread out almost every convention (because if they can control controversy, you know they will because corporations will almost always fall into playing it safe after being in existence long enough). I would of course encourage dealers to boycott (you didn’t make much money last year anyway and you’ll make less this year), fans to boycott, and if you agree with argument, maybe encourage the celebrities you were hoping to see to also cancel. It’s a small thing but so is the start of an avalanche. We need to keep the diversity of thought going. We need to not give into people telling us what to think, read, and enjoy. Because if it starts with what we find entertaining…it will work into what rules we are ruled by. Politics is downstream of culture. This has been true since a Sumerian king embellished tales of his ancestor Gilgamesh to help his own position. It is no less true now. Either we control culture and ensure diversity, or we will deal with all the problem of political conformity (oh wait, we already are).

*It has been renamed from the more traditional Phoenix Comicon because San Diego Comic-con has gone batshit crazy and decided to sue conventions for things that sound like them, as if they have even the slightest shred of intellectual ownership over the word comic or the all too common shortening of convention to con…but how stupid abuse of IP law is getting is a discussion for another time.

**I would really love to support police…but honestly you guys are making the gestapo comparisons just a little too easy. Be the adults in the room, like I pay you to be—grow the fuck up and stop acting worse than the criminals you’re supposed to protect me from. And you good cops out there, your silence in the face of your vile colleagues is not loyalty, it’s to betray to your sworn duty.

#Phoenix Comic Fest #Phoenix Comicon #Pop Culture

15 notes · View notes

serenity-garcia · 5 years ago

Text

She knew that Ares needed rest. That much was certain. And as she left him for a few moments so he could settle, Serenity wondered about Alex. Half of her team (her crazy, messed up family) had been hurt in this attack and it meant that she was going to spend all of her time trying to get back at who had done this. Hurt the people she cared about and Serenity was sure to get her vengeance.

Wandering down the hall, she found Alex’s room. She didn’t know the extent of his injuries and if he looked half as bad as Ares she would probably lose her mind again. Alex was her Victor. She liked him and in her weird way cared about him. She felt like they were connected and that his well-being was her responsibility. Serenity felt that no matter what direction their lives had went, she would have ended up caring for Alex. She would have been his captain if they were Peacekeepers or if they had ended up in masonry, she would be his shift leader. It’s what her mom called “connected souls”.

Serenity quietly knocked on the door, opening it up a tad and poking her head in. “Alex, are you awake? Do you want a visitor?” She was being much more gentle than normal, but Serenity figured she was saving up all her other emotions to be thrown at whoever did this. // @district2knight

#c: alex #c: starter #pd: market chaos

11 notes · View notes

its-sierrafletcher · 5 years ago

Text

With the burns on her shins, Sierra had trouble getting out of bed and moving. She wasn’t as bad off as some of the other Victors or even the other Capitolites that took up many of the beds in the hospital, but it still hurt. But, her nurse had encouraged her to move a little bit. With her arm in the cast and sling, her wrapped up hands and shins, and a concussion, Sierra shuffled out of the room she had called home for almost three days.

Cam had taken June away for a little bit, even though her daughter insisted on returning later. Sierra was almost certain June would come to stay the night with her. She was so grateful for her little one.

Sierra headed to the bank of windows just down the hall. It looked over the Capitol and she was morbidly curious if she could see what the market looked like. She settled into one of the armchairs, feeling like she had accomplished the movement that her nurse wanted from her. Sierra sat in silence for a few minutes before a familiar figure entered her periphery.

“Glitter?” Sierra questioned, doing her best not to cringe as she moved her head. “It’s good to see you okay.” // @glitterrosseau

#c: glitter #c: starter #pd: market chaos

9 notes · View notes

shirtlesssammy · 7 years ago

Text

13x15: A Most Holy Man

Then:

The feeling when you desperately want to be useful for the team but your bros keep bringing you down.

Now:

Well, he’s not in Malta, where a mysterious figure breaks into a monastery to steal a holy relic --the skull of St. Peter. He nabs the skull but is confronted by a nun. He knocks her out and apologizes before making his escape.

The boys, meanwhile, are at the bunker trying to track down the ingredients they need to open the portal to the AU world. Cas is in Syria. BIG SIGH. Sam is on the hunt for the blood of a most holy man. And apparently there’s a market for religious relics. Haha, this is wild! Like, this is the first time ever they’ve had to track down items with religious significance! They’ve never needed holy oil or the bone of a righteous person or the bone of a lesser saint (the last one they didn’t even use the internet to find!)

Sam wants to check out a dealer, Margaret Astor, who seems legit.

They meet with Ms. Astor, and she makes it clear to Sam what the price of business will be (heavy flirting). Sam doesn’t back down, and tells her that they’re looking for the blood of a saint. He can’t tell her much beyond that but adds, “It’s very, very important to us, to me.”

She has a lead, and suitably happy with Sam’s level of flirting, tells them that the man they should contact is Richard Greenstreet.

Cut to the the brothers meeting with Richard Greenstreet. While enjoying a donut WAY too much, he tricks the brothers into revealing they’re frauds. They quickly reveal they’re looking for the blood of a saint --and they’re in luck! He HAS some! He then insults the Winchesters’ suits and financial means of purchasing said blood from him.

He does think they could work together though. The cold open’s missing skull? Greenstreet believes the mob boss, Santino Scarpatti, stole the skull and if Sam and Dean can get it back, he’ll trade the blood for it. Scarpatti plans on acquiring it the next night. Dean says that’s not a lot to go on, but Greenstreet responds, “I have faith.”

Outside, Dean admits to some HIGH HYPOCRISY when he says that they’re not perfect, the world isn’t perfect, and if they’re not perfect trying to save it, so be it. BUT CAS BETTER BE PERFECT OR SO HELP DEAN HE’LL ARGUE TO THE POINT OF MAKING CAS FLY TO SYRIA JUST TO GET AWAY FROM THE BULLSHIT. Whew, sorry.

Insert harmless, pointless, not reading the room -on a micro OR macro level- scene. Can someone put Dean’s exchange with the book reading woman into context for me? Please and thank you.

Sam meanwhile has tracked down Antonio Miele: just traveled from Malta, checkered past, and currently staying at the Patricia Hotel in Seattle. After bumping into a man while entering the elevator, they get to Miele’s room, only to find it completely ransacked, and Miele dead on the floor.

A “detective” from the “Seattle PD” shows up and forces Sam and Dean to handcuff themselves to the radiator. He starts tearing the place apart even more, refusing to answer Sam’s questions. The man leaves, not realizing he’s dealing with Sam and Dean Winchester. Sam’s handy lock-pick gets them out of their bind with minimal effort. They leave the hotel, not completely unnoticed.

The boys breakdown this very un-supernatural episode so far:

Who killed Miele?

Does Greenstreet already have the skull?

Who’s the fake cop?

Does he work for Scarpatti?

They turn the corner of an alley to find Sopranos extras crowding Baby.

Mr. Scarpatti wants to meet. Mr. Trench Coat tells the boys to get in the Impala. He’s driving. OH DEAN. My heart hurts for you.

They take off for a meet and greet with Scarpatti, while Sam and Dean’s mysterious stalker looks on in secret.

Ah, Scarpatti is auditioning for the next Bond movie, I see.

Scarpatti knows who the Winchesters are --they “died” several years ago. He also knows they’re working with Greenstreet, and makes his case about how he feels that he can give these religious relics a better home. Dean: “Technically, the relic had a home, and then you had it stolen.” Sam: *EPIC THROAT CLEAR*. Scarpatti wants to know why they’re working with Greenstreet, and Sam explains the exchange. Scarpatti had his own deal with Miele, but now Miele is dead and the skull is missing. Dean’s quite argumentative -but I guess he doesn’t have much to lose. These men are just men. Scarpatti tells the boys that if they find the skull, he’ll give them a handsome finders fee.

The boys head back to the hotel to start the hunt for the skull. They clear the hotel with some false fire alarms. Sam makes it back to Miele’s room and starts the search. He finds a slip of paper with some numbers on it --and gets knocked out by their mysterious follower!! Oh Sammy.

The man takes off and in the chaos outside the hotel, the fake cop is waiting and follows the man. Dean finds Sam on the floor.

They head outside where post-fire-alarm chaos reigns. Dean does a great job of mother-henning AND brotherly teasing and asks Sam how he’s doing with his latest head injury. Speaking of head injuries, they find the nefarious figure who knocked Sam out lying unconscious in the street. What goes around comes around amirite?

Cut to later where the Winchesters and Sam’s attacker resettle in the cushy hotel lounge. Sam's assailant reveals himself to be Father Lucca Camilleri who's been hired to recover the “brain basket” of Saint Peter. While they initially assume he'd planned to steal it back, Camilleri draws their attention to a suitcase full of money in all sorts of currencies. He explains the desperation of the nuns he's working for to get back the skull. He was sent to buy it back from the thief with everything they could scrape up. “The world's a screwed up place, padre,” Dean says. “What're you gonna do about it?”

“Change it,” Camilleri says, thereby setting up a kind of mission or thesis statement for one or both Winchesters (or possibly the entire TFW). He tells Dean that complaining about the imperfection of the world isn't an adequate excuse. They should improve things in any way they can. “The world will never be perfect. If good men do good things, the world can get better. Every day can get better.” (Boris: *Misha Collins feelings*)

Okay, so I just need to interrupt the recap here to RAVE ABOUT THIS SCENE. I sort of softly enjoyed this episode up until this point. The stylized takes were nice but nothing was making me roll around with wild excitement. And then we get this talk from Camilleri and it's so perfect for what's happening in the show: the looming war, the perceived need to ignore morals to win, and going even broader, monster hunting in general. It's a reminder to our main players to be better people, always. That's what sets them apart, after all. And for us viewers, it's a hopeful message applicable to life in general. I LOVE it. This moment is where this episode transcends mere homage and becomes its own creation.

The talk works on Sam nearly instantly. He's been searching for belief and hope and a mission for several episodes now. He offers to get the skull back for Camilleri. Dean's...not totally down with this plan, on account of the vicious mobsters and their own mission in jeopardy. Sam tries to get him to see reason. “If somebody stole the Impala, what would you do?”

“Murder. I'd murder 'em all,” Dean replies, dead fucking serious. Okay, Dean tell us how you really feel.

Oh! Dean’s still ranting. “There'd be torture first. There'd be like, a lot of torture...”

Aaaanyway, they figure out what the number on the paper was...a package tracking number. And they track it to a warehouse (of course). Just as they're about to head in, Margaret Astor pulls up. “Oh look, it's your girlfriend,” Dean taunts.

Inside, Astor prepares to sell the skull for a heftier price than the original deal. She had the first thief killed so she holds all the cards. Greenstreet swaggers in as further bidding competition for Scarpatti. Things get...cranky in the room. They pull out the skull.

Outside Dean and Camilleri wait for Sam to infiltrate the warehouse; Dean's phone is on speaker while they wait. Camilleri believes that God is looking out for them but Dean shoots this down and tells him God doesn't care. There are no miracles. Camilleri believes that all good things are godly, though and continues to talk to Dean in the vein of “do good things in the world.” He's...a really good dude. It's at this point in the evening when we get the sense that his blood will do just fine for the Winchesters' spell.

Meanwhile, Sam gets inside. He's got Camilleri's suitcase of money and he's ready to bid. Astor practically licks her lips upon seeing Sam again and the other parties display disgruntled attitudes about Sam trying to interject himself as a third party, rather than serving as Greenstreet's or Scarpatti's coerced agent. Astor hands out bidding slips to all the buyers.

Now that they know Sam’s in on the deal, Dean and Camilleri work their way inside, encountering some resistance.

“Is he okay?” Camilleri asks Dean, earning A LOOK. Dude, I love Camilleri’s transition from shadowy and probably nefarious to kind of an adorable sweetheart who probably sings to birds and has helper-squirrels clean his house.

Inside, the bidding begins.

Camilleri stays outside to pray for success while Dean heads inside to back up Sam. Everyone delivers their bids. Sam loses by a lot. Scarpatti bids millions and Greenstreet bids zero...because Cromarty's under his payroll. Cromarty kills Astor and a mad firefight ensues, taking out nearly everyone.

Camilleri heads inside, gets shot by Cromarty, but lives to tell the tale as the Winchesters finish the shootout. They find Greenstreet and ask him where to find the saint’s blood. Greenstreet admits that the blood doesn't exist. It's just a lie he told the Winchesters to get them to do his dirty work. Dean's pissed and punches him down. (Greenstreet is later arrested and taken in by police.)

Camilleri prepares to head home with the skull and his suitcase full of money when Sam asks him to explain a confusing title associated with Camilleri that he came across in his research. Camilleri smiles sweetly (DAMN how did he turn into such a fluffy bunny?) and explains that apostolic prothonotary supernumerary is just a silly little title and, oh, the pope gave him the title of the “most holy man.” Aaaaand....there it is.

Back at the bunker, Dean happily looks at the little vial of Camilleri’s blood on the table. “One down, three to go.” Sam strolls in for a little light conversation. In particular, he's been thinking about the hunter's curse: kill one monster and there's always another waiting. “You think we could ever change things?” Sam asks. Dean doesn't have an answer to that. If wishes were horses... Then Sam looks at the blood. “You think that will work?”

“I have faith,” Dean says. Yeah you do, my dude.

Boris: Yikes, this episode. I have double vision when thinking about it. This was a very solid, interesting, and fun episode. I really had to take a step back and just enjoy it for it being a beautifully shot, generic TV show. This could have been on CBS. I enjoyed it but it also felt very forgettable. I liked that they wanted to play with noir and genre movie themes. I respect the effort. This is not why I watch Supernatural. I guess TPTB are doing a solid job of giving fans episodes like 13x14 and the general audience episodes like 13x15? Tumblr’s been a ghost town this week though. Twitter is busy being grumpy about Scoobynatural. I want to flail and squee with others. This was an interesting filler episode that, I guess, proves they can still come up with interesting stories for just the brothers, but I feel like it just highlighted why that isn’t a good idea for the show anymore. The ending was solid and Camilleri was an excellent Cas stand in for the week though!

I Have Quotes:

Ah, the internet. Not just for porn anymore.

I have faith.

Now you're above a little chicanery?

You're like a boy scout. You're always prepared.

As they say at NASA, failure is not an option.

I know that Disney princess hair of yours gives you some padding...

When somebody's screwing me I like to look into their eyes.

Want to read more? Check out our Recap Archive!

#spn recap #spn picspam #spn 13x15 #a most holy man #dean winchester #sam winchester #supernatural season 13

13 notes · View notes