#plus they offered us their wifi

[awkwardnerdylesbian]

i love this location we are at, next to a cemetery, and our plaza neighbors are constantly lighting up mon-fri making our side stink of weed lol

[soleilchanson]

Imagine being on a business trip with coworker!Nanami and he surprises you with the fact that he can dance (ITS A GOOD CONCEPT I SWEAR)

Also, I don’t drink so I don’t know much info on ordering drinks at a restaurant </3

Masterlist

-•-

Nanami has always been the only coworker you could tolerate. You both had immediately gotten along on your first day and had been friends ever since. You liked him because he was the most competent man in your department. He liked you because you did your work well and occasionally baked homemade focaccia for him.

You could say that the two of you were very good friends (since Gojo from Accounting said that he was Nanami’s self proclaimed best friend first).

Which is why you thanked the stars when you found out that he’d be the only one who’d be going on the annual business trip with you. He was the perfect travel partner, he offered to bump you up to a first class seat with him using HIS miles (because he couldn’t besr being separated from you since your old seat was all the way back in business class). He didn’t even drink the entire flight because he believed that it was unprofessional on a business trip.

Did I also mention that he offered to pay for your inflight WiFi? Swoon.

The week long business trip went great! Your clients were very happy with the presentations that the two of you did together and called you a great team! (Take that Gojo from Accounting). To celebrate your last night, the two of you went to a restaurant / dance bar. The dance floor wasn’t packed but it was crowded with people who were drinking and having a good time. The two of you watched all the couples dancing and you couldn’t help but feel a little woeful.

Nanami noticed how you wouldn’t stop staring at all the couples in the restaurant / bar. “I know what you’re thinking.” He said with a small smile. “What?” You mimic his smile, feeling a deer caught in headlights. “You wanna dance, don’t you?”

You can’t believe him. “What? No! I just, I don’t know. I feel like this is the kind of place couples come to. It would be nice to be here with a date instead of my coworker-slash-friend. No offense.” You confessed. But to be fair, this particular part of the night didn’t feel like a business trip. It felt like two friends hanging out. “None taken.” He put his hands up in defense. “Since you’re so down-” he looked away from you mid sentence and rose his hand. “Can we get some shots here!”

You were surprised at his sudden change of mind. “I thought you didn’t drink on business trips.” He simply shrugged and downed one shot as soon as the waiter arrived. “And we have an early flight in the morning.” You continued as he downed another. “You only live once.” He said as he winked. “Plus, we’re done with all the work. The business part of this trip is over.” Did the alcohol get to him already?

You could see him starting to get agitated with the way his head slowly bobbed to the Spanish music playing through the speakers. You never realized how attractive Nanami could be when he let go of himself. His blond hair was all disheveled, his tie barely hanging on to his neck with the way he had pulled it loose, and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows giving you a delicious view of his veiny forearms. You hate to admit it but your friend was HOT.

He suddenly got up while continuing to bob his head, but this time, there was some extra movement in his shoulders. “Where are you going?” He didn’t reply but made a gesture where he used his fingers to say ‘keep your eyes on me.’

He started moving to the upbeat Spanish song, matching the sound of the guitar. “You know salsa?” You exclaimed, still sitting. He nodded as he asked you to come closer with his pointer finger. You felt like you were entranced, so you took a shot and walked to him.

He instantly took the lead by grabbing you by your waist and turning you around so that you were sinfully pressed against him. He had a strong grip on your hips so that you both could move simultaneously to the music. This was way more intimate than grinding at some random dude in a club.

He spun you around and held you quite firmly for a tipsy person so that you wouldn’t fall. When he dipped you, you could feel his warm breath against your neck as he leaned in. At this point, the two of you were stealing the show so all the locals moved out and started cheering the two of you.

He ended the dance with lifting you and spinning you around. You held on as tightly as you could since the alcohol was making you feel light headed. Once the music stopped, the crowd started clapping at your little show and you both couldn’t stop laughing and staring into each other’s eyes. Nanami suddenly stopped laughing and kept glancing at your lips. He wanted to kiss them but he knew better than to do it in front of an audience.

“You wanna get out of here?” He breathed out.

-•-

Idk how to write smut (for now).

[atths--twice]

Had an ask for a happy story during these moments we might not be feeling so happy. So… 💙💙

For the Moment

Her house out of commission, Scully receives an offer she can’t disregard.

2018

“Hey.”

“Hey, yourself,” Scully said, turning to smile at Mulder as he came out of the diner.

“So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?”

“My plans?” she asked with a chuckle. “Well, I was thinking of going home, taking a bath, maybe reading a book… oh wait… I can’t. What with the explosion at my place and all.”

“Huh… well…” he said, taking the keys from his pocket. “I suppose you could, but I think it might be awkward doing that, what with the group of men working there at the moment.”

“I don’t know,” she said, walking toward the car. “It would be nice to have admirers.”

“Hmm,” he hummed, his arm brushing against hers. “Never knew you to be an exhibitionist.” She tried to hide her smile, but failed miserably.

“Pretty sure I’d stay covered up. Although, all those men…” He scoffed and she smiled again, bumping his arm lightly. “What are your plans?”

“I have none. I’m free as a bird.”

“Must be nice,” she said, catching his eye as she walked around the back of the car toward the passenger door. When she heard the click of it unlocking, she opened the door and got inside.

“It is nice,” he said, getting in beside her.

“Hmm,” she hummed, putting on her seatbelt.

“You know,” he said, putting his seatbelt on as well. “You packed a bag as you can’t go back there for a few days.”

“I do know.”

“You don’t have a hotel booked.”

“Oh yeah, thanks for the reminder,” she said, unlocking her phone and opening her search engine. “I could find a place now.”

“Well, now,” he said, putting his hand over the screen and pushing her phone down gently. “That wasn’t what I was thinking.”

“No?” she asked, knowing full well what he had meant.

“I was simply stating,” he said, taking her phone and locking it before setting it in the cup holder. “Your bag is packed and in the back of this car. You mentioned taking a bath. Maybe reading a book.”

“I did,” she said, nodding slowly.

“I… well…” He turned his hands palms up and shrugged, giving her a lopsided smile. “You don’t need a hotel when all of those amenities are at our… my… place. Plus free use of all areas of the house and food.”

“You have food? Because last time I was there, all that was in the fridge was orange juice, iced tea, and condiments. I don’t know about the cupboards.”

“We could stop and get some things. Whatever you’d like, no charge to you.”

“Hmm,” she hummed, tapping a finger to her chin. “No charge for food. No charge for the room. And access to all areas of the house… this is sounding like a pretty deluxe deal.”

“It is.”

“Do you have WiFi?”

“The best WiFi,” he said with a grin.

“Chocolates on the pillow?”

“If that’s what you would like, I’ll speak to the manager.” He nodded, still grinning.

“I don’t think I can pass this up.”

“I don’t think you should.”

“Are there other patrons?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head, his fingers gently tapping the top of her thigh. “Just me.”

“Hmm,” she hummed, glancing at his lips and then looking back into his eyes. “So it’s a two bedroom?”

“It is, but…” He let out a gentle sigh, his fingers now swirling gently against her thigh. “The choice will be yours where you want to sleep.”

“I’ll take it,” she whispered. His swirling fingers paused and then he was squeezing her leg softly as he nodded. “I mean, the house is going to be expensive to repair, so getting freebies where I can will be helpful.”

“It will,” he agreed, moving his hand, but she caught it.

“And I’ll take whichever bed is the biggest.”

“What if that’s my bed? Or the one I sleep in, I mean?” he asked, their fingers intertwining.

“I’d be okay with that.” She smiled and he smiled back, squeezing her fingers gently.

“Okay,” he whispered before letting go of her hand to start the car. “Good.”

“Mmhmm,” she hummed, turning her head to look out the window.

They stopped at the store for some food and she smiled as she saw him add a bottle of the bubble bath she liked as well as some individually wrapped chocolates. He winked as he paid the bill and she smiled as she shook her head.

At the house, he made a show of letting her enter first, informing her of the amenities offered. She just smiled and nodded, falling further in love with him.

He put her bag in their bedroom, glancing at her with questions in his eyes. She nodded, running a hand down his arm and squeezing his forearm.

“I’ll go get the bubble bath if you’d like to take a bath now.”

“I’d like that,” she said, looking around the room that had not changed since she had left.

“Be right back,” he said and she nodded as he walked out of the room.

Choosing to not dwell in the past, she entered the bathroom and turned the water on to begin filling the tub. When it was at the desired temperature, she placed the plug and dried her hands on her pants.

“Hey,” he said, walking back into the room and handing her the bottle of bubble bath. “Here you go. Come down whenever you’re ready.”

“Thank you,” she said, holding his gaze as their fingers brushed.

“Yeah,” he said softly with a nod. “Enjoy your bath.”

“I will.”

He nodded again and turned to leave. Turning back around, he stepped closer to her and placed a hand on her cheek.

“Thank you for deciding to come here instead of going to a hotel.”

“It’s for the amenities,” she whispered and he laughed through his nose as he nodded again.

His thumb stroked her cheek as her eyes fell to his lips once more. He stepped one step closer and she drew in a deep breath.

“I’m glad they were to your satisfaction,” he whispered, his lips pressing to hers so softly it made her ache. She opened her mouth, but he kept the kiss chaste, leaving her stumbling forward as he stepped back with a smile. “See you soon.”

“Yeah,” she breathed, licking her lips and tasting his kiss. He smiled and turned around, closing the door behind him. She shook her head and drew in a deep breath. “Hoo boy.”

After her bath, she dressed in yoga pants and a long sleeved shirt. She brushed her hair and wrapped it up in a towel, leaving the bedroom to go find him.

He was on the couch, watching a movie they had watched at least ten times. Sitting down, she put a pillow against his leg and then laid down. He placed a blanket over her and rubbed a hand up and down her arm.

“Feeling better?”

“Hmm,” she hummed, closing her eyes as she suddenly felt exhausted. “Much.”

“Good.”

She woke up sometime later to the sound of Mulder snoring. She smiled and closed her eyes as the scent and sounds of home filled her senses.

Not moving until he woke up, they got up together and made a late lunch, eating it on the porch. They did not speak much, happy in the silence.

She perused the library of books they had collected over the years and picked a favorite, sitting in one of the room's overstuffed chairs.

“Oh, that’s a good one. Read it to me,” Mulder said, coming into the room a few minutes later and sitting in the other chair.

And so she did, both of them laughing at the more humorous bits.

Dinner was forgotten as neither felt hungry. Instead they decided to go to bed early, the previous evening finally catching up to them.

He took a shower as she brushed her teeth and applied her nighttime face lotion, the familiarity of it not lost on her.

Walking out to the bed, she smiled at the sight of the single, golden wrapped, chocolate lying on her pillow. Glancing at him, he winked as she laughed quietly.

“Only the best for our patrons,” he said and she laughed again.

“I’ll enjoy it tomorrow,” she said, moving it to the nightstand as she pulled the covers back and got into bed.

He shifted beside her, his arm going around her and pulling her to him. She closed her eyes, letting his scent wash over her.

“I’m sorry your fancy house blew up,” he said softly, his fingers running gently over her stomach.

“How sorry?”

“At the moment?” he asked, pulling her closer. “Not too sorry.”

“Hmm,” she hummed with a chuckle.

“I love you,” he whispered and she froze, the words so simple and easily spoken. “I know that we’re not-”

“No,” she whispered, turning over and placing a hand on his cheek. “Not tonight.”

He moved his hand from her hip and covered her hand on his cheek.

“Not tonight,” he agreed.

“No,” she confirmed. He smiled and she let out a breath. “I love you too. So very much.”

Her thumb brushed across his lips and he kissed it tenderly. She moved closer and pressed her forehead to his as they both drew in a deep breath and released it.

And for the moment, it was enough.

[jasfhercallejo]

Located not far from the Coco Grove resort where we stayed, Runik Siquijor - Adults Only has made a name for itself over the past few seasons and the quality of the services meets the expectations of the most demanding.

This captivating resort welcomed us with Asian-Mediterranean architecture that for sure took our breath away. They had big tents and beds near the cliffside, offering both the cosy comfort of the interior and the raw beauty of the exterior.

There is an in-house restaurant, plus free private parking and free WiFi are available. The infinity pool features a pool bar and a DJ on lucky nights (we went on a weekend so we witnessed how the DJ made the scene alive). Guests can take in the views of the garden from the patio, which also has outdoor furniture where you can enjoy your food and drinks.

Three day pass options are as follows: (1) PhP 500, which limits you to the restaurant only; (2) PhP 800 lets you into the bar, use the pool, and roam around, but you can't use the beach beds and cabanas. If you want to use those, you'll have to shell out PhP 2000. Since this was our last night, we took one beach bed and everything was history.

From its delicious food to its great drinks and lively music ambiance, Runik is a must-visit destination for anyone looking to immerse themselves in the flavors and rhythms of the Mediterranean.

The standout feature of Runik is its Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. With a focus on simple, high-quality ingredients, the menu features a range of dishes from different countries. There are also plenty of vegetarian and seafood options available. The drinks menu at Runik is equally impressive, with a variety of cocktails, wines, and spirits on offer. The bartenders are skilled at crafting delicious and creative drinks, and there’s always something new and exciting to try.

In addition to its great food and drinks, Runik is also known for its lively music ambiance. The bar hosts live music performances several nights a week, with a mix of local and international acts. The music here is a blend of Mediterranean and world music, with plenty of upbeat rhythms and melodies. The atmosphere is lively and energetic, but not too loud, making it easy to chat with friends or simply enjoy the music.

[goldeneyedgirl]

12 kisses: march: scars, anathema.

Wow, it's been a hot minute since I posted anything. I'm kind of back? I've finished a semester successfully, just waiting for grades and information on next semester (I'm lowkey excited about my ofic that I'm writing for school), and just dealing with more health stuff plus I live surrounded by varying levels of Other People's Nonsense that I am involved in dealing with for an unknown reason.

But I'm back to writing fic, and thought I'd upload some stuff that's been marinating since February. First up, catching up on the 12kisses meme with something from Anathema. This looked different in my head but it's cute and it's building up Jasper's Anathema backstory, so I'm happy.

Asks will be answered, chapters will be finished,but today I'm just doing warmups and fic housekeeping.

12 kisses: march: scars, anathema

[ scars ] a gentle kiss on the partner’s scars

I’m frozen solid by the time we make it home, shivering under three layers of soaked clothing - I’m not entirely sure my puffer jacket is ever going to recover from this. It’s less ‘puff’ and more ‘soggy’ now.

“We need to get you warm and dry,” Jasper said, sounding stressed, as I fumbled with the house keys, my fingers numb. He’d been worried since he bundled me into the car; he was so protective of me. I might have been miserably cold, but there was no way I’d get sick from twenty minutes cold. But Jasper preferred to err on the side of caution - my human half - rather than risk me getting so much as a paper cut.

It was pretty cute, honestly.

“First stop, the shower.” I flipped on the lights as we went in; the entire house was dark. Freddie and Dulcie were at the conference in Seattle all weekend, and it had taken a lot of effort to convince them to let me stay home alone rather than going with them, or staying with the Clearwaters (not that I was on entirely good terms with the Clearwater since Jasper showed up. Sue was positively distant with me lately.) But I definitely needed to convince Dulcie or Freddie to let me get a cat - especially for nights when I was on my own. Not that it happened all that often. Hell, Dulcie had even offered to let me stay at her place, but I was happier here - especially since Jasper had upgraded my laptop and fixed the wifi.

Half-tripping up the stairs - my toes were numb in my boots with cold, I found the apartment was slightly more welcoming since I’d accidentally left the living room lamp on. My clothes were leaving a trail of water behind me, and my hands were shaking as I pulled out dry clothes and a towel, leaving a set for Jasper to dry off.

“Shower, Alice,” Jasper said firmly. “You’re freezing.”

“At least dry off your clothes,” I said, clenching my teeth to stop them chattering. “Use the dryer.” I could see him on the fence about that idea. “I can’t warm up and them get cold again from your wet clothing.”

“Go shower,” he said, and I knew I’d won as he gently pushed me towards the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, I was toasty warm in a giant sweater, leggings, and the socks that Dulcie had knitted me for Christmas. My hair was ridiculously frizzy and I had tried to pin it down the best I could, but it still looked childish.

I dumped my clothes in the hamper to be dealt with in the morning before I wandered back through the apartment and out onto the landing where Jasper was drying his clothing. Our ‘laundry’ was in a closet on the landing because we had nowhere else to put it until someone (most likely Dulcie) cleared out the second floor so we could use it again.

Jasper was standing there in his jeans, checking his phone as his sweatshirt dried, and I was fully intending on just enjoying the view - he was staunchly old-fashioned towards me, but I had quickly worked out it was a defence mechanism. It was easier for him to fall back into the vague social expectations of his human life right now because everything was overwhelming. I’d cheerfully bullied him into doing things like holding my hand, and curling up on my bed with me to watch a movie, but both of those things were done fully clothed and there was still a very respectful distance between us.

That is to say, I had never seen him shirtless. And I had wanted to mentally imprint the imagine on my brain for the foreseeable future (I was very doubtful that being defiled on a gurney downstairs was going to be come to pass before I turned thirty), except…

The scars.

I knew he hand them; there were some on his arms and hands that I’d see, a couple of shallow ones on his face. He’d told me about life in the south and everything that happened with Maria and Peter, but I’d always felt that he was holding something back.

Now I had proof. The scars on his back overlapped; they looked like claws had dug into his shoulder blade and travelled down to his opposite hip. There were nicks in the skin and bite marks and smaller scratches.

And when he put his phone back in his pocket, all the muscles and skin pulled tightly against the scar tissue; I inhaled sharply. I know bodies. I know how they fit together, how they move. Human bodies aren’t even the same as vampire bodies; I know that. The venom does horrific things to the tissue and the muscle and the ligaments and the joints… But all I could think of was how every time Jasper moved, the scar tissue would try to stop him.

Jasper turned around when he heard me, his eyes wide. And I got even more of an eyeful. The damage on his chest and stomach were… different to his back. Not better or worse, just different. At one point, it look like he had been torn open from clavicle down to his stomach. Scratches, gouges, bites littered his body and all I could do was stare.

It wasn’t like anything I had ever faced downstairs. Even the bear attacks or falls weren’t like this. Because no human had to go on living with the remains of those fates. Jasper did.

“Alice, I…” he began and I shook my head, already moving.

“Oh Jasper,” I managed, before I flung my arms around him. His skin was cold against my face, but it was reassuring - I had become used to the fact that he was always going to be cold, or room-temperature at best. It was comforting and familiar now.

He stood rigidly in my grasp for a moment, before I felt his hand rest gently on my shoulder.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t intend for you to see this,” he said so kindly I wanted to cry. “I just wanted to dry my clothing before you came out, I’m sorry.”

I frowned at him. There was a horrific scar where his neck joined his shoulder, and I could see the teeth marks at the edges. “Why are you sorry?”

“It’s not an easy sight,” Jasper said, and he looked away from me. “It wasn’t something I wanted you to ever have to deal with.”

Well. Apparently I grossly overestimated gurney-defilement at age thirty; Jasper had planned on it being never.

A million things raced through my head when he said that. Jokes about wedding nights, frustration that he thought I was too delicate to deal with reality, the insistence that it didn’t matter because it did, to him. He was apart of a family without blemish - some shadows from the scars that changed them but nothing even remotely close to what Jasper bore. Maybe it had been the Cullens that had taught Jasper to hide them, to cover them up, and I felt frustration rise up in me.

“I cannot stand the idea of you hurting,” I blurted out, my fingers twisting through the belt loops in his jeans. “Do they hurt now?”

He watched me, frowning, for a second. “No, they haven’t hurt in a very long time,” he said, and I felt the ghost of confusion drift over my skin. “They’re just there, they won’t ever fade.”

“But your back, I could see the muscles pulling,” I said. The idea that Carlisle, a surgeon, hadn’t done anything about Jasper’s scarring was stressing me out. I’d cut more than one scar through on the bodies downstairs, so that they could lay flat and look comfortable.

“I can feel some of them, but they don’t hurt or restrict me. Vampire skin doesn’t work that way,” Jasper said soothingly. “It simply moves with me. If there was resistance, they’d tear.”

A shudder that ran through me as I curled closer to him. “I don’t like that,” I said honestly. I’d see torn, cracked vampire flesh once, a couple of years ago when a nomad needed to be disposed of. It didn’t look real.

“We treated our wounds to make sure we didn’t lose movement, Alice.” His voice is kind and patient, and I hate that he’s comforting me. “It would be a death sentence otherwise.”

“How did they happen?” I asked, absently tracing one on his arm. “What animal did these?”

Jasper sighed; it was the kind of sigh that came from so much time and misery. “Newborns. Maria. Battles. No animals, just monsters,” he sounded tired. “I’m sorry Alice, I didn’t want you to have to see this side of us. Of me.”

I shook my head. “Sit. I want to know,” I said. Sinking to the floor, I immediately sat in his lap, curled against him. “You should have told me before.”

“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” Jasper replies smartly, grabbing my hand and stretching out my arm, to push up my sweater sleeve. Three scars along the arm that I never really thought about; they were smooth against the rest of my skin.

“That’s easy,” I said. “That one, when I broke my arm as a kid - bone tore straight through the skin, I screamed like I was on fire. Jeanie nearly had a heart attack when she found me. I only needed three weeks in a cast.

“That one was a dog bite. Mrs O’Brian, who owned the camping store before the Newtons moved to town, had this retriever. I’d never met a retriever that wasn’t super friendly. He just sunk his teeth into me and shook. I thought Freddie was going to kill the dog and Mrs O’Brian.” I shrugged. “And the last one - was getting ready to work on a body downstairs, and I had a vision when I picked up the scalpel. I fainted and stabbed myself pretty badly. Sue had to give me a bunch of stitches.”

Jasper’s fingers were cool against my arm as he traced the marks. “Any others?”

“I mean, there’s a burn scar on my stomach from when I leaned over my hair straightener,” I said. “A couple of shaving cuts around my ankles. One on my thigh from when I tripped in the forest. These are just living scars, Jas. Not like yours.”

Jasper nodded but was still focusing on the marks on my arm.

“It.. it wasn’t something we worried about,” he says, quietly. “Newborns were cannon fodder, it didn’t matter what happened to them. If they were too far gone, we’d just destroy them - we didn’t want to waste the resources to heal them up again.

“But I had to be on the frontline for us to win, to stay in control,” he continued. “I was a target; everyone knew that without me, Maria couldn’t control an army that size or hold her territory.

“Maria or… Peter would be the one to put me back together. Peter would try not to make a big deal out of it. But Maria, she’d tell me how bad it was. That I needed to fight smarter, that it didn’t have to be this bad. That I was wasting blood and time.” He shivered and looked up at me. “‘It won’t be worth keeping you around much longer’. That’s what she said to me at the end. As if I wasn't still winning, as if she didn’t have her territory.”

Jasper shook his head. “So I get to walk around like this.” The bitterness and self loathing in his voice was evident, even without the emotions boiling around him. “The Cullens, they made sure I stayed covered up for the first couple of years. Esme and Rose, they have histories with violence, and they needed to feel I was safe…”

I squeeze my eyes shut, and try to wrestle down the flare of anger I feel at the idea Jasper was made to feel like a monster, a dirty secret, because he’d been raised in a war zone.

“You deserve so much better, Alice.” The tenderness in his voice was heartbreaking. “If things were different - if I was stronger - I never would have let myself get close to you. A better version of me, in a perfect world. Someone whole and normal who isn’t like this.”

He buried his face in my hair, his arms firm around me as if he was holding on for dear life. And I am stricken. I am not an idiot, I knew that Jasper struggled. That the human facade and living this way was like wearing ill-fitting clothes for him. That I terrified him in so many ways, but especially how easily I had accepted him and invited him closer.

And his second life had taught him one lesson over and over again; that in the end, he would be alone. Cast out, broken, used up. Nettie and Lucy, Maria, Peter… the lesson had stuck. And a few months together wasn’t enough to erase those decades of misery, of bone-deep fears.

My lips press against the snarl of the scar on his neck, and I felt him shiver underneath my touch. I knew I was turning red - there was something so intimate about the gesture, even though I didn’t intend anything salacious.

“I need you to know I love you as you are,” I said, his face still tucked in my hair. “That this you is my you, and there’s not a single thing I would change about you.”

“To me, you are perfect,” I heard him murmur into my hair. I didn’t know if he was reassuring himself with words I’d told him before or telling that to me, but I didn’t get a chance to clarify; he looked up and tilted my head back, his thumb absently stroking my cheek.

“I don’t deserve you,” he said, and there was something so sad yet so fierce in his gaze.

“And I’ve done nothing to deserve someone like you,” I replied. “We’re a perfect match. I adore you.”

Jasper chuckled, and there was a flicker in his eyes for moment as he seemed to lean closer… but whatever was going to be said or happen after that was lost as the dryer let out a thunk, a wheeze, and a chime to let us know that Jasper’s shirt was now dry.

“Time to go inside,” he said, the moment gone as he rose to his feet, helping me up before grabbing his sweatshirt from the dryer.

“I really was enjoying the show,” I said mournfully as he tugged his sweatshirt on. Jasper let out a surprised chuckle, and reached for me again.

“Time and patience, Alice,” he said in a funny way; all-knowing and reassuring but with a new warmth to his words. “All good things arrive eventually.”

I smiled up at him as he took my hand and lead me towards the apartment door.

For him, I would wait forever.

[quartings]

The Mystery of Munchlax: A Diamond and Pearl theory

By now, it's pretty common knowledge that Munchlax in Sinnoh is one of the most infamously rare Pokemon to find in history- having just a 1% chance to spawn from 3-4 honey trees in all of Sinnoh every 6 hours after honey usage. With the specific trees differing per save file.

But WHY is Munchlax so rare to the point where it's practicaly impossible to find in your average playthrough? I may have a theory.

The main point of evidence is that Diamond and Pearl are the first games with the GTS, allowing players to finally trade Pokemon with people across the world, and not just in their small hypothetical local groups. And making Munchlax so rare was a way to motivate more people to try out the GTS, this fancy new feature that Gamefreak worked so hard on.

Data shows that Diamond and Pearl sold over 17 million copies. so out of the 17 million people or so playing through the game, maybe a few hundred of them are lucky enough to get a Munchlax in their playthrough. Out of these several hundred, maybe a few dozen take the time to evolve their Munchlax into Snorlax and give it a Full Incense to breed more Munchlax. Since unlike other rare Pokemon like Legendaries or shinies, Munchlax is still a normal Pokemon who can be bred (essentially "duplicated"). Of these few dozen, maybe 9 or 10 have the intuition and wifi access to put their Munchlax on the GTS for a hefty price (like Dialga or Palkia or whatever).

And hopefully, as more and more Munchlax spread throughout the GTS, more and more players can get them for "cheaper" prices, as they become more common and people are just asking for normal Pokemon in exchange for them, like First Partner Pokemon Starters and regular version exclusives. That way, the "main" method of getting Munchlax during a normal playthrough would be to try and get one off the GTS.

And let's not forget the mass-marketing campaign Pokemon did to make Munchlax more appealing- an extended cameo in Destiny Deoxys, giving May one of her own in the anime, having appearances in Mystery Dungeon, Pokemon Dash, and XD Gale of Darkness, and LOTS of merch, as well as Barry having one on his team to remind you that it's in the game. All on top of being a pre-evo of Snorlax, one of the most beloved and strong Gen 1 Pokemon around. If Munchlax's rarity was given to a weak standalone new Gen 4 Pokemon (like say, Carnivine), way less people would even try hunting for it.

But why is this not common knowledge to all of us? Why didn't this strategy work how Gamefreak intended? Well, there's a few reasons for that, too.

First of all, why even attempt the grind for Munchlax via honey trees when the Pal Park exists? Back in the good old days where transferring Pokemon between gens was free and humane, the amount of people able to transfer their Snorlax from FireRed/LeafGreen to Diamond/Pearl was likely MUCH higher than the aforementioned tiny amount of people who found a Munchlax via honey tree and were willing to breed more for the GTS.

And the amount of age 6-12 kids who were able to understand a new global wifi trading feature in their Pokemon games and ask their parents for wifi connection help in 2006/2007?? I don't think that number is very high, either.

Plus, let's not even get into how much of a mess the GTS was in the first few gens of its lifespan- kids (or just Pokemon fans in general) are nowhere near restrained enough to make reasonable trade offers even if they do happen to have a Munchlax.

Lastly, the final nail in the coffin came when HeartGold/SoulSilver released in 2009 with a static catchable Snorlax in its postgame. If there wasn't a reason to hunt Munchlax via honey tree before, there definitely wasn't one anymore.

And so, that's the story of Munchlax's debut! A fun little experiment by Gamefreak, but thankfully not one they ever really tried since.

[jackandclairearesiblings]

Sam decides this is it. Tonight's the night. He has it all planned out. Theater, dinner, champagne, and he brings the ring out after dessert. It's too perfect.

Until Eileen says no. "It's just not us Sam. This isn't how I want to be proposed to. Don't try so hard."

Sam's bummed but like also "challenge accepted"

They go off on a hunt near one of Bobby's old hunting cabins. It's kind of romantic. No phone service, no wifi. But the cabin is cozy and has a firepit near the lake. Plus they're going after a possible windigo in the woods? Nothing is more them than this. Gank the thing during the day, cuddle all night and Sam asks before they drive home.

Except windigo blood and guts aren't sexy. Eileen got taken and tried to stab her way out of it. Sam smells like smoke and burnt skin from getting too close while torching it. Even after triple showering, they both are too exhausted and disgusting. So Sam decides not to do it.

A couple weeks later, they're hanging out at the bunker. Dean suggested tying the ring to Miracle's collar. Jack offered to help make a scavenger hunt with clues and hiding the ring somewhere. But at this point, Sam is so nervous and he wants it over with and he just wants her to say yes and dammit why is she making this so hard.

So he gives up on proposing. Weeks pass. Months pass. Eileen knows it's not forever and he's just waiting for the perfect moment.

Dean lets them take the Impala for a drive. They pack a picnic and head out of town for the afternoon. After too much bread and wine, they end up in the backseat. The sun starts to set and they're lying on the hood watching the stars appear. This is the most elated the two have been in a long time and Sam starts to wonder if this is it... until he realizes he didn't bring the ring.

Fuck it.

He taps her shoulder and she turns to look at him. He props himself up on his elbow and signs. 'Eileen...'

She knows. And laughs. "Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes."

"You're not even gonna let me ask? Just yes?"

"You can ask. I just wanted you to know the answer first."

So Sam signs what he's been practicing and working up to all this time. 'Will you marry me?'

Eileen signs back 'Yes'.

TL;DR how I think Sam finally proposed to Eileen

[crimsonblackrose]

.

They have a pumpkin lantern!

Miguel what is your room decorations? A skull...a monster (looks kinda AoT but idk) I kinda expected more spiderman for a guy whose grandma is supposed to be making him a spiderman costume.

Seriously, Miggy what is alll of this? It's like horror art.

I also don't know who this dude is that's on his wall multiple times. also the one wall of spooky horror looking art with the other wall of cutesy art is a mood. But also...I don't know any of these references. 😂

I forgot his first choice for costume was deadpool. I wonder if they didn't put any of those characters he wanted up in his room due to copyright. Since this is pre-netflix money and I assume most of it went to music rights. But again, I might just be missing the references to all these things.

"Miggy what happened to your hand? Uhhh.... You don't want to know." His grandma thinks he injured himself jerking off. 😂

So he's behind on a bunch of bills $430 for a late loan payment, he's made 20 payments but still owes 40 and is behind by like what looks like 2 months.

He owes $45.84 for power via Southern Power Source

My question related to the bills is...didn't he use Sid's check? How little did Sid give him? Or I suppose the other question is where did that money go?

omg I just noticed the LaRusso stairs. Those tiles are so cool!

Looks like someone drives Jeep Rubric...Kyler maybe? Did Kyler show up first thing? It's not like they're neighbors? Why's he out of the car? Are they driving together or seperate?

Amanda: "outside of wasting a few bucks of tuna he seemed harmless"

AMANDA THAT WAS NOT CHEAP TUNA. That was ridiculously expensive tuna that was wasted. TORO is not cheap.

I mean it's not that Daniel's gotta trust Johnny over Sam, it's that neither Sam doesn't know Kyler's awful (at the moment) and Daniel's met the guy once. There's more nuance to the situation. Plus technically Sam's 'fallen in with the wrong crowd'. She's throwing parties at your house without permission and not cleaning up after them. She's getting into car accidents and not telling anyone about it. She's not hanging out with her old friends. Like it's interesting how most shows put the push on "be friends with people who care about you" but Amanda and Daniel are like "so she wants to be popular" that's a great choice who cares what the people she hangs out with are like. Which do they even know these knew friends of hers?

Louie's movie recommendation: Jungle Fever

West Valley High School home of the Mountain Lions: "can't hide our lion pride" "Keep calm and roar on"

Demetri would rather play a game then get hit in the face...proceeds to get hit in the face later by Kreese.

2 things: 1 the vape city is new. And 2 that is a completely different address. Isn't that where Tom Cole's shop is?

Johnny's out here taping his signs up on palm trees near the Encino Commons and the first guy he tries to offer karate classes to is like a grandpa. Also, despite his protests on teaching women, he totally tries to give a flyer to a woman jogging past.

Sam has her own en suite bathroom. Which means she and Anthony don't fight over their bathrooms. Lucky, but also disappointing for sibling fighting.

I think the closest we get to TKK Daniel rambling yet is Amanda catching him snooping on Sam's laptop. Goes from wifi issues to making broccoli rabe to wondering if shark tank is on tonight. 😂

Miguel's backpack is also a Dodgers backpack. Yet nothing Dodgers related in his room.

New music mention: Ratt

The school has a swimming pool. Is this the same school that Johnny and Daniel went to or is it new? Does that mean they had swimming gym classes? Daniel did have access to a pool? Or is it a different school or possibly an addition?

"I thought you new this guy." "Of course not I lied." and Miguel's "awwww." like he's exhausted, disappointed but also not surprised.

What is that?!

Do you think Johnny did Miguel's make up for the skeleton?

I get that a. it's a piece of jewelry and b. it's like innocent but not actually innocent because of Kyler but also Daniel is a chaperone and his job is to keep the kids out of the classrooms...and at the dance...so...he's doing his job.

Kyler lying causes so many issues because everyone believes him. 😂

What sort of teen drama fake app is a 'new video alert'? Like does Yasmine just have everyone's phone number in the entire school???

...Miguel there's no zipper there. The zipper is in the back...how did you? Were you just miming going to the bathroom? Why? So your friends wouldn't feel lonely because you didn't have to go to the bathroom? Also does this mean Johnny and all the cobras had to treat those things like rompers?

So is Kyler captain hook and his friend is smee?

Why would the bathrooms also be the locker rooms that students can lock themselves into???? That seems super unsafe.

I guess if there's a photo of Ali then it must be the same school, but they must've changed their school colors from green and white.

[westcoastmidnightrun]

REBEL MOON AND ALL KIND OF SCIFI FROM WEST COAST MIDNIGHT RUN™

The two-part Rebel Moon movies from Zack Snyder this year may not have been a fan favorite, however we not only created special original artwork for the science fiction adventure, but we promise you will find a whole lot more sci-fi exclusive original artwork for registered members to download that will celebrate this art form in both visual media and in print (novels and paperbacks).

We invite you to stop by our websites and peruse the vast library of original exclusive posters, most of which are available for download.

The Burning Question For American Surfers??? WHY MIDNIGHT IN “WEST COAST MIDNIGHT RUN”? #WHYMIDNIGHT

West Coast Midnight Run is about to present a series of artwork posters from our senior editor Pierre Maertin, all the while attempting to answer the elusive question, WHY MIDNIGHT indeed?

You can find an answer to a lot of your questions plus discussions forums and coverage the National Media will censor or will not touch. Visit us at

URL wifi [dot] midnighttracks [dot] org

and enjoy a view never before afforded the average web surfing lover. Keep in mind our content is available on mobile devices but displays much better on desktop PC’s large screens and monitors.

Also keep in mind our membership is free of cost, you can register using just your email (you dont need a credit card) and you can use any of the free emails from Yahoo, Gmail, Outlook and AOL selections, or you can just login using your existing social media account.

More things to keep in mind, we do NOT USE DIGITIAL COOKIES on our websites and forums, thus we do not in any way track your actions or intrude on your online privacy. We do NOT have censors for our Forums and Kiosk’s comments sections for members. A member can start any thread on the Forums and should not be concerned about Free Speech issues. We don’t censor unlike Yahoo or MSN on social and political topics.

We do not require the use of credit cards to register, some vendors offer free products and services and yet require you to register by using your credit card. We have no such requirements for registration as a member for a free standard account.

Some of the Why Midnight series posters will be available to download for members in super large size.

ANY QUESTIONS? Just reach us via the website’s Contact form.

#WHYMIDNIGHT

[dylanjermei]

Tech Trek: Week One recap

Hey everyone,

Can you believe I've already been in Zadar for a week? The time really goes by when you're having an amazing time, and we've had a whirlwind of experiences both at work and during our free time.

Here's what we've been up to. This week, our primary focus was getting things set up and running smoothly at the University of Zadar. To ensure that everyone has a reliable connection, we measured and mapped out the WiFi strength in every room of the new dormitory. Plus, we installed three new computers for students to use, and we made sure that the network was configured perfectly.

But it hasn't been all work and no play. Zadar has so much to offer, and we've been making the most of our downtime. One evening, we took a leisurely stroll to the Sea Organ, a unique architectural marvel that transforms the movement of the sea into beautiful music. Watching the sunset while listening to the melody of the waves was an unforgettable experience, and it's moments like these that make me fall in love with this city more and more each day.

And speaking of sunsets, we made sure to catch another breathtaking one while we were out and about. We found the perfect spot to watch the sun dip below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange. It was the ideal way to unwind after a busy day and to appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds us here in Zadar

Stay tuned for more updates as I continue to share my Zadar journey with you all.

Vidimo se uskoro!

Dylan

[govindhtech]

MediaTek Dimensity 9300+: Experience Next-Level Performance

MediaTek Dimensity 9300+

All-Big-Core Processor: Superior Performance With the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+, Arm Cortex-X4 speeds are increased to unprecedented heights, setting a new standard for smartphone performance for enthusiasts and gamers.

1X Cortex-X4 operating at 3.4 GHz Max. 3X Cortex-X4 2.85GHz Up to 2.0GHz, 4X Cortex-A720 18 MB L3 + SLC cache Supported up to LPDDR5T 9600Mbps MCQ plus UFS 4.0 Third generation of TSMC 4nm chips manufactured MediaTek’s second-generation thermally optimised packaging design Premier Generative AI System in MediaTek Dimensity 9300+

Faster and safer edge computing is made possible by the MediaTek APU 790 generative AI engine. MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ first-to-market features and extensive toolchain help developers create multimodal generative AI applications at the edge quickly and effectively, offering consumers cutting-edge experiences with generative AI for text, photos, music, and more.

Assistance with on-device NeuroPilot LoRA Fusion 2.0 and LoRA Fusion With NeuroPilot Speculative Decode Acceleration and ExecutorTorch Delegation support, performance can increase by up to 10%. Gen-AI partnerships Artificial Intelligence Cloud Alibaba Qwen LLM AI Baichuan ERNIE-3.5-SE Google Gemini Nano Llama 2 and Llama 3 Meta Epic Play

Flagship GPU with 12 cores Experience the most popular online games in HDR at 90 frames per second, while using up to 20% less power than other flagship smartphone platforms.

Adaptive gaming technology from MediaTek Activate MAGT to increase power efficiency in well-known gaming titles. This will allow top titles to run smoothly for up to an hour.

Experience the most popular online games in HDR at 90 frames per second, while using up to 20% less power than other flagship smartphone platforms.

Mobile Raytracing accelerated via hardware The Immortalis-G720 offers gamers quick, immersive raytracing experiences at a fluid 60 frames per second along with console-quality global lighting effects thanks to its 2nd generation hardware raytracing engine.

HyperEngine from MediaTek: Network Observation System (NOS)

Working with top game companies, MediaTek HyperEngine NOS offloads real-time network connectivity quality assessment, allowing for more efficient and power-efficient Wi-Fi/cellular dual network concurrency during gameplay.

Accurate Network Forecasting 10% or more in power savings Save up to 25% on cellular data guarantees a steady and fluid connection for internet gaming. Working along with Tencent GCloud Amazing Media Capture in All Situations The Imagiq 990 boasts zero latency video preview, AI photography, and 18-bit RAW ISP. Utilise its 16 categories of scene segmentation modification and AI Semantic Analysis Video Engine for more visually stunning cinematic video capture.

With three microphones capturing high dynamic range audio and filtering out background noise and wind, you can be heard clearly. This makes it perfect for impromptu vlogging.

AI-displayed MediaTek MiraVision 990 Set your goals on faster, sharper screens, and take advantage of the newest HDR standards and AI improvements for next-generation cinematic experiences.

Amazing displays: 4K120 or WQHD 180Hz AI depth finding Support that folds and has two active screens The best anti-burn-in technology available for AMOLED screens Maximum Interconnectedness WiFi 7 Extended Range Connections can extend up to 4.5 metres indoors thanks to MediaTek Xtra Range 2.0 technology (5GHz band). Up to 200% throughput improvement is provided for smoother graphics while streaming wirelessly to 4K Smart TVs thanks to coexistence and anti-interference technologies. UltraSaver Wi-Fi 7 MediaTek Wi-Fi 7 with Multi-Link Operation (MLO) and 320MHz BW up to 6.5Gbps Top Bluetooth Features Wi-Fi/BT Hybrid Coexistence 3.0 by MediaTek UltraSave Bluetooth LightningConnect MediaTek Extremely low Bluetooth audio latency (<35 ms) Smooth sub-6GHz with a 5G AI modem Sub-6GHz capable 4CC-CA 5G R16 modem Dedicated sub-6GHz downlink speed of up to 7 Gbps Modern AI equipped with situation awareness Dual SIM, Dual Active, Multimode 3.0 for MediaTek 5G UltraSave Outstanding Security for a Flagship SoC for Android

Introducing a user-privacy-focused security design that safeguards critical processes both during secure computing and boot-up, preventing physical attacks on data access.

During startup and operation, standalone hardware (Secure Processor, HWRoT) is used with New Arm Memory Tagging Extension (MTE) technology.

The next big thing in innovation is generative AI MediaTek Dimensity 9300+, the industry leader in creating high-performing and power-efficient system-on-chips, is already integrating the advantages of their potent, internally developed AI processors into their wide range of product offerings.

Every year,their inventions impact over 2 billion devices Fifth-largest fabless semiconductor maker MediaTek. MediaTek chips power 2 billion devices annually; you undoubtedly have one! Here at MediaTek, they design technology with people in mind to improve and enrich daily existence.

Amazing In Amazing Escape Smartphones with MediaTek Dimensity – 5G The cutting edge is available on MediaTek Dimensity 5G smartphone platforms, which offer amazing nonstop gaming, sophisticated AI, and professional-grade photography and multi-camera videography. Together, they enhance the intelligence, potency, and efficiency of your experience.

Chromebooks, the ubiquitous computing companion from MediaTek Kompanio MediaTek Kompanio is the dependable, creative, versatile, go-anywhere, and do-anything partner for amazing Chromebook experiences. It’s the perfect partner for learning, daily work, streaming media, video conferences, or just experimenting with one’s creativity.

MediaTek provides you with all you need in terms of computing. MediaTek processors are made to meet the needs of the modern user, whether they be for gaming, streaming, work, or education.

Brilliance on the brink IoT with Edge-AI with MediaTek Genio MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ Genio propels IoT innovation by elevating software platforms that are simple to use and have strong artificial intelligence. MediaTek helps start-ups to multinational corporations creating new IoT devices with Edge-AI capabilities, accelerating time to market to create new opportunities.

Entrepreneurs with a Vision: MediaTek Pentonic – 8K/4K Smart Televisions Five key technology pillars are offered by MediaTek Pentonic in their flagship and premium 8K/4K smart TVs: display, audio, AI, broadcasting, and connectivity. With a 60% global TV market share,they are the leading provider of smart TV platforms, supporting the largest smart TV brands in the world.

Experiences that are always connected Wi-Fi MediaTek Filogic With the most extreme speeds, improved coverage, built-in security, exceptional power efficiency, and crucial EasyMesh certification, MediaTek Filogic is bringing in a new era of smarter, more powerful Wi-Fi 7, 6E, and 6 solutions. These solutions will enable users to enjoy seamless, always-connected experiences.

MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ Specs CPU Processor 1x Arm Cortex-X4 up to 3.4GHz 3x Arm Cortex-X4 up to 2.85GHz 4x Arm Cortex-A720 up to 2.0GHz Cores Octa (8)

Memory and Storage Memory Type LPDDR5X LPDDR5T Max Memory Frequency 9600Mbps

Storage Type UFS 4 + MCQ

Connectivity Cellular Technologies Sub-6GHz (FR1), mmWave (FR2), 2G-5G multi-mode, 5G-CA, 4G-CA, 5G FDD / TDD, 4G FDD / TDD, TD-SCDMA, WDCDMA, EDGE, GSM

Specific Functions 5G/4G Dual SIM Dual Active, SA & NSA modes; SA Option2, NSA Option3 / 3a / 3x, NR FR1 TDD+FDD, DSS, FR1 DL 4CC up to 300 MHz 4×4 MIMO, FR2 DL 4CC up to 400MHz, 256QAM FR1 UL 2CC 2×2 MIMO, 256QAM NR UL 2CC, R16 UL Enhancement, 256QAM VoNR / EPS fallback

GNSS GPS L1CA+L5+ L1C BeiDou B1I+ B1C + B2a +B2b Glonass L1OF Galileo E1 + E5a +E5b QZSS L1CA+ L5 NavIC L5 Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 7 (a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be) ready

Wi-Fi Antenna 2T2R

Bluetooth 5.4

Camera Max Camera Sensor Supported 320MP

Max Video Capture Resolution 8K30 (7690 x 4320) 4K60 (3840 x 2160) Graphics GPU Type Arm Immortalis-G720 MC12

Video Encoding H.264 HEVC Video Playback H.264 HEVC VP-9 AV1 Display Max Refresh Rate 4K up to 120Hz WQHD up to 180Hz AI AI Processing Unit MediaTek APU 790 (Generative AI)

Security Security Features Secure Processor, HWRoT Arm Memory Tagging Extension (MTE) Technology CC EAL4+ Capable, FIPS 140-3, China DRM

Read more on Govindhtech.com

[shewhounderstoodcotlau]

Art Trade

Art trade with @creeperchild, for Freddy and Heket. If you want one shots of your characters and a main character in COTL, hit me up and I gotchu. 

Freddy had to admit, but life was honestly pretty good here at the cult for his Lady Heket.

Sure, he had to wear a robe which wasn't his taste at all, and it was a bit on the scratching side. And he had no wifi or internet, meaning he could no longer rely on hate-filled strangers to be his only friends, or to even listen to some sweet tunes. Plus, Anura was quite hot, and the humidity stifled him.

And there was the cannibalism. That was something he would never get used to. Thankfully though, he wasn't expected to take part in that little tradition. But he would give up anything for a pizza right now, or even a chocolate bar.

Yet despite it all, his Lady made it worth it.

She was tall. VERY TALL. It was just pure respectable power whenever he saw her effortlessly command her followers. Demanding blood, providing food, and controlling the dissenters. Her raspy edge from that terrible throat injury made her voice all the lovelier and exotic. She was unlike any woman he had ever flirted with (or tried, unsuccessfully), and it was why he was hopelessly devoted to her. And she rewarded his devotion with her adorable blushes, her sincere friendship, and of course the best thing of all.

Lots and LOTS of cuddles. She was so plush and huggable and of course big, so cuddling her felt like relaxing on the world's comfiest bed. Best when she would hold him just under her robes too, it was like a heated blanket.

But strangely, any time he tried to kiss her, she would lean up quickly. Apologizing to him, but only offering 'not yet' as her explanation. It was frustrating, especially when there were times when he was so close, only for her to move faster than the light itself.

Freddy wasn't jealous, totally not. That was crazy to think of. After all, all her other followers feared her even in their reverence and didn't have the charm quite like he did. But still, was it so much to ask for one lil smooch from her? They had gone on at least three successful dates; in a game he would be able to smooch the eldritch queen by now. Granted this wasn't a video game, but hey the principles were still there. Three successful dates with an eldritch being equal a smooch.

He wasn't even afraid of her getting upset at him. If anything, any chance of her putting a stop to his shenanigans was just more RESPECTABLE POWER, and it would be so worth it if he managed to land just one successful smooch.

So, Freddy began to work on operation Smooch the God.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Heket rubbed her eyes as she was bent over doctrines on her desk. Perfect! This was just the chance he needed to catch her off guard with gifts, especially when she was more on the tired side.

"Hey~ How's my lil Lilypad doing?" His tone was singsongy, as he pushed open the door. Carrying in a bottle of honey wine from the cellar, along with a pot of freshly made stew.

She looked up and scoffed but gave a small smile. "Hungry, so impeccable timing." Her voice thankfully sounded less raspy than usual, so at least he knew it wasn't one of those days for the God of famine.

She lowered her hand for him to sit on and lifted him up towards the desk so they could be closer. But while she was doing so, she carried him eyelevel.

HA! That easy!

Without hesitation, Freddy leaned forward and gave her the biggest smooch right on the lips. Two of them, in quick succession.

Yet when he pulled away, she was staring at him not with anger or even indignation, but horror.

"Whasss wrong?" He blinked, but she seemed to be moving. Shifting. Swirling. The pot and bottle slipped from his hands, but she caught them. Yet he didn't notice as the rainbows began to overtake his vision, and he felt himself begin to float. Simultaneous everything was in slow motion AND going at incredible speed. His mind was transcending into four parallel universes, or dimensions, or whatever those science shows he used to watch would call it.

"Woahhhh man.... I feel like, the secrets of the Old Faith are opening to me.... wow..." He giggled as he stared up into her swirling eyes, before his own rolled up to the back of his head as he passed out.

@@@@@@@@@@

"Ugh.... Why does everything hurt...." He groaned as he came to his senses, in a darkened room. His mouth felt like cotton. That was when he realized he was in Heket's bed.

"Maybe because you couldn't wait even a day before having a kiss."

He widened his eyes at hearing the voice of his beloved and turned to see Heket sitting there. Bemused.

"Lil-"

"Freddy. Do you know why I didn't let you kiss me before?"

He was speechless and could only shake his head.

"Colorful frogs have poisonous skin. Kallamar was helping me come up with a natural repressor. But obviously, you decided to pull a fast one on me." She laughed softly but reached out to brush his cheek. "Silly little bear."

"Oh..." He looked lost in thought. "So.... Can I smooch ya now?"

She barked out a laugh before giving a couple of coughs, and then nodded. "Yes Freddy. Now it is safe to smooch me. You may still have a little bit of a 'fuzzy' feeling when you do, but-"

"Gimme."

Another laugh as she bent over and pressed her lips to his. In truth, she had wanted this very much as well, and now that she knew he wouldn't die, that made it all the better.

She cuddled up next to him, giving him another tiny kiss. Peppering his face and lips, as he did the same.

"Really though, next time, just wait." She smiled.

"Less talking, more smooching." Was his response.

[sundaynightlive]

You Are in Love (Steddie)

Yeah, I’m a Swiftie, deal with it.

(TW: blood and death, I guess?)

Steve and Eddie’s dramatic ass reunion after the Upside Down debacle, secretly-daring-before-season-4 edition.

Just some sappy, fluffy shit. So short—impossibly short.

I have so much I wanna write and post but my wifi is down and I hate writing on my phone so we all out of luck until my grandpa fixes it lmao.

You can hear it in the silence.

Quiet, as the dust clears. Steve’s heartbeat is in his fucking throat—the tear is closed, and they’re alive. They’re all alive, even—

You can feel it on the way home.

It’s time he was honest, he knows that. He knows how long he’s been lying, how much he’s been hiding from his people—his family. They didn’t deserve that, but he couldn’t help not being ready.

He’d only managed to tell Rob, for obvious reasons.

He’s far from Steve, separated by the chaos, bleeding profusely from long scars on his back where there used to be wings—dirty, hair soaked with rain and blood and sweat—he’s looking at Steve, wide-eyed, probably shocked to be alive when not too long ago he was undead, and not long before that, just dead.

God, how that had torn Steve apart—no one to cry to except Wayne and Rob, nobody to talk to, avoiding Dustin like a plague, unable to offer a shoulder when he needed one himself.

More than a shoulder—whole bodies, whole hearts and minds to console him in his grief.

And Dustin is still pissed at him for this, and Steve has a lot of apologizing to do for the way he’s been. He has a lot of apologizing to do for his refusal to explain himself.

But right now isn’t the time to worry about that.

You can see it with the lights out.

Steve is crying before he’s moving, choking out sobs before he even thinks to go towards Eddie to hold him for the first time in ages.

He’s wiping his eyes, rooted to the spot, blubbering like a goddamn baby until Robin pushes at his shoulder, urging him forward, and he realizes that yeah.

Yeah, he should probably go.

“Go, Steve.”

You are in love. True love.

He stumbles first, and then he’s running. He’s never run while crying before, and finds himself teetering and stumbling, but it’s not enough to stop it.

It’s been so long. So long.

God, Steve can’t wait to bring Eddie home, to laugh and cry and settle in Wayne’s arms, too, and then get that fucker in a shower, and maybe climb in there with him.

Or a bath. Maybe even a bath.

He can’t wait to crawl into bed with him again, to wake up in the morning to coffee and breakfast, courtesy of Wayne. He can’t wait to show him all the things he’s missed, to bring him to Hellfire and let him learn Will’s campaign, to get him a job, to get him a life. Get him his life back.

He can’t wait to wake up whole. Without that empty fucking space, and that empty fucking vest.

“You fucking idiot,” he sobs.

You are in love.

Eddie holds him, bares the force of him and then holds him tightly, laughing hysterically, crying, too. Steve is smearing blood across his hands and Ed’s back, and he can’t bring himself to fucking care. It’s not terrible—the scars won’t be terrible.

Eddie’s alive. He’s alive.

And really, Steve could care less about the eyes on them, curious onlookers plus Robin, who is yelling something like—

“Fuck yeah! We’re alive, motherfuckers!”

“I’m sorry,” Eddie says, hoarse, and Steve pulls out of the hug, tears streaming down his face. “I know I said I—“

“You wanted to kiss me before we split up, you dumb son of a bitch,” Steve manages, voice breaking, shaking his head slightly at the intense relief washing through every cell in his body, “So do it, Munson.”

The smile he’s gifted is worth every second of agony.

Eddie’s hands come around his face and pull him forward. Robin hoots and hollers. Steve just pulls his boyfriend closer, crying profusely and hoping to never wake from this moment. Nothing in his life will ever feel like this again—

And, to be fair, it shouldn’t.

You can hear it in the silence…

[itsdappleagain]

CS WEEKLY: The Hot Rocks of Rio Caper Part 1

WOW am I late on these ones- almost a month behind. Oops. Finals season and being sick and all that. I’m getting these guys done on a plane…lets hope there aren’t too many typos w/out wifi. Alright- here we go with the Hot Rocks of Rio Caper (part 1)!

I actually adore this episode. This season is where we really get the ball rolling!! Like I said, we sort of have the formula and introduction out of the way and we can really start playing now >:)

Also some great capture scenes at the end/start of the two episodes

This is such a beautiful opening sequence. I LOVE that Carmen here is an unreliable narrator. That’s not something a lot of kid’s shows often do (I think b/c they think kids won’t be able to pick up on the fact that something they were shown was fake) but since then TOH has done it as well. It’s just a great look into Carmen’s mindset and it immediately sets the premise for the rest of the season (/show?) concerning looking for Carmen’s mother.

Pls she did poor young Shadow-san so dirty- she doesn’t remember him that young so I guess she just figured he had this super spindly beard/mustache combo which I find hilarious

LIL BABY CARMEN AND DADOWSAN…I know it isn’t real but damn is that cute

It’s also great to see Carmen be thrown so off-kilter by the S1 finale. It’s fantastic consequence to the whole…mother figure tried to murder me but she never saved me in the first place/guy who has sucked most of my life was the one who cared most of all the whole time scenario she uncovered

Le Chevre gets his casual wear!! Out of Carmen’s original classmates I think Antonio is the only one who doesn’t have a civilian disguise (until the taco truck)

I love this scene- its such a fun dynamic between Carmen and Player, plus it gives us a little insight into how they plan their capers. Carmen shrinking against the wall and putting her hood up, sneaking around- it shows that she isn’t always so bold and that she knows how to be subtle (ish- the red hoodie is a bit of a giveaway) when she needs to be.

(Side note- as I write this I’m technically in casual cosplay for Carmen’s outfit here with the red hoodie. I love wearing it!!)

CARMEN PUN UNAPPRECIATOR

After all these years….we’ve found Carmen AND Waldo

Carmen really is off her game here, even before she starts hallucinating. Right is the ONLY way Bowtie could have gone with that little disappearing trick- Carmen should know, considering all the lightpost/bus/whatever disappearances she pulls off with the same method.

The first time I watched this episode I didn’t notice that Carmen picked up two but only handed back one. Cool little trick she did

That shifty side-to-side look Bowtie does is always so funny to me

The way its only been a week are you kidding me. She got DEMOLISHED in that basement she was struggling to BREATHE a week ago she should NOT BE BACK IN ACTION

Also its been a week and the faculty are STILL asking Brunt about stuff wheeze

I do like the visuals, though- usually the faculty are all seated and stationary, but Brunt is pacing and Mael is faced away from her, standing and looking out the window (btw thats a window???). Cleo and Bellum are seated like normal, going through the regular rounds, but the positioning shows the suspicion of both Brunt and Mael.

RIP maelstrom asking brunt if she killed shadowsan and hid the body the tv-y7 was never good enough for you 

Im just imagining shadowsan going “your tracksuit is an ugly piece of shit”

Maelstrom is actually using a great manipulative tactic here- offering a mitigating factor with maybe some disagreements. He isn’t going all the way- still accusing her. But he’s offering her something to latch onto if she wanted to confess to a murder

Damn it seems like in this show you DO betray family

Do they even get the chance to accept/deny calls or see caller ID or could the police just call them and it would just patch through with no choice. Do they have a phone number

Why are maelstrom’s eyes kinda pretty though 😳

Damn

Julia’s head is so round

Not julia using the mints like smelling salts im CRYING i love her so much

The despair music only starts when chase doesn’t respond to “LA FEMME ROGUE” and i think that is SO FUNNY its not supposed to be but the comedic timing of the sad music and the zoom on devineaux’s face is so

“We need you” weak, unsupported, will immediately be proven wrong as julia takes the reins and SLAYS this season on her own

“And we need you to tell us that she did not do this to you” STRONG, SLAY, IN CHARACTER, DEVINEAUX DOES NOT FUCKING MATTER ITS ALL ABOUT JULIA TRUSTING CARMEN TO THE VERY END

Btw why is his heart going so fast

This show could have flourished even more without the tv-y7 rating. Player definitely thinks Shadow-san is going to capture or kill her, but Carmen trusts Shadow-san, which is why she looks so horrified near the end when Shadow-san “betrays” her

CS AU where carmen is the daughter of elon musk SAD

Were they just standing there staring at him or what

Where is his heart monitor attached

That wild boars searching for truffles speech? I was sick a couple weeks back and I FELT that

The zoom into the pupil flashback thing was cool

This show and its ability to make ANYTHING child friendly always astounds me. The seven year olds are going to be like “can we go to Carnevale mommy?? Can we go to Oktoberfest??”

Oh my god.

Brazil nut

I JUST GOT THAT JOKE BRAZIL NUT

“Ahh the favelas” that line plays in my head so often i dont know why

Thank god for carmen sandiego now i know how to say “no thank you” in portuguese

ITS OVER LE CHEVRE I HAVE THE HIGH GROUND

What experience does chase have with the backside of a reptile and why does he think shadowsan looks like tortoise butt

Look at that fabulous cross-hatching from agent jawline he’s got some talent yas

We came this close to having to witness chase devineaux with no pants

SAD. oh well NOW WE GET THE JULIA SEASON THANK GODDDDDDDDDDDDD

Does el topo’s VA voice the shady gem expert 

We love autistic zack

I LOVE ZACK that was a fantastic joke about the bride

Zack just stealing from the guy and giving it back to him is so funny im crying

Love how julia was just chilling in the hospital. Actually shows that she really does care- wanted to make sure he was okay

OR THE HOOD OF HIS CAR

JULIA IN THE ACME SUIT. SO HOT. ALSO AGENT ZARI PARTNERSHIP. NEUTRAL LEVELS OF HOT

The tourists watching some random lady watching their baby with binoculars: 👁️👄👁️

I also love the silent acting they animated with Carmen here- she drops the binoculars, looks up like ???, looks again, sees that the binoculars were not the only thing tripping, and shakes her head with a smile. Its a really cool little moment with no dialogue

Imagine if they had that exchange in new york city and ivy was like “the big apple aint the apple of my eye, if you know what I mean! The streets just keep goin’ forevah!!” like yes you two are in a residential area this is how cities work

The children just aggressively leaning towards him and then walking away

Le chevre just wants to live his furry dreams be nice to him

Yeah DAMN the character acting on carmen is good this episode. Next episode too actually

The tourists watching some random lady change clothes in the middle of the Christ the Redeemer statue area and then jump off a cliff: 👁️👄👁️

They actually animate carmen pulling the zip cord to release the glider again!!! I love when they do that

Yeah someone else said props to le chevre for finally recognizing them and hard agree its only like the fourth time

So if its not a disguise why were you confused about carmen. Being able to see who you were

That family is so chill about two strangers running through their house the kid is just like. Damn bitch keep staring i guess and then plays with her dolls some more

She doesn’t even look around the house

ALSO OUGH SHE’S SO FRUSTRATED I LOVE WHEN SHE GETS MAD ABOUT SHIT you are not immune to having emotion she is just THROWING herself around that house she is MAD

Not only is that the chillest family ever its the nicest one too. My god they even followed her to ask if she was okay and invited her to eat with them

THE LITTLE KID IS SO CUTE THO

Shadowsan: locks zack and ivy in a bucket

Carmen: SSHSHHLURRPP

Wait omg i forgot she eats here this is like one of two times she eats ever

The family is so sweet I love them they’re so. They’re so

“It is safe” sir I really hate to break it to you but there is an illegal mining operation on the next street over

SHE HAD THE HAT ON BACKWARDS

Ogh carmen you were being so nice to them and then you had to go and be quippy about it again

I dont know how she didnt trigger that thing BEFORE

Yessss carmen jump into the murder hole with no signal and no one knowing where you are and no tools…yes…smart…

Poor el topo was walking down the path with his eyes closed the whole time

HEHE I LOVE THE TONE CHANGE THERE- the normal caper-y atmosphere suddenly changing to carmen being cornered with nothing, signaled by that sinister little shift in el topo’s voice i LOVE THAT. carmen is on the defensive REAL fast

ALSO LE CHEVRE IS SO FUNNY he doesn’t even go to help he’s just like “I FUCKING TOLD YOU TIGRESS DIDN’T I FUCKING TELL YOU”

Tigress knows better than to fight carmen with her goggles on now

I also like the little display of carmen’s fighting style. I think this is one of the best examples of it in the whole show. She tries at first to just get out/past El Topo at the door. Then she tries every exit she can think of, only fighting where she has to. She is TERRIBLE in tight/closed spaces…really a defensive fighter. Great fight as always and I LOVE fights where there are more than one person involved we get them so rarely 

Btw carmen taking off the hat and coat? BAD idea everyone knows an absence of red means she’s going to lose REAL bad smh 

WILHELM SCREAM

She protected the face

The outrage when tigress “aww”s at her fshgfgf

Fedorable

Pls el topo is so gentle with her he just lowers her to the floor very nicely

Carmen is also SO emotionless about it she’s just like :| hmm yes they are going to inform coach brunt they have captured me i see this is interesting

MMMGH CARMENS FACE WHEN SHE REALIZES PLAYER WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG (SO SHE THINKS. SO MANY LAYERS OF DECEPTION)

OKAY thats the first episode done. MAN what a solid episode I love it!!! Okay- not much else to say, I’m movin on to part 2!

[petrichorvoices]

we have wifi for a moment, hence the post, but we’ve noticed that honestly we’re kind of hesitant to go online these days. hesitant, nervous, and we don’t know why. i think in some way that after what’s been about a month {with our vacation plus now being here}, we feel out of place online, as though we don’t belong here anymore. we feel like we’re intruding, like people have forgotten about us and will be annoyed by our renewed presence. when we do have wifi, we find ourselfves more interested in doing things like setting up our AAC boards and downloading videos than actually talking to people or responding to messages

we don’t know what to do with this. we know that this isn’t a good sign, especially when you take into account our increasing loneliness and subsequent depression symptoms, but unfortunately, isolation {both self-imposed and externally-imposed} makes it difficult for us to talk to anyone about this. when we do have the chance to talk to people, we feel as though we’d be wasting our time and bothering them if we talk about the troubles we’re going through, and thus just isolate ourselfves further to the point that even in talking to other people we feel lonely

and as a result of this loneliness and increasing depression we’re eating less, indulging in caffeine more, having a harder time getting out of bed. we’re throwing ourselfves into our work both because we enjoy it but also because it’s kind of the only thing getting us out of bed. it’s usually our only real chance to talk to anybody, but we finally got a roommate last night so hopefully that changes. we’re finding also that when we do talk to people we’re fawning a lot, trying to offer as much help as we can in order to “justify” ourself getting to talk to them, to not be a bother

idk, this is a rambly post and we’re kind of dissociating right now, do with it what you will, we’re gonna try and get counselling services through our job i think

[rumielisapublicspeaker]

ONE PIECE

So. The story so far.

YES THERE WILL BE SPOILERS

So. Firstly I would give One Piece an overall 9 as an anime. From what I've seen and heard, the show has kept up even after 20 years, thanks to the wonderful Oda, and that is very important to me as an avid watcher.

True, I never made it past episode 60 the first time I watched, I don't think, HOWEVER!!! That doesn't mean I disliked the show, I liked it a lot. I just probably have ADHD (╥_╥) which means a lot of the longer shows I want to watch get put down by accident because a new shiny show comes out that I want to watch then and there... (I'm looking at you Jujutsu Kaisen (๑•̀ᗝ•́)૭.

I restarted the anime about a week ago during my move into my new apartment at episode 45, as it's the last episode I can fully remember (though I did skip through a little because I can't lie... the Buggy filler episodes were not my thing) "૮₍ ˶•⤙•˶ ₎ა I also know that the Netflix live action ends around episode 45 as well, which- I'm happy to say, is probably the ONLY live action adaptation of an anime (apart from the theatre productions of studio ghibli films like My Neighbour Totoro) that ACTUALLY WORKED!!! Also, Jamie Lee Curtis, a true One Piece fan loved it! Plus, both Oda and Mayumi have crowned Iñaki as the real world Luffy SO SUCK ON THAT HATERS!!! True, I didn't watch the live action fully, as my friend was watching it whilst I played dragon quest 11 (good game) but I got the gist of it, and it was really good from what I could see.

NOW!! ON TO THE GOOD SHIZ!!!

I am currently on episode 57, as of writing this, which means Chopper is only 24 episodes away ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽ つ And I NEED to meet the baby!! I'm currently watching the crew sail with this little dragon doo dad (who I cannot remember the species name, but his name from Apis is Ryujii.) And shit just started happening. The boat is a rocking, the sky is raining, Zoro and Apis currently have rope burn. It's a good episode. If I recall correctly, they're about to enter the Grand Line?? I know they're right next to it at least, but I think they're trying to get Ryujii home- I just realised that they just landed on the island I am dumb. There was a strange wispy of wind a second ago, which means that one guy is likely already on the island with them I think. Who knows "૮₍ ˶•⤙•˶ ₎ა. Either way, once again this show is showing how corrupt the government system is lmao.

Anyhoo, overall, I don't think One Piece can really be judged by episodes, unless you talk about the live action. I'd say a better judgement would be going by arcs? I will say, this arc is pretty mid, just because I've seen it before and because I don't think Apis as a character is good whatsoever. She's just kind of that npc character in an rpg that directs you on a fetch quest before telling you that she must be protected as she's annoyingly coming with instead of staying home safe- oh wait she's the only one who can talk to the dragon and therefore knows where the fetch quest main area is. Great. Yeah, she's extremely mid now that I think about it.

I wouldn't skip this arc, just because I think all arcs leading up to the Grand Line are definitely important, HOWEVER, I do think she could've been in it less. The grampa would've had more to offer in my opinion, even if it was just comedic value. Plus, he could've been a secret badass who saves the day, who knows.

Also, as I'm writing this, my wifi CUT OUT (╥ᆺ╥；) so now I'm dying of death... (╥ᆺ╥；)(╥ᆺ╥；)(╥ᆺ╥；)

Anyways, I would recommend One Piece, but at the same time, if you aren't used to watching long form anime... gooooood luck. I can only do this because I watched Naruto and Shippuden a couple years back and that- ugh that hurt. One piece was still only one episode 800 too... It hurt so much. Yes it's a good anime BUT IT WOULD BE HALF THE LENGTH IF THEY CUT THE FILLER OUT, KILLED OFF SOME OF THE USELESS CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN NARUTO, REVEALED KAKASHI'S MOLE, AND CUT THE FIGHTS TO HALF THE LENGTH!!!!

Sorry, got emotional there. But yeah. One Piece? Good show. It also only has about 50 filler episodes out of the current 1076 episodes that are released. That's an achievement. Also I am now realising how quickly they must have pumped Naruto out if that show had 750 episodes plus movies...

Final thoughts? Watch One Piece. Don't watch Naruto. It isn't worth it. Also, idgaf if people disagree. If you watch Naruto, only watch Naruto. Don't bother with Shippuden. Hinata is the only good character after Naruto, but she isn't worth it.