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hendolish · 1 year ago

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Hiii babes, if you still take fic requests could you please write a part 2 to that Mason X Declan story? Now that the names for the September camp squad are out and both Mase and Dec are there could you write something about them meeting again and Mase so badly regrets ending things with Declan now that he sees how Declan seems to be getting on well with Saka so much. And he starts thinking a bit delulu thinking that there's something between Saka and Dec when Saka has a gf and isn't even into Dec like that. Anyway he regrets it and goes back to Dec. At first Declan doesn't want to talk to Mase but in the end he does talk to him and they get together officially. Thanksss💗💗

[note- anon did correct themselves about mason not being at camp but i stuck with it to make it easier <3]

mason mount/declan rice | a sequel to on hold ♡

Mason’s an idiot.

He’s known this himself for a long time, of course, but he’s really a spectacular idiot in this case for pushing Dec away.

It hadn’t made things easier or lessened the pain of miles between them. Everything would make Mason think of him, of moments they’ve shared together or silly little inside jokes, his fingers itching to pick up his phone and call.

But then he’d remember what he did to Dec. What he’d said. And the crushing sensation would close in on him all over again.

Anyway.

That’s how he finds himself stuck at SGP, grasping brief glances of Dec whenever he can, darting his eyes away before the other can turn and catch him, feeling like he can never find the right words to say.

It doesn’t help that Dec seems to be getting along just fine with all the Arsenal lot now.

Mason watches them together as they wander onto the pitch, some of the last to leave the changing room, Dec whispering something in Bukayo’s ear that causes the both of them to burst into raucous laughter.

He stares down at his boots instead, digging the studs into the grass to make patterns before Steve’s calling them all over to start the drill. Luke had been talking to him but Mason couldn’t find the attention to listen, so he just laughs and agrees when the other looks over to him expectantly.

It probably wasn’t the right thing to do because it causes Luke to frown before asking, “You okay?”

But Mason can’t do anything but wave him off once Steve starts talking, pointing at cones and waving a set of bibs in the air.

Dec doesn’t look at him as Steve hands them out and Mason tries to tell his heart it’s not allowed to sink. Not when he’s the reason Dec is being off with him.

He chose this, now he has to live with the consequences.

They have to partner up for the drill and Mason allows himself to hope far too much by sneaking Dec another glance, but he’s already walking away with Bukayo, snickering at whatever the younger is telling him with that megawatt grin on his face that Mason loves.

Well. He loves it when Dec is directing it at him.

“C’mon.”

Luke says after a moment, tugging on his arm towards a free space, and Mason forces everything to the back of his mind and gets his head down because he has to.

Because this is England and it’s always meant so much to him and Dec. This is their time together, and Mason’ll be damned if he’s about to lose that too.

—

He can’t help glaring at breakfast.

Dec and Bukayo are stuck together like glue again, stealing food off of each other’s plates and laughing about it. Mason suddenly feels sick.

“You’ve got to let it go mate.”

Luke tells him once he follows his gaze. Mason had told him everything last night when bearing the weight on his own had become too much.

“Or you’ve got to actually talk to him,” Luke then supplements, shaking his head to himself as he tucks back into his beans, “Getting nowhere just starin’. You trying to read his mind or something?”

Mason wishes he could. Instead he’s busy racking his brain over whether he’s heard Bukayo talk about his girlfriend in the past couple of months. Did they break up?

“Hmm? Yeah. I mean— I know,” When Luke gives him a doubtful look Mason’s voice jumps an octave higher as he protests, “I know okay! I’m working on it. I just don’t think he wants to speak to me.”

Luke’s eyes shift sympathetically for a second as he tells him that of course he does. Mason stays quietly unsure of that.

He gets his chance later in the day.

Their rooms at SGP are practically next door to each other because they’ve always requested for them to be close and, as always, the England staff had listened and remembered.

It would be sweet of them in any other circumstance, but when he and Dec exit their rooms at almost the exact same time, locking eyes as their doors click shut behind them, Mason can’t help but curse them a little.

“Hey.”

He says, hating how awkward it sounds because things have never been, and should never be, awkward between them.

“Hey.”

Dec replies, but it lacks his usual gusto and Mason can already see his eyes flickering back towards his room.

“Do you—“

Mason tries to start, not even really knowing what he wants to say, but Dec cuts him off.

“Can we—,” He runs a hand through his hair then, a habit Mason knows all too well, before taking a steadying breath, “Can we not do this today?”

Mason nods because there’s nothing else for him to do, despite him being unsure as to what this is.

“Okay,” Dec says, although it sounds more like he’s talking to himself, “Good. Well… I forgot my, uh, yeah. So I’ll just…”

And with that the other quickly disappears back into his room, leaving Mason in hallway, unsure of how to feel.

—

Mason stays true to his word and doesn’t bother him the rest of the day. He knows he has no right to after everything he’s put the other man through.

But finds he simply can’t wait any longer when he wakes the next morning, too early to go downstairs but late enough not to bother going back to sleep, and soon finds himself stood in front of Dec’s door, hand poised to knock.

A million thoughts race through his brain in the seconds it takes Dec to answer, but they soon all slip away when he sees Dec standing there, in the t-shirt he’s seen him sleep in a million times. The t-shirt he’s tugged off him and helped him re-dress with in haste.

It’s soft to touch, Mason knows, and warm when pressed against Dec’s skin. Finally, he opens his mouth to speak.

“I’m so sorry,” He starts, and there’s really not a better opening to cover it all, “Dec, I’m— I can’t believe that I thought I could just—“

He cuts himself off there because he promised himself he wouldn’t cry. Not even if Dec had turned him away. He would’ve had every right to.

“Fuck,” He’s looking anywhere but at the other now, blinking rapidly, “I was such an idiot, I know that now. But I just… I couldn’t lose you, you know? I didn’t want to go through that, so I thought that maybe it would be better if I just— mmph.”

Dec stops him from going on with a bruising kiss.

Mason had known that he might ramble. That his explanation might not make any sense and he’d have to try a couple of times. But never did he think that Dec would get him to shut up by kissing him.

“You are a massive idiot,” Dec tells him after he pulls away, one hand still touching Mason’s cheek, “And it’s going to take a lot for you to make it up to me.“

“Whatever you want.”

He promises immediately, which launches a brightly amused grin onto Dec’s cheeks that Mason decides he never wants to see leave again.

“And can we stop being weird around each other now? I hate it.”

Dec adds, to which Mason easily agrees, and soon they’re lying on Dec’s bed together, side by side, and Mason’s reminding himself of the softness of Dec’s shirt again with a cautious hand.

“You’re still being weird.”

Dec declares then before taking Mason’s hand for him and placing it directly over his heart, feeling the steady thump of the rhythm there. When he glances back upwards, Dec’s watching him carefully.

“Yeah?” He asks, and all of a sudden Mason understands.

This thing between them is so much more than he could ever ask for and Dec… he wants it too and maybe always has. Mason feels like colourful fireworks are exploding in his chest, seeping into every crevice the past month has left behind.

“Yeah.”

He agrees breathily, as if speaking too loud may puncture the moment. Dec smiles across the bed at him before he’s pulling Mason back into his arms and slotting him against his chest like a puzzle piece.

Dec emits a loud, but content-sounding, sigh before he admits, “I bought you flowers and everything, you know. Was gonna be proper romantic.”

That makes Mason feels ten times worse, like a heavy weight has settled in his stomach, but Dec notices quickly and is soon peppering his face with kisses.

“Hey, it’s alright yeah? It worked out in the end. Everything always does with us.”

Mason can’t help but still feel bad.

“I ruined it though,” He says, taking Dec’s hand to squeeze and hold to his chest, “You were trying to be lovely and I just—“

Dec shushes him then, placing a kiss to his lips instead. It’s all in the past.

“I’ll buy you flowers again, yeah? And you can kiss me or hug me or do whatever you would’ve wanted to do back then.”

Mason looks over at him silently for a moment, taking in Dec’s soft gaze and the grounding reassurance in his words, wondering how on earth he’d gotten so lucky.

He closes the gap between them again then because he feels a sudden urge to make up for any time together they may’ve lost whilst he was busy being an idiot.

“Okay.”

Mason tells Dec through a giddy smile, heart soaring amongst the clouds.

I love you.

He thinks then, storing it away for another day.

♡

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yanderefairyangel · 1 month ago

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Bal masqué

Chapter 7 of Vanitas no carte : Bal masqué - The night of sneering masks is one of the most important chapter that serves to introduce several important plot points such as Louis's existence or the fact that Jeanne is a curse bearer, Vanitas's goal or confronting his power's incapacity to restore every vampire, meeting with Naenia and the members of Charlatan etc.

However, masked balls are a recurring tropes, a topos 19th century literature, or more speficially of the genre of "bildungsroman" Vnc shares many similairites with/takes inspiration from

In her article in which she compares 3 ball scenes, Zlatka Timenova-Valtchev establishes that the uses of this topos is usually here to explore the sincercity of emotions and pathos, of a non verbal communication throught words in spite of the concealed identities within the masks

Meanwhile, in her massive essay which also includes Portguese and Brasilians works, Claudia Helena Daher analyses the rise of the ball as a social events, it place within high society and it's transformation into a topos in which she explains that balls are part of a processus civilisateur, and at the crux of a questioning between the indiviual and society, a questionning that had rised in the 19th cnetury with the spreading of romantiscism and liberalism in France after the revolution and the end of the Ancient Régime

(I am trying to sum up essays that are either 20 or 500 over pages long, please bear with me)

Now what I wish to focus on is how exactly Jun sensei uses this topos in the context of Vnc

So we'll start by number one, the most obvious being how she adapts it visually

This chapters opens up with Teacher teaching baby Noé about the Formula and Babel incident establishing the origins of vampires as a whole

After this little lore information, we are met with this page

The page focuses entirely on the architecture, with a zoom out mimiking cinematic language to present the reader with the impression of entering the building where the bal is held and if you are familiar with 19th century novel especially french one (looking at you Balzac and Zola) you probably know that those books love their sweet, sweet descriptions of the settings, overtly detailled and very long but still very important because of the phrasing and the imagery within it

Well thankfully for us, manga can do show don't tell but my point here is that the focus on the spectacular aspects of this scene can be linked to this type of descriptions to set the reader into the environement and progressively immerse us into the world of the bal masqué of the vampire society

This cinematic aspect is further supported by the next page which feature a full view of the ball scene and really shows that Sensei has a an eye for detail, the amount of informations presented in this one scene is impressive, we see several vampires dancing together with various disguises, others in the background on the balconies

We can also see the precense of performers such as a clown, jesters, acrobats etc. We can also see elements proper to VnC such as the giant gear on the scene or the several skulls decorating frames and chandeliers

After this full view we zoom in some more

We see a fire breather, then a couple of vampire, a view of 5 vampires on the balcony, a zoom on 2 masqued women and finally, a panel showcasing 2 other masqued women in awe looking at two people dancing, we can only see the waist of the women and the details of her dress

That is to show how Sensei's guiding our gaze from all these events taking place during the Soiree to Noé and Domi dancing together

So having established how Sensei uses her drawing and panelling skills to restore the spectacular and grandiose aspects of a masked ball, we can also draw some intepretations of what it is meant to say about vampire hight society, which corresponds to something that Daher had pointed out as well, the ball as a societal and social event

Needless to say that the presence of the circus and the little zooming in on innonucious things such as vampires seducing one another or chatting and gossiping is meant to further erase the idea of a difference in behaviour between the two species, especially after we just learned that vampires are a race born from Babel's rewriting of humanity's formula and that there is only one human partaking into the soiree whose later on exposing himself as such, but this representation also fits with the idea of the ball being the scene where the whole world is shrinken to showcase all the differents layers of the society depicted, it's very telling of the vampire's enjoyement and behavior, fitting with the idea of a new world that we discover as an audience, notice that we aren't discovering it with Noé unlike let's say, Paris, it takes us a little exploration guided by the panels until we find our way back to him and Domi, we can guess that's a world Noé is unfamiliar with because of Dominique's comments about Noé's dancing skills

But another element is the striking parallels between the artisitic decisions Sensei took for this ball and the Charlatan Parade, something that Noé himself notices

More specifically, the Parade draws inspiration from Venise carnival

In her essay, Daher recontextualizes the history of bal in society and their raise, establishing the differences between the two as a social event, being that the Parade is a a Carvinal, that is to say popular events often portrayed as chaotic popular events, meanwhile bal and masked balls are the pleasure of the artistocracy and the higher class, it's a social event regulated

They are born thanks to Italy unsurprisngly, mainly raising during the Renaissance and figuring various disguise, mostly inspired from mythology at that time, but regarding the period of time we are interested in, 19th century, the disguises are taking inspiration from historical figure, for instance in The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian and Lord Henri masquerade as Henri III and his minion, in VnC we can see this in the choice of the disguises :

one of the vampire on the panel is wearing a fairy costume

Lucas is wearing an outfit similar to what men wore during the 16th century

Jeanne is wearing an outfit matching Lucas's theme, possibly inspired of Juliette's gown

Vanitas is dressed up as a pirate etc

It says that in the 19th century masked balls also had developped a more playful aspects, notably a game of trying to guess the guest's real identity as they were supposed to be disguised enough as to not be recognized, which lead to a whole developpement in the world of fiction as an event proper to plays and eroticism, sensuality and a lose of inhibition, the masked identity allowing fro a freedom of one's inner selves

It's also criticized for this very aspects but also supports the idea developped by Daher and many others as the ball representing the world of appearances, of deceptions, most specifically with the mask, hiding your identity, a notion of dishonesty

Unlike the ball where Sensei focuses on the spectacle and beauty we can see within it, the luxury meant to be highlighted, the Parade of Charlatan is presented as wonderous, bizarre event with a bit of eeriness, the panel focuses on Amelia's eye, the hands of the masqued female figure, then a foot popping up ear her dress and introducing the two main masqued figure, and a third masqued figure holding something, this progression introducing progressively the parade is made with black frame bordering the panels as opposed to the white and this coupled with Sensei's panelling and the use of screentone contributes to the eeriness of the scene before we get to the full view of the Parade, with the use of screentones on every element but Amelia accentuating the eeriness and the impression we are being shown a spectacle out of this world

The use of screentone is meant to darken the scene whereas in the ball scene Sensei uses it to make the scene pop up, shines and sparkles

Also don't take this as me trashing the anime but

I think the colors choosen kinda undermines this effect despite the dark atmosphere, I kinda get why they went with this direction but I feel like Sensei's usage of screentones allowed the element to work better at conveying the bizarness of that scene

Anyway back on track - this parallel between the two scenes explain the subtle focus on the element of the circus such as the clown and the fire breather or the way the gear stand out even in the background, to prepare us mentally to think about the Parade before Noé even brought that up

but this is even more interesting as later on Charlatan manifest, the mixing between these two events socially distinguished historically and distinguished in the narrative is already foreshadowed by those elements

Bringing up the social elements of these festivities might seems irrevelant at first however we must remember what Vanitas is refering to, a still life meant to showcase the futility of life, or even the reference to saying such as Carpe Diem or to the danse macabre, all linked to the brievty of life and the futility of believing in a system of hierachy for everyone is equal in death, nobles and peasants, humans and vampires, that is not mentioning the various elements refering to one motif in vanities, the skulls, present as a decorations in the ball room

Sensei using this decoration isn't simply to sign this with VnC's trademark, the skulls presented within the frame surrounding the characters on the various covers, it's also a subtle way to include a key element of vanitas, meant to remind of the futility of materialistic possesion in rank, meant to humble society in an event that represent the culmination of what vanitas are meant to critique, the showing of luxury, appearances, lust even

In an ironic way, the tragic turn of even that the ball takes with many guest turning into a trance and attacking others is further emphazing the idea that death is constantly prying on the vampires as long as Charlatan is active, that regardless of status, race and even conditions, (curse bearer or non curse bearer) everyone is equal to death as we see by the several victims made in this attack or the death of Catherine

This one might be a strech though but this does reminds me of the ball of the Mask of the Red Death written by Edgar Allan Poe where the main plot focuses on a Prince having locked himself with aristocrats and nobles whereas his people would die from the Red Death, one night where he is helding a masked ball, a mysterious guest show up diguised as the Red death which lead the Prince to become furious and chase the guest until he reaches him and falls death, then everyone else dies and the narrator reveals that the guest was indeed the Red Death itself because no one can escape from the ultimate fate of all living beings (I am obviously leaving out a lot of details for the sake of brievety but what is important here is)

This tale is obviously a commentary in the same manner that vanities are, but the precense of death as an uninvited guest is pretty similar to Naenia and Charlatan's presence in the ball, I don't think I need to further explain how they play a similar role as the Red Death though

Another aspects of masked ball that can be found within VnC is it's privileged choice for love or establishing romance, as demonstrated by Zlatka Timenova-Valtchev so... sorry if i you dislike this ship but it's obviously gonna be about VaniJeanne because ... well... you know why... also NoéJeanne ? Kinda ?

So Jeanne's introduction in this chapter isn't proper, it's mainly Noé remarking that Lucas refered to the plural, indicating he came accompanied and Noé wondering if this means that Jeanne might be here too

We are then shown Jeanne panting and visibly in pain, remember this chapter is the one introducing her condition as a curse bearer so I think it's very interesting that Sensei choose to introduces her in this situation through Noé's questioning on her presence ... especially when we get to the following chapters

Now what I want to focus is the panelling once more, we are shown Noé remarking Lucas's phrasing implying he didn't came alone and then a panel without speech bubble, focusing on Noé looking like he is thinking about something, this something only being shared in a monologue bubble that present panting Jeanne

Now this part of the developpement could raise some eyebrows since later on there is this repeated idea that Noé might be infantuated in some ways towards Jeanne, in chapter 3-4 there were some scenes showing him in awe before Jeanne's beauty and even blushing when she glared at him, this chapter is dropping here another scene that could lead to this intepretation, and this all takes place before the chapter where Lucas invites him and Vanitas to eat and where Noé is shown blusing at her again and even considering to invite her to dance

That's where this post is getting a bit complicated, you see a big reason why a lot of us (myself included) don't feel very convinced Noé would be in love with Jeanne like what Domi is shown to believe during the Attraction arc is that they got few moments together and barely real intereactions, however to play devil's advocate, I'd like to remark that a lot of times there are attempts at interections that gets cut such as Noé trying to invite Jeanne to dance before Domi beats him to it or they end up taking place at a bad timing such as Gévaudan or when during the Attraction arc

Does that mean Noé is in love with her ? Not necessarily but he is at the very least intrigued, and in a way that pushes Domi to believe in this possibility, plus it's Sensei we are talking about I don't think she would put those little intereactions for as small and tiny as they are if it wasn't meant to built something, as to what though I have no real clue but I assume it will be painful because... well it's Sensei we are talking about

That said if we go back to focus on the text itself, Lucas is searching for Jeanne but despite using this opportunity to present us with jeanne's current situation (Lucas explaining to Noé he is searching for her), instead Sensei's showing us Noé wondering about the meaning of this "us"

This could be because by this point they left on antagonistic terms, especially after what Vanitas did, but Noé focusing on Lucas's wording being emphasized by the narrative, even as a mean to justify presenting Jeanne in a state of weakness before she makes her introduction to pick up Vanitas, is still worth pointing out, this shows that Noé is at the very least interested in Jeanne, a plot point reprised in chapter 12, with a dance scene meant to parallel the ball, this time being more of a popular event than a formal party and not ending as tragically, and that this interest, whatever it might be, is born in chapter 3 and 4

That being said another reason why I feel the need to mention this is that Vanitas's relationship with Jeanne and Noé are paralleling each other but also that Vanitas's relationship with her porgresses in times where he isn't aware, in chapter 3 he can't hear them, in this chapter he doesn't know what happened between either of them until chapter 12 , they got on a date while he is left alone with August and we all remember how Noé had to learn about what happened between Vani and Jeanne during the Gévaudan arc only when he had to bring him seek help because he was at death's door

This chapter is furthering that we went from simply not hearing to not seeing in Noé's case, so his interest with Jeanne could also simply have to do with how he has seen that Vanitas is interested with her which is less of a strech to prove

Jeanne makes her proper appearance by the end of chapter 7 and intervene in chapter 8 by taking Vanitas away before he gets killed after he had revealed himself as a human to all the vampires

She is part of the several characters reacting with surprise to Vanitas's revealtion that he desires to get revenge on Votbm, like Noé she gets two panel dedicated to show her reactions,

In the next chapters she picks him up wearing her mask on

Now what's interesting is that Noé could recognize her despite her mask, which surprises even Lucas

and unlike us, who had seen Jeanne's costumes and could recognize the patterns, Noé had no idea what she was wearing, he was even wondering whether she was here in the first place a chapter ago

But back to the main point, the main big step in Vanitas and Jeanne's relationship is him discovering that she is a curse bearer and the biting scene that I won't share because last time I did tumblr told me it was "too mature"

And this ties back to the masked ball used to present scenes of eroticism and sensuality, for a reminder we saw earlier a couple of vampire presumably biting and Vanitas (or rather Domi) himself bring that up

this exchange led to Domi explaining to Vanitas why exactly Noé drinks her blood before proceeding to

So then Vanitas essentially mocks Domi's protectivness and you might wonder why exactly DomiNoé doesn't figure on the list of relationship to be covered, well that's because aside from their dance and reestablished frendship on Noé's part, this doesn't have as much focus as Vanijeanne does, though to be fair we do get to see the genesis of said friendship but the real focus is given to Louis due to the theming of curse bearer

That being said you could argue that Vanitas's frankly sexist remark is there to show he guessed that Domi felt something more for Noé but still goes along with simply being his friend, hence the "conveninent" comment

This further cements the idea that blood drinking isn't an entierly neutral act, it represent something and while in classical literature it's seen as a euphemism/metaphor for the you know what, it's not necessarily the case in VnC, even if Vanitas's reaction shows that he doesn't buy into Noé's vision of blood drinking, but in Jeanne and Vanitas's context, it's very much meant to have this connotation, if the way this scene plays out isn't enough to convince you, I will remind you that Vanitas uses the mark he got from this and this blood drinking itself as a proof that "he and Jeanne are in love" in chapter 12, cause he is a little sheet

However, if we go in detail of what happened in this scene

When Vanitas tells her to drink his blood and in imperative tone, he is wearing a strange smile, the next scene shows Vani removing his scarf to open his collar as he pushes Jeanne against the balcony

It's a scene where a lot of ink and screentones are used to accentuate the darkness of the atmopshere and creating a tense scene, but when Jeanne asks Vanitas why he is doing this he answer

"no real reason", we then see a puzzled Jeanne next to a panel showing his argument with Domi and his reaction afterwards, those are clearly Vanitas's thoughts while he argues that he doesn't really care about what could happen to him right now, possibly linking to how he decided to just throw himself into the vampire's den, we'll also note 2 bubble speech featuring suspension marks, indicating an unspoken, however, when we see the panel showing the character's gaze, the 2nd bubble speech ends up with an exclamation mark, and the little signs coupled by Vanitas's gaze indicates he is realizing something or rather remembering something, this reaction is pretty off in contrast to Jeanne's reaction

And he ends up correcting himself saying he is doing this because he is intriguied, remembering Noé drinking Domi's blood while he was waiting and thinking about Noé being an orphan, we can see blod stain and...this might indicate that Vanitas is lying right now

This could be a translation thing, however the bold text putting in emphasis "either way, I'm in love with you" highlight that this is a strange phrasing (but from what I recall from the anime that's mostly what he says in Japanese as well)

That's like Vanitas forgot that he could just use the fact he is in love with Jeanne to explain him wanting to let her drink his blood, and that's not like Vanitas wouldn't just use that his done worse before

But again, he doesn't think about it or even about a scene of blood drinking he had at least heard up until he had this little realization shown in the panel, before he was thinking about something else

And that's where you will have to focus on the blood spit in white

This is Vanitas remembering something, we don't see what, we only see blood and in white, he remembers this as Domi mentions Votbm and argues that Vanitas might worship them

It's that dialogue Vanitas was thinking about before he told Jeanne his excuse, it's also this dialogue that triggered this memory and this reaction from him, revealing himself to the vampires

This page uses a lot more ink and in the case of Vani it's trying to accentuate the shadows, he is repeating what Domi said but the bubble speechs are black with white texst and twisted, this is meant to showcase that Vanitas's reaction is meant to put us in unease, scare us even

Especially as later on he laughs

This not only puts Domi but also her servants in unease, Vanitas's reaction seems to indicate that he thinks it's ridiculous to think what he is doing is because of a feeling of admiration towards Votbm that would go as far as worship, this is further expanded upon when Vanitas clashes with Roland later on, Vanitas doesn't believe anything and is a pretty nihilistic person when you think about it, so the idea that he could worship anything let alone Votbm is likely what makes him laugh, not to mention everything we learned about his relationship with Luna for as little as we know, this does put a lot of things in context

Anyway, it seems that Vanitas's desire was to correct Domi's mistakes but because of Vanitas's conflicted relationship and him realizing what exactly the book of Vanitas represent in the vampire world, he decide to just set the records straight for everyone and that's where we get this scene

This is the scene that hightlights the skeletal chandelier and where we see the skulls and skeleton, creating a bit of confusion on the authenticness of those skeletons seeing them move like that, but that furthers reinforces the importance of their presence, to see a character named Vanitas standing on furniture made after a common symbol used in vanity could also place Vani on the same ground as the Red Death but unlike the Red death that promises demise to the guest, Vanitas offers salvation (more on that later)

The bit I want to tie to Jeanne is obviously the mention of possession mark

The way Vanitas describe possession marks informs on how exactly he views blood drinking, but this is like polar opposite to how he talks about Jeanne's mark of possession, the framing with the dark background, the blood invanding the bubble speech

This is basically a proof of objectification, that's how Vanitas describes it, mark proving he is the possession of Votbm

This essentially ties in one bow the topic of curse bearer's fate, Vanitas's honesty about being related to Votbm and the status of blood drinking in vampire society while making Vanitas and Jeanne's relationship progress

Given his recollections when he approached Jeanne before switching to "I was intrigued" it's becoming obvious that Vanitas did that because of events related to Luna, his biting by Votbm bears painful memories but by the point we reached in the story, how exactly did it pained him has become a lot more foggy to answer, regardless, him thinking later on about Domi and Noé while the blood stain he remembered during Domi's interogation reappears could indicate that he wanted to see if being bitten by Jeanne would be painful like it used to with Votbm or if it would be like Domi and Noé, but again, the portrayal is showing it's a bit... off, there is a slide there

Moreover this is happening meanwhile Noé is away and suffering (*look at the Vanijeanne date and the cabin scene* God, this is really establishing a pattern huh) so this second the idea that whenever Vani progresses in his relatioship with Jeanne, Noé is kept unaware of it for a reason

That said, to go back a bit further, I commented that Jeanne's costume could be inspired to Juliet from the play, mainly because in an interview Sensei said she had wanted to write a Romeo and Juliet type of dynamic between a man and a woman, enemies to lover basically, however an other reason I bring that up is because if you have seen or read the original play, Romeo and Juliet meet and fell in love during a... masked ball

Crazy I know, however the most interesting angle about this chapter is the thematic of the masks and who is wearing it and why

So it might seems like everyone is wearing one, however this isn't quite exact

If we look at the masks, Jeanne and Veronica wear a mask fully covering their face, Domi, Noé and the majority of vampires wears a loup mask (one that cover only the upper half of the face) and Vanitas just wears a eye patch, meanwhile other characters such as Lucas or Rutheven have their face fully exposed

Eyes are the windows of the soul, hiding them ties to a larger motif of the eyes present within VnC be it the vampire's eyes, the dhampir's eyes, the eyes of Misha and Vani or some characters having heterochromia, one eye bandanged, vision, the glasses the dhamps wear to hide themselves etc.

No matter what mask they are wearing, the eyes are always the hidden part,

The meaning of who is wearing a mask and who isn't can varry but this is where we go to the heart of Vnc's way of handling this specific topos : to talk about what is hidden within

For example, in regards to Lucas no wearing one it could be argued that's because he has nothing to hide in contrast of a whole society that is constantly hiding their true selves but in the present context the mask is an accessory meant to emphasize what it reveals of the person wearing

Because it's a masked ball, Charlatan can easily inflitrates and there is nothing that help distinguish the curse bearer from non bearer but the curse bearer are wearing a double mask, the literal one and a figurative one refering to their hiding their conditions

In the case of Jeanne, her wearing a full mask rather than a loup is making her standing out from everyone else, outside of Veronica, Lucas's escort and Charlatan, other characters all wear a loup

So in Jeanne's case it could be said that's because she is trying to hide her nature as a curse bearer, therefore Vanitas unmasking her (literaly) is meant to fit with him unveling her secret, thus removing her figurative mask, this could also tie with the notion of Pathos presented by Zlatka Timenova-Valtchev, the freedom given by the mask to give in your impulses, as Jeanne is given the permission from Vanitas to quench her thirst and to stop repressing herself, which we saw her do earlier, that's how she is introduced, fighting back her urges

In the case of Domi, she does take off her mask herself as she introduces Vanitas to

Unlike Jeanne she wears a loup which means only a part of her face is hidden, therefore this means only a part of her figurative mask is taken off during this scene

She isn't gonna reveal her true self or at least not entirely, what's revealed rather is what she intents to do to Vanitas and why, but it's becoming clear in her argument with Vani she isn't telling us everything but this chapter and the later chapters will help us realize that Domi as presented in the early story is still acting the way she does as a way to cope, she is acting in a way she believes doesn't reflect how she truly is inside as we see in the lastest chapter in how she praises Jeanne and how she is shown to be suffering from self accepting issues. In short, Domi is wearing a partial mask because she is already wearing one, hiding her true self under a mask of charisma and assurance

When it comes to Noé and Vanitas though this goes wild, and yeah this is by this point I am going to tackled their relationship and Noé's relationship with Louis (mostly because this is this angle of Louis that is explored in those chapters)

Noé wears a Loup too, however he doesn't seem to be wearing a mask unlike Domi and Vani or even Jeanne, but the truth behind the mask that is revealed in those chapters is his relationship with Louis and also a look to Noé's inner darkness which makes him more vulnerable and easy to exploit

This is a scene that is very interesting, especially compared to how Vanitas's own feelings about himself contrast drastically Noé's reaction but that further explores Noé's desire to help people as also resulting from the traumatic experience of failing to save his friends

Whereas for Vanitas he is wearing a triple masks if not more

2 literal ones and one gigantic figurative one, one that resists everyone to this day

Of course there is the eye patch, but also the pomander made to hide the fact he is human

The fact he is wearing such a simple accesory to hide his face would in my opinion highlight the idea that rather than it being to fit his pirate costume, it's his pirate costume that exist to match his eye patch

Vanitas is already wearing a mask, so his face being barely hidden would make sense with the idea he is already wearing one that hides more than a loup or a full mask, in that sense the pirate costume would be the only match of a mask that still hides him but also not entirely or not as partially as the loup, so the unveiling in this chapter can only be partial

He loses his eye patch during his session with Domi (what am I supposed to call that) but his second literal mask (his pomander) is something he takes off by himself when he reveals himself to the vampire, however this intereaction and the one he has with Jeanne later on helps pierce if for a moment through his figurative mask, he is already revealing an important information about his relationship with Votbm, he is their possession and he wants to take revenge on them, it's possibly so antagonistic that Vanitas takes offense and find utterly ridiculous the notion he worships them to the point he feels the needs to reveal himself to the whole world of the vampire aristocracy

However, it seems he does put his figurative mask back when approaching Jeanne, not when he tells her to drink his blood but rather when he tries to give her a better explanation than the one he gave her first hand

So while Vani manages to break through her mask easily because outside of her curse bearer nature and her bourreau persona she doesn't hide much, breaking through Vani's will take more time because he is hiding a lot more, and Noé will get to see one of the things that Vanitas "hid" from him

I am using "hid" because Vanitas didn't exactly tried to hide that but rather there has been no occassions for him to show this side of his power

So an important element of Louis story being introduced here isn't only to showcase Noé's darkness but also to highlight his cowardice

Noé was incapable of killing Louis and granting him the salvation Louis wished for

However this specific idea of killing = salvation ? is reused in this very chapter

Vanitas is amusing two vampire girls, one named Catherine and her little sister and everyone commented on how it gave them flashbacks of the flower girl from PH because Vani gave her a flower and her ending was tragic too

So this girl and her sister aren't wearing a mask, and while you could argue that it's for the same reason as Lucas, they aren't hiding anything, I would argue that for Catherine, it's precisely because she is already wearing one, one she isn't aware of but one nonethless and of course her mask falls off like the rest of the guests, Jeanne and Noé's (past) when Naenia enters the scene

This moment where Vanitas intervenes would tie back to what I said about Noé's perception of Vanitas, up until this very chapter Vanitas always succeeded in restoring the vampire's corrupted names

They were saved and by that Noé meant "alive and well", that's how Noé views salvation and what it had wished for his friends, but when he thanks Vani, Vani replies with a black speech bubble telling Noé's he got the wrong idea about this, and when you have the fresh memories of Louis story, we will see Noé is going to repeat the same mistake he dreaded over and was reminded off a bit ago

When Vanitas arrives to heal Catherine, the girl he offered a flower to and that even Noé remembers, he comments that it's too late and little digression but her lack of mask and mention of name makes it a lot easier to remember her after all the informations we were asked to digest but seeing her face and name also helps humanizing her enough in the little time she was given for us to find tragic what's going to happen

Yet she still has moving dialogue where she begs Vanitas to kill her with black speech bubble, crying because she doesn't want to hurt her sister

more speficially she says "before I kill my sister too" meaning that she killed other people, potentially even their own mother, but enough disgression, this request is obviously similar to Louis's desire to be killed by Noé and later on Jeanne and then Vanitas asking someone to be killed (this one scene really makes vanitas's "it has to be me who kill you" and "if I had to be kill it has to be him" gain even more weight than it already had and imo it's because we see Vanitas is doing what people begging him to do, even when it's about killing)

Noé tries to stop him, fails, gets angry at him and when Vanitas mentions he was saving her, Noé had an immediate flashback comparing Catherine to Louis before he asks one of the main thematical question of VnC : what is salvation ?

One that ties back to the backstory we were told about Paracelsus

Paracelsus came up with his formula theory to ensure humans would not suffer from illness anymore and to guide them to happiness (which danse macabre in background please) in other words : to lead humanity to salvation

The mentions of illness and salvation obviously ties back to Vanitas, a man who swore to heal the vampire's illness to save them, but unlike Paracelsus whose (so far) seemignly doing it genuinely, Vani does it because of his revenge against Votbm, that being said his very omnious phrasing of "saving them without fail" should have highlighted that what Vanitas considers salvation would be very different from the conception Noé or Paracelsus had of this term, and thus from us since we are likely thinking like them : saying someone is preventing them from harm's way and ensuring they are alive and safe

Vanitas's defintion aligns with Louis : saving means preventing one to become a monster, it is preventing one from suffering any longer in a state where they do not even have any longer the appearance or bearing of humans

The transformations of curse bearer into beings losing anthropomorphic traits, into "monsters", "beasts" plays directly into the diabolization we see humans perform against them when they had been characterized many times and even a in this chapters as being human like being, Catherine's plea to kill her before she harms her sister is showing she retained a thread of humanity and that she is using this to plead for her family rather than her, maybe realizing that it's too later for her

So this chapter is lifting a veil/mask on one of the reality of Vanitas's power, a tragic one but also one that must makes us think, and in the case of Noé in particular, reminds him of his own weaknesses

He didn't just failed to save Louis by his definition (making sure he is still alive) but also by Vanitas and Louis definition (making his suffering end), so in the same way that Noé will lecture August about him blaming Vanitas before realizing he literaly did the same thing (and he believed Vani was mad at him for that when ... no he was mad that Noé intervened between him and August, this does show Noé isn't that good at deciphering Vani), Noé repeats once more his mistakes of believing in one definition of salvation before reflecting on what exactly does that mean being "saved", something that steems from his own cowardice of not being able to "save" people in a way that doesn't align with his own definition

So I'll conclude by saying this : the balls chapters really cover a lot of thematic ground and every panel is sparkled within details that foreshadows not only the great thematics and questioning of this chapters but even informations about the cast at large, playing within larger motifs used by sensei and cleverly reusing a popular topos with its own twists

#vanitas no carte #vnc

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gwynndolin · 10 months ago

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Jiminy by Bear Ghost has been on repeat for me frequently since it released last fall!

Wow, I genuinely was not expecting to like this as much as I did. When I first started listening I was kind of like "Ahh, this kinda sounds like something that would get pretty big as a Tiktok sound for a hot second because someone made a Hazbin Hotel shipping fancam". Kinda got some Will Wood stuff, some Jukebox The Ghost stuff (specifically around the Off To The Races era where they really embraced the Queen comparisons), and I was like, okay i'll probably pretty well enjoy this but nothing especially spectacular here. Then I got to the end of the first song, After Me, The Flood and it had that big glitched out part into Heavy News and I was like. Ohhhhh... OKAY....

I still stand by what I said absolutely though, like especially with Will Wood comparison, specifically like the sort of showtune-like aspects to a lot of the individual tracks on the records, which is probably where the "Tiktok shipping fancam" feeling comes from (see Peas & Love, I feel like that song was carefully designed in a lab to have a bouncy, exciting, decent to well edited video of two characters that hate each other and want each other to die but the fandom desperately needs them to have a moment). It's pretty clear this album wants to be like, somewhat culture critical about the current state of some parts of society, but honestly a lot of the lyrics really fall short of necessarily saying anything particularly interesting about the matter and just come off as pretty juvenile in that regard. Like, Rivers is a Vampire is clearly about high society and excess and sucking out the life from everything and its a great song for sure but its also just like. Yeah you sure did the rich people vampire metaphor again! Which is also another point towards it being very Tiktok consumable. That being said I'm only kind of using "tiktok consumable" as a pejorative here, but it is why I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much.

Anyway this album has a pretty clear tonal voice here, like the songs do not really dip out of that same, bright, showtune-like quality, so there's not really many moments where the album slows down and takes a break from how hyper it is, which maybe as a full album is not such a good thing, but a lot of these songs individually would be a really great playlist spot.

I'm realizing now that most of this review has sounded like, extremely negative about the whole album, which is funny because so far this is like the most fun I've had listening and catching up with these music asks, I've already listened to the album through like 2 or 3 times and skipped around and re-listened to my fave tracks so. I don't really know what that means for my long term feelings about this album, but as it stands,

I'm feeling a really good 8/10 on this one

if I was pretty drunk and in a great mood I'm sure this album would've hit like 9/10 for me. I'm really into it, I might check out some of Bear Ghost's earlier stuff and see if I'd like it as much.

Fave songs: After Me, The Flood, Heavy News, Rivers is a Vampire, Big Town Banky Blaine’s Rockabilly BBQ, The Mario Cliché, When I’m Dead, Vulture

#music asks

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emmy-noethers-rings · 2 years ago

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Right friends it’s musical analysis time:

Spirit box radio has yet again decided to have its (musical) theme echo the (literary) themes of the piece and I’m vibrating why is this music so good. It’s doing exaaactly what a theme should and connecting the dots so nicely and and It’s so fucking good. Ok so

We have, in yhe most recent episode (sbr 3.12, solitude) the idea of the arcane space collapsing (shocking I know but bear with me) and Samael says something to the tune of “I’m telling thousands of stories, so of course it’s hard to keep track of the edges (of them)”. And of course

This gets reflected in the music. Our outro theme (havent given the intro a proper listen yet) consists of two parts: a) reverbed to hell and back strings/synth and b) the punch to the gut muted xylophone? Bells? (We’ll get into this but I’m no musicologist) that ends the piece

So for the first part, we have a simple variation on the main sbr theme that has been well established since season 1. This is fine and not super interesting, bc most of it sits underneath the credits, but it helps to bridge the gap between the ideas of a radio staticky spirit box and the main theme. It’s quiet, a little haunting, and normal (for the most part). It’s not something you’re going to catch, and it’s not something you really need to catch. The important bit tho is the faux-normality of the theme, which causes us to think that (barring the plot of. The episode) things are more or less fine (which is bs but again not the point at this moment). It’s very much samaels perspective on how things should be going - reminiscent of the world that was, holding on to the echos of the past, but not interesting or particularly good in its own right. This sets up the interesting part tho bc:

Part b) the fuck you it’s time to flip that on it’s head now. So,, we get the main theme again, loud and clear, with no credits to distract us. Played on a xylophone (I think? Idk I was a strings player it sounds like it’s a padded mallet hitting something made of metal, which is then immediately dampened). The theme played here is a perfectly straight (again, surprising given the characters ;] tehe) 4/4 quarter note 2 bar phrase. That takes the rhythms we’re used to and says. Nah fuck that. It’s so jarring. Eight eighth notes that so beautifully capture and bastardize the theme we’re used to that make it feel so flat and uninteresting (which still being musically beautiful but it’s not time to talk about phrasing rn). This so perfectly encapsulates what��s happening in the plot. These eight notes are the story (the one we the listeners know all too well) being retold by samael in this arcane space: flat, hitting every beat exactly, what is supposed to happen, containing the things that should be joyous, and absolutely failing to do anything correctly. It’s like you told someone to rewrite Haydns C major to be played by a elementary school band. It’s “correct” but so far down the uncanny valley that it’s just. Wrong. And no phrasing or dynamics or instrumentation or anything could fix that.

Now it’s time to discuss the choice of instrument. I wrote above that the melody feels flat - and that’s (to me) mostly due to the choice to immediately dampen each note, separating it from the other notes around it. This kills most phrasing you could do with the measure (again, not all, bc it doesn’t sound like bong bong bong bong bong bong bong bong but that’s neither here nor there) and forces the listener to hear the notes as 8 distinct entities. It’s great it spectacular it makes the piece work so well and really adds to the analysis above but idk how to explain it

#ah shit I’m after not looking at the time and missing my bus #whelp #this was worth it tho all yinz need to go listen #the arcane box vibrates #spirit box radio #sbr 3.12 #I really hope I don’t need a music analysis tag

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reviewsfromreel · 2 years ago

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Boston Strangler (2023) - Review

Director: Matt Ruskin

1h 52mins

Drama, Crime, Biography

In 1960’s Boston, Journalist Loretta McLaughlin is the first to spot a connection between a string of murders leading to the investigation of the infamous ‘Boston Strangler’.

The niche subgenre of journalistic investigation is spearheaded by Alan Pakula’s All the President’s Men and, more recently, Tom McCarthey’s spectacular Spotlight. Both films are a testament to this specific type of film, balancing the genre tropes of mystery and giving us real stories told with panache and honesty. Matt Ruskin’s newest film does bear a resemblance to both of those films both in style and narrative, but its unbalanced script and half-hearted tackle of misogyny leave it paling in comparison.

At some point in the narrative the film loses you. You could argue that this is a true-to-life reflection of the Police’s skewed and scattered investigation but what Ruskin, who also wrote the screenplay, can’t seem to find is any coherence between the multiple threads he’s pulling on. Loretta’s home life taking a hit, the botched investigation and the collision between press and police all seem to get shuffled about with no real substance, lacking the extra punch that films of this genre regularly have. Fincher’s Zodiac is the prime example, with no clear conviction in its true story, it balances coherence with an enigmatic quality with ease – but Boston Strangler struggles to find that balance all the way through.

While the film’s narrative may be challenging, it’s able to capture the time and setting well, showing us the bleakness of a city shaken by murders. The dreary colour palette and smoky rooms really plays a part in creating the film’s tone – adding the enigmatic qualities that the film so desperately needs. However, it’s less of a crowning achievement and more of a fleeting triumph for a film that is so underwhelming.

A story of such infamy is always going to be interesting, but in the right hands this could have joined the elite groups of films that stand as the best of the genre. Aside from some strong supporting performances by great character actors and a consistent tone, Boston Strangler stumbles at every narrative hurdle – unable to capture anything poignant despite challenging so many themes.

2/5

#film review #boston strangler #movie review #kiera knightley #film #movie #cinema #review

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mitchbeck · 14 days ago

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hotellincolnsquare55 · 3 months ago

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Trekking in Thekkady: A Beginner’s Guide to Exploring Kerala’s Lush Forests

Do you have a strong desire for adventure and a love of the outdoors? Trekking in Thekkady, Kerala, maybe the ideal experience for you if you are searching for the ideal blend of the two. With a multitude of paths that lead through thick forests, undulating hills, and stunning scenery, Thekkady, which is tucked away in the Western Ghats, is a haven for both novice and expert trekkers.

If you have never trekked before, though, how do you even begin? What should you know before heading out onto the trails with your boots on? You will feel more equipped for your trip into Kerala's environment by the end of this discussion of the fundamentals of trekking in Thekkady!

Why Trekking in Thekkady?

Perhaps you are asking what makes trekking in Thekkady so unique. Thekkady is the location of the well-known Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, a sizable region with an abundance of species. Along with the natural beauty of these forests, hiking through them offers the opportunity to see species including deer, elephants, monkeys, and unusual birds. Every step you take gets you closer to the heart of the wilderness, whether it be a quick nature stroll or a strenuous journey.

In Thekkady, trekking is a fantastic way to escape the daily grind and reconnect with nature. Just picture yourself strolling beneath the massive tree canopy and being able to hear nothing but the rustle of leaves and the chirping of birds. Sounds like the ideal getaway, doesn't it?

What Are Your Trekking Options?

There are many possibilities available for those who are new to trekking in Thekkady. There are routes that range in difficulty, so you can start off simple and work your way up to a more daring hike. The majority of treks are guided, so you know you are in good hands. Your guide will make sure you stay safe while assisting you in discovering the forest's hidden gems.

If you are searching for a short hike, consider day hikes that run about 2-3 hours. These easy walks allow you to enjoy the beauty of your surroundings without pushing your boundaries. Are you feeling more adventurous? Full-day excursions into the woodlands provide additional opportunity for wildlife observations and spectacular sights.

Interested in Something More Adventurous?

Thekkady offers some thrilling possibilities for those who prefer a little adrenaline with their trekking trip. Consider combining camping and hiking. A great option to combine adventure and tranquility is to participate in the Periyar Tiger Reserve's Camping & Trekking Program. The fact that the program's guides were formerly poachers who are now forest guardians is what makes it so awesome. Is that not motivating?

As part of this program, you will camp for one or two nights in the middle of the forest, where you will trek during the day and sleep beneath the stars at night. It is a genuinely unique experience to sleep in the middle of the forest, wake up to misty mornings, and listen to the sounds of the jungle. These knowledgeable trackers will also lead your small party and provide insightful information about the local fauna and ecology.

However, bear in mind that there is never a guarantee of seeing an animal, so exercise patience and keep an eye out! Of course, you should also always show respect for the forest and its creatures by not leaving any trash behind and by not littering.

Trekking Etiquette: Conducting Yourself Responsibly

It is crucial to abide by particular guidelines when walking in a delicate habitat, such as the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, in order to save the surrounding area and its fauna. Therefore, how can you hike sensibly? Here are some points to remember:

Keep the trails tidy and bring back all of your rubbish to avoid littering. This guarantees that future visitors will still find the woodland to be lovely.

Respect the animals: Even though seeing wildlife is thrilling, stay a safe distance away from them and do not ever bother them. Animals should always be given space because this is their natural home.

Dress in earthy hues that complement the surrounding scenery to blend in with nature. Vibrant hues have the potential to frighten animals away or impede their normal habits.

Pay attention to your guide: The woodland is best known to your guide. To ensure your safety and to make the most of your adventure, heed their advice.

These modest deeds improve your hiking experience while simultaneously safeguarding the forest.

Where to Stay: Hotels in Thekkady

After an adventurous day of trekking, you’ll definitely want to rest and relax. Fortunately, there are plenty of hotels in Thekkady that cater to every type of traveler. Whether you’re looking for a luxury resort or a cozy budget-friendly stay, you’ll find a place that suits your needs. One popular option is Hotel Lincoln Square, which is known for its excellent service and close proximity to the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary.

Conclusion

It is important to plan ahead if you want to visit Thekkady's verdant forests. Especially during the busiest travel seasons, make sure to reserve your trekking excursion well in advance. There is something in Thekkady for everyone, whether you want to go on a quick nature stroll, a full-day hike, or an overnight camping trip.

Trekking in Thekkady is about more than simply the excitement of the journey; it is about putting the world on hold, taking time to slow down, and genuinely enjoying its beauty. Are you prepared to venture into the wildness of Kerala now? Gather your belongings, pick a hotel from Thekkady's selection, and get set for an amazing journey!

#kerala #tourism #thekkady #wildlife

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javiersprincess · 8 months ago

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HSJSHJS OKAY ILL CAVE IN ILL PLAY IT AFTER FINALS AND SPAM YOU ALL ABOUT IT

i have the game at home but i’ve never played it, two of my siblings finished it and say that it’s amazing so 👀 im curious to play, oh also i’ve heard many people talk about the attention to detail and how it’s so good to the point where they accidentally came across a bear and a wolf fighting bc of a deer carcass like woah the world is worlding, animals are existing n doing their own thing and you’re just a character that happens to live in the same world instead of it being the world revolves around the main character- ALSO SOMETHING I SAW ON YOUTUBE (it caught on to my arthur brainrot and tried to get me to play the game 💀) WHEN NPCS CUT THEIR FOOD AND USE A FORK TO EAT IT ITS THE SAME CUT SHAPE THAT THEY CUT AND IT SHOWS EXACTLY ON THE PLATE TOO LIKE WOAH ATTENTION TO DETAIL!!

this got me curious; what is something about the game that you find interesting/cool/neat? and what is your favorite thing about the game? 👀

YES !!! TO THE WHOLE TOP PART ! red dead 2 is by far rockstar’s most artistic game and the amount of detail that went into it is spectacular - that with the story of the game makes it One of the Games of My Life (with bg3) as a game i was so blessed to experience as a piece of art

my favorite thing about the game is the interactions at camp - its a solid way to immerse yourself in the game and it really makes you care about the story and the characters in a way i think is rare to most people !

#lamb.bleets #messages📩#hi stranger!#the way each character at camp ss their own life moving along your play through as arthur is sooooo good to me as s player it adds another #layer of experience for sure

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bigbloatedblueberry · 1 year ago

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ACT 01 | UNSYSTEMATIC AFFECTIONS AIR – A STEALTH ELEMENTARY ELEMENT OF ORLANDO’S CORPUS – FLIRTINGLY ENTERS WITH HEAVY LIGHT WINDS

[heavy light steps approaching they just stopped someone moves a delicate left hand to the right side of the, from the public’s perspective, unseen part of the stage silence follows how come? well, there cannot be real silence anyway] LIGHT! [which one? well, of course the kind of white but not really white one you mean the one that feels transparent? YES got it]

[commentator – sun // narrator – moon] A spot just a bit left, yet right, of the completely otherwise blackened stage of this meteoric parliamentary circularly spectacular kind of in between place got lighted! Color? A not defined kind of milky yet cold but warm white one but not white one – or other. Has the flair of brave windy tales. A persona stands there. Lighted yet in shadow. One cannot make out any specific facial features – the persona wears steady music. Well, never mind. According to one’s ears, the standing in standing persona seems ready and precisely not in need of an examination. One can say so according to the length of the personas’ shoulders, always combined with the depth of the all-around playfully thrown shadows. This is, after all, a well-known truth, a one, that can only itself be true in an absurd location of an efficient revolution, that one, which expands to a dislocated placement of an avant-gardian manifestation between the vaporous and the solid vertical perspectives, like this not specific one, we all find ourselves yesterday.

[air] I shall here attempt to explain some of these affections (for I do not undertake to deal with them all) and to set them apart from those designations that are not affections of any being [1] whose flat reflexion above a virtual engagement seeks to dare an arranged systematicity out of a systematic arrangement. Now, in the first place, neither discovery nor occupation can have any bearing upon freedom of trade. [2]

An interior openness outside a standard ideal of an adamantine body was said to know where a heavy breathing between light shadows can be felt: somewhere in between stammered denials of fragmented shapes in the domain of imaginary space and overlapping windows without measure or reference point. Detienne and Vernant therefore add even more boldly: “One meditates or constructs a cunning ploy in the same way as one fits together the various pieces of wood from which the trap is constructed, which form the instrument of the deception.” The above formulation, then, needs a little adjustment: the techne of building cannot reach the status of an appearance without any metis.[3] But, the techne of building, with a reciprocal dependency, that floats in touched time and flows in heard space, amidst seriously loving everything that is broken up and dances in the curious in between, can for sure start to wholeheartedly laugh, which is the status of an appearance with a hint of a metis.

[commentator – sun // narrator – moon] Well, in that case, we can yesterday start with this spectacle. After all, the first of the 4 was just gifted to you, dear private public of this meteoric parliamentary circularly spectacular kind of in between place.

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michelleleewise · 2 years ago

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There is.......soooooo much I loved about this!!!!

The dull tip of your blade met his jugular as you pushed his bicep down with all the force you could muster, edging on the pressure-point of that taut neck you knew he loved sucked. Bet he got it sucked this morning, you thought venomously; panting as a reluctant grin stretched across Loki’s lips.

First......ouch!!! You really could feel the anger radiating off of her.......

Thor released you, making sure his hand slid lightly over your ass as he did so. You grimaced. “If Ordinances of the Colours do not apply in this realm, brother...then neither does the Covenant of the First Seed.” he said pompously.

Loki snorted, tilted his chin to the ceiling with a mirthless chuckle before lowering it once again with renewed malice in his eyes. “Since when did you respect the Covenant of the First Seed, brother?” he spat. “In this realm or in any other.

Thor shrugged. “I see not how it is my fault that you could not satisfy your lovers, Loki.”

Secondly.......these two!!! I love how her plan to make him jealous is blowing up I'm spectacular fashion!!! She definitely has BOTH of their attention!! 🤣

“Little does Rogers know that it is you, Agent, who needs to be brought to heel.” he purred, tucking his thumbs under the straps of the fencing pants and running them purposefully downward.

"And Agent…” he hummed. “I know just where to start.”

And lastly.......umph!! 🥵🥵 those straps....and tbay outfit.....he can do whatever he likes.....I'm ok with that....lol

I want to know what he whispered to Thor to make him surrender lol in my mind it was "yield....or I shall inform your comrades of the fluffy stuffed bear you sleep with." 🤣🤣 it's a brother thing...hahaha I loved this so so much!!! Wow excited for part 2!!! I need answers!!! Lol 💚💚💚

Crossed Swords [Avenger! Loki x Fem.Reader]

Part of the Hostile F*cks Collection A Link to my Masterlist is HERE Summary: (9) You overhear something unwelcome. Mischief ensues. Warnings: 18+ Minors DNI. Smuttish. "Friends" w/ benefits. Graphic descriptions of Loki in fencing pants. Language. Mild violence. (w/c 4.2k)

You didn’t know what had possessed you to knock on Loki’s door. It had been over a week since Scotland, and visions of that night had consumed your mind like a virus. It was all you could think about, and you needed to see him. Alone. You squeezed the clan pin from his tartan sash that had somehow ended up in your possession into a fist as the other rapped the wood three times. The sharp edges stung into the soft base of your palm as you heard footsteps approaching. I’m here to return it before the tactics meeting. I’m here to return it, that’s all. It’s not weird. It’s normal, totally nor- “Don’t.” Loki’s deep voice had suddenly commanded through the wood. “Come back to the bed.”

The footsteps paused before retreating. Your stomach clenched, chest tightening while dread rolled up your body like a wave. Without thinking, you pressed your ear to the door. Loki moaned. A low, guttural sound you’d only heard when he was nine inches deep. You frowned, blood thumping in your chest. This was not an unexpected scenario, but hearing it first-hand smarted like vinegar. You took a step back and frowned at the sealed door, rage bubbling in your belly. He’s so fucking full of it, you thought furiously; instantly chastising yourself for being annoyed at all. Jealous. You’re fucking jealous...you fucking idiot. You squeezed the brooch a final time before throwing it harshly at the door. Shit. It hit the centre with a loud thud. Shitshit, Why did I do that?! Swearing under your breath you made a hasty retreat down the corridor, a plan forming as you made your way back to your room. There was just enough time before the tactics meeting. And you had a tactic of your own to deploy.

“Righto guys n’ gals, time for a few home truths.” Steve clapped his hands together, resting them under his chin as he stood at the head of the table. He’s the only one more annoying than Loki, you thought; letting your eyes flicker from your notepad to the pristine god sitting directly across the table. Loki found your covert gaze, immediately shooting you an almost imperceptible wink. Nope, still Loki; you decided, returning his presumptive gesture with a roll of your eyes. Thor sat beside him, the blonde’s hoodie making him look even bulkier beside his lean, perfectly toned brother radiating arrogance in his stupid tight t-shirt. Thor was staring again. You saw his chin dip lower, the swirling blue of his eyes darkening as he gave you that look. His lustful glare had become all too common around the Tower since the red dress incident. And it told you that you tactics were about to play out perfectly.

Fingers pushed a strand of hair behind your ear, being careful to keep looking at the Captain as you tilted your body towards the head of the table. The fingers brushed down your neck, stopping to lightly massage the dent of your collarbone before falling and undoing one innocent button just above your heart. “All this technology is nice and dandy, but if an enemy intercepts our comms; we’re jimmied. Kaplunkered, folks…unless you have the inbuilt qualities, of course.” Steve said. Your fingertips brushed back to your shoulder, digging deeper into the bare flesh and letting your dark chiffon blouse slip down. The fingers caught on a twinge. You frowned, closing your eyes with lips parted in a calculated silent sigh of pleasure. “...so we need to make more of an effort to ensure our bop em’, sock em’ techniques are up to scratch. The ol' S&M. Swords and muscles, folks.” The feeling of Loki’s gaze lingering on you touching yourself was palpable. His analysing stare sifting over your body was something you had become as accustomed to recognising as the waft of burnt toast. You let a smile twitch the edges of your mouth, opening your eyes to concentrate on Steve once again. “Later this afternoon we’ll run a group session, and we can make sure we’re all where we need to be.” You gave your shoulder a final squeeze, letting an expression that was entirely too sexual flash across your features. A low whimper erupted from Thor’s direction. “Asgardians?” Steve huffed in exasperation, making you turn to face the accused with innocent interest. “This applies to you, too.” Thor snapped to attention, babbling incoherently as his cheeks flushed. Loki’s eyes narrowed towards you, before he too looked toward Rogers with a nod. Cool as a New York winter morning. “I concur that the team skillset is somewhat lacking in the close combat department, Rogers. Particularly where blades are concerned.” he said with an air of haughtiness only he could muster. “I would be happy to whip them, into shape.” Whip. The word was onomatopoeic on his tongue. A soft beginning climaxing in a sharp crack which lingered on his lips. His hands lay clasped in front of him on the table, the long lines of his torso perfectly straight through impeccable posture. Those dark waves were tied back in a loose bun, strands hanging against his carved cheekbones. “Excellent.” Steve clapped his hands together again. “Everyone in the training hall in one hour under 'Master of Blades' Laufeyson, then.” he quipped.

I wonder if he had it loose while he was fucking her, you thought; an intrusive mental image making you fight the urge to squirm in your seat. Memories of his wild locks trailing your body filled your mind, how you’d always tug it roughly as he took his pleasure like an animal in heat. Did she do the same? You imagined Loki padding naked and sated across his rooms, casually scraping his luxurious hair still sex-damp up into the messy bun while manifesting the simple black t-shirt and chinos he was wearing. His rooms, you thought with a twinge. He’s never taken me to his rooms. Wetness slid between your thighs as you shuffled, feeling your jaw clench. Loki smirked, as Steve’s voice prattled in the background. You imagined how you would do things differently if he had his hair tied up like that while you fucked him. How your mouth would suck and bruise all along the uninterrupted landscape of pure masculine eroticism he called a jawline. From his chin to his earlobe. God, you wanted to fucking bite him. Hard. Like the bruise he had become accustomed to leaving on the curve of your shoulder. A gift. A remembrance. His mark. You suddenly wondered if anyone else around this table wore that mark.

There were mumbles of disapproval at the idea of Loki as a teacher while seats scraped back on the floor. You lifted your bag onto the surface, nudging a pen which rolled to the middle of the table. “Oops.” you muttered coyly, sliding the bag purposefully to the side. You leant forward, lowering your chest and giving both brothers a view down the neckline of your blouse. Thor’s jaw slackened, seeing the lacey lingerie cupping your breasts. “See you in an hour, boys.” you murmured innocently, beginning to slide the pen towards you. Thor’s glazed stare travelled from your cleavage to your face and back to your chest. The lace was a bright, rich red. Loki’s gaze rose from the salacious view down your top to your eyes. The icy set of his features made your nipples harden. A low growl rumbled in the blonde’s throat as you straightened, not looking back as you casually exited the room with a smirk. “Don’t even think about it, brother.” Loki snarled under his breath, feeling Thor’s biceps vibrate against his shoulder with covert mirth. “Oh brother…” the blonde growled, watching the curve of your ass as you disappeared out of sight. “I fear it is far too late for that.”

The Tower weapons training facility was on the thirty-second floor, but it may as well have been in the basement. There was no natural light, just overhead runners that made it feel like you could be anywhere.

You and Nat pushed the swing doors open in sync, letting them fly wide as the waiting group turned expectantly. You’d changed. A black sports bra underneath a loose racer-back top with high-waisted leggings completing the uniform. You smiled to yourself at the knowledge that the matching lace underpants to the red bra were safely concealed. Ready to be deployed if needed. When needed. “Nice of you to join us at last.” Loki sneered, projecting his voice as he ran his gaze appraisingly over you both. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch, Laufeyson” Nat shrugged, stretching her bicep over her chest. “Not everyone walks around in baggy sweatpants all damn day.” She threw Scott a knowing look. His eyes widened at the unexpected barb, pulling out the sides of his sweatpants with a pout before looking to Sam for support. Sam shook his head silently. Loki ignored her, striding forward from the head of the hall towards the group. “A 'Master of Blades." Loki announced theatrically as the mutters grew silent. "While the Captain may have noted this in childish jest, I can assure you it is no mere flippantry. Across these nine realms, my skills with steel are legendary...and it is your privilege to learn from me today.” “Is your boyfriend on his period or something?” Nat whispered, making you cover your mouth to suppress a laugh. “He’s not my boyfriend. God forbid.” you hissed, regaining your composure. “He gets off of this sort of stuff. Lording it over people. He’s a dick.” “Sometimes all they need to be is a dick.” Nat said solemnly, making you press a finger to your mouth to stifle another giggle. She smirked, pressing her lips together. Loki threw you both a scowl. You had been trying not to look at him, knowing that as soon as you did the familiar fizz between your legs would rise; but it was too late. His hair was still in that goddam messy bun, strands falling in thin curls around his jawline. The overhead lighting accentuated every shadow cast by his cheekbones, that fair skin utterly luminous. He wore a tight charcoal gym top that suddenly reminded you of the wetsuit. That fucking wetsuit, you thought; clenching at the memory of it peeling down his chiselled abs. The spandex clung to every curve of his muscles, his biceps perfectly encased beneath the fabric. Only his forearms were visible, the sight of thick veins running beneath his pale skin making saliva well under your tongue. Pristine white straps ran down his chest from over his shoulders, part of a high waisted swordfighting ensemble tight around his midriff. The material ran straight down his hips, snug to the crotch by design. They fell just above the knee, a pair of tight black socks tucked beneath the hem. Perfectly fitted, naturally. How does he look so fucking good in everything, you thought wistfully; watching the flex of his thigh muscles through the white cotton as he stalked towards you. The straps hugged his chest, bound tight. The mental image of riding them down his bare shoulders while you mounted him filled your mind; feeling his cock straining up between your thighs. The material creased at his hips, accentuating the bulge of his obscene manhood with every stride. He stopped, his face inches from yours. “Thank you for returning my relic.” he stated formally, hands clasped behind his back.

You grimaced, regretting letting your irritation boil over with your earlier theatrics. “That’s fine. Shall we?” Loki frowned at your brevity, searching your face before taking his place in the centre of the semi-circle. In a flash of green, a steel blade appeared in his grip. Dulled, of course. He twirled the twenty-four inches of metal fluidly, enjoying the reluctantly impressed faces of the team gathered. Scott ooo’ed. Sam elbowed him in the ribs. Loki held the sword in front of his face, hands clasped around the hilt; splitting the symmetrical perfection in two. Only one side was smiling. “My first wisdom about the sword” he enunciated regally, “is that it’s power comes from the force of your core.” He looked at you as he said it, sending chills shuddering through the base of your leggings. “The blade is an extension of your body. You direct it. Master it. You do not follow it.” He began to pace, swinging the sword theatrically. Each slice made a cutting whir through the air. “Every strike, every thrust, every stab should be calculated. Each offensive move or defensive counter-strike a graceful, fluid motion. Your impulses must be tamed, so that you are always in control. Dominating, like one would handle a submissive lover.” “God, even his tutorials are sexualised.” you whispered bitterly to Nat. She offered a weak eye-roll. “What was that, Agent?” Loki snapped, his stoic demeanour holding as he rested the blade against his shoulder. You sighed, feeling your adrenaline rise at his confrontation. God, you thought. Imagine him wearing those fucking fencing pants shirtless- “I said, even your tutorials are sexualised. Is that really necessary?” Loki let out a low chuckle, weaving the handle of the blade expertly as he stalked closer. “It is not a question of what is necessary” he hummed, running one long digit along the blade horizontal to his midriff. His eyes followed the finger, until it rested on the dulled tip. “At their basest level, all realms share two passions which are impossible to extinguish. Violence, and...sex.” His long lashes fluttered upwards, making your breath hitch.

“Mastering the art of the blade is inextricable with mastering the art of sex, Agent. One cannot be achieved without the other. At least, not in a manner which will cause any significant lasting impression.” Nat snorted beside you. “And you’ve mastered these arts have you?” you sneered, folding your arms. “You know I have, Agent.” he purred darkly, making your cheeks heat as every gaze fell on you. “But since you seem resistant to my methods of tutelage, let’s have a demonstration shall we?”

You shrugged, ignoring the churning of your stomach and extending your hand in expectation. Loki nodded towards the wall, where twelve immaculately positioned short-swords had appeared resting vertically. You pursed your lips, placidly making your way over and picking one up. You swivelled the blade in your grip, feeling the weight. A pin drop would have echoed. The onlookers stepped back as Loki stalked towards you like a panther on the hunt. A fencing mask appeared in his hand, swinging casually before he threw it to you. You grunted, tossing it to the side before raising your sword. Pretentious Asshole. The straps over his shoulders strained with every calculated, heavy breath; the ropes of thick muscle shifting as he perfected his stance. Suddenly, Loki lunged. A clang of steel resounded around the hall as your blade met his, blocking in a high X that spliced his sharpened features in two. He pushed forwards, making you stumble as you desperately tried to hold your ground. His chin was lowered, smouldering eyes burning into yours as the muscle of his forearm bulged in thick lines. “Defend yourself.” he growled, scraping his blade upwards and pivoting it with a flick of his wrist, immediately going for an underhand strike. You retreated, countering again; steel singing as metal slid to his hilt. “Fuck you, Loki.” you hissed, bringing your free hand up in a fist. He flinched, raising a palm to catch it. You kneed him in the ribs. A low rumble of mirth rippled across the semi-circle around you both. Loki barely reacted. Barely. But it was just enough. You leveraged the weight change, pushing his sword upward and ducking under his arm. The dull tip of your blade met his jugular as you pushed his bicep down with all the force you could muster, edging on the pressure-point of that taut neck you knew he loved sucked. Bet he got it sucked this morning, you thought venomously; panting as a reluctant grin stretched across Loki’s lips. You know he could kill you with one hand if he chose. With his obscenely large thumb, even. For now, it was a hollow victory to be sure. But you would take it. “You found my weak spot, it seems.” he murmured quietly, a knowing smile tugging at his dimples; eyebrows slanted in mock-surrender. “You’re easily distracted.” you panted, pushing away his bicep with a rough shove. There was a ripple of tentative applause as Loki straightened and you made your way back to your spot. Nat nodded approvingly.

“As demonstrated by our colleague here, the force of the blade is not always in its length, sharpness or girth. It is the manner in which it is wielded. With the innate, fierce hostility toward any who would overpower you.” Loki’s chin tilted as he spoke, analysing the effect of his words on those watching. On you. “She was not willing to let me overpower her.” he continued thoughtfully, fingering the edge of the blade. “If I was a mere man, I’d say she may even have succeeded.” “Hey- she did succeed, asshole.” Nat interjected, offering a nudge of solidarity. Loki chuckled. “Keep telling yourself that, Romanoff. A Master of Blades is not easily defeated by such a…” Loki's eyes ran down to your trainers and back to meet your narrowed eyes, tilting his head. “Let’s continue. Pairs. And I shall observe your efforts.” Your nostrils flared, a deep growl simmering in your chest. You were vaguely aware of a tall shadow beginning to loom over you. “My Lady, may I-” “Yes.” you snapped, still glaring at Loki as he slid his sword gracefully into a leather back-holster he had manifested out of thin air. You turned towards Thor, forcing a smile. “It would be my pleasure.” The blonde god’s eyes followed the movement of your lips, before licking his own. “Wonderful.” he rumbled after a pause. As you watched him join the others retrieving blades from the wall, your fingers found their way to the waistband of your leggings, folding them over.

Your eyes flickered back to Loki, swinging his blade fluidly in a series of joined twists and strikes that made your traitorous sex scream with wet, hot need. The next hour was blessedly uneventful; a series of test formations observed by Master Laufeyson as he circled the group like a shark. The relentless clang of metal rang in your ears as Loki’s deep voice reverberated, his sultry commands making it increasingly difficult to concentrate. “Inward cut to downward block, Lang. Upper cut to Alpha. Go harder.” Loki bellowed, the gravitas making a shudder roll down your spine. “Impress me.” he announced sanctimoniously, flicking the curling waves around his face back with a flourish. The dark god left your vision as you side-stepped, waiting for your chance to strike his elder brother. You absent-mindedly twisted the bottom of your baggy t-shirt, balling it at your back and tucking it into the folded leggings. A flash of red lace was visible. Inevitably, your gaze was drawn back to Loki. Standing there with his sword tucked in that ludicrously erotic back-holster. Straps. He’s all straps today; you thought, biting your lip.

That spandex top tucked into the fencing pants did nothing to hide the carved abdomen beneath it; the outline of his cock visible with every measured pace as he observed the team with haughty disdain. The leather of the back-holster was completely out of place and yet...perfectly natural. Loki's triangular shoulders flexed as he paced in a wide circle, condescension at their efforts simmering beneath half-lidded eyes. How you yearned to hook your fingers beneath those leather straps as he fucked you senseless, pulling him tighter. Deeper. Hearing him hiss as the tight skin cut underneath his armpits- “Shit.” you gasped, raising your hand just in time to block an attack from your blonde opponent. Thor snarled, walking you backwards. His wandering eyes travelled down your body, widening as he noticed the flash of red lace rising over your hip like blood in the water. His blade pushed closer to your face, pressing your forearm to your chest. The chill of the steel radiated against your skin as it hovered close to your cheek. “Tonight.” Thor murmured. “Your invitation. I accept.” “My...invitation?” you gasped, as his sword lowered to your throat; your own forced past the point of no return. Thor growled approvingly. “Never fear, I know of your unfortunate liaisons with my brother. It is not the first time a woman has sought the comfort of my mighty cock after being unfulfilled in his bed.” “My-? I..ohgod.” Your sword clattered to the ground as Thor’s hand slid firmly around your waist, pulling your hips towards his. The dulled blade slid down your neck, resting on the curve of your cleavage. You curled your hand in a fist, ready to punch him right in the eye. Suddenly Thor's blade was flicked away from your bosom, cast upwards from his meaty grip like a toothpick by another, larger length of metal. It hit the floor and bounced, rattling. “Brother.” Loki snarled, his sword raised to Thor’s throat; eyes flashing with warning. Gone was the short, more wieldy weapon; and in it’s place a longsword fit for battle. The dark god let his hardened gaze fall on you. “I credited you with more finesse, Agent.” he sneered. “Clearly I was mistaken.” Thor released you, making sure his hand slid lightly over your ass as he did so. You grimaced. “If Ordinances of the Colours do not apply in this realm, brother...then neither does the Covenant of the First Seed.” he said pompously. Loki snorted, tilted his chin to the ceiling with a mirthless chuckle before lowering it once again with renewed malice in his eyes. “Since when did you respect the Covenant of the First Seed, brother?” he spat. “In this realm or in any other.” Thor shrugged. “I see not how it is my fault that you could not satisfy your lovers, Loki.” With a flash of green, another mighty longsword appeared in Loki’s free hand. He flipped the handle effortlessly towards Thor, the implication clear. You suddenly realised that neither were dull blades. Nordic runes were engraved along the shafts, thick grooves running through the centre to ornate golden handles which gleamed garishly under the overhead lights. “Wait I-” you panted, before a hand wrapped around your forearm pulling you backwards. “We can’t do anything, just stay out the way.” Nat muttered, confusion etched across her brow. “Is this about you?” she added quietly, her voice tinged with pride as she watched the scene unfold. The brothers circled each other like feral wolves as the team shrank back warily against the wall. “I don’t know anymore.” you whispered, wondering what the hell you’d just done.

Both lunged at the same time, meeting in a clash of bared teeth and snarls and heavy steel. Thor pressed the blade towards Loki, bending him backwards before your lover kicked his brother’s feet from under him. The blonde hit the ground with a harsh thud, immediately rising to the sound of Loki’s menacing laughter echoing around the high ceiling. It was relentless. A series of nimble twists and strikes from the dark god outmanoeuvring his brother’s lumbering frame as metal struck and vibrated in the air. Strands of Loki’s hair flew wildly, sticking to his forehead as he wielded the weaponry like the master he was. The abject fury on his face had given way to something softer. Mischief, you thought; watching every pop of his thick forearms as he struck repeatedly into Thor’s feeble defence. His elongated thighs lunged with expert precision, the curves of his obscenely toned calves visible through the tight socks with every calculated thrust. Thor was clearly more accustomed to using his fists, the blade forming no more than a rustic barrier to his brother’s rage. Loki dodged his clumsy attempts with ease as the blonde left a trail of destruction through the gym. A chorus of shock rippled among the onlookers with every crunch as Thor’s sword met the wall while Loki spun away - his growls of frustration growing louder. You counted seven holes. Wait...make that eight. Thor lumbered towards his brother, hair swinging as his jaw clenched. Loki smirked, pacing quickly towards him with sword raised before dodging at the last moment and spinning behind. He pinned the edge of the sharp blade to his brother’s neck; a free arm fast around his chest as he rubbed the flat against a pulsating vein. Thor bellowed, his reddened face writhing as he struggled. “Yield.” Loki announced loudly, his voice frighteningly calm. “I will not.” Thor roared, twisting as Loki whispered something in his ear. You watched silently, eyes frantically scanning them as Thor’s brow furrowed in anguish. “Damn you, brother!” he shouted, as Loki released him with a final snarl of victory. Your eyes ran covetously over Loki’s thighs in those tight pants as he swaggered backwards; suddenly realising you had been holding your breath. “What the heck…” Steve’s whine pierced the air. “What is this?” The group turned sheepishly towards him, as Loki moved the sword in a casual, flourishing figure of eight. He raised his arm, sliding the Asgardian steel into the leather holster like a fucking tease. “My brother and I crossed swords, that is all.” he purred innocently, casting a glance towards his heavily breathing sibling still bubbling with silent fury. “Oh is that right?” Steve huffed, putting his hands on his hips as he strutted forwards, observing the piles of plaster littering the gym from Thor’s clumsy combat techniques. “Well you can clear up all this goshdarned mess.” he snipped, poking Loki in the chest. The god smirked, running a hand innocently through his hair. “And don’t think about using magic to tidy the blade depository, Laufeyson. Last time it was an absolute tarnation of a scene in there. Sheaths and daggers and morning-glories all over the heckin’ shop. All out of order from the wallchart, I may add.. which is clearly displayed, thank-you-very-much.”

You bit your lip, stifling a giggle. The thought of Loki arranging the blade depositary by hand was laughable. “Agent, you watch him.” Steve said, waving a hand towards you as he began to strut towards the door. “Make sure he behaves. I know I can count on you.” You stood open mouthed as the team began to assemble a pile of swords on the floor in front of you, mumbling their condolences. You sighed as Loki’s hard bicep brushed against your own. You didn't need to look at him to know that shit-eating grin would be stretched across his infuriatingly handsome face. The scent of heavy leather and tang of his fresh sweat radiating the heat between you made you feel light-headed. “You heard the man, Agent.” he murmured, that velveteen voice sinking into the gusset of your surely ruined panties. “The question is...do you think you have what it takes to make me behave?” There was a heavy pause.

“Inquiring minds wish to know...” he keened, his mirth palpable. “Shut up.” you snapped, as Loki chuckled. “Little does Rogers know that it is you, Agent, who needs to be brought to heel.” he purred, tucking his thumbs under the straps of the fencing pants and running them purposefully downward. He leant to the side when they met the base of the high waistband. His warm breath fanned your cheek; moist lips grazing your earlobe. “And Agent…” he hummed. “I know just where to start.”

To be continued in Crossed Swords: To The Hilt (coming soon) Part of the Hostile F*cks Collection

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tuliprry · 3 years ago

Text

sunbeam 4

prompt: ballerina!yn x barista!harry, y/n is a ballerina and harry works at the café in the same building, both have a little crush on each other

warnings: mostly fluff, some smut (please do not read if you're not 18 or older because this isnt for you), mentions of kinks, mentions of anxiety

word count: 2.2k

part 1 part 2 part 3 part 5 extras

may 29th

harry's heart is about to beat out of his chest, he's front row at a local theatre, about to see his y/n perform, he has another bouquet of tulips to give her at the end of the show, he feels like when they first went on a date, nervous shits, sweaty palms and a tummy ache. the seat next to him is empty and has a paper saying "y/n y/l/n's mother", only making his anxiety even worse, y/n's mum speaks little to zero english and his portuguese isn't exactly the best.

"hello harry" a woman slightly taller than y/n says, "ohhh oh um olá (hello)!" his brain starts acting up immediately, y/n's mum sits next to him and they're just sitting in silence as they wait for everything to start.

y/n was the dewdrop fairy, the lead in one of the waltzes, harry was so proud, he was mesmerised, she was so beautiful and looked so professional up there, his point still stood, she was out of a music box and he could stare at her for a lifetime, just watching her spin and spin, just for him.

harry and y/n's mum were at the auditorium doors after the show, waiting for y/n, her mum had a winnie the pooh bear with her, y/n's favourite disney character, harry knew that, he just thought flowers were the appropriate thing for a ballerina. y/n walks out of the backstage door with one of her colleagues, mimi, mimi was from another ballet studio but they got along super well, easing y/n while performing.

"mimi, my make up is burning my eyes"

"tell me fucking about it, i don't know who said ballerinas need make up to dance i actually can't see shit in front of me"

y/n ran to her mum first, "mamã!" she hugged her tight, speaking in portuguese way too fast for harry's knowledge on the language, then she kissed him, it was a passionate kiss, they've been getting even more passionate lately, sometimes harry feels like keeping up with her will lead him to death, "i got you tulips" he smiled and handed her the bouquet with a little note.

"y/n, my most recently beloved blonde, i'm insanely proud of you my sweet girl, my bunny, my tulip, i love you so much.

amo-te,

harry"

y/n smiled at the reference of her recently bleached blonde hair and then held her tears back at harry's word in portuguese, he had said it to her a few times and every single time she sheds a tear on how powerful that word is to her. "também te amo (i love you too)" she says kissing him again.

june 15th

harry is seriously thinking about quitting his barista job, he spent the last two months reading into how to self publish and he’s finally ready to sit down with y/n and say he’s quitting, so moving in together could be happening quicker than what they had planned as harry would get a huge cut on his usual income but he needed to fully focus on writing only and he had enough poetry and y/n’s photography to publish his own book. he rehearsed it in his apartment alone a billion times, “i need to quit my barista job to start focusing on editing this book and publishing it…. no god no.. um i have to quit my barista job. too harsh harry too harsh”. he didn’t want to make such a big decision without y/n, especially after a really long talk a few nights ago about… what if in two or three years they got married and started a family, she was there and he couldn’t just make a rash decision by myself on a book he might just lose money from.

y/n finished her final year at university with spectacular grades thanks to her internship that became a paid job offer the same day she graduated, yesterday. so today she sped up to the studio she now officially worked at, setting up her own desk with her laptop and her stuff for when she’s in to edit some photos, she already has a semi busy schedule, except for 4th to 10th of july, when she’s going to italy with harry to celebrate her birthday, she was so happy she could burst in tears at her desk. she comes back home around lunch time to tell harry how amazing her little office at the studio is.

“harry!! i’m home i brought us some shake shack!” she says, taking her sandals off at the entrance of his house, “you have to come over and see my tiny office, it’s so cute and i have an amazing view to those big greenwich buildings and the tulips you got me for graduation just look so beautiful there, i also put up a photo of poppy, oli and you, ah i’m so happ- what’s wrong?” y/n placed the paper bag with food on the tea table, “y/n.. i have to quit my barista job” the girl was on her knees in front of him, trying to look him in the face, holding his hand and rubbing it gently, “i really want to publish my book, i’m not happy, i’m always late for magazine deadlines, i honestly only like to go because i get to see you and it’s how we met, i don’t ever want you to feel like i’m turning my back on you, my god i love you so much.” y/n was silent for a second, “harry.. i would never expect you to be a barista for your whole life, you’re a poet harry, this was a side job until you felt like it was time so if it is time go ahead, i’m here, do you need help looking into publishers? i can talk to some photographers who have released books and how they did it, seriously harry, you were born to be an author, i could never be mad” harry sniffled and looked at y/n, thinking of how she truly is an angel in his life. “fuck, i love you so much… shake shack was it?”, “mhm! let’s please it while it’s warm please? and then i promise i’ll start helping with your book”.

july 7th

palinuro, italia

it’s y/n’s birthday, harry woke her up at 8:30am to officially wish her a happy birthday at the exact time she was born, their days in italy have been so recharging he feels 22 like y/n, they’re staying at an airbnb, a whole italian villa just for the two of them. there’s a little patio with a whole bunch of flowers and vines, they’re currently having breakfast there, sweet strawberry jam on toast and a lot of cheeses, seriously they’ve been feasting on cheeses the entire time.

*smut*

“harry… i know we just woke up but god, i need you so bad” harry's lips immediately met y/n's, he could feel himself harden with a simple kiss but this woman left him absolutely on edge every single time, the kiss was passionate, almost violent, trying to find their way to the bedroom without stopping the kiss, harry's hands traveled through y/n's body, gripping at her love handles, god he loved her love handles, "god bunny", he whispered, getting her silky cream night gown out of the way, her nipples were fully erect without harry even touching them, the power he has over her is seriously out of this world, "if i put my hand inside your panties, how wet are you going to be, princess?" she could feel herself melt even more as his left hand held onto her and the right one did what he was saying, "so fucking wet aren't ya? all for me huh? all for daddy?" y/n tried to speak words but all out of her mouth were whimpers and sighs, "cmon lay down, let daddy take care of you".

y/n's legs are still shaky from earlier, the entire time on the car to the city she would close her eyes and take little power naps with her head rested on the jeep window. y/n doesn't really know how the whole daddy thing started, she moaned it accidentally one day and ever since they have explored it .... a lot, harry thinks y/n is the brattiest person he has dated, she has a true princess side but he just loves when she gets tough for him, just to melt the moment he says the word princess. "bunny wake up, we're here" harry says, turning off the car, "did daddy tire you out?" he asks with a cocky smile on his face, "just help me out, please" and so he did. the birthday lunch was at a little restaurant in the city centre, they've been eating good in italy, especially cacio e pepe, they also share a lot of deserts, some locals even ask them if they just had gotten married by the amount of touching and kissing, harry doesn't really understand much, he just waits for y/n to speak and then translate back to him, finding one of her hottest traits to speak italian.

for dinner they drove to napoli for a more fancy dinner in the city, or so y/n thought, harry saved enough money up to take y/n on a boat date, just for the two of them. harry was wearing brown corduroy pants and a pink shirt that was already half unbuttoned because of the weather. y/n has a long beige silk dress with little applications of tulle on the skirt and lace on her cleavage, white high heel sandals. "you're a goddess y/n, thank you for showing me heaven"

september 24th

harry has officially quitted his barista job, y/n was there for him to say goodbye to his friends and make sure he wouldn't back out, he had a book deal, he couldn't back out now, he got a little emotional saying goodbye to the place he met y/n at but y/n made sure to remind him what mattered was what they lived not where.

y/n and harry ended up moving in together in his apartment, y/n already spent so much of her time there and to help with money she just moved in a few nights ago, it has been chaotic to say the least, they've got an insane book collection both of them and no space for the 500 books they own, y/n has a lot of decorative pieces and harry has been choosing which one of his he wants to get rid off, thank god poppy and oli love each other and immediately falling asleep cuddling each other. one thing was easy, the kitchen, y/n loves cooking so making the kitchen more hers was something harry wanted to do, it has her plants and a filled up fruit basket, photos and magnets on the fridge, she turned his regular kitchen into a place it always smells good and feels like home. as for the rest of the house they're working on it, waking up next to each other and going to sleep without ever wanting to be away made up for the indecisiveness of the interior décor of the house.

"maybe we could get a rug we both like instead of arguing about bathroom rugs" y/n says holding her peach rug, "but bunny you love that peach rug... i don't think i mind if we get rid of mine" harry meant it, throughout these 10 months he knows how much y/n loves getting out of the shower and rub her feet on the peach rub, it's literally a peach. "are you sure?", "100%"

y/n has been working in multiple projects at the same time, romeo and juliet has been taking a lot of her time at the studio with mimi, they've been cast as rosaline and lady montague. "bunny we need a night out, we've been working so much, i miss you”, he means it, he has spent so many days looking at his poetry he’s starting to miss all the things they used to do when they started dating, he wouldn’t call it a love slump, they’re just so busy that when they get home they end up falling asleep, “yes, i miss you”, she can’t help but to shed a tear, “do you think me moving in was a mistake? i don’t want you to get tired of me”, harry sat on the bathroom floor with her, “tired of you? i could never, you’re my better half y/n, i would totally be lost without you in my life”, “promise?”, “i promise you”.

they decided to order in, big boxes of vegan sushi and ate them sitting on the sofa watching taskmaster, a show they’ve been watching together since they started dating, it feels light and funny and it always gets their mind off the hard topics talked about between them.

“do you think you could open a watermelon with your thighs?”

“of course bunny”

“i’d like to see that”

“are you implying i can’t do it?”

“i’m sure you can’t do it”

y/n's birthday posts

i fear part 5 will be the last

taglist: @his-only-angel-1989 @oscarissacsslut @odilevonbrekker @youd0ntkn0wm3 @tenaciousperfectionunknown

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asset35-maya · 3 years ago

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I am sleepy but I gotta make a request before the busy tomorrow so 2 things on my mind! Sleepy and the 'oh my god they were roomates' vine xD with any characters and aus I love everything you write anyways xD Happy timezones and best vibes your way >^<!! 💖💞💕💕

Oh my god, they were roommates…

“The rental market in Detroit is absolute shit! How dare these bloodsuckers charge such high rates for the most under-developed properties! This city’s going to the dogs!”

“Uh-huh.”

“You have to pay your own weight in gold just to live in a shoebox for a year. Nonsense!”

“Uh…”

“Are you even listening to me, Tina!

Tina?

Goddamnit Tina!”

Gavin thumped his fist on her desk, but Tina’s eyes barely flicked up from her phone.

“Oh my god, you sound like my grandpa…”

Gavin turned red and his brain buzzed with a thousand colourful retorts. He was just about to pick one when Tina stopped scrolling and turned her phone screen towards him.

CYBERSCALIA @ NEW JERICHO

The suburban paradise for executive androids and humans alike. Located 25 minutes drive from downtown Detroit, with a full amenities.

Gavin’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. He balked at her.

“You’re joking? How could I possibly…?”

“Get with the times, boomer…”

Tina lazily skimmed her thumb over the screen. The webpage promised plenty of greenery, good infrastructure and modest but spacious rooms. The extremely reasonable price tag was Gavin’s dream come true. He’d spent weeks apartment hunting in the wake of an early lease termination by his cantankerous landlord. Gavin knew he’d never find a better deal.

“Shit, this is so good, T! Why the phck does it have to be in that- that place!”

His friend arched a sceptical eyebrow.

“What place?”

“The Tincan ghetto!”

Tina smacked him on the arm. None too gently.

“It’s subsided public housing located in an android-friendly estate… because they’re the ones that need it most right now. And frankly, you seem to be in just as much need, so you should really get off that high horse.”

“Fine, fine. You’re right. I should seriously consider this place, even if my neighbours are gonna have more in common with my car than me. But damn, it seems a little too good to be true. There’s probably some fine print, hidden costs that’ll come out later.”

“Hmm… let’s see…”

Tina scrolled further and then let out a half-laugh. She held her phone up again.

“Nothing shady about the rates, but there is something you should know…”

At the risk of being called old again, Gavin squinted at the screen and read aloud.

“Bearing in mind the founding principles of New Jericho, all human occupants may only apply for tenancy in co-habitation with at least one android citizen of the United States of- JESUS PHCKING CHRIST! Absolutely not! I am not going to live with a plastic prick!”

Gavin had to get through half a bottle of wine before he could bear to scroll through the rental listings. Unlike other humans who had happily moved into New Jericho with their android friends or partners, he had to find an android who was also looking for a flatmate.

Some listings came from ardent supporters of Markus. These were the androids who wanted to ease the post-revolution transition by reaching out to humans. Some listings were put up by the android equivalent of frat boys. These individuals were clearly looking for someone on the fringes of human society, someone who could show them a good (if not illegal) time.

Other posts came from eccentric androids who craved company but had likely been rejected by their own kind. Gavin felt a strange twisting sensation, almost like pity, when he came across a post written entirely in third person by someone called Ralph.

He had almost given up hope when he came across a simple little listing for a two bedroom apartment in Cyberscalia.

RK900 #313 248 317 - 87: Seeking a neat, self-sufficient co-renter. Human or android, no preference. I spend most of my time working and will be out of your way for the better part of the day. I only ask for silence during my nighttime stasis cycles, timely payment of dues and upkeep of cleanliness.

Gavin sighed in relief.

“Your room is the first door on the left, mine is the second. The bathroom, laundry and kitchenette are shared, as is the living room. I scarcely find use for the latter, so you need not worry about my intruding on any of your social gatherings, or vice versa. As long as you adhere to the terms of the agreement, our paths will not cross much.”

The tall, stiff-necked android dropped a set of keys, both mechanical and digital, into Gavin’s open palm.

“Er thanks.. RK… sorry I forgot your full model number…”

“You may call me Nines. Although, I’d rather you didn’t call me much of anything. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

In a swish of black fabric, the android turned on his heel and disappeared into his room. Two rapid clicks indicated the shutting and locking of his door.

Gavin sighed and looked around the open-plan living room. It was nothing fancy, but it was far beyond any of the other properties he’d viewed in weeks of unsuccessful house-hunting.

He sat down on the simple black couch with a huff and contemplated his situation. He’d ended up where he’d truly never expected to go, but objectively speaking, things were good… barring the high-handed manner of his robot flatmate, but who gave a shit about that.

He pulled out his phone to text Tina his thanks.

“I can’t! I refuse to! It is a violation of my personal ethics and I will simply not take this assignment any further. Good day to you sir!”

Gavin nearly dropped his bowl of cereal one morning when his roommate burst out of his door and rushed into the open balcony.

He hadn’t seen Nines in days, which was perfectly normal. The android came and went at odd hours and made hardly any noise. It was almost like living alone. The only reminder of Nines’ presence was the sight of several dark shirts and trousers regularly hung out to dry on the rack above the washing machine.

Gavin set his bowl down and watched the android tightly grip the bars of the railing and take several unnecessary breaths to calm down. He’d seen deviant colleagues express emotion many times before, but this was the first time he witnessed such a potent mixture of rage and sorrow from a synthetic being.

Out of empathy, but mostly curiosity, Gavin approached cautiously.

“Hey Nines… is everything alright…?”

There was no response for several moments. Then Nines turned around with a grimace and hands held upwards in a placating gesture.

“I apologise for the disturbance. It was hypocritical of me to disrupt the very peace and quiet I demand of you.”

“Uh… no worries…? Are you okay?”

There was a flash of steel blue eyes.

Gavin kicked himself mentally as he realised too late that he’d broached uncharted territory. Their interactions didn’t extend beyond curt nods on the rare occasion they found each other in the same space. It was almost as if Nines engineered the lack of contact, which wouldn’t surprise Gavin at all if it were the case.

“I’m fine. I merely experienced some frustration with my work.”

Perhaps it was boredom, perhaps it was his usual lack of self-preservative instinct… Gavin threw caution to the winds.

“What do you actually do?”

Nines’ expression remained stoic but his LED went through a spectacular series of colours and flashes. His next words were reluctant.

“I’m a private investigator.”

“Oh shit! I’m actually a cop.”

Gavin pointed dumbly at himself and then let his hand drop when he saw absolutely no surprise cross the android’s face.

“I know. That’s why I let you stay with me.”

“For safety?”

“Certainly not for your fashion sense.”

“Wow okay, I didn’t think I’d be much protection for a big scary droid like you.”

Nines hummed dismissively and started to move out of the balcony, body language fully indicating the end of the conversation.

Unable to help himself for some strange reason, Gavin blurted out another ill-advised question.

“What pissed you off so much?”

Nines paused halfway through side-stepping the human. A thrill went through Gavin at the shards of ice he observed for the first time up close in Nines’ irises.

“If I tell you, will you promise to stop asking pointless questions?”

Gavin nodded earnestly, and frankly… rather foolishly.

“I helped a client gather evidence to initiate divorce proceedings on the grounds of infidelity. I provided ample photo and video evidence for his lawyers to work with. Now they want me to keep following the spouse to capture more details that could gear any future settlement in his favour.”

“So what’s your problem?”

“They’re offering me an incredible amount of cash to follow her 24/7. To stake out her workplace, her gym, her parent’s home. They want me to crouch under the window of the bedroom where her children sleep. I can do a lot of things, but not that. It’s deeply insulting that they even asked. That’s why I was so… pissed.”

Nines slipped past and was nearly back to his bedroom when Gavin spoke.

“I respect that.”

“I didn’t ask.”

“I know, but for real though, I think ethics are important in our line of work. Not just because of we need morals or a sense of right or wrong blablabla, but because we need… clarity.”

Silence floated through the hallway as Nines paused with a hand on his doorframe.

“Clarity?”

“Yeah, like a sense of direction. We don’t just take cases right-left-centre because they make us money. I mean, we could, and people do… but they never become specialists or experts of any kind. You gotta strategise if you want a career. Ethics helps with that. I think…”

Gavin wasn’t sure what made him say any of that. He was neither one for small talk, nor a man of many words… but something about Nines prompted that unusual level of introspective discourse.

“Sorry that was weird. Never mind.”

“That was actually… very astute.”

Their eyes met and Gavin could’ve sworn he saw the hint of a smile.

“It’s good to see that not all humans are as one-dimensional as I thought.”

The door clicked shut, but there was no locking sound.

Since the morning of Nines’ uncharacteristic outburst, the frequency of their encounters in the common areas of the apartment increased. Wordless nods became hellos, and hellos eventually became full sentences.

Not that he’d admit it, Gavin actually looked forward to enquiring about the android’s day and the cases he was working on. It was utterly fascinating to hear about legal investigations without the constraints of police procedure.

For his part, Nines would share as much as he had the patience to, before disappearing into the confines of his room. Though the time he spent outside steadily increased every day.

Another morning, while Gavin was making his coffee, Nines emerged from his room, still in his pyjamas and looking as livid as he had the time before. Gavin had never seen him in anything but crisply ironed businesswear. Before he could voice any concern, Nines stiffly asked Gavin to keep a lookout for a homicide suspect.

He nodded and immediately reached for his phone to text the sergeant on duty at his station. By midday, there was an arrest.

That evening, when Gavin settled in front of the TV with his usual glass of wine, he heard the familiar sound of Nines’ door opening. The couch dipped beside him.

“Thank you.”

“Just did my job. I should thank you for the tip.”

“Hmm.”

Gavin chanced a glance at his roommate, and found him looking right back.

“What?”

“Nothing… I just had the realisation that much of my work is impotent without the authority and means to take any kind of action.”

The sitcom began to play and Gavin thumbed the remote to reduce the volume.

“Takes all kinds to keep the streets clean. PIs can do things cops can’t. We rely on guys like you for intel all the time, you know.”

“I know.”

No words were exchanged for a while thereafter. Gavin found himself unable to focus on the TV show with all the brooding energy emanating from his right.

“If you feel like being a private eye doesn’t make enough of a difference, then why didn’t you… um… you know…”

“Join law enforcement?”

“Yup.”

“Plenty of my fellow androids have done so. I know for a fact that my predecessor model chose to remain there. You might know him.”

“Connor? Yes. Very annoying.”

“He is, isn’t he?”

“Totally. But why didn’t you join too? You’d be brilliant on the Force.”

“My skillset is certainly well-suited, but I didn’t want to become another puppet of the state.”

Gavin really didn’t know what to say to that. He nodded uncertainly and looked back at the television. He wasn’t sure why Nines was suddenly this social.

“What are you… watching?”

Androids could scan and detect just about anything in the world, so there had to be something else to the question. Gavin, strangely, was happy to oblige.

Nines made an appearance every evening, without fail. He would sit through the TV shows if they were of interest, or he would bring his case material and notes to the coffee table to work in silence beside Gavin.

Sometimes Gavin liked to work on jigsaw puzzles on the dining table. Nines would sit beside him, pretending to read a paperback novel, but actually scanning the puzzle and passing the right pieces over from time to time.

Against all odds, an evening ritual and a tentative friendship developed. It was simple, but it was warm. Comfortable. Like nothing Gavin had ever had before, even with humans.

He awoke one morning with a slight crick in his neck but the feeling of being very well-rested.

His eyes flickered open and fell upon the window. Familiar greenery came into view… but wait… had everything slightly shifted to the left? And was that the New Jericho Capitol building? He couldn’t see that from his room! There was a tree in the way! A tree that was now a few feet away from where it used to be.

Gavin sat up in alarm as he realised that he was not in his own bed. His heart flew into his throat as Nines walked through the open doorway. Shirtless and carrying a mug of blue liquid.

“Oh good, you’re up.”

“Wha-what happened!?”

Nines frowned and sat down on the edge of the bed. He set the mug on the floor and pulled on a plain black t-shirt.

“You passed out on the couch last night. I think you finished a whole bottle waiting up for me? Sorry, I was out working later than expected.”

Gavin looked down and sighed in relief as he found all his clothes still on him.

“I didn’t want you to injure yourself sleeping at an odd angle so I brought you here. Your door was locked.”

“You could’ve easily opened it.”

“Yes, but that would’ve been an invasion of privacy. I reserve that for working hours alone.”

Gavin looked deep into the sparkling blue eyes and as usual found no trace of humour.

“Thanks…”

“Don’t mention it. Now get out. You’re ruining my silk sheets.”

Against his best efforts, Gavin could not keep the thought of being carried to bed and tucked in safely out of his mind. How many years had it been? Since something like that had been even remotely possible for him?

He knew that Nines was just being kind in his own pragmatic little way… but Gavin found that he wouldn’t mind the prospect of waking up in the android’s bed in a wildly different context.

He realised he had it bad when Tina caught him smiling to himself at work one day.

“Why so happy?”

“Oh… nothing. Just remembered something my roommate did… He’s a… funny guy.”

“Huh. Well, look at you getting along so well with androids.”

“Android. Singular. Just him.”

“Wowwww… he sounds special.”

“Who did this?”

“Gavin, the damage is merely superficial-”

“Who phcking did this??!”

He reached forward and gingerly touched Nines’ split cheek. His synth skin was smeared with blue blood and glitching in and out. Nines winced at the contact.

“Shit, sorry. That must hurt like a bitch.”

“Androids do not feel pain.”

“Bullshit.”

“I’m merely experiencing a surge in sensory input wherever my chassis is exposed. I’m fine.”

“Shut up and give me your first aid kit or whatever toolbox equivalent you tincans have.”

A shade of embarrassment appeared over the android’s features.

“I… actually don’t have one. I didn’t think I’d ever need it.”

“Didn’t think anyone could kick your ass, huh?”

“No… I didn’t think anyone would ever spot my hiding place.”

“Huh. How’d that happen?”

Nines’ eyes dipped, but as always, he answered the question.

“I was… distracted.”

Something in the air solidified and both of them felt it. Gavin cleared his throat and slapped his knees like an old man about to stand up.

“Right. Let me go check if the neighbours have anything that might help with your face.”

“So who’s this dapper young gent you’ve brought to the party, Gavin?”

“Er… he’s my uh… roommate.”

Captain Fowler nodded and winked.

“That’s what they called it in my day too.”

Nines shifted beside Gavin and cleared his throat.

“He’s a PI. But I think he’s wasting his talent taking pictures of cheating spouses. He’s quite interested in police work. Maybe we could get him to assist on a couple cases now and then?”

Fowler put down his drink and extended a warm hand to Nines.

“Oh thank RA9!”

Nines came running to the cluster of police cars and enveloped him in a giant hug. Gavin laughed as he patted him weakly on the back.

“Watch the ribs, big guy.”

“I was so worried.”

“Why? Your info was good. No chance of error.”

“I meant about you.”

Gavin pulled back and regarded Nines with confusion. The flashing red and blue lights of the cars made it hard to read his LED.

“Why?”

“I can’t believe you have to ask.”

The android pulled him into a bruising kiss. The officers standing nearby broke into wolf-whistles and applause.

“What the-”

“Oh I take full credit for that, sir.”

Fowler glanced at Tina.

“The case, Chen?”

“Oh of course. I solved the whole thing. But I mean that specifically.”

She waved a hand in Gavin and Nines’ direction. The two held each other tightly and seemed unlikely to come up for air anytime soon.

“Like I helped Gav find an affordable place in New Jericho and then he met this handsome investigator droid and they were roommates.”

“Oh my god, they were roommates…”

“Yeah legit.”

\\\

Thanks so much for the request @jude-shotto

This ended up being a lot longer than expected, but I couldn’t help it. Your prompt just took me on a whole journeyyyy <3

#maya bday ask event #reed900 #rk900 #gavin reed #dbh gavin #dbh nines #gavin900 #gavin x nines #gavin x rk900 #dbh fanfic #dbh rk900 #dbh #dbh writing #my writing

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