#something needs to seriously change in my environment for this to end well but its out of my hands really

[chanothy]

Light Shinning in the Blue Mirror

Episodes one

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Devil Palace

It was a little past the middle of may, and spring was drawing to an end.

When i was taking a morning walk, i met Lato looking into a hand mirror.

LATO :: Hmm…

Finding it strange that Lto was just staring at the mirror, i decided to call out to him

[Lato, What’s Wrong?]

LATO :: Oh Aruji-sama, good morning.

LATO :: by the way, what does ‘what’s wrong’ mean?

[Because you were just looking in the mirror]

LATO :: Ah this… Flure says to “look in the mirror every morning”.

LATO :: By the way… Do you understand the true meaning of this phrase?

[What does it really mean?]

LATO :: Yes. Flure said “Looki in the mirror every morning”, but what he really meant was….

LATO :: He meant “look at yourself in the mirror and make sure you look good.”

LATO :: In the past, I didn’t realize this… I just looked at the mirror itself, just as the saying goes.

[Oh, that’s right]

LATO :: Kufufu… of course, now i pay attention to my appearance

LATO :: In the master;s sight… I want my image to reflect as beautifully as possible.

LATO :: … Oh? What’s that?

As the two of ud were talking… I saw Mu trudging towards me from the otherside of the corridor.

LATO :: Hmm. A black cat is walking with its ears dropping and its tail dragging

[He doesn’t look well]

LATO :: Yes, he’s not his usual self

LATO :: Good morning, black cat. You seem a bit down. What’s wrong?

MU :: Ah Lato… and the master too…

MU :: … um … I’m fine, It’s okay….

[It deosn’t seem that way]

LATO :: Yes. Normally, he walks with a lively, thumping sound of footsteps.

LATO :: The footsteps of the black cat today were… a little like a stomp

MU :: thump thump…. Nonono

LATO :: He was fien intull a while ago… What suddenly happened?

[Maybe it’s May sickness?]

LATO :: Is it May sickness? I’m sure that’s it….

Tattatatta

LONO :: Ah Mu! So you were here.

LONO :: Seriously,... I was worried when you suddenly disappeared.

[Good Morning Lono!]

LONO :: Ah Aruji-Sama! Good morning to you too, Lato.

LONO :: Sorry for the noise this morning…. I was surprised when Mu disappeared, leaving his breakfast behind.

LATO :: Hmm… that’s rare

LATO :: Normally, he would lick every corner of the dish clean. Leaving nothing but a clean plate.

LONO :: That’s right… I’m worried too

LONO :: Mu, are you okay? Maybe he ate something bad?

MU :: Uhh… I haven’t eaten anything.

MU :: Or rather… I’m no longer the gluttonous cat i used to be!

MU :: From now on Ill be on a strict diet… I will show you how to walk with lighter steps

LONO :: …oh, a diet?

[that's why you weren’t feeling well]

LATO :: Diet…. I think thats to loose weight

LATO :: Hmm, I think there are many advantages to being a larger organism.

LATO :: Why would you go through the trouble of shrinking your body?

MU :: Ugh…. Mr.Lato, who is always slim and walks with an easy attitude, will never understand

[I understand ]

[ i don’t understand ]

LONO :: Hey Mu. It’s good to go on a diet, but…

LONO :: Skipping breakfast all of a sudden… that's bad for your body isn’t it?

LONO :: If you’re serious about loosing weight… you need to make small improvements so that it lasts.

LONO :: First, eat a proper breakfast, Then, come and exercise with me.

MU :: Ugh… but I

LONO :: By the way, todays breakfast is chicken breast and bean stew.

LONO :: It’s low in calories and high in protein so it’s great for those on a diet.

MU :: huh….? It’s safe while on a diet?

MU :: Yeah, you should have said that sooner Mr.Lono!

Thump thump

It was as if the dejected mood from before was a lie… Mu ran cheerfully to the kitchen

LONO :: …. Oh dear. It looks like he’s about to ask fro a refill.

LATO :: Whatever… I’m relieved to hear that he wasn’t sick

LATO :: It seems that it wasn’t just what you called “May Sickness”

LONO :: “May sickness”... ah,, i remember that….

LONO :: It’s not an official name for a disease. But …. I think it’s something that makes you feel unwell when you environment changes?

[Yes]

LATO :: Hmm…. When you change your place or position, you have a lot of different worries.

LATO :: It seems like the black cat has his own worries too. Cats seems to have their own struggles.

[I think Mu is special though]

While we’re talking, the front door opened and Lucas and Nac came in.

Both of them were wearing robes and seemed tired

NAC :: Huh… that was a tough negotiation, Lucas

LUCAS :: That’s right… it took all morning t=and in the end there wasn’t much progress.

LUCAS :: Let’s take a break, and worry about it later.

[Welcome home, both of you !]

LUCAS :: Ah, Aruji-sama. I’m back now

NAC :: Aruji-sama, i’m sorry i came home late

LATO :: Hmm. I’m sure you two went out yesterday afternoon, right?

LATO :: I hear you too received a summons form the Grosvenor family?

LONO :: From the looks of it, it seems like it was quite difficult. Thank you for your hard work!

[What were you negotiating?]

NAC :: Yeah… that’s the thing…

NAC :: This was an unofficial request, unlike usual. Sir Finley has asked for a personal favor.

LUCAS :: However, can we solve this problem by ourselves? It’s a very difficult problem.

[A personal Request?]

LUCAS :: Yeah… yesterday, when we visited the Grosvenor family home….

[twilightmalachite]

Raison d’être - Epilogue 1

Author: Akira

Characters: Shu, Mika

Translator: Mika Enstars

"Yes. My family who viewed the performance are satisfied as well. It is possible that our grandfather had someone he loved while he was in Paris, but…"

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Spring

Location: Apartment in France

Time has since passed since Raison d’être’s performance.

At the house Shu is boarding at in Paris…

Shu: —Hah?

As I’ve said, Raison d’être was a one-time, immensely personal opera, commissioned for a Funeral Contest.

It is for private use only and there are no plans to make it public.

Non! Nothing will change no matter what you say!

Telling us that there are rumors being spread around and that there is growing demand amongst Valkyrie fans for a release changes nothing!

While it is a beautiful performance we have created, it is an opera about internal shame within the family…

I have no intentions to publicize it and make a laughingstock out of my grandfather.

That is that. Concern yourself over how to conduct yourself as a new member of society, over things such as this.

I am always open to cooperating with you, as long as it is not about a release of Raison d’être—Little lady.

Yes. Take care of your health in your new environment.

Yes, yes… Now then, farewell.

…Goodness gracious. Does that little lady think she is my mother or something? Going out of her way to make an international call for something that doesn’t matter…

Mika: What’d Anzu-san need?

Shu: It appears that Raison d’être has caught the interest of philistines, and she suggested that we make adjustments to it to suit the world’s tastes for a public release.

Preposterous, isn’t it? It being a one-time performance is precisely what gave it merit.

If our more discerning fans think seriously in their interpretation, they may arrive at the “truth” that we have worked so hard to hide.

And as such, I am resolute in my decision to keep Raison d’être private.

Mika: Mhm. By winnin’ the Funeral Contest, ya were able to receive yer Grandfather’s inheritance.

We don’t need t’make any more profit. Unusual fer a Valkyrie performance.

Shu: Yes. My family who viewed the performance are satisfied as well. It is possible that our grandfather had someone he loved while he was in Paris, but…

That person was a man.

And there is no method possible for two men to have a child with each other, so there is no way this person named Raffaello, who claimed to be the son from an affair, could exist.

Even if that young dollmaker did have a son, there would be no blood relation to Grandfather. We can safely conclude he would have no right to his inheritance.

And thus, my family is satisfied and relieved, bringing this series of tumultuous events to an end.

The fact that Raffaello’s true identity was Grandfather was not made public. They believe he was simply just a fraud.

Mika: Well, looks like the speculation we came to prior to our conception of Raison d’être has become the “truth”!

Well, it was the safest thing t’do.

Grandfather never had an affair.

Maybe he had a couple “odd romances” with his youthful indiscretion, but there’s no pressin’ inheritance issues involved.

The matter’s settled, an’ everyone’s happy.

But… I was all hurried t’prepare for Raison d’etre that my head was in a jumble. What was its true meanin’ in the end?

Shu: You have forgotten already? Secure head shut with bolts so your brains do not fall out. I’m always telling you this.

Mika: Nnah~, then that’d make me Frakensteins’ Monster?

Shu: Fufu. I’m glad to see that even my sarcasm is met with an immediate and appropriate response.

Anyhow. While I submitted the proposal for Raison d’être to my grandfather, I confronted him directly and received the following “truth”.

I am honored to say, my grandfather and I truly were alike.

My grandfather too had so-called imaginary friends since he was a child.

This imaginary friend, created to be a beautiful girl, was named “MADEMOISELLE” by my grandfather.

What made her a beautiful girl? Was it a distortment of my grandfather’s youthful sexual desire, or was it a feminine side inside of him?—

I interpret it to be the latter, although he himself was quite vague about it.

But, of course, my grandfather was the legitimate son to a strict and old family.

As the eldest son to succeed the Itsuki family name, if there were a feminine side to him—He could never admit to it, at least not publicly.

That’s how it was back then.

And so, my grandfather repressed this femininity inside him. However, it then expressed itself as coming to be the fictional girl, “MADEMOISELLE”.

That is how I’ve interpreted it.

[ ☆ ]

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[spiders-notagain]

Okay I'm back, I've pondered this (simmering in my mental soup for months) and I've come away with some additions. I particularly really like the idea that vulcan structured their society around dealing with autism, so that many of the characteristics for a human with autism don't appear in vulcans. With the flip side being human neurotypical behaviors are considered disabling in their society.

So here's a list. Also I think you made a mistake with your first line. It makes more sense as Vulcan Neurotypicalism is just Human Autism. No you didnt im an idiot, please ignore me.

vulcans only doing things the most efficient/ideal way possible and getting confused if you arent doing it that way; will point out to you the "correct" way to do it because they think thats helping

vulcans having no need to talk to others (esp strangers) unless you have a specific reason

vulcans get overstimulated but youll never tell because they hide it like they do whenever they're in pain

vulcans also conceal that they get meltdowns, more obvious as kids

build their cities to minimize sensory overstimulation; exception are places that cater to non-vulcans like Vulcana Regar which has a noisy and chaotic nightlife

stimming but focusing their stims into meditative like behaviors like zen sand gardens, hair care or hand care

rigidly sticking to schedules

society is structured around a strict degree of predictability so that the only surprising events are unforseen; deal with their panic over unforseen events + change the way they do any of their emotions

follow vulcan rules easily enough because they make sense but sometimes struggle with the rules of other societies

dont really have a "makeup culture" cuz thats illogical but do makeup for art

a little less weird about gender/gender roles

Every kind of social interaction has formal rules (slight exception to close family relationships because they often create their own rules)

Hyper empathy? Well they have literal empathy, does that count

Its impolite to read emotion into someones words and actions especially because even if it does exist, theyre probably trying to control the emotion

End up being seen as pretentious in part because they correct people when they're wrong about things and they interpret that as trying to start an argument

someone on reddit said this which I think is relevant:

I would assume they're sort of like Japanese craftsmen. Whether they’re building something or just sharpening tools, every single movement is done deliberately, thoughtfully, carefully, and with purpose. I would suspect that most low level jobs would be automated, but the Vulcans doing the rest would take them very seriously. Like, yes, my job is to maintain the shuttlecraft in this bay, and I will assure that every single one is in perfect order, checking engine readings and fluid levels at least twice per day.

and this from a fic I really like:

"You don't have a lot of the cognitive biases and shortcuts that most species develop alongside sapience," Deanna said, keeping her voice neutral. Most people would consider that a benefit, but most people weren't aware that those biases came out of underlying heuristics that allowed the brain to conserve processing energy. Being without them was a double-edged sword. Xhenat nodded. "Yes, and as a result we have to be taught to do things that come naturally to other species. We are bad at letting go of the details, worse at learning to ignore the unimportant parts of our environment. We have only exacerbated the situation with millennia of selective breeding with an eye toward developing our telepathy and focus and pattern recognition. As a result, we come into the world quite raw, and are only able to exist with comfort by being taught how to deal with the sensations and emotions and thoughts that otherwise overwhelm us."

After peer review ive decided that Vulcan Autism is just Human Neurotypicalism

“Poor Sosonn… his family just doesn’t know what to do with him :| He keeps making aggressive eye contact, doesn’t understand body mirroring when he plays, choosing to instead disrupt the activities of others; never developed an independent organization system… and most worrying… the poor boy never expressed any desire in a special interest”

“How illogical. How does he expect to find his niche in society that way. Why can he not be like T'puk? She has already made her interest know in trains and will make a fine addition to the public transportation sector one day.”

“He doesn’t even stim.”

[gennshaughnessy]

🧪 Heavy Metals & Hair: What Stylists and Clients Need to Know

Your Hair is Telling You Something: The Truth About Heavy Metals, Hair Loss, and Color That Won’t Stick

As a stylist, I’ve learned that when hair stops behaving normally—when it won’t hold color, when it sheds more than usual, when the texture suddenly changes—it’s rarely just about products or technique.

In many cases, the issue runs deeper—literally. More and more of my clients and friends are coming to me with both hair challenges and health concerns: fatigue, hormone imbalance, autoimmune symptoms, brain fog, and more. And there’s a common thread many don’t even realize could be at the root of it all: heavy metal toxicity.

Yes—metals like lead, arsenic, aluminum, and mercury aren’t just harmful to your body. They build up in your system over time and can sabotage your scalp, hair follicles, and even how your hair reacts to professional color.

In this post, we’ll dive into how heavy metals:

Disrupt hair growth at the root

Cause oxidative stress and inflammation

Block your body’s access to essential minerals

Overwhelm your detox system and show up in your strands

Whether you're a client wondering why your hair just isn’t right lately, or a stylist struggling with unpredictable results behind the chair, this is your wake-up call to look deeper.

Let’s break it down—no fluff, all facts.

You shampoo, you condition, you deep treat—and still, something’s off. Your hair color won’t stick like it used to. The tone is weird. The texture feels wrong. You’re dealing with breakage, scalp issues, or even unusual hair loss.

If this sounds familiar and you (or your clients) are also dealing with fatigue, brain fog, or chronic health concerns… it’s time to talk about something that’s often overlooked in the beauty world: heavy metal toxicity.

🧷 What Are Heavy Metals, and Where Are We Getting Exposed?

Heavy metals include things like:

Lead (found in old pipes, paint, and even cosmetics)

Arsenic (common in well water and some rice-heavy diets)

Cadmium (present in batteries, pigments, and cigarette smoke)

Mercury (dental fillings, fish, and industrial work)

Aluminum (cooking tools, deodorants, and medications)

If you work in construction, manufacturing, farming, auto mechanics, welding, beauty salons, or even just live near older buildings or use unfiltered water—your exposure risk is higher than you think.

These metals build up slowly in the body over time and can seriously mess with your internal systems and your external glow. Your hair, being one of the first places to show signs of imbalance, often reveals what your body is trying to detox.

🧬 How Heavy Metals Affect Hair

🔬 1. Hair Growth Disruption: How Heavy Metals Interfere at the Root

Your hair isn’t just a strand of keratin—it’s the end result of a complex, deeply regulated biological process. The hair follicle is a mini-organ that depends on a healthy internal environment to thrive. And when heavy metals enter the picture, that environment gets thrown into chaos.

Here’s what’s really happening beneath the surface:

🧪 Cellular Chaos at the Follicle Level

Heavy metals like lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium can infiltrate the bloodstream and eventually reach the scalp, where they penetrate the hair follicle and disrupt the function of critical cells. These include:

Keratinocytes, responsible for forming the hair shaft

Dermal papilla cells, which regulate the hair growth cycle

Melanocytes, which give hair its pigment

When these cells are compromised, the hair cycle (anagen → catagen → telogen) is interrupted. The anagen (growth) phase may be shortened, while the telogen (resting/shedding) phase becomes extended—leading to excessive shedding and thinning.

⏳ Premature Follicle Aging

Long-term exposure to toxins creates oxidative stress within the follicle, essentially causing it to “age” faster. Over time, this damage can lead to:

Miniaturized follicles that grow finer, weaker hairs

Follicles that enter early dormancy or shut down completely

Increased scalp sensitivity or inflammation

This is especially relevant for clients who are suddenly experiencing changes in density, slower growth, or texture shifts without any changes in hormones, medication, or haircare routine.

🩸 Nutrient Blockage and Poor Circulation

Heavy metals don’t just damage cells directly—they also block the absorption of essential nutrients. Zinc, magnesium, and iron are all crucial for proper follicle function and are easily displaced by toxic metals. As a result, your hair isn't just struggling—it's starving.

Simultaneously, heavy metals can impair blood flow to the scalp, further reducing oxygen and nutrient delivery to the follicles. This “double whammy” creates a perfect storm for:

Stunted hair growth

Increased fallout

Fragile new growth that breaks off before gaining length

⚠️ Chronic Stress & Endocrine Disruption

Heavy metals are known endocrine disruptors, meaning they interfere with your hormonal balance. The adrenal glands, thyroid, and pituitary—all key players in regulating hair growth—can be affected. Even low-level chronic exposure can trigger stress responses in the body (like elevated cortisol), which pushes follicles into the shedding phase prematurely.

👀 Real-Life Signs of Heavy Metal Disruption in Hair Growth:

Hair that won’t grow past a certain length, even with trims and treatments

Baby hairs that shed or break before gaining strength

An oily or itchy scalp with no infection present

Increased fallout in the shower, on your pillow, or while brushing

Thinner ponytails, wider part lines, or patchy growth at the temples or crown

🔥 2. Oxidative Stress & Inflammation: The Silent Saboteurs of Scalp & Strand

You may have heard the buzzwords free radicals and oxidative stress, but what do they really mean when it comes to your hair? When heavy metals are in the mix, these aren’t just abstract science terms—they're part of the reason your hair is dry, dull, breaking, or thinning... and your scalp might be throwing a tantrum, too.

🧨 What Is Oxidative Stress?

Oxidative stress happens when your body has more free radicals than it can neutralize. Free radicals are unstable molecules that damage healthy cells—kind of like microscopic wrecking balls crashing through your skin, organs, and yes, your scalp.

Heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, and lead trigger this stress by:

Disrupting your body’s antioxidant systems (like glutathione)

Damaging mitochondria (your cells' power plants)

Creating a chronic state of inflammation

This oxidative assault shows up most visibly in the skin and hair, because those are the fastest-turning-over tissues in your body. That means they’re also the first to suffer and the slowest to recover.

🧠 How Oxidative Stress Damages the Hair and Scalp

🩸 Inflammation of the Hair Follicle

Once oxidative stress takes hold, it causes microinflammation around the follicles—especially at the base, where new hair cells are formed. This inflammation can:

Shrink the follicle (leading to finer hairs)

Disrupt the normal growth cycle

Cause shedding, itching, or flaking that mimics dandruff or psoriasis

You might not see inflammation at first, but you’ll notice:

Scalp tightness

Redness, sensitivity, or heat around the crown or part line

A "sore scalp" feeling, especially when brushing or styling

🦠 Barrier Breakdown

Inflammation also compromises the scalp’s protective barrier, allowing more environmental irritants, product residue, and bacteria to penetrate. This makes the scalp less resilient and more prone to:

Chronic itchiness or burning

Buildup and clogged follicles

Infections like folliculitis

For stylists: If a client’s scalp reacts to everything—shampoo, toner, even cool water—it’s time to look deeper than product sensitivity.

💥 Oxidative Stress = Structural Hair Damage

Hair itself is made of keratin protein—strong, but not invincible. Free radicals degrade these proteins, especially around the cuticle (outer layer) and cortex (inner strength zone). This leads to:

Brittle, snapping strands

Split ends that travel up the shaft

Porosity issues (hair that sucks up moisture then dries out instantly)

Faded or brassy color within days

Even deep conditioning won’t help much if oxidative stress is active. Hair simply can’t hold on to moisture, tone, or strength when its internal structure is under attack.

🔍 Visible Clues That Oxidative Stress is Harming Hair

Color fades quickly or oxidizes strangely (especially reds and blondes)

Hair feels “empty” or overly porous no matter what you use

Mid-shaft breakage that won’t grow out

Frizz and flyaways increase, even in humid-free environments

Sensitivity to lighteners or chemical treatments that never used to be a problem

🧲 3. Mineral Displacement & Deficiency: When Your Hair Is Starving for the Good Stuff

You can eat clean, take supplements, and use every luxury product on the market—but if heavy metals are present in your body or water supply, they can literally block your hair from accessing the essential minerals it needs to grow, stay strong, and hold color.

This is called mineral displacement, and it's one of the most overlooked causes of chronic hair issues—especially in clients who “do everything right” but still struggle with thin, dry, or damaged strands.

🪨 How Mineral Displacement Happens

Heavy metals like lead, mercury, arsenic, aluminum, and cadmium are positively charged ions. So are many of the minerals your body actually needs: zinc, magnesium, iron, calcium, selenium. The problem? Your body can’t always tell the difference.

When heavy metals enter your system, they:

Compete with essential minerals for absorption in the gut and bloodstream

Occupy mineral receptor sites on cells, especially in the scalp and follicles

Interfere with enzyme function needed for nutrient transport

In simple terms, your body may be flooded with stuff, but it’s not getting the right stuff to your hair.

🧬 Key Minerals for Hair—and What Happens Without Them

🧂 Zinc

Needed for keratin production and scalp oil balance

Helps regulate DHT, a hormone linked to hair loss

Supports healthy immune function and inflammation control

When zinc is displaced: You may notice slower growth, excess oil or dryness, or scalp acne.

🩸 Iron

Carries oxygen to the hair follicle

Essential for healthy anagen (growth) phase

Especially important for menstruating women

When iron is displaced: Hair becomes weak, sheds easily, and won’t grow past a certain length. Clients often feel tired or cold, too.

🧘 Magnesium

Supports protein synthesis and calcium regulation

Helps relax blood vessels and improve scalp circulation

Involved in over 300 biochemical reactions that impact hair and skin

When magnesium is displaced: Hair feels brittle and unresponsive. Scalp may feel tight or tense.

🧪 Selenium

Critical for antioxidant defense (works with glutathione)

Helps protect against free radical damage in the follicle

When selenium is displaced: You’ll see more oxidative stress symptoms—gray hairs, dryness, scalp sensitivity.

💔 Why Supplements Don’t Always Work

This is the frustrating part for many clients: they take their vitamins religiously, yet nothing seems to improve. That’s because heavy metals can block absorption or render supplements useless unless the root cause is addressed first.

Until the body starts detoxing the heavy metals and the gut is able to absorb nutrients properly again, those high-end supplements are often just... expensive pee.

💡 Stylist Clue: When Mineral Displacement is Likely

Hair seems “nutrient starved” despite clean products and good lifestyle

Color doesn’t take evenly or feels off-tone right away

Hair snaps even after a protein treatment

Client uses filtered water at home, but scalp still acts irritated or inflamed

Client reports fatigue, anemia, thyroid imbalance, or hormonal acne

👏 What Can You Do?

Use a pre-color detox treatment if you suspect mineral or metal buildup (like Malibu C Crystal Gel or Metal Detox by L'Oréal)

Encourage clients to get hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) if they have ongoing symptoms

Recommend shower filters and drinking water filtration systems

Consider sending clients to a functional medicine provider for personalized detox support

🌪 4. When Heavy Metals and Menopause Collide: The Perfect Storm for Hair Chaos

If you’re in your 40s, 50s, or beyond and noticing your hair feels like it’s turning against you overnight, you’re not imagining things—and it’s not just menopause. It’s the collision of two major biological stressors: hormonal shifts + toxic overload.

This combo is particularly brutal for hair, and here’s why:

🧬 Estrogen Loss + Toxin Load = Follicle Dysfunction

Estrogen plays a vital role in keeping hair in its anagen (growth) phase longer. When estrogen drops during perimenopause and menopause, that growth cycle shortens naturally—thinning hair is already on the menu.

Now, add in heavy metals that:

Interfere with hormone receptors (many are endocrine disruptors)

Block the absorption of minerals needed to balance hormones (like magnesium and zinc)

Add oxidative stress to already vulnerable hair follicles

The result? Accelerated hair loss, slowed regrowth, and sudden sensitivity to color or heat styling.

🔥 Inflammation, Cortisol, and Hair Fallout

Menopause often comes with increased cortisol levels due to poor sleep, mood swings, or blood sugar instability. Now pair that with the systemic inflammation from heavy metals—and you’ve got a recipe for:

Telogen effluvium (sudden excessive shedding)

A hyper-reactive scalp

Hair that seems to “change personality” month to month

You may also notice your usual toner doesn’t hold, or that hair color fades faster than ever, even with salon-grade products.

🧪 Hormonal Chaos Meets Chemical Sensitivity

Many menopausal clients become more sensitive to chemicals—from color to shampoo. Heavy metals worsen this because they:

Weaken the skin’s barrier (more reactivity)

Increase metal buildup in the hair shaft (which can react with lighteners or peroxide)

Interfere with liver detox, which is critical for hormone balance

If a client used to tolerate bleach, gray coverage, or keratin treatments and now has scalp stinging or weird color results—this is the likely culprit.

👩‍⚕️ The Need for a Whole-Body Approach

This isn’t about switching shampoos. It’s about supporting the entire hormonal + detox system, and approaching haircare with both internal and external strategies.

✅ Support estrogen and progesterone balance through nutrition or bioidenticals (under a doctor’s guidance) ✅ Reduce toxin exposure from water, food, cookware, and beauty products ✅ Use gentle color techniques, detox pre-treatments, and prioritize scalp health ✅ Offer mineral testing or refer to a functional medicine practitioner for root-cause care

💡 PRO TIP: If you’re in menopause and your stylist is doing everything right—but your hair still feels wrong—bring up your health history, any recent stressors, or water quality at home. What’s happening inside is showing up outside.

♻️ 5. Detox Burden on the Body: When the Liver Can’t Keep Up, Your Hair Pays the Price

Your body is designed to detox—daily, quietly, and without drama. But what happens when it’s forced to deal with a constant stream of heavy metals from water, food, air, products, or the workplace? It gets overloaded. And when your detox pathways are maxed out, the body finds the next-best exit route: your skin and hair.

Yes—your body can and will try to purge toxins through your scalp when other systems are overwhelmed. This internal “spillover” is one of the most underappreciated causes of:

Scalp reactivity

Poor hair color uptake

Unexplained hair loss

Texture changes

Color processing issues

🫀 The Role of the Liver, Kidneys & Lymphatic System

Your liver is the main organ responsible for breaking down toxins—including heavy metals. From there, your kidneys and lymph system help flush them out. But when heavy metals are present daily (even in small amounts), your detox system:

Slows down from overload

Redirects waste through secondary detox organs (like the skin)

Triggers low-grade systemic inflammation and hormonal disruption

This burden doesn’t just affect how you feel (tired, foggy, puffy, inflamed)—it also changes how your body grows, protects, and maintains your hair.

💧 Hair & Scalp as “Dumping Grounds” for Heavy Metals

Once your liver is overwhelmed and your kidneys can’t filter fast enough, your body reroutes toxins out through sweat glands, sebaceous (oil) glands, and hair follicles.

This can lead to:

Metal residue literally embedded in the hair strand (affecting porosity and color processing)

A greasy yet dehydrated scalp (sebum mixed with toxins, but no moisture)

A foul or metallic smell when hair is wet (especially with lightener)

Scalp breakouts, rashes, or burning from color that used to be well-tolerated

Hair acts like a time capsule—these toxic byproducts can build up inside the shaft and stay there for months. This is why stylists sometimes say, “It’s like your hair is rejecting the color.”

🧪 A Closer Look at Hair Color Reactions

When hair is loaded with heavy metals and toxins, it can create unpredictable results during chemical services, including:

Heat reactions during bleach services

Ash tones turning green or murky

Warm tones lifting unevenly

Color fading within days

Texture changes post-service that feel like protein overload or chemical burns

If a client says their hair “used to take color so well,” but now nothing works—that’s a red flag for internal toxic burden.

🧼 Supporting Detox: Internal & External Steps

As a stylist, you can’t detox someone’s liver—but you can support the process and educate your clients.

💇 In the Salon:

Use a metal detox or chelating treatment (like L'Oréal Metal Detox, Malibu C Crystal Gel, or Redken Pre-Art)

Avoid strong chemicals on the first visit—detox first, then color

Consider infrared scalp therapy, ozone steamers, or scalp detox masks

Keep detailed intake forms to track symptoms and history over time

🧠 For Clients at Home:

Drink filtered water and invest in a showerhead filter

Consider infrared sauna, dry brushing, lymphatic massage

Focus on detox-supportive nutrition: leafy greens, lemon water, herbs like cilantro, milk thistle (if appropriate)

Work with a functional medicine provider or integrative doctor to safely chelate heavy metals if needed

💡 Stylist-to-Stylist Insight: What to Watch For

If you notice:

A client’s hair suddenly resists all chemical services

They’re reporting health issues, fatigue, or hormone imbalances

Their scalp has become super sensitive, oily/dry combo, or reactive

Color is slipping off like it never bonded

…it’s time to ask deeper questions and suggest detox before continuing with aggressive services.

🎨 Hair Color, Processing & Heavy Metals

If you’re a stylist or a color client, this part matters:

🚫 Poor Color Retention

Heavy metals in the hair shaft act like a barrier. They prevent color molecules from properly penetrating the cortex of the hair. This means:

Uneven results

Rapid fading

Weird undertones or muddy tones

Color that “slips off” faster than it should

💥 Chemical Reactions

Certain metals (like copper or iron) can chemically react with peroxide in lighteners and color developers. This can cause:

Over-processing

Excessive heat or fizzing during application

Unexpected color shifts (especially during blonde services)

Damage that feels like a chemical burn, even when the formula was on point

💧 Hard Water Makes It Worse

If your client’s home or workplace water is unfiltered and loaded with minerals, that’s adding even more metal residue to their hair—day after day. This creates a compound effect, making future color services less predictable.

🧼 Detoxing the Hair (and Body)

Before you do another corrective color or wonder why a toner won’t take—ask about exposure and consider:

For Hair:

Chelating shampoos (Malibu C, Ion Hard Water, or Redken Pre-Art)

Pre-color mineral removers like Malibu CPR or Crystal Gel

In-salon detox treatments with a pH-balancing rinse

Avoiding heat tools post-detox, as the hair may be fragile

For Body:

While I’m not a doctor, many people working with functional medicine providers or naturopaths consider:

Hair mineral analysis tests

Binding agents like chlorella or activated charcoal (under supervision)

Sauna or infrared therapy

Filtered drinking and shower water

Eliminating aluminum and mercury-heavy products

🧠 Final Thoughts

Start Listening to Your Hair: It Might Be Telling You What Your Body Can’t.

Hair isn’t vain. It’s a biomarker—an early warning system for what’s going on inside your body. If you or your clients are experiencing weird, stubborn hair issues despite doing “all the right things,” it might be time to look at what’s in the body—not just what’s going on it.

From compromised color processing to slowed growth and unexpected scalp sensitivity, heavy metals are an invisible force that can undo even the best salon work. But once you understand the connection, you can take action—both behind the chair and in everyday life.

💡 Stylists: Start tracking these symptoms. Educate your clients. Recommend scalp detox services and proper water filtration. 💡 Clients: Your health and hair are deeply connected. Ask questions, explore your exposure risks, and don’t be afraid to get curious with your doctor or wellness provider.

Because when your hair starts acting up, it’s not being dramatic—it’s being honest.

If you’re noticing a trend—especially in yourself, your clients, or your colleagues—where hair is behaving differently, colors are misbehaving, or health symptoms are escalating… trust your instincts.

The link between beauty and biology is real.

Your hair is telling a story. Sometimes, that story starts way beneath the surface.

[duckyfruitbat]

Drawn to Life

I remember playing this game as a kid. I borrowed it from my brother and I enjoyed it. Now sixteen years later I played it again and realized that I didn't appreciate it nearly enough. This game is so delightful from the characters, the story, even the art style. I could gush about this for an entire review, so I'll do just that.

The main plot follows two child hood friends named Mari and Jowee calling upon the god of their world to help revive their village that has fallen to a darkness that came about from a fellow villager deciding that he can do better than god and stole a powerful holy relic eventually destroying it causing the world to fall into ruin. By the time the game proper starts, the world is nearly done for being stuck in an eternal winter with the sun gone. All seems lost until the creator starts talking to Mari as she's having a crisis of faith. Yeah this game has some religious themes, but because of the setting, it is pretty easy to put aside and it doesn't really push one religion over another. If anything they're more allegorical to any real life religion.

In game you play as a hero created from a mannequin that you can draw on, but in reality you are the creator of this world. I am a god with the ability to doodle dicks all over the world.

Given the stakes at hand I decided I needed to take it very seriously, so I made a blue fox with read hair that I named Bingus. The drawing mechanic is more of a gimmick in this game, and is not really a focus of the game play. Really its more of a standard plat former, it's a pretty solid one though. Each level is simultaneously a rescue mission for three villagers and a hunt for pages of the book of life. You can't complete the level without those two missions complete. Each group of villagers has one named and the other two are more generic.

Art style wise, we have that classic pristine DS pixel art going on. The environments have a lot of detail, and I also noticed that with just a little bit of care, you can make your own creations fit in pretty well. Something fun about the named villagers is that they have their own unique animations that pretty well convey their personalities. For example there is a thief whose animation is constantly looking over his shoulder, there's a security guard who is clearly inspired by the secret service who is always on his phone, no doubt going over the security detail, there's an astronomer who's always looking up while shielding his eyes from the sun.

The enemies are also just wonderful on the eyes. The common enemies the Baki, this game's equivalent to goombas, are just so adorable and are so expressive, I love them and would end society for them. There are also the shadow enemies created by the main villain, they give the feeling of being simultaneously being made from ink and smoke. The animation and the designs of the enemies are just something I can't help but to just stop and look at. It's just so pleasant on the eyes. Which has also cost me a number of lives.

Story wise it really sticks in my head. It has a progression in how things get more serious. The mood is tied to the mayor and his office, at first he gives off more the feeling of just trying to provide sanctuary from a dying world, but eventually his mood changes to "by Ducky's balls we actually have a chance to end this nightmare!" There is a subplot running throughout of Mari being propped up as the next mayor after her dad steps down at some point in the near future. Apparently the office of the mayor is hereditary here. She goes through an arch of impostor syndrome believing that she's not good enough for the title that is never fully resolved in this game, in fact it carries over into the next. (Spoiler alert) This makes the scene where the Mayor is murdered a heart wrenching moment. A character who is always there at the end of every level and mission who becomes a point of stability in the village is suddenly gone.

There are also plenty of moments of levity in between missions, one example is near the beginning of the game while the village is coming out of winter, the mayor sees Mari and Jowee throwing snowballs at each other and decides to have a village wide snowball fight. It's one of those moments I keep remembering, because it was just the villagers trying to keep their spirits up after watching the world crumble around them. Another point is when Mari and Jowee start getting theological about how the creator watches over the world, and Jowee ends up describing a DS. They know too much, I must smite them, BINGUS GET THE BINGLAR!

I mentioned this in the review I did on the Wii sequel, but this game has great respect for its audience. This is an E rated game on the DS but it doesn't use that as an excuse to cut corners with writing. Sure its a simple story with a coloring book gimmick, but peppered in it are details and moments that just tell me this game really cares about what its putting out there. It doesn't talk down to you, it doesn't handhold you, it treats you with respect no matter your age. I absolutely recommend this game.

[historywillforgetme]

copy paste of my speech for school

Dear Society!

As you probably know, we live in a system called capitalism. And people often glorify it, because the opposite, communism, is also bad. We grow up getting to know just how “good” capitalism is, using the weeping of history to justify its actions, and drowning any other ideas, calling them communistic, naming them names of nightmares that happened in the past. We took systems which white people made, and turned them into reality. We do not seem to care about alternatives, because we are forced into it. Remember just how, as a kid, you wanted to become an astronaut? Or an archeologist? Or anyone big, or famous? Remember just how sad you probably were when you discovered that just getting the basis of school will be 13 years? After 8 years of forcefully learning almost all completely useless things, that we won’t use in real life anyways, after 8 years of spending hours at home learning and solving homework, while you could do something that is actually a part of your interests. After all the scolding from your parents for your grades, and from your teachers too, because what could possibly be more important in life than grades? Than these imaginary numbers? We were just kids, and the system failed us. They put us, kids, in imaginary roles, saying “you are a girl, you cannot sit like this!”, “you are a boy, and boys dont cry!’, “pink can only be worn by girls”, etc, etc. It failed us because it destroyed our childhood dreams, for the sake of 1% of the wealthiest people on earth. So I, as a person who’s really, really angry at the system, I come out to you, the reader, listener, to society, for a change. We should refrain from using kind language when protesting, because they, the government, that 1%, never will take us seriously otherwise. They won't use kind words to us, they will want to kill us with cold blood, and swipe us under the rug, so the rest will stay silent, waiting for someone who’ll do something! If you won't stand up, no one will! Just because we feel comfortable with the rules, or think that we do, just because we were conditioned to think so, just because we are scared, shouldn’t stop us from ending it all. Thats what they want, they want submission! We should comfort the poor, and make the one % feel completely and utterly threatened for their safety and lives. Boys, aren’t you tired of the fact that you are shamed for showing basic human emotions? For not being an imaginary, rich, strong, stoic man? Aren’t you tired for being shamed for showing basic human affection to other boys? Girls, aren’t you tired of constantly trying to live up to ridiculous beauty standards? For constantly being reminded that you need to be a “lady”? For being called a slut, a whore or worse just because you wore something comfortable? And I don't care that I'm being impolite. People call us women these words, never care about being impolite. Girls, aren’t you tired of people saying “you’ll never find a guy with this behaviour!”? Queer people, aren’t you tired of being demonised by conservative people? Are we not tired of conversion therapy? Of always being skipped when it comes to representation in the media? Of being told that you are “unnatural”? Well, if we want to see a change, we need to make it ourselves, because most of the people are so indoctrinated by capitalism, the government that they won't do it if they don't see a reason. So i am giving you quite a few reasons:

School system was made to teach the youth to wake up early for monotone work in a factory

You are literally forced to ask for going to bathroom

If you are LGBTQ+ you are hated by half or more of your government because their beliefs say so

You will probably work your whole life just so the rich people get higher salary

The world’s air pollution is in 80% caused by 100 megacorporations

Companies disregard morals and public safety in pursuit of profit

Capitalism exploits the environment and natural resources

It proposes little or no solutions to poverty, while any person who’s in that 1% of wealthiest could solve the world poverty and hunger without bankrupting

Fails to pay a living wage to billions of workers

You are supposed to be exhausted and worried you’ll lose your income to die penniless

If you like drawing, or crocheting, or fixing cars, you want to work. You just don’t want to be exploited.

If you believe in something else than christianity, you will probably have to go to school in your holidays, and will not be able to pray as much as you need in some cases (for example if you are muslim)

We made roles that are impossible to fit in. Who said that we need social classes? I’m pretty sure that the world wouldn’t collapse if we would throw them away. The economy would tho. But the economy is a code for the rich, if the economy is getting better, the wealthy are getting richer, if it’s collapsing, they are getting poorer. Of course it’ll be hard at first. I won’t lie, we will have to get used to our new lifestyle. But imagine that one day, you’ll wake up, and decide that you would like a shirt with a specific thing on it. And instead of thinking “hmmm, do i have enough money?”, you’ll ask yourself “hmmm, can i paint the design or i would need to learn how to make it first?”. Imagine that one day you would walk out of your house and breathe fresh air instead of polluted one, get some fresh tomatoes without any chemicals, and just make yourself some sandwiches. Or maybe more, for you and that person that agreed to help you with painting your walls. Imagine a world without electric bills, because you take power from the sun, the wind or the water. Imagine it. Imagine yourself doing your favourite thing, just because you like doing that, in clothes that you made too, or someone made for you, just in your style. Imagine not having to explain why you are not in a nine to five job today, because you wanted to take a day off. Are you tired? You can just take a nap, instead of waiting for the next few hours. Hungry? Your neighbour has some fresh strawberries, and you know how to make a dish from them. You can just work together to make some food and eat. Imagine this. But we cannot achieve this without getting rid of capitalism.

[corvidlemonade]

omg this looks so fun im going to answer all of them right now. Answers under the cut! (sorry its long :P)

Your linktypes are: Funlink Corvid (probably a crow), possibly also fictionlink Jevil (Deltarune), and objectlink lemons

How you chose your linktypes: Honestly, the lemon thing is because I've had lemon theming relating to my personality and online identity for so long, it's become part of it. I'm a system, and the first headmate I ever got was one of Jevil from Deltarune, so you can see how that connection formed. Then for crows/corvids, it just sorta made sense to me. Also I have something similar to phantom-shifts with wings, so there's that.

How you learned about otherlinking: I learned about funlinking, and realized "That's an option??" and it just works for me. I was researching types of otherlink, after being interested/fascinated in the alterhuman community, and it clicked.

Do you express your linktype(s), or are they fully internal: I express them somewhat. I've been thinking about getting a crow mask, and my online user is FatherLemonade just about everywhere. I also have quite a bit of whimsy from my Jevillink, so there's some behavioral expression through that.

linktype quirks/mannerisms: I don't know if I have any, other than some behavioral things I do incidentally at this point.

Preferred environment: I prefer city environments, more than anything. Many birds live in human cities (mainly pigeons where I'm from), but I'm also just very social and extroverted.

Social or Solitary: Highly social! Both the Jevillink and Crowlink are social. Lemons are, uh. N/A I guess lol.

Is your linktype fact or fiction: One is fiction, the other two are extant.

Fond memories while linking: I mean I don't really have shifts, other than my somewhat phantom-shift with wings.

Colors associated with linktype: Yellow is the biggest one for me, from Lemons. Then my second favorite color is purple, which incidentally connects to Jevil.

Shapes or Symbols associated with linktype: Ooo this one is tricky. Probably the corvid skull for crows, but idk if that matches me specifically or just crows in general. Then a lemon also for me.

Songs or Sounds associated with linktype: Jevil's themes in Deltarune, the phrase "I CAN DO ANYTHING", and a few others for Jevil.

Other things associated with Linktype: spinning things/carousels, lemons. idk man

How often are you your linktype: Idk, I mean. I think I'm always it, somewhere, just not always acting exactly like it? Like. The identity doesn't go away, I'm just not thinking about it as much.

Do you shift: Again, the weird phantom shift thing that I kind of have and kind of don't. More info on that here 🐦‍⬛

Have you ever had a dream as your linktype: I don't know! Maybe? Not that I remember well enough to document.

How it affects your daily life: It doesn't really, my day-to-day would be pretty unimpacted by my identities, especially since most people in my life don't know about them.

Have your linktype(s) changed: Nope! Started as a crow, ended as a crow. The Jevil and Lemon links are ones I've been somewhat considering for a while, but haven't been taking too seriously yet.

Unexpected discoveries about your linktype: None that I can think of. There's the post about the person peeing on a lemon tree and the tree growing monsterously big lemons, so there's that :P

Any physical items related to the linktype: I used to have a jevil cosplay, but I've lost a lot of the parts for it and outgrew the rest of them. I would buy some, but I'm moving soon, so I won't buy anything until I'm moved in.

Do you foster your linktype connection at all: Nope, not really. I feel a strong connection already, so I don't really need to do much to foster it, y'know?

Has your linking experience so far been positive or negative: I'd say positive! I've had no negative experiences linking, other than when someone else told me I couldn't be a crow because I was too bubbly and playful, and crows are dark mysterious omens (but that was someone else saying that, rather than anything internal)

How open are you about your linktype: I don't hide it, but I don't particularly talk about it either.

Would you dress as your linktype: Yes! As I said, previously had a cosplay of Jevil, and I feel like a fully black crow outfit would go hard.

Have you met another linker: In person, not that I know of. I've seen some people wearing alterhuman gear publically, but never said anything more than "I like your (gear)!" I'd love to meet more though!

Are you active in the wider Alterhuman community: I was a while ago, mildly, but I want to become more active in the community! That's why I made this blog :D

What does 'Linking mean to you: To me, any form of linking is taking on a voluntary identity to help yourself feel more comfortable as yourself. Or just taking on a voluntary identity, just because.

Favorite part about being your linktype: The playfulness! Crows are so playful and smart and loyal, and I love them.

Doodle your linktype: Uhhh I'll get back to you on that one.

Anything else: Excited to begin being more active in the alterhuman community again!

30 Days of Linktypes

What is/are your linktype(s)?

How did you choose your linktype?

What drew you to the concept of linking?

Do you express your linktype in the physical world in any way, or is linking a predominantly inner-self experience for you?

Does your linktype have a certain manner of speaking, moving, or other personal quirk?

What climate or environment does your linktype prefer?

Is your linktype social or solitary?

Is your linktype extant, extinct, or fictional?

Do you have any fond memories while linking?

Are there any colors you associate with your linktype?

Are there any shapes or symbols you associate with your linktype?

Are there any sounds or songs you associate with your linktype?

Is there anything else you associate with your linktype when you see, hear, smell, touch, taste, or otherwise percieve it?

How often are you your linktype? Is it all the time, or only sometimes?

Do you shift? If so, what is that experience like?

Have you ever had a dream as your linktype?

How has linking had an effect on your daily life?

Has your linktype(s) changed since you began linking?

Have you made any unexpected discoveries about your linktype?

Do you have any physical items (gear, clothing, etc) that help foster your linktype connection?

Do you engage in any meditation or other activites to foster your linktype connection?

How has your linking experience been so far? Positive? Negative? Mixed?

How open are you about your linktype?

Would you ever dress as your linktype?

Have you ever met another -linker?

Are you active in the wider alterhuman community?

What does linking mean to you, in a personal sense?

What's your favorite part of being your linktype?

Doodle your linktype!

Wildcard! Anything else you'd like to share?

Feel free to reblog or otherwise utilize these questions for yourself. I've amalgated them from other 30 day challenges I've seen as well as added my own questions. I tried to make these questions as broad in scope as possible, but feel free to ignore/skip/change a question that doesn't apply to you.

[roze-sloth]

[random excerpt #01: Dazai calls on Akutagawa to involve him in a certain team-up, but Akutagawa has something he wants to know first...]

* * *

Dazai: **leaning casually against the wall of a deserted, isolated warehouse** Ah, Akutagawa-kun --just the person I wanted to see. I have a job for you. It seems we're in need of that lethal grace of yours.

Akutagawa: **narrows his eyes** .... Another job with the weretiger, I presume?

Dazai: **smirking calmly** Ah, you catch on quickly! Well, you two make such a dynamic duo, don't you think?

Akutagawa: **clenching his fists at his sides** I do not need to hear your attempts at sarcasm right now. Instead, why don't you tell me, this: why should I have to cooperate with someone whom I can barely stomach?

Dazai: **takes a step forward and leans in** Well, besides the fact that you both make quite the formidable team on the battlefield? It's a good way to ensure a harmonious working environment between factions, don't you agree?

Akutagawa: **gritting his teeth** --I don't care about that; not about the Armed Detective Agency's peace, nor the weretiger's well-being. Now, I'll ask you once more: the benefit to any others' aside-- why should I team up with someone who's nothing more than an obstacle to me?

Dazai: **chuckles** You say that, Akutagawa-kun, but deep down, you must actually already realize the potential of your partnership, am I wrong? Two powerful abilities working together, pushing each other to grow, and complimenting your strengths, as well making up for your respective weaknesses?... Under my command?— Quite the force to be reckoned with-- just think about it.

Akutagawa: **his glare darkens** .... This isn't about strength, however. Nor is it about complimenting each other in battle; I'm not so blind that I can't see this is a matter of constant comparison.... You want to see whether I can measure up to the tiger, is that it? The one you continue to doubt... is me, isn't it?

Dazai: **smiling, his gaze unreadable** ... Observation skills as sharp as ever. But it's not only about comparison, Akutagawa-kun; its as I told you, it's about pushing you both to reach your fullest potential.

Akutagawa: **furrows his brow** I don't need you to lead me by the nose to achieve that, Dazai-san... I will prove my worth and strength to you on my own, without needing to rely on the weretiger.

Dazai: **leaning back, almost appraising** Hmm. Really? Suit yourself. But remember, Akutagawa-kun, sometimes the strongest move is the one made together; think it over when your head's more clear. **turns, getting ready to leave**

Akutagawa: …. You say that, but-- aren't you constantly going off alone and doing things on your own? Devising plans, orchestrating moves... alone. **a narrow-eyed glare** Or do you mean to suggest that your moving others around like chess pieces, is your idea of making moves 'together'…. So why is it different only for you, Dazai-san?

Dazai: **turning around again, a hint of seriousness in his eyes** Akutagawa-kun, my solo endeavors are merely a means to an end-- a chaotic dance to keep others on their toes. But when it comes to you and Atsushi-kun, the potential lies in combining your strengths, not conflicting them. It's about ensuring that chaos works in our favor, not against it. Consider it a strategic necessity, if you will.

Akutagawa: **raises a brow faintly** So, what... you're the maestro, and the rest of us are just the players you've deemed qualified to create the symphony of your desired orchestra? But if one falters, they can simply be thrown away and replaced-- just as long as the concerto ultimately unfolds as you planned, that's what matters to you - am I wrong? **a pause, and then, quietly** ...You may have abandoned the Port Mafia, but your methods haven't changed at all, Dazai-san.

Dazai: **leans in, a cryptic smile playing on his lips** You've become more perceptive since my departure from the Mafia, Akutagawa-kun. But remember, even a maestro needs a symphony worth conducting. Your talents and Atsushi-kun's happen to add the perfect crescendo to my arrangement, however... it's not about replacing, but enhancing. Think of it as a collaboration, not a solo act. Now-- what do you say? Will you play your part?

Akutagawa: **eyes narrow, but he hesitates** …. I … **a pause, before continuing more sternly** --I have a condition first. Just one. Answer me what I ask and I will -grudgingly- lend my full cooperation.

Dazai: **smirks** Oh? Very well, then... ask away, Akutagawa-kun. I'm feeling particularly generous today, too.

Akutagawa: **glaring, taking a small step forward** …. Back then… why-- why did you leave? Why didn't you say anything before you left? **his brow creases with agitation** You disappeared without a word…. ( 'without even a goodbye'… but he doesn't say it aloud) you brought me into the Port Mafia and then left me behind, discarded -- tell me why?! **his obvious fury masks the despair**

Dazai: **his expression grows serious** You're asking a difficult question, Akutagawa-kun. **pauses** .... I had my reasons, but they're complicated and deeply personal. Believe it or not, there are matters that even I struggle to put into words. **gazes into the distance thoughtfully** ... I left when I felt it was necessary, not on a simple whim. And sometimes, perhaps, leaving without a word is a strategy in itself.

Akutagawa: A... strategy... ? **a pause** …. Is that really the reason? **his tone is cold and hard**

Dazai: **nods** That's right, Akutagawa-kun. It might be hard for you to understand, but sometimes the less you know, the safer you are. **sighs** It wasn't a decision made lightly, nor without its share of internal conflicts. But now, we have a different mission to focus on-- are you able to put aside our personal matters for the task at hand?

Akutagawa: **stares at him intently for a moment, then quickly averts his gaze again** …. I see. I think … I can understand it a little better, now. Yes… **a contemplative but softer tone** Very well. I'll fulfill this mission-- without fail, and with as little of that bumbling tiger's interference as possible! So, this time... watch me, Dazai-san. **his fists clench in determination**

Dazai: **smiles** That's the spirit, Akutagawa-kun. I believe in your abilities, but just remember that this mission is for the greater good, and sometimes we must endure the company of those we aren't particularly keen on, to protect the well-being of many others. **pauses** Now, let's go meet up with Atsushi-kun and get this show on the road.

[tomwambsmilk]

k so my work put on a conference last week and I only went to the saturday morning sessions but I ended up in a seminar discussion about climate activism. not really my wheelhouse so I just listened for the most part but - I was sitting next to this university prof who was an ex-politician and at one point he was talking about how if pro-environment policies are going to be a priority people need to push their political representatives. and at first I was like yeah totally!! I am big on contacting my political representatives about the things that matter To Me. but then he kind of dismissively said 'recent polling has shown that most canadians care far more about cost-of-living than the environment. and they don't want environmental progress if it'll cost them anything' and everyone sort of ruefully shook there heads and I was just sitting there like.... I think that's extremely valid actually. cost of living has SKYROCKETED and many people are really, really struggling to put food on the table and pay rent. and yeah climate change is terrible and will have potentially catastrophic impacts tomorrow if not stopped but. those impacts are coming tomorrow and people need to eat today. and its all well and good for a bunch of uni profs on tenured salaries to shake their heads because for them 'increased cost of living' means their summer vacation is in canada instead of europe, whereas for a lot of people I know its the difference between living in an apartment and a car. and if you're in that boat, and an environmental policy is being proposed which will negatively impact you financially (either directly or indirectly) I think its actually pretty understandable to be opposed to it

speaking of cars - a really excellent example is the carbon tax on gasoline in canada. the carbon tax is one thing for people who live in toronto, which has moderately effective and affordable public transit. if you live in toronto the choice to drive is, in fact, a choice - so a program which attempts to discourage driving makes sense. but geographically speaking, most of the country is pretty rural. I grew up in a pretty rural area. In those parts of the country, driving is not optional. There's no public transit and odds are most people have a 30-minute drive to work or school or the grocery store. In these areas, being too poor for a car is like being too poor to buy groceries or pay rent - its going to seriously hamper your ability to continue living. So for these people, the carbon tax is a penalty for something which simply cannot be helped, and there's 0 effort on the government's part to provide them with the resources which would give them other options, like affordable public transit. It's just fuck you - your gas bill is going up. And when people are struggling to pay bills, that's no small thing; but politicians consistently paint people opposed to the carbon tax as anti-environment greedy conservatives. And I look at that whole situation and go, honestly? Some of the people complaining do in fact have a point

There are broader examples too.... Canada's national economy is inextricably linked with Alberta's oil industry. If we all stopped using oil tomorrow, not only would hundreds of thousands of people be without work, but there would be millions of dollars in lost tax revenue, plus the shuttering of businesses in alberta due to lost revenue and the ripple effect this would have on jobs and income. That doesn't mean we just keep using oil forever, but it means that any sustainable plan for Canada to move away from oil NEEDS to have a significant economic component which addresses all of those lost jobs and revenue so we don't impoverish an entire province in the process. And yet for whatever reasons government policy always seems to be one or the other, and so of course nobody in alberta is going to support it because you haven't explained what they're supposed to do for work once the oil jobs disappear.

I'm sort of just rambling I guess - I'm just a little frustrated with watching all of this discourse from comfortably middle-class politicians and academics who think that anyone who raises an economic concern is a money grubbing conservative. A lot of them are in fact working-class people who are fearful of the financial implications of these policies and I do in fact think we owe it to them to make sure the poor are not disproportionately shouldering the burden of environmental progress

this is just me thinking out loud but. I do think perhaps maybe there is a problem with politically-focussed environmental activism that doesn't address the economic impact of pro-environment policies. if that makes sense

[yeehanfrf]

Week 5 Recs: Golden Oldies

This week's Yeehan fic rec theme was "Golden Oldies," or those fics from Overwatch's early days that left a lasting impression. I asked for recs from 2016 and 2017, and boy, did folks have plenty! Check out the recs gathered from the Yeehan community below, organized by rating then alphabetically by title.

Not Rated

Fair Enough (5 Things McCree Can Do But Doesn't Let On + 1 He Simply Won't) by AsheRhyder [5,776 words] Reccer comment: "Everything AsheRyder wrote during this period is solid gold. Tasty, angsty gold."

“So what do you say? You interested?” McCree’s smile was as wide and inviting as an open door. Hanzo looked over the scruffy cowboy with a critical eye and a severe frown. “No,” he said and watched the door shut, quiet and easy. “Fair enough.” McCree tipped his hat and sauntered off.

In the months that followed, Hanzo learned many things about McCree that made him change his opinion on man; amazing, curious, and terrifying things. The most infuriating of them being this:

Jesse McCree never asked twice.

Lucid Dream by Somebody_Someone [WIP; 277,255 words] Reccer comment: "one of my two all time favourite, brain chemistry altering fics!"

Years ago he was a successful writer, and now he is struggling to get by every single day. Between art block, depression, insomnia and a comatose brother, Hanzo is constantly hanging on by his fingernails.

One day, he finds solace in the strangest shape; lucid dreams of a most unwelcoming land where he meets a terribly frustrating cowboy, gets in deep trouble and goes on a quest for a mysterious treasure. With the insufferable cowboy as his guide.

The journey will be long, scattered with obstacles and dangers, but may it be enlightened by the unexpected blooming of a friendship and perhaps something deeper.

Two Noons in their Moccasins by Scrumpadouchus [WIP; 89,675 words] Reccer comment: "This!! It's a Your name AU and it's still a work in progress but it's seriously gold! I suggest to watch the film before but for me this ff is a 10/10"

In which an archer and a cowboy start suddenly waking up in each others' bodies, and they attempt to make the most of being suddenly dropped into the life of a complete stranger.

In the process they make some mischief, make some mistakes and change each others' lives.

Teen and Up

A Comedy of Eros (A Tragedy of Communication in Five Acts) by AsheRhyder [9,886 words]

Hanzo wondered why they even made mission plans when they all went horrifically wrong. Take this last one: what was supposed to be a quiet artifact retrieval from Ilios turned into a brawl with Talon over an ancient quiver full of arrows.

Arrows that, apparently, had some Very Interesting Side Effects on enemy and friend alike.

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors by vandoodle [75,467 words]

Hanzo Shimada regrets ever joining Overwatch after he is paired with Jesse McCree, known cowboy enthusiast, and dropped off in the middle of American suburbia. Forced to blend in with the environment, endure neighborhood cookouts, and share his new living space with his so-called 'Husband', the two prepare to preform the ultimate sting operation: taking down the Vishkar corporation once and for all. He can't help but think this will all go horribly wrong.

Or, alternatively titled: the undercover fake-marriage fic that every fandom deserves.

Hanzo: Koi no Yokan by franklytriggering [WIP; 15,998] Reccer comment: "this one's not hyped up enough imo. should be a classic. (unfinished by honestly the ending still slaps!)"

Hanzo struggles to rein in his delinquent brother, Genji, as their father's health wanes and obligation demands their answer. While their fate speeds towards its inevitable breaking point, Hanzo wrestles between family tradition and his wayward emotions-- marrying well, or giving in to his own needs.

Heartless by AsheRhyder [6,504 words]

Once upon a time, a wicked sorcerer cut out his heart and sealed it away. He hid it in a needle, put the needle in an egg, put the egg in a duck, put the duck inside a rabbit, and put the rabbit in a box on an island at the end of the world. So long as his heart was safe, nothing could kill him. Or so the legends say, anyway. Nowadays, people know what a silly story that was. Nobody bothers with rabbits anymore.

Cole Cassidy has no heart.

Like the River by Goodluckdetective (scorpiontales) [5,847 words] Reccer comment: "I do love me some good ol 'dragons expose Hanzo's inner workings'"

Dragon Spirits don’t trust just anyone.

McCree never expected for them to ever trust him.

Or how McCree gained some trust, won a shootout, almost caught the flu, and proceeded to be the most handsome damsel in distress Overwatch has ever seen.

Lone Wolf by AsheRhyder [Series; 66,124 words]

After the fall of Overwatch, Jesse McCree survived for years like a lone wolf. But wolves weren't meant to live alone, and as the Recall draws heroes back to the forefront, he'll have to learn how to adapt or get left behind again.

Lotus-Eater by AsheRhyder [16,116 words]

Only Jesse McCree would have the ridiculously bad luck to be abducted by a mad scientist during a mission.

In the aftermath, the line between dreams and waking blurs and distorts. Which holds more weight; the flawed reality, or the perfect dream? Which is worth fighting for? Which will hurt him worse?

More Than True by AsheRhyder [Series; 34,346 words]

"Fairy tales are more than true..." -G.K. Chesterton.

In which there are dragons, and castles, and monsters of all sorts.

OR

That series of stories in which buildings repeatedly fall on Hanzo.

People Like Us by fishpoets [8,764 words]

Jesse's never much believed in 'happily ever after', but it turns out it might be possible after all, even for a man like him. That is, if life doesn't ruin it for him first.

Mature

Adaptation by CommonNonsense [13,315 words]

McCree always did like a challenge, and Hanzo Shimada is a bundle of challenges wrapped up in a handsome package and tied with a gold ribbon.

Body Heat by BatKatBrown [2,575 words]

Little oneshot inspired by this comic which is amazing. http://disteal.tumblr.com/image/158383507645

Crown of Horns by Anonymous [150,888 words] Reccer comment: "I've recently started Re-reading one of my fav old ones: Crown of Horns (mind the tags!)"

"But you know, I rather like the idea of you as one of those beasts. Wouldn't that look nice for the clan, Hanzo? A living, breathing dragon, chained to a post in the gardens."

four days by feyhound [23,869] Reccer 1 comment: "one of my all time favs Four Days"

Reccer 2 comment: "One of my first fav is this 🥰 I have a weak spot for fics like these 🥺"

“I have an embarrassin’ favor to ask of you,” Cole says.

Hanzo stares at him expectantly, a single brow arched. “And what is that?” he asks.

“Y’see, my family might currently be under the impression that I’m bringin’ home a date for a few days next week. And, the thing is, I don’t really have one. So, I’m currently S-O-L and would really, really appreciate it if you came home with me for a few days and, uh. Pretended. To be my boyfriend.”

He stares down at his plate and jabs a fry into the enormous puddle of ketchup gathered in the center of it. If only the fry could be his hypothetical four-day boyfriend, he thinks; it would save him an enormous amount of embarrassment. It would be tastier, too.

[ Or - Cassidy desperately needs a fake date to bring home to his family, and Hanzo never does anything half-assed. ]

Foxhole Dreaming by fishpoets [18,569]

After Hanzo and McCree are ambushed on an undercover mission and McCree is injured, they need to hide out in a secret bunker that McCree knows of while they wait to be rescued. The prospect of a few days in close-quarters alone with McCree wouldn't be a problem, except for one thing: Hanzo's feelings for the gunslinger don't stop at friendship.

Hang the Fool by AlmaMeDuele [231,922 words] Reccer comment: "i remember reading it in 2017 and its still my fav one in this fandom"

How the heroic organization Overwatch acquires the talents of one Hanzo Shimada, and how gunslinger Jesse McCree will probably suffer because of it for the rest of his days.

Love Bites and Liquid Courage by timehopper [4,633 words]

McCree should not show up at his door in a drunken haze this often; and yet every time he does, Hanzo lets him in.

May I by Ingridarcher [182,716 words] Reccer comment: "my rec is the first Yeehan fic I read that I remember making An Impression on me"

"We're nothing alike, Shimada. You? You fell down from the sky. And me? I clawed my way up, outta the dirt."

Jesse was there. He was on the Blackwatch team that dragged Genji Shimada's body away and brought it back to the Overwatch medical facility. He saw what Genji's brother, Hanzo, did to him. Now, Overwatch has been recalled, and when Genji comes back he brings along the last person McCree ever expected: his murdering brother. And while Hanzo seems oddly drawn to McCree, Jesse wants nothing to do with him.

Points on a Circle by AughtPunk [111,325 words] Reccer comment: "it's not exclusively yeehan but omg it's such a well-crafted piece"

It began when Cole Cassidy summoned one of Hanzo's dragons in the middle of battle.

It began a month ago when Hanzo looked at Cole and realized he's already in love.

It began an hour ago when Satya heard the word 'magic' and refused the believe.

It began six months ago when Genji introduced his his brother to Cole, not knowing the two of them have a past.

It begins.

Undercover by lyriumveins [14,749 words]

Hanzo is a new member of Overwatch, working undercover in a coffee shop with a few other agents. He’s adjusting to his new life – and making good progress on his missions – when he starts finding ridiculous messages scrawled on coffee cups… Messages that are, apparently, for him. While he’s convinced it’s all just a ridiculous prank, D.Va calls them “pick-up lines” and insists that he has a “secret admirer.”

Whiskey Lullaby by CaptainCorgi [WIP; 64,791 words] Reccer comment: "Unfinished! But classic"

The buzz of the communicator had him jumping, knee slammed against the metal desk and a string of curses followed. Not looking, Jesse palmed the device, opening its front screen and stopped cold. The message wasn't from any of his team mates. In fact it wasn't from Overwatch at all. There was no sent from address, no name, and it contained one sentence.

Recipient: 10.29M.76 Status: Urgent Subject: -

Message:

Welcome home.

Who Taught You How to Hate by Valpur [46,594 words]

He’d always known it was going to happen. There weren’t many ways to go for a rogue like him, but all in all he would have much preferred a clean hole in his skull rather than being hanged for robbery and murder. Especially because this one single, fucking time he was not guilty.

--

McCree is having the worst time of his life and an outlander happens to save his sorry ass. Things go awfully weird after that - and he enjoys it all too much.

Explicit

Afterdrop by ClaroQueQuiza [WIP; 638,116 words]

Overwatch can be forgiven for keeping Hanzo at arm's length despite the endorsement of his intended murder victim. Six months of provisional membership, spent in the field, is a reasonable compromise.

But not everyone is on board with giving Hanzo a chance.

Cassidy, least of all.

Backroom Deals by dragonspell [7,754 words]

“Oh.” Jesse shifts on the chair, rattling the cuffs again, as his eyes dart helplessly downward, drawn by a kind of gravitational force. “I was wondering if you might, uh, show me your ankles?”

(Or, Jesse gets himself captured while trying to infiltrate a Shimada safe house and he and Hanzo reach a deal; Blackwatch-era, slight-AU; the foot fetish McHanzo that no one asked for)

the best medicine by fishpoets [4,298 words] Reccer comment: "Happy smut"

Hanzo and Jesse, a successful mission, a night alone together. Bad jokes and lots of laughter.

The Dragon's Mate by kdwalbring [116,347 words] Reccer comment: "The dragons mate is one I will always recommend! I've reread this more times than I can count all the way through and love it more each time!"

Talon is too powerful for the newly formed Overwatch to handle head-on, so plans are made to infiltrate one of their strongest supporters. Jesse McCree hasn't found a home or family quite like what he had in Blackwatch, but he's determined to protect his new friends whatever it takes.

Turns out, mating to your best friends murderous brother is what it takes and he goes willingly. Something's not right in the Shimada clan though and he's going to figure it and Shimada Hanzo out.

Or: Arranged Marriage Yakuza ABO AU, because all the things! THIS WILL HAVE A HAPPY ENDING!!

Familiar Habits by Philosophics [8,176 words] Reccer 1 comment: "I really like this one"

Reccer 2 comment: "One of my first ever Yeehan bookmarks back in the day!"

After joining Overwatch, Hanzo finds it difficult to sleep some nights. It is nothing a hot cup of tea cannot fix, but he never expected that he would have company.

(or: hanzo is very thirsty, in more ways than one)

I got this fever, fever burning inside by CourtneyCourtney [11,300 words]

Hanzo has heard stories of this 'weapon', the most lurid tales courtesy of McCree, naturally. A libido accelerant Talon injects intravenously, giving its victims the option of mauling a stranger for sexual release, forcing themselves on a teammate and ruining any trust built between the two, or - to quote Jesse's turn of phrase - dying of "blue balls."

In other words, not a way for someone like Jesse McCree to go. Not if Hanzo is determined to help. It would be a shame to lose a colleague as altruistic and reliable as McCree to a weapon so primitive.

If he has to choke out the voice at the back of his mind questioning his own altruism in performing this act, then so be it.

(or, McCree gets sex pollened by Talon, and Hanzo helps him out the way any good friend would (Really. Stop gagging, Genji.))

Ichigo by morrezela [27,121 words] Reccer comment: "Ichigo will forever be my go to fic. 😭😭 even tho it’s so heartbreakingly good"

They break up on a Wednesday

It's All Your Fault by Cadeykat [25,100 words]

Hanzo Shimada joins the ranks of Overwatch and finds that he quite likes teasing the resident cowboy. That is, until a single compliment ruins his thought process, and he has to deal with feelings he's not exactly well versed in.

Magic McCree by Cadeykat [15,105 words]

Hanzo Shimada does not want to be here, he does not like strip clubs and never has. And Genji is wrong, he does not need to 'get laid', no matter how long this dry spell has lasted. He knows he'll regret being here tonight, and he needs a drink. And the tall glass of water clad in plaid that just bumped into him could be what cures his thirst.

More than Most by leoandlancer [7,103 words] Reccer comment: "Shooting at your loved ones always works to confess your love, right?"

Initially, McCree thinks he's the one chasing Hanzo for time alone. However, after Hanzo tips his hand slightly playing target practice, McCree's less certain. Then Hanzo accompanies him to a private island, where he neatly lays to rest all of McCree's assumptions about his reticence. McCree simply chased until Hanzo finally caught him. Short little thing because McHanzo smooches and smut are giving me so much joy.

Poker Face by Cadeykat [28,383 words]

“Shark, my ass. Man cleared out $60,000 at the first table he played at.”

Hanzo shrugs, silently delighting in how Daniel sucks in a bracing breath at his nonchalance. Oh, he loves riling him up. Serves him right for calling him in on his day off. “So? That’s not entirely uncommon. Perhaps he’s just good at poker.”

“He’s won almost $250 grand over the last four days.”

Oh.

This is going to be fun.

Scoundrels and Thieves 'verse by vaguely_concerned [WIP; Series; 127,655 words]

Canon AU where the Shimada family and the Deadlock gang used to do business, Hanzo and Cassidy had a thing… and then Cassidy gets the ‘offer’ from Overwatch.

stop me if you've heard this one by losebetter [WIP; 9,516 words] Reccer comment: "my oldest yeehan bookmark, a very old WIP, but I recommend it regardless and still occasionally reread it because it's so good"

love or death. grab an end, pull hard, and make a wish. richard siken.

--

“Mmm. And, here, here is the best part of this, Jesse,” Hanzo slurs, afterwards, about oh-two-hundred by Jesse’s estimation. He’s standing around nude in the en suite, and Hanzo looks downright decadent lounging in the wrecked sheets back on the bed, all dark eyes, dark hair that cuts down over one shoulder like spilled ink. His long fingers shift on the flask propped up next to him, and Jesse swears some part of his tattoo ripples with the movement, too eye-catching to have come from the dim ceiling light. Maybe he’s still a little tipsy, but he can’t pretend he’s never seen Hanzo in action before, either.

Target Panic by Philosophics [20,500 words] Reccer comment: "an old fav of mine, funny, sexy and a bit angsty"

McCree looks him steadily in the eyes. “I said, I’m in love with you,” he repeats. Hanzo stares some more as the words sink in. “You,” he states imperiously, “are mistaken.” Then he promptly turns on his heel and strides out the open carrier door. - In which McCree confesses his love, Hanzo has some difficulty believing him, and the team seems entirely unable to keep from sticking their noses into the whole affair.

We're all Blackwatch Now by firefly_quill [WIP; Series; 18,491 words]

“Blackwatch under scrutiny after complaint from Japanese government”.

How Jesse McCree gets in trouble *for* following orders, for once.

This wraps up the Week 5 recs! Thank you to everyone who sent in a recommendation! Keep an eye out for next week's theme: "Show & Tell," all about the love confessions.

In the meantime, you can also check out the Week 4 recs here or check the list of past and future themes here!

[unoriginalmess]

A Second Mask: Chapter 4

Did that just happen?

Hello guys! It's me. I'm finally writing again. Sorry about the delay. I'm going to explain more at the end of the chapter, but I'm just going to keep the beginning short. So here is chapter 4:

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To say Adrien was concerned would be a huge understatement. He was downright disturbed. Its been weeks and still Marinette hadn't changed back to the happy, peppy, nice girl that he knew. AND SHE WOULDN'T EVEN TALK TO HIM ABOUT IT!

He tried to talk to her for a whole week after her original trasformation, but after the repeated firm rejections, he stopped altogether. He figured that maybe with some space, she might be able to work through whatever she was going through, but at this point, he's losing hope.

When he is feeling this distressed about something, he usually turns to his lady, but she has been acting weird too. Ever since she suggested they start sparring, she's started to show that she is going through kinda a rough time as well. She is the same ladybug when everyone is watching, but when it's just the two of them, she looks sad and tired. She has also started saying some concerning things while they are sparring. She has started talking about how she has started taking being Ladybug and the Guardian more seriously, and how she has less distractions now, which would be a good thing if she didn't say them so sadly.

The good thing is, the sparring has given him a chance to get out his aggression because of the whole Marinette-situation and his anger at his father in a safe environment. He didn't like the idea of hitting Ladybug at first (especially in the face) but with her not holding back on her hits, he felt more comfortable doing the same. It has helped them fight better too. He hopes that whatever Ladybug is going through in her civillian life will work itself out soon, but until then he will be there for her. He just needs to figure out how to be there for Marinette.

•••

Felix was making good progress with Marinette. After they first asked marinette about (insert fashion question of your choice here, I legit know nothing and I didn't have time to research anything for this chapter), she had started answering their questions on a daily basis. After a couple of days of that, she had started to rant to them about different things in the fashion world that were bothering her, exciting her, or confusing her that particular day. In response to that, they had started to respond to her rants with their own opinions on the subjects and even start their own rants.

It had gotten to the point where Felix would now consider them to be friends, though they know that Marinette would never call them as such, it was fine with them. They know she has trust issues, and they can understand why, so they are fine with being friends in everything but a name.

Felix was looking forward to their daily banter as they waited in their seat for Marinette to arrive. When she did, she was followed by a very pissed-looking Alya. Felix turned to look at her and noticed that she had what looked to be tears forming in her eyes. What they didn't notice was the little black butterfly that had entered through the window in the back of the room, and was making a beeline towards her.

•••

Marinette walked to school in yet another one of her newest fashion creations: a pair of oversized grey ripped jeans and a navy blue sweatshirt. She was actually really liking her new look, and the comfort that it offered was just an added plus.

She was actually feeling excited to talk to Felix about Gabriel Agreste's newest fashion flop. They were the only person that she had met that actually cared about fashion as much as her. It made her happy to talk to them. It kind of scared her how excited she was. Shouldn't she be distancing herself from everyone? she thought to herself. No. Felix isn't my friend, they aren't close to me, they are just someone I talk fashion with. Like a coworker, yeah. Totally. Felix is just a coworker. ("Liar" says the inner voice in her head)

She was shocked out of her thoughts when she was pulled to the side by someone as she entered the courtyard. Her mind immediately thought of an akuma, when the person spoke.

"Marinette! Girl," Oh it's just Alya. Wait Alya? "How long are you gonna keep up this cry for attention? Are you really THAT jealous of Lila? I know that Adrien likes her, but that doesn't give you the right to act like this! And you are hanging out with Felix, who accused her of sexually harrassing Adrien on their first day here-?" She looked absolutely furious at her, but Marinette had heard enough. She cut Alya off in the middle of her presumably long rant.

"ALYA!" Said girl jumped at both the inturruption and the tone of voice used, "First of all, this isn't a cry for attention, if anything its a cry for leaving me the fuck alone. Second of all, I'm not jealous of Lila. I'm not in love with Adrien anymore, and haven't been for a while. You knew that I was dating Luka right? Why would I care who Adrien likes? Lastly, I am allowed to hang out with whoever I choose, whether you like them or not. It's none of your fucking business Alya, and if you think that I'm just some jealous, attention-seeker why do you even care?" With that last question she stormed off to the classroom, leaving a speechless Alya behind her.

When marinette sat down in her seat, she just kept thinking about how Alya was just talking to her. How could she think that about her? They used to be best friends, and Alya wasn't even concerned about her not talking to her anymore, she was just concerned about her being "jealous of Lila". It made her so furious that she could feel tears trickling down her face. She sees the black butterfly out of the corner of her eye and without hesitation grabs it out of the air.

(Next part is taken from this post by @bigfatbreak)

"Go ahead and akumatize me- See what happens, Hawkmoth!" She screamed the words with a slight madness that the energy of the akuma was giving her, "Every leash has two ends! I just have to pull until I find where you're holding it!"

At this point, the entire class was frozen in place watching her and listening to her crazed-sounding voice threaten an actual terrorist. Marinette felt Hawkmoth's confusion and terror through the bond. What in the- She's sensing me through the Akuma?! The akuma then started to fly away, and when it couldn't it zapped her hand like it was made of lightning and fluttered through the same window it came from. Marinette felt like she had failed yet again and collapsed down on her desk, muttering, "Uuuuggghh. It escaped anyway... What a waste. I didn't realize that Hawkmoth was such a coward. He usually likes grandstand..."

She was startled when her hand was picked up by Felix's, "You likely scared him off by managing to locate him like that... A risky move, I should mention. I would ask that you not attempt that a second time. No one knows what his akuma is truly capable of. You'll want to keep off of this hand for a while, too."

"Oh, are those the doctor's orders? Why, Felix, it almost sounds like you care about meeee." Marinette was all too amused by Felix's concern for her. She also liked to tease them... AS COWORKERS DO.

"I have an investment in your presence. Now don't be cheeky and let's get you to the nurse's office," They said while holding her wrist and gently pulling her in that direction.

Marinette scoffed, "'An investment in my presence'??"

Felix chuckled while still semi-dragging her by the wrist towards the front of the room, being careful not to hurt her injury even worse, "What did I just say about being cheeky?"

On their way out of the door they passed a VERY distressed-looking Adrien. He seemed to be sharing the sentiment with the entire class of: Did that just happen?

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

And thats chapter 4. It is VERY LATE! I know. I've been swamped with work, and when I went to write it, I had zero ideas on how to write this chapter. I never ended up getting those ideas. I just went where my writing took me, so if it doesn't really match the characters that's why. I will try to be better at updating regularly, but it probably won't happen. Sorry to everyone with a normal sleep schedule, but this is the time that I write things. Also I didn't have my outline with me while writing this chapter, so it might not have everything I planned to write in it.

I would like to thank you all for all of the support I've been getting on this fic. Despite all of the chapter delays, you guys have stuck with me through all of it, so thank each and every one of you. I love seeing so many people loving this au as much as I do. Without you guys this story wouldn't exist, and I would've stopped writing it after the first chapter.

As always, constructive criticism is always accepted. I love being able to improve my writing whenever possible.

Thank you for reading. Have a nice day/night/whenever you are reading this. See ya next time guys, gals, and non-binary pals.

Taglist

@queer-illusion @apasponsor @heckinggremlin @1-ahiro-1 @hewantedbeefintheparkinglot @sassakitty @lennauts @rianoel @dorkus-minimus @khneltea @welp-that-was-unexpected @mlnchlymrshmllw @lovelyautumnsunflower @chariphrasis @lovesbooks @komatsuna-yuki @polyvirnl @innocentlyguiltyfrenchfry @qhobias @ive-tumbled-down-a-rabbit-hole @hammalammadamdam @cloudydaysomewhere @alcoholic-barney @basenikon @xxbehindthemaskxx @corporeal-terrestrial @shadowymemoirs @moonlight-densetsuu

[looseratinthegarage]

First thoughts of Prey

⚠️SPOILERS AHEAD⚠️

I liked it. The premise is good. CGI is okay at times, better at others. But wtf did they do to my boy? They fucking did him dirty. I didn’t like the design in Predators from 2010 either. It feels like directors who know nothing about the franchise keep strolling in and changing shit up. You don’t mess with perfection. The original design is perfection. I was rather disappointed to see that they significantly slimmed down the yautja and made his head “more proportionate to his body” quoted from the director. Director Dan Trachtenberg stated he wanted to make him more “animalistic” I believe is how he phrased it, but correct me if I’m wrong. The fact that this Yautja was “slimmed down” doesn’t make a lick of sense if you look at what happens in the movie and the sort of fighting he engages with. He willingly wrestled a bear and got fairly wounded. He took on one of earths many tanks without weapon aid, why? Because he was fighting on its level. As we’ve seen them do in countless other movies. But why would they make him smaller, therefore weaker, and put him up against such a deadly creature?

Something that peaked my interest was the fact that Dan said this is a more “primitive yautja”, one from 300 years ago. But that just doesn’t make sense. The Yautja can live hundreds of years and evolution takes far longer to happen then in that short time. Try millions of years. If you look at humans you see we haven’t changed almost at all in 300 years, now If we take a look at some long living life forms on earth we see that they don’t really change either, in the millions of years of the species existing. Example, take a tortoise for instance or a crocodile, they live an extremely long time, have they changed very much throughout history? No. Evolution never stops, Darwinism and the theory of natural selection will always be around, but these specific creatures kept adapting efficiently to their environments, making a “near perfect” life form from the combination of helpful mutations. All of this leads me to believe the Yautja have been around far longer then humans if they have such a long life span, as if that wasn’t already obvious with their advanced technology, but I digress.

Now, another problem I have with the movie is a couple scenes.

1). It’s when the Yautja has Naru in between the rocks and was going to decapitate her with his advanced shield-like weapon. Granted I’ve only watched the movie once through, and will have to rewatch it many more times to give a thorough and more accurate analysis; Why didn’t he kill her? He had the perfect opportunity, so why? Was something stopping him? Did his weapon get stuck on the large stones? or did he seriously still not see her as a threat still at that point?

2). He blocked almost zero attacks. I’ll reiterate once more, they made this Yautja weaker, so why did he get so many hits on him? He’s smaller to be more agile, but he really didn’t show that off. When jumping from tree to tree he did not display it either, we’ve seen the larger Yaujta fight as he did from the trees. He is no tank, powerful yes, but he is unlike his beefier yautja brethren who can take more hits.

—(ADDED CONTENT)—

I feel the need to discuss the predators design further. They elongated his head and reduced its width as well. He looks far too bug like or perhaps resembles an odd fish. The colors are muted and bland unlike the other yautja we’ve seen in movies, comics, and games. I also noticed his “dreads” are much finer, less thick. I’m not opposed to the change of the dreads, I actually like the update, as well as the og thick dreads.

—(END OF ADDED CONTENT)—

But despite my nitpicking I must give credit where credit is due. This is possibly the best film we’ve ever seen come out of the franchise. While the original from 1987 will always be my favorite, this is a very close second. The visuals were absolutely stunning, the camera work was well done, and the casting was awe-inspiring. I would like to thank Director Dan Trachtenberg and screenplay writer and producer Patrick Aison for their wonderful job. As well as the cast and crew who worked on this fantastic piece of cinema.

⚠️This is all my opinion, I am not claiming to be an expert on the subject nor know everything about Yautja canon and lore. Please take this with a grain of salt.⚠️

If you have thoughts on this please share them, I’d love to hear everyone’s opinions. <3

[zuko-always-lies]

ATLA AU Idea which is Basically “Azula Raises Katara for Several Years”

I’ve had this idea kicking around my head for months, and, since I have no intention of writing it, I figure I might as well post it. To be clear, the premise of this fanfic is “Azula, Katara, and Sokka get traumatized in ways they weren’t in canon, but the events that traumatize them potentially help lead to a better outcome in the long-term,” so be prepared for rough sailing.

This idea is very much inspired by all the “Katara gets kidnapped young and raised within the Fire Nation royal family” fanfics, which I think can be excellent if done with care. However, in a situation where Katara and Azula develop a relationship when they are young, the natural tendency is to make Katara the “motherly” or parental one, and I wanted to turn that on its head. I also wanted to explore some of the possible implications of Azula taking on adult sized responsibilities as a child and of the perverse ways that power differentials can influence things. I also wanted to explore some of the ways that Azula’s commitment to duty and responsibility can be a positive thing. Another ~2000 or so words under the cut.

The premise is that, shortly after Zuko gets banished, Katara gets captured by the Southern Raiders as the last Southern Water Tribe waterbender and brought back to Caldera and presented as a trophy to Ozai. Ozai’s first reaction is to have her executed, but fortunately Azula is also present in the throne room. For reasons which Azula doesn’t entirely understand herself but which definitely have something to do with her guilt over what happened to Zuko, Azula decides to intervene, despite the risks involved. However, not being Zuko, she manages to do this without provoking Ozai, through convincing him that Katara is more valuable alive as a trophy, a symbol, and a plaything than she is dead. Ozai doesn’t really care that much, so he pawns Katara off to Azula and basically forgets about her, accidentally using language that implies to Azula that Katara and taking care of Katara is now Azula’s responsibility. Azula is at an age where she’s started to take her responsibilities and duties with deadly seriousness.

Katara doesn’t know what to make of this all.  She’s been severely traumatized by being kidnapped and torn from her family and culture and by having her life threatened by Ozai. She’s aware that Azula saved her life, but the language Azula used to in order to do so sounds warped and screwed up to Katara, who is unaware that Azula had to say what she said in order to manipulate Ozai.  Katara noticed that Azula seemed a little nervous when she talked to Ozai, but Katara doesn’t initially know how risky and dangerous what Azula did was.

Again, Azula takes her responsibilities with deadly seriousness. So, when it becomes her responsibility to take care of Katara, Azula is determined to do the best possible job, even though she’s 11 and Katara is also 11. If there were any responsible adults present, they would intervene and talk to Azula about how awful an idea this is, but there aren’t any left.  In any case, Katara’s waterbending abilities make it so she has to be kept under some kind of supervision, Azula is perceptive enough to worry that Katara might be mistreated if she got fostered out, and in any case Azula is convinced she can do a better job than any foster family.

Azula is a badly abused 11 year old who grew up indoctrinated in an absolutely toxic ideology. She’s never really seen good parenting in her life. The idea of her trying to parent should be terrifying. Yet she’s aware that Ursa didn’t do the best job with her, and since Katara isn’t a “monster” Azula sees no reason to replicate Ursa’s behavior. Azula believes the way that Ozai treats her is absolutely justified, even though she has some knowledge of its negative effects on her, but since Katara isn’t a princess who has immense duties to her nation and family, Azula sees no reason to treat her that way. In fact, Azula is aware of ignorance about parenting, and tries to read as much about parenting as she can. She also reads as much about the water tribes as she can in order to try to understand Katara better.

In terms of being a “parent,” Azula is overall a little standoffish, absent, and demanding.  She doesn’t need to directly look after Katara’s physical care(she has servants for that), but she has to look after Katara’s emotional needs, her education, and her overall care. As a temporary measure, she arranges that Katara sleep on a cot in Azula’s room because she’s not sure where to put her, and this arrangement becomes permanent. This means Azula and Katara usually eat together, since Azula has taken most of her meals in her room, but Azula is very busy with her duties, training, and education, so they don’t spend much time together in a typical day. Azula has Katara officially declared a servant(but one who only reports to Azula) in order to regularize her status and allow Katara to draw a salary(most of which Azula holds in escrow for when Katara comes of age), but Azula only rarely asks Katara to do work; Katara had far more chores back in the Southern Water Tribe. On the other hand, Azula demands that Katara work hard in her education and on practicing her waterbending. Katara is too old to be sent to the Royal Fire Academy for Girls, but Azula obtains tutors for her, in addition to getting her whatever waterbending scrolls she can and trying to obtain the best possible bending coaches for Katara’s waterbending, sometimes even stepping in herself to try to coach Katara.

Azula is aware that Katara wants to return home, but she doesn’t think that Ozai would ever allow that, and, in any case, Azula is an imperialist who thinks Katara is better off being “civilized” in the Fire Nation than she would be back in her ignorant and “savage” home.  A large portion of Katara’s education is intended to “civilize” her. Azula doesn’t have firm ideas of where adult Katara will fit into Fire Nation society but plays with the idea of marrying her into the nobility or of making her governor of the conquered Water Tribes. So overall, Azula does a shockingly good job as “parent” given she’s an abused 11 year child acting within the toxic norms of the Fire Nation, but that still means she does a bad job, and her relationship with Katara remains pretty toxic.

Ozai and the rest of the court have some awareness of what’s going on, but they honestly don’t care as long Azula continues to be an exemplary princess, fulfills her duties, and continues to exceed expectations. Some members of the court even find Azula’s personal commitment to “civilizing” a savage to be inspiring. However, the burden of taking care of Katara means that Azula is under even more pressure than she is in canon, with the good news being that Azula has something more of a support network than in canon. Katara provides some measure of support, and in this AU Azula never has the energy to really push Ukano’s political career forward, and so Mai never has to leave, so Ty Lee also stays put.

Katara, again, is severely traumatized by her experiences, and to a degree feels helpless. She knows that she can’t escape and go back home. She’s resentful of Azula and particularly of the efforts to cut Katara off from her culture, but at the same time Katara ends internalizing some Fire Nation culture. Yet after a while Katara gets a sense of how toxic the environment is at the Royal Court, and she soon(after overhearing a conversation between Mai and Ty Lee which was supposed to be confidential) learns what happened to Zuko and realizes how much Azula risked in order to protect Katara, and Katara can’t help but feel intense gratitude to Azula for it. Azula also gradually becomes more and more respectful of Water Tribe culture, and Katara deeply appreciates the emphasis Azula places on Katara mastering waterbending.  Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee are also the only people in the Fire Nation who are ever consistently kind to Katara, and Katara ends up deeply bonding with each one of them, although the resulting relationships are not the healthiest. Katara eventually starts to develop a sense of how each one of them has been deeply victimized by Fire Nation culture. Azula goes to great lengths to hide her own struggles and pain from Katara, but Katara spends a lot of time with her and sometimes notices. Several years in, Katara notices some positive changes in Azula and begins to play with the idea that she can positively influence Azula so that Azula will be become a kinder and anti-imperialist Firelord.

Azula thinks Katara’s waterbending is the coolest thing ever(well, aside from firebending at least), a sentiment shared to a lesser degree by Mai and Ty Lee. Azula also thinks that learning to fight is vital, so she brings Katara along for her spars with Mai and Ty Lee. Katara makes rapid progress, particularly due to her access to many waterbending scrolls. As a result of this, and of Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee not separating, all four girls end up being significantly better combatants than they were in canon.

Mai and Ty Lee have complex reactions to Katara, but they eventually come to like and even love her. There is an element of resentment present because Katara takes up so much of the ever busy Azula’s time, but Azula forces her friends to spend time with Katara, and they end up bonding with her.  Katara’s empathy and compassion works in her favor here, especially since she rapidly develops into one of the few people who sees and appreciates them for who they are. Mai and Ty Lee also find Katara’s waterbending to be an interesting and intriguing method of combat, soon come to respect Katara’s budding combat skills, and, as people deeply unhappy with their own places in society, they find Katara’s stories of life at the south pole to be interesting. Mai has issues with Katara being a little too “motherly,” but on the other hand appreciates that Katara pays attention to Mai’s actual desires and needs.  Ty Lee sometimes finds Katara to be a little too similar to her for comfort, but also at the same time appreciates Katara’s caring side and the way she’s not reluctant to give her positive attention. Frequently Azula is too busy to join her friends, so Katara, Ty Lee, and Mai end up hanging out together. Freaks and outsiders stick together.

Azula, through her research into the Water Tribes, personal experience with Katara, and interest in Katara’s waterbending, begins to subtly yet strongly move in anti-imperialist directions and doubt Fire Nation ideology, but her transformation has scarcely begun by the time Book 1 begins. She does benefit from better relationships with her friends, though, and Katara gives her some emotional support. Meanwhile, to a lesser degree Mai and Ty Lee have had their own doubts develop about imperial ideology.

Azula tends to see her relationship with Katara mainly in terms of responsibility and duty, but she ultimately comes to fiercely love Katara.

Zuko and Iroh do their things, just like in canon.  They receive vague reports about Katara’s presence in court, but they don’t understand the significance of them.

Sokka gets badly traumatized by losing his sister and believes her to be killed by the Fire Nation. Hakoda, Bato, and the water tribe warriors also still leave to fight the Fire Nation. Sokka is absolutely dedicated to seeking vengeance on the Fire Nation, and when he accidently defrosts Aang, he sees an opportunity.

Book 1 largely plays out the same, with minor changes. I think an interesting one is that Suki ends up joining a badly understrength Team Avatar and temporally leaving her warriors behind in order to aid Avatar Kyoshi’s reincarnation with the fulfillment of his destiny.

Book 2 opens with Azula being sent to capture Zuko and Iroh. Mai and Ty Lee tag along, in part with the hope of making sure Zuko is captured without being harmed, and Azula decides to bring Katara too rather than leave her alone in Caldera.  However, the operation goes south, and Azula, Mai, Ty Lee, and Katara soon find themselves hunting the Avatar. Katara’s loyalties are about to be tested like never before…Meanwhile, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee all have seeds of anti-imperialism growing within them, but what will it take for these seeds to blossom and give fruit? Meanwhile, Azula grapples with not only her canon trauma but also the trauma she experienced through her parentification.

[rcksmith]

The sin you make me commit. — Five Hargreeves

Requests: “omg i’ve been reading everything in ur acct, i love ur writing sm! could you do fluff 27 and smut 6 and 95 for five?”

“hello, love. can i request five hargreeves with fluff prompt 50 and smut prompt 54 if it's alright with you? thank you 💓”

Fluff prompts:

27. “It’s late. Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

50. “She don’t compare to you. No one does.”

Smut prompts:

6. “do you think of me when you touch yourself?”

54. “Come sit on my face, let me show you how much I missed you.”

95. “What are you doing in my bed?!”

A/N: We not tolerate any pedophilia here !!

I write about Five with their 20s. I write the same about the characters of Harry Potter.

Thank you for requests💖 I hope you guys like💖 English is not my first language, so I so sorry if have a mistake.

Requests are open. Love you ❤️

Resume: You're Diego's best friend, but Five desires you to much.

Couple: Five Hargreeves/Fem!Reader.

Warnings: swearing, explicit smut, dirty talk, fluff too. Smut smut.

— — — — —

Liking Five Hargreeves was ... stressful. If you could define all the whirlwind of feelings and emotions, you would use that word. Okay, maybe you would use two words: stressful and exciting.

Exciting because Hargreeves looked like an angry young god. Always with a malicious smile, a penetrating look and an energy that made any environment submit to him. Everyone felt the intense vibration that emanated from every inch of that tall, slim and thin 28-year-old body.

The dark hair like sin and the white skin like alabaster brought a sublime contrast, making your mind sail through dangerous and turbulent waters. Everything about him turned you on like hell. The voice was hoarse and arrogant, the laughter boastful, the posture of all that tall body. It was too much for you.

But everything about him also stressed you out like hell. Five Hargreeves was unbearable. And just as he was aware that he possessed an overwhelming beauty, he also knew that he was exasperating. And Five don’t give a shit for it.

But it wasn't just the personality that took you seriously. It was the girls. Five had half the women of that city wrapped around him finger, at the mercy of whatever desire he had, giving himself up on a gold tray if he asked.

Jealousy. It was clear and perfect what you felt. Jealousy so visseral that you rolled your eyes every time you were in the Hargreeves' kitchen, drinking coffee with Allison and Diego, and you saw Five appear with a purple hickey on his neck.

You had to control every fiber of your being so as not to break the mug that you were holding, so strong that you squeezed the porcelain. It was unbearable. Unbearable because you wanted him madly. With every cell of your being.

It is unbearable because you couldn't have him.

Truth be told, an involvement with Five would cause a hubbub. You are a friend of Diego's for a long time. The two of you met at the police unit, when You were recruited after graduating from college at the age of 22. Diego had been assigned to be you partner and, although he was pissed off at first because he practically had to babysit, the two of you ended up becoming inseparable.

The years passed, the friendship became stronger and, when Diego was expelled from the police, you were there to help him in any way he needed. And that only boosted friendship even more. Diego Hargreeves was a strong, stubborn and very determined man. Somewhat possessive of the people he loved, since in childhood he never had many things to hold on to and love. So when any light went through the dark room that was his life, Diego clung to that light.

Because that, you know that any romantic involvement with any of Diego’s brothers would awaken the volcano in the knife man. He would be possessed if he found out that one of the brothers was fucking his best friend. Besides, unfortunately, Diego was smart and astute enough not to notice any changes from you with Five if you chose to do something hidden.

So it was better to avoid the drama.

But, avoiding the eruption Diego, was triggering an eruption within you. A very specific and atrocious fire.

And that was exactly what you were feeling right now. Seeing Five walking down the steps of the mansion, his hair disheveled, his clothes slightly rumpled and hickey marks around his neck. If that were not enough to denounce the wild night he had had, the woman who came down behind him would have been enough. Her black dress was wrinkled, her makeup smudged and she carried heels in her hands.

It inflated a colossal jealousy inside you, setting fire to all your nerve endings.

The girl was still beautiful. Stupidly beautiful. Even with the shambles of last night, her blond hair still retained its incandescent shine and her long catwalk legs were stunning.

You snorted, rolling your eyes and making your way back to the kitchen once again.

“I arrived.” You held out the bag of donuts to Diego, who hurriedly opened it.

“How much delay.” He grunted as he stuffed a donut in mouth and turned to the counter, returning with two mugs “Your coffee.”

It was a kind of ritual between the two of you. It started at the police station, when you were still working together, you offered donuts for him and Diego coffee for you. And as the years went by it ended up becoming a symbol of friendship. You brought the food and Diego the drink. Always.

When he was fired, the two of you moved the tradition to his home. That was when the Hargreeves brothers met you, and your presence at the mansion became so normal that you didn't even have to knock on the door anymore, just like Diego at your apartment. After four years of friendship, you and Diego were still there. Unshakable. And maybe that was one of the things that kept you from giving Five any openness too.

“Is it just me or are these donuts getting worse and worse?” Diego complained, and you rolled your eyes.

“You tell me that since our patrols.”

“Because it is true.” He stuffed another candy in his mouth.

“And you still eat all of them.”

“One day I'm going to make a machine donuts my bitch and make better donuts than these.”

You laughed and, when you answered, a blue flash flashed in the kitchen and Five Hargreeves was opening the refrigerator.

You held your breath.

“Don't you have anything decent to eat in this house?” Five grunted and turned to you and Diego, stopping eyes on the donuts

“Do not even think…”

Diego warned, but it was too late, Five had teleported to his brother and snatched the candy from his hand, taking a big bite.

“Bitch.” Diego grunted.

“Good morning, my dear brothers!” Klaus entered the room, smiling and covered in a black feather overcoat. “My brother's dear girlfriend.” He winked at you.

You choked on your coffee, or Diego, or both.

“She's not my girlfriend.” Diego defended himself.

“But I was not referring to you.” Klaus countered and this time it was Five who choked on a piece of donut.

You caught something in the air, something that went down your spine and injected an icy sensation into your heart. A feeling that there was something deeper in those words. Something you didn't know what it was about.

But from the way Five gave Klaus a look that contained the promise of apocalypse, you felt that the two brothers knew very well what it was about.

Diego frowned and looked at you, but you made a gesture with the shoulders and the eyebrows of someone who also didn't understand anything. Then he took it as just another one of the senseless things Klaus said and shrugged, turning to you again.

“Are you going to work on that case today?”

You agreed, drinking your coffee.

“Yes, I managed to find more clues about the dealer.”

“The ones in the alley, isn't it?”

You smiled, are nice and light the way Diego and you had the same line of reasoning, almost like an internal language. He could tell exactly what was going through your head. And all him siblings could see that, too.

Five could see that. And that was the main reason he fucked that blonde until he lost his mind. Discounting all the anger he had felt for months.

Five felt so wrong. So dirty. A bastard of the worst kind for lusting after his brother's best friend so... intensely. Only the devil knew how many times Five touched himself thinking of you, remembering your legs in that tight skirt and high heels, or the moments, like today, when you appeared with a white dress shirt, so tight that your breasts were so marked that it barely left work for the imagination.

Fucking hell! You are a fucking mirage!

“Exactly. I'll tell you later how it was today.”

You smiled at Diego and took your bag from the table, hanging it from the arm fold and drink the rest of your coffee.

Diego stuck another candy in his mouth and stretched his left hand towards you, saying with his mouth full:

“Your collar is crooked again.” He pointed and took his fingers to your collar, tidying up the white fabric

Five squeezed donut himself so tightly that he felt it break in his fingers. God! That was the worst part! When someone touched you. He knew that for Diego and you it was completely normal. Your friendship was very strong, but that didn't stop Five from burning inside.

“Thanks” You smiled and pulled a donut out for you while saying goodbye to everyone and left the mansion.

Diego left the kitchen seconds later, leaving only Klaus and Five there.

“If you made any move, she would be more with you.” Klaus scoffed as he pulled an orange juice.

Five rolled his eyes. Klaus was the only one who knew about his secret crush on you. It wasn't like he said it, but Klaus realized that he was looking at you much more closely, that he held breath when you were too close. And that he always drowned in a night of drinking and casual sex when he saw Diego much near you.

“Shut up.” He stuffed what was left of the candy in mouth.

“Why don't you talk to her? It's not like she's a seven-headed monster. ”

“She is Diego's best friend.” Five pointed out the obvious and Klaus shrugged.

“So? You two are adults, it’s not like you’re in high school.” He drank the juice “I bet Diego would fuck some of your a hottie’s friends if you had any. You two don't need him permission to have sex. ”

Five rolled his eyes.

“Even if I did that. And it doesn't mean that I will!” He pointed to his brother “But even if I did, Y/N never gave any indication that she wants anything.”

“Oh for god's sake” Klaus laughed “Didn't you notice how she looks at you? It is so intense. As if she was undressing you with eyes. It's very hot, actually. ”

Those words rang in Five's mind all day. All afternoon. Blundering any common sense he once had.

Was he so oblivious to your eyes? Five tried so hard not to catch fire when he was close to you that he might have missed the signs of how you felt.

What if he did make a move with you? What if you wanted that too?

It's not like Five wants to hurt Diego. Or if Five had chosen his brother's best friend just because he was a bastard. No, Five didn't wake up on a beautiful day and thought: “Hm, I'm going to fuck my brothe’s best friend.” Do not.

Five was human. And any human with good eyes and a little common sense would be overwhelmingly attracted to you. And besides, they were not children. Diego would be fine.

As Five placed a stone in the dilemma called “Diego”, a colossal wave of indecent images of you sank Five into the deepest ocean. Invading him entire system and injecting all those months of insane desire into his veins again. Now in full force.

Every night Five fucked senseless any woman, just to close his eyes and imagine that it was you. That it was your moans, that was your hot body, your broken kisses. So many months of high denial and physical torture would now explode like an atomic bomb in his system. It physically hurt not to touch you. It was like missing something he never had. Being addicted to a drug he had never tried.

But today Five was going to overdose.

It was one in the morning when Five Hargreeves made a decision. When his whole body burned with his own lustful desire, screaming for him to seek some relief. And it was one in the morning when Five teleported to your apartment, specifically in your bed.

Five didn't know what to expect by going there. He was so overwhelmed with his own emotions that he didn't stop to think about call you phone like a normal human being.

No. He needed to see you. Right now. A long time of self-denial mess a man's head.

Five Hargreeves considered himself to be a very articulate human being, a genius, unshakable. But as soon as he saw you come out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, he would never be able to say anything even if him life depended on it.

As soon as your eyes landed on you, you screamed, jumping two steps back and widening eyes.

“Five? My God, what a scare!” You tightened the towel around your body “What are you doing in my bed ?!”

He swallowed, mind too focused on you to think of any decent response. In fact, there was not one. Five was being as intrusive as possible, and he realized how much you messed with the reasoning in him. How much you messed up and played with him brain.

Five should have said something. Anything. But what he said was: “It's late. Shouldn’t you be asleep? ”

You laughed, a little shocked, a little puzzled.

“Answering my question with a question?" You laughed “Did you forget that I'm a cop?”

Oh no. He never forgot that. In fact, that title just made him want to turn you on your desk and fuck you until you shout him name. Five gave a smile at that thought.

"I needed to talk to you." Then he got up from the bed and went towards you.

Five noticed the exact moment when your breath evaporated. When your skin prickled, your chest rose and fell more intensely, pupils dilated. He was one inches away from your hot body when he saw the delicious blush spread over your angel cheeks. You had such a sweet face!

God, he wanted to break you!

"Wh-what did you want to talk to?" Your voice faltered, and Five realized that Klaus was right.

Oh yes, you wanted him too.

Five drew suspense, raising hand and brushing him fingers along your arm damp from the hot bath water, your skin crawling. You looked like a goddess like that. So disconcertingly beautiful.

"You are so Beautiful." He couldn't keep that thought to himself, and you blushed “I thought you were beautiful from the second I saw you.”

You lost your breath, clasping your hands on the towel, pressing it on your body, your fingers trembling just like your heart. Five's hand went up to your neck, touching your warm skin and running her palm up to your cheek.

“I have been wanting you for so long.”

“You do?” You sighed back, leaning over him touch.

“Every fucking day.”

To say you were shocked would be an understatement. Five found it funny, as if it were possible that there was some reality in which he didn't want you so badly. His touch on your skin became firmer, and he moved closer.

“Did you think I didn't want you?”

“Yes” You said “You never did anything, and you've always been with so many women.” Five noticed that you contained an eye roll “Like today's blonde.”

“She don’t compare to you. No one does.” Now he placed both hands on your cheek, gluing your two body, him height being much greater than you.

That seemed to be the right answer, because you responded by canceling the space between the two of you, sticking your mouth to his. Five sighed, as if he had taken water after years in the desert, pressing the touch. You tasted much better than he ever imagined, and when your tongue brushed him, he sighed again.

Five Hargreeves had all the women wrapped around his finger. But only you had he wrapped around your finger.

You put your hands up to his black hair, dropping the towel that collapsed on the floor. You thought that you would be the most anxious person there, that it was you who wished all this time with the greatest ardor. But Five proved you were wrong. The aching groan he gave when he touched your naked body was the greatest proof you needed to know that it was he who had been burning for months in a fierce fire.

Five memorized every bit of you as if it were going to be him favorite memory, rising his hands to your breasts and biting your lower lip as he squeezed your hot flesh. You groaned, or it was him. Or both.

“You are so fucking delicious.” He snarled in your mouth, dropping left hand down your belly, making you clasp your hands in him arms, needing more.

“F-five." You sighed, the core throbbing.

“Do you think of me when you touch yourself?” Five lowered his mouth to your ear, finding yours smooth folds and swallowing a snarl when he felt how wet you were.

"Y-yes." You sighed, wrapping your arms around his neck and rummaging around in his hand, desperate.

"Oh, what a dirty little thing.” Then he stuck a finger in your slippery entrance, and you screamed out loud, sobbing and clenching your nails in his flesh. But as fast as he entered he left, leaving you with a feeling of emptiness and a loud grunt “Patience, doll.”

Five pulled you onto the bed, climbing on top of her and guiding you. You went, and followed the commands when he lay down and pulled your waist to him face.

“I need to taste you, doll.” His hands traveled to yours breasts and squeezed them, eliciting a loud groan from you as you shook your head. “Come sit on my face, let me show you how much I missed you.”

"A-anything you want."

Those seemed like the right words, because Five snarled and stuck his hands on your hips, pulling you into him mouth. The warm lips grabbed your pulsing core, making you scream softly as he ate you like a hungry man. Five squeezed the ten fingers on your hips with absurd strength, leaving you not a single inch apart. He feast on your wet pussy, moaning against your necklace as you sobbed loudly and saw stars.

You dropped your hands into him black hair, curling your fingers as you arched your back, closing your eyes tightly as your mouth opened in a silent scream.

“Cum to me, baby.” Five snarled at her clit, and you couldn't control a desperate moan.

“Five!" You screamed when Five dipped his tongue inside you, activating your orgasms that came in long strokes, making you shiver in him mouth.

You don't have time to breathe, to reason, to get out of the cloudy wave of climax. Five pulled your hips to the side, throwing you on the bed and climbing onto his body like a hungry animal. He stuck his lips to yours, making you taste your own as you slid him hands down your thighs, pulling them to line up on him hips.

“F… five…” You gasped, sinking your nails into him back, following him mouth with yours when he pulled away, not letting the desperate kiss go away.

“Delicious little thing.” He snarled, dropping his hands to his belt as he quickly unbuttoned his pants.

Your hands went to him shirt, not having much patience to take care of each button, eventually pulling the cloth with both hands and breaking the remaining buttons.

“Someone here is desperate” Five scoffed, a malicious smile, but him hands worked so fast that you thought that if Five could now change his powers to make the clothes disappear, he would change without hesitation.

“Please." You pleaded, your eyes pleading to have it all.

Five snarled in an animalistic intonation, pulling his dick out of his underwear and lining up at your extremely wet entrance, going in at once, sinking to the bottom of the well, hitting his groin on your swollen clitoris.

You screamed, digging your nails into him skin and arching your back.

"Oh my God!” You moaned loudly, losing your breath for the strength that Five set up the thrusts.

He would hit your body on the bed, leaving you trapped between him body and the mattress, claiming everything that was yours as his. Five pulled a hand to your throat, squeezing there and sticking his mouth to the foot of your ear.

“It is not God, darling. It's me.” He snarled, hitting your walls more brutally.

The sounds in the room were purely pornographic, you and Five were moaning loudly, hitting the headboard against the wall aggressively and assiduously. You would definitely get a fine from the condo for the noise. But, fuck!

You brought your mouth up to Five's, swallowing him moans and muffling your own, wrapping your legs around him hips and pulling him deeper, hitting all yours hot, leaky walls.

Tears pooled in the corner of yours eyes, and Five felt himself ignite with that. He couldn't take much, fucking hell! You were fucking hot. Delicious.

"Such a good pussy!” He groaned on your lips, moving his fingers down to your clit and setting an intense rhythm, making your walls contract against his dick and you scream louder.

“I-I will… I will…!”

“You can cum, baby. I got you!” Five kept his movements and fingers on your clit, making you explode for the second time that night.

He pulled the air between his teeth as he felt your cum spread on his dick, sending all the rest of his sanity into space. Five stuck both hands on your hips, kneeling on the bed and fucking you with absurd force and brutality, shoving as deep as possible inside you and stopping there, pouring all the hot liquid into your deepest centimeter.

You sobbed, rummaging your hips slyly, making sure you took every last drop of it. Five let out a loud breath, coming back at you in breathless searches for air, allowing your hearts to calm down.

"Wow." You laughed softly, tiredly, and Five lifted his head and laughed softly.

“I have wanted this for so long.” He confessed, kissing you again just because he could, not leaving you yet.

“Diego is going to kill us.” You groaned, squinting.

"It will be our secret.” Five kissed down your neck, his hands roaming your body.

You sighed, your body relaxing in him hands. Five looked at you again before saying:

"So... do you want to have dinner with me tomorrow?"

You laughed out loud, putting your arms around him neck and nodding.

“Of course."

[twentytarot]

hi everyone! i’ve been hard at work with my job this past month but i am finally done and back with a reading. today, we’re doing a reading on marriage in your life in general. pick the tiffiany ring that sets your thoughts off, triggers a memory or invokes a strong emotion and scroll right down for your reading. see you there! 💍

CONTENT WARNING: there are negative piles here. not every pile has a future spouse.

PILE ONE: CUSHION CUT

if you were handed an ultimatum and forced to choose between marriage and work, you’d probably get into your car and go to work the next morning. this makes things a little complicated, because you’re ambitious, you’re feisty, you hate it when your time and attention is used up on something that doesn’t matter to you. if you get married, however, your time will be eroded by many things that don’t matter in hindsight. you see, there will always be ridiculous in-laws, there will always be someone that will want your help so long as it is available. someone is going to want kids, even if that decision is completely irrelevant to them, or something dumb like that. no married couple gets out of having to deal with these things, and no couple gets through it without fighting over it a single time. so, my question to you is: will you have the patience to see this through? or will you fold?

unfortunately, the cards don’t predict the best of outcomes when it comes to your marriage. you probably will decide not to get married in the first place. if you do, you might remarry, or get into a questionable third-party situation. yet, i don’t see this being a huge hindrance on your life as a whole. you seem to me like the kind of person who cares less about having an other half compared to your friends, and i think you are going to have so much going for you in other facets in your life that you won’t be clinging onto this relationship when it goes south. this gives me celebrity vibes, almost, like someone who can never be home and the relationship ends because work is so demanding. so this will be a little sad, but i’m confident you will pick yourself back up quickly. 

astrologically, cancer came out very strong, and the interpretation i want to go with is that your most significant relationship will be very cancerian in nature. comforting at first, but ultimately probably not aligned with what you want to do with your life. that’s alright, you’ll be able to afford your own diamond ring anyway.

PILE TWO: SOLITARE

well, pile two, it looks like someone told you “if no one is going to marry you, i will”, and then they took it seriously. i kid, but i do see an element of your future spouse being someone you didn’t expect at all. perhaps you thought they would just be a best friend that knows all your secrets. and yet, this person knows your darkest secrets and then offers you love in its purest form. i get the feeling you’re not quite used to that, pile two. i’m hearing this underlying feeling of “what if i give too much, wait what if i give too little”, and i think this is partly because you haven’t seen first-hand a marriage that is of the kind you want to be in. it feels like you’re not sure if happy marriages exist in your world. well, they do. it just turns out that you give just the right amount when you’re not trying, which is why a best friend finally becomes your spouse.

this person will be with you through thick and thin, you will feel like they are your soulmate. you will always feel balanced in your relationship with this person because they will always be silently watching the scales, tipping it this way and that whenever something is about to swing out of balance. they will help you feel like you have nothing to worry about, they will bring a childlike kind of happiness into your life. 

now, onto a little bit of warning. no marriage is only ever happy, and i sense that your source of pain will come from outside influences. money is one, health is another. you will be very much together, but it’s a blessing and a curse because when one goes down, the other follows. the advice to you is to try your best to lift each other up through bad times, and know when you have to detach and go do your thing alone for the good of your future with them. you don’t have to always turn around to make sure they’re following, they’re your forever! they’ll be there.

PILE THREE: ROSE INFINITY

your marriage isn’t going to be a very fast-paced one— when you meet your future person, you’re going to be eons away from being ready to get married, and they will be the same. i almost feel like you will laugh at yourself when you start dating this person. the relationship just isn’t... pretty. this person almost brings out the worst in you: you fight them about the stupidest things and rile them up all the time just because it’s funny. there’s ten separate occasions where you’re pretty sure you should have been dumped or dumped them for some iconic out of left field insults, but for some reason it’s just funny after you’ve both calmed down. so it’s fun, and it’s so 20-something, but you’re preparing yourself for the inevitable breakup. and then... it somehow never comes.

somewhere along the lines, you grew up, and so did they. you didn’t know it then, but this person brings the best out of you as much as they bring out the worst. like a tantrum that just has to be thrown before a little child can settle down, you took your growing pains out on each other, and then somehow managed to fit into each others’ lives forever without even thinking about it. you give each other love naturally, flowing with each other and keeping each other sane. after you get married, there’s a feeling of “i can rest when this person is around” kind of energy because you trust each other to come out with the truth when it needs to be said, but you also trust that the person will be there to pick up the pieces if you break.

so this person isn’t as good-looking as you hoped or imagined. or they’re not the type to show you off, and they’re not really the type that wants to be showed off either. so maybe someone made a joke at their expense and you laughed. the beauty of all of that is, despite all of that, they love you and will for a long time. isn’t that already more than we can ask for, as mere mortals?

PILE FOUR: YELLOW HALO

okay... there are two groups of people in this pile. let’s talk similarities first. your partner is going to be quite eccentric. visual arts came up in particular, so perhaps your partner will be an artist? the last similarity is that marriage is unlikely, but as for why, it depends on which interpretation resonates more with you.

for the first group, this is probably my lgbt+ in a place that hasn’t legalised marriages not between a man and a woman pile. for reasons that seem bigger than yourself, marriage is unlikely in your life. i feel a lot of unwelcome judgement coming from this group. i think you might not get too much support around you; maybe your parents have something against people who are not in “professional degree” jobs, or your family and environment as a whole is very conservative. regardless, you will be with this person, but it might be beyond both of your abilities to get married for real. :( i’m sorry, i wish the world were kinder.

if the first interpretation doesn’t resonate, then it has something more to do with your stubbornness. everyone wants someone that will take them for exactly who they are. that doesn’t change the fact that no two people are completely perfect for each other, though. every couple starts by taking apart their schedule and fitting the other’s in. tolerating strawberry shortcakes on their partner’s birthday even if they hate strawberries. stopping their work short even if it means that coming back to it will be hard because their partner needs something. advice here is to rethink your mindset. you could be very successful in your career, but if you think you won’t be able to go home to an empty bed, or you know that family is what you want in the future, then see how you can be more considerate to the people around you. we don’t always like to hear this, but being considerate and selfish is a never-ending balancing game, so don’t feel too bad. you’re not a bad person! these things just take time. whichever way you choose, i hope it’s the one that makes you the happiest!

[alderaani]

more than gold

summary:  A lost Jedi Temple, a riddle, some literature, and feelings that Cody isn't ready to speak out loud. | AO3

note: written for @codywanweek and the alt day 5 prompt Sith/Jedi Artefact Shenanigans! sliding in on the last day with one more thing written than expected, so i’m happy with that! i’m pretty ill today so i hope it actually makes some coherent sense 😂 also if the riddle was super obvious, soz, never written one before and turns out it’s really hard.

-

“You know, I could have sworn I told you not to touch that,” Cody says conversationally, from where he’s splayed out on his back.

“Really? I’m sure I didn’t hear you,” Obi-Wan says, cheerful despite being crumpled in a heap. His elbow is in Cody’s gut. Cody glares at him.

The room they’re lying in is circular, stone, carved out of some Forced-damned mountain and according to Obi-wan, practically thrumming with power. The ceiling is high and vaulted, letting in slivers of light where intricate mirror systems catch the sunlight of double suns and project it deep underground. It takes on a slightly blue cast, reflecting off the huge pool of water they were lucky to not fall into. Four walkways at each cardinal point lead to a central platform, and interspersed between them are four waterfalls.

It should be serene. Except now the waterfalls are travelling backwards, and all the doors, including the one they came in by, are blocked. Cody scrambles up onto his elbows, dislodging Obi-Wan with a grunt.

“What did you do?”

Obi-Wan follows his gaze and gasps, delighted. “Now, will you look at that?”

Cody is looking. Frankly, he doesn’t trust this place enough to not keep his eye on it at all times. Obi-Wan keeps saying that this temple was built long ago, by ancient, peaceful Jedi as a place of learning, and that it won’t hurt them. After they got cut off from the rest of their men at the entrance, however, Cody thinks he could be forgiven for having his doubts.

As Obi-Wan himself proves, peace-keeping hardly rules out danger.

“Amazing,” Obi-Wan breathes, hoisting himself to his feet without a second glance, to walk back up to the plinth and stalk round it, examining the incomprehensible runes engraved there.

Cody is left to peel himself off the floor, and instead goes to prod at the barriers now sealing the exits with the end of his blaster. He tries not to look too much at Obi-Wan, at the soft sweep of his hair and the span of his shoulders. Being on their own like this is something he’s avoided, of late - not because he doesn’t enjoy it, but because he’s starting to enjoy it all too much.

He doesn’t trust the way his heart leaps when Obi-Wan smiles, when he asks him to call him ‘Obi-Wan’, when the cycle draws on and they’re up late again, companionably finishing reports and debating strategy. Or, as they had been doing until Cody got cold feet and started finding excuses, debating novels, which Obi-Wan checked out of the Temple archives and read aloud, one chapter at a time, before they turned in for the night.

He doesn’t trust himself not to ruin this by overstepping. There’s something about his general that makes him lose all control of his tongue, and puts him in danger of voicing thoughts that really he should not be having at all.

It’s agony. It’s bliss. It’s stretching him to breaking point, and this is possibly the worst situation they could have ended up in, really.

“These are made out of water,” he says over his shoulder, grunting as he tries to push his blaster through. He is, of course, unsuccessful.

“Ingenious,” Obi-Wan says. “How did they manage that, I wonder?”

Cody cuts a glance back at him, and grins, despite his exasperation.

“You’re not more worried about how we’re going to get out?”

Obi-Wan waves a hand. “I’m sure the path will reveal itself, in time. Oh, look - Cody, I think this is a puzzle!”

Cody bites back a groan. They do not have time for this. They never really had time for it, but Obi-Wan promised it would be a brief detour on their way to the capital for hyperspace lane access negotiations. He’d looked so excited by recon reports of a lost temple that Cody just hadn’t been able to say no. He’s never able to say no to Obi-Wan, even when he isn’t following orders. It’s probably his fatal flaw.

“I don’t suppose there’s an off switch? A back button?” He asks hopelessly. The Force, at least the Jedi sort, very rarely seems to work that way. Obi-Wan is always talking about moving through problems, about seeking balance and adapting to what’s around you, rather than manipulating it. It’s not Cody’s favoured approach; he was trained to leverage his environment to its maximum advantage, and finds he has little patience for anything else.

Obi-Wan snorts. “This is a defensive mechanism, I’m afraid. Judging by the architecture this was built at the height of the Sith Wars. This artefact is designed to trap us here until we understand the mechanism and progress, or until, back when the temple was occupied, someone would come and deal with the intruder.”

“That doesn’t sound very peaceful,” Cody says.

Obi-Wan shoots him an amused look, the warm, soft kind that makes heat rise from the pit of Cody’s belly right up to his ears.

“Even a pacifist may defend himself,” he says, then leans over the pedestal. “Now, how about you stop grousing and come help me with this?”

Cody rolls his eyes, but goes, slinging his blaster across his back and crossing his arms.

“And stop looming,” Obi-Wan laughs, catching one of Cody’s gloved hands and pulling it down to rest at his side. The simple touch makes Cody’s cheeks burn.

“Don’t see what help I can give you, Sir,” he says, frowning down at the characters surrounding the bright blue artefact. “I was never any good at Ithorian.”

Obi-Wan pauses, then tilts his head up. “Ah. Is that what it is?”

“I - I think so?” Cody was never any good at his language flashtraining; he never had the proper patience for it, but he can usually figure out the basics.

“No, no,” Obi-Wan muses, stroking at his beard with his free hand. “You’re quite right. Goodness me, it's been a long time since I last saw this dialect. Let’s see now…”

Cody steps back and waits, keeping his attention firmly split between their blocked exit points while Obi-Wan ponders. The slow upward movement of the waterfalls is eerie - it still makes noise, but none of it is right. Instead of the gentle patter he expects of water joining a larger pool, there’s a faint gurgling as they move further into each grate, travelling somewhere he cannot see.

Obi-Wan finishes his fifth circle round the platform, and the hand at his chin goes still. Cody stands at attention, expectant.

“It’s a riddle,” Obi-Wan says, and if possible, his delight grows. “Yes - the language is coming back to me now. Do you know, I haven’t looked at Ithorian in maybe 12 years?”

“Sir?” Cody says, tilting his head to look at the characters more closely. He doesn’t have even a passing proficiency at modern Ithorian, and presumably it’s changed a bit over the millennia. His training was focused on the basics, and only the useful bits, at that. He thinks he can make out the words for ‘ water ’, and ‘ enemy’ , both of which are either unhelpfully descriptive or frankly discouraging, but that’s about the extent of it.

“My old master - he loved prophecies. When I was a teenager I could never see the point of it, but it meant I spent a lot of time learning the old Ithorian dialects. They’re known as the most peaceful species, did you know?” Obi-Wan shakes his head. “They’ll exile anyone violent, it’s quite remarkable, really. I suppose in some sort of idealistic emulation, a lot of the early Jedi texts are written in their dialect.”

His blue eyes are keen, his laser sharp focus firmly on the podium. It gives Cody a moment to observe his clever fingers, the long line of his neck, the open delight with which he tackles this new problem. It’s a rare thing, to see him so relaxed, and Cody can’t help the fond smile that creeps up on him despite the circumstances. This almost makes it worth it, and on reflection, he’d rather an ancient temple than the last thing that had made Obi-Wan so happy; a wretched, bioluminescent fungus, which had infected half the battalion and given them hives. Their general had studied it for weeks.

Obi-Wan’s lips quirk up. Cody barely trusts himself to speak.

“I didn’t know, Sir,” Cody croaks, then pauses, fishing for something normal to say. “Didn’t we have to defend the governor’s daughter from an Ithorian bounty hunter on Ganaris-IV?”

“Well,” Obi-Wan grins. “Those exiles have to go somewhere, don’t they?”

Cody huffs a laugh and reaches up to scratch his neck at the seam of his bucket.

“Let’s just hope they didn’t all come here. What’s this riddle, then?”

Obi-Wan shifts to the side, then points at a spot on the podium. “As I said, it’s been a long time, but I think it starts here, and goes something like:

A thing to be forged, where water is thicker,

Worth more than gold, unless it’s pyrite that glitters.

An enemy of my enemy, or in hard times, in need,

Sometimes fair-weather, or in high places indeed.

What are you, traveller? ”

All of Cody’s hopes that it would be something nice and obvious, like “lightsaber” or, given what’s going on around them, “gravity”, escape from him like smoke. Jedi and their metaphors. It’s not just a quirk of Obi-Wan’s, clearly.

“Does that mean anything to you, Sir?” he asks, turning the words over in his head once, twice, then frowning when nothing comes immediately.

Obi-Wan’s brow is also furrowed, but in a leisurely, meditative manner.

“...I have some ideas, I think,” he says. “How about you, my friend?”

What does he think? He thinks that there are other sorts of puzzles he is much better suited to. Word play and idioms...what does a clone have to offer that?

Still, Obi-Wan is watching him, expectant and gentle, and he sifts back through the lines, a little more seriously this time.

“Ice, maybe?”

Obi-Wan nods, slowly. “Perhaps. Walk me through it.”

Cody swallows. “Ice is something that can be made, right? It’s not exactly forged, but…”

He trails off in uncertainty.

“Go on,” Obi-Wan says with another one of those soft, devastating smiles. It fractures all the thoughts in Cody’s head, and he has to stop, clear his throat and gather up all the pieces.

“I suppose...it’s just thicker water, isn’t it? On warm planets it’s a valuable commodity, it’s found in high places, and I suppose if you wanted snow, a freeze would be fair weather.”

Obi-Wan is rubbing his beard again, and he’s still smiling. “Fascinating. I would never have thought of that...only, I don’t think it’s quite there. That mention of pyrite is troublesome, and the ‘enemy of my enemy’, where does that fit in?”

Cody shrugs his shoulders, frustrated, and feels a hot flush creep up his neck. “Don’t know why you’re asking me, to be honest, Sir. Kamino hardly covered poetry.”

There’s a slight pause, then Obi-Wan’s hand is on his again, tugging it slowly down from where he’s crossed his arms.

“I wish you wouldn’t do that,” he says, soft.

“Do what?” Cody’s voice is gruff.

“Dismiss yourself. You do it sometimes when we’re reading together. There is often no right and wrong answer to these things, no secret. There is only perspective, and you see things I never would, if only you would trust yourself.”

Cody looks down and away, back towards the waterfalls and their slow, glacial climb. He isn’t sure that’s true. He enjoys what Obi-Wan shares with him, what other lives he gets to touch in their books, but more than anything they convince him that, beyond war, he knows very little of anything at all. He would like to, someday.

His eyes land on Obi-Wan’s lips briefly, before he tears them away. Particular experiences he would like to know more than others.

There was one book that Obi-Wan had read early on, back when this infatuation was just setting its first tendrils into him, about a forbidden romance at the heart of the old Mandalorian court. Two heirs of rival clans battling to be together against the good approval of their noble relatives. It had been torrid, ridiculous and entirely unexpected when Obi-Wan had suggested they break up their reports with some literature.

But what it had done was give him the words to express the crawling heat in his stomach, the urge he has to reach out, to touch, to soothe, to care for. He’d known what he wanted before that, of course, in a more rudimentary manner, but it had gifted him the language of yearning.

Suddenly, a particular passage springs into his mind and he straightens.

“You don’t think it could mean ally, do you? In Beneath the Armour, Mata threatens Clan Riza by saying he has ‘allies in high places’.”

Obi-Wan pauses, and then a brilliant smile spreads over his face. “Yes, that’s it! Pyrite - Fool’s Gold; a false friend! Brilliant Cody, whatever made you think of that?”

Cody grins, even though Obi-Wan can’t see it, and doesn’t answer.

“Is that really it?”

“I think you’re very close,” Obi-Wan says. “The characters engraved into the platform...yes! Stand close to me, Commander.”

Cody does, watching curiously as Obi-Wan lifts his hands, shuts his eyes, frowns, and pushes . Six blocks that make up the platform lift, the characters on each glowing bright, lurid blue. Under their feet, something scrapes, shifts and clunks, before the platform lurches upwards, spinning gently.

There’s a thunderous gurgling sound, before all of the pool beneath drains away.

“The answer,” Obi-Wan says, slightly breathless, his hair a little out of place. “Was friend.”

“The doorways are still blocked,” Cody notes drily. The plinth with the blue orb that started this whole mess has also risen, and underneath it are a set of very wet, slimy looking steps. “I don’t suppose it’s as simple as just walking down these and getting in?”

“Likely not,” Obi-Wan agrees, then inexplicably shifts a little closer, so that they are sharing space. Cody’s heart skips a beat. “But it’s like I told you, Cody. You are far greater than what you have been given.”

Cody coughs and looks at his feet, at their boots almost toe to toe, pleasure at the praise singing low through his body.

“Now,” Obi-Wan says, too close and not close enough. “How do you feel about another puzzle?”

Cody groans, laughing, and after a moment, follows his General into the dark.