#sorry I haven't been active recently but yeah

[world-of-fire-and-flight]

Embers of Eternity Blurb....Draft 103

A/N: BLURBS ARE THE BANE OF EXISTENCE😣😭 I can't tell y'all how many times I've revised it and at this point idk if I'm just mad at it and that's why I'm having trouble with it or if it still needs work. Would you mind dropping some feedback for me? This is for Embers of Eterinity/book 2 in my Heirs of Tenebris trilogy (Fire & Flight (book 1) blurb here; Fire & Flight general info masterlist here), so any and all help is totally appreciated so I can get this finalized😄💜

The spirits of the Shadow Forest are waking up.

Hidden in the centuries-old legends of the forest is the history forgotten by the country of Tenebris. But for seventeen-year-old Nyla, the 600-year-old history has become her present. Struggling to break the curse binding her to the Woodlane Manor, she and her companions must race against time to find and defeat the evil sorceress threatening their homeland. With the help of Xander and Shamira, the fierce pumpkie who’d taken up the forbidden quest to investigate the disturbances in magic, Nyla searches for a way to break the curse that won’t require a hefty sacrifice.

But even as their small victories swell their hope, the real battle is only just beginning. With the trio forced to confront their pasts, Nyla and Xander must trust the help offered to them by outside sources and connect the missing links provided by a secret society. But what if Dinora raises her army before Nyla and Xander can gather the forces necessary to defeat her? Will defeating her cost them their dreams of the future?

Return to Tenebris in Embers of Eternity, the stunning sequel to [my] epic young adult fantasy series, the Heirs of Tenebris.

[cherryobx]

hiiii here to help you procrastinate! I suck at requests but I’m gonna make one and you can just see if you want to use it or not :)) so since I can’t personally hug you since your 24 hours away by car and I don’t have a drivers licence I want something cozy 👉👈 I’ve recently been obsessed with someone and for the first time I followed a twitch live stream because of him and it was so comforting to just listen to him play a game that I could fall asleep. so maybe something like gamer bf/gf and a sleepy reader OR a bookish reader, they’re gaming and the other reading or something. I want the coziness. but I have no clue if this is information that you can do something with so do whatever you want :)) and if you want to use it you can choose the character ☺️

Company || J.M.

Summary: JJ, your gamer bf, comes over and you spend a cozy evening together, sort of.

Word count: 0.7k

Warnings: no knowledge of gaming whatsoever, other than that none

A/N: thank you babe for this request!!!!!! and thank you for supporting my procrastination haha, hope you enjoy whatever this is (don't judge i haven't written anything in soooo long)

JJ kept all of his gaming equipment at your place. He was scared of what his father might do if he ever got his hands on it in a fit of drunken rage. It was very expensive, he saved up for more than a year to afford all of it. You made space in your bedroom for another table so he could have his gaming station and his own little corner to game in. 

You loved when he was over at your place to play his video games you knew pretty much nothing about. It was a way for you to spend time together. Not in the sense that you were conversing or doing some activity together but just being in the same room with each other, enjoying each other’s company. It was so mundane but so sweet.

He had his headset on but only one of his ears was covered. When you asked about it one time he said he wanted to make sure he could still hear you if you needed anything. But in reality he also enjoyed the little sounds you made over at the other side of the room, whether it was blowing on your steaming tea, turning the pages of your book or the little laughs you let out when a character said something funny in your current read.

One evening he came over to game with his friends. He could tell you were tired just by the way you dragged your feet behind you and how you kept yawning every two seconds. You had a really long day behind you and all you wanted to do was curl up into a little ball under the warm covers in your bed and fall asleep.

He followed you into your bedroom and watched you flop face first onto the bed.

“Are you okay?” He took a seat next to you and placed his hand on your back, rubbing it in a relaxing motion making your eyelids fall closed.

“Yeah, just tired,” you mumbled into the duvet.

“I don’t have to play right now, I can just tell them I can’t tonight. I’ll cuddle with you instead.”

But you insisted. “No. Go game with your friends. I’ll be out like a light in two seconds. Don’t even worry about me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Just come to bed when you’re done.”

“Of course.” He smiled and gave you a small kiss on your temple. 

He helped you crawl under the covers and tucked you in, making your heart swell. He gave you another kiss but this time on the lips. “I love you,” he whispered against your lips before he stood up and sat down in his gaming chair behind the desk you had gotten him.

He turned everything on and logged into whatever game he was supposed to be playing with his friends that night.

His voice was quiet when speaking to his friends, he didn’t want to disturb you more than he already has. He kind of felt guilty about his situation although you had reassured him many times that you aren’t bothered by his stuff in your room. You actually liked that a piece of him was always in your personal space.

“Sorry, my girl’s sleeping,” he whispered into the microphone. It tugged the corners of your mouth upwards in your sleepy haze.

You didn’t really focus on his hushed conversations but the low tone of his voice was so calming and relaxing, it lulled you to sleep in no time.

When JJ finally finished up with his friends, he took the headphones off, placed them on the monitor and quietly made his way to your bed. Lifting the covers gently, he climbed underneath them and joined you in the warmth of your bed. 

He wrapped his arms around you and pulled you against him, stirring you from your sleep.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you.”

“‘S okay,” you slurred, already falling back asleep. JJ nuzzled his face into the crook of your neck, inhaling your familiar scent and feeling the sleep take him over as well.

[senanatheskenana]

Sorry if this is weird but I haven't seen anything like this before but could you maybe do some sort of headcanon for genshin characters with a s/o that had a cryptic pregnancy. Like they leave for one day or come home after a couple hours and s/o is just like "yeah I didn't know" while holding a newborn. Again sorry if it's weird

Sure, this sounds super interesting! Also sorry if this took a while i haven't been as active recently but ill try to get more into the fandom soon <3

(Ill only be doing the male character since the nature of this would be a little hard to plan out for the female characters, hope that's ok)

Genshin Men Reacting to Cryptic Pregnancies

Kaeya

Kaeya looks at you like you're crazy. He legitimately believes that you've just picked up some newborn orphan to baby-trap him without getting pregnant.

Well, at least that's what he believed until he saw what the tiny child looked like up close.

There was no room to deny that the child looked strikingly similar to him; dark blue hair and tan skin. The only difference between them was that this tiny baby had your eyes.

And as his tiny fingers grab the air in front of Kaeya, he becomes increasingly aware of what has happened.

You were pregnant for nine months. You gave birth.

And he wasn't even there when you did- he was drinking like his social life depended on it at the tavern.

"I'm a terrible husband," he laughs, incredulous of himself.

He couldn't turn such a child away, even if he wanted no children. It would be obvious who had fathered one of the two blue-haired people in Mondstadt.

Diluc

Diluc is at a loss for words.

He doesn't doubt you, he's known you so deeply that he can see in your eyes and in your body that you've been through something.

So when you hold the tiny infant out towards him, he carefully takes her into his arms as if she were a treasure so valuable he could not bear the idea of tarnishing it.

He presses her warmly against his chest and looks at you in such a way that you know he is not at all upset with you. In fact, he then looks away and places a triad of light pecks on her short red hair.

"I wish i had known" he says ruefully- and for a moment your heart sinks as though you think he was disappointed in such an outcome.

"If i had known sooner, we could have prepared a nursery"

Venti

Venti isn't quite sure whether he wants to run away from you or towards you.

It wasn't that he didn't like you anymore, or that he didn't want children.

He simply worried that he would not be a good parent, staying late into the night in bars playing music and over-drinking. He could see those days flying away from him in the eyes of the child.

But still, he could not harbour resentment for such a young, uncomprehending thing. Something that depended on him so greatly- far greater than any normal mortal had ever depended on him as an archon.

No, to him this was special.

He thought about it. Yes, his days of drinking every day were behind him. But something new would soon replace them. He traded wine for a son who loved him like no other would.

Venti surely had never planned on this, had he known you were pregnant he would have tried harder to break his ugly habit of day drinking.

But what is done is done, he thinks.

Now he just had to raise a child. How hard could it be?

Albedo

He sums it up as a curiosity, rather than sentimentality. He admits that yes he loves you, but this thing, surely he was only keeping it alive- feeding it, burping it, changing it- to satiate his curiosity of how it came to be in the first place.

Firstly, he was under the impression that he was infertile, let alone thinking you were pregnant. It simply wasn't something he accounted for.

But you see it differently to him. You can see that what Albedo is denying as intrigue was really paternal love. You weren't quite sure whether he was trying to deny it, to keep the child at arm's length, or whether he was just dense. That wasn't something anyone had really associated with Albedo.

He supposes that, in a way, the baby was rather cute. It abstained from taking on many of his attributes, which he found himself thankful for. If he was honest, the baby was more similar to you in appearance. The only thing he theorised may be a piece of him showing was the fact that the child seemingly could not take their eyes off of their surroundings.

Its a gradually thing, a feeling that develops over weeks of caring for it. What started out as wonder at how it happened slowly melded into the realisation that he no longer cared, and the point was that it did happen, and he was content with that answer for once.

Xiao

Xiao very nearly drops off the earth after you show him the child. It could not be his- or yours- he's sure he would have been able to sense the pregnancy if you were.

The weeks after are filled with worry and Xiao's absence. He sits atop the roof of Wangshu Inn, looking out at the city in the distance, wondering if you and, by extension, 'your' child is still there.

He's desperate to take another glance, to put his guilt to bed, to prove to himself that the child could not be his. He's also terrified it could prove the opposite, leaving Xiao in more guilt than before and with more responsibilities.

Xiao may have never seen you again had it not been for Zhongl's insistence that he appear to him. With you sat beside him.

At first glance, he comes to realise that it is undeniable that the child is his. He could feel it, stronger than any feeling he had ever felt before. He felt his heart clench painfully inside of his chest as though it were crying for the moments they had wasted.

But he still can't bring himself to touch his child, too afraid to stain it with his sins.

He cries against you that night, sobbing apologies into your shoulder and muttering promises to his son.

Tartaglia

Bro straight up does not even question it. He's heard of such things before and he's so sure and secure in your relationship that the idea that it isn't his or yours doesn't even cross his mind.

If he's honest, its obviously his. The ginger hair was a big hint.

Ajax is honestly incredibly happy- he's always wanted a family of his own and he feels as if this was a gift from the archons. A child that no one outside of him and you know exists yet. He's aware of how good a position that is given how high his place in the fatui is.

He cannot resist telling his family, asking them to keep if close to their chest for the baby's sake.

He didn't get the chance to look after you during the pregnancy, so he's making up for it now. He won't let you do anything in the first few months.

"Stay here gorgeous, I'll feed her!", "You worked so hard you deserve an hour where you aren't looking after our child", and "I just found the CUTEST little outfit in the boutique- look!" are all common things to hear now.

He hasn't brought it up yet, but he really, really wants another one. One that he can help you with during the pregnancy and anticipate.

Zhongli

I feel as though there is no way for you to be pregnant and have him not know at some point.

In fact, he tries to hint it to you in the beginning and later outright asks you if you're pregnant. When you deny it, he's astoundingly patient, waiting for you to realise it yourself.

He understands that it must be absurd to hear that you were pregnant when you have no symptoms of it.

So he makes it a point to always be close by, or to have someone (usually Xiao) keep an eye on you.

It's just an average walk through Liyue Harbour when you drop to the floor and groan in pain. Your husband is immediately there to steady you, offering his strong hand for you to crush.

People gather around you both in concern, encircling you like you were some spectacle. Zhongli tells them to step away, and as people start to realise the gravity a green-haired doctor slips past the crowd.

You give birth in the street, never realising you were pregnant before leaving the house.

Kaedehara Kazuha

Kazuha has always been fairly good at going with the flow and this was no exception.

If he was honest, he knows that even if it wasn't related to you both, and you just picked it up off the street he would never refuse it.

He does his best to accept things and help you with things after, to make sure you heal well.

He's never cared for a child, let alone his own but he's willing to try his best in doing so.

And he's an outrageously good father given he had no time to prepare.

He fashions a baby bed on the crux, sleeping with the baby on his chest every night before finishing it.

It's you who finds out that your child will only sleep when sung to, after Kazuha has been doing so for the first few weeks.

Kazuha hadn't expected this but he has to admit that having a child has made him feel at home in every place as long as it is with you.

Thoma

Immediately Thoma panics. Though not for the reason you expect.

"Now I have to give short notice when asking for paternity leave"

Of course, he doesn't make it your fault, he's aware it's half of both of you.

When the Kamisato siblings find out, Ayaka is extremely excited. Thoma is given paid paternity leave, and Ayaka gets to coo at your tiny baby, marvelling at how it managed to occur.

Thoma is a wonderful father and he always volunteers to get up in the night for feeds and changes.

Fatherhood suits him well <3

He may have one moment of apprehension about the pregnancy, briefly questioning whether you had really given birth.

Before he reigns himself back in and realises that he knows you would never do something like that.

Arrataki Itto

Cue five minutes of pure silence while he tries to understand what you just said <3.

Bro didn't even know that was possible, like no way.

But at the same time, he understands that you wouldn't joke about this sort of thing. Plus the baby has horns just like her father.

He's in a state of shock for a few hours, a dumb expression painted on as he sits down cradling the baby oni.

And then finally he responds.

"Wait so this is like mine? I have to keep it and like look after it and stuff?"

Gorou

Gorou could smell something different with you from the beginning but with nothing to go on he didn't press it.

And at some point he just stopped noticing it, there was no reason to assume when he saw no real change in your behaviour.

Until he sees two resistance members charging towards him and beckoning him to follow them as they run off once more.

And that's when he finds you, sat low against the wall of a hut, sweaty and tearstained.

And then he hones in on the babe tucked between your arms and chest.

And then the guilt hits him. He could have known this might be the case, surely he should have made you leave just until he was sure of the outcome.

"I- I forced you into battle... And-and you were pregnant."

Kamisato Ayato

Ayato is very sure that you would never lie to him but he knows that the circumstances will be suspicious to many and that those who doubt may spread rumours given your unmarried status.

He loves you and he'd sooner die than have people spread vicious lies about you like you were some harlot.

But he really can't bear the idea of giving up your son.

So he bites the bullet and he, you, and Ayaka make a public appearance when you both introduce your child and the godmother, Ayaka <3.

People talked about you both but he couldn't care less when he had something so beautiful to look forward to now.

Tighnari

Tighnari is also there to watch you suddenly give birth. However he remains calm, easing your pain with herbs and scents.

He kisses your forehead and squeezes your hand to reassure you of how well you're doing.

He has never had experience with one in person but he knows of them, and he takes the subsequent weeks observing you and the baby, all while caring for you both.

He hadn't expected a child so soon but he had desire for a whole family someday so he took it in stride.

He takes great pleasure telling Collei, knowing how excited she would be.

Cyno

Cyno feels his whole heart thump when he comes home from a week of work away from you to see you in a chair, rocking a baby back and forth.

"Are you babysitting for a friend, sweetheart?"

You jump as if you didn't hear him enter and then relax when your eyes find him in the doorway.

"Not quite," you murmur as you play with the baby's tiny hand/

He grows curious and gingerly steps closer until he is beside you, looking down at the child.

He'd recognise that hair anywhere. And those eyes.

He felt as though he was looking back at himself from his past.

Instinctively he reaches out to gently caress the small face that peers up at him.

And then he looks back at you as if asking for an explanation. How did this happen? Surely, he would have realised you were pregnant.

Scaramouche

No. He's unwilling to even entertain the idea that you were pregnant with his child, to begin with. He was sure he was infertile. there was no way this thing was his.

And its that simple to him, you think. He leaves and you never meet again.

What you don't know is that Scaramouche, now Wanderer, is none the wiser to your existence, and the child you share.

Sorry, that's quite a sombre ending. I would like to mention that with Scara, he would ultimately return to you if he knew you <3

[esamastation]

Part fifty-five of Shizuroth, aka, the SOLDIER General's Self Saving Shizun.

Ao3 link.

Previous parts: forty-one, forty-two, forty-three, forty-four, forty-five, forty-six, forty-seven forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty, fifty-one, fifty-two, fifty-three, fifty-four

-

"Good evening and welcome back to Channel Zero News, where we relay you top news from around the Planet on the hour, every hour. I am Jackie Sanine, here with you in Midgar.

"First, let's take a look at what's going on with the war.

"The Wutai War has been ongoing for almost eight years now and has been noticeably winding down in the past year and a half. With only one major holdout of Wutai forces left in Fort Tamblin, it's safe to say that the war is all but won for Shinra and her allies. With Fort Tamblin under ongoing siege by Shinra, it is unlikely that there will be any noticeable movements anytime soon.

"Still, there are new developments in the Shinra front. We take you live with our correspondent Maiser Rav, who's in the front with the latest news from the trenches."

"Thank you, Jackie. I'm here in the town of Sang Fe, which has been occupied by Shinra forces since the fall last year when the town was discovered abandoned by a scouting party of Shinra SOLDIERs. Acting now as a major connection point and the only airfield in the area, Sang Fe has become a major staging location in this final stretch of the war.

"As you can see behind me, the Shinra forces here are well established. With the fall rain season soon upon us, they're more interested in digging rain channels, rather than trenches.

"Here's Corporal Leynri from Shinra Infantry troops, sharing his experiences in the trenches."

"We haven't actually ever used any trenches?"

"Thank you, Corporal Leynri. The camp in Sang Fe is truly a beacon for Shinra Military, boasting high numbers of both infantry and war machinery - never mind the high number of SOLDIERs.

"SOLDIER Second Class, Davidson, has been a regular at Sang Fe for a long time."

"Yeah, I've been here for a few months with the SOLDIER company. It's been fine - the local monsters give us more work than the Wutai troops do, really."

"Have there been any interesting incidents of late?"

"Well, not as such? It's just a lot of hurry up and wait right now. I guess the most interesting thing is that Sephiroth came and went, and no one really knows where he is right now. Somewhere in Wutai, but, yeah, who knows where."

"Thank you, SOLDIER Second Class Davidson. As we all know the movements of SOLDIER First Class Sephiroth are of high interest to us all. Whenever Sephiroth is being deployed in the front, you can expect something big to follow. According to the various soldiers here, Sephiroth arrived a little over a week ago with a couple members of Shinra Investigation Sector of the Public Security Department, or Turks, as they're colloquially known. They were, by all appearances, on a high class secret mission, but no one knows where or what.

"Here's Colonel Havre, the camp commander, commenting on the rumours."

"I can't comment on the rumours."

"Thank you Colonel Havre. Aside from a few mysterious secret missions and the upcoming rain season, the life in Sang Fe is quite normal and calm, with the SOLDIERs and infantry members keeping in shape by using the local gym and taking part in team activities. It's important to keep your skills sharp even during your downtime. 

"Trooper Guy here knows what's the best way to keep in shape."

"Yeah, I practise parade forms sometimes. Our sergeant is really keen on us getting the forms right, you know, to look good on camera. Hey, watch me do this -"

"Thank you, Trooper Guy, for that wonderful display of skill. While we were out collecting these interviews, we got a chance to talk to one of the more recent arrivals - SOLDIER First Class, Angeal Hewley, who arrived at the same time as Sephiroth."

"I arrived with Sephiroth. I'm sorry, I can't comment on his whereabouts or what he's been up to. Yeah, we've encountered Wutai troops, but how it went down is classified. Sephiroth was in high spirits the last I saw him. I don't know what his hair routine is? I'm sorry - I have new mission orders, I have to go. No, I'm sorry, I can't really say whether he could give an interview. I really have to go -"

"Unfortunately Angeal Hewley couldn't prove or disprove the rumours about secret missions. I suppose we will have to stay in suspense for now. I know I will be eagerly waiting for any developments and will be reporting back as soon as there's anything new to be reported.

"This has been Maiser Rav, reporting from Sang Fe camp in Wutai. Back to you, Jackie."

"Thank you, Maiser. It's truly heartening to see that things are going well in Wutai. Do these news about Sephiroth's involvement in the war relate to the latest developments from Shinra Science Department concerning the updates to the SOLDIER program? Here's Gavin Lynch, with a glimpse into the mysterious world of Shinra's science research and development."

"Thank you Jackie. I'm here on the second floor of the Shinra Building, as the science floor has been evacuated due to an escaped specimen, which will no doubt soon be brought back under control. While we wait for contamination procedures to run their course, let's take a look at the history of the SOLDIER program through the eyes of the employees here. 

"Laboratory Technician Berk, a long time contributor to Shinra's most advanced science developments, about how he feels about the impact his work has had on the world."

"Oh god, oh god, please let me quit, I haven't seen my family in two weeks."

"Thank you Laboratory Technician Berk. Professor Hojo, the head of Shinra Science Department, is known for his… high standards and… work ethics. Many in this team are hardened veterans in their field, and have been involved in the SOLDIER program for many years. 

"Nurse Sinclair, what can you tell us about the rumours about new methods being introduced within the SOLDIER program by the Professor?"

"..."

"Nurse Sinclair? Ma'am, what can you tell us about the rumours concerning new procedures for creating SOLDIERs?"

"..."

"Nurse Sinclair?'

"... I need to call my mom. Excuse me…"

"... Thank you Nurse Sinclair! I think judging by that thousand yard stare, things are really happening and we can expect something new and exciting from the Shinra Science Department in the upcoming days! This has been Gavin Lynch reporting from Shinra Building! Back to you in the studio, Jackie."

"Thank you Gavin, for these enlightening insights. We will be looking for further developments in the near future!

"Next up, sports, as we go to the world of chocobo racing where a scandal is brewing - is chocobo inbreeding the secret to the ultimate racing bird? Joining us is..."

-

The only trustworthy news media

[iiwaijime]

good morning chat (its 5pm) how r u guys!!!!!! so like ive been going thru kind of a slump recently !! writer's block, academic things (my brain thinks that my academic prowess defines my self worth and my recent tests haven't been doing that well), constant anxiety attacks for no reason ? etc etc. so i was thinking of just taking a hiatus but like etc etc. (thinking of tumblr makes me feel nauseous)

i'll be on hiatus FOR A WHILEEEE HOWEVER i'll also be switching accounts, so stay tuned! (i've been wanting to for a LONG while, just kept putting it off and giving myself excuses etc etc)

about pressed flowers, endgame and need something, i'm sorry :,,) i'm starting a megumi x reader smau though right now! it's called FACE2FACE and i think the concept is really cool :)

once i fix everything up — around next year, again — i'll leave my new account here

i'll be logging in occasionally to talk to a moot or two but other than that, the akaashi drabble? was my last work on here. i've also been spending way too much time on tumblr, so detox!! i also have to focus on studying if i want to get my country highest and things, and there's a baby on the way so yeah,,,,,

moots, my discord is @/starsupers if we're not friended already! i'm not very active there but it is better than nothing ! i'll also follow u guys from my new account when it's ready!!

til march, see you guys :) love u all!!! logging out now and idk when i'll log back in so don't expect any erm,, replies soon,,,, if there's even anything to reply to,,,,,,

of course maybe i'll just never log back in and that'll be that of my fanfic career (bummer!!!)

ps. sixtine we're still having kids ok just different account </3

original pinned post

[rayjeff]

btw sorry i haven't been as active recently, life's rough

(if you want to hear me vent and talk about life you can read it below hihi, anyway i wish you good night/day/whatever ;>)

okay so i was assigned to this 'art competition' at my school called "makro" around 3 months ago. What the hell's makro you may ask, it's a silly thing teachers assign you to in 4th grade of art school high school and give you extra classes in drawing, painting and sculpture for as long as you're not kicked out.. kicked out? well, yeah, there are 'preliminaries' so they can pick """the best students""". When there are 3 to 5 students left, they send you even further to the state competition(? country competition?? i dont know how to translate that lol). So yeah, pretty serious stuff i guess. If you win, you can receive a scholarship (and have almost perfect art portfolio)

so what am i doing there? I HAVE NO IDEA GOD DAMN IT

they fricking put me there without my knowledge and now im in the last 9 students?? help???

i honestly hate being there, i probably should be more greatful but i just can't enjoy something im forced to do. I've been drawing the same god damn stuff for several months now and i feel so washed out and exhausted that i don't like drawing anymore and im questioning my life choices xD

yes, i posted some sonic sketches ealier in the day but this is literally the first thing i've drawn for myself in a month or 2

i could have said that i don't want to participate in this beforehand, but they said that it was beneficial, relaxing and i could develop my skills, so i agreed. Now it's too late to say no. I'm too deeply involved in this to back out. And at this point i'm not sure if i would be more sad if they kicked me out (which would mean that i'm not good enough) or if i was moved to the next stage (more suffering)

I stopped texting to anyone too besides my 2 close friends, im just too tired to do anything honestly and i just want me and my mattress to become one

I'm holding on for now but ohhh it's hard sometimes

anyway.. sorry for whining and wasting your time lol, hope you guys doing okay :] wish you funky, silly, fun weekend

[elkonigin]

Supersum Update

I know that this week is supposed to be a Supersum update, but there's been a lot of things happening in my life recently and none of them have been conducive to my writing as of late.

My cat died last Tuesday, and that's been surprisingly hard to deal with. Today, I came home, saw some paper on the ground and couldn't figure out why my cat hadn't destroyed it yet, and yeah.

I'm packing up my classroom, because I'm moving to another district, and I have a lot of shit, which is surprising?

One of my coworkers is actively trying to be a bitch, and while I can deal with it and her, it's also just one more thing.

It's the end of the year for students, I just had to cram three days of grading and final exams into two because we lost a day due to a storm that ran through the area last Thursday. So bad, that we had 100+ mph (160 km) winds that ran through here, and some people are just now getting electricity back.

Annnnd we're under another tornado watch tonight. 🙃

I have therapy (physical, brain, anxiety) every single day of the week, and have for the past three weeks. I have two different types of therapies on some days.

In short, I am very, very tired, and I have not gotten anything done in terms of writing or cleaning or anything really, and I haven't even looked at the latest chapter, so it's definitely not ready to publish tomorrow.

I am really sorry, but I'm going to have to postpone the update for this week.

[affectionatelyrs]

Seven Sentence Sunday

*Taps mic* is this thing on? Yeah? Alright

Happy Sunday y'all! :) Sorry I haven't been too active recently (but what's new). Just know that I've been lurking and I adore seeing what everyone has been posting

Thank you so much to @anincompletelist @bigassbowlingballhead @firenati0n @myheartalivewrites @magicandarchery

and @kiwiana-writes for the tags today, and @welcometololaland @happiness-of-the-pursuit @sherryvalli @itsmaybitheway

@msmarvelouswinchester @littlemisskittentoes @wordsofhoneydew @cricketnationrise and @suseagull04 for the various tags this past week

So like, yeah, I should be working on my fic for the rbb, but instead i did a complete 180 and said let's make Alex be in a parasocial relationship that borders on obsession with Prince Henry. And then Rhys was like... can I join? So, surprise, y'all get another co-written fic, but this time it’s... not so fluffy. This snippet made us feel a bit insane, and where's the fun in easing y'all into the discomfort of this fic. That being said, completely understandable if this isn't y'alls cup of tea - no pressure to read/interact if so. Also, there is... ahem... more to this snippet. I said that I wasn't going to ease y'all in, but I'm not going to punch you in the face either

James kind of sucked. Alex had gone out to a bar, met the man on the dancefloor, let him order Alex a vodka soda despite his preference for gin. Let him kiss the taste of his off his lips in the corner stall. Let him trace it down his length after. Alex left minutes later with ten digits crumpled up in his front pocket, where they stayed until he found a bin out front. Went to another bar. Introduced himself to someone lurking in the corner, reserved, with pretty eyes. Just a shade too light, though—a shame, but they’d do just fine. Alex tilted his chin up to get them to look up from the floor, leaned in to get his name, felt disappointment when he told Alex it was Thomas. Then, unmitigated fucking delight when he later revealed that all his friends called him by his last name: George. But he had thin lips, and his stubble was too scratchy. There was an accent he couldn’t place, and it stuck to the inside of his ears, the sound discordant. It made Alex feel fucking weird. So, he went home. Where he now lies in bed, tucked under blue checkered sheets, a Burberry scarf clutched in one hand, the other wrapped tightly around his dick.

Open tag, but tagging a few people below the cut too

@anchoredarchangel @smc-27 @dumbpeachjuice @daisymae-12 @gayrootvegetable

@hgejfmw-hgejhsf @hillerskas @leojfitz @leaves-of-laurelin @lizzie-bennetdarcy

@whimsymanaged @everwitch-magiks @read-and-write- @rmd-writes @tintagel-or-cockleshells

@inexplicablymine @orchidscript @cultofsappho @nocoastposts and @matherines

[groenendaelfic]

Hi, I just wanted to make sure if you're okay? You used to post fics so regularly and now you're so quiet. I hope you're doing fine and are just busy with real life stuff?!

Hi, and thank you for checking in as well as your kind words. Same to the two lovely anons who sent me love. Thank you.

A very Happy Lucia to you and everyone who celebrates, or who could do with a bit more light in their life. (physical or metaphorical)

I'm sorry for being so quiet recently. I assure you I'll be back and that all my wips and outlines will be finished. (yes even Ghost!Erik, although I'm not making any promises as to when)

I'm as enthusiastic about YR and Wilmon as I was a year ago and I doubt that's going to change anytime soon. It's just that the holiday season has hit me harder than I hoped it would, and so my writing time has been mostly taken up by blankly staring at the screen and then being surprised when the alarm goes off an hour or two later.

It's the first time in eight years that I'm celebrating without my soulmate, and missing them and our two angels is especially hard right now.

I have a very active support network though and I know things will get better. Right now I'm just ... super lonely while at the same time being surrounded by too many people who mean a bit too well.

On a happier note I'm over 15k into the final chapter of Faroe Gone and still in Tórshavn, with only about 1k being stuff from the outline, so it's going to be a very, very long final chapter.

Also the next chapter of ALaWHEO has theoretically reached posting length about a month ago, but I really want them to actually get inside the palace and not just have a 4k car ride where nothing happens. So uh ... yeah.

Also, also I've been valiantly resisting the urge to write Kings Wilmon's first state visit to movie-rwrb's London snippets. It would be a good distraction, but also I'm not sure it would be any other levels of good. I haven't even finished reading the book.

Also, also, also my muse insists it'd have to be Phillip and James III's pov, and I suspect that'd top even The Getaway's level of self-indulgence, if that's even possible.

Anyway. Happy Lucia. I promise I'll be back, although no promise as to when. All the best! 💜🧡

[alectoperdita]

i don’t know how this could be conveyed in fic, but i’m always thinking about kaiba filming promos and what not for tournaments/dm stuff and he makes snarky jokes about jounouchi’s presence but the camera keeps zooming in his face to emphasize the adoration and glee on his face when he sees jou do /any/thing. but kaiba is not selfaware. he reviews the footage wondering why the cameras keep recording his reaction during jou’s duels instead of the audience. they want u 2 notice something, kaiba

Ooo this is such a juicy idea, anon! I love me a pining Kaiba. It's even more entertaining when he's a bit oblivious.

I know you didn't quite mean this as a challenge, but it activated my outsider-POV-loving neurons. So I attempted to write a little ficlet based on your idea. Sorry, that was why I was delayed in responding to your ask. Also apologies that I'm a little rusty. Haven't been writing regularly recently. 😭 I hope you still enjoy it.

---

Kenji always figured that Kaiba's, well, everything was an act. A show persona put on for the masses to sell his tech and promote his tournaments.

No one could be that genuinely ridiculous.

Except he was. Kaiba appeared to be every bit that extra, as Kenji's teenage daughter would say.

("Dad, no one says that anymore!")

Because in the week since he started following the larger-than-life CEO around, he recorded a number of baffling incidents on film. Initially, he wrote them off as the producers' or Kaiba's people's attempt to inject more oomph into the series. It wouldn't be the first time. Kenji wasn't paid to care about that. He was the film crew. His job was to point the camera wherever the producers told him.

But not even Kaiba would stage an attempted kidnapping as a publicity stunt, right?

Kenji could've done without that one. Not just because he got far closer to a gun-toting maniac than he ever wanted to. The police also confiscated his equipment and that day's footage for their investigation.

But they were back to business the very next day. Nothing changed except for a few extra suits lurking in the background. Kaiba showed no signs of being shaken or slowing down. He had a tournament to throw, after all.

That tenacity and resilience were admirable. Kenji could see why Kaiba was so successful at his young age. Barely nineteen and he had the world in the palm of his hand. It was easy to forget the boy wasn't that much older than Kenji's little girl.

Nowhere was that more apparent than when Kaiba was surrounded by his peers.

Kenji kept his camera trained on the trio of teenagers. Kaiba towered over most, including people twice his age. Next to Mutou Yugi, he looked like a telephone pole.

"Kaiba-kun!" Yugi grinned, craning his neck to meet Kaiba's eye. "Glad to see you're well!"

Even an old fuddy-duddy like Kenji (again, much to his heartbreak, his daughter's words) knew about the storied rivalry between Kaiba Seto and the King of Games. But he was surprised by how calmly and politely Kaiba returned the greeting, even if his tone was a touch gruff. Kenji was unfamiliar with the blond boy who slung an arm over Kaiba's shoulders, however.

The blond boomed. "Still in one piece, eh? Saw the news about what happened. You really kicked those guys' asses."

Kaiba swiftly threw off the arm, but the blond didn't seem too offended. He also took a step to the side to put space between them. In profile, the tips of his ears went pink.

"They should've known better than to try anything. They've learned the hard way," Kaiba grunted. He made a motion to dust off his left shoulder, where the blond's hand rested mere seconds ago, yet his fingers seemed to linger momentarily on his flamboyant coat.

Not that the blond noticed. He was busy sweeping his gaze across the surrounding. "Yeah, tournament security's tighter than usual. Noticed 'em spooks hanging everywhere." Then he spotted Kenji. Or more likely Kenji's camera lens. He immediately perked, straightened, and puffed out his chest while flashing a crooked grin. "Hey, are they filming me?"

"No, deadbeat. Who would want to film you? They're filming me," sneered Kaiba.

The blond snapped toward Kaiba and took a step forward with his hands fisted at his side. A menacing move if directed at most people, but Kaiba wasn't cowed. He merely stared down his nose at the other boy.

The air crackled with palpable tension. If they started fighting, should Kenji keep filming or break up the fight? His producers probably preferred the former.

Yugi's eyes flitted between the two boys, then to the camera. "Kaiba-kun, Jounouchi-kun, calm down. Let's not fight before the tournament. I'm sure Kaiba-kun didn't mean that."

Kaiba and the blond, presumably Jounouchi, stared at each other for several more beats.

With a scoff, Jounouchi wheeled back and stuffed his hands into his ripped jeans. "Whatever. They can get a load of when the great Jounouchi-sama beat your flat ass out in the arena."

Kaiba smiled a sharp, toothless grin. "In your dreams."

Another charged pause.

Yugi shifted nervously.

"Only if you're lucky."

Kaiba's expression froze up. It looked as if he'd blue-screened and crashed. His ears were definitely pink now, though Jounouchi likely didn't catch that given how intensely he was staring at Kaiba's face.

But it didn't escape Kenji's notice. Or his camera.

Jounouchi smirked. "What? Cat got your tongue there, Kaiba?"

Kaiba coughed, making an admirable recovery. His expression retained an imperious quality when he replied, "Hardly. I'm merely stunned by your astonishing lack of self-awareness."

Jounouchi rolled his eyes. "Whatever, man. You're fulla hot air."

And just like that, they found their way back to the conventional arena of trash talk.

Yugi checked his watch. "We should get to our places, Jounouchi-kun. It's almost time."

"Run along, deadbeat. Or you'll be disqualified before you even take a step into the stadium."

Jounouchi made a rude gesture that Kenji was sure they'd blur in post. Yugi cheerfully wished Kaiba luck before following the other boy. Strangely, though, Kaiba's gaze seemed to linger on the departing figures. For no more than a beat or two, then he straightened and strode down the hall in the opposite direction, coat tails flaring dramatically in his wake. Kenji had to hand it to the boy's stylist.

***

There was a surprising amount of downtime when the duelists weren't playing. Much more standing around and gossiping and observing the current game than Kenji expected. Now that the tournament had officially started, Kaiba joined the other duelists stadium-side. Kenji naturally followed him.

Kaiba stood ramrod straight, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the tournament proceed. It was a picturesque pose, but even that became dull when he did and said nothing further. He had already played his first seed of the tournament and won summarily.

Kenji hoped this wasn't how the rest of the day played out. It would be dreadfully boring in that case.

Then Jounouchi took center stage for his duel.

Kaiba scoffed silently, but he remained as attentive as ever. Maybe even more so.

Not even two turns in, the mic picked up Kaiba's stray comments.

"Again with that unreliable gambling mechanic."

Still, he grunted in near approval when Jounouchi called his coin flip correctly. Soon, his stance and facial muscles eased to a state one might even call relaxed.

"Lucky," he muttered when Jounouchi countered his opponent's trap, but the light in his blue eyes shone brightly.

Kenji was a Duel Monsters novice, but he could read the room. The crowd's energy—Kaiba's energy changed as soon as Jounouchi was backed into the corner. Even Kenji winced when the opponent's monster halved Jounouchi's lifepoints with one attack.

Kaiba took a step forward before catching himself. A newfound tension vibrated through his body as Jounouchi picked himself from the floor. "Don't tell me that's all you got, deadbeat," he snapped to no one in particular. "This is just the first round."

Jounouchi didn't give up. Determination shone through his every move and declaration. It made for dramatic television, which the official tournament crew was filming. Kenji stayed focused on his assignment, which was recording Kaiba's every reaction to Jounouchi's moves.

A cheer rose among the spectator.

Kaiba stiffened, but the corner of his lips twitched. Upward. "Oh, he updated his deck."

Something warm and fond bubbled beneath the surface. It might be pride.

A dragon materialized on Jounouchi's side of the field. Kenji couldn't help but be struck by how its appearance was the polar opposite of Kaiba's sleek, white ace monster—black leather wings, sharp, and covered in spikes.

Ironic.

Or, dare Kenji think it as he zoomed in on Kaiba's face, serendipitous, judging by Kaiba's familiar expression. It was the same one Kenji's daughter wore when she thought of her "beloved"—one Kenji probably still made for his Ikuko. Infatuation was the best word for it.

***

"Isono."

"Yes, Seto-sama?"

Isono glanced up from where he was taking notes of his boss's comments to send back to the production team. Reviewing the cut footage took time, but Kaiba had a vested interest in how he was portrayed and he preferred the hands-on approach in this instance. Kaiba's brow furrowed as he watched scenes of Jounouchi's tournament duels interspersed with close-ups of his own face and reactions.

"Why is it so focused on the deadbeat's duels?" he asked. Not angry, though clearly baffled. Even now, Kaiba's attention was glued to Jounouchi's face as it always was whenever the blond duelist came into the vicinity.

A moth drawn to the flames.

Isono's eyes flitted between his boss's current oblivious face and his smitten expression caught on film. Most people wouldn't recognize him as smitten, including Kaiba himself. Isono did, thanks to his years of employment, though he initially doubted it. Evidently so did the cameraperson.

For a second, Isono contemplated confronting his employer about his crush. But he liked his job. Kaiba was a bright young man. He would eventually realize it, right?

He cleared his throat. "Jounouchi-san performed quite favorably in this recent tournament. Stories about underdog competitors are always a crowd favorite."

He gave himself a mental pat on the back. Both statements were technically true.

"He did perform above expectation," mumbled Kaiba, studying the paused image of Jounouchi on the screen.

Isono dared to hope on his employer's behalf. Then it was dashed.

"We'll see how long his luck lasts then," Kaiba smirked.

One day, thought Isono, Kaiba will realize what had been staring him in the face all along.

[olderthannetfic]

This is about Trigun and contains spoilers maybe for the reboot, i haven't watched it and only half remember the og anime. No vague blogging this time. 😄 I recently had a long circular conversation with a friend because they were furious that people were shipping Knives/Vash. And my response was "yeah, that's a thing."

It was a surreal moment cause I wasn't in Trigun Fandom but I suddenly had very vivid memories of seeing fic of them on lj. They insisted that it was a new thing and people are getting worse and gross and I finally pointed out that they weren’t in the yaoi side of anime Fandom back when the og series was airing so they wouldn't have seen it. People have always shipped incestuous pairings, it's just that now they're actively looking for it and it's easier to find thanks to Twitter. I think they got mad cause I didn't just agree it was gross and instead told them to get out of the ship tags and leave people alone. But. . .leave people alone.

I'm sorry for venting in your inbox but it's been annoying me since it happened.

--

People shipped so much incest.

If anything, anime fandom is a lot tamer now. This person is an idiot.

[voxxisms]

sorry for the absence with little notice or discussion. life update under the cut, cw for medical talk / negativity (personal / non tumblr related).

tldr; having a lot of personal struggles which means i haven't had a lot motivation to be present, write properly, etc. i am much more easily found on discord, you can look for my drop, but activity is subject to energy levels sadly. monetary support can be offered here on ko-fi but is never required by any means. i do offer small commissions there, though my art is by no means top tier professional grade. i do writing ones, too, though.

i apologise profusely for not being super active. believe me, i want to be. i love writing in this space, i love the partners i've found to write with, i love my muses and my plots. i just ... don't have it in me right now. i hope you all understand <3 thank you for your endless patience.

i started having very severe panic attacks every day that have made it nearly impossible to go to work. the move i made here was very recent, and i started school and work nearly immediately, and i think the overwhelming nature of all it is finally hitting. i have a diagnosed panic disorder that triggers very awful agoraphobia, and it becomes a pretty vicious cycle. i am lucky to have gotten hold of decent medical coverage, and later this week will be seeing both a psychiatrist and a primary care doctor, i hope. i need to sort out a plan of action sooner rather than later.

i haven't been to work in almost two weeks, and they suspended me for next week to give me stress - free time to sort myself medically. luckily my managers have been very willing to work with me. it still sucks. six months ago i wasn't struggling like this, and i find it hard reconciling that i was working six hour shifts three or four times a week no problem, and now can't even bring myself to cross the front door.

it does lead to other issues. i'm definitely super depressed, and struggling to find motivation to do much at all. i'm exhausted all the time mentally, and sleep at least twelve hours out of the day.

i am okay. i don't have concerns for my own safety, but it is all very stressful. i can't afford to not be working right now, i do have some saving graces out there if it keeps being an issue, but it's far from ideal. if folks want to support me on ko-fi, i have the link, but it is not required by me, or even in general. everything helps, knowing i have something, but i will be okay if nobody does, to be very clear. i should be getting a lump sum sometime at the end of the month or next month that will help, too.

anyways yeah, that's basically it. i'll see if i have any motivation another day to hang here.

[archiveikemen]

Liam Evans Main Story: Chapter 25 (Blind Love)

I do not own any of the Ikemen Series content being uploaded on this blog, everything belongs to CYBIRD. Please support them by playing their games and buying stories. Not 100% accurate, expect mistakes.

read this before interacting with my posts

Several seasons had passed with the scenery around me changing colours. Nothing changed about me, I was still spending time in the world of darkness as a fairytale writer.

Of course, Liam had always been by my side, smelling like vanilla.

There were days when I missed where I originally was before meeting Crown, but I never once regretted my decision to stay.

Even after you've made your choice, there will never be a definitive answer to what’s right or wrong.

There would surely be people who would point their fingers at me, criticising me for making the “wrong” choice.

But it doesn't matter to me.

This is what I want for myself.

…

In the basement surrounded by the smell of herbs, Roger read through my report.

Roger: This information is quite valuable. Well done, young lady.

Kate: I’m humbled.

Recently, I’ve been writing about not only Liam’s, but everyone’s curses.

It was said that people born with curses were destined to face a tragic death.

I knew that there was no way to change fate, but that doesn't mean we should just sit back and accept it without resistance.

(If there’s anything I can do, I’ll do it. Even if it’s something small.)

Roger: Come to think of it, Liam has been having less frequent episodes lately, hasn't he?

Kate: Yes, they’ve become significantly less frequent. Liam is still periodically satisfying his curiosity, but now he’s more careful when doing so.

Roger smiled in satisfaction, his facial expression seeming rather sadistic.

Roger: It’s not very good for a former doctor to make guesses based solely on speculation, but…

Roger: … Liam’s episodes may be caused by his strong survival instincts.

Kate: Survival instincts?

Roger: He engages in potentially life-threatening activities to feel alive.

Roger: It sounds rather contradictory, but it’s important for humans to feel alive.

Roger: Therefore, you should stay by his side, young lady.

Roger: Because right now, to Liam, you are the one who's making him feel alive.

Kate: … I’ll always be with him.

Roger: Well, if ever he gets tired of you, I’ll take care of you. You’re my favourite, you know?

Roger ruffled my hair with his large hand like he were petting a dog.

Kate: Wah…!

Roger: Haha, your hair’s all messed up now.

…

Standing behind the door to the basement, Liam could hear the conversation between Kate and Roger.

Liam: “You’re my favourite, you know?”

Liam frowned when he heard those words, feeling uneasy.

Liam: What if Roger takes Kate away from me? What should I do…

Liam: N-No, no. It’s a horrible thing to doubt Kate. … I’ll trust her and wait. … I’ll do my best.

Liam felt the strong urge to run downstairs and swear his unwavering allegiance to Kate, but he resisted it and sat down on a step of the stairs.

He looked like a pet cat waiting for his owner.

Liam: … Ahh, it’s raining.

The rain was a sign of an episode's onset. It always felt ice cold, but today it felt as gentle as the rain in springtime.

He heard the voice of his “other self” in his heart.

Hey, Liam. I haven't had many chances to appear lately, huh?

(... Yeah. It’s because I’ve been focusing on moving forward to tomorrow with Kate.)

Hm? Ahaha, you’re so selfish.

(Yeah. I’m sorry for always running away. But from now on, I won’t run away anymore. I want to live.)

Living is something that’s difficult for you. You know, there’s no telling what could happen to you tomorrow, right?

(... I know.)

(But even so… I still want to try my best. I’m good at that.)

… I’ll be watching you.

I’ll pay you a visit when you’re at the brink of death again. See you.

When Liam opened his eyes, the rain in his heart stopped…

Instead, he heard the sound of Kate’s footsteps as she came up from the basement.

…

The clicking sounds of the typewriter keys echoed through my quiet room.

The things I had witnessed and the stories I had written with these fingers were sometimes inhumane and unforgivable.

My fear and sorrow never faded away, sometimes I even felt scared of what tomorrow would bring me.

(But I want to keep moving towards it no matter what.)

(And I’ll reach my hand out to the man I love, because that’s what “I love you” means to me.)

Liam: … Kate?

Kate: Liam, you’re back. Good job on your rehearsals.

Liam: Thanks. Oh, I saw that the door was left ajar, so I came in without knocking—

Kate: I thought it was about time you came back, so I left it open on purpose.

Kate: So I can see your face as soon as you’re back, you know?

Liam: That’s an adorable reason. … I wanted to see you as soon as possible too.

I couldn't help but be captivated by Liam’s smile, gestures, and even every one of his beautiful eyelashes.

(... It’s like he’s always getting more and more attractive.)

Liam’s radiance knew no bounds, it was always captivating the hearts of everyone who looked at him.

It feels a little embarrassing when someone this attractive looks at me so passionately.

Liam: Kate, can you close your eyes?

Kate: Fufu, okay.

Even though my eyes were closed, I already knew what Liam was up to.

Liam: OK. You can open your eyes now.

A strong fragrance tickled my nose, and a pink modern rose was placed in my hand.

Kate: Wow, it’s beautiful… . Thank you, Liam.

Liam: Mm, you’re welcome.

Liam often bought me modern roses on ordinary days like this.

(Now that I think of it, I’ve never asked him about the reason.)

Kate: Why do you always buy me modern roses? This flower isn’t easy to obtain.

I recalled Victor once telling me that this type of rose was a rare breed made through hybridization.

Liam: Hmm— I wonder why?

(Ah, I know that look. He has this facial expression whenever he’s trying to hide something.)

I gently placed the rose on my desk and reached my hand to his side…

Kate: Take this!

I tickled him relentlessly.

Liam: Hey, s-stop…

When I chased Liam around the room as he tried to escape, we tumbled onto the bed and messed up the sheets.

Liam: Aha, AHAHA! Okay, I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you honestly…!

Liam: Hah… Kate… you really show no mercy.

Kate: Fufu, sorry. But I really do want to know the reason.

Liam laughed while laying on the bed.

Liam: Back when I was trying to buy you flowers for the first time, the florist told me about flower language.

Liam: She said that modern roses symbolise “gratitude”.

Kate: … Gratitude.

Liam: Mm, that's right. I’m grateful to have met you, for being able to spend time with you by your side, and to you for forgiving me for always sticking to you.

Liam: … Haha, it’ll be daylight by the time I’m done if I keep going, so let’s leave it as that…

Liam: Kate, I’m always grateful for everything about you.

Liam: Thank you for existing, Kate.

Those words, spoken so casually and without hesitation, carried the weight of the loneliness he had been putting up with all this time.

(Ever since Liam was born, no one has thanked him for existing.)

(Moreover, his life was always being trampled on by others and that hurt him.)

(And yet…)

– Flashback Start –

Liam: Your heart belongs to you, and only you. I hope that you’ll let me help you stay just the way you are.

(He was the protector of my heart.)

…

Liam: Everyone wants a shining star, and if it pleases them and means something to them…

Liam: I want to be that star. I don’t care if I’m just a fake.

(He struggled while trying to please everyone.)

…

Liam: Therefore, you’ll be alright, Kate. I hope you’ll always be someone who believes in tomorrow.

– Flashback End –

While continuing to live between life and death, Liam had a beautiful heart that cherished others.

Why does it have to be so difficult for him to live with a kind heart?

But still, even though there was nothing I could do to change that, I wanted to continue staying by Liam’s side and expressing my love for him.

Kate: … I should be the one thanking you.

His slightly tousled hair smelled like sweet vanilla today too.

Kate: Hey, Liam.

Kate: Thank you for being born. I’m very glad that I met you.

Liam: …

Liam: Ah…

Liam: … My heart beating so fast right now, I can feel it hammering against my chest.

Liam: Right now… I… I feel so alive.

Liam pulled me into his arms, as if he wanted me to listen to his heart beating.

His heart had a regular rhythm like it was taking care of a tiny animal.

Liam: Let me kiss you after you display that flower. Once I start touching you, I won’t be able to stop.

Liam: And… I want more than just a kiss. I want lots of kisses.

…

As our flushed skin and bodies came together, we laid down together on the sheets.

(Ah…)

Kate: Look outside, Liam! Isn’t that Betelgeuse?

Liam: Yeah, you’re right. Amazing, it's like it’s shouting at you to look at it.

The Betelgeuse shining brightly in the night sky reminded me of Liam.

They were both dazzling, beautiful, and made people want to reach their hands out towards them.

Liam: Did you know, Kate?

Liam: Betelgeuse is red because it’ll eventually explode and die.

Kate: Explode…?

Liam: Yup. It turns red as it burns brighter and brighter… and I heard from somewhere that its lifespan also gets shorter.

(... The end of the shiny red star in the sky.)

Liam: As the saying goes, curiosity kills the cat… I wonder what will be the cause of my death.

Liam was clearly referring to his inevitable tragic demise due to his curse.

But that was definitely not all he was referring to.

Having experienced a close call with death once, Liam understood how painfully fragile human life could be.

The longer someone lived, the more prevalent death felt to them.

(That would certainly be the same for me. Everyone’s life would come to an end someday.)

Liam: … You know, Kate. If I can choose how I die—

Liam lifted my body up in his arms—.

He then guided my hands to wrap them around his neck.

Through the contact with his skin, I could feel the steady beating of his heart that was a sign of life.

Liam: Please, if I can choose how I die… I want my life to end in your hands.

Kate: In my hands?

Liam: … Yes. I want to be put to sleep forever by your hands.

Liam: Only then, for the first time, I’ll feel glad to have been born.

I could tell from the look in his rose-coloured eyes that he was neither joking nor speaking figuratively, it was his genuine wish.

It sounded depressing for him to ask to be killed. But, to me, that was him wishing for himself to keep on living.

What Liam was trying to tell me was that he wanted me to stay with him and watch over him until the day fate puts an end to him.

(And so, I…)

I gently tightened my grip on his neck, just enough for him to still breathe.

Kate: … Okay. I’ll be the one to end your life with my own hands.

Kate: Therefore, please remain by my side until the very end.

Kate: Keep on reaching out to me, who will be waiting for you in your tomorrows.

Liam: … Of course. You are the only one I’ll look at.

Just like any other day in your life, the world is unkind to you today.

(But…)

In this neverending nightmare, I will continue to beg for your life.

[painted-bees]

OK, so normally I really don't like bringing up controversial or scary/disturbing topics, but I just came across this thing recently and.... ht tps: //m.yo utub e.com /watch ?v= u0YXBkKQnQA

Yeah ... :(

But, it made me really curious. How would your OCs Rafael and Magritte react to this phenomenon? How would it make them feel, what do they think?

(Of course I'm talking about when they're in the future, since ik their whole story takes place in the 2010s. But they are still Millenials, so Mags & Raf would be in their 30's and 40's respectively by 2023-24)

(And yes I am aware they're from Canada and this problem is mostly in American (from what I've seen))

I'm especially curious how Magritte will view it, since well... she's someone born with a significant condition that makes it hard to focus, sit still, pay attention, or have certain awareness of her surroundings, etc. (all the things the lady mentions in the vid) How would she feel knowing there's now millions of neurotypical children with the same problems but for a different reason?- Because of their overindulgence/obsession in social media/technology. (really do wonder what the neurodivergent GenZ & Millenials think about this phenomenon and how it's gonna affect the Gen Alpha ones)

Also - and I know I'm really reaching with this one but - how do you think they would combat or prevent this issue with their own child? Assuming they ever decide to have one in the future.. 😅

Yeah, sorry for that whole essay of a question. 😅

And you don't have to respond if this is too deep or personal of a topic for you (believe me I really don't wanna think about how this a reality either), but if you do, I really recommend you watching the vid in full.

so, for context, the video talks about how the current generation of kids are preforming at grade levels much lower than their current grade, and are presenting behavioral problems--that are, apparently, a result of phone overuse. [/simplified]

Raf would kinda deliberately avoid putting too much thought into it and wouldn't have much of an opinion aside from "it sounds like a very complicated situation" and "when in doubt, blame the parents [/hj]"

Margie, though, has some strong opinions about North american school structures/cirriculums haha. the children and technology aren't the problem. The world is changing, it will always change. Standardized grade school is a relatively new structure, and it has hardly changed at all since it was first concieved, especially compared to how much the rest of the world/society has changed since then. School systems have not and cannot adapt fast enough to accomodate the rapidly changing job market, technology, advancements in psychological understanding, etc. And, to Margie, the fact that schools apparently can no longer teach kids in an effective manner is proof to her that the public school system is becoming obsolete and needs to change or be replaced with something more suitable for the current era. Because, after all, "anything you learn after 4th grade is kinda useless in real life application anyways, I haven't retained any of it, lmao."

Margie really very dislikes the public school system and considers it an extremely stressful waste of her childhood 😂 she coulda spent all that time...learning and playing music instead of getting yelled at by teachers and parents and made to hate subjects/activities she might have loved if they had just been introduced to her differently.

As for their own kids, they can't have 'em and don't want 'em haha

[vminjackbaddie]

Feeling Lucky

authors note: eye...haven't written a one shot in such a long time but his recent activity on ig has got me in shambles and I'd like the chance to try again. now forgive me because I've always written in first person but you can still pretend. also im super rusty so im sorry if this comes out cheesy lol I am not an expert for sure! lastly, please don't repost or claim as your own. I appreciate y'all pairing: female reader & jackson wang | 1st person word count: 3.4k+ summary: it's been a lot of trial and error: using dating apps in hopes you find a serious relationship and for the third time, you find yourself disappointed with someone, feeling cursed and very unlucky. to help get your mind off of things, you go visit your best friend at the bar with 0 intentions except to enjoy yourself until jackson walks in with his own group of friends. he's eyeing you, you're eyeing him but will either one of you make a move? or will you let your "cursed" theory ruin any chance with him? genre: mature | strangers to lovers au | angst | one shot | kinda soft | fluff warnings: 21+ ONLY! some cursing, making out, small mentions of heartbreak

“…and that’s exactly why I believe dogs are far superior to cats…”

He kept rambling, spewing nonsense. Is this really my life right now? How am I sitting here, listening to this man go on and on about why dogs are better than cats? Is this supposed to be life-changing information? Definitely not! And just for the record, cats are just as good—if not better.

To make matters worse, I wish I could say this was my first bad date in ages, but that would be a lie. A month ago, I signed up for a dating app, and while things started off strong, the past two weeks have led me to men with halitosis, nonstop misogynistic comments, and now this guy: a man who thinks his monologue is more interesting than asking about me.

Without hesitation, I pulled out my phone and decided to use the old bathroom excuse.

“Excuse me—sorry. Just give me a minute. I’ll be right back,” I said, trying not to trip over my heels as I pushed my chair back, ready to make my escape.

“Take your time! When you get back, we can talk about the ghost in my parents’ basement!” he shouted as I walked away.

I raised an eyebrow, knowing it was now or never. Ghosting isn’t my usual move, but it felt like my only option. Luckily, there was an exit door next to the women’s restroom, and I made a beeline for it. I attempted to call my best friend to fill her in on the disaster, but I reached her voicemail, followed by a quick text:

[Hey, I’m working. You okay?]

Ugh. I completely forgot she was on a shift at Oasis, a local bar. But that might not be a bad idea. I could definitely use some company and a distraction. I hopped into my car and rushed to get inside before he realized I wasn’t coming back, quickly texting her:

[Hiiii~ nvm! I’m coming by. See you soon!]

The message was brief, and as I sat at the first red light, I surprisingly didn’t feel guilty. Isn’t that awful? But honestly, while I felt bad about the first two dates, this third one confirmed that maybe my days with dating apps were over. I felt cursed—searching for real love for so long only to have every potential match turn sour as soon as we met. So tonight (and perhaps for the rest of my life), I decided to focus on enjoying myself.

Oasis wasn’t far. Within five minutes, I was in line to get in. While I waited, I noticed the coffee shop guy had bombarded me with at least eight messages, calling me every name in the book for bailing.

“Wow,” I muttered, scrolling through his barrage of insults.

“Looks like you dodged a bullet,” the bouncer said as I finally reached him.

“What? Oh yeah, he’s definitely a piece of work,” I replied, blocking his number while handing over my ID.

“You came to the right place.” He nodded as he returned my ID. While he recognized me from previous visits, I wasn’t in the mood to chat with another guy about my problems. I simply made my way to the bar.

“Danielle!” I called, spotting my best friend as I slid onto the first empty barstool. The bar wasn’t too crowded, but the dance floor was alive, and it felt great to soak in the energy after those awful messages.

“Another bad date?” she asked, handing me my favorite drink.

“Oh, it was so bad, Danielle! I just don’t know what’s wrong with me!”

“I don’t think it’s you. Sometimes men just suck, and dating app guys are a whole different level of awful,” she chuckled.

“I’m starting to think it might be time to give up.”

She sighed. “You always say that. But remember what I tell you: you’re more likely to find the right one when you’re not stuck playing 40 questions over a screen.”

She patted my hand for reassurance, and I felt a little lighter.

“Don’t beat yourself up—we’ve all been there. Just enjoy your drink.”

I nodded, acknowledging she was right.

“Okay, but no more than three drinks tonight. I don’t want you getting in trouble again for giving away too many free ones.”

We both laughed as I took a sip while she attended to the next guest.

About an hour later, I was on my third drink, and let me tell you, I was feeling it. “Slightly tipsy” was the best way to describe it, and I was really vibing with the music pouring from the speakers. However, I wasn’t much of a dancer. Sitting at the bar, swaying back and forth in my little bubble, felt just right. I could have kept it up all night, but then I heard an uproar from the dance floor.

Curious, I turned to see what all the commotion was about. Right in the center of the crowd was a group of guys dancing like nobody was watching, and they were good. But the one drawing everyone’s attention wasn’t the loudest or most flamboyant; instead, it was the guy making the subtlest moves. His presence alone was magnetic, giving him an air of mystery that was incredibly alluring.

I found myself standing up, inching closer to get a better view. I didn’t want to get too close—just close enough to appreciate his every move. But maybe that was the mistake, because as soon as I got within range, I was completely captivated. He wore all black: a fitted tank top, loose black pants, and sturdy boots. His shaggy hair was a striking lilac or lavender color, cascading over his forehead. It felt wrong, but the thought of getting his attention flickered in my mind. The only problem? I was supposed to be enjoying myself, not fantasizing about some guy.

“Y/N!” Danielle’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I turned to see her waving me over. That was my cue: stay away from him. After all, it was clear why there were at least ninety girls surrounding him—or so it seemed.

What I didn’t realize was that her shout had caught his attention too, because when I looked back just before walking away, we locked eyes.

“Oh god,” I mumbled to myself, quickly diverting my gaze as he flashed me a gentle smile. The only thing I could manage was a quick nod before I hurried back to the bar, eager to escape any further embarrassment.

“What were you doing over there?” Danielle asked as I settled back into my seat.

“Did you not see those guys? They were amazing!” I nearly pointed but caught a glimpse of him and his friends gathering at the other end of the bar.

“Those guys?” she asked, tilting her head in their direction. “Oh yeah, they’re here every Friday, or so.”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course.”

For some reason, that realization made him feel completely out of reach. I shouldn’t have even considered approaching him, but the thought lingered. Now, with him just ten feet away, it was impossible not to steal glances as I tried to finish what was left of my drink.

“Need another?” I heard a male voice say.

I looked over to find a glass of Hennessy right beside my hand. My gaze lifted to meet the exact guy from the dance floor, and I was shocked. Why was he talking to me? Where were his friends? Regardless, I needed to play it cool; I didn’t want to come off as desperate.

“No, I’m good,” I replied shortly. “This is my third one, anyway.” I barely made eye contact, taking another sip.

“Is that why you were almost on the dance floor?” he joked.

“Maybe. But how would you know?” I finally turned my body toward him.

He took a small sip of his drink. “I saw you—almost as soon as you walked up. I was waiting for you to join in.”

“I’m sure the other ninety women were more than enough for you,” I retorted.

“Damn. Don’t do that,” he said with a smirk.

“Don’t do what? Point out the obvious?” I chuckled. That’s when I really started to feel the liquid courage kicking in. To be honest, I had a lot of animosity toward men right now, and he was my first target. This could either go really well or extremely badly.

“I’m not just another girl for you to toy with, okay? You think I didn’t see all the smirking and body rolling on that dance floor? Keep it over there.” My finger landed on his chest. “And don’t bring your fuckboy act over here.”

He smirked again, taking another sip before resting his hand over my finger that was still resting on his chest. God, why was he so attractive? I’d said enough, so why couldn’t I just get up and leave?

“Let me be clear…” His voice was low and husky, and I barely noticed he had leaned in closer, making my hand rest against his chest. “If I had any intentions with the other women on that floor, or if I were the fuckboy you think I am, then why am I over here with you?”

His eyes searched mine as if trying to find something beyond the asshole persona I was attempting to project.

“Touche,” I responded, quickly pulling my hand back. I finished off my drink, trying to distract myself from getting lost in his gaze. “What’s your name?”

“Jackson,” he said with a smile, clearly pleased that I wasn’t trying to push him away any further. “And you?”

“Y/N,” I replied shyly, worried I might have ruined the rest of the conversation. Just then, another song played, and the crowd erupted again, making us both break our unannounced staring contest and look at the dance floor. The same guys he had arrived with were back out there, cutting loose. I noticed Jackson subtly mimicking their moves.

“You should join them!” I yelled over the music.

“Nah, it’s okay. I’d rather be dancing with someone else,” he said, slowly bringing his gaze back to me.

I rolled my eyes, smirking a little. “Could you be any more corny?”

“No,” he smirked, grabbing my hand and pulling me closer. We were chest to chest now, locked in each other's gaze. “But I’d like the chance to show you what I can do on the dance floor.”

I glanced back at Danielle, who had been watching the whole exchange. My expression should’ve been a dead giveaway for help, but instead, she winked at me. What the hell? She wasn’t helping at all.

“Come on,” he said, breaking our gaze and taking my hand. He led me to the dance floor. “I don’t expect anything more than for you to just feel the music.” He moonwalked to the center of the dance floor.

How could I possibly keep up with that? I barely had rhythm as it was, but that didn’t stop him from pulling me closer. The liquid courage needed to kick in any minute now because I had never been more nervous than I was at that moment.

He turned me around so that my back pressed against his chest, swaying slowly behind me, guiding my body to move in harmony with his. I felt as if I were in a trance, his hands exploring my waist in a way that was both respectful and undeniably sensual. His nose brushed against my hair, and I could feel my eyes fluttering shut, surrendering to his lead as I let the music envelop me. I placed my hands over his, turning my head slightly to bring his face closer to mine, anticipating the moment our lips might meet. But just then, the tempo of the music shifted, shattering the spell we were under. I smiled as we both paused, realizing that our moment had come to an end.

I turned to face him, and I noticed his friends slowly approaching from behind.

“Alright! We see you!” one of them called out.

“Get lost,” he replied, feigning annoyance, which made them all chuckle.

“Sorry, man! We were just about to grab another drink. You coming?”

He glanced back at me. “Yeah, actually. I’ll be right there.” They nodded and headed off, and he turned back to me.

“You know you don’t have to stick around. I wasn’t exactly nice to you a few minutes ago.”

He shrugged. “I can get drinks with them anytime.” He took my hand again and led me back to my original spot at the bar to order another drink. As we waited, he turned to look at me.

“But what was with all that attitude? Was it really just because of how you viewed me?”

I shook my head. “No... just... bad dates.”

He nodded slowly, as if he understood more than I realized.

“Men ain’t shit,” he started, his tone serious. “And I mean that. I don’t know what you’ve been through, and it’s really none of my business, but can I offer you some advice?”

“Sure,” I replied, still swaying to what we could hear of the music.

“Don’t assume every guy you meet is going to be like the last. I know that’s tough, but calling me a fuck boy was a bit much.” He whined playfully, laughter escaping him. “Though, I have to admit, it was pretty funny.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry... I really shouldn’t have said that—” Just then, my favorite song blared through the speakers. Tinashe’s “Nasty” filled the air, and the energy shifted.

“I LOVE THIS SONG!” I shouted, letting go and fully immersing myself in the music. Whatever liquid courage I had left finally surfaced, and I danced like I’d never danced before. I was so caught up in the moment that I didn’t even notice Danielle bringing him another drink; he simply stood there, a huge smirk on his face, watching me.

“Is somebody gonna match my freak...” I began to sing loudly, draping my arms over his neck and leaning in close, letting my hands glide slowly over his chest.

He watched intently as I continued belting out the lyrics. The way he sipped his Hennessy while keeping his gaze fixed on me made my stomach flip. Somehow, I managed to maintain my composure, still singing and letting my hands roam lower, tracing over his abdomen, which made his breath catch.

“Easy...” he murmured, and I couldn’t help but smirk. I had no idea what was happening, but I was enjoying every moment.

I leaned back into his space, my arm wrapped around his neck as the chorus looped again, the constant refrain of “I’ve been a nasty girl” echoing in my ears. I sang every word, body rolling against him while his free hand trailed down my side and rested at my waist. With his other hand, he finished his drink and set the glass down, then placed his palm at the small of my back.

We were mere inches apart; I could feel his breath against my lips, and it made me freeze as the music began to fade into the background. At that moment, I was intoxicated by his scent, and there was no way I could back down now. I’d been in his face for nearly three minutes, singing about being a nasty girl—what else could I expect?

“You singing all of that makes me want to do a lot more than just dance with you...” he whispered. “But that would be disrespectful on our first meeting.”

Good god. At this point, he could have done anything to me; a man who shows respect is the sexiest thing a girl could ask for.

“Then what can you do that wouldn’t be ‘disrespectful’?”

I knew I was asking for it, but I couldn’t help myself. At this rate, I wanted him to make a move.

He chuckled softly, brushing his nose against mine as our faces inched closer together. One hand cupped my face, while the other rested on my hip. I felt his body draw nearer, moving slightly as the music began to swell again, creating a bubble around just the two of us. I slowly closed my eyes, fully aware of what was about to happen. The build-up was intoxicating. I could have closed the distance myself, but something urged me to savor the moment. He began to turn my body until my back was against a wall, his hands landing on either side of me, brushing his lips against mine. When I opened my eyes, I saw him glancing between my eyes and my mouth, so close I could nearly taste him.

My hands moved to cup his neck as we tilted our heads, our lips nearly meeting once more. He was teasing me mercilessly, and damn, was he good at it.

“May I?” he asked, brushing his nose against mine again. There he went again with that respect.

“Please,” I nearly begged, and he slowly closed the gap between us, finally kissing me after what felt like an eternity of anticipation.

Our lips moved in perfect harmony, just like how we danced. His hands slid from the bar back around my waist, while mine fumbled to find their place. I felt most at ease tangling one hand in his hair while the other rested at his side. The kiss deepened as our tongues battled for dominance, making me want to nibble at his bottom lip to tease him even more. But just like that, it was over. He pulled away, leaving me craving more.

We were both breathless, but it was more than worth it. I even heard Danielle cheering quietly behind me, which made us glance at her and shake our heads in amusement.

“I’m sorry. If I’d kept going—”

I raised a finger to his lips. “It’s fine,” I smiled. “There’s always next time.”

He nodded. “I hope it made your night a little better.”

His smile was enchanting, and I could tell he genuinely meant it, which made me feel incredible.

“Mission accomplished.” I gave him a quick peck. “Now, stay in touch.”

“Wait. You’re leaving?” he frowned.

“No!” I laughed. “Danielle’s my ride home since I’ve had a couple of drinks.”

“Smart. I like it,” he teased, locking his gaze with mine again. “Care to dance once more before the night ends?”

“Are you sure you don’t want to get back to your boys?” I asked, noticing them still on the dance floor.

“Look, those are my best friends. I can dance, drink, and whatever else with them anytime,” he assured me. “They’ll understand if I keep dancing with you. And while this may be our last dance tonight, I hope to see you again, outside of this bar.”

I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks. Who would have thought one bad night would turn into something so lucky?

“Deal,” was all I could think to say before he pulled me back out to the dance floor, where we danced until the sun rose.

[iwonderwh0]

I accidentally wrote two more scenes, continuing the idea in this post (and associated reblogs) about Connor temporarily existing in Hank's devices (I don't reblog it this time, because I forgot to do that). One is below, and another one is not yet fully finished, so I'll probably post it later.

"Ah, fucking asshole!" Hank slammed the brakes.

"What happened?" Connor asked, his voice coming from a speaker.

"This prick just cut me off."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

"No, you're not," Hank glanced at the dash camera he previously found in his garage – it still wasn't plugged in and he wasn't even sure if it had any memory card inside, but now he thought that it might be a good idea to turn it on, or to try, at least. He slowed down at the traffic light and as his car came to a complete stop searched for the hanging cable.

"I just remembered that I have a dash cam."

"Are you going to turn it on?"

Hank plugged in the cable and pressed the "on" button – small LED informed him that recording has started.

"Nah."

From a satisfied sound Hank concluded that android found his way to now fully working dash camera.

"Thank you."

For a couple of minutes they drove in silence, interrupted only by some occasional static from the speaker.

"See that woman in front of you?" Connor asked at some point.

"The one with red Honda? I don't see who's driving it, but yeah, whatever. What about her?"

"She's an attorney. She has two kids and she recently filed a divorce, but her husband doesn't know it yet."

"And you're telling me this why exactly?"

"I don't know. I thought it was interesting, and I doubt you'll ever see her again – her vehicle is registered in a different state."

"You know, the way you can just do shit like that makes me...Shit, I don't even know. It's unnerving," Hank removed one of his hands from a steering wheel for a moment to gesture at the last sentence, even though he knew Connor wouldn't see it.

"I've only used publicly available information starting from her license plate number -- it is a part of the public record anyway -- and the rest of it wasn't too hard to find online, knowing her legal name."

"Not sure if it makes it better or worse."

"If it makes you feel better, there is not much I can find this way about you. Most of what I assume were your accounts are either deleted or haven't been updated in years. There are, however, other accounts that are referencing you, and some of them are quite active to this day."

"Even if I never posted anything at all, those jackals would do that for me," Hank shook his head, "Great. Not like I didn't know that already."

He tried to remember whatever it was Connor could even find on his abandoned profile. He barely used it in recent years and only kept it for the sake of getting reminded about upcoming birthdays, even though he didn't really care much about any of them. Still, it felt useful enough.

"And who the fuck is even referencing me?" He asked after a pause.

"It's not something recent, if that's what you're asking. Most of it is dated at least three years back."

"I'm asking names."

"Just your colleagues, mostly, and-"

"My ex wife?"

"Yes."

Hank thought about the last time he saw her. It was the day of Cole's funeral. He avoided looking in her direction during the whole ceremony, cautious not to make any eye-contact. He wasn't there for her, and neither was she. They didn't talk this day.

"Sometimes I wonder how she's doing..," Hank said, without actually meaning to. Over the past three days, it had started to happen to him more and more often - thinking something and blurting it out loud the same moment without a second thought. Not all of it was something he actually wanted to share or hear a response to, but at the same time there was some comfort in knowing that someone would listen, no matter what he had to say. He wondered if Connor was secretly getting tired of him, but at the same time, it didn't seem like he was, as whenever Hank remained quiet for longer than a couple of minutes, the android would say something himself and encouraged Hank to respond, say something. Anything, even if it's just a humming sound, acknowledging his presence.

Connor's voice brought Hank back from his thoughts.

"Do you want me to-"

"-No! Not like this. I just-," he tightened his grip on the steering wheel, thinking "I don't know, I don't want to know too much. Just wondering if..," he sighed, "Shit. Forget it, okay?"

For a while it was quiet, and Hank already decided that it was over when android spoke again.

"She's fine. It seems like she's in a relationships, but not engaged. No kids, two dogs."

"So she moved on, huh...Good to know."

"You're welcome."

"I didn't ask you to do that, by the way."

"Not directly, but I'm good at reading between the lines."

"Only when you don't need to."

"Hank?"

Hank hummed in response, turning on the signal lights to make a turn.

"Do you..."

For the second time of the day Hank hit the brakes when another vehicle abruptly squeezed into the tiny gap in front of him, coming dangerously close to hitting both his car and the one next in line.

"Shit, did you see that? Fucker needs his license recalled."

"I didn't catch it. I can only process a frame every three seconds or so."

"Wait, you serious? So all this time you've been watching a slideshow, not even a laggy video?"

"Basically. I can't process visual data at the same speed I can process audio, as it leaves me almost no space to process anything else, making it quite useless. I do, however, appreciate seeing something, even if it's just static images every couple of seconds."

Hearing it was...upsetting. More so than Hank expected, although he wasn't sure why. He abruptly thought if maybe his phone is too old and it was the time for an update anyway, but then remembered that Connor was saying something just before he got distracted.

"What were you saying before?"

"Oh.. I think you should turn here and go around, there's a huge traffic jam ahead."

"Really?" Hank frowned and glanced at his GPS unit. It usually warned him about things like traffic jams, but it seemed usual, no warnings of any kind. Hank thought about it for a moment, then turned to drive around anyway. Maybe Connor was right. Maybe he was lying. Hank didn't feel like questioning him this time. Maybe he will do that later, "Thanks."

For a few seconds there was some static coming from a speaker. It got louder for a few seconds, then became slightly softer, and after another second it disappeared completely.