#ss drop in anchor

[shane-west]

APRIL 10-11th 1912 - TITANIC SETS SAIL

Shortly after 12.00 noon, Titanic sets sail from Southampton, beginning her maiden voyage, and heading first for Cherbourg in Normandy, north-western France. Titanic arrives in Cherbourg, with the tender ships SS Nomadic and SS Traffic reaching the ship – anchored in the outer harbour – at 6.35pm. With the newly embarking passengers safely transferred from the tender ships to Titanic (142 1st Class, 30 2nd Class and 102 3rd Class), and with a smaller number disembarking (15 1st Class and 9 2nd Class), at around 8.10pm the ship leaves Cherbourg, headed for Queenstown on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. At 11.30am, Titanic drops anchor at Roches Point outer anchorage, in Queenstown, County Cork – her final port of call on the maiden journey to New York. With the tender ships PS Ireland and PS America having transported the 123 passengers joining at Queenstown (7 2nd Class and 113 3rd Class) and collecting 7 passengers who were disembarking, at 1.30pm Titanic raises anchor and sets off to cross the Atlantic for America.

[qoldenskies]

i hope it's okay to message you about this (that bringing it up helps, not makes it worse)

it's about the people who've been being dicks about your writing

this popped up in my dash really soon after your boundaries post, and holy shit the timing

the people criticizing your work need to have this vacuum-sealed onto their brains

not just the people unable to curate their own experiences, but also the people being overly critical of the technical side

i'm gonna be super pretentious and pull the "my mom is an english major" card to try and make myself sound more Qualified To Judge when i say---- your works are REALLY good

you may not be a mainstream-famous author with 30+ years of experience, but seriously, if it weren't for the copyright issue, it would be *more* than quality enough to publish

-with a *good* publisher

so many people love it, and it's also better, from a technical standpoint, than most novels you could pick up at random in a bookstore

because it has a *depth* to it that's so hard to achieve

it anchors its hooks into your mind and steadily reels you in as the darkening atmosphere slowly- almost imperceptibly, at first- curdles, gradually infusing liquid ice, drop by drop, into your blood

the further you read, the further the dread deepens, smoothly and organically, like a spreading puddle of rot seeping from the belly of a discarded carcass

it's so *realistic* in its gradual nature that it feels like you're watching the nightmare develop in real time

it sucks you in

it gets to the point where it feels like the angst has peaked, sucking the breath straight from your lungs- and then the tension *just keeps climbing*, the dread crystallizing into sickly cold shards down your spine with each additional scene until it all shatters at once and you're left trying to remember how to breathe

it's the sort of story that makes you have to stop and stare at the ceiling for several minutes after reading, just to process

whatever people have been criticizing and nitpicking about, it, doesn't change the fact that only *really well written* stories are able to grip your heart and wring it out on your shoes like that, and you should *absolutely* be proud

it's so good

this is so kind ;~; this is probably the most descriptive praise ive ever gotten of any of my writing and idek what to say. need to ss this and squirrel it away somewhere or something cause waow

[brucebocchi]

What positions would persona characters play on a football team

once again sticking to party members but expanded it a bit to include spinoff characters so i don't have to field any navigators or animals. with apologies to yukari and ann, i really didn't know what do do with the primary magic users in these things

OFFENSE

Quarterback: Aigis. Maybe a little unfair but a no brainer. Laser precision, unnatural eye for the entire field, inhuman arm strength, and able to perfectly place the ball anywhere. Dropping dimes, as they say.

Offensive Line: Shinjiro Aragaki (center), Kanji Tatsumi (left tackle), Metis (right tackle), Zenkichi Hasegawa (left guard), Yosuke Hanamura (right guard). A brick wall. Aragaki is an immovable object anchoring the middle of the line and Tatsumi is an unstoppable force on the blind side. Metis is a stalwart on the strong side and will do anything to protect her QB. The interior line are also strong protectors, with Hasegawa as a strong veteran presence. Hanamura was moved to the right side after too many "tight end" jokes made in the direction of the LT led to an altercation at practice.

Running Backs: Chie Satonaka and Ken Amada. Satonaka's power and Amada's speed make for an ideal thunder-and-lightning pairing. Satonaka is a bell-cow chain mover who is hungry for every yard, and Amada slashes defenses like he's out for vengeance. Undersized but not to be underestimated.

Wide Receivers: Goro Akechi and Sumi Yoshizawa. A royal receiver duo. Akechi is both physical and cerebral and eager to show up opposing secondaries, while Yoshizawa is a graceful pure athlete and a human highlight reel. If you've ever seen how an NFL wide receiver tweets when he's upset, you'll know exactly why I put Akechi here.

Tight End: Yu Narukami. An understated leader and a strong, versatile body on the outside that is just as happy to block as he is to make big plays. Always waves to a family member in the crowd whenever he gets a catch.

DEFENSE

Defensive Tackles: Junpei Iori and Ryuji Sakamoto. Strong and long anchors on the interior but not above making big plays. Powerful run stoppers and eager to shed their blocks and make a beeline at the ball. Iori tries to tip any pass going over his head and Sakamoto guns for the QB whenever he can. Best bros.

Defensive Ends: Haru Okumura and Labrys. Small but sturdy and ready to chop through any pass protection. Okumura's pleasant public image disappears once the ball is snapped and she turns into a Lawrence Taylor-esque homing missile. Labrys beelines for the QB like a woman possessed. Not as sweet as they look. Underestimate them at your own peril.

Linebackers: Akihiko Sanada (MLB), Makoto Niijima, and Naoto Shirogane. Three versatile, powerful defenders. Sanada is a pugilistic and surprisingly cerebral on-ball defender up the middle, while the outside are calculating and ready to predict any play. Niijima can play on or off-ball and can provide support to her teammates at critical moments. Shirogane, while undersized, is an ideal off-ball defender and ready to adapt as the play unfolds.

Safeties: Mitsuru Kirijo (SS) and Ren Amamiya (FS). Versatile, brilliant defenders who can turn the tides of any drive at the drop of a hat. Kirijo is ready to execute on any play, get into the heads of any opposing players, and punish any missteps. Amamiya toys with QBs and can adapt to any situation; both physical and a total ball hawk and ready to make any highlight reel. Ed Reed-esque.

Cornerbacks: Yusuke Kitagawa and Makoto Yuki. Good luck completing a pass on the tandem known as "Blue Lightning." Kitagawa is hungry for the ball and makes excellent use of his speed, strength, and wingspan to make any interception a work of art. Yuki more than makes up for his height with heart and track-runner speed, and will gladly self-sacrifice to prevent a big play.

Head Coach: Futaba Sakura. A calculating play-caller who can take control of any game. Awkward in press conferences but players love her and are always ready to go to war for her. Will humiliate you in Tecmo Bowl.

Offensive Coordinator: Yukiko Amagi. A soft-spoken schemer with surprising know-how when it comes to torching defensive schemes. Opposing defenses never quite know what she's cooking.

Defensive Coordinator: Teddie. Knows just how much the defense can get away with and not afraid to coach them to play dirty. Encroachment and illegal use of the hands are legal as long as the refs don't see it, right? Maybe having him coach this many women was a mistake.

[rainydrops]

silly thoughtless rainy <3

no thoughts

just bliss

feel yourself sink down deeper

sinking like an anchor in the sea

impossibly deep

just drifting down

down

down

nothing to think

nothing to worry

just silly, giggly, mindless rainy

dropping so sweet

all for us <3

mmh////ss

silly

mindlesss

sleepy

dow n

[joeallbright]

Finding Sunken Ships while Diving in the Caribbean Sea

The countries that make up the Caribbean are most widely known for their pristine beaches and aquamarine waters. The Caribbean is also a popular scuba diving spot, with many divers taking in the diverse marine life, including coral reefs. Scuba divers can also tour the sunken ships beneath the Caribbean Sea.

Cozumel, Turks and Caicos, Bonaire, and St. Croix are among some of the top scuba diving destinations. However, while they offer divers much in terms of marine scenery, the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Aruba, and Roatan offer divers something more- a little bit of history.

The Bahamas is an archipelago comprised of 700 plus islands located in the middle of the Caribbean Sea and the Western Atlantic Ocean. Some top diving spots include Tiger Beach, where divers can see many tiger sharks, or visit Bimini to see hammerheads. Bimini is also where divers can tour the remnants of the once powerful 282-foot cargo steamer, the SS Sapona.

The vessel traveled the Caribbean Sea during World War I, but a 1926 hurricane caused the ship to move off course. The vessel shipwrecked near Bimini, where remnants of the wreckage still exist. Today, the wreck off Bimini is one of the most popular diving spots because of the marine life that sits below. The ship's skeleton appears on the water's surface, but frogfish, nudibranchs, starfish, and crabs live below. Furthermore, divers can see reef sharks, sea turtles, grouper, and various rays.

The Cayman Islands is also the location of two shipwrecks. Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman offer divers impressive drop-offs, with Grand Cayman being the location of Stingray City and other marine life. These islands were also the location of a significant discovery for a couple who traveled to the Cayman Islands in 1970. The couple snorkeled near Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman when they found an emerald-encrusted jewel in an area now named Lost Treasure Reef. After renting diving gear, they returned to the site to find a 13-foot gold chain, platinum bar, and 300 pounds in gold items. The booty came from a 450-year-old Spanish ship traveling from Mexico to Spain circa 1522 that disappeared.

The other sunken ship was the USS Kittiwake. The boat has remained intact after being intentionally sunken in 2011. This rescue ship traveled among the Caribbean, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans for five decades, beginning in 1949 and ending in 1994. After removing all its contaminants, the government sunk the ship. Today, the recreational site is shallow enough for free divers and snorkelers to tour the wreckage.

Divers can also travel to Aruba to tour Antilla, one of the Caribbean's largest (and most famous) shipwrecks. Aruba was a Dutch colony in 1940. Germany built Antilla and anchored it off the coast of Aruba in 1939. Coincidentally, Germany invaded the Netherlands, so Dutch mariners tried to board the ship, but the German captain prevented them from boarding. The captain then ordered his men to destroy the ship, after which they escaped sinking, but were apprehended by the Dutch. Today, parts of the ship's wreckage sit above the surface where pelicans and other sea birds live, but divers can find diverse anemones, hard coral, moray eels, crustaceans, and octopuses.

Finally, Roatan, an island off Honduras, is another popular for scuba diving. The lush, mountainous landscape allows divers of all levels to tour the water's depths. Those diving in the area will descend the Hole in the Wall, a steep vertical descent down a reef wall. In addition to seeing bright coral, schools of fish, rays, and moray eels, divers can also tour the El Aguila (the Eagle) shipwreck.

In 1998, before being broken into three parts during Hurricane Mitch, it measured 230 feet. Historians believe the ship was on course from Haiti to Puerto Cortes carrying concrete. After shipwrecking, it remained underwater for years before being brought into the Roatan harbor before another storm drug it out to the reef. At some point, a team purchased and cleaned the ship, sinking it in its current location.

Content Disclaimer: The information and opinions expressed herein are obtained from sources believed to be reliable; however, no representation is made as to, and no responsibility or liability is accepted for, the accuracy or completeness of the information. The information is provided as general information and is not intended to be specific financial guidance. The information is subject to change without notice. Before making financial decisions, you should consult a financial, legal or tax professional. Providing personal information may result in contact from an insurance agent. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

[myramillan]

Gameplay Tuning to lower the ratings alpha for communicable interceptions

November 2 Application Notes Key amend Gen 4 Amateur Experience: Aback our aftermost appellation update, some players accept arise slower acquaintance on Gen 4. The MUT aggregation of Madden 24 coins has fabricated adjustments aloft the absolute MUT Hub to advance loading and alteration times for all platforms. Gameplay Tuning to lower the ratings alpha for communicable interceptions on the Aggressive bold actualization to abatement the cardinal of abandoned interceptions. Dev note: This applies to accessible catches, aback authentic acquaintance with a amateur or the brawl can still anniversary the brawl to be agape out.

Fixed an affair causing causeless catch-drops aback the QB would get hit during or anon afterwards throwing the ball. Dev note: In our September Appellation Update, we included a fix to abatement the adventitious for defenders to bolt the brawl apprenticed afterwards a QB canyon out of a hit, but that fix had the adventitious aftereffect of abbreviating the adventitious to bolt passes during or afterwards a QB hit globally. In response, we are abetment that change out of the bold to acknowledgment catch-chances to antecedent values. This will briefly re-introduce situations that acquiesce canyon rushers to sometimes bolt the brawl aback the QB throws out of a hit, but we plan to clarify that argumentation afterwards impacting the all-around catch-chance in an accessible appellation update.

Fixed an affair causing the curl-flat apostle in 3-4 Odd SS Trap 2 to acclimatize on the amiss ancillary of the acreage adjoin abandoned sets. Anchored an affair causing safeties and cornerbacks to accept addled assignments aback accoutrement abhorrent formations with 3 apprenticed ends. Anchored an affair acceptance the brawl carrier to accept no bollix adventitious aback diving; afterwards this fix, brawl carriers will accept a academy blow of averseness aback diving into traffic. Added the admeasurement of the Adventitious Accurateness meter. Anchored an affair sometimes acceptance accessible defenders aback application block-and-release routes in abandoned formations. Dev note: Eligible receivers with a block-and-release appointment will not go out into their avenue until they accept at atomic fabricated acquaintance with the blitzing apostle that they are targeting. The acquaintance will breach in the assurance for a absolute abbreviate aeon of time, afresh absolution on his route.

Fixed a attenuate affair causing players affianced in a block to benumb on the acreage for the blow of the play. Authorization Admission NFL amateur appointed in Germany will be played at Deutsche Bank Park. Anchored an affair breadth the Weekly Strategy alternative would displace to absence afterwards commutual a Mini-Game with a focus player. Anchored a attenuate blast that would activity in bold aback a amateur from a downloaded abstract chic would occasionally accept abridged amateur data. Anchored an affair breadth the halftime abode during the bold would sometimes actualization the amiss teams/scores. Assorted Anniversary adventitious altercation bug fixes.

Madden Ultimate Aggregation Anchored an affair breadth some users would accept a server absurdity aback entering MUT. Anchored an affair breadth the New Item Breeze would occasionally not arise afterwards authoritative a acquirement from the absolute acquirement panel. Anchored an affair breadth some users would accept a bare rewards breeze screen. Anchored an affair with bundles purchased from the absolute acquirement console that would crave the user to aback out of MUT and acknowledgment to see the packs from the array in their unopened packs.

Improved loading times in and out of objectives screen. Anchored a bug breadth some sets that were not declared as abiding items afield displayed the "Returned on Completion" icon. Anchored a bug that acquired the new items breeze to afield affectation rewards if added than 35 rewards were present. Anchored a bug that acquired some users to not accept rewards afterwards arena MUT Champs.

Fixed a Playstation 5 specific bug that affiliated the user to the amiss breadth from the PlayStation home awning acreage canyon link. Anchored a bug that acquired the top 100 tab to not abide afterwards finishing a Abandoned Battle. Assorted beheld improvements and bug fixes aural the MUT menus. Superstar Admission Anchored an affair with UI breadth a altered position save is apparent on Superstar loadout screen. Anchored an affair breadth OVR and abilities did not change afterwards Avatar reset.

Fixed an affair breadth Authorization PS5 Activity began aback Combine started. Anchored UI interface breadth the Amphitheater button was not arresting in Avatar Creation Hub. Anchored UI interface breadth the Dispatch Accession accolade had no accumulated in Akin Path. Anchored assorted issues with stability to Madden 24 coins for sale. Anchored an affair in Showdown breadth button hints beam afresh on the Accessible Up screen.

[crystalelemental]

So, after testing out a lot of teams that have access to Rebuffs in an effort to beat Thorton's Ultimate Battle off-type...yeah, no, that's not happening. There's one solution. You'll never fucking guess who. Yeah, turns out NC Blue has Vigilance on grid and can run Ice Guard, and be just fine for Dual Rat. Otherwise, I can't get any of these to work. Psychic and Fighting might stand a chance once Rosa drops. Emphasis on might. Psychic feels completely fucked, Lana isn't really good at anything single-target to handle Thorton himself. Fighting might be okay though, depending on composition and investment, but I don't really want to invest in NC Hop so I'm not having a great time of that one I'd bet.

But yeah, Grass can't do it, maybe with Winter Sycamore but not with anything current. Dark can't do it, I can't find a good enough support to anchor NC Marnie and SC Zinnia. Ground can't do it; as expected, Trap isn't long lasting enough to handle Thorton and the Sentry Entry x3 completely blocks Roxanne's progress. Ghost is a joke. Poison couldn't do it, again with lack of a strong enough support to anchor them, also I don't have SS Roxie so that wasn't really going anywhere. It's not great out here.

So yeah, at present, my solution to Thorton is "Hope you have NC Leaf," and if you don't, Dual Rat. I will say it's likely possible to clear with NC Rosa once she drops.

[fixdex-fastening-technology]

ss or carbon steel drop in anchor

click here to see more of this product

[steelhipdesign]

SS Cicada

I don't know where I got the idea for a dirigible cicada miniature model but here we are. Falling asleep with my YouTube queue probably with videos on the recent 17 year cicada cycle followed by the use of airships during WW1 must have blended together in my subconscious. I enjoyed creating the last insect - the custom bee - I had to do another but this was too large for a piece of jewellery.

So I worked on each separate section, hoping it would all fit together in the end. That's always the scary part - will the wings fit on the body? Will the scale of everything maintain the illusion of an actual, albeit fantastical, airship once joined? Unlike very clever model scene makers I don't work with a scale ruler. As I don't fabricate or cast metal there is no real point - I'll still have to adjust a part in my collection to fit.

I started with the wings - they bring everything together and set the scale. Like the last piece - the body is a brass screw electrical terminal. The abdomen has two main parts - the high copper piece with a grill and a lower section made from a cut out earing drop I filled in with resin. The wings are also filled with resin and a very light dusting of green and gold mica.

I've been making miniature nebulas lately so that is where the glass "hot air balloon" came from. It is fitted with a vintage brass bead cap, chains, tiny brass drops and internal details. While I was searching for pieces I came across the hand blown green glass bead with a swirl pattern. I had to incorporate it but it was difficult to do so. Adding a piece to one side of a symmetrical design alters the way it hangs. The swirl on the bead is matched with the black swirled disk hanging under the balloon.

She has wrapped wire legs with metal crimps, two brass and steel "propellers" affixed to the front, one large rear flag and bunting on the secondary "balloon" tether. Everything attached is done so using screws and very rarely, glue. I have no idea how many separate components I used but it would be well over 100. I've been working on and off for a week - probably about 40 hours not including the time sourcing parts, taking photos and writing this. The rigging was a nightmare. The chain at the back, connected to a "U" shape piece is the ship's anchor.

A friend who is a genius wood worker turned some gorgeous wood bases for me. I think it's Jarrah. It has four brass legs on the bottom. The hanging mechanism consists of a filigree disk, a vintage brass corrugated bead and assortment of brass rods, copper and brass tubing and beads. The top section pulls out so it can be packed for shipping.

One final surprise. I left a hole in the body for a tiny green LED light. It is difficult to use - turning on by pushing the light into a battery. But it could be used on special occasions to show her off. The battery type is a bit exotic but available online.

I'm thinking about entering her in a local art competition before putting her up for sale. I hope you like her.

[grits-galraisedinthesouth]

How & WHY are 2 D'List FRAUDS: Meghan Markle & Jussie Smollet represented by a ruthless Entertainment & Government BULLY doing business as a "PR Firm?" Who are they really working for and why? These are bad people.

Long Post. Please Save.Bookmark & Share Sunshine Sachs protects & promotes birds of a 🪶 feather: JussieMarkleHarveyNAACPCuomoClinton

Sunshine Sachs is obviously NOT a decent Public Relations (PR) Firm, but rather a dark arts MAFIA est to protect & promote Liars, Theives & Frauds. When will SS be held accountable for their actions? Why would any self respecting person or organization NEED to be associated with such a vile team of people?

As if SS harassment of Weinstein & Clinton accusers isn't enough, watch yet another example of SS ability to harass investigative journalists. SS bullied the Chicago abc-7 I-Team & threatened the news anchor's job for investigating the Jussie Smollett Hoax. I ask again, who isJussie REALLY working to afford the protection of a MAFIA ? No wonder Jussie & Markle always look so smug.

Smollett's "Public Relations machine tried to throw brass tacks out in the roadway every which way we went" (watch at 8:00)

The face of a SMUG NARCISSIST who thinks he's untouchable.

SUNSHINE SACHS represents CHARLATANS: Jussie Smollett. Meghan Markle. NAACP. Harvey Weinstein. Hillary Clinton. Andrew Cuomo, Jennifer Lopez, etc Judge Linn's condemnation of Jussie Smollett could have been written specifically for Markle (video below). Judge Linn said:

"Your very name has become an ADVERB for LYING. You're the butt of jokes. Mainstream media makes jokes about you. Capper of all Cappers: Your performance on the witness stand: hour upon hour upon hour of PURE PERJURY."

Simply change Chicago to UK/Toronto, Jussied to Markled & change Jussie Smollett to Meghan Markle you have a clear description of Meghan Markle "I'm such a Fraud! Judge Linn painted a brilliant picture of a fraud as he described Smollett: "You are a Liar. Charlatan. Dark Narcissist. Profoundly Arrogant & Selfish. Hoaxer. Pretender. "You craved the attention. You lied to the police... then repeated your lies at the hospital... overwhelming evidence for lying. You wanted to make yourself more famous...created a national pity party for yourself. They were giving you the national pity party that you wanted & you didn't care. Disgraceful. A crime of premeditation. You wrote a script... it's not a good script. You created a HEATER where the public conscious is shocked and demands an immediate investigation. You never wanted this case solved, but they solved the case. You're not a victim of a hate crime. You're just pretending to be a victim. You've embarrassed your friends in high places.. your career is uncertain at best. You picked out actors as your patsies (bc they were easily manipulated) they were loyal to you...you had props procured...you even did rehearsals...this was planned...this was premeditated to the extreme."

Evidence that The wheels of justice turn slowly:

Political Friends in high places attempt to COVER UP THE CRIME :

AN "ALTERNATIVE PROSECUTION MODEL" is Evidence that Soros DAs will make up anything to corrupt our Justice System. How does FOXX sleep at night? See below for Timeline of the Jussie Hoax and Court Proceedings.

When the charges against Smollett were dropped, Foxx said the case was "treated like the other cases that have gone through our alternative prosecution model." She said, "The Class 4 felony and no background are a background that we can expect from this type of case." Webb's report said that statement was "determined to be untrue." Smollett does have a criminal history in California and his case was not handled in the same way as others like it, according to the report.

To All our Tumblr Legal Eagles: Who is paying these seven (7) attorneys. Smollett recently purchased a house in LA but during filming, he rented a condo in Chicago (perhaps the show rented his condo like Markle's Suits show rented her townhouse).

💰 WHO is paying Sunshine SUCKS?

Not one (1 ) of his defense attorneys apologized (on camera) for Smollett's late arrival to sentencing hearing (15 minutes late!)

1-Tina Glandin (Mark Geragos firm) (requested a mistrial bc she believed Judge Linn was making faces--smirking & snarling at her) Only Caucasion attorney present for Smollett

2-Shay "ST" Allen law, P.C (unprofessionally to stretched out in his chair throughout the sentencing hearing)

3-Tamara Walker (requested a mistrial & cried bc she believed Judge Linn lunged at her) No laptop, notepad or ink pen. Sat at the table & played with her designer pocketbook throughout hearing. Maybe she forgot the cameras were recording????

4-Heather Widell seated next to Smollett. Rude behavior with Uche as Judge Linn read 30 min pre-sentencing speech where he labeled Smollett a Charlatan & a NARCISSIST

5-Nenye Uche Accused Judge Linn of issuing Jussie a death sentence due covid. Reluctantly agreed to sign name as attorney to handle Smollett's appeal

6-Mark Lewis Judge Linn denied Mark's request to reconsider jail time.

7-Patricia Brown Holmes (Once charges were suddenly dropped, we stopped seeing Ms. Holmes

These defense attorneys are NOT working pro-bono. Same players again: Sunshine Sachs, NAACP (founded by Soros), corrupt politicians.

Show me the Money

@washingtonandwinter @palefurylady @sassyfrassboss @jerseydeanne @hunnymae @bestsoapoperaever @meghantheduchyofpitstains @pakgirls530 @yankeewally2 @yankeewally @thewigblog @the-cat-with-the-emerald-tiara-1 @the-cambridges-5 @briefcasegirl24 @honeytothebee @missmannersposts @lila4 @lilacslavenderandroses @april14vc @gin-and-chin @the-empress-7 @cpahlow @charismaofthree @thefraudess @thefraudesss @once-straight-now-curly-hair @onceuponaroyal @dflogerzi @harrysgreysuit @hollywood-harry @dallasite @royalpain16 @optimistictimemachinedelusion @sandiedog3 @cadetsmom @the-tea-always-spills @joie1974 @remouladesauce @mim526 @thecambridgeot5 @ellieroeecreate @99fireflies @calizzie @colleeninmilwaukee @omg-look-what-the-cat-dragged-in

3 years ago when Smollett faked his assault, I wrote that he and Markle were similar: both mixed race (child) actors who lack a moral compass yet pretend to be good. Both willing to commit FRAUD for Power. Hired by powerful people to ignite race wars to become rich and famous. Smug professional VICTIMS who repeatedly embarrass themselves.

Several years have passed since Meghan Markle cheated on her partner Cory with Harry at the Soho House grand opening in Istanbul, Turkey. Markle repeatedly lied to the Toronto Police and filed fraudulent police reports in the US and in Canda. When Harry & Markle broke up, she quickly procured a holiday humanitarian (poverty-porn photo-op) trip to India (through an unsuspecting UNC college student) where she staged a fake "security incident" under the guise of her title, "Prince Harry's (former) girlfriend." Markle even arranged for her paparazzi friend to snap her photo upon her return to the States. Within 24 hours, a summary of Markle's (feminist) "volunteer trip" was posted (along with an accompanying paparazzi photo) via Scooby-Doo's online celebrity tabloid. It seems like justice will never come for Meghan Markle, but Jussie Smollett is proof that every Sunshine Sachs dog has her day.

There is hope. A judge in corrupt chicagoland, a city known for machine politics, refused to be bullied by Sunshine Sachs. Judge Linn said "sometimes the hammer of justice must fall and today is the day."

💩Sunshine Stinks POOPS AGAIN💩

Is this MORE MONEY LAUNDERING

Why not choose one (1) legal firm for Jussie's defense? Will every attorney receive a payment(s) from a different organization. For example: 1 attorney paid via the NAACP Legal Defense fund, while another might bill Rainbow Push (Jesse Jackson where Smollett did 16 hours of community service stuffing envelopes), perhaps there is an ACTORS legal Defense fund, of course there is BLM and so on. Meanwhile the "non-profit" organizations could receive large tax deductible gifts/donations from lefty millionaires earmarked for a tax deductible "legal defense fund." Similar to the legal defense fund dollars used for BLM & ANTIFA rioters. JayZ is known for funding the legal fees for these rioters. Beyonce's mother actually wrote to Judge Linn to request that Smollett receive "mercy," and no jail for his felony. Entertainers Samuel Jackson & Alfrie Woodard also wrote letters. What is wrong people? How can mercy be given to someone who has shown no remorse?

The sentencing should have been 1 hour, but due to the cameras, it was more like 5 hours of PR used to rehabilitate Jussie's dumpster fire reputation. Thankfully Judge Linn was prepared to unmask an unrepentant, smug, fraud and LIAR.

Smollett like Markle ensured that everyone saw his (token) black mother and his (Russian) Jewish grandmother. His siblings are worse than Jussie with their self-righteous angst at a legal system they have abused without remorse for over 3 years. The Smollett's truly act as thoughJussie is above the law. Like Markle, other than a celebrity visit to a local day school & a visit to Flint, MI, Jussie's service has been to himself and for himself.

What has he "sacrificed" to help any community? No matter how much his high school employer cried, Jussie is NOT a humanitarian. Perhaps I'm wrong, but even the show's music director appeared to have an ulterior motive for offering to assist with Smollett's probation.

Any thoughts from Legal Scholars?

By the way, Dan Webb also Prosecuted Blagojevich. Judge Linn thanked the special prosecutor from the Bench. Linn stated that he received more pleading documents from Smollett's Defense case than for any murder trial. "Stacks and stacks of pleadings this high...and Winston did it pro-bono. I cannot imagine the lost billable hours."

Post-sentencing,Jussie Smollet's Family CONTINUES to lie for him. Jussie is NOT in solitary confinement. More disinformation from Sunshine Stinks💩

The Smollett kids were raised out of a van between NYC and LA. Their black panther mother and Russian father exploited them to seek hollyweird fame & fortune as D'listed robotic virtue signaling stooges for lefty, progressive, socialist, anarchist causes. See the 3 Smollett sisters raise their fists in the air on cue while their felon brother, Jussie, has a temper tantrum about serving a portion of his sentence in the County Jail as a VIP (where he'll always be separated from the general population) for maybe 75 of the 150 days. No child can help how their parents exploited them as minors, but today they are all adults and therefore accountable for their own ENTITLED, and in Jussie's case, CRIMINAL behavior.

Editorial in NY Post-"Chicagoland: Smollett Plays Victim . . . Again"

“When brave Cook County Judge James Linn shocked” former “Empire” star Jussie Smollett by sentencing him to 150 days in jail for staging that “fake anti-black anti-gay hate crime” and then lying about it, Smollett “reached for the one thing he knows”: drama, cracks John Kass at Johnkassnews.com. In court, “he chewed the scenery with gusto, adding a raised fist like some cartoon ’60s revolutionary, jumping seamlessly into his new role: Jussie Smollett — innocent social justice warrior martyred and wronged by ‘the man.’ ” Smollett will “never admit that he played with racial fire, fanned early on by an adoring/witless corporate legacy media” or that “his lies could have sparked violence.” Perhaps now “he’ll write and publish his ‘Letter from Cook County Jail’ and star in it himself.”

EVIDENCE in a HOT SAUCE bottle found by NYC Reporter 🤦‍♀️

"Best Performance of his Life... He wants to be the ultimate martyr." -Dave Rubin

Smollett 3 Year Timeline from January 22, 2019 - March 10, 2022

Celebrities DELAY justice by drowing the courts in paperwork:

Jan. 22, 2019-It begins

— Smollett receives a racist and homophobic threatening letter at the studio in Chicago where "Empire" is filmed. Police later say they believe Smollett sent the letter himself. (CRUSHED white Aspirin)

Smollett received a letter containing a white powder Jan. 22. The letter was mailed to Chicago's Cinespace Studios, where the show "Empire" is filmed. ...

What About Harmless, Suspicious White Powder?

Turns out, there's a handy federal offense covering this sort of thing. 18 U.S.C. section 1038 makes it a crime to "engag[e] in any conduct with intent to convey false or misleading information [that] may reasonably be believed [to indicate] that" a biological agent is present. It also makes doing so a civil action, i.e. allows someone to sue.

Which is lawyer-talk for: no, you can't send threatening letters and add sugar, flour -- or corn starch -- to make it legal.

Jan. 29, 2019

— Jussie Smollett tells police he was attacked by two men in downtown Chicago at 2 a.m. The actor says the men used racist and homophobic slurs, wrapped a rope around his neck and poured an "unknown substance" on him. Police say Smollett, who is Black and gay, told detectives the attackers also yelled he was in "MAGA country," an apparent reference to President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan that some Trump critics call racist and discriminatory.

Jan. 30, 2019

— Chicago police say they've reviewed hundreds of hours of surveillance camera footage, including of Smollett walking downtown, but none shows the attack. Police obtain and release images of two people they want to question, calling them "persons of interest."

— Reports of an assault on Smollett draw outrage and support for him on social media from some politicians and celebrities.

Jan. 31, 2019

— Smollett's family issues a statement calling the attack a hate crime and disputing claims that he changed his story.

Feb. 1, 2019

— Smollett issues a statement saying he's OK, that he's working with authorities and has been "100 percent factual and consistent on every level."

Feb. 2, 2019

— Smollett opens a concert in West Hollywood, California, with an emotional speech, saying he had to play the show because he couldn't let his attackers win. "I'm the gay 2Pac"

Feb. 13, 2019

— Chicago police pick up two brothers at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport after police learn at least one worked on "Empire." Police question the men, who were returning to Chicago from Nigeria, and search their apartment.

Feb. 15, 2019

— Chicago police release the brothers without charges after arresting them on suspicion of assault and holding them for nearly 48 hours. A police spokesman says they're no longer suspects.

Feb. 16, 2019

— Police say the investigation has "shifted" after detectives questioned the brothers, and request a follow-up interview with Smollett. His lawyers say he feels "victimized" by reports that he played a role in the assault.

Feb. 17, 2019

— Chicago police reach out to Smollett's attorney saying they still want to interview him again because new information has "shifted" their investigation.

Feb. 19, 2019

— Chicago's top prosecutor, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx, recuses herself from the investigation. Her office says the decision was made "out of an abundance of caution ... to address potential questions of impartiality based upon familiarity with potential witnesses in the case."

Feb. 20, 2019

— Prosecutors charge Smollett with disorderly conduct for filing a false police report about the alleged attack.

Feb. 21, 2019

— Chicago police say Smollett surrenders to face a felony charge of disorderly conduct, punishable by up to three years in prison.

— Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson says Smollett staged the attack because he was unhappy with his salary and wanted publicity. Investigators say they have a $3,500 check that Smollett used to pay the two brothers to help him.

Feb. 22, 2019

— “Empire” producers say Smollett's character to be removed from the final two episodes of the season.

March 7, 2019

— A Cook County grand jury returns a 16-count indictment charging Smollett with falsely reporting an offense.

March 26, 2019

— Smollett's attorneys say charges alleging he lied to police have been dropped.

March 28, 2019

— A city official says Chicago is seeking $130,000 from Smollett to cover the cost of the investigation into his reported beating, which police say was staged.

April 11, 2019

— The city of Chicago files a lawsuit seeking to recoup the investigation costs.

April 15, 2019

— The Cook County State's Attorney's Office releases thousands of documents in the Smollett case in response to open records requests, including a text from Foxx calling Smollett a “washed up celeb” who was overcharged.

April 23, 2019

— The brothers who said they helped Smollett stage the attack file a defamation lawsuit against the actor's attorneys.

Aug. 23, 2019

— Judge names former U.S. Attorney Dan Webb as special prosecutor to investigate why charges against Smollett were dropped.

Feb. 11, 2020

— Webb says grand jury returns six-count indictment against Smollett, accusing him of lying to police.

Feb. 24, 2020

— Smollett pleads not guilty to restored charges.

Oct. 15, 2021

— Judge James Linn denies a last-ditch effort to dismiss the criminal case against Smollett and sets his trial for Nov. 29.

Nov. 29, 2021

— Smollett's trial starts with jury selection and opening statements from lawyers.

Dec. 6, 2021

— Smollett testifies in his own defense.

Dec. 8, 2021

— The jury begins deliberations in Smollett's trial.

Dec. 9, 2021

— A jury convicts Smollett on five counts of disorderly conduct, and acquits him on a sixth count.

March 10, 2022

— Smollett arrived 15 minutes late to court for sentencing. Three (3) year probation began immediately in Cook County Jail. Prisoners in Cook County Jail only serve 50% of their time.

Sunshine Sachs didn't script Judge Linn's Speech

The Cook County State's Attorney's Office releases thousands of documents in the Smollett case in response to open records requests, including a text from Foxx calling Smollett a “washed up celeb” who was overcharged.

Kim Foxx, a Soros DA, was Re-elected but she needs to be investigated and so does her HUSBAND.

DECEMBER 20, 2021 / 10:05 PM / CBS CHICAGO

When the charges against Smollett were dropped, Foxx said the case was "treated like the other cases that have gone through our alternative prosecution model." She said, "The Class 4 felony and no background are a background that we can expect from this type of case." Webb's report said that statement was "determined to be untrue." Smollett does have a criminal history in California and his case was not handled in the same way as others like it, according to the report.

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx and her office misled the public time and again while handling the Jussie Smollett investigation, according to a special prosecutor's report released on Monday.

Smollett was convicted earlier this month of lying to Chicago Police about being attacked in January 2019, but Foxx's office dropped the original charges in the case, raising serious questions and doubt from the public.

Five months after Foxx's office dropped the initial charges against Smollett, without requiring him to admit any guilty, special prosecutor Dan Webb was tasked with taking over the case and reinvestigating both Smollett's claims and Foxx's handling of the case. Webb ultimately brought new charges against Smollett, and the actor was found guilty earlier this month of of charges he orchestrated a fake hate crime against himself.

Webb also released a summary of his report on his investigation of Foxx's handling of the case last summer, but needed Judge Michael Toomin's permission to release the full 60-page report, because it contains grand jury information, which is typically kept confidential.

Toomin had declined Webb's previous requests to release the full report, but after Smollett was convicted, Webb again asked Toomin to authorize the release of the full report. At a hearing on Monday, Toomin agreed to release the full report, which was made public early Monday afternoon.

The report cleared Foxx's office of any crimes, but found "substantial abuses of discretion and operational failures" in prosecuting and later dropping charges against Smollett.

"I interviewed (Foxx), and I talked to her and said, how could this have happened? And she could not defend it, so I do think that that's a pretty significant admission," Webb said.

Webb's report concluded, while there was no evidence Foxx or anyone in her office committed a crime in their decision to drop the original charges against Smollett without an admission of guilt, the investigation established "substantial abuses of discretion and operational failures" by Foxx and her staff in how her office resolved the case.

In March 2019, Cook County prosecutors dropped the original case against Smollett, dismissing 16 counts of disorderly conduct against him without requiring he admit any wrongdoing, in a controversial move just weeks after he'd pleaded not guilty.

When Foxx's office dropped the original charges against Smollett, the actor forfeited the $10,000 bail he had posted after his arrest. He also had performed 16 hours of community service with the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. (STUFFING ENVELOPES)

Webb's investigation found possible ethical violations by Foxx's office regarding "false and/or misleading public statements made about the prosecution and resolution of the Initial Smollett case," according to the report.

"I was appointed special prosecutor because Judge Toomin believed that the circumstances under which the Smollett case was dismissed without a trial was not supported by the evidence," Webb said after Smollett's conviction earlier this month.

According to Webb's report, Foxx illegally recused herself from the Smollett case; but instead of publicly acknowledging it, she ignored it to avoid embarrassment.

But in an interview with the special prosecutor, even Foxx questioned why Smollett was initially allowed to walk without pleading guilty, only required to pay $10,000 – a fraction of what CPD says the investigation cost in overtime – and allowed actor to perform only 16 hours of community service at Rainbow/PUSH, rather than something "related to the nature of the offense." Foxx told the special prosecutor Smollett's community service with Rainbow/PUSH "might have been too easy for him."

While Webb does not have the authority to make official findings that Foxx or anyone on her staff made any ethical violations, a copy of his report will be submitted to the Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission to review if any such violations occurred. The ARDC is the state agency tasked with overseeing disciplinary reviews of Illinois lawyers.

"Almost across the board, lawyers who currently work in or previously worked in the CCSAO's criminal division who were interviewed by the OSP—including State's Attorney Foxx—were 'surprised' or 'shocked' by at least some facet of the dismissal terms," the reported stated.

Webb's report said it started with Foxx's decision to recuse herself from the case and appoint her number two, First Assistant State's Attorney Joe Magats.

Webb found that to be a "major legal defect" that Foxx and her office ignored because they did not want to "admit that they had made such a major mistake of judgment," only to "compound the problem" by "making false statements to the media."

According to the report, Foxx herself expressed surprise at the decision to drop charges against Smollett without a guilty plea, saying her staff apparently "wanted this guy [Mr. Smollett] out of town."

When the charges against Smollett were dropped, Foxx said the case was "treated like the other cases that have gone through our alternative prosecution model."

She said, "The Class 4 felony and no background are a background that we can expect from this type of case."

Webb's report said that statement was "determined to be untrue." Smollett does have a criminal history in California and his case was not handled in the same way as others like it, according to the report.

A list of nearly 6,000 cases that Foxx's office used to prove that Smollett was treated no differently was itself misleading, and another abuse of discretion, Webb determined.

"There were not thousands of (or, arguably any) similar cases that the CCSAO resolved in a similar way to the Initial Smollett Case," the report said.

The report called Foxx's statement "unacceptable for an office that must be transparent and maintain public confidence."

"Never, ever, ever on any occasion have they ever resolved a case this way," Webb said. "They couldn't give me one case that had ever occurred in the past."

Ultimately, Webb's investigation determined the decision to drop charges against Smollett "represented a major failure of operations."

While Foxx was not influenced or swayed by any outside people, according to the report, she did exchange calls and texts with Smollett's sister, Jurnee Smollett, five (5) days after learning Jussie Smollett was a suspect. Foxx then "made false statements to the media claiming she ceased all communications with Ms. Smollett," the report said.

"She still continued to communicate with Jurnee Smollett and make false statements to the media about that, which I think was wrong," Webb said.

In addition, the report states "the CCSAO did not consult with the CPD about the terms of the resolution and intentionally chose not to alert the CPD that the case would be dismissed until minutes before the hearing, despite all of the diligent and hard work the CPD put into investigating the case..."

Webb's report also said this statement by Foxx was not true: "The state statute max we are allowed to get for restitution is $10,000."

Foxx responded to the summary of Webb's report by saying it "puts to rest any implications of outside influence or criminal activity on the part of the Cook County State's Attorney's Office (CCSAO) and the Chicago Police Department (CPD).

"As the report unequivocally confirms, State's Attorney Foxx was not involved in the decision-making process regarding the Jussie Smollett case at any point and there was no outside influence on that process.

"The CCSAO categorically rejects the OSP's characterizations of its exercises of prosecutorial discretion and private or public statements as "abuses of discretion" or false statements to the public.  While the release does not say so, any implication that statements made by the CCSAO were deliberately inaccurate is untrue. As a result of the issues addressed in the press release, and of discussions of them beforehand, the CCSAO has already made a number of changes to its operations, including the hiring of a new CCSAO ethics officer and more separation of their function from the administration of the office, and strengthening the recusal plan with clear guidelines and explicit definitions of conflicts of interest."

In February 2020, Smollett was indicted on six 6 new charges of disorderly conduct in connection with the police reports authorities say are false. He was convicted on five of those six counts earlier this month.

Smollett's sentencing has yet to be scheduled. The disorderly conduct charges are class 4 felonies, carrying a sentence of up to three years in prison. Smollett will remain free on bond as he awaits sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. Smollett is due to appear in court on Jan. 27, when the sentencing date will likely be sent.

Legal analysts have said it's unlikely Smollett will face significant time behind bars, if any, and more likely will be sentenced to probation. Cook County published on December 20, 2021 10:05

The White Collar Team tried to help Jussie. We can watch & learn from his narcissism & legal mistakes.

THIS is what the Smollett Hoax was designed to accomplish: Black MIDDLE SCHOOL Students charged with Hate Crime for BEATING UP Caucasian students in REVENGE for slavery. These kids won't have a Million Dollar Team of Attorneys. They are going to FEDERAL PRISON!

For the discouraged Saint. Be patient in the face of the wickednes.

"The Wheels of Justice Turn Slowly 2/8/2018

The wheels of justice turn slowly, but grind exceedingly fine. One of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow‘s translations was a 17th century poem, ‘Retribution,’ by Friedrich Von Logau:

“Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small; Though with patience he stands waiting, with exactness grinds he all.”

One would wonder why it takes so long for decisions to be made in our court systems and in our government today. Indeed, the wheels of justice do turn ever so slowly, and yet I doubt that they grind exceedingly fine. Instead, it seems that the wheels of justice turn perhaps in the other direction, grinding out stones that become even coarser. In fact it’s such a slow process these days that one would wonder how anything can ever get decided.

I realize that any topic that relates to politics or a governmental system is frowned upon as taboo, and yet every day we see the machinery of justice breaking down all around us. The apparatus is broken, the system needs to be repaired and yet, there is no one skilled enough to fix a broken system when its players continue to follow a plan that only leads into more and more confusion and dysfunction.

We are told that “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.” But of course one wouldn’t even consider doing things differently because the mice need to follow the same patterns that they have been trained to do again and again. Those in charge are following patterns in a never-ending maze where there is no end in sight.

And the only reward for those who are watching is the smallest block of cheese every day. Our portion has become smaller and smaller as the elite eat at the grandest table of all. But we are told not to follow the patterns of this present world. We are to look beyond the bounds of this present age to those things that are eternal.

There is still manna to be found by those who would seek those things above. Our sustenance doesn’t come from the endless toils of a broken system. It comes from a heavenly Father who owns the cattle on a thousand hills. And yet we do live in this world.

Most of us have jobs to do and bills to pay and families to feed. And we all marvel at how true justice perhaps would ever prevail. The folly of a system that has so much red tape in it would make one wonder if anything could ever it done.

The wheels of justice do indeed turn ever so slowly, grinding out endless paper and referendums. But the time will come when justice will roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream, (Amos 5:24).

[inigofication]

so if I were to ask you about the ending of little nightmares, you would explain it to me? I didn't get it 😅

Absolutely! Disclaimer though, this is only my interpretation of it since (to my knowledge) there isn’t an EXACT ending narrative

Spoilers for Little Nightmares 1 + 2 ahead! TL;DR at the bottom as well LOL

SO!

Since the release of LN2, we know that it’s a prequel to the first game! LOVE IT

The reason why the ending of these games can be interpreted differently is because of how open ended the world building/world lore is IMO! Yes, we have our very tiny protagonists, and our HUGE antagonists (both characters and environmentally), but is it meant to be seen quite literally? Or are the villains who tower over us meant to be seen metaphorically? For example, a fairly popular idea is that the world is how Six and Mono (along with other children) view the world of adults, seeing it as scary, dark; the fear of growing up. HOWEVER, we do have lore on the Maw, and the fact that it’s a giant fucking ship that just constantly sails the seas, picks a different spot every year to drop anchor and welcomes all these people aboard to gorge themselves? PRETTY WILD. That would be a whole ‘nother thing on its own.

SO! For that same reason, we really have NO IDEA why the time loop in LN2 was possible! We know that at the end of the game, Six drops Mono, for whatever reason you’re partial to (she recognized him as the Thin Man and wanted to abandon him for what he did to her, she abandoned him because she feared her now-beginning hunger would turn her against him one day, etc etc). Mono falls and falls until he reaches that fateful chair, and we slowly watch his progression into the Thin Man. We’ve never seen this happen in game before, which IMO, leads us to believe that there’s clearly something powerful about that tower/beacon amalgamation thing (whatever you wanna call it) that changed him; you could argue that he simply just grew up after being there for so long, but unless the tower changed him, wouldn’t he have DIED of starvation or something?

AND!!!! Not to mention, I think it’s fair to believe that time passed differently where Mono was stuck all that time! At the end of LN1’s ‘The Residence’ DLC, in a secret ending after the credits, we can SEE! THE THIN MAN IN A STATIC TV SCREEN ON THE SHIP.

(Thanks Gamer’s Little Playground on YT for the ss)

BECAUSE OF THAT, this leads me to believe that with the knowledge of the time loop and the Thin Man clearly being able to ‘escape’ (kind of) when he chases after Six and Mono, this ending certainly makes me think that the Thin Man NEVER gave up his search for Six as revenge (or maybe another motive?); especially because we know that Six reaching the Maw probably doesn’t happen long after she splits with Mono because of the secret ending in LN2 where she sees the fliers for the Maw!

So, let’s say that Six took a few weeks or months to reach the Maw after leaving the Pale City, right? If Mono is already COMPLETELY grown into the Thin Man for us to see him in that TV static, clearly he’s been trapped for probably DECADES!

I did think at first maybe that the TV static still of the Thin Man was maybe just a teaser for LN2, and it could be! But narratively, because we know the events of LN2 are a PRECURSOR to LN1, why else would we see the Thin Man if he wasn’t looking for Six?

SO THAT’S ABOUT WHAT I GOT! Went on more than a few tangents there so hope you can bear with me LMAO.

TL;DR: My interpretation of the game’s ending is that when Six dropped Mono, she unknowingly continued the time loop (rather than presumably breaking it had she brought Mono with her), and forced Mono to become the Thin Man (again, technically). He might have even chased her down to the Maw at the end of LN1!

[grim-faux]

2 _ 24 _ A Collapsing Grave

First

 It was much harder than expected to relocate where in all the place that one bay door was situated, though it hadn’t been that far from where he first found the controls to drop the chain. Most of his travel consisted of trying to get around, while hefting the cumbersome fuse through or over obstacles, and getting stuck when he was met with a dead end. After much wandering and getting a little lost, he made it back to the shutter door and slotted the fuse into its rightful space beside the lever. With a sultry thrum, vibrant current coursed through the cables, alighting the bulbs along the frame above the bay doors. A sure sign all was in order.

 Despite all he had been through, Mono couldn’t help but bounce in place. It wasn’t quite static, not the controlled and melded electric current the Thin Man conducted with such ease. No. But it felt right. The door was alive, it would work for him.

 Hauling down the switch compelled the doors to shift, with a somber creak the shutter lifted a margin. Flint and silt drifted from the ceiling, drumming over Mono’s hat. When he released the switch, the doors descended. But slowly. Good! Nothing could crawl in. But when he was ready, he could go out.

 A last puff of the soggy draft rolled through the passage, as the shutter clinked into its crease. Everything was in order, he’s certain. It was safe to go find the Thin Man.

 Traversing through the entire factory was much easier, without the constant lurk of the Mechanic drifting among the vapor. The catwalk doesn’t extend the full length of the factory; on the floor, ruble and discarded machine parts obstructed pathways. Some disarray he has to bypass completely, while other barricades are at least traversable (without the clumsy fuse) by climbing, or scooting beneath. He doesn't recall the place being this littered with junk, but everything was already coming undone before he started. He must've remembered wrong. At one point he does recall he was very lost, but somehow in the mess, he’s at last able to return to where the first fuse was that awoke the factory.

 From there, the room he left the Thin Man in was wasn’t far away. It had been a while, maybe a day or more? Nothing was out of place, aside from the air being dry and the noises clattering out of the factory. Somewhere, one of the machine parts whistled, and the fog was more gray. It was so more different now from when he first left, he’s certain this is the same place. The body that fell from the cabinet is right where the Thin Man left it, the door was not far. He’s not lost anymore.

 Peering up at the tall door, he forgot he needed something to reach the handle. The Thin Man chose that place to stay, Mono never opened the door. He gave the area a look over, seeking a crate or something else he could drag on the grainy floor. When his search failed, he thought he might have enough energy to just pass through the solid door.

 He tried and tried, pushing at the solid panel. Even struggling to pull on his remaining energy, but failed. He moved away and gave the area another browse, walking around the side of the building where it jutted out from the wall. Some cables anchored vertically to the wall looked scalable, like storm gutters. He inched up those thick lines to a narrow protrusion that was flat and stable, just beneath a steep incline. Shuffling one way, he only found the ledge ended at the wall. Scooting in the other direction, he located a break in the cement, which he could squeeze into. The splint went deep and cut into a metal box, beyond the narrow crease the din of the factory faded out.

 This looked familiar, and promising. Light peeked in from one end, along with a sound. He could sense the diluted thrum, soft and gentle compared to the booming explosion of the factory. His ears rang with the familiar tenure.

 The vent dipped down and the opening peered upon the desk below. It wasn’t too high. Below, the Thin Man was doing something. Throwing something? Mono twisted around, then lowered his feet to the opening. He caught the edge of the flue, when the grate popped off beneath him. It’s not that high. It’s not that high.

 He let himself drop and plopped onto the desk. Not too bad. He looked up, before glancing over to the Thin Man sitting in the chair.

 “Come on in, why don’t you.” The Thin Man wound back his arm and… threw something. Another dull thunk followed.

 Mono collected himself and went to the side of the desk. It was a little harder dropping from the lesser height to the floor, but he was all right. It was nice leaning back on the chilly cinderblock wall. He still felt braised from all the running and huddling under blistering pipes. Sitting down felt so good. Quiet. Cool. Let his eyes slip shut. Dark.

 “Did you hear my message?”

 He opened one eye. “Mess-eng.” He didn’t know anything about that. Lifting his gaze a little higher, he watched the Thin Man flashed, the lights pulsing, and he appeared on the other side of the room. The picture board hanging on the wall looked sort of like an eye, but not like the warning speek. It had rings and rings with splotches of color. The Thin Man took some things stuck to it off and swept to the other side of the room.

 “Did you get that urge to explore out of your system?” He inspected one of the small, stick things, before throwing it at the not-eye.

 “Ss… n’toy?” he pondered.

 The Thin Man held up the bunch of branches, or pipes, feathers? in one hand, and tapped a finger on the tip of one. “Ah-ah. Not for children.” He threw one, hitting the not-eye. Mono didn’t get it. “Are you ready to leave? I can’t imagine you finding a stash of food in that place.”

 It would be safe to go now.

 Mono climbed to his feet and gave his coat a shake. Okay, he was good to go. The Thin Man set whatever the things were down on the desk, and went to the doorway. Mono is a little disappointed when the tall figure flashed and dissolved, like he typically does. At first Mono waited, confused. Was door to open? Follow? Is wait? Wait?

 He was back at square one. But there was the chair to the side of the room, by the tall cabinet. He hurried to grab it by the legs and hauled it across the coarse floor, back to the door. He got it close enough that he only needed to leap from the seat to snare the latch, and the panel swung open.

 Back into the choking, acrid atmosphere of the factor; heaving and chugging through its forgotten purpose.

 Mono wandered around the building for a bit, trying to find the bristling pick of the static in his nerves. It could be the factory blundered through his senses, overpowering everything and crowding out the gentle touch of the Thin Man’s aura. Or the Thin Man was just gone.

 The only way out was the bay doors. He thinks. Somewhere, he’ll catch up with the Thin Man. He’s sure.

 It’s another difficult trip from one side of the factory to the other. He almost knew the path too well by this point, and he hated that. Along the way of climbing and leaping – from chain to conveyor belt, crossing the catwalk – he did keep an eye out for the other kid. While he was on his own. The trek feels more perilous despite the absence of the Mechanic. Something about the calamity lair felt off, the steam spewing from gaskets more intense. Beneath the platform he scurried across, a gear burst loose and clanged against the trunks of the pillars below

 He… still doesn’t know what the Thin Man might do if he caught an other kid. The tall thin man stole Her, but let him chase. The man in the hat wanted company? But other kid might be scared, and that was okay, he understood. The Thin Man was scary and hard to really understand, even with share speek. The biggest thing to remember was the Thin Man is unpredictable, and there was no way to guess what he might do with an other kid.

 Even if he wanted to keep an eye out – while crawling under some squealing pipes. A good hide place, an area where he liked and other kid might like for hide too – it wouldn’t work. It wasn’t safe. He has to leave and take the Thin Man with him. But the Mechanic was tricked, the other kid is not locked up. They got a second chance. That was good.

 Where was he?

 Mono was forced into a retreat, beneath a low grate. A hose burst loose and spewed foul goop across the floor and walls, the retching had a vile noxious scent that burned his eyes and stung his nose. He nearly lost his hat in the haste to get away, before the thing could lash him with sputtering droplets.

 Somehow in his blind scrambling through the pipes, he got free without suffering injury. He squeezed from a wire cluster and looked around, uncertain of where he was. The fence to his side was crushed by a rectangular chunk of metal and ruble, but while inspecting it, he caught a dull but ominous creaking from somewhere. He was already moving before he checked overhead, then, ran faster.

 One of the shrieking pipes attached to a giant cylinder vat burst, igniting with a black ball of fog. The tendrils of a fire lashed at the breached opening of the container, and elsewhere, more screeching and explosions began rocketing throughout the depths of the machine.

 Mono got through a mostly standing portion of the fence, before wreckage from a metal beam slammed into the floor. He kept on the trail as the uproar increased by ten, the thick and sour scent of smoke burned his throat and eyes. He tugged the side of his coat up trying to stifle the intensity, and while it did help, it was a struggle to search the undergrowth of hostile tubing while keeping it set over his face.

 In his effort to find a stable pathway to crawl through (a feat that looked impossible now), he nearly missed the lash of color and heat before a patch of fire hit the cement. It was as he described it, a patch of fire. For a brief moment he stood and gaped, mesmerized as the liquid splattered across a vent and a vacant patch of the path; burning under the bidding of some caustic liquid. The flames writhed in an animated fashion, purple translucent tendrils prodding the scenery for unwary prey.

 He stumbled sideways and aimed for a set of cement steps, the only thing within sight that shouldn’t outright blow up under him. Barely on his third step, in a full dash, he’s snared roughly from behind and hoisted right off his feet. He fights immediately, clawing at the fingers locked around his waist, his legs pinwheeling at open air.

 “Ẅ̵ͅh̵̺̀a̶̳̽t̸ͅ ̴̰̂h̸͍͝a̴͍͆v̴̲̀ę̴̄ ̷̦̉y̸̱̕ọ̴̆u̸̙̽ ̶̰ḓ̶̈o̸̢͊n̸͍͘ḛ̵͝ ̵̲ṫ̶̢h̸̲̿i̶̲̅s̷̮̓ ̸͎̈t̵̓͜i̶̛͓m̵͎̾e̷͈̚?̸̰̽”

 Mono wilted when the Thin Man rotated him around to give him a glare. He didn’t do anything. It’s not his fault.

 “I̸̘̿ ̵̦͝C̶͔͊ȃ̸ͅn̸̮͋’̶͌͜t̶͈̂ ̸̥͛Ľ̶̺ẻ̸̬ḁ̸͌ṿ̷̔e̵̲͑ ̶̳̄Ỳ̶̰ö̷̞́u̵̟̽ ̸̻̋A̶̟͠l̵͇͌ŏ̵ͅn̵̞̽e̷̪͠ ̸͈͑F̸̹̓o̸̢̒r̵̻͒ ̴̩̉F̴̟̅i̶̪̓v̴̮͐ĕ̷͎—̷̹͐” The tall thin man recoiled when a collision of pipes anchored to a massive scaffolding ignited off their moorings.

 The Thin Man tucked Mono into his suit and stalled time. Carefully, he maneuvered away from the trajectory of destruction, weaving around fresh debris cast to the floor. It might have been easier to swipe aside the barrage of concrete and metal, but the entire place was coming undone. He made certain the child was secure and properly shielded, while he navigated the uproar with careful steps. The last time he attempted to manipulate the boy with his powers… it did not go well.

 Time reclaimed its turbulent droll, but he was clear before the clattering pieces scattered. Another eruption expelled a gush of hot smoke, black as ink. A spray of embers burst against the Thin Man’s hat and suit; he cringed low, coiling his arms tighter across his chest. Mono was practically soldered to his ribs and quaking, despite the inferno the place had suddenly become. Flames bloomed rampant among the conveyor belts, the once diligent trackway now rushed like water off their skeletal frames. The platform above bent and drooped, everywhere shoots of metal or rock scattered through the smog.

 “B̴͍̀e̵͍͊à̶̗r̶̭̈ ̶̰͐W̵̢͛i̶̦̊t̸̪̎h̷͔͐ ̸̮̎M̸͚̒e̴̩̕.” This would not be pleasant for the boy. It might even…. If he—

 The Thin Man teleported to the top of a stable section of scaffolding, above a network of cables stretched across the factory. The structure was already tipping before the tall figure supplied his weight, but it endured as he clicked along delicately. He kept a firm hold on Mono through his suit, and kept his other arm braced around his side. In case he needed it for an unforeseen event. Which was becoming an increasing possibility, as the sections of the factory and all its parts ruptured beneath his shoe soles. The sound of it more deafening than when the construct was alive and well. With a potent draw on his powers, dipping into an untapped pool he had not tampered with since he-himself was a small child. He tempered the drag of time and manipulated the structure, for a brief while he insured the fabric of the place wouldn't come undone. Not completely, but he would prepare for anything left amiss. The worst.

 Thick plumes bellowed through the inner workings of cables and support braces; concrete pillars blackened and chattering against the driving heat, flaked away or disintegrated. He tempered time further and braced himself, before shifting to a lower section of the floor. Solidifying his grip on the boy, and with a vague curse about the whole machination coming undone, he moved swiftly among the toppling limbs of charred metal. Faster than he had moved in many decades.

 If there was a time to bend the world to his whims, this would be it. Draw the wall to him and form a way out of this oven. However, some thought lingered in his mind, from during the time he chased Mono before the Tower. The man in the hat did not manipulate the city, to acquire his younger-self. For what reason to not? He did so, only once beyond the walls of the Signal Tower, to reach the doors and mend fractures. His powers were not omnipotent, and the stress… the boy.

 He needed a way out. An escape that didn’t end them both.

 Another structure of metal and demolished ceiling plunged to the grounds, where the Thin Man weaved along. He made a short dash and teleported beneath a collapsed portion of pipes, all appeared steady despite the chaos frolicking abundant. After shifting away to a clear area among thick red waves, he latched onto the tinge of fresh electric current. Despite the interference and broiling air, the Thin Man had a definite course.

 The static interference about his monochrome form surged, as he raised his free arm to an interlocked mishmash of pipes and gears, fused tight. With a slight tilt of his palm the ruptured sections burst apart with the same dignity and power as a tsunami crashing upon jagged sea cliff’s. Tempering time and flashing in brief bursts, he did not wait for the cinder to clear completely.

 In his mind the mantra chattered over and over, “Į̵̈ ̴̤̅Ê̶̳x̸̱͑i̶̥̇s̵̢̚ẗ̴̳́,̴̳͌ ̶̹̂T̸̼́ḧ̵̩ë̵̻ ̶̨͆B̶̥̒o̸̳͑ỵ̵̌ ̶͍̓I̵̳̿s̴͙͑ ̵̹̽Ā̶͈l̵̫͊i̵͖̓g̷̩͝ḥ̵̇ť̴̟.̸͖ Į̵̈ ̴̤̅Ê̶̳x̸̱͑i̶̥̇s̵̢̚ẗ̴̳́,̴̳͌ ̶̹̂T̸̼́ḧ̵̩ë̵̻ ̶̨͆B̶̥̒o̸̳͑ỵ̵̌ ̶͍̓I̵̳̿s̴͙͑ ̵̹̽Ā̶͈l̵̫͊i̵͖̓g̷̩͝ḥ̵̇ť̴̟.̸͖” Until it was a dull, obscure hum. Even if he didn’t know if he believed that still.

 Time insisted it must resume its correct spool of ticking, but he resisted to release it. He bided by different laws, nothing of this world could bend him. Unless he was receptive. Unless he gave in. Unless he surrendered. He resisted the typical ticking of the gnarled clock hands and threaded through a barrage of drooping metal infrastructure. He reached a mostly clean path, and with another phasing, arrived beyond the boarder of the collapsing beast. The constricting coils of the machine gave a forlorn wail at his back, while he continued his brisk stride toward that enticing draw of electricity. He followed the wall, noting a portion of gear embedded with the cinderblock, among scorched plastic, and other tidbits of ruble peppered among the brick.

 A guiding light shimmered in the smog above a tall, tattered frame. The bay door was partially demolished, its shutter slates gutted by a section of cylinder metal. With a firm temper on time and a rushed teleport, the Thin Man skipped through the passage unimpeded.

 The air outside the factory hung foggy, a thick vapor clung to the greasy, gray brick. Swells of inky clouds bellowed from the top of its roof, turning the usually gray clouds into all colors of midnight thunderheads. A vicious sizzling arose from the solid bullets smiting the brick, while another agonized howl rumbled from within those thick barriers. The place might implode yet.

 The Thin Man only paused to check his whereabouts, this location completely alien to him, the scenery unknown. A road extended from the ramp, leading from the large – traumatized – doors. An assortment of imposing buildings bordered the street, though, none offered sanctuary. He followed the motorway, only looking back to verify that the factory was not following. In all the madness of this world, it seemed a possibility. High above, a portion of the roof groaned and caved into the structure; allowing more smog and plumes of red flames to tear out.

 With his strained influence and powers withdrawn from the the imposing building, the barriers shielding the outside world from the ravaging inferno began crumpling like parched sand. More rabid flames tore loose, the solid black fumes intermixed with the tepid wash of gray showers, the watery prism unlike anything he'd ever witnessed in all his lives. As more of the factories guts dissolved beneath the unrelenting heat and weight of ruble, the fires suffocated. None of it was fast and less of it was clean, but soon, the tall thin man could make out nothing through the swelling vapors clogging the roads.

 It wasn’t until he reached an intersection in a distant alley, and came to a location he could force his way into with minimal resistance, that he risked stopping. The din of the dying factory was out of range, anything unleashed he could mitigate at this distance. The anguished cries still clawed through the sky (horrendously similar to a certain Tower), while the sky choked with a thick smear of toxic smoke. Best to stay indoors for a time.

 He forced the lock with his power and shouldered through the door. The place was musty and neglected, but it wasn’t collapsing. As for the tall thin man, he did fumble and toppled when he misjudged his footing. He did get his free hand to catch a shelf before he laid out completely, and let himself down to sit. He glared at the door, and the fortified structure slammed shut with a clack of finality.

 For a moment he sat trying to collect his wits, the airwaves buzzed as his static tinge thrummed. Hauling the child out of a collapsed skyscraper was one thing, trying to drag them both out of a ravenous bonfire was entirely different. By the Eye, he was not equipped for that. If it was him alone, the strain would be nonexistent – with the interference the child put out, conflicting despite his tampering with the transmission. He did not expect to walk away. It took everything to keep his form stable, keep the threads of static from dissolving completely into a crumpled heap.

 Then Mono would never have reached the Tower.

 Gingerly, he pried away the lapel of his suit. “M̷̬̓ǒ̸̘n̶͖͋õ̸̳?̴̼͝” The child’s breath came in wet, strained puffs. But still breathing. With Mono knitted into his dress shirt, he couldn’t decide if the child was conscious or not. “Mono?” He touched the back of his head, in all the haste and confusion, the lad's hat was lost.

 “Mmh.”

 The Thin Man let his shoulders slacken. Mostly alright, a little sooty, and whatever else before he claimed the boy. He tried to grip him, but the child was being difficult. As always. “Get out of there, you’re going to smother yourself.”

 A muffled, “Nh.”

 He looped his fingers around the child’s middle and pulled. “It’s safe. Let go.” It didn’t take much force to haul the boy loose. He held Mono firmly between his palms and gave him an intense scrutiny, checking his face and chest over for burns or cuts. The boy flailed, yowling about the indignity of it all. This valiant protest set the Thin Man more at ease, despite how close it had been.

 “You brought this on yourself. Getting corralled like that in the midst of an inferno.” He plucked at the knee, where blood soaked through the pant leg. If that was the most of his damage, then overall the child was fortunate. “What would you have done had I not come along? I don’t go looking for you, boy. You know this!”

 Mono blinked but didn’t utter a sound. The vicious trembling started up, so the Thin Man set him down. Once released of all nitpicking, the child scooted in close and nestled against his thigh. The face gawked at him, stained gray, with twin shimmering orbs, the hair all spiked and crazed. So placid and unbothered, never mind almost being broiled a few minutes ago.

 “Go do something. Find some food.” The man in the hat examined the area he had come into more clearly, and found it was shop of sorts. By a glance he couldn’t decide if provisions would still exist, but usually Stockers kept snacks available. It appeared unassuming and calm, no hostilities in the immediate vicinity. “I need to… rest a bit.” He pushed his hat down over his eyes, and leaned back onto the edge of the shelf.

 “Aam watch?” chirped the faint voice.

 “No. I am rest,” he sighed, all suffering and weary. “Entertain yourself elsewhere. This area seems safe enough.” The little hands patted his knee.

 “Watch. Aam watch’n,” the boy rasped. “S’rest. Sce'er dreem hant. Pro’tekt. M’do. Y’get’n rest. T'n ll’keep safe.”

 He fumbled for the child’s head and ruffled his hair. “Sure. Just don’t get into anymore trouble.” That request seemed too tall an order for one so small. He tipped his hat up and peered at the ash smeared face, still gazing. His frown deepened.

 At last, the child got the hint and backed away from the hand he left draped over his knee.  Mono turned and scurried off, it sounded like he headed into the inner store to forage for something.

 “Ductile little brat.” The reprieve would be temporary, no doubt he’d come to with the boy nestled on him as typical. For a while he would let the static interference scrub away his thoughts, all recollections, numb the alarming events. As soon as he could manage, he needed to leave the child somewhere and find a secluded television. That would be for a time later. The Tower would croon to him once more, but it could wait.

Next

[hawksmagnolia]

Never falter, Never fail

Drunk Drapple Prompt for @the-ss-horniest-book-club​ by @findingasimplepleasure​ / @nano--raptor​

Summary: Destroyer!Chris comes looking for the commander of his special ops team and finds far more than he expected.

Warnings: Mentions of violence (nothing major), tattoos

Word count: 1,844 (oops?)

“Can you tell me where I can find the Lieutenant?”

Behind you, several men snicker until they realize you’re glaring at them and they drop their eyes to the gear as they mumble apologies. 

The former undercover agent, Chris something, is standing there. His beard is still cut into the goatee but you notice it’s starting to fill out into a full beard. He’s no longer wearing persona that he’s been living but the tattoos haven’t quite faded yet and they peek out the bottoms of his polo shirt sleeve. You also think you spy the shadows of leftover ink on his wrist as well. 

Shit.

“Depends. Why do you want to know?” False bravado and snarling attitude to hide the shock.

He frowns at you, at your defensive tone and body language. “I just need to make sure he is clear on the details of this op.” 

He hasn’t recognized you yet. 

Thank fuck.

You shoot him a dark look before you look over your gun, checking the chamber and sliding it smoothly into the holster at the small of your back. He watches you, appraises you really. You’re dressed in your usual tactical uniform. Black boot, black pants and an olive green moisture wicking undershirt under a long sleeve button up. Your hair is hidden under a black baseball cap. 

You know he’s wondering what you’re doing on this team. Not many women willingly join a special ops team like this but not only are you on it, you lead it. You are the damned Lieutenant and you’ll deal with him later. Sticking your fingers in your mouth, you give a sharp whistle that his him wincing and your team snapping to attention.

“Team Three. I need you here, here and here. Split into pairs and do not let each other out of your sight. Period.” There is a crude but effective map drawn out on the white board. Pictures of certain areas are taped next their marker counterpart. Your nails are short, unpainted and your hands are scarred and calloused. You slide the button down off and toss it onto your gear bag.

You see his impossibly blue eyes focus on your arm, ignoring the armed men hustling out of the room. More likely, is that he’s staring at swaths of black ink that vanishes under your sleeve where it begins at the top of your shoulder and ends in the middle of your forearm. The Queen of Swords in all her glory adorns your flesh. Below that is Eagle, Anchor and Globe of the USMC but the globe has been turned into the crosshairs of a rifle. There is more ink under the black fingerless gloves. Gloves that your team bought you as a joke when you were elected their leader. Black leather but with fine, almost delicate stitching that forms the outline of every bone in the hand, ones that you wear every single time you get the call. The rest of the tattoos are hidden beneath your clothing except the three small black swallows at the bottom of your hairline.

There are questions on his face that you can’t be bothered to answer right now. You shrug into the heavy ballistics vest and pull the velcro tight.

“Team Two. I want you stacked up tight in this corridor between shipping containers. Nuts to butts gentlemen, hope you showered.”

The next six men peel off from the pack and are gone.

Only two men are left, so you point to the smaller one on the left. “I want you to cover the back doors from the sky.” You point to the man on the right. “I want you on the west exits. Trench it if you can. There are no windows on that side, just two big industrial doors. I’ll make sure spikes are out in case of vehicles.”

They nod and are out the back doors of the mobile command and vanish into the rapidly forming darkness. You’re about six miles east of the compound, far enough that any light is barely visible. You shut down the lights and start to exit when the agent grabs your arm.

“I asked you where the Lt is.” He says it as “Ell-tee”. You wonder briefly if he’s a veteran too.

You grab your night vision goggles and strap them to your head, leaving them on your forehead. You yank your arm from his grip and grab your rifle case.

“I am the fucking Lt. And I’m very clear on our goals, Agent.”

You nod your head at him and spin on your heel but not before you hear his voice. 

“You and I will talk after this.”

Well, fuck.

===============================

Sixteen hours later and you’re laying on flat on your back on top of a shipping container. You’d climb down yourself but you don’t want to risk any damage to your precious ‘Vera’, a Barrett M107 sniper rifle. You hadn’t thought to bring up the case because your mission’s timeline changed suddenly and you hadn’t bothered, focused on scrambling up four shipping containers for a better sightline. Things had gone sideways but in the end the good guys won and the bad guys went to prison.

There is a heavy thunk of metal on metal and you roll to your side to see Agent Chris kneeling in the ladder bucket of a fire truck. “Ready to come down or are you working on your tan?”

You flip him off as you crawl to your feet, cradling your rifle and make your way down.

“Transport will take you back to base.” He slides to the side to give you a chance to stagger onto the platform.

You nod, too tired and spent to form words. Your legs are like lead, too many hours spent on your belly first in the chill of the night which turned into a sweltering day. He catches your arm first and then your rifle. He lowers you to the ground and starts yelling for a medic.

When you open your eyes, the first thing you realize is that you’re soaked and so disoriented that briefly you think it’s raining. 

And then you realize you’re not alone and your back is pressed against a person. A person whose denim clad legs are on either side of your legs. Your vest is gone. Your weapon is gone.

A little stab of panic cracks your chest as you realize you’ve been stripped to underwear and undershirt. The shower is one of those overlarge ones, enough for you both to sprawl.

You groan and try to sit up and strong arms pull you back.

“Slow down trigger. You’re in my room.”

Him.

Agent Chris Something. 

“Your internal body temp was too high. Technically too high for life function according to the medics. Apparently you’re too goddamn stubborn to die. We had to cool you down.”

“Report.” You rasp.

He hands you a Gatorade. “Drink. Slowly.”

You force yourself not to gulp as he continues. “Zero casualties from your team. Couple of minor scrapes. You run a tight ship there Lt.”

“Thanks…I think. Who stripped me?”

“I did. How’s your head?”

You tilt your head side to side to test your equilibrium and then you feel his palm as he twists your hair off your neck and secures it with a band.

“Swallows?” He asks as his fingers linger there for just heartbeat too long. 

“Yeah.”

“How many do you have?”

“What? Tattoos?”

He shifts you long enough to adjust the water temp up a little bit.

“I..I’m not sure anymore.”

“A full sleeve and also your hip, strong ink work, bold designs. And then you have these little tiny swallows.” His lips barely graze the delicate flesh on your neck as his hand clamps down on your right hip.

“You know I know where all your ink is sweetheart. Why didn’t you tell me that night you were a Fed?”

“Same question could be said for you.”

“Why were you in my local bar nine days ago?” He runs a hand over your side, knowing full well  where he knows the words scrawl across your skin. 

“Intel.” You squirm and his thighs lock your hips. 

“You had my reports.”

“I prefer to have a first person view of the shitshow I send my team into.” You pull away and turn on him, kneeling on the tiled floor. “Sorry I’m not a super special agent but I’m damn good at what I do. And to be honest, I didn’t know who the hell you were and I didn’t trust you. Obviously, I was right, since I distracted the fuck out of you.”

He looks as exhausted as you feel, he’s soaked but still fully dressed. He holds up his hands in surrender. “I would have done the same thing. Just so you know? You’re the only thing that distracted me. Still are distracting me.”

You stare at each other for a couple of heartbeats before you jump into his lap. Your mouths clash together, opening to the other while your hands cup his face. 

“Wait.” He gasps which you promptly ignore, your mouth on his jaw, his neck.

“Sweetheart, no. Not until you’re completely recovered.” He grabs your face in his hands. “I’m not fucking you in a bathroom again. Tell me the story behind the ink.”

“Which one?” You struggle not to kiss him again. Must be the adrenaline dump. Must have been delayed because of your heat stroke. 

You’re a damn liar.

“All of them.”

“The swallows were first. Got them after my first deployment. To remind me.”

“There are three.” 

“We lost three.”

He nods, doesn’t push. He knows you’re not ready for that conversation. Still sitting on his legs, you peel your soaked shirt off and toss it aside.

“Ribs was right before my second deployment. I wanted to have that reminder.” You press his hand against the words.  “I will never falter and I will not fail.”  “Hurt like a bitch too.”

“Got back from deployment and I was fucked up in the head. Too young to have seen what I saw. So I got my spine done.”

He doesn’t have to look, he knows what it says. 

“Scars show us where we have been, they do not dictate where we are going.”

Moving his hand to your right hip, you leave it to linger over the stone tower and crescent moon that stain your skin. “Tarot card. The Tower. Represents everything I felt when I got out.” He doesn’t comment on the two puckered scars at two of the corners. 

You twist your arm so he gets a better look. “Queen of Swords. When I finally found myself again, I wanted to be independent, strong. It helped me patch myself back up and apply for the agency. I got this before my expert firearms test at Quantico. Eagle, Globe, Anchor…with my rifle sight in the globe to show how both of those pieces of me make one.”

“And your hands?” He asks softly. 

He takes both of your hands in his and kisses the ink across your skin at the base of your thumbs.

“Breathe.” Says the left.

“Hold.” Says the right.

“Just a reminder when I line up the shot.”

“How about you give me a shot?”

“What?”

“You’re incredible for reasons not related to a bathroom in a bar. I want a chance to lick every single one of those tattoos.”

“If that’s the case, wait until you see my piercings.”

Chris groans as you smile into his kiss.

@nano--raptor @cchellacat @eurynome827 @jobean12-blog @book-dragon-13 @aesthetical-bucky @marvelgirl7 @sallycanwait68 @buckys-broody-muffin @softpeachbarnes @godofplumsandthunder @azurika-writes @ikaris-whore @this-kitten-is-smitten @randomfandompenguin @littleredstarfish

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[mitchbeck]

SOMOZA LEADS SWAMP RABBITS TO ROAD TRIP SWEEP

Greenville goes four-for-four on the road with a 2-1 win over Savannah; the magic number at 15 for playoffs By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits SAVANNAH, Ga. – Ethan Somoza rifled a laser at 7:53 of the second period to break a 1-1 deadlock and, coupled with Ryan Bednard's 32 saves on 33 shots, powered the Greenville Swamp Rabbits to a 2-1 win against the Savannah Ghost Pirates on Thursday night. The win gives the Swamp Rabbits a 40-win season for the eighth time in Greenville professional hockey history, back-to-back 40-win seasons for the second time in franchise history. It knocks their magic number to clinch a spot in the 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs to 15 with 14 games remaining. Both teams started the game deadlocked and left it as such, with each igniting the goal lamp once. Ryan Francis put Greenville on the board first when he entered the Ghost Pirates zone down the middle, took on his defender one-on-one, and fired a shot from the high slot. His shot deflected off his assailant and fluttered by Savannah goalie Jesper Vikman, giving the Swamp Rabbits a 1-0 lead at 9:29 of the first period. Savannah deadlocked the game late in the first, with Keltie Jeri-Leon squaring things up. Off the Rush with 2:08 left in the first, Jeri-Leon sent a shot from the right circle that slipped under Swamp Rabbits net-minder Ryan Bednard, squaring the game at 1-1 (Brandon Estes had the lone assist). The game was deadlocked until the middle of the second period, when a solid breakout led the Swamp Rabbits to pull ahead. With 7:53 left in the second, Jake Stevens bumped the puck to Tanner Eberle, who slipped a cross-ice pass to Ethan Somoza, triggering a two-on-one entry. Somoza elected to toe drag and uncorked a laser past Vikman's blocker up top, putting the Swamp Rabbits in the driver's seat with a 2-1 lead (Eberle and Stevens assisted). The Swamp Rabbits locked down the third period once again defensively and weathered a late storm from Savannah. The Ghost Pirates came close a few times and had a great chance to tie the game late with a power play and extra attacker in the final 30 seconds of the game, but Greenville stood its ground and hung on for a 2-1 win, sweeping all four games of their road trip against Atlanta, Orlando, and Savannah. Ryan Bednard stopped all but one shot of 33 faced over 60 minutes, anchoring a team-leading 18th win of the season (18-9-0-0). The Swamp Rabbits return home to take on the Toledo Walleye for games at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The puck drop for game one on Friday, March 15th, is at 7:05 pm EST. The game is our annual "Faith and Family Night," presented by HIS Radio and LeafFilter, and features live music on the Furman Plaza starting at 5 pm and a celebration of faith, fellowship, and family throughout the game. Saturday's rematch is St. Patrick's Day, presented by Helacious, and features specialty St. Patrick's Day-themed jerseys that will be auctioned off after the game. The Swamp Rabbits complete their weekend on Sunday in Jacksonville to square off against the Icemen on Sunday, March 17th, with puck drop set for 3:05 pm EST at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. About the Greenville Swamp Rabbits … Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team has been providing family-friendly, live entertainment at Bon Secours Wellness Arena since 2010. Formerly, the Greenville Road Warriors and the Swamp Rabbits are the highest-level professional minor league franchise in South Carolina. The Swamp Rabbits are the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's LA Kings and the AHL's Ontario Reign. Greenville is an ECHL Premier' AA' Hockey League member. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOWLINGS Read the full article

[roraewrites]

thirty three

[ sakura’s secret ] rating: m

previous |

drops and ruNs. it’s been so long but thank you so much for all of the support and kind words! i’m sorry this took forever to update but here we go. 

huge shout out to @ss-tyytyy and @pain-somnia for keeping me going this entire time. it’s been such a trip but these two have been super motivational and inspiring and i just reallyreallyreally am super thankful to call them my friends.

It had been a week since Sakura last heard from Sasuke.

Although it felt like longer, it was driving her up the wall waiting to hear from him. In that time, she kept her phone on her person and the volume turned all the way up in case he came back from the shadows and reached out to her. Although a part of her felt rather livid and worked up, the other felt completely lost and turned around; she never thought he would act out this way nor fall completely off the face of the Earth like he had.

The one thing that really bothered her and nipped at her emotions, was that he didn’t have the decency to at least call her and let her know what was going on. 

She discarded her thoughts the moment the bell rang and her classmates began to flood through the entryway; blue pools landed on her, making her squirm in her seat as she waited for the blond to take his seat next to her.

“Hey,” Naruto greeted with furrowed brows. His lips were pulled into a taut line as he studied her face and it took everything to muster up a small and welcoming smile.

“Good morning.”

“We were looking for you.”

Sakura trapped her hair between her fingers and ran them through the silk pieces, pulling any tangles and knots from the pastel tresses before she looked away. 

“I was just taking a moment to think.”

She knew Naruto would pick up on the crack in her voice, knowing full well that he may be dull in some areas but he was entirely in tune with the emotions of others. Luckily for Sakura though, he wasn’t going to say anything today. Instead, she noticed his large hand on her desk, palm down and fingers splayed out and that’s when she met his eyes with her own.

“You can always come over to my place to get away from everything, you know?”

She offered a sincere and kind smile, knowing full well that she hadn’t spent time with Naruto in months but he was still playing the supportive best friend role. She placed her hand down on top of his and nodded, promising herself that maybe they could attend the Spring Festival in Old Konoha that upcoming weekend.

“Alright, take your seats.” 

The new voice broke up any and all loitering students but it also confused the entire classroom. The person standing at the front of the room was anyone but Sasuke and that was like a blow to the gut for Sakura. 

Instead of letting her feelings overwhelm her and cause her to feel sick, she found their principal taking note of everyone in the room. He didn’t open the roll call program like Sasuke usually did, but instead scanned the room before taking a seat on the corner of the desk and let a slow sigh seep through his concealed face.

“Uchiha-sensei will no longer be teaching at this school, nor will he be your homeroom teacher. We’re working on finding a replacement, but for the time being, I’ll be stepping in.”

A low groan echoed throughout the classroom which resulted in the older man to smile sheepishly. He looked way too relaxed for this role, but Sakura continued to watch his movements from her seat. It didn’t feel real knowing that Sasuke wasn’t going to return and as much as she wanted to ask why, she kept her mouth shut and her eyes forward.

A hand to her left shot up but before she could get called on, Karin was already asking her question. “Where is Uchiha-sensei?”

Kakashi rubbed at his chin with his fingers and closed his only revealed eye, humming softly while he mulled over the answer. The suspense was making Sakura feel weak; she couldn’t confine the drumming of her heart in her chest and if she waited any longer, she was sure her classmates would start to hear it.

“He’s working somewhere else now.”

“But why?” Naruto belted out, clearly not understanding how their teacher could up and leave when they were so close to graduating.

Sakura could feel her heart rate increasing with each passing second and it made her fingers curl into the hem of her skirt. She felt sick to her stomach as her thoughts began to drown out all of her senses. When she looked up, she caught Kakashi’s single eye on her and that made her entire being tense up.

Did he get fired because of her? Did somebody find out about them and ask him to move away? Was it because she continued to pursue him and ask for more?

She felt like she was going to vomit at any second.

“Personal reasons,” he replied before standing from the desk and straightening his shirt. “Moving on now, we have a lesson to cover.”

For the remainder of the period, Sakura couldn’t focus on a word that was said nor did she write any notes. Her mind was lost in a whirlwind of thoughts, making her feel sick as she questioned why he wasn’t there. If it was for personal reasons, surely he would’ve said something? Then again, what if he had been arrested and they had yet to question her about the behavior that was going on behind closed doors?

Why, why, why?

“Sakura!” 

She blinked, allowing her mind to return to the present as she stared into a pair of fiery eyes. They were wide with concern while worry painted the features on her pale face. Beside Karin stood Naruto, mirroring the other Uzumaki’s expression and it caused her to feel dumbfounded that she had been so lost and engrossed in her own thoughts that she didn’t even notice the empty room or her friends standing next to her.

“I need to go home,” she muttered under her breath before grabbing her bag and fleeing the room. 

Once she escaped to the commons, it was a mad dash outside and from there, she allowed her legs to carry her far away from the school grounds. It felt unreal that Sasuke had vanished just like that and hadn’t said a single thing.

She didn’t even bother to look back to see if anyone had followed her. She wanted to get away from all of it and spend time alone, away from other people so she could be alone with her thoughts and try to mull over the different scenarios as to what could’ve happened to Sasuke; instead of heading to her house, she did what she thought was logical and sought out his home.

Maybe he would be there this time.

Maybe.

. . .

“Back again?”

Sakura had been leaning against his door for hours now, hoping the ringing of the elevator would pull her out of her trance and she’d see his handsome features one more time. Instead, she found his neighbor leaving her place and slowly shuffling towards the elevator.

“Yeah,” Sakura mumbled from behind her arm but she didn’t spare the woman a glance. She only pulled her knees closer to her chest and held herself, trying to keep the pieces from falling apart all over again.

When she thought the woman was going to keep walking by, she felt her presence right beside her and that’s when she looked up and found her kind eyes staring down at her. She wasn’t sure what to say or what to do, but instead of remaining seated on the floor, she slowly pulled herself up until she was standing in front of the woman.

She was much shorter than Sakura but she wore a soft smile that accompanied her kind, auburn eyes. The wrinkles on her face told the pinkette that she lived many happy years, considering they were formed from laughter and smiling; what Sakura wasn’t expecting was for this woman to reach out and take her hand in her own.

“He comes back every few days.”

Sakura choked on her words, trying to form some type of coherent sentence but she wasn’t expecting this from his neighbor. She only looked at her with vivid, wide eyes until the lady let go of her hand and gave her a softer look.

“His family was in a very bad accident.”

“All of them?” Sakura blurted out. Her heart was racing in her chest trying to comprehend what kind of pain he was currently undergoing and the fact that he had disappeared from thin air watered the seed of worry that had been planted in her stomach last week. 

“His mother and father.” She stated softly before shaking her head. “He doesn’t want you to worry, you know? But young people can be so stubborn and stuck in their ways that they don’t realize their actions hurt those that care about them. I know you love that young man.”

She swallowed back her emotions, fearing that if she showed any sign of weakness that everything would come out and that was the last thing she wanted. Instead, she averted her gaze towards the little dog behind the woman that stared up at her. 

“I’m so worried,” she confessed. “I want to help but at the same time, he’s pulled away from me and I’m not sure how to help.”

It took her a minute before she realized she was talking to his neighbor of all people about Sasuke and her dilemma but before she could apologize, she felt the woman’s hand on her cheek; a reassuring smile pulled at her lips and that alone anchored Sakura’s heart down, calming her heaving body and tattered emotions.

“Love is love,” she said softly, as though she understood what exactly they had been going through over the course of the last few months. “Whether he comes back soon or it takes him months, you two will figure it out.”

Sakura nodded, a smile appearing on her own face.

“In the meantime, focus on yourself and your own happiness. You’re a lovely young lady; you’re bright and radiate positivity. Don’t let that go to waste.”

With that, Sakura was left to chew on the words from his neighbor. Not only did she feel some sort of relief run through her body, but she also felt a surge of panic remaining in the back of her head. 

If his parents had gotten into a terrible accident, then he would’ve said something before leaving. It wasn’t like Sasuke to leave her in the dark like that, considering the amount of time they had been spending together prior to being pulled from the middle of class, leaving his students to wonder when he’d return.

Instead of sticking around, she grabbed what belongings she had and slowly made her way home. If Sasuke needed her, he knew where to find her and how to get ahold of her. On the other hand, she continued to fight with her inner thoughts on trying to get ahold of him.

The struggle of fighting both her heart and mind on the matter felt like it was tearing her into two, taking all of the strength she had to keep herself together during the day and fighting to glue back all the pieces together for the next day. 

It was a vicious cycle but in her heart, she knew she would manage. She had supportive friends and uplifting parents—Sasuke would turn up sooner or later. 

And if he didn’t… she had the rest of her life to look forward to.

. . .

“I don’t know about you guys, but these final exams are killing me!”

Karin scoffed at Naruto before rolling her eyes. “Of course you’re struggling with them because you don’t pay attention in class and you finish maybe half of the work you’re given. It’s pretty easy if you just pay attention, you numbskull.”

“Hey!”

“Enough you two,” Sakura rubbed her head before glaring at both of them. “It’s hard to study with the bickering.”

Naruto waved his apology while Karin leaned back in her seat. “Sorry, Pinky. I feel our teachers’ frustration when it comes to dealing with Naruto in class now.”

Naruto shot her another look before Sakura heaved a low sigh, pulling their attention away from each other and back on her. The rest of the week had been rather rough, as she still waited for some sort of response from Sasuke but she still hadn’t heard from him. 

As bothersome as it was, it allowed her enough time to focus (somewhat) on school and finish applying for her chosen college. Not only that, but she began to spend more time with Karin, Ino and Naruto as well as spend more nights with her parents.

It was hard to keep Sasuke off of her mind but with all the activity she was preoccupied with, it numbed the pain and calmed her mind. Nights were the hardest for her, as she lay in bed and wondered what he was up to and where he was. 

The hardest night was after she returned home from visiting Sasuke’s place. After learning about his family, she decided to scroll through the news and find information on the accident. What she found made her heart nearly stop beating as she read the article word for word.

She couldn’t imagine the pain he was probably experiencing, but then she thought of Itachi and the possibility that he was with him day and night while they waited to hear news on their parents. It clawed at Sakura’s chest that she couldn’t be there for him, but it also racked her brain that he wouldn’t reach out to her. 

That was the last night she decided to look into that sort of stuff; she left him a single message on his phone, mostly taking Ino’s advice and making it a voicemail. If he heard her voice, maybe it would trigger something in him and make him talk to her.

“You’re doing it again, Naruto!” Karin’s shout of frustration brought Sakura back to reality and she narrowed her eyes at them once more being shaking her head and letting a small laugh erupt from her chest.

They both glanced at her then, confusion adorning their faces before they too started laughing.

“It’s been awhile since I’ve heard you laugh like that!” Naruto grinned before pulling her under his arm and squeezing her tight. Sakura merely hugged around his single arm, allowing her head to nuzzle into his shoulder before releasing him and agreeing.

“We’re all going to the festival tomorrow, right?” She wanted to confirm and to her surprise, they both nodded in agreement.

“Ino will be with Sai, so it’ll just be the three of us,” Karin commented and Sakura nodded.

Apparently their relationship had been excelling and while Sakura was proud of Ino for pushing for an actual relationship with the guy, it also made her feel uneasy knowing that her best friend would be splitting up her time between her friends and another guy—then again, what had Sakura done to them the past few months? She shook the thought from her head before she closed her book and tossed it in her bag.

“I’ll see you guys at my house tomorrow and my dad will give us a ride?” She asked before leaving but she didn’t need to wait for their response. She knew that they would be there, ready to attend a small yet fun gathering.

. . .

“There’s so much food!” Naruto’s eyes scanned all the different stalls, that ear to ear grin stretching across his face as he ran ahead of Sakura and Karin, asking for samples from anyone and everyone. By the time he returned, he had remnants of food on face while he scarfed down whatever he got from the most recent stand.

Meanwhile, Sakura found herself in awe over all the different decorations and lights that hung overhead as well as the different games and activities going on all around them; the last time she came to this festival, she was a lot younger and holding onto her father’s hand. Now that she was old enough to roam and see things herself, she came to appreciate the festival a lot more.

“I want to win something for each of you!” Naruto shouted before taking off down the road but he didn’t let the girls hang back this time. Instead, he grabbed both Sakura and Karin by their hands and towed them behind him, pulling them through the crowd until they reached a stall that looked interesting. 

To their surprise, Naruto thought he would be good at it and it turned out that he was. It was nothing more than a test of strength, to see if he could swing the oversized hammer down and strike the switch and ring the bell. Sakura watched the first time, seeing him fail completely before whining and then giving it another go.

It made her smile to see him having fun, but while she wanted to watch him, something else tugged at her mind.

“I’ll be right back, I’m going to grab something to eat,” she muttered to Karin before wandering into the crowd and blending with the many different people there.

She noticed how the sky was slowly blending to shades of purples and blues as the sun set behind the mountains, painting the horizon in twilight while the stars began to peak out. It was a beautiful scenery, that being with the decorations from the festival and Old Konoha reflecting the last slivers of sunlight in all the different building windows; it was something she never wanted to forget and as she took a mental picture, her eyes landed on a familiar face.

Her heart instantly jumped in her chest, making her stomach crawl to her throat as he made eye contact with her. It was the same shade of obsidian that she had grown to love, but the face shape was entirely too different from what she had engraved in her mind. 

Itachi stood only a couple of feet away from her, staring at her with a shattered look in his eyes before a soft, sad smile pulled at the corner of his lips. He was equally as attractive as Sasuke, only he wasn’t Sasuke—she felt her heart slowly beat in her ears, ringing throughout her body before she realized that she was staring.

“Sakura,” he greeted before taking a step or two closer to her. It took everything in her body to resist the urge to turn around and run away, but something kept her rooted to the ground.

“Hi.” She muttered, trying to make her voice sound stronger than what it actually was but to no avail. 

When he finally stood next to her, she found it entirely too hard to look him in the eyes as he loomed over her; she never realized how tall he was, but now that they stood side by side, she had to tilt her head back and actually look up at him. 

Like Sasuke, he held a serious look in his dark eyes but there was also a softness that resided within his irises that she picked up on almost immediately. Sadness mixed with the darkness there as well and she felt her heart slowly beat, each time sent a jolt of pain through her chest before she broke her gaze.

“You don’t have to act so awkward around me,” he remarked and it made her tense up even more.

She never thought she would run into Itachi in a place like this, considering how cleaned up and serious he came off as. Then again, maybe he was here with someone else, but that thought didn’t occur to her. Instead, she swallowed back all the overwhelming emotions that sat in the back of her throat, making it hard to breathe or focus.

They were surrounded by so many people and it didn’t help that the music playing over the speakers seemed to grow louder with each passing second; Sakura was finding it harder to breathe with each beat of her heart and just when she felt like she was going to pass out, she felt his palm press down on her shoulder and slowly steer her away from the busy street.

Once he pulled her off to the side away from all the loitering and wandering people and music, she took a deep enough breath to restore the air in her lungs. When she glanced up at him, he wore the same smile, both sad and soft yet reassuring and she wasn’t sure if it was the way his eyes settled on her or the calm demeanor about him, but she felt her body start to relax.

“He’s okay if you’re wondering.”

Another jolt of pain burst through her chest, reminding her that her heart was still beating rapidly but she continued to listen.

“Not that he’s in the best mental state, but he’s doing his best,” Itachi continued. “He hasn’t talked to you at all though, has he?”

“No,” she muttered softly. The sky overhead was now black but the lights from all around kept the area relatively light but that didn’t stop the overwhelming feeling of anxiety to crawl over her shoulders. The sigh that came from Itachi though nearly made her flinch.

He didn’t say anything else after that, only let his back come to rest against the building behind them. The silence that fell over them was a gentle reminder of how comfortable she felt in Sasuke’s presence. Although different, she didn’t feel like Itachi’s dark eyes on her were dangerous by any means but more so watchful as he observed her.

“We’re working on things,” his deep voice cut through both the silence and her thoughts and it left her wanting to ask exactly what things, but she had a hunch. She opted to nod her head before taking a step away from him and back towards the music and crowds. 

“I’ve got to get back to my friends now,” she said softly as she turned around to glance at him. There wasn’t anything else to say to Itachi, not while her mind continued to race with thoughts or how her chest would pulse with pain each time she thought about Sasuke. 

He didn’t say anything to keep her from leaving, only waved his goodbye before walking in the opposite direction until she heard his phone ring. He answered it the same way Sasuke did, looking all gruff and unimpressed but the moment he started speaking to whoever, his expression softened and he glanced back at her. It caused her heart to stutter before a soft squeak slipped through her thin lips and she turned on her heel, heading in the direction of Karin and Naruto.

She knew they would be wondering where she went.

. . .

“What do you mean you’re with Sakura?” He hissed into the phone, jealousy laced into his tone as he gritted his teeth together. 

Sasuke knew he had been ignoring Sakura, clearly trying to stay away from her but it was beginning to be too much for him. Now that Itachi was lurking around her… it pissed Sasuke off. He hated the fact that he was even near Sakura, considering Sasuke hadn’t seen her in close to two weeks; he began to pace around the open space, waiting for Itachi to answer but the muffled music and chuckle on the other end made the hairs on his neck rise. 

“Itachi.” He growled out before his brother finally answered him.

“I ran into her,” he answered cooly and it still irritated him to know that he had been near Sakura and Sasuke hadn’t been. 

The push and pull inside of his head caused him to scratch at the back of his neck, an irritating habit he picked up from Naruto and he still questioned why he did it; regardless, as much as he wanted to see Sakura, he couldn’t.

With Orochimaru on his case, he didn’t want to ruin Sakura’s chance at a normal life or her reputation. He didn’t want college to hang the fact that she was in a relationship with her teacher over her head, or the repercussions of being with an adult to come back and bite at any future she had. 

She was bright, smart, talented—Sasuke didn’t want to ruin any of that for her and until things blew over or until he could figure out his next move, he needed to stay away. Not only did he feel his heart slowly break with each passing day, but he also became familiar and acquainted with paranoia. 

It was an unwelcome feeling, something he loathed to high hell and back but he didn’t want to risk Sakura’s future for his stupid mistake.

“We’ll figure it out, Sasuke.”

“When?” He asked, his words short and curt as he waited for Itachi to answer.

“Shisui is working on it—”

He felt his mind space out before panic surged through his veins. “Why?”

“Don’t worry about that. For now, focus on what you’re doing. How were mom and dad?”

He chewed on his lip, not liking where this was going one bit. “They’re doing better. Mom is acting cheerful ever since waking up and dad is you know, being dad.”

Itachi laughed on the other end and Sasuke could only roll his eyes. Of course he was happy to see that their parents were recovering, but they still had a long road ahead of them. 

Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose until he got to his car and opened the door. “I’m going to head home now. Wherever you’re at, keep an eye on Sakura until you know she’s leaving or something but stay the hell away from her.”

He could already envision the smug look on Itachi’s face before he replied and as much as Sasuke wanted to drive to wherever his brother was at, he refrained from doing so by gripping the steering wheel as tightly as he could.

“She’s with her friends now. She’s fine.” He replied but before Sasuke could hang up, Itachi’s voice started back up. “If you’re that concerned, you should really just call her or something.”

He rolled his dark eyes before hanging up and let the phone fall to his lap. It was painful to breathe once he looked over into his passenger seat. 

Empty.

That was her seat; from the first time she sat in it, until the last time. Even now, it was still hers and everything he owned, he considered it hers—from the passenger seat to his very own heart.

He loved Sakura and he wasn’t going to let someone come between them. It would take time, but he wasn’t willing to quit or give up on being with her. He felt complete with her in his life and he didn’t want to lose her—not now, not ever.