#study vide

[rinstudies]

30 nov 2022

wow, a post that’s actually on time! today was the day i had to slap myself into entering a season of productivity. it really is crunch time because if i don’t get into the ‘grindset’ (cringe, i know) now, i fear it will be too late. i have one more month to lay my foundations before year 2 starts, and it’s going to be so hectic and awful and stressful… im just dreading it. i can’t believe 2021 is coming to an end, this year was actually insane and my life changed so much. I’ve been feeling quite overwhelmed (lol what’s new) just thinking about how i have to start taking my career choices seriously, and signing up for a 5 day law webinar that commenced this week is not helping my case lmao. but I’ve learnt a lot about the legal profession, and it’s making me more driven (i hope). anyway, above is a short study session i forced myself to do after my course, and for dinner i had fried rice topped with green onions, spicy chilli oil, spicy prawn, fried onion and garlic salt and the flavours were such a 10837382/10 im smiling just thinking about it. ok that’s all for today, gonna get my beauty sleep now, bye!

[wecandoit]

22.03.2022 // turned 19 today. if twelve-year-old me saw she would be a little disappointed but i hope she'll forgive me because i'm trying, i really am.

🎧: 𝑻𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝑪𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅 • 𝑨𝑼𝑹𝑶𝑹𝑨 🦋

[danidoesathing]

i keep thnking about like. the parallels between buck and the ghosts in the movie. Johnnie and Buck have the whole "opposites attract" while being eerily similar. A dead man in love with life and a living man in love with death. Coming across each other by complete chance (stars align type chance, pun not intended) and it's so brief but so important to the both of them. They've both already experienced their fair share of the unnatural and the undead so the situation is almost casual to them. Both are lost in these naive ideas of how the world works and are so headstrong they don't stop until it literally kills them. both end up getting blackbrained because of those ideas. Even if buck survived and Johnnie didn't, they're dead men walking.

and then there's Frankie and Buck's love for a person that doesn't love them back. being devoted to the point of self-destruction, even if they're aware of it and know it's going to end badly they still keep going. Frankie's already been down this path and she tries to get Buck off of it but she already knows its pointless. Frankie's constant use of ghost metaphors in her songs with Buck's ability(?) to speak to the dead. the night we met being Frankie's song but the MV is about Buck. they're both doomed by the narrative and doomed themselves, and knowing this changes nothing. god.

[conceptofjoy]

W. Why did they hire a white teacher to an african american studies clas? [Altough maybe if she, y'know, actually studied the topic it wouldn't be so bad]

Even better question, why whould someone NOT KNOW what INTERSECTIONALITY IS in SOCIAL STUDIES CLASS??? HOW THE FUCK DID THEY EVEN ENROLL INTO IT?!? huH??????

lol she was nice but she got on my NERVES sometimes lol. white queer swiftie thats all im gonna say.

theres some things you lose when you have a white teacher teaching anyyyy kind of social studies class. the teacher cant speak from their experiences of being black, and sometimes it fuckin feels like the student's gotta enlighten them on topics that they're barely having the words to piece together (BECAUSE THEY'RE A KID).

like i knew what intersectionality was from a super young age. i knew there would be special challenges i would face because i was a black girl but i didnt know the term for it nor was i taught that was a Thing until i was in high school. i was like a 9th grader and i was like ohhh yeah yep. but for some people this was just a new thing they had to learn for a grade n that's it. toss the word right out their brain after they take a test bc it's not gonna be something they think about out side of school.

i fuckin hate public school.

[riveterio]

Dumps All Of My Recent Doodles, WIPS, and pending projects on ya'll again!!!

[girlystories]

L'appel du vide (The call of the void)

— pairings: Henry Bowers + Patrick Hockstetter x female/daughter of a cop/new student reader

Summary: after your parents divorce (because your mom is kinda crazy) you move to your dads hometown, back to Derry, and your cousin richie. Additional warnings: depictions of animal cruelty, patrick hockstetter (enough said) Words: 3.5k

previous part here

next part here

Chapter 2: Bigmouth Strikes Again

𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐘 𝐁𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒 wasn't in a good mood that day, to say the very least. His dad had dragged him early to school for some reason. He didn't know why, and he didn't care. What he did know is that it disturbed his routine. 

He usually woke up by his dad's noisy way of getting ready for work – groaning from the living room, where he slept, and he'd demand his morning beer. If he even bothered, Henry would eat something as he waited for Belch to pass by his house to pick him up – a farm located at the outskirts of Derry. He'd get on his seat – which was of course, at the front, and they'd talk shit. Like they always did, although Henry chose most of the time to remain silent, always too moody in the morning. On the ride they would blast music, driving recklessly around town while the townsfolk would shout curses at them to turn the damn volume down. 

But not today. And he was pissed. On the way to school he was resting on his seat with folded arms, looking out the window and refusing his eyes to meet his father's. 

When he arrived he was about to wait at the parking lot for Belch and the others to arrive, but his old man shot him a glare, and he instantly knew what he meant. With his head low, he reluctantly walked up the stairs, turning his head around and seeing his oh-so great son-of-a-bitch dad watching him like a hawk, his stoic and hateful eyes hiden behind his round sunglasses. 

How much he wanted to fucking punch him right then and there, but he knew he couldn't. He didn't want to admit it, but he was weak against him. He could never manage the courage to stand up for himself, proving his point in being a paper man.

To his utter luck, he was seen by the headmaster, not managing to sneak past his office. He was given a lecture about his attitude and lack of presence, as expected. 

When he was finally let to go, his immediate next destination was back outside to meet up with the others. It was the time they usually arrived, anyway. Ten minutes before the first bell rang and they had to attend their homeroom class. 

"What the fu–"

Just as he was about to walk outside the building he felt someone collide with his chest. If the many and unnecessary nuisances until now wasn't enough, this instantly managed to form a vein on his temple as he clenched his fist. Today was his unlucky day it seemed. He stopped himself from punching whoever it was just as he met the girl's gaze. 

They both shared the same look of surprise. He studied her from head to toe, from the way she styled her hair – which looked somewhat messy – to her slightly parted lips and unironed clothes. 

For some reason he didn't know what to say. She seemed... familiar, but he quickly knew she was new. He'd never seen her at any of his classes before, or anywhere else at school. Was she even the same age as him? His eyes then looked behind her to the distance, seeing the all familiar blue Trans-am parked at the usual spot. Their spot, to be in fact. 

He grounded his jaw, frowning his eyebrows, as he pushed past her, not caring a bit if he pushed her or something. He almost didn't notice Tozier hiding behind her, clinging on her jacket. He snorted at that. He'd mess with him later. 

"Get outta my way," he threatened. 

The others were resting their weight against the Trans-am, invested in their good ol' morning chit-chat, some smoking, some not. He approached them with his head low, staring at his shoes, his hands shoved inside his jean pockets. 

"Someone's in a good mood," Belch was the first to acknowledge him, noting his already grumpy attitude mockingly as he elbowed Vic to the side, who grunted in response and rubbed his side. 

Henry shot him a glare. "Shut your fucking mouth," he said and grabbed his pack, shoving a cigarette between his lips and searching for his lighter. 

"Fucking hell," he grumbled. 

Patrick handed him his significant zippo – which was probably stolen from his grandparents. Henry took it and lit his death stick, exhailing a satisfied cloud of smoke, happy for something to easy his nerves and tremendous headache.

"Thanks."

"Did your dad give you shit again?", Vic asked after a long pause. 

He didn't respond, taking another drag. "The headmaster saw me and wouldn't shut up again about the same ol' shit. Be careful in case he sees you too."

"Well, I don't think he has a problem with me. My grades are decent enough."

"That's because you're not afraid to cheat, Vic," Belch remarked. 

The bleach-blonde boy scoffed in response. "I don't cheat, asshole. I, for one, have a goal I want to pursue."

"So do I, smart-ass."

"What, you mean becoming an Olympic player or something?"

"Fuck you, man. You know damn well how much I want to make it to the American League."

"Whatever."

Patrick cleared his throat as he stared forward to nothing in particular, holding back a laugh, while Henry was about to start yelling at them to shut up from beside him. "Are ya done?"

"You're one to talk, Pat," Vic grumbled under his breath, folding his arms.

He looked at him for a moment, letting out a snort of laughter. The icy stare ignored by Vic who looked down as he kicked a stone with his boot. Patrick threw his finished cigarette and patted Henry on the shoulder as he eyed his watch, passing him and starting to make his way to the building's back entrance. He was always first one to separate their morning meeting, despite Henry being the self-proclaimed leader of the group. 

"Meet ya after class."

Without waiting for a response he pushed the door, walking slowly inside. He placed one hand inside his pocket, while the other ran through his mid-length hair that hang around his face. 

Henry's warning forgotten, he passed the principal's office with ease. Patrick rolled his eyes when he heard his name called just as he was out of view. He could just continue his way, pretending he didn't hear him, but allas, he walked into the office. 

"What is it, Mr. Corbin?", his voice dramatically switched into a much innocent one than he intended. His eyebrows lightly raised as he held his hands together in front of him. 

Mr. Corbin took off his eyeglasses, stopping his work on whatever papers he had held in front of him. "Your grades," he started, sighing as he captured his facade. "You've been held back one grade. Are you on your way to make that a yearly end goal? You need to step up, Hockstetter."

Patrick stared back at him, his eyes void of all emotion. He had had this conversation with his parents countless times before. It mostly began after 7th grade, when things got more serious. They would constantly nag about his future – especially his uptight and anxious mother. He didn't care really, only choosing to live in the present. He was mostly out of touch with reality, always going with the flow. If he would magically share a similar life like his parents, that'd be fine. If he ended up tossed aside and unsuccessful, then so be it. 

"I've also been informed about your attitude outside school. These aren't news, I'm afraid. You and Bowers lack motivation, without a care what you'll be doing with your life in the future." 

Patrick was always twisted from a very young age, despite him not seeing it that way. He would get that sort of thrilling feeling through his veins whenever he viewed any kind of discomfort on another, more so when he inflicted it himself. It was so intriguing for him, from the way that rabbit moved so rapid and swiftly, trying to get out of his grasp. When it's escape went unsuccessful it started to make noises. Patrick would study it with round eyes, which eventually were followed with a wide smile. At that age he didn't attempt to kill it yet, and let it go. He didn't see death as a real thing, until he stumbled upon a starved kitten, it's ribs visible and it's legs weak. 

He tilted his head as he stood over it, the kitty meowed at him, it's high-pitched cries filling his ears. At first he found it terribly annoying, but then he came to enjoy it. It was suffering without the care of its mother. He kneeled on the concrete and the small cat saw this as a welcome to come closer. He tried petting it for a moment and it started purring in a weird way. His fingers run along it's dry fur and he gave more attention on its neck as he grew bored. He stopped and he felt a rush of adrenaline when the cat started meowing louder as he grabbed its neck, it's legs trying to scratch him to get back down. 

The corners of his mouth quirked up in an eerily smile, his eyes shinning slightly. He felt the same feeling when he squeezed the rabbit long ago, but this time he didn't stop and increased the pressure. The kitty stopped moving and it's jaw hang open, it's yellow eyes wide – too wide. He had to compose himself for a moment, releasing his hands as it fell sharpy. He was a god. A chuckle left his lips but he stopped when he heard a hault of steps from behind him. 

It was a young boy that seemed of close age range by his height. He expected him to turn back around and run away, but he didn't. Patrick held a cold gaze. 

"What do you want?" he asked. 

The boy – surprisingly approached him. "What you did was pretty cool."

Patrick didn't expect that. He smiled again. "I do it all the time," he lied but it was mostly the truth. 

The boy looked at the dead cat, then at Patrick. "I'm Henry."

"I'm Patrick."

Henry grinned, revealing a missing tooth. "Cool, wanna join me and my friends? We're on our way to throw paper towels that old lady's house."

"The one with the crazy mole on her nose?"

Henry nodded. Patrick thought about it first. He didn't really have any friends, so this was certainly a change. 

"Sure, why not?"

After that he became a member of the group, soon to be the Bowers Gang. At first he wasn't as welcome, being one year older, but they became so close, they were particularly like brothers. 

Mr. Corbin dragged a hang over his features, a headache starting to form. He waved towards the door, finishing: "that's about it. If you and Bowers get send here one more time, I'll have to take drasting measures. You'll get a pass this time. Mainly because it's your first time, Hockstetter. Now get your ass to class."

Satisfied, Patrick fixed his slouched back and turned around. He instantly noticed the unfamiliar girl next to the doorframe, her curious round eyes watching their interaction with keen interest, like a show being presented for her. Only she didn't applaud, and instead stood there awkwardly. Though she didn't quite fear him, it seemed, but Patrick knew that he'd have to give a good first impression then. That'd change her image of him for sure, he mused. 

He walked out the office with long steps, slowing down only as their eyes met and he instinctively licked his lips when he saw that it worked. 

He didn't care in hearing what the principal shouted at him just as he made his way to class, his mind only on the new victim he found and how he'd proceed next. The corners of his mouth quirked up into that same eerly smile. 

 

   Just as soon as lunch period came, [Name] went to take a seat at a table in the cafeteria, grabbing with her a weird looking sandwich and a soda. The school food definitely wasn't considered a five star meal, but she didn't have much of a choice, since she forgot to bring her own food from home. 

She didn't really care much about not having anyone to sit with, although some company would be nice. She would go sit with her cousin and his friends but she couldn't really find them in this crowd. Despite the town being small, the school was pretty packed. 

Just as she was about to take a bite of her sandwich, she felt someone being pushed against her back. She groaned in annoyance and turned around, ready to cuss whoever hit her. 

She stopped when she noticed a boy trying to stand on both his legs, though unstable. In front of him was the large looking guy she saw with Victor in class before, who wore a hat and a sadistic grin. He was about to make another move on him but turned his head around when he heard his name from the other side of the room – Belch, [Name] heard and looked over at the origin of the call, who was an annoyed looking Henry Bowers. [Name] also noticed Victor and Hockstetter with him. As expected. She still couldn't believe that he was possibly one of Richie's bullies. 

Belch glanced back at the guy who was pushed on [Name] with a piercing glare, though he didn't pay any mind on her. He then turned around and left, going back with his friends, who pushed the door opened and left the cafeteria. 

[Name] looked around, wondering if anyone else saw the whole thing happened, but everyone just went on with their businesses, except maybe like three people, but they still said nothing. She raised a brow. Why didn't anyone do or say anything? Do they control the school or something? She couldn't believe it. People fucking sucked here. She looked back at him, who tried to wipe the dust off of him. His clothes were messy and hang around his body, but he quickly fixed them, along with his posture. He cleared his throat. It took a while for [Name] to notice they initiated contact, and she grew awkward knowing that she was looking at him the whole time. 

She decided to break the silence. "You okay?"

He rose his eyebrows – almost surprised – and tried fixing his brown hair, which was not as easy without the use of a mirror. "Uh, yeah."

The awkward silence around them rose once again as he stood behind her while she had her head still turned around. It was growing sore by the second and she drew a leg over the seat, taking a more comfortable position. 

"Who the hell was that?" she asked. 

He seemed more surprised, as his mouth fell agape for a split second. "Hold up. You don't know him?"

"Um, no?"

He let out a laugh, almost not believing her words. "You're joking, right?"

She shook her head and shrugged. "Should I?"

"I mean, no but-", he continued to stare at her with a look of surprise. "You honestly don't know of the Bowers Gang?"

She didn't know how to respond, then she said, "Well, actually, I'm knew here."

Her words seemed to bring some sort of understanding as he let out an 'ohhh'. Without asking he sat next to her and stook out his arm. "I'm Aiden."

She shook it. "[Name]."

He leaned against his palm, the edge of his elbow just barely touching the table. "So you're new, huh? How come of all places you choose good-old Derry?"

"I used to live here a long time ago," she said. "For now I'm living with my relatives while we search for a house to rent or buy."

"Relatives? Who? I might know 'em.'"

"I don't know if you do, but I'm Richie's cousin and –"

Aiden's eyes widened again. It was pretty amusing how easily surprised he got. 

"You're Tozier's cousin? As in Trashmouth Tozier?"

"Hey, I'd really appreciate you not talking bad about my cousin."

He ignored it, continuing, "No fucking way, dude. That guy doesn't know when to stop."

"So?", she asked as her eyes narrowed. 

He waved his hands dismissively. "No – I'm just saying. He's just a pretty easy target amongst the Bowers Gang."

Just as [Name] was about to ask more, a voice called Aiden from the distance. Two girls waved at them and approached them. 

"We've been looking everywhere for you," the blonde-haired girl said as she gave him a quick hug. 

"Fucking Huggins thought it was funny to push me while I was about to leave," Aiden rolled his eyes. "But he immediately left. I don't care either way."

"Ugh, just ignore them. They're just dumb."

The brunette's focus was at [Name]. "Hey, you're the new girl, right? I think we share English together," she pointed out. 

She titled her head, trying to recall seeing her. "Really? I didn't really notice you. Sorry."

"Oh, where are my manners?" Aiden said. "This is Jamie and Evelyn", he pointed first at the blonde then the brunette. 

[Name] shook their hands, while she revealed her name to the girls. "I'm new here," she added. 

"And she's Tozier's cousin," Aiden interrupted with a grin. 

[Name] sighed at that as she opened her soda. "I still wanna know about that Bowers guy."

The girls sat at the other side of the table, sharing a look and then looked back at her.

"Well, it's best to say to not mess with him or the rest of his gang. Unless you're unlucky then you're fucked. It's best to just not be an easy target," Everly said. 

"It's almost like the whole town fears them," Jamie added. 

[Name] raised a brow. "How come they target my cousin?", she looked at the boy next to her. "Or Aiden for that matter."

He sighed. "It's... a long story."

It would be a lie if she said she wasn't curious, but decided not to push it. "Okay, well," she said between bites, "They better not mess with Richie again."

Everlyn leaned close, "I don't think you're in control of that. I'd advice you to tell Richie to just avoid them as much as possible."

[Name] frowned at that, but she didn't say more. There was something she could do, right? She took a sip of her soda and licked her lips. 

Jamie nudged her friend's shoulder next to her, "Hey, let's invite her to Frank's party," without waiting for a response she looked back at [Name]. "Wanna join us on Friday? It starts at 8 pm."

She stopped chewing as she glanced at the three reluctantly. She really wasn't in the mood for that, wanting to relax the first week. 

"Come on! It'll be fun! We'll introduce you to other people. That way you'll make friends or something." She placed her hands together in a pleading manner, flickering her long lashes. "Pleaseee? Evelyn will give you a ride."

Evelyn shot a disapproving glare at her, mostly because she didn't bother asking first, but it went unnoticed by Jamie. 

[Name] shrugged. "Sure, I guess?", she rubbed the back of her head. "But I'll leave as soon as I get bored. I'm not really in the mood these couple of days."

Jamie rose from her seat and walked over to her, squeezing her into a hug. "Yay! I swear you won't get bored. And if it makes you feel better I won't leave your side."

   Evelyn was kind enough to give [Name] a ride back home, but she didn't really mind since she gave the other two a ride as well. She thanked her as she shut the door behind her, seeing Aiden wave at her while Jamie blew a kiss from behind the window. 

She walked in the Tozier residence and called out if anyone was home. She heard no response and she shrugged. Richie would be with his friends while her dad, and uncle and aunt would be at work. She threw her backpack and shoes off, going to the kitched and opening the fridge. Groaning at the vague options and the rumbling sound from her empty stomach she opted with a bowl of cereal. She sat at the living room, the blanket embracing her comfortably as she wore her pajamas. She should probably have better done her homework or study for that history test, but she really needed some sort of peace. She wasn't really paying attention to the movie, or the random commercials but she was almost shaken up by the sound of her door opening. 

It was her dad. He seemed to be in a really good mood – if the wise smile he had wasn't obvious he greeted her with enthusiasm. 

She quirked a brow, muching on her cereal. "Why so happy? Not that I mind."

He took of his boots, "We're having a barbecue tomorrow!", he exclaimed simply. 

"Huh?"

"Cancel any plans for tomorrow if you have any."

[secondratefiction]

Hi there! Hope you’re doing well! Kicking that funeral services degree’s ass with any luck!! I was wondering if you would be up to writing a drabble for Jason or Tim (whoever you think fits the scenario best) as the boyfriend of a law student. Maybe where they’re living together and she’s just barely getting 3-5 hours of sleep a night while trying to study for finals, writing a full legal brief, practicing for oral arguments, getting ready for her summer associateship, and applying for moot court and law review. (Is this based on some poor law student’s real life? We may never know!) And just like her needing someone to be there and take care of her, but also her wanting to take care of him too even though she is very much Trying Her Best to Survive™? (Btw thank you so much for blessing us with batfam content galore, absolute ICON <3 )

Oh good lord… bless you and this ‘hypothetical’ poor law student. I know my degree is kicking my ass all across the state and back, so I can only imagine… They keep telling me the degrees are worth it… we’ll ride it out and see. Good vides, and better times love 💜

—

Now I fully believe that Timmy would be wonderful at this in his own right… but every single thing about this request violently screams Jason Todd to me…

There are only so many hours and so many spoons in a day, and unfortunately a law degree takes up almost every single ounce of both of them

However, Jason has this innately ingrained need to take care of the people that matter to him, so this is exactly where he shines

He was always Alfred’s best protege, so the man cooks and cleans house like a pro. Not only that, but it’s something that he genuinely enjoys because they are simple and repetitive tasks that let zone out and go through the motions to decompress from his ‘other job’.

While he’s happy to take care of all of that and leave you to focus on the proverbial, ever-growing mountain of work you have - He’s not above making you stop to take a break.

It is not an uncommon occurrence for this man to literally close your laptop, throw you over his shoulder*, and haul you out to the kitchen table to sit down and have a meal with him.

((*I do not care what size you are, or what hang ups you might have about your weight, if this man can hold up a collapsing ceiling, he can carry you across y’alls apartment))

“Ok, I have physically seen you putting food and water into your body, you can go back to your cave now.”

This happens at least 2-3 times a week

He is concerned. Just humor him and let him love you.

Jason is 100% the type to be actively learning from anything you tell him

Some nights, when the insomnia and the nightmares decide to double team him, he’ll even sit up browsing through your textbooks just to try and understand everything you're doing more.

Tim get’s labeled the nerd of the family a lot, but really Jason would have been the family scholar if he’d had the chance

The second bedroom in your apartment is both your office and his library. That shit is floor to ceiling.

With that in mind he is always more than happy to be a sounding board when you need him to. Listen to what you’ve got, argue the other side if necessary

Dear god, just know what you’re getting into there… he lives for that kind of stuff, and he will come prepared. This is one of his all time favorite games, that comes second only to aggravating the living shit out of you (which, if he’s lucky, will be a bonus here)

95% of the time, Jason has got this, got you - focus on your school babe, I’ll take care of it… but that 5%? That bit where he’s not actually infallible? He so very desperately doesn’t want you to see that.

What you’re doing is important, and he doesn’t want the fact he had a rough night to be a distraction for you. This is where you enter a bit of a balancing act…

As much as you may want to put everything aside and take care of him, that is the fastest way to make him shut down.

Instead, grab a textbook and a highlighter. Go ‘make yourself some tea’ and pour him a mug too. Set everything up in the living room and drag him onto the couch with you.

Put his head in your lap, and just run your fingers through his hair while you do some reading.

Bonus points if you put a blanket over him

Poor baby is gonna melt in an instant and be out cold before you know it. Just keep playing with his hair and let him sleep.

And do not mention it if he is emotional when he wakes up… he’s never going to be good/get used to receiving love and affection. Do it anyway, and don’t make a big deal about it.

[catboydogma]

happy 4/20 new part of vide noir is up

i remain king of posting at weird ass times

In the Dream, Fox was sinking slowly no matter how he tried to keep his chin up. If he could just get the rest of his mission over with then, he knew, he could let his limbs crumple, his spine cave in on itself, the grave-clammy hands shoring up his shoulder blades creep over his throat to cover his eyes. In the Dream, he followed a straw-haired man with a blade of yellow light between his pale hands deeper and deeper into Coruscant, the smoke-filled levels indistinct and nondescript around him. In the Dream, he slipped from shadow to shadow like smoke. Like something liquid. Fox felt brackish water rise around him, boots soundless as he treaded and waded through the silt-eddying currents. There were no more natural water sources, and especially nothing like running water this far down on Coruscant. But Fox could smell it. His shining black armor passed through the water without a ripple. But he could feel the salt-sand grit of it at the back of his mouth. How long had he been half-swimming in the dark like this? The Jedi shook Fox off his tail, then doubled back when Fox was still trying to figure out whether he should keep slogging forward or report back to the Chancellor’s office and swallow the consequences as best he could. He turned back around and the Jedi was there again, behind him now, studying him with a strange twist to his mouth. “Huh,” the Jedi said, straw-pale hair shining faintly in the bioluminescent lamplight from a distant street corner. He still held the hilt of his sword in one hand, but the fingers wrapped around it were lax. “I thought you were—never mind. What can I do for you, trooper?” Fox didn’t answer; the Dream demanded no words of him, which is what he liked best about it. He brought his blaster up and got one, two, three shots off. The Jedi jerked back and then forward. The strident light of his sword igniting hurt Fox’s eyes, even behind the visor: nothing so bright belonged in the Dream.

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[quantomeno]

My Little Pony and Bionicle

They both already have a team of six heroes who gained their powers from magical stones, a deity-esque figure with an evil sibling, a seductive villain with a horde of bug minions, a focus on the importance of working together and the species of the focus society is weak and helpless in the face of all the crazy threats that live in their world. I could go on but let's leave it there.

More importantly, and what I got to thinking about, was what element toa would the Main 6 be.

Restricting myself to the 6 main elements:

Applejack: Earth. This is so obvious it's not worth discussing. She would probably have a pakari (mask of strength for any MLP fans in the audience). A rode (let's the user see through lies) would also be very fitting given she's the Element of Honesty.

Pinkie Pie: Stone. This may seem surprising, but she grew up on a rock farm and is an Earth pony. She's a toa of stone in the Pohatu mould. One wants to make her air, but she was specifically chosen to not be a pegasus during development. She could have a miru or kadin (levitation or flight) or a calix ("allows its user to perform at the absolute peak of their natural physical abilities" i.e. do seemingly impossible things).

Fluttershy: Ice. This was tough. I wanted her to be water (and she could be comfortably), but her shyness and quietness made me think this is the better fit. She's a little like Matoro (bot hopefully without the same destiny). She'd have either the faxon (lets her copy any rahi (i.e. animal) powers she knows that live in the environment she's currently in), the zatth (can call a random rahi, but can't control them) or the unnamed mask of rahi control. A rau (translation) could work too given it lets you talk to rahi. I think I like the faxon best for its usefulness.

Rarity: Water. She's elegant and beautiful and I would've considered her for earth (for her gem-finding ability) or ice (because she's quite aloof sometimes), but she is altogether too dramatic for those elements. Though water toa are often known for their calmness, we have enough who are decidedly not calm and I feel she fits the image of the ocean being able to go from beautiful to deadly. She'd have a kiril (repairs damaged inorganic substances) which ties in to her generosity. I could also see her with a hau (shielding) because of her shield powers in equestria girls.

Rainbow Dash: Air. I was thinking fire but no, it has to be air. She needs to be able to fly. She 120% has a pakari (mask of speed) and tools that double as wings.

Twilight Sparkle: Fire. She's the leader; it has to be her. She's more a Vakama-style fire toa though. She has perhaps a rau (translation, for reading those dusty old books), a matatu ("Levitation would have been a breeze~", a garai ("I actually studied gravity spells thinking it might be on my test!"), a kualsi (quick travel is the closest we have to teleportation), a mahiki (illusions, vide Magic Dual)... let's just say she loves collecting masks and has a suva full of them. I'm going to say she most commonly wears a matatu for convenience (and because she'd totally have a scope attached and this way I don't need to imagine how it'd work for other masks).

This has opened up too many ideas and I could go on all day.

Also Spike is their chronicler. I mean, he already writes letters to the Princess and was Rainbow's official biographer that one time.

[copperbadge]

When I was a kid, my mother -- along with most of my friends’ parents who cooked -- had a “cookbook shelf” in the kitchen. This was a very 1980s thing to do, at least in California, particularly in the aging-hippie neighborhood where we lived. I used to think it was awesome and would study the cookbook shelves of my friends’ parents, something I’d forgotten about until this week when I realized I wanted to keep some of my books in the kitchen and also that I even had a clean shelf for them away from the food prep areas.

This isn’t all the cookbooks I own and I’ll probably move some out and others in, but I wanted to send Mum a photo of my cookbook shelf since three of the books on it were gifts this year, so I dressed it with cookbooks she’s given me in addition to ones I want to have there, and I think it looks very nice. I’m quite pleased with my little shelf.

( @drgaellon it turns out she had a copy of On Food And Cooking which she passed on to me after I mentioned your recommendation!) 

[ID: A photo of a shelf inside a kitchen hutch; it holds several books including On Food And Cooking, the Complete Dehydrator Cookbook, Modernist Cooking Sous Vide, Pressure Cooker Perfection, Cooking Jewish, the Jewish Holiday Kitchen, The Jewish Holiday Baker, Mickey’s Gourmet Cookbook, the Nero Wolfe Cookbook, and Canada’s Best Slow Cooker Recipes.]

[wecandoit]

06.04.2023 // i hate being in a rainy mood when it's sunny outside...

🎧: 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒀𝒐𝒖 • 𝑳𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒂 🌙

[danidoesathing]

"Buck doesn't react to the ghosts because he has been able to see ghosts all his life and it's given him this fucked up relationship with death where he's both fascinated and desensitized to it" vs "Buck doesn't react to the ghosts because he spends most of the movie incredibly sleep deprived, constantly hallucinating and high off his ass on a transdimensional drug, so the ghosts are honestly only the 3rd weirdest thing thats happened to him that night"

[kilfeur]

J'ai fini de regarder l'interview des créateurs de tdp. Et il y a des trucs intéressants comme le fait que la pièce que ramasse Callum va avoir un rôle important. Ils ont dit qu'ils voulaient que l'audience voit que la pièce est vide et non détruite. Contrairement à Aaravos, qui a fusionné avec la perle et son âme. Callum a dit que dans l'épisode 2 de la saison 6, qu'il a étudié les sorts d'étoiles. Et si il se connecte pas l'arcanum des étoiles. Ça pourrait lui donner un dilemme de qui il va libérer : Kpp'ar (si ils retrouvent leur pièce), l'un des parent de Rayla. Ou bien l'utiliser comme un catalyseur pour un sort d'étoile contre Aaravos. Entre les trois, lequel serait le plus utile pour vaincre Aaravos dans leur quête ? Bien que la théorie de piéger Aaravos dans une pièce est une possibilité.

J'aime le fait qu'ils parlent de la geôlière, parce que comme je te l'avais dit dans un de mes précédent post, je pensais que le miroir était comme une caméra de surveillance avec une intention sadique derrière. Lui faire désirer quelque chose qu'il ne pourra plus jamais avoir. C'est cruel mais terriblement efficace. Et ils parlent de la frontière entre la pitié et la cruauté, qui peut être mince. Du point de vue de la geôlière, il s'agissait plutôt de l'emprisonner dans un endroit où il se sentirait en sécurité, sa maison, et de poser la perle auprès du cadavre de sa fille pour qu'il puisse se reposer auprès d'elle, je peux comprendre la logique derrière dans le sens, ils pensaient qu'il pourrait faire son deuil devant son cadavre qui serait plus une tombe puis l'accepter et aller de l'avant. Mais du point de vue d'Aaravos, c'est une torture psychologique. Et c'est pourquoi il est si nonchalant dans ses interactions avec les autres.

L'ordre cosmique, avec du recul, ils ont pensé que c'était la meilleure chose à faire de les condamner selon leur compréhension et leur logique. Aaravos avait une autre vision du monde avant la mort de Leola. Mais l'ordre cosmique voit le monde depuis les étoiles et comment il se déroule. Ils ne ressentent pas le besoin de descendre à Xadia et d'expérimenter le monde comme Aaraovos et Leola. La punition de Leola est injuste pour nous, mais pas pour eux.

I finished watching the interview with the tdp creators. And there's some interesting stuff like the fact that the coin Callum picks up is going to have an important role. They said they wanted the audience to see that the coin is empty and not destroyed. Unlike Aaravos, who has merged with the pearl and his soul. Callum said that in episode 2 of season 6, he studied star spells. Supposing that he doesn't connect to the star arcanum. That could give him a dilemma of who to free: Kpp'ar (if they find his coin), one of Rayla's relatives. Or use it as a conduct for a star spell against Aaravos. Which of the three would be most useful in defeating Aaravos in their quest? Although the theory to trap Aaravos in a coin is a possibility.

I like the fact that they're talking about the jailer, because as I told you in one of my previous posts, I thought the mirror was like a surveillance camera with sadistic intent behind it. To make him long for something he can never have again. It's cruel but terribly effective. And they talk about the thin line between pity and cruelty. From the jailer's point of view, it was more a case of imprisoning him in a place where he would feel safe, his home, and placing the pearl next to his daughter's corpse so that he could rest beside her, I can understand the logic behind it in the sense that they thought he could mourn in front of her corpse which would be more of a grave then accept it and move on. But from Aaravos' point of view, it's psychological torture. And that's why he's so nonchalant in his interactions with others.

The cosmic order, in hindsight, they thought it was the right thing to do to condemn them according to their understanding and logic. Aaravos had a different view of the world before Leola's death. But the cosmic order sees the world and how it unfolds from the stars. They don't feel the need to come down to Xadia and experience the world like Aaraovos and Leola. Leola's punishment is unfair to us, but not to them.

[pinkestlittlebutterfly]

Servamp hospital AU with no plot only vibes but I do the rest of the cast too so everyone can suffer:

Iduna – Clinical engineer. Though her responsibilities are mostly limited to testing, maintaining and occasionally doing small repairs on the medical equipment, she always looks at the machines in her care like she’s itching to do more. She’s vastly overqualified for her position, but left what would be any other engineer’s dream job at a well-known medical manufacturer to take it, for unknown reasons. 

Freya – The resident pharmacist. She wouldn’t usually have much contact with patients, but sometimes exasperated nurses will ask her to explain how some patient’s medication works to them, counting on her fierce glare to hammer the message home. She’s precise in her work but not opposed to chaos, as evident by how much time she spends watching Iduna come up with creative ways to test the surgery robots. 

Licht – Paramedic, stoic in even the most stressful situations. Though one wouldn’t think of him as good with people, the confidence he has in everything he does is a pillar of comfort to those he treats as well as his team. Some people think he developed a bit of a complex, saving people’s lives on a daily basis, but Hyde assures them he’s always been like that. He rarely starts fights (with those who aren't Hyde) but will end them.

Hyde – Paramedic. Whether he’s well-suited for his profession is up for debate, as stress makes him act out easily when in the wrong mood. He put himself on a team with Licht, and for a long time any emergency doctor made to work with them would groan at the thought of their squabbling. Recently they have gotten along better, and Hyde’s stress tolerance seems to have improved. 

Niccolo – Emergency doctor, originally an internist. Though he spends most of his time looking like he’ll fall apart at even the suggestion of stress, he changes completely once in an actual life-or-death situation and will easily take charge of his team. He’s happy in his job, and it’s a step up from working in the hospital itself, which was the actual cause of his stress. 

Ildio – ER nurse. Though he seems to be a perfect fit for his job – fiercely caring but looking rough enough to nip any problematic behaviour in the bud – it’s actually just what he first fell into when completing his training. Recently the emergency doctor he spends his breaks with has encouraged him to find something he actually enjoys doing, and he has been looking to become a NICU nurse. 

Krantz – Professional translator, working wherever a bridge between the staff and one of their patients needs to be built, and is thus always busy. No one knows how many languages he actually speaks. His most impressive achievement in bridge-building is getting paramedics Licht and Hyde to form a somewhat cohesive unit, to a point where their long-suffering ambulance driver has him on speed dial.

Johannes – Haematologist. He is obsessed with his work and spends a decidedly unhealthy amount of hours in the lab, living off strange concoctions presumably containing lots of caffeine and lots of sugar. Though he's not supposed to collect his samples himself, he does so with great joy. Few of the studies he proposes make it past the ethics committee.

Gear – Lab tech. The quiet world of the lab suits him, and he’s well adapted to the traditions and mindsets of those who live within it, though they tend to come off as bizarre to others. He spends his downtime scouring catalogues for the latest lab equipment, and sometimes brings some of it home to decorate the house with. His husband Youtarou seems strangely okay with this.

Youtarou – Social media manager. Most people think of his job as useless, but he thinks it's important for patients and even more so potential recruits to have a friendly face to associate the hospital with. His favourite part of the job is working with Iduna, who in turn loves the opportunity to make the surgery robots do something funny for a cute video.

[welcome-to-dragonshead]

L'appel du vide

characters: Alexei Molyboha & X-13/[redacted] (both my ocs)

cw for manipulation and implied past trauma and abuse.

I have been told many things about this…”specimen” I’m visiting, if they so call it. I recall the memory of me asking the higher-ups about it, and receiving their case study and being told the words “do not heed to its will, do not show sympathy or empathy, for it feeds on it and will use you as a toy.”

Even after reading it and hearing what they said, it is hard for me to believe there's any possibility of me following those instructions. Thanks to “it”, I got out of the worst situation of my life. Thanks to “it”, I am able to live (semi) safely (within the limits of my profession), and show myself to a world that I had deemed as hopeless so long ago. I can only feel grateful for a creature deemed this vile, so unbothered and distant from humanity.

Those are the thoughts that run through my mind as I walk through the sterile hallways of the M.O.R.G.U.E anomaly containment facility until I reach the interrogation room. I greeted the guards with a subtle wave; I showed them my clearance card, and I was allowed in.

The creature, specimen X-13, was sitting, with handcuffed gloved hands, on one of the chairs opposite to me, its impossibly dark eyes piercing through me, smirking lightly, as if it was all part of its plan. Its fox ears twitched slightly at the sound of my entrance. It presented as a tall young man with lengthy, straight white hair and tanned skin with two cross-shaped scars beneath its left eye, fueling my curiosity about it even further. Despite them, it was beautiful, but in a distinctly inhuman manner that incited a subtle sense of unease whenever you laid eyes upon it. It smiled and asked, tilting its head:

“You must be Agent Molyboha, right? You wanted an interview with me.”

I turned on my recorder. If anything went askew, as it often did in these interviews, at least I could have proof of whatever happened.

“Yes, it's me,” I answered, fiddling with my tie. Its energy was uncomfortable, unsettling, and I felt like it was ready to lunge at me and cut me open like a wild animal. I didn't like this one bit, yet, I was absorbed by its presence, somehow.

“Come on, don't be so uptight, get comfortable. I don't bite,” its voice was low, seductive, hypnotizing; and he flashed me a grin with razor-sharp teeth, and my anxiety worsened. Now it really looked like some sort of predator out to kill me. I obeyed it sheepishly, only uttering a small “sure.”

“I wanted to know you better,” I retorted, a bit defensively. I attempted to avoid eye contact, but the specimen's eyes followed mine with keen interest.

“Really? That's surprising. You have a whole document detailing everything you may want to know about me,” it quipped sarcastically, voice hushed and squinting like it was confessing a secret.

“I also wanted to thank you.” My response caused the initial disinterest of the specimen to disappear, surprise overtaking its features. I didn't feel as anxious as it let his guard down, but it regained his composure soon after, and the wicked energy in the room regained its strength again.

“I was just doing my job, there's no need to thank me.” X-13’s mask of indifference slipped as I sensed its pride in its task. Just doing my job, my ass. I bet it was stoked when it was able to leave containment for a few days.

“No, I did. My case…it was easy to solve and considering your fame as an honorary agent to get involved in such things, I thought I wanted to thank you for your kindness. You helped me, and so many others stuck in that sect.”

A beat went by.

And another.

I feared that stroking its ego didn't work as well as I hoped.

The specimen laughed, a cruel, fox-like sound that only a creature such as itself can make. I felt a pang of shame as I couldn't help but wonder what was so odd that I did to provoke such a reaction.

“What's so funny?” I ask, embarrassment washing over me. The creature finally stopped laughing as it stared right at me again, with that annoying Cheshire-cat-like smile that had been plastered on its face for so long.

“I didn't think you'd have it in you to think I could be so selfless. I could give less of a crap about your dad, the cult he led or the people in it, Molyboha.” It inched closer to me, his grin growing as it continued, “Do you really know what I want, doll face?” Its voice lowered again, sending a shiver down my spine. Oh, how I hated being there.

“What do you want?” The feeling that it was going to eat me raw came back, hitting me like a truck. I trembled slightly under the specimen's gaze, the anxiety again clawing back at me and screaming to run towards the door and leave this unfinished. But I wouldn’t. I couldn’t.

“Just so you know, I don't have any reasons to lie to you, Alexei.” Our faces were inches apart, and this melodramatic bastard was already dragging the surprise factor too much.

“It's me, isn't it?” I answered my own question, looking at the specimen with contempt.

“It's good to see you came to that conclusion too,” it chuckled, slowly backing away. “When I saw your profile, it was like love at first sight, really.”

I felt my face go a little red at the implication. I remembered their words; “it will use you as a toy”, and a pit of guilt formed in my stomach because I completely ignored their warning. Like an idiot that is absolutely going to get mauled at the moment. I regained my strength and continued the conversation.

“I'm assuming you want me to work for you?”

“Yes, exactly,” it beamed.

“Is that even allowed?”

It doubted for a moment and brought its hand to his forehead.

“Yeah, it's allowed. I'm exceptional, of course— and I need someone as exceptional as you to keep me in check. Look.” It gestured at me to help take off the gloves, and let me take in the uncomfortable sight of its palms. Two burn marks decorated its hands, and an archaic symbol seemed, but were not, recently burnt into its skin— yet, when I touched them, X-13 felt no pain.

“I don't let others see this, consider yourself lucky,” it joked, a bit embarrassed. “Do you understand now?”

“You're…an Emanator?” I let go of its hands, shaken up by the strange intimacy of it.

“Seems like you know what you're talking about,” it mocked, raising its chin.

“My father was one of you,” I realized as I felt my stomach churn at the memory of him.

“No shit, Sherlock. I was there. What he used to keep his followers docile was you— that's what I'm getting at.”

Silence followed after. What the fuck was that thing talking about?, I thought. I stared at the fluorescent lights above me, but their brightness immediately hurt my eyes and I sat up straight.

“So, what, you want me to follow you around and hope your supervisors are so terrified of you to let you do whatever you want?” I scoffed.

“Exactly. But not the last part. Do you know what a Dissipator is?”

Oh.

Oh, shit.

I did not want to talk about this at all.

“I think you got something wrong,” I blurted out. “I am not special in any manner, I'm just working here.” I tried to get up from my chair.

“Cut the bullshit,” it scolded sternly, its hypnotizing gaze forcing me to sit back down. “You're literally a reality bender, Alexei. You lived with that son of a bitch for nineteen years and the mana balance of the area was still stable. When you came here,” it paused, getting hold of a small, rectangular device similar to a geiger counter, “The energy of the room was at 20 counts,” it motioned at the third lowest setting on the object. “Before that, it was barely reaching 60 counts, even with the mana anchors. Your presence is able to reduce the presence of my mana by 33.3%. That's unheard of, so stop trying to get out of this one so easily,” it let go of the counter, pleased as it watched me sit back down obediently.

“Shouldn't you want me to make you more powerful? That makes no sense.” I asked, attempting to keep my cool, but it felt like it could hear the ominous thudding of my heart.

“Quite the opposite, actually. Us working together gives me a higher chance of doing as a wish— I would be less threatening to them. Plus, it keeps the nasty little voice in my head telling me to rip your heads off under control.” I grimaced at the mental image. What power could this creature have?, I pondered. Clearly a lot, since it was in containment and just being around it was terrifying.

“And what do I get out of it?” I said, as I inched closer to it, curiously.

“You help me! Isn't that why you joined? To help people?” it sneered at me, like it had done all this interview.

“That's not going to be enough.”

“Well, aside from seeing my pretty face daily, you'd become a division leader. A nice upgrade from your info-gathering with the Rats, right? And the pay gets better.”

It sounded too good to be true. Since I joined, becoming a field agent had been what I always wanted to do. And now, it was going to give me what I wanted. Like it always did. I'd just have to pay the small price of becoming its plaything to get it. For its good, for others’ good, to save people, and to be able to live with myself for once.

I didn't want to hate myself for what happened there anymore.

Being able to pay rent also sounded nice, for a change.

Ignoring their warnings was wrong, this was a dangerous being. But it had always been benevolent to me. If it was always going to be like this, I didn't mind becoming its toy as long as it treated me with kindness again.

The rest of the conversation went by idly, and the longer I was there, I was surprised to find myself progressively growing used to X-13’s intimidating aura. It was very knowledgeable on a wide range of topics; specifically on anatomy, chemistry and medicine, and its excitement was noticeable whenever they were mentioned, prompting a lengthy, uninterruptible rant about the subject at hand. Despite this flaw, it was an expert conversationalist and jumped between different topics at ease; it was surprisingly, one of the first few people I met since i left that place that was able to keep me thoroughly engaged when talking to them.

And then, our time was up.

“I'll think about your proposal, X-13,” I muttered, as I rose from my seat. “Your offer is so good it sounds like a trick.”

It frowned, scrunching its nose. “I don't joke about these things, doll face. Just give me the ounce of freedom I ask of you and I'll treat you like a king. I promise.”

“Promises can be broken,” I replied, a smirk on my face for the first time in our exchange.

“You're an idiot,” it shot back.

“I sure am. I'll be going now, goodbye.” I took the recorder and stopped the tape. If I actually started working around this thing (Gods forbid), keeping it in arm’s reach was going to be a smart move.

I looked back at the room, the creature waving goodbye to me as the guards took it back to its containment chamber.

“I hope I can see you again soon, Agent,” it purred flirtatiously as the guards forced it out of the room.

I didn't think I'd ever be insane enough to actually work with this bastard. I was wrong.

Relieved, I made my way back to Human Resources, praying to whatever is up there that they weren't useless enough to pair me up with this demon or whatever it was.

Author's notes:

this may give you a bit of whiplash considering the relationship x-13 (also known as "[redacted]") and alexei exhibit in this compared to what I normally post about them. x-13's manipulative behavior is intentional, and so is alexei being absolutely terrified of him at first; this is one of their first proper meetings, and their relationship will become healthier and more honest as time goes on. just a lil heads up!

There's also some lore things I should explain. The magic system in this world is governed by several higher powers encarnating fear. Negative emotions feed them and create mana energy that magic users allowed to draw from to perform their techniques. Sometimes they can draw that power from themselves if they have enough emotion pent up in them.

Emanators are beings chosen by these powers to do their bidding. They are able to manipulate mana energy by inciting fear into the people in the area. They are also given powers and abilities the entity's values and have distinctive markings on their skin.

Dissipators are lesser known (and not as frequent, either) but their presence is capable of removing mana energy. They have markings shaped in a four-pointed star. Their origin is found in mana-heavy and environments where many repressed emotions may come up; they exist to balance things out.

Avatars (who don't pop up here but may in other writings) are beings or objects synthesized to worship or incarnate an entity's power or values. If their creation is unsuccessful, these objects may gain sentience or some other anomalous properties.

MORGUE (Magical Object Research Gathering Unions for Enforcement) is the organization dedicated to capturing and researching emanators and avatars and creating and enforcing universal law. They exist world-wide and are divided in smaller units or unions for maximum efficiency when capturing an anomalous object. Sometimes they allow usage or participation of anomalous beings and objects in cases if needed.

[thebibutterflyao3]

Day 20 - Prompt: Kiss Me @pandalilymicrofics

February Daily Series - 606 words

<<<Previous Part OR Start Here

“The World in past placement is fairly straightforward,” the medium said. She shifted her attention to the card with a naked woman surrounded by symbols of the four elements: fire, earth, air, and water. “You’ve closed a path in the past.”

Pandora glanced idly at the card, then dismissed it. “I finished my degree program recently.”

The medium cleared her throat and tapped the card impatiently. With a sigh, and more than a little reluctance, Pandora gave it her full attention. The World card meant a significant ending. She didn’t see why an ending in her past was relevant now.

“This isn’t over.”

“What do you mean?” Pandora asked, glancing over her shoulder at where Lily studied a chart on moon phases taped to the wall.

The medium tapped the card pointedly. “Do you see it now?”

It’s upside-down. A reversal.

“Well shite.”

From behind her shoulder, Lily snorted a startled laugh and dropped a keychain that said “Kiss me, I know you want to.” She quickly covered her mouth as she stepped outside the tent.

Pandora rolled her eyes, but couldn’t quite hide the grin behind her hand. “Don’t mind her. She’s nervous.”

The medium waved her hand dismissively, then focused her intense gaze on Pandora again. “That was my doing. I must stress the importance of this to you, my dear, and she is distracting. This is not your past relationship, but it’s someone’s…someone close to you.”

“I can sense him lurking,” she whispered, closing her eyes and turning her head slowly from side to side. A deep shudder ran through her body. “I cannot see his face, but he has a dark aura and terrible intentions.”

“To hurt me? Or the someone?”

The medium’s eyes flicked open and blew wide. Her face turned pale while her voice grew deep and shaky with age as she recited in a thick French accent, “Tu l'as rejeté deux fois, mon bijou. Les mains vides, les yeux vides. Il tend la main... il tend la main vers toi. Il brisera la barrière qui lui barre la route.”

As the medium’s flush returned to her cheeks, Pandora blinked rapidly at her. This wasn’t the first time that a medium received a message directly from the veil for her, but this voice was certainly new. A message from her grandmother would have been rambling and couched with gentle reassurance and advice. This was a clear and concise warning.

Grandfather. He was the only one who called me “my jewel.”

Her grandmother introduced her to her faith and occasionally reached out through Celestina. Papa Rosier was another story. He was a deeply private man who rarely spoke up in life, let alone after death.

You rejected the man twice, my jewel.

Rejected a man twice? Barty, it had to be Barty. She had convinced both Regulus and Evan to break-up with him. He must know it was because of her intervention.

Empty hands, empty eyes.

Barty’s eyes were disturbingly dark and soulless. In every photo Evan showed her, the slender man was either possessed or permanently high. Probably both.

He reaches out…He reaches out to you.

If Barty laid one finger on her, Pandora wouldn’t hesitate to castrate the arsehole. He deserved it, and far more.

He will break the barrier that blocks his path.

Her relationship with her brother? Her friendship with Regulus? Or just her, in general?

“Oh my,” the medium breathed out. She clasped a hand to her chest and gulped down air.

“I-I need to go. Here’s…here’s what I owe you.” Pandora handed the woman what she owed for the session and the rose quartz. “This was very helpful. Thanks.”

“Very well. Take care, my dear!” the woman called out cheerily.

Take care. Good advice.