#their acting is so good here especially the shift in emotions via eyes

[tianmijun]

Kill Me Love Me Ep.22 (2024)

little beggar, being alive is the real torture

[amyisherenowitsokay]

Zagr for the ship ask 😤😤😤 every single one bitch

I cannot believe you have bombarded me like this. Appalled. Insulted. Astounded.

Please enjoy my entire analysis of my fictional totally canonical ship.

PRE-RELATIONSHIP

1. How did they first meet?

Dib, but also school.

2. What was their first impression of each other?

I think they're both initially incredibly dismissive of one another. Zim thinks the entire fate of the Armada's reputation lying on his shoulders, and Gaz really has too many personal problems even as a kid to deal with; neglectful Dad, overprotective, stupid brother, etc.

3. Did any of their friends or family want them to get together?

Okay so hear me out; I think Skoodge and Professor Membrane would be so obnoxious in the best way. And Gir, whenever his attention span lets him remember long enough to scream about it. But I think Membrane would be chipper about Gaz finding someone, even long before she admits she's even interested, and Skoodge would want Zim to be happy and is unconditionally supportive, especially when Zim is mopey whenever his advances are rebuffed.

4. Who felt romantic feelings first?

Honestly, I love a Zim simp, but I genuinely think it'd be Gaz. Zim is obviously a Defect capable of feeling a larger range of emotions than other Irkens, but he still didn't receive socialization that makes 'romantic rituals' in any way natural to him. So I think Gaz and him would buddy up platonically and casually, initially, until she realizes she likes his company a little too much and freaks out about it.

5. Did either of them try to resist their feelings?

Gaz does, 100%, and she's way more stubborn about it then Zim. I think Zim's denial is just that he doesn't "get" romance (see above) and what's going on with him, but once he understands he's fully down to bombard Gaz with affection, flirtations, and other over-the-top simp behavior until she stops pretending she's not gritting her teeth while fighting a blush.

6. If you had told one of them that the other would be their soulmate, what would they think?

Zim doesn't know what a soul is, but he does begin to understand the concept that they can be taken from human's in bargains. He becomes distracted by the topic. Bringing it up again later would have him largely dismissive.

Gaz would roll her eyes, and be extremely bitter about the idea that there is anyone 'made' for her. She's very independent, and I think someone with the sort of familial issues she does with no role model for a 'happy' family would be really resistant to being bound to someone in a way that would entitle them to her vulnerabilities. She'd be extremely resentful, dismissive, and irritable.

7. What would their lives be like if they had never met?

Really unfulfilled, listless. Without that companionship, they would never develop into people capable of meaningful relationships. I think both of them are very independent. Zim may claim he likes an audience, but there's an undeniable anxiety that he gets when faced with judgement. If it's anything but unwaveringly positive, he becomes delusional and creates a fantasy world in which everyone loves him, and the situation was just an initial misinterpretation. Gaz would have good friends, I think, but accepting Zim and his oddities and realizing she genuinely relates to someone who knows everything about her (via her brother + proximity + time) and is still here would mean a lot to her development.

GENERAL

1. Who initiated the relationship, and how did it go?

Zim, without a doubt. Gaz may like Zim first, but she's completely in denial about it and completely stubborn. Zim is oblivious, and also a big ass simp, so his persistence and patience eventually gets Gaz to let her guard down and accept that she has hormones, she has romantic inclinations, and apparently they've both decided Zim is it. Time to be a big girl and accept it.

2. Did they have an official first date? If so, what was it like?

Honestly, I don't think they're the 'date' type of couple. I am probably 100% projecting since my boyfriend and I did not have an official 'date' until like 6 months into our first relationship, where we paused, turned to each other and were like 'wait is this our first date?' because we're homebodies whose idea of fun is projects. I think Zim and Gaz would hang out regularly, but it wouldn't ever be like a formal 'we are going to Bloaty's/the movies/etc as a date,' but rather 'I am going here and you are coming with me so I guess we are going together' thing. Zim doesn't get the point of a date, because if a date is by definition doing an activity together, then aren't they perpetually on a date? And Gaz isn't really a 'let's go to dinner formally' kind of person. They hang out, they go places, but it's never really a 'thing.'

3. What was their first kiss like?

I firmly believes Gaz would have to walk Zim through every aspect of physical affectionate. Zim is really wary about it, but I do think there's an instinct towards good ol' copulation, as well as a longing for positive touch after so long getting his ass whooped in the Academy, that would make him frustrated trying to figure out what this desire is. I think their first kiss is Gaz explaining to Zim, after he asks her outright what else there is after tame stuff like cuddling and hand holding, and Gaz walks him through the concept, implications, and so on until he feels ready to bravely and firmly try it.

While that does sound pretty clinical, I think actually it'd be really emotional for both of them. Zim would be really overwhelmed by how much passion is in a kiss, and Gaz would be similarly overwhelmed since, going into the relationship, she probably never anticipated Zim being interested in anything sexual, so any physical affection he expresses interest in is a surprise to her.

4. Were they each other’s first anything (kiss, relationship, etc.)?

I think Gaz probably would try out a few brief relationships, but never anything substantial or dramatic. Zim's never been in a relationship, so Gaz is his first everything. I do think they'd be each other's first sexual relationship, but I think Gaz would have most of her more minimal firsts with other people prior to Zim.

5. What’s their height difference? Age difference?

Zim older. I normally write Zim as the same height as Gaz, or only a little taller. Neither of them are tall. I do respect you 'short king' stans though.

6. What’s their relationship with each other’s families?

Dib hates Zim, firmly and completely, at the beginning of their relationship. It takes a lot of self-reflection, meaningful sibling discussions, and probably a few screaming matches that eventually get to the real root of the issue (Dib's ingrained fear that something would happen to Gaz, and that it'd his fault) before he came around. Zim is a big petty bitch and would gleefully antagonize him. They would never stop sniping at each other, but they'd begrudgingly (sort of) behave for Gaz. They would eventually become frenemies and bros, but they'd die and also kill each other before admitting any sort of cordiality.

Professor Membrane adores Zim, and treats him like the son he never had/always wanted, the one who wants to have long discussions about science and can keep up with the theoreticals. Gaz hates it.

The Base and Gaz are cool. They have an understanding borne from two sentient creatures who have found themselves in the position of trying to keep Zim from killing himself, killing other people, or from coming to (too much) harm. Gaz initially hates Gir, but eventually she figures out how to get him to chill out when it's important. Minimoose and her are also cool, but he creeps Gaz out a little.

7. Who takes the lead in social situations?

Zim thinks he does, but it's really just Gaz slapping her hand over his mouth before he can say something stupid, or translating whatever nonsense just came out of his mouth when he's done talking.

8. Who gets jealous easier?

Zim. Not even a question.

9. Who whispers inappropriate things in the other’s ear?

Zim. Also not even a question.

LOVE

1. Who said “I love you” first?

Gaz. Zim doesn't know what it means until she explains it. It takes him awhile to internalize it and reciprocate verbally, but Gaz is okay with that. He shows her how much he cares in other ways.

2. What are their primary love languages?

Without a doubt, Zim's is touch. Once he gets used to it, he's really greedy and possessive about proximity. Just having Gaz bump his arm is sometimes enough to set the worst of his nerves at ease.

Gaz's is acts of service. She's fine with Zim being physically clingy, but it means a lot to her how unflinching he is about protecting her, anticipating her needs, and remembering things.

3. Who uses cheesy pick-up lines?

Zim. Gaz hates them, but she tolerates it. Sometimes.

4. How often do they cuddle/engage in PDA?

Cuddling is very frequent. Zim will just sort of shift in behind Gaz if she's playing a game and cling, and she'll just keep doing what she's doing until she's eventually done and reciprocates. Explicit PDA never happens, but Zim is very clingy and physically will plant himself between Gaz and people who he's distrustful towards.

5. Who initiates kisses?

Gaz. I think Zim would cling to her like a barnacle at every opportunity, but Zim would likely usually defer to Gaz for escalating intimacy.

6. Who’s the big and little spoon?

Zim big spoon. PAK too uncomfortable to let him be the little spoon.

7. What are their favorite things to do together?

I think just being around each other while they do projects, game, etc. would be their favorite thing to do. Sharing in hobbies without feeling pressured to be entertaining, but still feeling like their presence is valued and wanted by the other.

8. Who’s better at comforting the other?

Being a people, and having more emotional competency, Gaz is better. Zim does his best though.

9. Who’s more protective?

Zim, if we're talking about quantity. Gaz, however, if we're talking about quality. Zim screams at chihuahuas for looking at Gaz, and also does protect her from genuine threats, but he overreacts frequently. Gaz, however, would know when Zim's out of his depth and would break the spine of anything that's a threat to him.

10. Do they prefer verbal or physical affection?

Physical, for both. Neither of them is really used to verbal affection, whether it be giving or receiving. It's a lot more natural to be demonstrative.

11. What are some songs that apply to their relationship, in-universe or otherwise?

Me, cackling as I copy and paste this link that I imagine is from their mutual perspectives:

https://open.spotify.com/track/4nlT0Ch4qpqoS8O1RsdzjH?si=d6d8e1e19a7d4dc7

12. What kind of nicknames do they call each other?

There's lots, and I'm sure most of them are inside jokes, but the tops are Zimmothy + Little Gaz.

13. Who remembers the little things?

It's hard to say. Zim would retain an encyclopedic knowledge of all things Gaz, and tries to spoil her and accommodate her at every opportunity, but Gaz never forgets to pack an extra umbrella and a raincoat.

DOMESTIC LIFE

1. If they get married, who proposes?

Zim.

2. What’s the wedding like? Who attends?

No one but their mutual 'families.' A very small, intimate ceremony. The reception though is massive, courtesy of Professor Membrane who has no idea how to separate his personal life with his public one.

3. How many kids do they have, if any? What are they like?

0 kiddos. Cannot product viable, compatible DNA to produce a spawn.

4. Do they have any pets?

Does Gir count?

5. Who’s the stricter parent?

If Gir is the child, Zim. Gaz will let him get away with murder, both because she can't be bothered to control him, and also because she thinks it's funny how mad Zim gets when she lets him go wild.

6. Who worries the most?

Between Gaz "apathetic is my middle name" Membrane and Invader "I have perpetual anxiety" Zim? No idea.

7. Who kills the bugs in the house?

Gir. He eats them long before anyone can find them. But both Gaz and Zim will point out any he misses.

8. How do they celebrate holidays?

Zim fucking hates Christmas, so him and Membrane get down in a bunker for it while Dib and Gaz spend some sibling time somewhere, drinking cocoa and video chatting with the respective morons. Other holidays, they basically go wherever Professor Membrane is in the world with Dib to have a 'family' holiday.

9. Who’s more likely to convince the other to come back to sleep in the morning?

Zim doesn't sleep, but he likes the resting and the peacefulness of getting to curl around Gaz in her sleep without her leaving. So him by default.

10. Who’s the better cook?

Zim has a 'kiss the chef' apron and everything.

11. Who likes to dance?

Neither of them, but Zim does 'victory dances' compulsively.

[jencsi]

Let’s Talk- Finn and Russell;

From the very beginning, we get the hint, notion, presence of a deeper connection between Julie Finlay and DB Russell. In Seeing Red, when she hears him, not even having to look and know he’s there during the crime scene reconstruction, just his voice alone makes her roll her eyes, gets her fired up with some sort of passion, anger, emotional reaction. As evidenced from their conversation about the blood spatter case, her resistance to proceed further with him again shows she is not quite over what has happened to them in the past and it makes viewers want to know, what the heck happened? What could this seemingly unbothered hippie like guy have ever done to cross this already sullen yet spirited woman? Despite her futile attempts to deflect him, she cannot help but be drawn to the case, he sought her out after all, he must be desperate. When she retrieves the file he leaves behind and it piques her interest, she gives in, with probably a lot of hemming and hawing off screen, before venturing to CSI for the first time.

That single solitary scene cemented in my brain their dynamic from that day forward. There was no going back for me. Whatever they had in the past, whether that be something romantic, friendly or just work related, my soul ached to know more and even better, my heart yearned to watch them more, to listen, to observe the bantar, the sarcasm, the snark, the sheer and utter pure honesty that comes from their conversations. DB Russell is not trying to trick Finn, he’s not trying to make her figure out some silly puzzle or game, he just wants her expertise and guidance. Once she accepts his offer, her personality begins to shine via her work (Should I wrap it up and take it back to the lab? Took the words right out of my mouth smart ass” “You know me so well” “And you know blood, better than anyone I know”) her bonding with her colleagues, and even better, the little hints at what was between her and Russell back in Seattle.

When we finally do get to see that past revealed, ripped open like a fresh wound, via CSI on Fire, we see the headstrong and overheated Finn on a mission, prove that Tom Cooley is a killer and bring justice to the families of his victims. Of course that journey is not without complications and wild accusations, of course Finn would never kill anyone, that I firmly believe, unless of course it’s to save a friend or colleague (saving Greg from that supposed innocent victim of the Gig Harbor Killer in The Twin Paradox) but Cooley rattles her, gets under her skin in a way different from Russell. In fact it’s Russell warning her to be careful, to go with caution, but her typical rebellious nature of “I’m not listening” pushes her further to the truth and to danger at every turn.

Her tone when speaking to Russell about the discovery of Cooley’s body in his hotel shifts our thinking that maybe she isn’t the same person she was two years ago. If what we are observing right now is the casual cool collected Finn, just how reckless was she in Seattle? She feels the disappointment from Russell in his tone, the way he looks at her, and she hates that, she doesn’t want to disappoint anyone, especially him. His presence in her life since the Seattle days has created this combination of not wanting to let him down or disappoint him mixed with her fierce loyalty to the truth, to the victims and their families, clashing with her exuberant personality.

With CSI on Fire resolved, Finn melts back into a rhythm with her ex-husband, also a component of her former life in Seattle, all seems right between Russell and her, a trademark of their friendship, forgiveness and acceptance.

Looking at their dynamic from the perspective of the actors who portray them, Ted Danson has referred to them as the bickersons, like oil and water, but at the same time, Finn/Elisabeth and her characters intrusiveness helps him do his job better and see things clearly when it comes to cases as well as other aspects of his characters life. Elisabeth meanwhile seemed to enjoy the back and forth dialogue and the testiness of their relationship, she seemed invested in their past in Seattle and wondered where the writers would take that.

In Homecoming, the season 12 finale, we see corruption and problems arise amongst the police force and Russell apologies for seeming to drag Finn into this mess and bringing her there to work but she states that she makes her own decisions and doesn’t seem bothered by the issues until she is thrown into the chaos of it all when she trails Crenshaw and stumbles into the violence they have created around them with the assistance of McKeen and Kimball.

The Finn and Russell dynamic gets tested here when Katie, Russell’s grand daughter is kidnapped and Finn attempts to save her. In the chaos, she sends Katie out into the unknown alone while she does battle with Crenshaw (a violent but epic struggle, major kudos to the stunt work they did here, it felt so real and made me love Finn even more, seeing how far Elisabeth was willing to take this character) Russell is devastated to learn Finn let Katie escape alone but is also distraught knowing both were hurt and in danger. His anger at Finn boils over when she insists she’s fine, how he refers to her as “Finn” on the phone instead of the sweeter Jules we are used to hearing, and when she discusses the case with him in the bedroom where Katie was taken from and he punched the wall, leading to a missed clue. Despite the resentment towards her, they figure out Katie’s whereabouts and stop McKeen from carrying out his plans. We can see and feel Finn’s guilt deep down for her mistakes, even if everything works out, the way she stands holding the phone, the way she looks at Moreno who tries to assure her it will be okay.

At the end of Karma To Burn, Finn and Russell reconcile again, not so much with words but in the way she snaps him out of his fantasy of ever having to use his gun in a real life situation, of how far he was almost pushed to the brink when it comes to saving his work family, not just Katie. His use of the nickname Jules on several occasions, something she claims to hate but also doesn’t, comes back when Barbara inquires if she will stay for dinner. All is well again.

The final blow and perhaps the deepest cut of their relationship occurs with the reopening of the Gig Harbor Killer case. From the get go, we start off with a bang, literally and figuratively. It is Russell who is at the mercy of Winthrop who demands he admit they did not capture the correct killer in order to relinquish Finn from the confines of her bomb invested car. With much reluctance, he admits their mistake and Finn is spared. The hug they share in the parking lot after she is freed breaks me every time and just further adds to the complicated but always present nature of their relationship. The next go around, Maya, Russell’s daughter is targeted, but this time, she is used as bait to try and lure the copycat out to play and be captured. When that fails, Finn unwillingly becomes the next target and once again Russell is thrown for a loop. This time however, there is no mercy, no chance at redemption, Finn is ripped from him violently and with no regard. Worse still, we get to see a tiny bit of his life afterwards, via CSI Cyber, when he observes another coma patient in Hack ER. Avery Ryan takes notice of his demeanor and quietly brings up Finn. Russell’s memories play out in quick flashbacks and we see where his heart belonged the entire time. He speaks of reading to her, hoping she’d wake up, then darkness, never to see her eyes pierce him again, no more bantar, no more snark, no more intrusiveness. The fact that almost a whole year later we get a resolution for Finn and get to see Russell pine for her one last time gives us closure and really showcases how strong this bond was for three and a half years.

I will always wish for a better outcome for Finn, as originally scripted, but somewhere in the chaos of writing and producing, we lost her. I will always be sad we didn’t get to see more of Russell at her bedside waiting for her to wake up. That emotion would have been so raw and real coming from Ted. These characters deserved a proper ending and reunification because it just wasn’t justified to wreck their metaphorical ship that was so strong and sailing along fine before colliding with the iceberg of violence. Nevertheless, this dynamic holds strong in my heart to this day. There are plenty more examples to pull from the show, every time they chatted about cases and made progress just by talking it out, every time they fought about their thought processes and reckless behavior, every soft sweet utterance of “Jules” will forever gut me, weaken me, bring me to my knees, but somehow give me strength. That’s how powerful their relationship was and appeared to me on screen, they were a paradox, love, hate, push, pull, oil and water as Ted stated before, give and take, and boy did they give me so much more than any naysayer could ever attempt to take from me. No matter where anyone stands on the fandom line, so much heart and soul went into Russell and Finn, and when you really sit down and watch and listen with perspective and acceptance, you can see it and feel it. I think that type of power transcends just your typical acting alone, it truly feels real. Give me that dynamic everyday, sign me up. I don’t think I’ll ever be as lucky as I was to witness such greatness on the screen between these two. Good things don’t happen twice, as I have unfortunately learned the hard way over the years, once it’s gone, it’s gone.

But in the heart and soul of Russell and Finn is an incredible ability to keep a stronghold on viewers like me, or maybe not, maybe I’m just crazy, but here were are, years after things have ended and the screen has faded to black.

[daily-dose-of-imagines]

Hitmen AU! | Head Canons | 19+ [Haikyuu!!]

ΛӨBΛ JӨΉƧΛI [PART i] [PART ii] [PART iii]

Here’s Aoba Johsai~!! Can’t believe I made it to the 3rd school SKSKSK 

Like the others, I hope you guys enjoy these ones as well~! As always, thank you for the support for this AU!

» » Admin Ko

»»————-　♔　————-««

In terms of the other groups in their precinct, they’re one of the groups that is known, but not known enough. Often compared to Shiratorizawa, they often consider the popular group their rival.

Their right hand man, or the ‘true’ boss, was actually the mentor to Karasuno’s ‘gifted’ sniper, and thanks to teaching the kid, the mentor gained a new scar.

T̷o̷r̷u̷ ̷O̷i̷k̷a̷w̷a̷

If y’all thought he was the head boss--- you’re wrong, but also right.

despite being cunning and observant, Oikawa is more the right hand man than a boss. If anything, he’s the boss in the shadows 

he enjoys being an element of surprise and being out on the field gives him that advantage

he enjoys torturing his victims via psychological torture and physical 

though he enjoys it, he is the team’s main sniper and is constantly improving himself and his skills

he acts sweet and cute on occasion, but can be sinister and uncomfortably sweet

“Ah~. So this is where you were hiding~! And Iwa-chan was thinking I couldn’t find you~. You’ll tell him that it didn’t take long, right~?” An oppressing aura came from the brunette as he grinned wickedly at the cowering and injured man before him. Despite having been shot in the shoulder and thigh, he had managed to escape to a nearby alleyway, though of course running away wouldn’t do much. Especially against someone as cruel as the figure standing above.

“Besides, Iwa-chan was so mean saying that I let you get away! I was just giving you a chance to escape! It’s a lot more fun when you can break someone’s last hope after all~!”

Unsettling. That’s all one could think of when put face to face with a man like this. 

“Though it was fun, I have to say bye~. I really did wish you could’ve told Iwa-chan that I did find you~.” With that, a psychotic grin and a sudden silence filled the alleyway.

Lean and buff, he doesn’t really show that much of a strong body with the clothes he wears on a daily, but once in mission gear he’s literally thicc thighs and bulging biceps

messy reddish brown hair that’s either slicked up and back while he snipes, or down and fluffy when he’s torturing and interrogating

doesn’t really like tattoos, but does enjoy piercings has a couple on his ears. Has a bit of a nasty fleshed together ear scar from when he tutored Kageyama in sniping way back when.

Literally covered from head to toe in bruises, scars, and wounds because of how hard he trains himself

he’s rather cute and teasing to his s/o

he really enjoys toying with them

calls them his little bunny 

I̴s̴s̴e̴i̴ ̴M̴a̴t̴s̴u̴k̴a̴w̴a̴

a trainer in the group

he runs through various training regimes with the rookies

his skill is wide set 

though not an expert, he is still considered a jack of all trades as he has the basics down for any required skill in their group

besides being the trainer he’s the one who runs errands and brings updates to the team in regards to client pay and which people have purposefully tried to avoid paying them

A slow tilt to his head as he observed the fidgeting figure before him. They were seated in the store’s storage room. A make shift table and pull out chairs hastily put together at the sudden visit. 

“I’ve been informed that you’re late again on your payments Hirai-san.” His voice was smooth, no indication of emotion as he stared blankly at the nervous man. The constant fidgeting and incessant shaking of his leg being major indicators that the client hadn’t expected this abrupt visit. Well, luckily-- or rather unluckily for them...he had some spare time today.

“You’re lucky that I don’t have another appointment after this Hirai-san. So why don’t we have a nice long chat about your payments?”

One of the tallest members in their group

is also one of the best fit and built as well due to his skill set and the body’s demand to keep up to date with each and every skill he knows

has one tattoo 

he’s very casual with his s/o

likes to tease and be in a more comfortable / chill sort of environment

isn’t too aggressive when it comes to PDA, but doesn’t mind displaying it every once in a while

T̷a̷k̷a̷h̷i̷r̷o̷ ̷H̷a̷n̷a̷m̷a̷k̷i̷

One of the strategists within the group

he works alongside Oikawa when they need to hustle to put send out assignments

usually is the one who processes the transactions made by those on the dark webs and hands out the assignments with a sort of witty humor to help soothe the nerves of his fellow teammates

despite being calm and collected, he’s rather caring and kind to the rest of the team

though isn’t afraid to be sharp and cold when it comes to helping with interrogations as the ‘good’ cop

“Oikawa...I told you to let me get to them first before you have your way.” A soft sigh came from the calm male as the one before him couldn’t help but huff and pout as he scuffed his shoe against the floor.

“I just couldn’t help myself! It’s been so long since I got a chance to play with someone at base!” The reasoning was simple, and he understood that though they still had one more person to interrogate, and he’d make sure the taunting male would at least wait.

“I understand that, but as we bring in the next person let me take care of it okay? If things do not work as I’d like I will immediately call for you.” 

A pout and a huff came from the other male before a reluctant nod. “You say that but we all know that they’ll crack with you before I even get a chance.” Another chuckle and a pat to the pouting male’s shoulder was all that was given as the next victim rolled in.

“I apologize, but you know Oikawa. You may be effective here, but you do some amazing work out on the field too.” 

Noting how the mood lightened around the other, He would say a job well done to himself as the male left in a happier note.

“Now then....let’s go ahead and start. Shall we?”

second tallest in the veteran squad 

is much more lean than built 

frequents the gym and spars with Matsukawa on occasion

doesn’t have tattoos or piercings, but does have bruises and cuts from sparring

similar to Matsukawa, he’s rather calm and casual with his s/o

doesn’t really tell them much about details of missions or any interrogations he does

is a gentlemen with his s/o

H̴a̴j̴i̴m̴e̴ ̴I̴w̴a̴i̴z̴u̴m̴i̴

the “known” boss of Aoba Johsai

unlike the other groups, Aoba has the idea of two bosses, the real one being Oikawa

is the face of Aoba johsai in a sense

ruthless and blunt with his work

besides keeping Oikawa in check, his strength lies in close combat and fighting any sort of fight that requires him to be close to the target

in a sense is a close combat decoy if the sniper fails to complete the kill he’ll take the kill into his own hands

“Tch. Goddammit Shittykawa!” An annoyed grunt came from the suited male as he sprinted down the empty halls. He heard the cut of the bullet in the air, yet instead of hitting it’s intended target the bullet got the ear of their kill instead.

Of course the sniper’s cheers and demands that his bet had been fulfilled were ignored by the decoy as he chased after the runaway target. Rage and irritation spiked with every step he took until he came face to face with the target desperately trying to pick a locked door. A sort of last attempt at salvation as they got on their knees and pleaded to the decoy to spare their life.

Nothing of the sort came as he stepped forward, his worn combat boot making rough contact with the back of the target’s head as he pressed down.

“Beg all you’d like...you should wish that the sniper had killed you. Now you have to deal with me.”

A very built boy with thicc thighs and big biceps like Oikawa

Though he is just a touch more leaner than the other 

has two tattoos on his body and like the others, is covered in scars and bruises

likes to keep his hair short or spiked up and out of his face so he can keep his eyes constantly on the target

honestly with s/o he’s a flustered mess of a man

oikawa teases him so much for it

he’s very shy and considerate of his s/o

will always call or text whenever he can

[sungoingdown]

THE FOOL :   A LOOK AT HIS EMOTIONS .

When writing the song, Paul McCartney said that he happened upon the idea via seeing an old man on a walk up a tall hill with his dog, Martha. This old man was quite nice, but kept pestering Paul with life advice that he didn’t quite want nor accept at the time. He kept trying to push the man away and when he finally did, he felt some guilt. He wanted to look back to him to apologize for his anger, and tell him goodbye. But by that point, the wise old man had somehow vanished from the hill entirely.

It’s both this story and the music videos from Paul’s trip to France that I take his personality from. Those and the song of course! And what beautiful stories they are.

Let’s take a deeper look on what it means to be the fool and who he is.

Paul expressed that he wanted the music video to be based off the Tarot card of “The Fool.” I know my way around the tarot, and most of the time, the card means two things, depending on which way it fell out of the deck: manifestations, and carelessness.

When right-side up, the card indicates that you have the power to do whatever you want. You should be foolish because you have what it takes to get what you want. Usually people will see this card when they’re going through tough times and need a better outcome. They’re typically "lost,” too, and are just unaware of what to do. Upon seeing The Fool upright, it means that they have the power to get out of this situation they’re in by working towards whatever they wish to achieve.

This demonstrates the fool rather well, as seeing him means that your life is in a terrible rut. I’ve compared fool’s character more to the tower card, as seeing him is a double-edged sword like the tower is. But make no mistake, his personality surely fits the meanings of the fool as a card. Albeit his presence means that you have the power to be in a positive atmosphere. You just have to work for it, as the card indicates as well. He’s just there to help you get back to your feet, and in doing so, showing you what it means to have life behind your back. Living life to its fullest is getting up and doing what you can to succeed. Self-care is just a step of the way to that, which is what the fool wants to do to help you on your feet.

When flipped however, The Fool means that you’ve been acting careless. This is another perfect example of the fool’s character. He does want to help you, and he does care about you and getting you back to your feet, but he doesn’t quite care what you’re going through at the point in time. It doesn’t matter if it was only yesterday that you lost your whole family. He’ll still show up and be as happy, quirky, and obnoxious as ever! How careless. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the middle of the most important test of your life. He will enter the room and shout your name until you look at him, as he prods you outside to the halls.

People typically see The Fool flipped when they’re swallowing themselves in material things, addictions, or throwing morale out left and right. You’ll usually never see this card alone, as when flipped it’s typically connected to another card. As you can be careless, but you have to do something carelessly.

It’s this careless attitude that pushes people away from him.

“ And nobody seems to like him / They can tell what he wants to do / And he never shows his feelings “

The Fool enjoys bringing manifestations into people’s lives in an extremely careless way. In doing so, he comes in at people’s worst times, usually during mental breakdowns, stressful situations, important life decisions or moments, just to remind them that they are important, they have power, and that they can make their lives happy. In return, people typically get irritated as “life” makes them upset. “Life is shit,” they’ll say, as they presume that he’s shoving happy advice down their throats. They aren’t wrong, but they push him away and make him feel ridiculous for it.

Realistically, anyone could enjoy his presence. In general, people know that those who take life as is and refuse to stress have happier, longer lives. But it is the sheer fact that he’s such a “fool,” that makes him so different. The fact that he shows up as an inconvenience is what makes it so much more annoying, irritating, and difficult. But that’s his whole motif. The fool is the foolish one, for he’s digging the garden in your head and giving you the water for the flowers that grow years later.

His whole symbol is to remain as a memory in your mind. A shadow that disappears when you look back.

“ He never listens to them / He knows that they're the fool ”

Those freshly tilled never really see the seeds he plants. And as such, the fool understands that shoving a hoe into someone’s morale would cause issues. So, despite all the rage and annoyance, he never takes what they say as truth. They’re just tired, they’re just exhausted, and begging for a change. After all, he’s seen people change from evil bastards to nurturing mothers. Love is what they need, and their attitudes are foolish because they think they know, they really do, when they truly have no idea.

But still, it hurts. 

As stated before in a lyric, the fool never shows his feelings. Humans and mortals are known for coming with knives, sharp tongues, and deep claws. Their eyes are their logic after all, and as such, they react with malice whenever their worlds or environments are changed, bothered, or met with onslaught. Though it’s started to lose the harsh touch, the scar stings every time it’s lashed.

The name especially. 

He doesn’t like being called it in the slightest. It’s almost retaliation, in my eyes. He isn’t the fool, they’re the fool for refusing to listen! For refusing to understand!

And it makes him so irritated. Some people just don’t understand change. They don’t understand the light he’s trying to share. Capricious almost, the fool’s emotions can shift depending on how stubborn his current mortal at hand may be. Energies are known to change on a dime, especially when the world around them changes. They are easily influenced by the emotions of man and supernatural -- and thusly, the fool reacts as such.

But, he’ll never show that. If one is empathetically inclined, or perhaps can read energies, they would be able to tell his emotions and shifting emotions extremely easily, but most don’t and as such, most will never know what he’s really thinking. After all, he was made by the universe to help people. And when assistance is needed, you toss everything to the wind, including yourself. The Fool hasn’t shared what he’s felt for hundreds upon hundreds of years; he’s never had anyone to do that with. But he doesn’t believe he needs to. And if given the chance, he’d be frozen and horrified.

The other is who is important. His emotions mean nothing to him. He can easily cast them aside, as he’s done so time and time again. And usually within a few decades when the mortal finally learns their lesson and the memories of him are brought back again, he gets his benevolent karma and feels a warm energy engulf him. That fulfills those emotions -- makes them all worth it. Yet they’re still there, and still festering. This is perhaps the one thing he prefers of the supernatural: they never saw him as a foolish energy. They saw him as necessary.

“ But the fool on the hill / Sees the sun going down / And the eyes in his head / See the world spinning round ”

Though I use the chorus as a means to describe his primordial immortality, it’s also a huge part of his character as well. Despite how pained he feels, and how the sting still burns, he always uses his own grounding techniques as a go to. It doesn’t do much and partly, The Fool’s in denial about his need for release. After all, his release comes from watching the sun, from reading people’s successes and listening to their celebrations. The passion of others is a huge joy to him, and it helps him relieve all that stress. But it’s all just temporary.

Skipping around the hills, resting under trees, dancing on rocks, watching the trees rustle -- it’s all good fun and it makes him feel great! But it never takes things away completely. And it never will, as he can never die.

Interestingly though, there is still one thing: seeing people makes him excited.

“ Day after day, alone on a hill / The man with the foolish grin “

Another reason I see him as a primordial being: he is horrendously lonely. So, seeing someone brings him great joy. It’s time to make another friend! To socialize and make someone happy, excited, and better! And if they don’t need him, it’s just a great time to relax and spice life up a bit!

Keep in mind how the fool, when alone, is hardly ever seen with excitement:

Before he notices you:

After he notices you:

Notice the smallest difference in the eyes and the smile? Yeah. He’s excited to see you.

But then notice how, when alone, he never has the brightest look on his face:

Frowning here, despite watching the sunrise. Lost in the bliss of life, but still a desolate look on his face? Definitely sounds like denial to me.

Watching the sun but still no smile? Hmm.

Seems that the fool enjoys the presence of others, no matter how much they irritate him if they don’t listen to him. Why? 

Because he wasn’t meant for mortality; the physical body wasn’t supposed to intermingle with energy, but he still feels like he belongs here. So, the fool will continue to live in denial of himself. He believes that what he teaches others can genuinely help him. 

But he really needs is a friend. But that too, is quite hard to find, as mortals must always die.

[camxnoel-updates]

Hardship happens fast, recovery is a slow process.

‘’Look, I’m an extremely private person. I generally shy away from sharing personal information, especially sensitive or vulnerable parts of my life. I feel like many actors are this way, opting to reveal their emotional centers through the lens of character and performance rather than in black and white. But I’ve got nothing but time during the Great Pause of our World, the corona days. I’m well aware my personal story is not a tale of hardship or woe even close to the level of a worldwide pandemic, but perhaps someone may hear my story and appreciate it.

A little over six months ago, I was playing soccer. A break up that led to an emotionally draining on-again-off-again relationship dynamic had finally ended for good a couple days prior. Perhaps this was why I was trying to distract myself so heavily with athletics. I can’t say for certain, but maybe I overworked and weakened my leg with constant running, jumping, twisting. I had played tennis earlier this particular Sunday morning, went for a run, and still felt restless. So I hopped into a pickup soccer match.

It’s incredible how quickly fortune can change; priorities shift in mere seconds. An instant can color the rest of your life. This is exactly what happened when I felt soccer cleats on the side of my shin and heard a loud, distinct crack coming from inside my body. My opponent had leaped onto the center of my lower leg in what I’ll phrase charitably as a rough tackle. I felt his foot pass through my body and knew it was broken before I even hit the deck. I looked down to see my leg at very odd and unnatural angles, being held together by my shin guard like a strip of duct tape strangling a bursting pipe.

One 911 call and several shots of fentanyl and morphine later, I was in the back of an ambulance calling the Shameless production office telling them they’re going to need to re-open the writer’s room and make some changes. I was genuinely more upset at this point about my work being affected than my own body. In my nearly twenty years of acting, I had never missed a day on set, no matter how deathly ill I had been. However, my sock and shoe had been snipped off by the paramedics by this point, and I was able to see that the only thing attaching the lower portion of my limb was some muscle and sinew. My foot and ankle had fully turned around 180 degrees and were now facing south. One of my bones poked and prodded under the surface of my skin, desperately trying to make a jailbreak. So I figured I might not be able to film that scene the next morning.

An x-ray revealed that both my tibia and fibula, two of the largest and slowest healing bones in the body, had snapped cleanly in half. By this point I had called some of the people closest to me. I can’t describe the relief I felt as my friends, my makeshift family, filtered in and out of the hospital room. The warmth and calm that washed over me at the site of their faces accomplished what all the opioids had failed to do. They brought clothes and toiletries, they told jokes, they held my hand.

It took three nurses holding me down and two doctors to twist my leg back around and wrench it into place. A few days later, they cut me open and installed a 16 inch titanium rod through the center of my bone, bolted securely into place. Few more days and I was released from the hospital. I stayed at my manager’s house and later with my angel of a coworker, Shanola Hampton, and her family.

And I gained some perspective. Of what it means to take things for granted. To be able to roll a garbage can to the curb, or pick up a napkin which has fallen to the ground, or hop out of bed without excruciating pain. Life is delicate, health is fragile, and we’re all a bunch of pressurized bags of squishy meat with very limited expiration dates.

To be able to leap and dance and roughhouse is so much of who I am. Up to this point, I had considered it integral to my identity, my fundamental personhood. Physical autonomy is a privilege most able-bodied people don’t even realize they have. And as I had mentioned before, I’m a very private person. Moreover, I view myself as extremely self-sufficient and self-reliant. And there was no worse vulnerability than having to lean on other people for help (sometimes literally.) Yet here I was in this situation, where basic chores and tasks were no longer accomplishable without my friends. My beautiful friends.

And it truly hit me. The importance of community. The value of being there for people when they need you, and of accepting support when you need it. No man is an island. Who we are is not only defined by what we do but also the people who we choose to fill our lives with. There’s nothing like a little suffering to boost your empathy. My injury wasn’t even that serious in the scheme of things, but I gained a greater appreciation for the people who stepped up for me during this time, and recognized some of the people who didn’t. Choose kindness, fill your life with people who value the right things.

I wish I could say that it was a linear line of positivity, progress, and healing from there. I wish I could say that I never relapsed, never felt bitter. Most days were good. But some days I wallowed in self-pity, I drank, I hated the misfortune with a bitter passion. The banality of not being able to do the things you want can ache with a boring dullness that stings far more than the initial hurt of the injury itself. But eventually I learned new ways to entertain myself, placed greater importance on other pursuits and shifted my priorities. I’m thankful for the last half of a year simply for opening my eyes to the obvious things I had been missing.

Now, six months of physical therapy and personal training and healthy living later, and I am almost fully recovered. Yesterday I walked for 5 miles, jogged up hills, even sprinted a few times. It still hurts a bit, but I’m almost fully back. And I have faith I’ll be completely on my feet (bad pun) in the next couple months.

I guess that’s why I wanted to share this story. The world is injured right now. People are hurting and dying in an exceptional and awful way, the economy is in bad shape, many people’s jobs are on the line. So much of the things we so easily took for granted are not currently available to us. I hope the Earth takes this time to shift its priorities, to understand the joys of simple things we cannot currently do like going to a restaurant with friends or hugging your relatives. I hope if people have the means, they can give to those suffering in some way. I hope we as a nation choose kindness, charity, and positivity during this period. I hope we don’t rush this or selfishly leave our homes when we shouldn’t. I hope we protect those most vulnerable.

Healing requires time, it demands patience. This all happened suddenly. But that’s the thing: Hardships happen fast, recovery is a slow process.’’

via Cameron Monaghan’s blog.

[nomimits7]

Dream walkers | 2 kinda?

Title: Dream walkers

Genre: Yandere if that’s what this is called

Pairing: BTSot7 x reader

Warnings: Mental health that’s deteriorating is described. THIS IS NOT A FLUFFY FIC!! READ WITH CAUTION. I kind of have no idea. Yandere behaviour. THIS KIND OF DAYDREAMING IS MY OWN INTERPRETATION. The illness mentioned is real but by no means have I done any research on it.

Summary: when illusions you dreamed up to help cope with the loneliness, one day disappears because of your own foolishness. You thought there was nothing else left for you in this world. But as you’re lying on the shower floor and the world slowly fading around you, the last thing you expected to see are a pair of combat boots and sneakers belonging to those you somehow dreamed up.

First part

A/N: I have no idea... Oops I guess. Impulse is real and it apparently leads to shit like this. This just a drabble and very ( I mean extremely) short... 

∞

That day in the hospital they made you promise to never try and take away the only light they had in this dull world. They told you all about their Idol life and how they stumbled upon your beautiful mind. They even dared to tell you how much they craved you.

It wasn’t suppose to feel normal, you knew this, yet here you were smiling at their confession. It was beautiful to see their cheeks turn pink at your laughter. You instantly fell in love with them just like before, but your smile didn’t last. You knew you would have to return to your lonely life soon. Your cold apartment would never be the same without their presence there. their real presence.

It was indeed scary to think hoe depended on their company you have become. You might be addicted to them, if that is even possible. They could feel your shift in mood even before your face showed it. They knew why, but they had no idea how to address it. It was easier in their dreamed-up appearance to be direct. They would never fear any repercussions. But now… even if they craved your raw emotions they knew they wouldn’t be able to handle any eruption of emotion while in the same room as you. Things could get messy.

Your emotions got them high. They even perfected the act of riling you up right before they had to perform. The unexpected amount of raw feelings gave them a rush like no mundane drug ever could. Not that they ever tried any, they just knew it would never be able to compare. Luckily the doctor came by to discharge you.

“Miss Y/N? I would like to ask you a few questions in private if that is okay?” his gaze momentarily shifted to the seven idols that lounged around the room.

“Oh, you can talk to me with them in the room. We’re close and I am probably going to tell them any way so why not directly from the source?” You answered with a slight smile. Seriously, what could be so confidential?

“Very well. When they brought you in, they mentioned you sometimes would daydream? I took the liberty to do some tests while you were asleep, and I have found that you have a severe case of Maladaptive daydreaming. By severe I mean that it could be life threatening if you are not monitored daily. Mind if I ask what you do for a living?”

“I’m a writer. Why?” came your reply

“Well that explains it a bit. You can use your writing to ensure that you would never daydream to the extend that you begin living in your alternative universe. Simply put, you’ll have to at least allow yourself to write once a day to get some of that creativity out. Now that said, if you ever do fall into a lucid daydream the best option to get back to real life would be either to end your story, or via something that would almost be like a rude awakening. Good luck my dear, unfortunately there is nothing else we can do for you”

With that the doctor left. You sat in your bed for almost five minutes before a small scoff fell from your lips. What the doctor didn’t know was that you had somewhat suspected this. But you had to admit, it can get dangerous quickly. Especially with your very much alive and active mind.

“Y/N? Wh-Why don’t you move in with us? We could keep an eye on you. Besides it would be weird going back to our dorm without you. We miss you baby…” Jimin spoke up. Eyes hopeful as the rest of the members nodded their agreements.

Your heart felt like it would burst out of your ribcage. You have never felt your heart swell so much with adoration. Tears brimming your eyes as you hastily look over to Namjoon for confirmation. What you failed to notice was the visible intake of breaths. Your sudden spike in emotion was unexpected to say the least. None of them could wait to get out of there and keep you away from anything and everyone.

You were theirs and theirs alone to share laughs with, to pull pranks on, to cuddle with, to love unconditionally… to fuck like there’s no tomorrow. They intended to make you theirs in more ways than one, but for now they needed to get you out of your shitty apartments and safely into their dorms.

The fact that you barely had friends was just an added bonus that would ensure a smooth transaction from one place to another. The only problem they had at this stage was to contain their need to ravish you right here in the hospital. Luckily your attention was else were and you failed to see their inner battle.

“Only if you want to little one. We have more than enough room and we’ll be happy to have you. I could even get arrangements made so you could travel with us when we leave for events or tours. Luckily your work comes in the form of a laptop. What do you say little dove? Will you move in with us? Will you allow us to never let you go again?” Namjoon asked while tilting his head slightly to the side.

You would never know what your live could have been like if you have said no. You would never know how unnatural their behaviours truly were. You had no idea how much they played with your mind to make you agree to things no normal person would ever agree to. All you knew at this moment was that you wanted to move in with them. You wanted to see them and feel them every single day of your life. Nothing else mattered in more than that.

“Please” your reply sounded almost desperate. But the smile that grazed their lips was worth your vulnerability. It was worth they pain in your wrists to get to this point. It was worth cutting all other human interactions with.

“Please what angel?” Seokjin asked as he came closer to run his fingers through your hair. His eyes locked on yours with such intensity it made you feel small.

“Please let me move in with you. And please don’t ever let me go again” Your voice was almost softer than a whisper, but it was loud and clear to them. Finally, they have finally found someone worthy of their possessive behaviour. Someone willing to give up everything for them.

“Never again baby. Let’s go home” Hoseok said as Taehyung carried you bridal style out of the room, never to be seen by the public eye again. Why would they want to share such treasure when they finally had you all to themselves?

[tiny-smallest]

day one - cake

Rating: G  Characters: Henry, Alice via text Warnings: none Description: Henry acts on a personal belief that birthdays are sacred and tries something new: to bake a cake for Bendy’s second birthday since the studio now that he can afford to do that.

But can he get past his own anxieties at making the perfect cake?

Also on AO3!

----

Birthdays were a big deal.

Most people would agree with that but Henry felt something especially... emotional about birthdays he wasn't sure was normal for other people. There was something about the gesture of celebration for another year of life that was special. Big. Important. Something that deserved attention and very particular care and attention to detail.

He remembered, once, his mother teaching him how to wrap presents- his father's birthday was the next morning and she'd only found the gift she'd wanted for him that day, or something like that. He'd come to see what she was doing in her garden shed so late at night and found her wrapping, and rather than shoo him to bed she smiled at him and asked if he wanted to do a big boy thing, but he'd have to keep a secret.

There were precious few memories of such moments left but he did remember the conspiratorial whispers, the feeling of the heavy paper against his little hands, and the fact that her eyes had been twinkling more than he remembered an image of that fact. She put him back to bed and kissed him goodnight after that.

In hindsight he was pretty sure he'd done an awful job but she didn't say anything about it.

Remembering that incident made the specific emotion he attached to birthdays feel ever more right. Birthdays were important. They celebrated lives- another year here, together, with the people you loved, growing and learning. Birthdays were love.

Everything had to be perfect.

It was with this thought that he rolled up his sleeves to bake his first cake.

Bendy's first birthday after the studio, after everything, was even bigger and more important to acknowledge than any year before, but they were drowning in poverty. Henry was a poor mechanic who made just enough money to live now suddenly with three more mouths to feed and the results were predictably disastrous despite his best efforts. Bendy's birthday passed with Henry out of the house from the crack of dawn until long after the sun had set, their only time for celebration the span of a couple hours after he returned home, where they ate rice for dinner and a tiny cake Henry bought on the way home that he couldn't afford but decided he could eat a little less in the coming days so he could provide it anyway.

But now, the following year, with the toons out in the open and their stage show so wildly successful, it was time to make up for that. For all the years Ben suffered alone in that nightmarish hellscape. For the years before that, as Joey shifted from the fun-loving, goofy caretaker to the monstrous puppetmaster they all knew him to be now.

He could buy a cake. A good cake. He could have his pick of any bakery in Spectrum City, even the fancy ones.

But none of those were good enough.

Henry was going to make Bendy a cake this year.

He kept the cookbook propped open against the wall as he surveyed the ingredients. Dark chocolate, check. Unsalted butter, check. Cocoa powder, milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, cake flower, sugar. Whipping cream. Check, check, infinite checks.

He grabbed the cutting board and laid the block of chocolate on it as he began to dice. It was a little more difficult than dicing vegetables, but not so much. He poured the diced chocolate into a bowl, which he set in a pot of near-boiling water and dumped the butter in after.

It didn't take long to melt but he still found himself watching anxiously. Calm down Henry. It's going to melt. That's how heat works.

Once it was becoming goop he went to stir it and froze.

For a moment the rich, dark brown was the void-black of Ink.

It wasn't until he heard the clatter of the wooden spoon hitting the tiles that he realized he'd dropped it. With a huff of derision he bent down and picked it up, knees screaming at him--that's what he got for spending so much time on his knees yesterday in the garden--and hesitating despite himself before turning lifting his head to look at the glass bowl.

Dark brown. Not black. Not Ink.

He sighed and went to stir before stopping. No, he dropped this on the floor. He had to wash it first. Shit. The chocolate needed to be stirred. If he left it any longer it'd melt unevenly or burn-

He cut the voice in his head off by lifting the bowl from the water. Shit. Shit shit shit. The recipe didn't say what to do if you were an idiot and dropped a spoon and-

He had other spoons.

Cursing himself quiet liberally now, careful to keep his voice quiet, he threw the spoon in the sink and grabbed another from the drawer, setting the bowl back and giving it a good stirring. The lumps smoothed themselves out soon enough. He was lucky he had more than one wooden spoon.

I've cooked a whole Christmas dinner but I'm all wigged out by one little cake? he groaned to himself as he pulled the bowl off to dump the cocoa powder in.

Well I was just as wigged out by the Christmas dinner. And Thanksgiving before it. And-

Ohmygodpleasestop.

He picked up his whisk and stirred the powder into the chocolate. Ben. Ben was the focus of today. Take it off of yourself. Think of your son.

Think of how absolutely fuck wild he's gonna be once he consumes this cake. Oh dear god this is so much chocolate.

The image of his face when he bit into this fudge was enough to make him snicker. Okay, we might need an exorcist, but at least it's gonna be funny before then.

He poured the milk in. Resumed stirring.

Ben should stay occupied with his siblings and friends until this got done. He hoped. Bendy was nothing if not the kind of person to upend any and all plans he came into contact with, knowingly or unknowingly. Alice and Boris were tasked with keeping him busy all day and he grinned at knowing what lengths they might've resorted to in order to keep his attention without attracting his suspicion. As long as it didn't involve property damage, it was all good.

But it'd probably involve pie. A lot of lemon meringue. Maybe a few dares and taunts. Definitely some very loud sound effects. Henry imagined if they ventured into non-toon areas that the humans would send him complaints about bike horns and car honks. Some would be about the noise. Others would be about what the noises meant.

Eggs. He set the whisk down and grabbed the carton of eggs, moving to another bowl and getting out the item that would help him separate the whites from the yolks. He set it up and cracked an egg into it, watching the whites drip through.

Hah. As if the fact that the language was censored via the noises meant nothing. Some people just lived to clutch their pearls. It was always the ones who didn't know how to have fun once in awhile.

But today was all about Bendy's fun, and Henry would have a few, choice, uncensored words if anyone actually ruined that, thank you very much.

Yolks and whites separated. He added the required amounts of sugar and vanilla extract into the bowl with the yolks and dumped them all into the chocolate batter, attacking it with his whisk.

It was too quiet. He pulled out his phone, dialed the volume up, picked music. "Nobody's home to bother with it," he said. His voice sounded strange in the empty kitchen, and maybe a bit uncomfortable, but he wasn't alone. "Well, I'm alone right now, but I'm not alone-alone."

Not anymore.

He returned to the whisk.

"This is good. This is going well. It's going to go just fine, and he's going to love it. I picked out red striped candles and I'm going to have to restrain myself from adding thirty of them as a joke because I don't know exactly what's going on with his aging but he's definitely not thirty and I don't want to waste all those candles even if watching him pout would be funny."

Silence.

"Also it means we'd have to pick them off the cake before anybody got any and that part wouldn't be very fun."

He'd stirred this long enough, right? Probably. He looked at the cookbook and felt a trill of panic run through him. Where was he again-!

Oh, right, there. "Cake flour."

Cake flour added, shaken through the strainer. "To get lumps out," Henry guessed as he scraped the bottom of the strainer with a clean spatula. He stirred the flour in.

"Okay. Egg whites next," he said as he grabbed the mixer. There was going to be so much shit to clean up. This wasn't even counting his birthday dinner-

Oh wait they were going out to eat for that. "Wonder what place he picked," he murmured as he turned the whisk on, watching the egg whites turn from clear to a sort of... yellow with bubbles in it.

"Is... is that right?"

You have no idea what you're doing. You're never going to make it as magical as you should; you never did, not with any of them, not with Harry or Sammy or Joey or the toons before Joey kicked-

"Shut up," he mumbled as he set the mixer down carefully near the sink and consulted the book so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. Okay. That was right. He added the sugar next.

The rest of this process was something of autopilot. Add some sugar, mixer. Add sugar, mixer. He stopped when all the sugar was added and the egg whites now looked like light and fluffy icing, which was the point of this whole thing.

He almost said 'I did it' and stopped. No, that was just asking for something to go wrong. Reel that thought in until later, when he was actually done.

He scooped the meringue into the bowl in two installments and mixed them carefully in. "There's something kind of nice in mixing. Something... methodical. Comforting. I kind of like this," he mused as he poured the batter into the paper-lined baking tin. "I'll like it more once I know I'm doing this right, though."

Oh no, now there was nothing to do but wait until it was done, huh. He set three timers before he was anywhere near satisfied and left the kitchen.

This was the worst part, he decided later when he dropped the pen he was doodling aimlessly with and ran for the oven. He discovered that was wrong when he realized he had yet more waiting to do, because it needed to be cooled and then chilled.

He checked his phone after putting the cake in the refrigerator. Still no texts. Was that a good thing? "Both of them would text me if something went wrong. One of them would remember- oh but if they've resorted to pie throwing maybe not..." Meringue and electronics didn't mix well.

Meringue. Mix. Hah.

He returned to the living room to doodle after setting another timer for twenty minutes. That should be long enough right?

It took way longer for this step than he would've liked but once it was done the last part was mercifully simple. Just take the last of the chocolate, melt it in a glass container with some whipping cream in the microwave, and pour it over.

His phone buzzed. His heart nearly leapt out of his throat as he pawed for it, nearly dropped the glass.

It was Alice.

I'd like to inform you Bendy is no longer the Great Pie Conqueror.

Henry snorted so hard he almost choked as his heart settled. He poured the chocolate over the cake as he typed with one thumb.

Will a cake console the dear general?

He may be too far gone. Give it to me instead. c:

Absolutely not, angel. :I

Worth a try.

It's not like you won't get some! That's how birthdays work.

This is true. But if your baking is half as good as your cooking, can you really blame me for wanting the whole thing?

His face went hot. You flatter me. ^^; 

You know me. I don't like liars.

A memory so sharp in its intensity it could cut him in two almost split the happy scene, but the phone buzzing against his hand pulled him back.

Also we're on our way home so soon I get to tell you in person over and over, until you die.

It took a moment before he realized the weak chuckle in the room was his. No fair. That's going to turn into a three v one and you know it.

Then I suppose you'll just have to admit defeat, won't you. :p

You're lucky I can't pull magic pies from nowhere.

Pieing me for speaking truth! I thought fathers were supposed to set a good example!  Oh the humanity!  Won't someone please think of the children!

Okay okay, stop buzzing my phone repeatedly you devil in disguise. Come get a taste of this cake.

I just want to say first: Thank you. For all of this.

Henry paused.

I mean it. It means a lot to us. It means a lot to him already, and he doesn't even know you spent the last several hours personally baking his cake for him. Even if this cake is a total disaster, it's going to mean the world to him. To us. Thank you, Daddy.

He bit his lip, tapped his foot against the floor, and glanced away. Shaking thumbs returned a message, the only thing rattling around in his head.

I love you.

Maybe perfect wasn’t in the outcome of the cake, after all.

Phone buzz. He checked it through the blur of his tears.

Also we’re covered in pie goo who wants a hug.

... You know what I change my mind I’m eating this whole cake myself.

[sonicringbond]

Sonic Ring Bond: The Journey - Scene 17

Greeting everyone, Scene 17 is here and Rosy is finally off looking directly for one of her friends. Obviously being the second episode she won’t be successful yet, but I have brought a character back who has appeared once already. I wonder if anyone will recognize him. I guess the best way to find out is to let everyone read...

Scene Prompt: Rosy finds a flower-shaped (rose maybe) crystal ball.

-----

    ~One really weird thing I noticed while searching for my friends was that almost everywhere I went there were plants growing over everything. It was really pretty, but really odd too. Especially when it occurred out in the sandy desert.

    ~I hadn’t gone to the desert though to sightsee, even though that was the type of traveler everyone thought I was. Nope, I had gone actually because of a rumor.

    ~Supposedly out in the desert there was a crystal rose in a ruin. No one had removed it yet for fear that it was cursed or that the ruin was trapped at least. I’m pretty sure I could remove it, but I know Fang could as well and that’s why I went out there.

    ~Though no one who I had shown my picture too recognized anyone, there was still a chance that Fang would go check it out. He’s a treasure hunter after all and a crystal rose is quite the treasure. But that means it could attract bad people too. But that’s alright too.

    ~We were attacked by mean sky pirates before we ever ended up in these lands and they kept attacking us whenever they caught up. But the last time I saw my best friend he was fighting them, so if any of the pirates show up maybe I could find a clue to where he is. But I have to get there first, and since I don’t want to spook anyone with my speed that means joining a bunch of other sightseers on a tour.~

    The canvas covered truck bed was full of people, more so than could have been comfortable due to the stifling heat and still air. Rosy made herself as comfortable as she could, but there was only so much room and the sightseers had begun to grow restless.

    “Maybe we could do something to pass the time,” Rosy suggested cheerfully, far removed from the tailgate and any opportunity to see the passing scenery. If she had been able to though the rocky crags and blowing sand did not provide much of interest to view.

    “There isn’t anything to do but share stories, and it’s already too loud in here,” one woman bemoaned the situation.

    Rosy puffed up her cheeks not to be deterred. “Well, I happen to tell fortunes as a hobby!”

    It was a moment of pride for Rosy, but she had forgotten that the lands she currently traveled were not fond of the idea of people practicing more than one role.

    “That’s foolishness,” one mangy sapient cat spat.

    “Agreed,” another passenger chimed in.

    “If you wanted to tell fortunes you shouldn’t have become a sightseer.”

    “Ooh~! It’s just a hobby! A little bit of harmless fun!”

    “Communion with the powers of the world should not be taken so lightly child.”

    Rosy paused as a voice that sounded almost as though it were spoken from somewhere other than where it came from warned her of her actions. Turning to find the immediate source, Rosy lay her eyes upon a curious traveler. They were garbed in a burlap robe that completely concealed them. It was hard to get a read on their size and build as well, but Rosy could tell they were easily taller than her to the shoulder. More peculiarly was the size and shape of their head. From where their shoulders ended their head rose to a point that nearly doubled their height. It was obvious they were a member of a smaller sapient species, but what was beyond Rosy. She cared little though as she found their warning to her rude.

    “They’re my friends, well at least my tarot cards are,” Rosy defended herself and her relationship with the mystical. “They help me out when I ask, and I help them out when they ask. Though they can be pretty scary when they do…”

    Rosy trailed off with a laugh, but the atmosphere around the robed figure completely changed. Where the other travelers had no desire to involve themselves with someone who dabbled in more than one occupation, Rosy now had the full attention of the robed figure.

    “Curious child, you claim to have communed directly with the powers of the world. Are you perhaps a medium?”

    “Oh! I haven’t been called that since before I came to these lands. Hee-hee. Though it was a friend of mine who did, even if he said I wasn’t very good. He actually said I was a very bad medium. That was so rude of him, and just because I use a cat-a-something.”

    “A catalyst,” the robed figure corrected Rosy. “I am intrigued now. So much so I would like to take you up on your offer.”

    ~I had talked with the weird person because it was the polite thing to do, and I was bored, but something about him made my spines itch. He was so weird and didn’t come out of his robe at all. Even when I presented him my deck of tarot cards to split it after I shuffled so the reading would be more connected and personal. It was really weird and unsettling.

    ~Even weirder though was how calm he was when he got a really bad reading. I felt bad, but…~

    “Then my goals will be challenged by a powerful adversary. Amusing, but perhaps understandable.”

    “You’re not a bad guy are you,” Rosy pried, growing concerned more and more with each passing moment. Her concern gave way to the laughter of the robed figure however and Rosy’s emotion was soon shared by the other travelers.

    “I do not know your definition of “bad guy” child, but my goal at this point is but to find an old friend. It is unlikely that he is not well, but the state of the world leaves me curious to his wellbeing.”

    “Oh~! So, you’re like me then!” Rosy exclaimed finding common ground to fend off her growing feeling of dread. She could feel the questioning gaze on her through the robes and answered the unspoken question before it could be formed. “You see, I’m looking for my friends too. We got separated a while back and I’ve been looking for them while I travel.”

    Reaching into the shoulder puff of her leotard where she returned her deck of tarot cards, Rosy removed a folded-up photograph and presented it to the robed figure.

    “See these are my friends! Maybe you’ve seen one of them. I know the Ring Shifts make it hard, but even just an idea of where one of them could be would really help.”

    The robed figure stayed quiet for a long time, seemingly studying the picture through their robes. Before finally speaking, they ran a burlap hidden finger down the center of the picture. “The one you have embraced. I have seen him.”

    “You have!” Rosy nigh jumped to her feet with excitement, her tail wagging energetically. “Where was it, where!”

    “Not here child,” the robed figure vaguely answered. Rosy’s boring eyes however prompted them to clarify. “Rather it was a passing moment in some long-forgotten ruin. The presence of the Rings was powerful upon them, but then they were gone.”

    “I hope your friend wasn’t victim to the monster attacking people with Rings,” one of the travelers spoke up before Rosy could press the robed figure for more information.

    ~And that was the second rumor I had heard. It wasn’t just out in the desert though. Supposedly someone was going around attacking people with Rings. It’s such a weird thing to hear since Rings can’t hurt people. But I guess if you’re scared of Rings it would make it scary. But I hadn’t considered that it had anything to do with the crystal rose. The two seemed further apart than me and my friends. That wasn’t true for the ruins however that held the crystal rose.

~Before I could ask the weird man any more questions about where he had seen Sonic we had arrived at the ruins. Tour guides ushered us away and I lost sight of him. Even as much as he made my spines itch though I couldn’t help but worry about him. The rumors of the Ring Striker were all anyone could talk about as we were led into the dark ruin to see the crystal rose.~

Scene 17 · CLEARED Desert Rumors, to be continued

-----

And there is part 1 for our second episode of Rosy the Traveler. I hope the slower pace isn’t putting people off. The next part will have more action for those who need it, though it’ll have more world building as well. World building in general is kind of the heart of traveling stories like this, so I’ll work on better blending in the action as I write more and more. Of course as always I’ll be asking for you help by providing me prompts to keep me coming up with new way’s to build the story so I look forward to the future and hope everyone else does too! Thank you!

-----

Prompt Submitted by – Skylor-The-Ninja Story Format by Cutegirlmayra Story by @JoshTarwater/SonicFanJ Inspiring Song - Granblue Fantasy — Lumacie Archipelago Mysterious Forest

Fair Use Disclaimer

Sonic the Hedgehog and all affiliated characters and logos are the express property and Copyright© of SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS used without permission under Title 17 U.S.C Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976 in which allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. “Fair use” is use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be considered copyright infringement. The Sonic Ring Bond: The Journey alternate universe (AU) consumer written work of fiction is a non-profit transformative work primarily for personal use and can and will be taken down without warning or prior notice at the request of the copyright holder(s) should it not be recognized under “fair use”.

*Sonic Ring Bond logo created by DEE Art – twitter.com/daryliscute.

Sonic Ring Bond AU and Sonic Ring Bond: The Journey are the creation of Joshua David Tarwater/ynymbus/sonicfanj/@Joshtarwater and is to be, including all contents herein considered for all legal purposes the property of the Sonic the Hedgehog intellectual property (IP) and copyright owners, SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS. All story contributors via prompt, suggestion, written scene, art, and all and every other contribution acknowledge that all contributed material is forfeit for legal purposes to SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS upon official request from SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS.

[lilmajorshawty]

Mercury In The Houses: Mental Space

Mercury In The First House: A rams Mind 

(Zella Day - Mustang Kids Feat. Baby E)

The mind is quick, but can be lacking in future thought. the tendency to think of the situation as it is rather than what it could become is very present. The idea of “now” rules the head space which can cause a few short comings when it comes to planning. The “gun ho” perspective they have on their environment and those they interact with can be limitless in its potential but slightly limited in its afterthought. The mind is often the first thing people notice about these natives, That can be their mischievous nature, alert eyes, or their tiny squinted features. Smaller facial features and or eyes can be indicated by this placement of mercury. Their is a crude and rather overtly blunt nature to these natives but its very genuine and simplistic in its meaning that makes these natives very honest people at heart. mercury here can create pixie like features.

Mercury In The Second House: The Stubborn Mind

(Nav - Know Me) 

The point A and B of matters is usually on their mind. very rarely will you catch them entertaining small chit chat as they prefer conversations with substance. They can have a melodic or rather pace by pace manner of speaking. The neck in some ways can be long or fragile. because of their easy link of sensory information and mental connectivity they are able to collect and store crucial facts and intel rather easily. That being said they’re a bit slower when It comes to learning and require a more hands on or physical manner of being taught as it means far more to their brains to have palpable information. They take time to make decisions and aren't the types to jump down the rabbit hole without “feeling” everything out first. Much like animals they can sense energy and vibes via smells, skin touch or even just their own hairs raising. The mind here is living off the 5 senses in such a way it creates its own 6th sense. These natives much like their Eighth house counterparts tend to love the lyrical aspects of rap, most can enjoy the sultry songs or something that embraces low sax and bass. for them the more sensual their realm the more of their mind they feel like sharing. make no mistake though, these natives are extremely independent minded and loathe anyone who doesn’t respect a stance they’ve chosen to take. It’s not so much a “my way or the high way” energy but rather a “you can feel that way, but don’t overstep”

Mercury In The Third House: The Scattered Mind 

(Jacques Greene - Unreleased; Night Service Feat. Cadence weapon)

Mercury is often elated to be here, but for the native with the placement it can feel like mental gymnastics as every brain cell plays the audience. The mind in more understood terms is multifaceted. It has as many heads as the hydra and as many layers and intricate colors as the stars in the sky. The curse is that as vast as the mind is, it lacks grounding here. These natives can often hear audio from seemingly nothingness. a certain type of premonition like wavelength inhabits their mind subtly. The high vibrational effect of this placement can cause shifts and sudden thought burst sometimes causing the native themselves to write off some of their more outlandish celestial call back as either being too good to be true or rather too crazy to follow. Reading the intentions and emotional states of others is easy for these natives, this makes them great performers and chameleons when It comes to playing a “role.” but the draw back is that figuring out their own thoughts and feelings is a constant and ongoing journey for these natives. They can compact and isolate feelings and sensations which can make their speech and mannerisms seem “distant” or far away in a sense to strangers and even to those who know them. The mind is immensely adaptable allowing them to devour information quickly and use it just as fast. keep in mind the third house is half of the ninth house so despite their fast mind they can sometimes only scratch the surface of topics never digging deeply enough to make use out of it. Mercury here can make the arms fragile and a bit on the smaller side. Bodybuilders with this placement tend to get rather lean arms as opposed to bulky ones unless another planet rest in this house. This placement tends to create individuals with escape rooms from aspects of their personality, especially the darker sides which is why they can seem like different people at different moments and sometimes all at once.

Mercury In The Fourth House: The Quiet Mind

(Drake - Light up) 

The mind here is rather sentimental at heart but can be rather overwhelmed with the psychic call back it receives from its surroundings. The tendency to become recluse or silent is mostly a response to the draining aspects of relating to others in a superficial environment. Mercury being so close to “home” makes these individuals crave authentic and deep relations with others. sometimes they can convey mountains of truths and pains in one symbolic phrase or sentence, while other moments they are unable to convey the deep intensity of their feelings into something as trivial as words. It can be quite suffocating and even heavy when these natives fall into one of their moods as being so heavily run by their heart they can often cause them to fly in-between moods, thoughts and feelings just as quickly. people around them can feel on edge or a bit unknowing when it comes to the feelings and desires of these natives due to how constantly they fluctuate. Outlets like music and poetry are very healthy ways for them to express the un-expressible. These natives on the onset can wear a rather aloof expression but the eyes themselves can seem sad or unavailable. these natives are keen readers of body movements and often learned from their parents in doing so. they tend to take sudden energy shifts, changes in tone or a emotional tension very seriously and cause them to instinctively act out in a defensive manner. Mercury here is self defensive as a means to protect the natives inner realm. these natives can fly between rational vs irrational constantly which causes them to on occasion lie about what it is they’ re feeling towards something even if there actions say otherwise. The manner of speech is moody and can sway between talkative to detached. the home life could’ve been busy and rapid. natives like this tend to have a highly talkative home life or at least on that was filled for better or worse with “communication.” the chest can be rather fragile or boney in both men or women unless another planet rest here. these natives can be far more talkative and scattered at home that they would out and about.

Mercury In The Fifth House: The Prideful Mind 

(Neon Indian - Slumlord & Slumlord Re-release) 

The mind here is in a constant groove. These natives tend to find a natural illuminance in their day to day lives no matter how hard things get. These natives tend to seek out stimulation even more so than most other mercury placements. in some ways they are searching for excitement whilst in others they are searching for the moment of inspiration and gull. to them life is one long tirade and if you can’t find a way to make amusement out of it, its a waste. they can be hard to read in many ways, because much like a lion their attention can shift and lapse quicker than you have time to blink. they crave acknowledgement and can easily grow bored the second they notice the tone in your voice is lacking in that delicious “oomf” they need. they’re very creative when it comes to hobbies and many with this placement adore books and quotes and often tend to pass on this mercurial nature to their children. They can draw the attention of rather brainy children and tend to debate with kids quite a bit. That being said romantically they can be either choosey or a wild card. they want to meet all forms of intimacy, but this “thought” can be fleeting especially if something more entertaining catches their eye, be it drama, art, children or a new fashion trend. so make sure if you’re fancying a mercury in the 5th you keep in mind how quickly the chase can turn into a solo jog. These natives can have beautiful backs as mercury creates a rather slow arch and increases the smallness of the ridges along the back. that being said the spine and back can be very fragile.

Mercury In The Sixth House: The Practical Mind

(TV Girl - Every stupid Actress)

This placement is what I like to call the sad gal/boy aesthetic placement. I’m kidding of course(please don’t take it seriously lmao) that being said this placement can produce a very somber and rather mentally pessimistic person. they tend to see the world in a far more untrusting and linear way then most, but can also feel the world in a way some of us could only dream of. the way they process information and navigate the world is physical in nature as they often need to experience the world, as if they’ve done it for the first time as some tourist from a far away land. The nerves tend to be bad here so often these natives tend to develop “time killers” or “nerve relaxers” be it reading, jogging, working out, smoking, drinking, sex or otherwise. they tend to place value in the consistent aspects of life and this can make them seem rather dull and dry to most people as they’re the few people who actually tend to place value in what lies there before them in proof rather than a feeling things might “be” as they want them to. These natives can seem like the bad boy or girl as many of them don’t actively support much of society or the norms people have in place. they conform and work in the silence but underneath that readily servicing mind they are in fact observing and yes, they are ranking, ordering and neatly filing everyone like files in a drawer. moody or dreamy types can piss them off as they live in a more fabricated/rose colored world than these natives do which often makes them rid the nonsense or take on a more aggressive attitude. the belly can be rather sensitive to foods and the natives themselves can be conscious about their tummy. they often have jobs that require a lot of movement or communication in some way. 

Mercury In The Seventh House: The Bicameral mind

(Empress Of - Everything to Me) 

The mind here is actually a two sided coin. on one end there is a talkative social butterfly, eagerly embracing thoughts and ideas of others but inadvertently remaining passive towards these ideas, never inputting their own thoughts. on the Other end we have a less talkative side, observing and speaking only in response, this time every response being a direct inner opinion and thought in response to what has been spoken. these natives can be a true half of halves due to their tendency to take a particular side or stance unknown to them. The challenge is figuring out which side you’re talking to as these natives can be immensely detached when it comes to more serious and tense testimony. they love interacting but can at times lack the tools to direct a conversation on their own. they tend to appreciate a certain level of calm and chance in their meetings with others and attract this same energy to them. they’re sweet and generous but have a perfect balance of knowing when to retreat or give space to others. they tend to need marriage partners who are just as much as a conversationalist as they are. in men this can mean an attraction to a more lean or skinnier partner whilst in women this can mean the same. the buttocks can be rather fragile or petite in its look. the pelvis region can on occasion have issues whilst sleeping as well. 

Mercury In The Eighth House: The Rhythmic Mind  

(Asap Rocky - A$AP Forever Remix Feat. Moby, T.I., Kid Cudi)

These natives are the epitome of the gambler. The type I'm referring to isn’t just the casino but rather it’s the fact that these natives take a certain level of excitement in pushing the limit. for them there isn’t a line, its merely a hurdle people fool themselves into creating as a form of limitation. These natives deeply believe in pursuing life and all of its aspect in every extreme. some who are disconnected with their eighth house eventually feel this placement as its something that grows in its intensity as the years go. these natives are where the “testing” comes from. many blame Scorpio for the trials and tribulations, when in reality these natives are the judge and the jury in that regard. they can read people, infact people are mini character studies for them. everything they learn from others is in some way etched into the character and melded to become a new trait, a new defense, a new tactic. they’re intimidating and in many ways far more than any Scorpio mercury due to how intense mercury swirls in the world of death, inheritance, loss, communion, and most of all the other side. they can often have a curious mind when it comes to the undead but often the spirits they attract can be mischievous, childish and irritating. in some ways spirits pose as children to lure in this native and often times these natives can have a certain level of darkness they flee from related to their own childhood. Mercury here makes people rather fearful but in a strange way trusting of telling these natives their darkest secrets. These natives can have rather petite or tight genitals. for them sex and intimacy is a meeting of the minds even more so than the body. they can be detached towards sex if a mental connection isn’t formed no matter how many “I love you’s” are said. the eyes can be deep, penetrating and ICE like a cool winter sky. they are not the types to let someone hold control over them in a conversation and will easily snake it in a way that suites them. 

Mercury In The Ninth House: The Loud Mind 

(Jacques Greene - Nordschleife) 

These natives are ambiguous in nature. the mind can be thinking a million and one different scenes and scenarios and in reality what is spoken can completely be a whole other concept in itself. Their mental aptitude is something to be commended as they can easily dance circles around anyone with their vast mental compacity. they have a keen sense of the world, the land, its ancestors, it’s lore and history as if they’ve lived it countless times. That being said in opposition to its third house sister, these natives can lack the small and more crucial baby steps or mental facts that are necessary to give the bigger ones a face. They are gracious and gluttonous when it comes to ideas and knowledge as they love to soak up everything. knowledge and perspectives are the fountain of youth for them as they often need those different views and concepts to further deepen their minds. although mercury is a bit estranged here, he still bubbles and gasses at the Hugeness of the ninth house. foreign travels are usually riddled with opportunities to “learn” and are often plentiful in compacity. These natives are very hard to catch and even harder to maintain as they often have their own set of beliefs that they will fight tooth and nail to convince you to see. they can have a bi-polar relation with religion and can either support or ignore it depending on which side wants to be present that day. University life is often stimulating as hell for these natives and provides them many opportunities for self expansion if properly used. the thighs tend to be petite and rather intricate in form. these natives usually have a rather “entertained” expression as if they’ve already given themselves all of the conversation before you even appeared.

Mercury In The Tenth House: The Heavy Mind

(Drake - 9) 

for These natives the mind can be rather intense. In many cases mercury being situated in a house it would normally share and in-conjunction with in theory can be a bit tense as they say. the mind is extremely disciplined here and often the manner of speech can be pressed or withholding as these natives often slip into moments of silence or intended distance. sometimes these natives do it for the masses while other times its because of the rather unfair critique they give themselves. they aren’t the types to act and many prefer to present themselves authentically which can make them seem like a cold, mercenary. in some ways they are the queens and kings of detaching emotions from intellectual situations but in moments when emotions are needed these natives can still  struggle to turn on the sensitive switch. The value work and ethic and place a high caliber to who and what they care to listen to as far as opinions go. they can do what must be done to rise to the top as they don’t have the same limitations others would from tearing down the competition. these natives have a rather fragile bone structure and can easily damage their body if they overextend themselves. They are well known through media and through their careers by being a communicator and someone who is competent in electronics, photography, and so on. the dream career could be one in the media in some way or even to a lesser extent acting(but for the most part anything in communications)

Mercury In The eleventh House: The colonized mind 

(Julian Casablanca's + The Voidz - Dare I Care)

Mercury in this house can produce some far out head spaces. These natives can live in a whole new parallel but at the same time you wouldn’t know unless you really got to know the native. they tend to enjoy the game of hide an seek when it comes to which persona they’ll show you. much like all the other air houses, the multiple faced persona is a big play on into how they express themselves. om one hand they revel in their uniqueness but on the other hand unlike Aquarius mercury they are not set on being above or beyond others, they simply want to connect, connect, connect until they have seen it all, every part of it. they can be geniuses, their minds and the way they think is both humbling and terrifying as these natives in most cases struggle following more common or relaxed means of relation. For them the real joy is the build up, the initial hum and drum of relating to someone you share nothing in common with. they tend to be broad minded and adore a multiverse of different personalities, archetypes, scenarios and settings. to them so long as it’ s different or new they are down for the time it takes to understand what they’ve gotten themselves into. strange and more isolated themes are fascinating to them as they often want to know the why and how of it. as far as dressing goes these natives are very unique, but naturally so. they just have this electric. sensational energy to them that makes everyone want to catch a whiff of their beat. Their friends tend to have Gemini placements or operate on a mercurial vibration. they can adore communities and groups and be involved in many. the ankles tend to be small and thin depending on what else rest in this house. 

Mercury In The Twelfth House: The vibrational Mind

(Charlotte Gainsbourg - Rest)

Mercury in the twelfth house is a rather complex placement, more complex than any other placement. unlike its other water house sisters, mercury in the twelfth is about more than fluctuating thoughts, or intensity, rather its about the lack of. mercury here is quiet, mercury almost takes on this ghostly role. these natives suffer from what I like to call the silent miss syndrome- this is the act in which certain actions or feelings are felt and thought upon but acted out in passive aggressive and dismissive ways. these natives tend to avoid their emotions and thoughts which creates a separate means of dealing with both that makes these natives in concept difficult to read or even understand. they can express one thing and not just feel something else but do something else completely opposite of what either of their previous actions or thoughts had dictated. the mind here is cloudy and changing, but above all else it’s mute because its never consciously expressing anything. mercury in the 12th Houser's are expressing their feelings but rather as a frequency or a current rather than anything direct or visible to the naked eye. mercury in this house creates an energy in which what ever is internally felt by these natives is picked up by others and passed on into them, almost like an electrical current. it changes the moods of those around them in their  environment in a powerful way. Their sadness, happiness, anxiety, pain, rage, hate, content, tiredness, all of their inner feelings become voices in the environment causing an almost domino effect. this is one of the hardest placements for mercury and for most of their early years these natives can be rather introverted and have self- isolating tendencies due to how sensitive and vulnerable to others they truly are. they can feel everything, and anything almost like a psychic sponge. their dreams can be riddled with the being communicative or in a way far more hand capable than they might actually be in the real world. They are so beautiful and gentle spirits but for a long time until they learn to fly free of Neptune's waves there mercury will be held in a glass cage. 

[islamicrays]

10 Reasons Why Screens Are Bad For Your Kid

I'm a firm believer in a no-screen policy for kids. No TV, no iphone, no ipad, no laptop. No screens of any kind, especially before the age of 2.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents "place a reasonable limit on entertainment media," and not allow any screen time for children under 2. Despite those recommendations, kids between the ages of 8 and 18 average 7 ½ hours of entertainment media per day, according to a 2010 study by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

That is a lot of time a day in front of a screen. So I know that in this day and age, my no-screen stance is very odd. I'm good with that. (Partially because I grew up without TV as a kid myself, alhamdulellah.)

What's so bad about screens? Here are the main harms:

1. Shortened attention span: Screens provide fast-paced flashing images, which is correlated with shorter attention spans. Continuous exposure to such flashing images keeps eroding the attention span of children, and then we see rising rates of ADHD diagnoses.

2. Less reading: Screens become the primary source of entertainment, such that more sedate forms like reading, drawing, writing, etc become boring in comparison. TV presents an exciting extravaganza of lights and sounds. Books are still. Why read a book that requires the child to imagine and muster up the energy to summon mental pictures of the story being read, when the child can just sit and watch images made for him that parade themselves across a screen before his eyes? Reading now becomes arduous, taxing. TV is easier. It's easier to be passive than active.

3. Wasted time: Screens waste a lot of time. There are so many better, more beneficial ways for a child to spend his precious years of childhood than to plop down in front a screen, even if it's just one or two hours a day. That time is better spent exploring, piecing things together, adventuring, talking to a parent or a sibling, looking at pictures in a book (if the child is too young to read), being outdoors.

4. Less outdoor play: Screens have largely replaced outdoor time. This is a big one. We have slowly, over the past several decades, become a country of lazier, more sedentary people. We spend more time indoors than outdoors; much less time outdoors than our predecessors. Before this modern screen-riddled era we find ourselves in right now, people used to spend a substantial amount of time outdoors and in nature, which is proven to improve mood and overall physical and mental health (higher Vitamin D levels, lower rates of depression, etc). Now, however, we spend much of our time indoors, seated on couches, looking at screens. This shift from outdoors to indoors has impacted our collective health; we are now sicker, with weaker immune systems and more vulnerable bodies, than people before us. For kids especially, being outside is absolutely critical for healthy development. I will dedicate forthcoming posts to just this one issue alone, insha'Allah.

5. Obesity: it is constantly being announced that we are witnessing a national obesity epidemic in the United States, and that specifically childhood obesity is at an all-time high. Of course, the kinds of food we eat has a lot do with this phenomenon, but so does the amount of time we spend sitting down. The more active a person is, the better. Screens force us to sit down and be sedentary, which then slowly forms a habit of, and a preference for, sitting for long periods of time instead of moving.

6. Addiction: kids (and adults) can actually become addicted to electronic devices, like an ipad, a smartphone, TV, etc. They become dependent on devices and use them as their exclusive form of entertainment. Without it, some kids have meltdowns and the only way to appease them is to hand them that iPhone. This happens with children as young as 2 years old, tragically.

7. Communication breakdown: in our digital age, many people are replacing face-to-face communication with text messages and social media. Instead of having a real connection in person, with eye contact and physical touch (which humans need developmentally), kids are getting used to communicating on a more superficial level purely through written texts and messages. This stunts emotional growth and interpersonal skills.

8. Filthy content: this one is a no-brainer. The more exposure a child has to screens, the more he consumes the cultural programming of modern western society, which is hypersexualized and riddled with sexual content, violence, and foul language. As Muslims, this is the opposite of what we want to see, whether adults or kids. It's even worse for kids.

9. Less obedience to parents: there are 2 reasons for this harm. One is that in any kids' shows, including cartoons, parents in the show are made out to be bumbling buffoons who don't know anything and who are constantly being outsmarted and outwitted by their own kids. In many cartoons and kids' shows, the kids act flippant and disrespectful toward their idiot parents. The second part of this is that when a kid is watching TV and you try to call him over to you (to eat dinner, to help you with something, to go do homework), the kid is slower to respond to your call. They're too engrossed in whatever is flashing across the screen to heed your mere calling of their name a few times. You, as the parent, are forced to compete with TV for your child's attention.

10. Consumerism: TV, and even YouTube now, relies heavily on commercials. Every few minutes, the show is paused for the commercial break, and your kids will watch the commercials just as they watch the actual show. Companies rely on this captive audience to create artificial desire for their products and create revenue for their business. Avoiding screens allows you to keep your kids away from this endless parading of products and saves them from getting too deep into the comsumerist mentality that we're surrounded by.

Via Umm Khaled

[smuttymess]

bts compatibility reading | for kye

sign: capricorn sun | capricorn moon | capricorn rising

lover: min yoongi | soulmate: kim namjoon

This reading is for Kye @teaandthegalaxy. Kye is an ARMY with a serious Bangtan problem given that she ults Seokjin but is wrecked by Hobi…and Jungkook and Namjoon. I feel your pain bb. You’re my first triple sign (all three elements in Capricorn) so please enjoy! I look forward to hopefully meeting you post quarantine <3

Triple Capricorn, triple threat! With your sun, moon and rising sign in Capricorn, you fully embody all of the best and worst qualities of the ram. An earth sign through and through, you are the most grounded and traditional of the entire Zodiac, known for your unwavering honor, diligence, integrity, and strong work ethic. There is nothing that you cannot achieve once you put your mind to it, and you have the track record of accomplishments and checked boxes to prove it.  You know better than anyone how to identify a goal and put the right steps in order and follow them through with unwavering commitment. All about growth, second place is not in your vocabulary.

Given your high caliber, it’s no surprise that you have friends in high places, including some in the art world who bring you to upscale events around the world. This is how you happen to be introduced to Yoongi, who is performing a secret set for an intimate crowd. Despite his celebrity, Yoongi is incredibly low-key and reserved, which is not your usual type - you tend to like the guy that wears power on his sleeve for all to see. And yet, after watching him perform, witnessing firsthand the way in which his passion and charisma shine through with all eyes on him, you grow intrigued and eager to get to know him better. Never one to shy away from what you want, you immediately approach him after the set and lay on your cool charm before slipping him your phone number and cooly making your exit. You can practically feel his eyes shift under his hat from the piece of paper to your ass as you saunter back to your table.

Neither you or Yoongi are typically ones to rush the physical, taking your time in getting to know each other’s internal worlds, which you find are much more compatible than you initially imagined. Despite his more withdrawn, tough rapper persona, you soon find that you are both hopeless romantics at the core. You have both been hurt before, and yet he is more than willing to chip away at the protection you’ve built around yourself. When Yoongi invites you to his studio to help him with a song, you learn there is even more than what meets the eye. Over the next few months, you spent countless late nights and early mornings intertwined, enjoying the softness and loving companionship he provides. While he’s happy to talk work, he’s much more interested in escapism after a long day. Yoongi is all about fantasy and role play, allowing you to let down your walls and give him the control. In the hours spent with your hands tied to the bedpost and Yoongi in between your legs, it is one of the rare times that you are able to completely forget about your checklist and to-dos.

Trouble comes when you you cannot fully allow yourself to lose control with him to the level that he would like. In time, once the allure of staying in bed all afternoon loses its luster, his highly romantic and sensitive nature becomes less of a turn on and more of an imposition. He does not work in the traditional sense, only carving out time for his tasks when he sees fit. This does not work for you as someone who sets schedules and sticks to them without fail, and sees anything less as irresponsible. While he respects your drive, he does not do well with feeling controlled or bossed around, which you are prone to do. While you two eventually go your separate ways, you cannot deny the temptation for the occasional fuck here and there - his head game is unparalleled after all. Try as you might to lose yourself in work, you can’t forget how his tongue felt on your body, expertly working to give you some of the longest, most intense orgasms of your life. After much deliberating and almost-sent texts, you are smart enough to recognize it would do more harm than good to reach out to the emotional fish.

Not only do you want to excel, you want to be the best, stopping at nothing to reach the next level of success. This means you need a partner who is truly on your level - equally ambitious, creative and methodological in achieving what they desire. Above all else, you desire stability, and a true partner who wants to conquer the world with you. When you see Namjoon accepting one of his many awards for his cultural contributions and philanthropic work at a gala, you know that this is a man with all of those qualities - and you must have him.

Poor Namjoon doesn’t have a chance once you set your sights on him with your signature Capricorn confidence and directness, boldly suggesting a potential investment opportunity with your company. That strong, driven leader is almost turned to mush at the sight of such a clearly dominant woman, and he barely lets a full 24 hours before setting up a lunch meeting in his busy schedule. He is gorgeous, and that immediate attraction has you buzzing as you sit with him and he moves past business talk to probe you further. A true Virgo, there is nothing superficial about Namjoon - he is deliberate in all that he does and is incredibly perceptive, doing his best to dissect you and figure out what makes you tick. Instinctively, he gravitates towards your very evident cerebral, wise and thoughtful nature. You soon bond over your shared sensibility, focus and curiosity as earth signs which you both find extremely attractive in a world filled with frivolity and inauthenticity. The mental and physical connection is equally high, and its not long before your eyes fall from his beautiful lips to the top button of his dress shirt while you imagine what’s underneath. It becomes clear that this will not be a business relationship, which of course was always your intention. And while you’re ready to ride him right then and there at the table, you both wait, knowing full well the value of letting things build and not acting on impulsion.

In the early stages of the relationship, you two find comfort in being your truest selves together, shedding your signature hard outside armor and over time reaching mutual acceptance and respect for exactly who you are as individuals. He is prone to worry as a typical Virgo, and you are able to hear him and help solve his problems. People often perceive him as too introverted, reserved and cold in his business-first demeanor. You are are able to appreciate his leader persona, knowing that beneath the surface lies a highly compassionate, empathetic softie. It is challenging for you to find someone you are both romantically and sexually attracted to. With your level of discipline and fondness for control, you can be incredibly stubborn and often unwilling to compromise and this is especially true with picking serious partners. Namjoon is one of the few people that can get you out of your rigid ways and into a more mindful present, allowing you to let go and see the world in new, profound ways.

This of course extends into your sex life, where he brings all of his knowledge and curiosity into the bedroom. When you do finally fuck Namjoon after weeks of agonizing and teasing via text, you can reveal your deeply sensual side. He wants to know every inch of you, mastering exactly where to touch you to send shockwaves through your body. And you know how to draw out sessions with him, edging him into a frenzied, submissive state as you ride him on the couch or in his office. Given your two competitive personalities, expect lots of makeup sex after arguments where you both refuse to admit defeat, culminating with him playfully hoisting you up against a wall, fucking the stubbornness right out of you.

You and Namjoon are a fantastic match given your appreciation and dedication of high-quality, high-value relationships and a commitment to the ones you love. Being two earth signs in a relationship, you both understand the importance of practicality and pragmatism in building the life you desire - no shortcuts her! As a result, you are both constantly working with each other to calibrate your next steps. While your relationship can at times feel like a business partnership when you are both in the zone - him on his next album and you on your various projects that take you away from each other for days at a time - you rest assured knowing that your love for each other is unwavering and that when you reunite you will more than make up for all that time apart. There is no facade here as you are both no-nonsense, knowing full well how to balance business and love while fully trusting in each other to make the right decisions. You are a true power couple - Namjoon working primarily in the spotlight while you behind the scenes - a that dynamic works well for you as you build a life together that provides you with mutual respect, stability, power, devotion and love.

[everlarkficexchange]

The Price Of One's Soul

Written by: @peetaspikelets

Prompt 65: “You did all this for me?” Submitted by anonymous via @katnissdoesnotfollowback

Betaed by: @sponsormusings

Rating: M, for adult themes and coarse language.

A/N: This is the first part of my new story. There will be one or two more parts to come which will feature the prompt. It’s been awhile since I’ve written anything, especially Everlark and I’m so glad I decided to go for it. I’ve really missed these two beautiful souls. 

This story was heavily inspired by Mockingjay and Brooklyn 99 because I have no idea what it’s like to work as a police detective. 

Summary: 

“I’m proud and relieved to say that due to the FBI’s efforts, and Mellark’s outstanding work, Operation Mockingjay was a success and last night the FBI arrested Snow and 16 of his associates with a number of charges longer than my arm.”

Everyone in the room applauds and shouts out in glee. It’s not the most professional reaction you would see in a police station, but knowing Snow has finally been arrested brings an enormous sense of relief to everybody who’s ever come across his brutal handiwork.

Katniss, however, remains silent, her mouth unable to form words. She feels overwhelmed by the news and what Peeta was a part of. Luckily, Finnick looks over and must be able to read her mind as he’s voicing the only questions she wants to be answered right now.

“Does that mean Peet’s back? It’s over? He’s back at the seven five?”

Katniss eyes Haymitch with a wide, hopeful expression. Beside her, she thinks she feels Gale tense up, but she’s too engrossed in what’s happening right now to linger on it. Finally, Haymitch meets her gaze and his lips curl into a small smile they don’t see very often. “The boy is back.”

Really? Are you sure about that Haymitch? *EVIL CACKLE*

Enjoy! Let me know what you think :)

CHAPTER 1

“Everdeen! Hawthorne! Where the hell have you been? The daily briefing started 10 minutes ago.”

“Sorry, Captain,” Katniss replies, dropping her backpack on the dirty floor of the briefing room and taking a seat at the front. “We thought we could get in some shooting practice before work. Instead, Gale spent most of his time flirting with Recruit Officer Undersee.”

“I was not,” Gale huffs, taking the empty chair beside her. “She didn’t know how to hold her gun properly, so I thought I’d be a nice guy and teach her how to grip it correctly.”

“Yeah right,” Katniss answers dryly. “With all the giggling I heard in her booth I bet that’s not the only thing you helped her with.”

“What, are you jealous Everdeen?” Gale asks, shifting in his chair to face her, his eyes glinting with smugness. “Because really you don’t need to be. I could always take you out the back and show you how to grip my –”

“That’s enough!” Captain Abernathy snaps, his voice booming off the rooms yellow stained walls. He looks around the group in annoyance. “It’s like I’m stuck here on a daily basis babysitting a bunch of kids.”

“Aww don’t say that, Dad. You know you love us,” Detective Finnick Odair chimes in from across the room. He starts swinging back on his chair and looks over to Katniss, giving her a cheeky wink.

Katniss rolls her eyes and shrugs her braid off her shoulder. She knows when Finnick gets in this type of mood there’s no point in trying to stop him from riling people up. Even someone as superior as the Captain doesn’t miss out on his juvenile antics. It can be annoying at times, but with the seriousness of the job, she’ll admit there are some days she’s grateful for his jovial character.

 “Finnick, be quiet,” Annie hushes beside him.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Finnick reassures his girlfriend. “We all know deep down the Captain is like a big cuddly teddy bear. He pretends to act all gruff and indifferent when I know for a fact the other week he gave Effie from Human Resources a big –”

“If one more person speaks out of turn again, they’ll be on desk duty for a month,” Captain Abernathy snaps, interjecting into the conversation. A vein pulses in the middle of his wrinkled forehead for emphasis.

Sighing, Finnick falls silent and tilts his chair forward, so all legs are safely back on the ground. He stares at the front of the room with a pout like he’s a child who’s been scolded by his favorite teacher.

“Now children, eyes to the front, and let’s get back to discussing the Coin murder case.”

Everybody straightens in their chairs, giving him their full attention as he turns on a large television. Katniss stares as a number of photographs pop up on display, showing the latest crime scene the precinct is investigating. She hasn’t seen these before, so she leans forward in her seat to examine the images of the body.

After all her years of working as a police officer and then being promoted to detective, most crime scenes don’t faze her anymore. It’s like she’s been immunized to the absolute horror human beings can inflict upon one another and today, this case is no exception. The female victim got repeatedly shot with a crossbow. It isn’t a pretty sight, but her mind has the ability to compartmentalize.

After a few minutes, Katniss feels bored as she isn’t one of the lead detectives on the case. Instead, she turns her head to where Finnick and Annie are sitting across the aisle from her. Both are great detectives and good friends of hers. They’re also known as the precinct’s most nauseating couple. Katniss can count on multiple hands how many times she’s caught them at work in a compromising position. She’s had more views of Finnick’s bare arse than any other guy she’s dated. Not that there’s been many, as she’s too committed to the job and not a big socialiser. After a 12-hour shift investigating murders, assaults and robberies she never feels the need to get dressed up and go out. She much prefers going home to her small but comfortable apartment, sitting around in her pyjamas, drinking hot chocolate and watching Netflix.

She doesn’t have many friends. When she was a teenager, she lost her beloved sister Prim and her parents in a car bombing, and ever since then she’s had difficulties in learning how to trust and be vulnerable around people. Even now years later, the hurt is still raw, but she knows - thanks to years of therapy - that she can’t live as a hermit for the entirety of her life.

So, over time and working in close proximity with Gale, Finnick and Annie she’s slowly taken baby steps and allowed them to worm their way into her heart. Even if she wanted to run and hide, their tenacity and loyalty have made it impossible for her to leave. They have her back and she has theirs.

Even Captain Abernathy plays an important role in her life. When they were growing up, she and her sister used to call him Uncle Haymitch, as he was good friends with their parents. He was always a permanent fixture at family barbeques and any big social occasion. Like her, he didn’t handle the nature of their deaths well. Where she purposely isolated herself from the world and didn’t eat or speak to anyone for months, Haymitch turned to white liquor for comfort. In the end, it got so bad that he could barely function. Now years - and a few stints in rehab later - he’s proudly sober and continues slaying that demon daily.

There is another person in Katniss’ life. Certainly the most important person. But these days she tries not to think about him too much.

From the moment Detective Peeta Mellark started his first day at the 75th precinct in Panem, he made it impossible for anybody to hate him. When he first stepped out of the elevator with his carefully styled blond hair and shining blue eyes, it was like he’d just come from a GQ photo shoot. His friendliness and charisma soon followed and caught the attention of everybody immediately, especially the women. Katniss tried to hold it against him, as she was wary of people who had that kind of influence, but his detective skills were too damn good to ignore. In the first few weeks of his arrival he helped her bring down Seneca Crane, a cybercriminal mastermind she’d been hunting for 2 years. After that, they’d worked multiple cases together and he quickly rose from being her casual drinking buddy and trivia teammate to her best friend and confidante.

On their shared days off they would often have lunch together at his family’s bakery before Katniss took him to the local park to teach him how to use a bow and arrow. He wasn’t very good, but he was always keen to join her every week. He had a habit of trying to make her laugh in order to throw her off, but it never worked and the day always left a big smile on her face.

But while he may not have been good at archery, one of Peeta’s many talents was baking. A taste of one of his flaky cheese buns always had her moaning out in pleasure. It soon became a weekly ritual for him to bring in an assortment of baked goods for the whole squad to massacre.

Those were the good old days filled with wonderful memories.

And then things changed.

The day Peeta told her he had to go away for a case and he wasn’t sure when he would be back had come as a shock to her. He had become such a permanent fixture in her life that she felt a sudden rush of loss and sadness. The rational side of her understood and knew the job came first, but the whole situation sucked. After they finally managed to say their goodbyes, she watched him walk away with nothing but a box of his belongings in his hands. But before he got into his car he’d paused and turned around to face her. She swore she saw intense longing staring back at her, an emotion she’d never seen from him before, and it had caused her to freeze in place.

As weeks flew by, she continued being haunted by that moment and spent most of her days trying to decipher what it meant. But ultimately, cases piled up on her desk and she soon stopped replaying the moment, coming to the conclusion that it meant nothing.

“Now, O’Dair. Cresta,” Haymitch barks, pulling Katniss out of her thoughts. “How’s your investigation going on John Cato and Rebecca Clove?”

“We don’t have anything solid on them yet, Captain,” Annie answers with disappointment.

“It won’t be long though,” Finnick adds. “They may be cunning, but they’re also overly confident. It’s a bad combination. They’ll slip up eventually.”

Haymitch nods, satisfied. “Hopefully it’s sooner rather than later.”

“According to our informant, they’re supposed to be meeting with their supplier in a couple of weeks. This could finally be our opportunity to arrest all their sorry asses,” Finnick tells him.

“Good. Keep on them for the next couple of weeks. If you need back up call Everdeen and Hawthorne.”

“Aye, Aye, Captain,” Finnick says, giving him a mock salute.

Haymitch groans in annoyance and closes his eyes. His mouth starts moving slightly, giving Katniss the impression he’s trying to keep his anger in check by counting to 10.

“Hey, Everdeen,” Gale whispers.

Katniss looks over and notices his chair is too close to her own. His muscular thigh is now touching hers, and she can feel the heat radiating off him like he’s trying to burn a hole through her pants.

“You feel like getting some breakfast at Sae’s after we wrap up here? My treat,” he adds, his gaze penetrating.

She narrows her eyes and wonders what the hell is going on with him lately. She’s not sure why he’s basically sitting right up against her and she can’t crack the ardent look he’s now giving her. Over the last few months, she’s noticed the increase of social invitations from him, all of which seemed to be on the romantic side. Only last week he invited her out to dinner to the swanky Panem Bistro. Luckily she’d been sick with a cold, so it had been easy to get out of it. But it hadn’t prevented him from stopping by her apartment with a container of soup.

The shooting range they attended earlier this morning was his idea, but as it was work-related, she didn’t see any harm in saying yes. But now the whole situation was getting confusing - one moment it seemed he was asking her out on a date, and the next moment she’s witnessing him flirt with Recruit Officer Undersee. She doesn’t get men - or more specifically, she doesn’t get Gale Hawthorne.

“Now, before I dismiss you I have an announcement to make,” Haymitch says, turning off the screen. Both Katniss and Gale straighten up in their chairs, forgetting their conversation for a moment, taking note of their Captain’s serious tone. She swears there’s now a look of pride etched upon his face as he looks around the room. And she must not be the only one who notices the change, as all voices in the room cease, and look up at him with renewed interest.

“Now, what I am about to tell you we’ve never been able to discuss as the details were highly classified. But as you all know, 18 months ago Detective Mellark left us to be part of an undercover operation with the FBI.”

Katniss’ body freezes. The sound of his name hits her hard.

“What you didn’t know was that Detective Mellark agreed to infiltrate the Capitol Mafia.”

There are surprised gasps all around the room, the loudest coming from Katniss. She knew he was going undercover, but she had no idea who or what it was for. Obviously, he couldn’t tell her anything and she understood that. But the Capitol Mafia?! That was huge. They’re the worst of the worst. Their leader Cornelius Snow is a sadistic bastard, who runs a highly dangerous underground gang who engage in money laundering, murder, kidnapping, drugs, and bribery. He’s known as the most notorious criminal in Panem, and he was good at covering his tracks. Whenever the precinct investigated one of his crimes there was barely any evidence to link him and when a witness did come forward they were always found poisoned with Nightlock days before they could testify in court.

“It was called Operation Mockingjay,” Haymitch continues above the hushed whispers. “It was originally supposed to be a 6-month stint. However, there were…complications and Detective Mellark was forced to stay undercover longer than we would have liked.

Katniss grips the table, her knuckles turning white.

“I’m proud and relieved to say that due to the FBI’s efforts, and Mellark’s outstanding work, Operation Mockingjay was a success and last night the FBI arrested Snow and 16 of his associates with a number of charges longer than my arm.”

Everyone in the room applauds and shouts out in glee. It’s not the most professional reaction you would see in a police station, but knowing Snow has finally been arrested brings an enormous sense of relief to everybody who’s ever come across his brutal handiwork.

Katniss, however, remains silent, her mouth unable to form words. She feels overwhelmed by the news and what Peeta was a part of. Luckily, Finnick looks over and must be able to read her mind as he’s voicing the only questions she wants to be answered right now.

“Does that mean Peet’s back? It’s over? He’s back at the seven five?”

Katniss eyes Haymitch with a wide, hopeful expression. Beside her, she thinks she feels Gale tense up, but she’s too engrossed in what’s happening right now to linger on it. Finally, Haymitch meets her gaze and his lips curl into a small smile they don’t see very often. “The boy is back.”

“Yes!” Finnick yells, jumping from his chair and fist bumping the air.

“When can we see him? Where is he?” Katniss bursts out, thankful her mouth is finally cooperating with her brain.

Haymitch pauses for a moment, a flash of hesitation in his eyes before he says. “You’ll find him in my office.”

Before Katniss knows what she’s doing, she’s leaping out of her chair and racing towards Haymitch’s office. She hears Finnick’s loud, hurried feet rushing up behind her.

When Katniss reaches her destination she’s confused for a moment, and wonders if in all the excitement and shock she’s accidentally run into the wrong office. She looks up at the name plaque on the door and knows immediately she’s in the right spot. But sitting on the opposite side of the Captain’s desk with his back to them is a man with broad shoulders and ink black hair. His whole body stiffens at their sudden intrusion before he slowly stands up and turns around to face them.

Katniss’ mouth drops open in shock. After Haymitch’s announcement, she was expecting to find her best friend with his signature grin waiting for her, before running over and wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. But to her utter disappointment, none of that happens. Instead, the person in front of her looks like a stranger. He has Peeta’s familiar blue eyes, but they’re now etched with harshness and shaded by dark circles. His cheekbones are also sharp and defined like he’s lost some weight and his overall demeanour is wary and guarded.

“You’re back?” Katniss says, her tone coming out more like a question than a statement. 

Peeta takes her in silently for a moment. His eyes narrow in quiet contemplation as they travel down from head to toe, mapping her out, trying to become reacquainted. His shoulders relax slightly and he nods his head in acknowledgement. “Katniss.”

His voice is rough and deep like he’s been smoking a pack a day and he makes no other effort towards her. He’s just standing there, staring at her intently and it makes her feel lost.

“Wow, Peeta,” Finnick says, coming up to stand beside her, and taking in his friend’s new hair and dark leather attire. “You’re a brunette now.”

Peeta smirks and runs a hand through his hair, the action making it scruffier. “Yeah, well I thought if I’m going to join the dark side, I may as well put the effort in and go all out.”

Finnick chuckles nervously and leans against the door frame. It’s clear he’s not sure how to take this new Peeta Mellark as well.

“You didn’t join the dark side,” Katniss blurts out before her brain can catch up with her. She doesn’t like the way he’s talking. “You’re a police detective who went undercover to bring down one of the worst criminals in Panem’s history. What you did in the last year and a half was incredibly brave and the operation was a success because of you.”

Peeta looks over to her and shakes his head.

“Peeta, you’re a great detective –”

“Katniss, stop,” Peeta says, raising his hand suddenly, cutting her off. “I don’t want to talk about this now. So don’t go there.”

“It’s okay Peeta,” she continues, ignoring his wish and taking a tentative step towards him like she’s approaching a baby deer. “You’re home and you’re safe. It might take you awhile to forget about Snow, but –”

Peeta suddenly charges towards her, making Katniss freeze mid-sentence. He’s up in her face, looming down at her with a twisted and grotesque snarl. A rush of fear floods her insides.

“Forget, about Snow? Really, Katniss? You say it like it’s so damn easy, but you have no idea,” he spits out. She hears him take a few deep breaths, his eyes still piercing hers, before he transforms his face into a look of indifference. “Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I don’t want to forget? That I don’t want to forget Snow? That I don’t want to forget my time with him?”

His words scare her and suck the breath out of her lungs. His cold, unfamiliar glare awakens her need to run and lock herself in a cupboard like she used to do when she was younger. No matter what she ever said, the old Peeta would never have treated her like this. He’s not her Peeta anymore. She can’t even see a glimpse of the old him. He’s acting like their friendship never existed.

The atmosphere in the room is left cold and uneasy as Peeta takes a few steps back and looks down at the floor. He rubs a hand roughly across his forehead multiple times like he’s in pain or agitated.

“So, ummm…you’re back for good then?” Finnick asks carefully in the soundless space, hoping to break the discomfort.

“For now,” Peeta replies simply, not caring to extend his answer as he leans back against Haymitch’s desk. “So, enough about me. What have I missed around here?”

“Nothing much,” Finnick shrugs. “We got a new vending machine in the break room and the department finally updated our surveillance equipment. I wanted to take the new body cams home to try on Annie, but she wouldn’t let me.”

The corners of Peeta’s mouth curl up. “I’m glad to hear you’re still together. I would have thought by now you’d have fucked things up.”

A look of hurt flashes across Finnick’s face before he puts his signature smile back on. “Nah, man. Annie’s my reason for living. She’s my everything.”

Peeta’s eyes soften slightly at the sentiment and he nods his head. He briefly looks over to Katniss, but before she can meet his eyes, he’s turning back around and giving his attention to the new face standing at the door.

“Hey, Mellark. Good to see you, man,” the familiar voice of Gale rings out as he saunters into the office and stands beside Katniss.

“Gale. Nice to see you,” Peeta replies curtly, his eyes narrowing at his old colleague.

Although back in the day the two never fought and worked well together when they had to, there always seemed to be an underlying tension between them which Katniss never understood. She found it difficult sometimes as they were both her friends, yet if she wanted to hang out with them, she usually had to do it separately.

“I like the look you’ve got going on at the moment. It suits you.”

Katniss and Finnick turn and give each other perplexed looks.

“Thanks,” Peeta answers tightly, his jaw tense and eyes cold.

“Yeah, so you’ll notice some changes around here,” Gale continues, swinging his arm around Katniss’ shoulders, and bringing her in closer to his body.

She grows rigid on the spot, too surprised by the public display of affection to push him away.

“We moved some people around in the bullpen after you left on your…mafia holiday. Katniss is now at your desk next to me, but there’s an empty one near the kitchen you can have –”

“No!” Katniss cuts in and wriggles herself free of Gale’s grasp. “Peeta can have his desk back. It’s fine. I’ll take the spare one.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Peeta replies back gruffly. “I’ve already spoken to the Captain and I’ll be moving a desk down to the records room.”

“The creepy basement where no one ever goes?” Finnick asks surprised.

“Yeah, it’s perfect. Besides, open spaces don’t agree with me anymore.”

As he says this Katniss looks down and notices his left hand is shaking like it’s in spasm.

That’s new.

She watches the action sadly, feeling a sudden rush of warmth towards him, which is unexpected after their disastrous reunion. It’s a vulnerable moment (which the others choose to ignore) and it reminds her of the old Peeta. Yes, their first meeting has gone horribly, but once he gets back into his old routine he will remember who he is again and will be back to the Peeta Mellark they all know and love.

She’s pulled out of her reverie by Peeta who’s picking up a ratty box from the floor. She’s curious to know what’s inside, but he quickly balances the weight against his muscular chest before she can sneak a peek. As he heads towards the door, he stops calmly in front of Katniss and Gale.

“So, I’m assuming you two are together now,” he states evenly, his expression giving nothing away.

Katniss’ eyes widen at his assumption but before she can correct him, he’s already walking past them and calling out unkindly over his shoulder. “Sending you my condolences.”

The words sting and Katniss feels tears start to well in her eyes.

They watch him walk down the stairs to the basement, without even a backwards glance. Finnick turns to her in disbelief, while Gale mutters out, “I always knew he was an asshole,” before stomping out of the office.

Katniss wants to run after both of them. She wants to yell at Gale to find out what’s going on with him. And she wants to shake Peeta so hard that he comes back to himself, but her body won’t move. Instead, she feels exhaustion set in and it keeps her rooted to the spot.

“It will be alright, Kat,” Finnick tells her kindly, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “We all know you and Gale aren’t a couple and never will be. And even if it was true it’s none of Peeta’s business anyway. What he said was really uncalled for.”

Katniss nods her head, refusing to show any emotion. Instead, she says, “Thanks Finnick,” and heads towards the bullpen in a daze.

“He’ll come around,” he calls out behind her. “Just give him some time.”

Quietly, she sits down at her desk, ignoring the worried looks being sent her way and opens her top drawer, pulling out a handful of colored photographs. For years the squad used to display pictures of themselves all around the precinct. Some were from Christmas parties, training days, or simply goofing around with each other in between cases. When Peeta went undercover, Haymitch made her take down all the photos that featured him, in order to protect his cover. And they’ve laid in her drawer safe and sound ever since.

She stares sadly at the bundle in front of her, each colored memory seeming like a lifetime ago. In every photo, Peeta is either making a funny face or staring at the camera with an easy-going smile. She wonders when she’ll see it again and then a painful thought occurs to her.

What if they’re wrong? What if he never comes around?

A single tear falls quietly down her cheek. What if Peeta Mellark is lost to her forever?

[theorynexus]

Fudge, I already did 57/ Now I have to do 58/ 13 over 12, man / I guess we’re doing human stuff instead of trolling, today.

Coincidentally via some sort of textual wonder possibly related to authorial intent and/or miracles, we now have to focus on Roxy, now. Somewhat ironic, considering Terezi just said she and John wouldn’t work out. ...

***shift eyes, something about knowing the unknowable and the vagueries thereof, possible interference by the new Narrator, et cetera*** Hmmm~

What, so black holes cause suck up all the voidiness into themselves via proximity?!   Noooo~      Who’d have thought!     (In all seriousness, that gives some interesting resonance mechanic relation, here. I want to know whether it’s just Alt!Calliope that can sense said thoughts, if it’s just Roxy being over-emotional, or if any other observer would be able to pick such thoughts up and it’s just a mater of proxy-imity.)

Okay, then. I thought the point of this was to look like a completely passive observer and not tip people off other than via the black eyes, but you do you, I guess-- if that’s intentional.  Nice gazing out through the fourth wall, though. I’m sure Jade would be/is vaguely proud, knowing the narrative resonance, here, given her own fourth wall breaking shenanigans. 

I blame time and void interactions. Also Dave being an insufferable prick. Good to know, regarding Roxy and their feelings toward Dave, though.

Is Dirk going to literally shoot him in the arse?   That would be horribly ironic, and probably quite crippling to Joke Jake’s reputation and/or the power of his endorsement, if so.   Semi-related:   I do sortof understand Dave’s belief/concern with regards to the importance of this event.    What I want to know is why there are not thousands of Daves running around, all helping the campaign and being available to deal with other important tasks.

“Iced” cream is the best fricking thing, Dirk, and I don’t know what you’re talking about.

This really reminds me of Equius and Nepeta, and that is sortof cute. I almost can’t stand it.  Honestly, this relationship is actually quite similar, except Alt!Calliope is much more dominant in the relationship than Nepeta was. Also Dirk probably has more potential to damage things than Equius did (other than way out of the temporal frame of that moirallegiance, as part of Lord English--- and even then, Nepeta ironically acted as a counter to his muscle-bound rage, albeit way after much of the damage had already been done [thanks, Davesprite {albeit, unrelated to the matter at hand, this relationship was probably why Davepettasprite^2 was destined in such a way to handle Lord English, in addition to the prophesies surrounding Dave dealing with him, Davesprite being the first one to get Caledfwlch, and the flying off into the sun prophesy (which was aided greatly by Seppucrow, the true hero of the story)}]).    I guess that makes this relationship relatively more important, maybe.

So fricking wonderful and adorable.   I do wonder why there are not that many consorts, though. Maybe they are just too distracted and hyperactive to have much in the way of drive to participate in politics.  The humans I sortof vaguely understand, albeit I’d have thought that more might show up specifically for Jake’s speech, assuming that it was announced beforehand.

Dirk feels predictably antagonized, and is lashing out. I have a feeling that he’d intended to do something major before all this control was taken from him, but this will probably make it worse. Hmm.

Heh.   I don’t think that he means to “pump her full of daylight,” at the moment, so this is still funny instead of terrifying.

Huh. Dave already knew about Calliope’s gender and is chill with it. Neat.

Oh. Umm... while I’m sure that he does not need that in order to target Jade’s body if he intends to do so, that is quite foreboding. He is indeed quite capable of tricking people into doing things, at times, isn’t he?

HAH!   That is horrible, you self-obsessed weirdo! XD

More serious than being mind controlled by a space witch with bad intentions who has mind powers stolen from all the major players of her species, huh?  (I seriously still wonder how the fight against her went so relatively-seemingly easily, and what happened with her curse.  Maybe it only transfers in LE’s proximity, or something. )      ... Also, it wasn’t entirely just a joke, Roxy, geeze.

Thaaat’s what happens when your world is under a corrupting influence that is twisting the fabric of reality to their whim.  (The question is: Is this Dirk or Calliope?  Does she really have the right to judge him for his actions, if he really is expressing free will in doing so?   Yes, yes she does, because he is strongly subverting the will of others, and justice in Paradox Space demands some sort of counterbalancing force.  If his excess relevance as the Narrator is the only cost he faces, rather than dying a Just Death, he should feel lucky.)

***peals of cherubic laughter peal out in the background***    Random reminder:  Angels (in Homestuck) are terrifying demons that should be taken as harbringers of the apocalypse. Alt!Calliope has already played this job once along with Lord English. Is her presence outside canon an ill omen by definition?  (I am not sure Calliope the younger entirely counts, given her special circumstances, by the way. Hard to say.)

Beautiful. It’s almost like he’s an open PAGE of Hope, waiting to be written! 

This is a somewhat wise impression.  But it’s complicated, and great power means great responsibility. Especially when the nuclear genie has already been let out of the bottle on account of someone’s great ambition.  (Note: I actually find Jane’s impulse to rule over her creation to be a reasonable one to have, all things considered. I am not judging her negatively for this. I am just not 100% certain that it is the right path to go on before they get a few dozen more years to wise them up, or maybe a few centuries.   Wisdom is a very important thing for leadership, and it comes with age!   Of course, experience also helps, but it might be useful to have some sort of smaller-scale experimentation with politic--  oh, wait, wasn’t she made a mayor at some point, according to the credits?  That really hasn’t been emphasized in the epilogue at all, but probably should be more heavily considered.    It’s still not enough experience for me to feel confident in her, but it’s something. Hmm.)

I mean... I can hear you. I thought your awareness was still there. I guess maybe having your position of control taken away from you might have sapped that as well, maybe.   And yes, it is very interesting, indeed. Now, please put down the gun and try to negotiate more reasonably and in a more civilized fashion than the mistaken cowboy diplomacy idea you’re now engaging in. I will give Dirk some slack insofar as he is still getting used to her identifying as such, but he is sortof making a fool of himself by lashing out at Alt!Callie like that. It’s rather irrational, and doesn’t reflect very well on his character. It makes him out as being rather petulant and inflexible when it comes to identity matters.

Yeeeeep.

This is true (regarding the last part).  It is also really sad to see them fighting like this. >:

Dave, you are being a dummy. You should really stop.

Aww. That is a very cute reaction. :3 Also, that is somewhat dishonest, Alt!Calliope.  You should say “seemingly” nothing.  ***harrumphs and wags my finger at them!***

It is somewhat rude of him to laugh, but I am almost tempted to laugh too, specifically at the fact that this is Alt!Calliope confirming emphatically the beauty of their other version in Roxy’s eyes. It has a sort of ironic tension and silliness to it. Possibly some pride.        I therefore cannot entirely blame him for his laughter, for I do not know whether that is what he is laughing at, or if he’s laughing at the idea of finding an alien skull monster beautiful (which she really is).

It is sortof nice to see this encouragement from Dirk, albeit it is probably laced with irony and sarcasm.  Knowing one’s self and admitting/accepting the things one feels is incredibly important to a person’s health! It feels brotherly of him.

I wonder if Roxy actually feels that way (that it is none of her business), or if it’s Alt!Calliope’s somewhat cold (and sarcastically-directed) interpretation of things. Hmm.

A very important question to ask for someone who is dealing with their own identity issues and/or worries about their friends judging them for them. This is really all there is to say on the matter.

That is a complicated question.  The answer is this:  Identity is only partially self-deterministic.  You can certainly struggle and hope and wish for certain things, indulge in certain behaviors, and see what rubs off on you, or what you feel right about, but in all honesty, you are who you are.    This CAN change over time, and that is something that most people don’t think about. To say you “change your mind” about “the person you wanna be” is not an accurate statement: you don’t necessarily choose anything at all, other than whether you want to actually embrace who you are and/or are becoming, and if you will actually tell anyone about it.  In that sense: whether it is too late to change your mind about who you say and outwardly project you are?---  no, it is not too late.  However, it can potentially be pretty fricking confusing to people, and some friends may not be able to handle it, especially if they have pretty deeply imbedded themselves in your own journey/identity, and/or anchored themselves in it as part of their own.   This can cause them to be pretty put off, and potentially to have difficulty maintaining their relationship with you. As such, in summary:   one should be careful and always very much self-reflective about identity issues.  The choice to come out with any sort of change or difference is not an easy one, and someone should not be blamed for either side they fall upon--- whether they want to keep who they are a secret and/or for how long, or if they want to project it to the world (unless they are really violent about it and/or attempt to shame someone/force themselves upon another person as a “necessary” thing to do for their own growth/impulses or whathaveyou: that is just abusive and wrong).

No. While there is some degree of social capital involved and thus you should attempt to time things properly and take the needs of others into account (which means you have no right to get upset at them if they don’t react a certain way and/or are too involved with whatever is going on in their life right then to grapple with your assuredly stunning revelation), one does not owe their friends any sort of bombshell moment, and any sort of desire for one and/or push on someone else’s part for identity-related drama and/or revelation is actually what is greedy.

***shrug***     I guess it’s funny insofar as it has psychological humor wrapped into it and it makes the phraseology more cutesy (thus more approachable, I guess), but it’s not mind-blowing or anything.

And that’s okay. Someone can be casual about these things and not make it a federal fricking issue if they don’t want to.  It’s also okay to have repeated revelations and/or constantly wrestle with who you actually are. It’s not something to be embarrassed about or paranoid with in a social respect, especially in a world with numerous different species of alien humanoids that have different and somewhat conflicting types of identities and drives.  Almost indisputably, that should make identity issues less of a socially big deal.

Yes. Just like you helped him before.   Oh wait, what was that? You had years to figure it out, but did nothing?    Ah, well. Couldn’t be helped, I guess.   Brothers do have their own separate matters to consider, after all.

***snickers***      Honestly, he’s probably right, but for different reasons than he’s expressing.    

***cough time travel, cough***       Note:  I actually don’t want to read that. It would feel like a really awkward sort of waste of narrative time.  I’m just annoyed at the very ironic lack of time manipulation he’s been doing. Though in this case it sortof does suit him, insofar as he is using time concerns that he obviously could get around as if they were a suit of armor and/or armaments for him to verbally exploit.  Very knight-y. Aaand this feels like about the right time to end this post.

[godkilller]

          ❝ I hope we always get to do this, ❞ she spoke wistfully, punctuating her aspiration with the crisp plop of another pebble thrown into the cool waters. Beside her, the lounging deity hummed----thoughtful, though a signature stretching smile soon spread despite her vaguely serious sentiment.

          ❝ ...throw rocks into a lake? ❞ Gin teased. Rangiku scoffed. The familiarity of their exchange, the playfulness, the rolling of her eyes and puff of her cheeks... merely added to the serene normalcy of their getaway. As though they had always been together, here within the trees, for centuries.

          The mountainous horizon met a summer sun with vigor, the vibrancy of life hardly disturbed by the cities and villages at its base----most who shallowly entered were merchants traveling for goods to trade, or hermits, and even then they dared not venture too deep into the mysterious woods far too ancient to be respectfully tamed. Old torii resided, dominated by extending greenery leeching across their faded red husks. No paths were pressed within the soft grass leading through the mountain, they departed from tentative trade routes swiftly under Gin’s leadership long before reaching their secret destination. Through thick foliage he guided her, insistent, and she trusted him to not lead her astray. Gin took her within its depths, past the silver rocks and twisted trees, further still into the army of ancient branches, towering trunks, and raging roots until they spilled into the mouth of a grand lake.

          Water sparkling clear, they rested in a hidden valley of their own. A sanctuary from her human duties; the god could steal Rangiku away to be a little less of a mortal for a few hours... surrounded by all things ( unbeknownst to her ) spiritual... until she was required to retire home. There, they could spend hours undisturbed------though the present visit counted as merely her third time within the deity’s natural domain, she seemed comfortable enough to linger gladly. She stood without her typical elegant robes, fine fabrics, and rather freed herself in the simplicity of a plain outfit best suited for the summer days, wavy locks captured in a makeshift bun hanging loosely by the base of her neck. She looked beautiful.

          ❝ ----no, I meant... like, spending more time together like this. You’re always vanishing off somewhere or I’m too busy to sneak out. ❞ Rangiku persisted, defending her earlier statement with a signature pout, and Gin knew better than to even weakly mock her. Straightening up, the god appeared as anything but divine. Though silver strands did betray his facade of mortality with a tint of strangeness, a slight unique trait to be glimpsed at with uncertainty----the main betrayal resided in his eyes.

          Though the shape-shifting deity could control all aspects of his appearance, whether human or not, it was a different gesture entirely to dismiss the vibrancy of the eyes. Keepers of the soul, it was widely considered by all celestial and dark alike as a great deception to cloud or otherwise alter the eyes with whatever power available. Demons and spirits could not cloak their eye color no matter the unnatural hue, though gods obeyed via unspoken pact, a promise made to not so shamefully deceive others of one’s true form. But the fox-like entity did not quite play to such clean-cut rules, a trickster and maker of mischief. Gin often remedied the tell by simply squinting his eyes to levels that rendered his vibrant gaze unseen. Though, with her, he felt an openness------especially considering Rangiku didn’t know the significance of their gazes meeting, nor the truth behind the potency of his azure eyes.

          Her soul was exposed to him by a mere glimpse, she didn’t know. She couldn’t have known how he knew her with a gaze. Blurred beyond the curves of her body burned her very core, brilliant and tangible if he so wished to reach out and touch her. Brush slender fingers against the wispy humming light of her sheer existence past what soft skin sheltered her. Thoughts of keeping her fire burning for an eternity flowed through his mind, how he vehemently matched her wistful sentiment of wanting this, ALWAYS. What fate guided her to his shrine that night forever linked them. Love seemed far too human, too simple, but perhaps that was the joke of it all. How the bored god had desperately wished for a complication, for an issue to dissect, a puzzle to solve, something new and tangled for him to carefully and slowly unwrap, unravel... now, he wanted plain. Human. Their connection could be of a simpler nature; her, the chrysanthemum renowned within the Hanamachi she called home, and him, the boy from under the bridge. They could remain within their dynamic and he could watch her bloom. Perhaps he’d become her Danna, eventually, in another form. How selfish he became, wanting to encompass her in every way. Emotions expanded beyond the spectrum of colors available to a mere mortal’s soul----here, the divine’s 'soul’ gleamed with tendrils of unseen light, multitudes of flaring flourishes painted across the canvas, ink staining past describable hue. He thought himself incapable, and yet he still looked upon her with it. Enthralled, mesmerized, absolutely captivated, unable to pull away... the god had fallen in love with a human.

        ❝ ----------well, maybe soon y’won’t haveta sneak out anymore. ❞ He spoke smoothly, uninterested in touching upon his vanishing act. Omnipresence did not behave in the ways humans daydreamed about, but he couldn’t fault them for wishing it so. Gin didn’t enjoy his departure, but could not simply dwell as a pretend-mortal to forsake his divine duties. As nice as that idea sounded...

        ❝ Oooor... you could just stop disappearing randomly. ❞ She pushed the issue regardless, bent knees shifting against grass to scoot her frame closer to his in assertion.

        ❝ Where do ya think I go? Y’know, when I vanish and all? ❞ Silver tongue, refined, delicately dipped upon the topic. And he spoke with truth. Intrigue, genuine, tipped his chin upwards in observance of her. There his gaze watched, piercing blue as the cloudless heavens above, and there his gaze entered. Thoughts of him aimlessly wandering off to other cities to flirt among women or perhaps even capture one as a lover, forsaking every thought of her to be overcome with some sort of affair in secrecy, floated briefly in her mind. The image itself was sharp, a thought revisited perhaps or at the very least formulated with focus, worried, and tinges of concern for her own importance. His smile remained as she desperately swatted the concept from her immediate thoughts. He delved no deeper for her internal turmoil of an answer, curiosity appeased.

        ❝ I don’t know, that’s the whole point, you just---- ❞ she waved her hands, uncertain, then flopped them back beside her to absently grip upon blades of grass, tinkering with discarded pebbles and rocks that were of her previous attention. Now, the stress-relieving motion aided her through admittance. ❝ --and sometimes you’re gone for weeks. ❞

        ❝ I always come back though, right? ❞ He lacked any hesitation or uncertainty when he answered----nearing pride by the strength of his conviction: he would always return to her. Regardless, Rangiku whined at his answer, as she deemed it insufficient in terms of strength to chase away her insecurities, though he knew her better than to count a fleeting thought as her ultimate weakness. Over time it would brew, grow, or simmer depending on her emotions at that given moment. Whilst the concept itself upset her, she did not feel distraught nor did she strongly wish to confront him on the matter. The value she placed on their time spent together greatly exceeded her desire for answers----and for that, Gin was grateful. One day, perhaps, he’d indulge her with the truth in its entirety. He’d speak of ageless tales, otherworldly and far beyond human harvests, a quiet prayer spoken with coin dispensed. For today? He wished only to throw a few more rocks into a lake.

          Rangiku sighed lightly, then smiled with warmth as she smoothed her thumb across a round stone she had captured idly to ease her nerves. Clouds receeded across her thoughts, and once more she embodied the very golden rays that danced within stray strands kissed by a gentle breeze. Delicate, yet dazzling.

          ❝ Mm... hey, Gin, can you promise me something? ❞

          Perhaps the gesture was a tad too animalistic in nature----the simple cant of his head with eyes glinting beneath the shade of an arching branch----which therein indicated the attentive energies of someone far greater than a mere man. A promise was not made lightly, even within the mortal plains. What pacts of demons boasted was that of unending loyalty to their bonds despite the parasitic dynamic they presented, and spirits too held themselves to the standards of eternity within any connection made, any promise spoken, seals made. The shapeshifter deity existed in this same eternity, ingrained within the bloodstream of the ground they sat upon, the air they breathed. The very mountains they lay nestled between remained with integrity to their protective force promised upon the feeble villages below to stay off evils that endured for centuries. 

       TO WHAT END, THEN, WOULD HE KEEP HERS?

         ❝ Never change. ❞

[sparda3g]

Attack on Titan Chapter 116 Review

Season 3 Part 2 of the anime is almost here. Before the epicness kicks off, the manga is getting ready for its own kind. The last chapter had the fans all riled up with twists and turns, including Levi’s unconfirmed status. Is he alive or dead? If you skim through this chapter, you won’t find the answer. Your suffering will have to continue. In the meantime, it’s time to raise some hell and this chapter undoubtedly achieved it. This was a hell of an appetizer that got me incredibly starving for the main course.

The last chapter ended with Pieck made her surprise entry after killing a poor security guy. Sucks to be him, but he signed up for it. Now, we have a heated confrontation with Eren, which is something I didn’t expect from Pieck, but it’s welcoming. Besides, she’s pretty amusing with her words about how she’s going to handle her business. Even when Eren trying to talk her down, she is goofing off, essentially mocking him like she has nothing to lose. Eren doesn’t take the joke well, so he goes straight to point, tyranny style.

He is overly confident that she won’t shoot because this goes against the Marley’s mission to retrieve Founding Titan. He is so certain that he put his head on the hose, daring her to shoot him. Eventually, she gives up, not cut out to deal with this crap. I would have laugh so hard if she did shoot. It is worth mentioning Gabi grabs a rifle from the dead guard, though conflicted with her inner turmoil. She could shoot without thinking straight, which Pieck picked up right away. Good call. What’s an odd call though is her wish to ally with Eren. I sensed an act, but she can seriously act.

The scene goes into intermission as it jumps to the jail cell with Armin, Mikasa, and others. I find it amusing how Nicolo, Braus’ Family, and others are trying to make the best out of their position, while Connie wondering if this is their new life now. Seems like safe haven to me, especially later on. It goes without saying that Armin can shift to Colossus to break free, but he can’t shift specifically like just an arm or size. Basically, Armin can escape alone or stay with the rest; obviously the latter is his choice.

Jean asks about Armin’s confrontation with Eren. Armin told him about the beatdown and Mikasa getting insulted. Now, I thought Jean was about to push their button and go all righteous to say, “Eren is truly the devil. Never trust that man!” That’s more of Connie’s role. Instead, he comes off more thoughtful and mature. His intention isn’t to make Eren look bad, rather expose some underneath agenda. In other words, Eren may have a reason to push them away that isn’t damaging or insulting. Mikasa looks like she has found a new hope. I have a hunch as well, even though the act was very convincing and cruel. The question is, what is it?

Yelena arrives to the cell like she owns the place. Damn, her ego is truly ugly the more she appears. Onyankopon has changed side, which enraged Connie. I see it more of him trying to prevent death from the lunatic that is Yelena. He knows her story. Plus, didn’t he assist Hange before in a way? Well, it doesn’t stop Jean talking smack out of them with words to make them look selfish and pathetic. He has shown a real leadership, so color me impressed. While we can speculate if Onyankopon is bad or not, we can easily establish Grior is a complete asshole.

He is the guy who you really want to see him get the worst possible death. He bashes heavily on the late Sasha in front of Nicolo, let alone the family. He calls her names, such as whore, and he was hoping Nicolo would shut the hell up about her, but even after her demise, there’s no stopping. It’s called love, dipshit. Then, Yelena, without hesitation or warning, shoots Grior right through the head. She may be insane, and this one does show, this was pleasantry. She did so because the new dawn is upon them, so hatred must end. Yeah, psycho talk. I got to say, that detailed splattered brain is gruesome though.

Yelena is ready to tell Zeke’s plan to the guys, but the scene shifts back to Eren and Pieck. I find those two confrontation appealing due to how Pieck is able to convince him to give her a chance. I can see why the fans like her and this chapter has certainly increase her likability. She wants Marley to be wiped out to free her family. There’s a small backstory and it’s good enough to justify her reason to join the military. She did it to get her father, her only family, the medical treatment he needed. It’s cruel considering that shifter titan shorten a user’s lifespan. In short, Pieck may die first. Tragic.

Gabi is still lost, confused, and torn up prior to this event, so you can expect her turmoil continue to escalate. I do feel bad for her, so this doesn’t help. She can’t handle another traitor like Zeke, but Pieck is persuading her to open her eyes and see the clear picture. Acting or not, she makes a very convincing argument. The world is changing. Once titans become irrelevant, Marley may lose their morale and turn against it. Why wait for tragedy when you can clear the way for peace. This convince Eren to give her a chance to prove her worth.

The way how Eren uses his finger is intimidating. Maybe it’s the aura or the gesture that makes it convincing. Pieck has one way to prove her allegiance: rat her former comrades out. She would need to get on the roof and point at the location of their whereabouts. That way, Eren will be satisfied. The best girl has become a traitor. I am heart broken, and so are her fans back at home. Surely, this will all go well. Right?

The scene shifts back to the cell after Yelena explained the plan. I wasn’t sure if she is aware of Zeke’s true intention, but this confirms that she does. The reactions are interesting to say the least. Jean and others thought it’s insane to halt the birth rate for Eldians, forcing them to go extinct by age. Yelena is cool about it because of course she is. They still need to do the Rumbling plan, but since Historia is pregnant, the plan is going all accordingly. Yelena shows her sanity diminishing for she is certain Zeke and Eren can make it happen. That look on her face says it all.

The main takeaway is Armin’s reaction. He’s crying because he was “moved” by this plan. She approves his agreement. He is such a good liar. I admit that I was a little confused on why would he react, but the timing makes sense. The plan goes against Eren’s wish. Once Armin heard this plan, he can relax and be thankful that Eren most likely have another agenda in mind. This is a theory, but it makes the most sense. If true, then Jean’s suspicious of Eren’s action would be validated as the direction for Eren’s best friends to reconsider. This may have renew their hope. That or Armin is laughing in tears for her delusion. Either way, I like it. But that speculation can wait; it’s time for the unnerving, intense hell-raising moment.

The Yeagerists are called up for an emergency; that includes Yelena. Everyone there is preparing for infiltrators. They all have to thank Pieck for this. She has been great so far, even if she did change side. I like how she has been acting like a big sister to Gabi, who pretty much need guidance at the moment. I really like how the faction watches her walking with Eren, and she greets them like she’s part of the family. She is simply trolling and I love it. I think some guys adore her though. She is good.

Although it’s confirmed that Falco is a victim to Zeke’s spinal fluid a while ago, this time, Gabi and Pieck learns it from Eren. This put a dent to their mood. Not only Gabi is lost with her stance, but now she is feeling guilty. What a day this has been for her. Glad Pieck is around to comfort her. Speaking of her, she really is intelligent to pick up her suspiciousness of Zeke way back in the last arc. She had a hunch that Zeke had a hidden agenda of his own, only to expose truthfully when he met with Eren. Small details really are important in this series. Oh, and I love the small jab at Yelena from her. She is gold in this chapter.

Now here comes the heart-pounding moment. They’re at the roof; the moment of reveal is here. The far distant view gives me a chilling sensation of hell is about to break loose. You can already sense the tension is rising. This is literally do or die. Eren is set to kill her if it’s a lie. He’s prepared like, “Don’t make me use my finger.” To think, that is the most intimidating sight. Yelena is desperate to kill her after that jab. All it was missing was the Dark Knight soundtrack, when the Joker say, “And here…we…go!” It’s that tensed.

Before fate is decided, Gabi is in her greatest fear yet. Pieck holds her hand and smile to say, “Everything will be okay.” That was so sweet; a true big sister Gabi needs. She’s definitely MVP of the chapter. But it doesn’t stop there. It’s time to decide her fate. She points her finger at the enemy and that enemy is Eren. “It’s a trap!” The Jaw Titan rise from the grave (okay, not really) and chop down Eren’s leg. Damn! Take that! Never thought I would be happy to see Jaw Titan. Look at Yelena’s face. Where’s your God now? That didn’t stop Eren as he shifts into Titan. The intensity level is off the chart.

Pieck has performed a convincing act, though not everything she said was a lie. She doesn’t trust Marley and she wants to free Eldians. However, she prioritize her friends over everything. She will never backstab them. She is true MVP. Marley’s reinforcements via airships arrive and by God, Reiner is there, ready for another round. Only this time, he is determined to fight. It is pure madness.

This was an intense calm before storm chapter; I don’t know if that make any sense. The depth of these characters continued to impress. The emotional conflict was thrilling. Pieck was gold as a whole; from calming Gabi to fooling Eren and others, even if they didn’t trust her. The point is she got everyone gathered up for annihilation. The tension was bone-chilling with solid and tensed visual sequences. The cliffhanger got me damn excited for the next chapter. The best part is only the Yeagerists are going to action while others are basically going to replicate the magazine cover; the one with the cast playing cards. Have fun with the war, idiots. Hell has arrived.