#there's other shows for the people who want something more serious and dramatic (eg. everything i've heard of Manner of Death?)

[secriden]

So I watched the THK cast reaction/interview with English subs (credit: nellyyangyang on twitter), and...

They're so desperately trying to clarify that it's a romantic comedy ya'll. The number of times they keep saying "it's easy to swallow, no need to chew" and "you can watch without thinking" and "it's really simple". I wonder if this is pre-emptive because they can see online how many people are taking the trailer the wrong way and they don't want to get the backlash of disappointed fans?

Maybe the colours and aesthetic of the trailer is making people think it'll be serious? But like... ok has anyone else seen the 1996 Leonardo DiCaprio movie Romeo + Juliet? I feel like this is in the same vein where its simultaneously shot incredibly seriously with a very specific aesthetic and vibe, but also completely irreverent and satirical, but like earnestly so. (Which, ngl, if it IS that would be SO awesome; Romeo + Juliet is iconic for being so unhinged in the best way.)

[sweetestlamb]

Yoga

Summary: Vincenzo hides his jealousy as well as he hides being part of the mafia.

Author's note: it was supposed to be a cute jealous yoga story I don't know why this ended in angst 😂😂😂 I really need to get my life together. Also Vincenzo rubbed me the wrong way today and some people are trying to convince me that I'm interpreting the show incorrectly and explaining to me why it didn't offend them and why everything was fine and I just need you to know, my opinion isn't changing but listen if you had a great time today watching the episode please don't let me stop you. I don't need anyone to be outraged with me. I'll be mad all by myself I promise! But just to be clear my problem was the creation of yet another gay character who an awful person in a kdrama. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've seen gay characters not be predators or abusive.

Anywho I give you jealous aerial yoga fun that ends in man pain!

He probably believes that he's being inconspicuous again, hiding this side of him as well as he'd thought he was hiding being a member of the mafia. But he's just as obvious as he always is in her eyes, much like her he's too theatrical to ever really conceal how he's feeling. He talks too much and reveals his cards too easily- especially to her.

He's attracted to her that much is painfully evident, if her father's nosy assistant hadn't interrupted they would have kissed. She would have been laid across the table and taken apart, his eyes promised a great time as he devoured her. She was just as attracted to him, she wouldn't have stopped him from doing whatever he wanted.

It is getting more difficult to ignore the quiet moments though, when she can feel his eyes on her and it's not sexual at all. He's just looking at her and she feels bare, naked.

Those moments scare her in a way she hasn't felt before. Ergo she presses them deep, deep into the dark corners of her brain behind all the different ways that she has concocted to throw off others, she's used to being strange and having men overlook her for it.

She's never been what others would consider "sexy". But then he appears and suddenly men seem to see her in a new light. Or maybe he brings her attention to it.

It all begins at the coffee shop, they've made a habit of starting their mornings together by getting coffee. She doesn't analyze what exactly they're doing but some may consider it a date, she hasn't giving the outings a title there's no need to.

She feels comfortable with him and he hasn't been resistant to her pushing her way into his life. She has always been like this, too much and overbearing. Usually it drives people away and she pretends that it doesn't hurt that she's something that people need in doses, she's heard that so often that it's etched in her brain.

Friends in college, boyfriends and her colleagues to name a few.

But for some reason he keeps coming back for more doses, regularly smiling at her shenanigans even egging on her antics with full body laughs.

So he'd taken her to get coffee grinning once again as she dragged her caffeine deprived body dramatically like a puppet with its strings cut to the counter, plopping herself on the surface before crying out, "If I don't get a large sewage water in five minutes my death will be on your hands!" The barista behind the counter grinned over at her, used to her dramatics. He was young, barely nineteen and he'd tried his hand at flirting with her a few times. She had promptly laughed in his face the first time, spewing coffee everywhere before strutting out of the shop.

Laughing and punching a stranger in the arm, ignoring the loud "Hey! What are you doing," before she danced down the sidewalk, hand on her hip as she flipped her hair before shouting to the sky, "I've still got it, baby!"

That day he had glanced at Vincenzo before walking over to her, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"I didn't realize I had so much power over you. What if I say I won't give it to you unless you let me take you on a date?" She remembered her eyes widening in shock and then disbelief and finally landing on bemusement, he was persistent she would give him that much but she was no cougar so his flirting was futile.

She opened her mouth to let him down easy- laugh in his face again and remind him that he had to be this old to ride her ride but suddenly her Italian was leaning across the counter, all cool lines with a deadly smile on his face.

With a his deep voice he chillingly said, "If you don't give it to her your death will be on my hands."

There was heavy silence.

He continued, "I know how to kill a man with only a coffee cup and a string."

The barista, Heon, stared at Vincenzo with all of the blood draining from his youthful face. She didn't blame him the man did sound unnervingly serious and the look in his eyes was a little too real to be purely acting. Plus there was conveniently a coffee cup and a string right there on the table, it was an oddly specific thing to say.

Then after a pregnant pause, he started laughing loudly filling the entire shop like a mad man and she looked over at him as if he had lost his damn mind but this was her favorite coffee shop, she couldn't be banned so she started laughing with him, guffawing and pushing the idiot on the shoulders.

"He's just joking! HahaHAHAHA, laugh it was a joke! LAUGH!!" She leaned across the counter to pat the scared boy on the back but then Vincenzo leaned into her, draping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her back until she was no longer touching him. His laughter static and too robotic to be anything other than a hoax.

She'd never seen anyone brew coffee that fast before. It was impressive what a person could do when they felt as if their life was in danger she'd thought, she gave him a generous tip before leaving.

Heon mysteriously stopped working when they would normally come to the coffee, another barista informed her that he had switched his hours. A certain Italian was really cheerful upon hearing the news, whistling an unknown tune as he sipped his tiny cup of espresso- double shot, traipsing away with a pep in his step and the wind beneath his suit coat.

His random violent outbursts continued.

Bartenders. Businessmen. Traffic officers. Other lawyers. A librarian who had flirtatiously whispered that she wouldn't need to be quiet when they were alone. Suddenly there were men everywhere and she was the hottest thing on the menu, her lower back probably had an imprint of his hand by now from all the times he would steer her away from her suitors.

Every time his excuses were the same, "I'm just protecting you. Guys like that are scum, you deserve better."

Well the one she wanted had no intention of staying so why was he blocking anyone else from trying?

Thinking about it makes her chest feel tight and she welcomes the weekend, she has booked an aerial yoga class to release some of the stress and tension just being around the Italian causes.

It's a warm day so she dons a small set, a light blue sports bra with matching shorts throwing a light jacket over in case the temperature drops at the end of the day. Looking in the mirror she scoops her hair into a low ponytail, pushing back baby hairs that frame her face.

She swipes a thin layer of chapstick across her dry lips before grabbing her phone, keys, gym membership card and her gym bag with a change of clothes.

The drive to the studio is short, she listens to BlackPink on the radio happily screaming about her dududududu complete with car choreo that consists of arm shakes and a lot of hair whipping. It's another miraculous day where she does not cause a car accident, she gives herself a high five for the small victory.

She parks her car haphazardly driving onto the sidewalk several times before getting it right. With a satisfied sigh she hops out of her car, opening the back door and bending over to grab her gym bag.

"Cha-young ah?"

A familiar voice surprises her and she jumps bumping her head into the roof of her car with a cry, she drops the gym bag and leans out of the car rubbing her throbbing head with a pained grimace.

Vincenzo is standing in front of her, in what is the most casual outfit she has ever seen him wear. A pair of navy blue sweatpants, a plain white t-shirt and expensive looking black sneakers, leave it to him to wear Balenciagas when trying to look casual.

Her mouth becomes very dry as she takes in the unexpected but very much welcome sight.

Shaking herself out of her stupor she raises an eyebrow at him, "What are you doing here?" She asks once again leaning into her car to retrieve her gym bag. When she turns around slamming the door shut she watches Vincenzo peel his eyes away, quickly looking away from her direction.

Had he been checking her out?

She smirks at the thought before openly checking him out. Eyes perusing his body up and down in a slow and thorough examination.

"Are you checking me out?" He asks amused as he folds his arms across his chest, making his already impressive biceps look even bigger and more enticing. She knows exactly what he's doing, he's about as subtle as a bulldozer.

"Yes, I am. Do you need me to turn around again so you can check me out?" She laughs easily as he sputters and tries to deny her claims, once he realizes that she doesn't believe a word he's saying he finally stops, admitting defeat.

"Those are...great shorts." He drawls, gone is the embarrassed act. Now he's freely eying her shorts clad body, eyes hot as they trail up and down her legs.

Shaking her head she smiles at him, "You never answered my question. What are you doing here?" He struts over to her prying her gym bag from her hand and throwing it over his free shoulder. She tries not to get too affected by his sudden closeness, his cologne filling her nostrils with the fresh earthy musk.

"My gym is here. I came to work out. You look like you had the same idea, you should have called me." There he goes again, making space for himself in her life although he has no intention of staying with her. It was cruel and she knows she should cut him off before it's too late.

"I don't think you'll be interested in what I'm doing." She answers walking ahead, holding the gym door open for him. They both show their card to the attendant at the front and the young worker smiles at her before saying, "Your aerial yoga class will be starting in five minutes. It's best to go early and secure a good spot."

She can see Vincenzo's questioning face in her peripheral but she ignores him to nod at the younger woman, tugging her bag off his shoulder and nodding at him in dismissal.

"Enjoy your work out." She climbs the stairs leading to the huge studio where the aerial classes are held. His eyes are like lasers on her back and she already knows that he's going to follow her, he's too intrigued to stay away. That's what she was banking on.

She would get him back for all his jealous tantrums this past week. There were so many places they were probably going to be banned from and all because he didn't know how to play well with others. She's wasn't some toy he could claim. Especially when she couldn't claim him back.

Finding a spot in the corner she puts her bag down on one of the mats that are provided, taking a few moments to do some light stretches. She bends over touching her toes before dipping her head and elongating her neck, then she does a few squats and jumping jacks just to get her blood pumping and her heart racing.

She can feel the exact moment that he comes, it also helps that all the women gasp and she can hear coy giggles about their new guest. She pretends not to notice him, stretching backwards into a perfect handstand holding it for a few minutes before tilting back and planting her feet until she's upright again. She almost loses her composure when she catches his expression in the large windows.

He looks shocked and aroused, neck redder than normal.

All the women settle down when the instructor comes to the front of the room, they have reached the point where he no longer shows them what to do instead he walks around the room correcting their form and giving tips or words of encouragement.

He's a beautiful man, with mocha colored skin and a lean muscled build and the most gorgeous head of coily hair. She has been coming here for months and they've become quite closer as they have a lot in common, most importantly they both love men. When they had run into each other and realized they were staring at the same guy's ass, it was love at first ogle.

When he comes over to greet her she immediately steps into his space with a mischievous grin. Sean grins back looking exasperated already but he still says, "What are you up to? I know that smile Ms. Cha-young." She leans closer certain that Vincenzo is avidly watching her every move. Trailing a finger up his thick bicep she whispers, "Nine o clock, don't look but I need your help to teach him a lesson. Are you up to it?"

Sean starts to turn his head before processing her order and stopping, he stares at her before a devilish look gleams in his bright eyes too.

"You know I'm always up." He replies voice full of innuendos and she fake swoons, bringing her hand to her forehead. "Don't tease me."

He chuckles at her before walking back to the front of the room, none of the other women react to their flirtations used to their antics and everyone already knows that Sean is as gay as the pride flag. Everyone except one fuming Italian.

She can feel his waves of anger crashing across the room and she tugs at the cloth in front of her testing the weight before easily hoisting herself up, letting it cup her bottom as her feet dangle.

She's ready to put on a show.

He hadn't stalked her per se, he'd merely overheard one of the tenants say that they'd seen Cha-young in a nearby studio on weekends so he'd went to see if she really did go there. And then there she was bent over in her car, pert little bottom sticking out the car and he wanted nothing more than to smack the flesh and watch it bounce and jiggle under his hand.

This was why he was so protective, not jealous. Protective. She was too careless with her body and there were salacious men out there ready to take advantage of that, she needed someone like him who had a pure heart to look out for her.

He was allowed to fantasize about spanking her while having a pure heart, it was called having duality.

So he'd followed her into the gym, a little peeved when she abandoned him without a word to attend something called "aerial yoga", he knew regular yoga and if it was anything like that he was very much interested.

In watching her do it.

Turning to the young worker who had been staring a hole in his face, he sent her a charismatic smile before leaning nonchalantly on the counter, he could tell that he had her full attention by the way her mouth fell open.

He almost felt bad, she seemed a bit wet behind the ears. But he wasn't really trying to seduce her so it was fine, he wasn't some old creepy predator.

"Hey, that aerial yoga class am I allowed to watch it? I want to see if it's something I might be interested in." He lies to the younger woman, watching her process his words before answering.

"Well technically that class is restricted for those who signed up..." She trails off looking at him and he smiles brightly, pushing his curly hair off his forehead he had forgo his products today and the way her eyes follow his fingers make him thankful that he did so. "But you won't do any harm by watching, I'm sure it'll be fine. Go on up." She finishes and he throws a mental fist pump, he still had it.

Outwardly he smiles serenely, thanking her before walking up the stairs that Cha-young just disappeared up. It leads to a spacious studio with a wall of gleaming mirrors and huge bay windows overlooking the city. He looks around before his eyes land on her, the reason why he's here.

He swallows a groan as he watches her stretch that slim gently curvy body, she's all smooth lines and feminine appeal. When she starts squatting he can't help but watch those firm cheeks tensing and tightening, he lazily leans back hungrily watching her.

Then he almost swallows his tongue when she bends backwards into a perfect bridge before lifting herself into a handstand, damn she was strong and deliciously flexible. Looking her in the eye was going to be even more difficult now.

His heckles raise when he sees another man approaching her suddenly, a Black man who seems way too familiar with his Cha-young based on the way they both grin and invade the others space. He sneers as he watches them whisper and grin at each other, who was this guy and why were they so close? He releases a sigh of relief when the man finally backs up, going to the front of the room before pressing a button and light soothing music begins to play.

He must be the instructor then. Wonderful. He prays that was the end of the unnecessary touching and standing too close to his lawyer. He doesn't want to have to make a scene.

It isn't the end. Not by a long shot.

The instructor who had introduced himself as Sean easily walked around, stopping every once in a while to correct someone or praise them for having good form. The ladies would preen and thank him and that was it, he would nod before moving on.

Cha-young was the only exception to this rule.

He watches mesmerized as the limber lawyer bends herself into a graceful pose that resembles a swan and he can't fight the images that start flashing in his mind of them in bed, her twisting around him with pieces of cloth. Tying him up and showing him just how flexible she is all night long until they both sore and sated.

When she suddenly releases the cloth and starts tumbling to the ground he finds himself jumping into action shoving the fantasy to the crevice of his mind, legs already moving to catch her before she saves herself with her ankles, her body swinging freely with her face only inches from the floor. His heart skips a beat before it starts chugging along again.

Why was she always worrying him?

"That was perfect Cha-young! You've finally let go of your fear of falling!" Sean praises her walking over and patting her legs, but he doesn't let go after the quick touch. He keeps those grabby hands on her thigh and helps her back up onto the cloth, he thinks that will be the end of it. He's wrong.

He moves her body into a new pose with the cloth wrapped around her shoulder and he glares when a hand runs down her back precariously close to her bottom before rolling back up. He pushes her gently on the cloth harness and she laughs gleefully before she whispers something to the instructor, it's hard to read her lips from this distance but he can make out, "with me."

He understands what she asked for when Sean nods and moves into position.

Sean wraps his arms around the same cloth and suddenly lifts himself off the ground, his face level with her groin and he wants to go over and rip the cloth from the ceiling and strangle the man with it. Then Sean pulls himself up and Cha-young slides out of her seated position, grabbing the cloth too until they're face to face and spinning in lazy hypnotic circles. They both have huge grins on their faces as they move together in perfect harmony, the last straw comes when she wraps her legs around his waist and their bodies are pressed together- he sees blazing red and disconcerting white and then finally pitch black.

He's fleeing before he's even aware of it. Bounding down the stairs, two steps at a time then shoving the entrance door open and letting the surge of cool air ease his anger. If he stayed another second the instructor would be dangling out the window much like that thug before except he wasn't sure if he would be able to pull him back up.

Why was he so anger? She'd looked fine, happy even. She clearly wasn't being taken advantage of. But his rage is bursting at the seams and he jolts when a hand suddenly grips his wrist. Instinctively he turns grabbing the person and slamming them into the nearby wall.

Cha-young looks up at him, face flushed and sweaty.

That will also be burned into his retina.

"You should know better than to sneak up on me." He warns taking deep breaths to suppress some of the frustration he feels looking at her, the memory still fresh in his mind.

"What's wrong with you?" She counters bringing her hands to his shoulders rubbing in a calming motion, "You look pissed. Did something happen?"

He watches her for a second, taking her in seemingly harmless question and recalls her legs wrapped around another man who wasn't him and he wants to punch that fucking handsy instructor right in his smug fac--

Wait.

She was smiling. No, smirking. Right up at him like she knew everything that was racing through his head.

He'd been played.

"Did you have fun?" He asks voice laced with snarkiness and he shoves her harder into the wall, red hot fury brewing in the pit of his stomach. She knew that he was part of the mafia but still acted like this. Did she not have any sense of self preservation?

"Were you jealous?" She asks in a ostentatiously cutesy voice like this is all a hilarious joke and he wants to kiss that damn smug look right off her face. No one has ever dared to treat him like this, acted like he was a joke.

She's playing with fire and he's not opposed to burning her up.

"Do you still think you have the upper hand right now?" He looms over her pushing his pelvis into her and she squeaks at the hardness that pokes into her. To his surprise she eagerly presses back, pulling him in by his waist until they are flushed chest to chest. He doesn't know if an upper hand exists anymore.

"Yes. I do, getting to see you jealous was the highlight of my day. Cute little jealous mafia lawyer."

He snarls at her feeling stupid because of how easily she can play him, and without thinking he wraps his arms around her.

"You looked really cozy with him."

She sniffs before pouting at him, "Yeah and you didn't fight for me at all. Where were the death threats and cold glares? Sean would have pissed his pants." Her giggles only make him angrier because she's seen through him all along.

He stares at her blankly before throwing caution to the wind and leaning down to capture her tempting lips, he runs a hand through her ponytail tugging her head closer to him and she moves easily with him standing on her tiptoes. He closes his eyes ready to put himself out of his misery when he feels a finger in his lips, he blinks his eyes open staring at her perplexed and a bit offended.

"What?"

"Are you staying in Korea?" She talks over him, her finger firm on his mouth.

They both stare at each other and her question spins in his busy mind, thoughts too full of her seductive moves earlier and how badly he wanted to destroy anyone who dared to look at her. He doesn't know why that question is coming up now, at this particular moment when he just wants to kiss her breathless. They can leave the rational thoughts for later, right now there should be more frenzied kissing. But when he tries to push her finger away she grabs his face hard, adamant.

He stares at her and finally he sees the chinks in her armor, gone is the overly confident Cha-young that he's so used to seeing and there's something softer in that stead, the vulnerability that always shrouds over her eyes when they have this reoccurring conversation is back and it leaves him feeling cornered as it always does.

He can't answer that question. The answer should be easy and it had been before her. He was going to take his gold and get the fuck out of this God forsaken country.

That had been the plan pre: Cha-young.

Now that plan was muddled and he could admit that he was jealous of other men stealing her away from him, at least to himself. Could admit that he wanted to wreck her completely, have her screaming in his bed those nimble limbs wrapped around him as he thrust into her over and over and over. But he wasn't ready to admit that he might feel something more than just intense attraction to her. That she had changed all his plans and made him consider settling down, with her. It was insane, he barely knew her and they weren't even in a relationship.

"No. I told you, I'm leaving."

He's a coward. He can admit that too.

She sends him a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes before ducking under his arms.

"Then leave and don't confuse me. I'm not yours to get jealous over. I'll see you Monday."

She doesn't look back, walking straight to her car and speeding away without checking any of her mirrors as she's wont to do despite him constantly reprimanding her for it, he's certain she's over the speed limit.

He punches the wall with a yell, the pain in his fist nothing compared to the pain in his chest. It was a huge mistake coming back here.

[kendrixtermina]

Appreciating the Range of Type 6, or, one stereotypical example, and three that aren’t.

I want to tell you about some type 6 ppl that I know in my personal life.

Exemplar #1: F. B.

Complete Stats

Wing: 5 p or cp: largely phobic – lots of safety worries, outright authoritarian follower personality Instinct: sp/soc Trifix: 613  - 6w5 1w2 3w2 (“The Taskmaster” or “The Middle Manager”) jungian: ISTJ / SLI-Te oldham: Conscientious & Aggressive Essence Type: Mars Temperament: Pure Choleric

What he’s like:

Not pleasant.

Every “strict conservative middle aged guy” stereotype in the book. Control freak, makes a mountain out of every molehill, sees the world as full of axe murderers, judgemental as fuck, horrible temper and yet completely impersonable, all his opinions are copypasted from right-wing news sites. When they say war is good he’s for war, and when they say war is bad he’ll be like “At least Trump did not start any more wars” without perceiving a contradiction. Despite this, he believes is very hot, principled and funny. He is none of these things. He puts people down nonstop. My knowledge of neurochemistry tells me that he must have emotions somewhere or he couldn’t function, but I ain’t ever seen a single one of those emotions. They’re all for his job and a few trusted mentor figures. And his mom. At least he loved her.

If you say anything he doesn’t like, he “throws the sofa out the window” as his wife once put it.

How he’s a Type 6:

Well, he’s pretty much every negative stereotype in a nutshell… other than distrusting his partner. But that might be cause hes sx blind, or cause the wife is big on monogamy & wouldn’t ever cheat.

The one positive trait of 6 that he has is that he does his research. Before moving anywhere he googles the crime rates and if you need a doctor he might find you the best one. But even that can be overriden by ideology (hydroxychloroquine!). And if you don’t take his exact advice, there goes the sofa out the window again…

And I guess the work ethic from all 3 parts of the trifix really comes through – he hasn’t had a single bad grade in his life and always keeps collecting new certifications, and will make sure you hear about it...

Exemplar #2: I.

Complete Stats

Wing: 5 P or cp: pretty much an even mix of phobic and counterphobic Instinct: sp/soc Trifix: 614 - 6w5 1w2 4w3 (Would prolly call herself “The Big Pain” rather than “The Philosopher” ^^°) jungian: INTJ / ILI-Ni oldham: Serious & Conscientious Essence Type: Saturn Temperament: Chlor-Mel

What she’s like:

I’d describe her as serious, mature, discerning, focused and passionate about her friendships, if perhaps somewhat forceful at times, with a dry, sarcastic sense of humor.

Comes across like someone who knows what she’s talking about, with well-articulated points.

Often the Responsible Sibling, Designated Sanity Checker or Bullshit Detector.

Prefers to plan everything in advance in typical Ni dom fashion, even amusement part trips. Gets somewhat anxious without a future plan or shedule.

Often mistaken for a whole lot more sociable and confident that she really feels inside. (even I kinda bought it and got her whole darn trifix wrong on my first typing attempt, though that was when I was new to typology) She can act the boss act temporarily to get the situation over with, but she actually hates making decisions.

She does however have the occasional cute/pure moment where that lower function block comes out.

How she’s a Type 6:

She has saved our family from many a terrible restaurant by making sure to check the reviews. The preparing for all possible dangers is very 6, the acting tough outwardly when youre inwardly anxious, the intellectual problem solving & some tendency towards organization/responsibility/ “logistic” intelligence.

One online test she took gave her 5w6 instead of 6w5 but that’s probably just the ITxx-ness leaking in. I remember this one time we were discussing this artsy-fartsy theater play to which we’d had fascinatingly different reactions, and at one point I half-jokingly said something like “But does anyone ever really feel connected to others, or is that a myth?” to which she wrote, “[Name], what the fuck? Yes I do.” and then immediately deleted it. That’s more of a 6 reaction innit?

Nonetheless the wing does feature in significantly – for example she got very well informed about a lot of topics because she researched them to assuage a random survival-related fear, like, “How to make sure I have enough retirement money”

Exemplar #3: M.

Complete Stats

Wing: 7 p or cp: largely phobic Instinct: sp/sx Trifix: 692 - 6w7 9w1 2w1 (Fortunately very much a “Good Samaritan” rather than “The Stockholm”) jungian: ISFP / SEI-Fi oldham: Sensitive & Devoted Essence Type: Lunar-Venus Temperament: Pure Supine

What she’s like:

Precious! Sweet, nice, good listener, friendly, gives all the best gifts. But also perceptive and good at understanding people, eg. mediating to the parents when one of the younger sisters is having An Emotion™ or winning the trust of problem children.

Unlike I. Who has some soc that helps her keep track of a larger circle of friends despite her introversion, M. tends to enjoy the closeness with her family and have just a few very close friends. Excellent friend material all around! The sx and Se also come out in enjoying art forms involving the body like theatre or dance.

She can be a bit shy, conflict-avoidant and occasionally a lil bit panicky though.

As a small kid she used to be super duper shy but then a wise english teacher encouraged her to play a big role in a play, and since then she’s a lot more confident and doesn’t let ppl push her around without limit, though she’s still a quiet, helpful person. There you see the difference that a good teacher can make.

How she’s a Type 6:

For one thing she moves and emotes faster than a core 9 would, and she fits the body language – big eyes that move around a lot, stands a bit lopsided, talks in a shrill voice on the rare occasions where we exhaust her patience etc. As a xSFx and a w7 she shows mostly the “warm, friendly, likeable” side of type 6. She also has a very 6-ish tendency to very frequently ask people’s opinions & feedback before making decisions. (the other fixes probably add to this)

Alas, she also has a little bit of of the fear/insecurity.

Also she has a social/care job which might be seen as 6-ish desire to serve the community.

Exemplar #4: J.

Complete Stats

Wing: 7 P or cp: largely counterphobic Instinct: sx/soc ?? definitely not sp first. Trifix: 638 - 6w7 3w4 8w9(?) (Shall she be a “Justice Fighter” or a “Kyle”? Only time will tell.) jungian: ISTP / LSI-Se ?? Oldham: ? some Dramatic & Serious, perhaps ? Essence Type: Definitely Mercury Temperament: San-Mel

What she’s like:

The first adjective that usually comes to my mind is ‘cool’. Sassy, energetic & a little bit tough, but also affectionate when she wants to be. (though in admiring way rather than a mushy one)

She says the coolest things, has a certain sly sort of cleverness, and an astonishly good poker face. Bit of an occasional prankster. Hilarious. Knows all sort of cool science facts. Avid gamer. 

Not especially popular or over the top sociable, but she gets sad if no one pays attention to her a while. Will act visibly moody where ppl can see sad or worried and can catastrophize a bit in such situations.

How she’s a Type 6:

I first though we might be getting an ExxP type 7 since she was a pretty energetic child, but once puberty hit and independent thought manifested, she turned out a whole lot too reactive and ‘edgy’ for this, and more on the ‘moderate introvert’ side of things.

Since then the sisterly dynamic has been like one fluffy golden dog and 3 hissing black cats. Hissing Cats #1 and #2 are very proud of her, but cat #1 was forced to conclude that she’s probably not a positive outlook type.

Out of all the reactive types 6 fits best because she does broadcast group identity (like wearing merchandise of her favorite media and wearing buttons in solidarity with ppl she likes.) & has a big case of Big Sibling worship for M, I, and someone else who isn’t on this list due to being a 9. (a 4 or 8 might like their older siblings but probably wouldn’t constantly stress the admiration.), but she can also show lasting, pouty displeasure with authority figures who have slighted her. (Like that one time I went too far in teasing her...)

I’m just assuming the 8 fix because that tends to make 6s more bold, louder & more shameless.

Basically she is the “punk teen” type of 6. She can be a bit dramatic & over-the top but still come to her family on advice (even advice on pranks!) in ways that xSTPs of other enneagrams prolly wouldn’t.

She also tends to use self-deprecating humor in tough situations and deflects compliments to present herself as ‘ordinary’.

...

This may sound like I’m really getting down on my first example (I won’t pretend that I’m not) but the point in bringing him up is that the reason he’s like this is: He was subject to really bad parenting that put a lot of fear into him, there was no good parenting to teach him broader coping strategies, he lived in a crappy environment that crushed his dreams, in a sense ‘confirming’ those fears and making him double down, resulting in a person who is just always rigidly following the same predictable pattern or jumping from one automatic reaction to the next with very little pausing and thinking. That goes for the other types too: A ‘stereotypical’ person is a desperate person ruled by fear, who cant stop or soften up even for an instant cause they constantly feel this fire of threat under their arse.

A lot of descriptions say that 6s ‘Follow authority’ but most would balk at the notion – ‘I do the research!’ they might argue ‘I don’t just trust anyone’ or ‘I’m actually a rebel’. There is of course such a thing as denial  that’s more like the extreme case.

But with a more average, functional 6 it’s not so much ‘obedience’ as that they just like to bounce their ideas off of others to get feedback, or that they feature in other’s viewpoints. So you might get someone who can naturally use feedback (something other ppl may have to learn first) or who is very considerate of others (which others might have to consciously remind themselves to do.)

Those are sometimes pretty good traits actually.

On the other hand this is probably part of what makes decisions hard cause they consider all these possible scenarios of how things might displease or cause harm to everyone involved.

Being able to naturally snap into Action Mode under stress looks a bit enviable from the outside, but I. assures me that it’s actually super stressful & exhausting, even for someone who doesn’t get to a point of just being unreasonably aggro at you.

Though even an extreme case like F.B. would probably claim that he ‘did the research’ even as he’s 1:1 quoting the Pope at you, and then saying that you ‘have to be respectful’ even if you don’t even believe in Christianity. Hence why you get a lot of authoritarians talking about “disrespect”. You didn’t “fail to obey”, you “disrespected the flag” or  “hurt the feelings of the Chinese people”. Because they’re still trying or inwardly thinking that they’re doing the consideritation & considering other’s PoV thing when they’ve long since crossed from respect and consideration into mindless obedience, all while still thinking that they’re very sceptical and discerning cause after all they really distrust the other political party or whatever.  

In a way you get this obsession with ‘mind control’ cause they’re not unaware of & very much looking to guard the blind spot. They’re adults trying to do adult things.

For example, if I voiced an opinion to F. B. which he didn’t like, his reaction was often to ask “who told you that”

That’s just how he seems to think opinions work, somebody tells them to you.

Makes one wonder how he thinks new opinions start.

Yeah - Nobody told me that. I concocted it myself in some corner of my head. And in the interest of objectivity, I should stress that you can also end talking out of your ass that way, if you’re not basing it on enough outside data. Making up new shit has more of a quadratic than a linear learning curve – at least with copying you get something semi-useful right away. In making up your own you might be really off a long time before you stumble on something useful.

Also, I was young at the time and it’s not wholly unreasobale to think that an inexperienced person might be duped. I reacted really badly in part cause he hit my own ego buttons cause I was of course proud of this epiphany that I had concocted by myself, and now he says (or so I perceived it, being sensitive to accusations of incompetence) that I’m too dumb to form an opinion, so of course I launched into full Obnoxious Reddit Dude Mode.

In I. It manifests more on a reasonable useful level like “Oh wait, should [young cousin] be on TikTok? I don’t want him to get sucked into some cultish BS.” which is at least something the parents should have on the radar/ warn him about even if they do let him use TikTok, because for all that it is vital for him to get his experience with independent socializing & experimentig with sel-presentation, people do sometimes get suckered into cults or goaded into unsafe tests of courage.

And in a sense… maybe they overamphasize it but to some extent they’re also simply consciously aware/ mindful of it. The rest of us are not immune to propaganda after all, solong as it’s presented in a way pleasing to our egos. Any type structure can become a ‘hook’ if you’re not careful.

[mcgrillzdumpinc]

Hak x Kija - First Date

Wow, I’m back doing stuff for Akayona!  Request comes from the lovely angryharmonyqueen

Word Count: 2103 Warnings: None ao3 link

It was a regular autumn afternoon at Kouka University.  Calm weather, slightly cloudy skies, and a campus milling with pods of busy students. Kija had just finished his morning Thursday classes and was eating his lunch, taking what little time he had to enjoy himself before his final class of the day.  He was scrolling through missed texts, mainly from his grandmother, when he heard a noticeable whump in front of him.  Looking at the sound, he saw Hak sitting down in front of him, book bag slumped heavy on the wire table.

“So… want to go on a date?” he asked, casual, as if he hadn’t just dropped a bomb.

Kija spat out his drink.  “Wh-what?!”

Hak raised an eyebrow, his expression infuriatingly expectant.  “Did you forget you confessed to me last week?”

Kija crushed his juice box, not really caring that its contents spilled over his scales.  It was true, he had confessed in a spectacularly embarrassing fashion nearly a week ago.  But that was due to his brothers egging him on and – “I wasn’t expecting anything from it!” he protested.

For the love of the gods, Hak pouted in response.  That was nearly enough to give Kija a heart attack!  “If you didn’t expect anything from it, why would you tell me?”

Spurred on by his eager nerves and the bothersome stickiness between his scales, Kija stood up from his seat and hurried to the nearest water fountain, throwing away the juice box as he went.  Hak followed him.  As Kija ran water over his hand, Hak leaned over his shoulder, his face much too close for Kija’s enjoyment.

“So?  Will you tell me?”

Kija resolutely turned his head away.  Hak moved to lean over his other shoulder. Kija scowled.

“Why are you so angry, White Snake?”

“Y-you…!” Kija started to dry his hand with a handkerchief.  His face was burning, and it had everything to do with Hak.  “D-don’t… don’t get my hopes up.”

A noise of disbelief came from the other man. “Do you really think I would do that? I’m hurt.”

Kija squeaked.  “No!  You’re a perfectly respectable individual, very sweet and honorable!  I-i-it’s just that—”

Before he could continue, Hak took his hand.  It was perfectly dry now, but still he took Kija’s handkerchief to rub at the scales.  Through the thin layer of fabric, his thumb rubbed across Kija’s palm, and the dragon could’ve kissed him right then and there.

“Then go out with me.  I want to try with you.”

Kija stared at him.  The expression before him was as serious and steadfast as Hak could ever get. There was no denying his honesty, not when he looked so much like a loyal knight.

Embarrassment broke their eye contact.  Kija whispered, “Okay.”

~~~

They agreed to meet up at Hiryuu Park the following Saturday.  Kija arrived in a pair of tan oxford boots, light blue acid-washed jeans, and a white with black stripes open shirt, with a blue tank top underneath.  He was there first, of course, because it was only reasonable to show up to a date fifteen minutes early!  He managed to pass the time by texting his friends, almost lulling himself to a total calm by the time his date arrived.

“Hey, White Snake.”

Hak’s voice, deep, rumbling, and unbearably sexy, interrupted Kija from typing an indignant response to Jae-ha’s teasing. Hesitantly, Kija looked up to greet his date, only for his mouth to run dry at the sight.  Hak was in a rich blue button-up tucked into black trousers, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and buttons undone just enough to offer a peak at his chest.  The trousers had embroidered details along the pants’ leg—stitched in grey so they were barely noticeable except for an observant eye.  On his feet were a pair of black dress shoes—bluchers, was Kija’s best guess—and in his hands was a sizeable bouquet of pink and white flowers, interspersed with little yellow flowers.  Hak, the bastard, smirked when he noticed Kija’s fluster.

“That sexy, White Snake?”

Kija gawked, spluttered, all but threw his phone and wallet at the stupidly hot man, before he managed to squeak out, “You’re too dressed up!”

Hak stared at him, dumbfounded.

“We agreed to a simple lunch date!  I came in casual clothes!  Why are you dressed like we’re about to travel to Europe?!”

Hak pouted, the bastard.  “Yona said you’d like this…”

Kija actually screeched at that.  “Don’t bring the princess into this!  Her taste is impeccable, and she’s right, I do like it! But not for a casual date!” Before he could think twice, he took Hak’s free hand.  “Come on, we’re getting you changed!”

~~~

They ended up in a retail store nearby.  Much to Kija’s embarrassment, Hak picked out an outfit that matched his—dark blue jeans, a white tank-top with blue stripes, and a grey button-up unbuttoned to this navel.  But arguing was pointless when Hak only had to smile knowingly to shut Kija up.  With Hak’s previous outfit in a bag and the bouquet resting on Kija’s arm, the two hurried to a café one of Kija’s cousins owned.

“I-I really hope you don’t mind coming to a place my family works…” Kija mumbled as they were seated.  What he didn’t say was my grandmother insisted we come here.

Hak hummed.  “No, I don’t mind.”

The menus were laid out before them, but Kija could only stare at his hands in his laps.  He heard Hak order their drinks for them—hazelnut coffee for Hak, lemon green tea for Kija—but he couldn’t say a word until the waitress left. “Th-th-that’s good…” he managed to whisper.

They lapsed into silence.  Peaking up revealed Hak with the menu in one hand and his phone in the other.  To Kija’s chagrin, he was much more interested in the latter.

When their drinks were delivered and the waitress asked for their food orders, Kija managed to order a salad.  Hak ordered a sandwich.  The menus were returned and the unbearable silence resumed.

Just as frustration was about to win over Kija’s nerves, Hak finally spoke.  “So, um… what are your hobbies?”

That elicited a surprised chuckle out of Kija. “Why would you ask me that? You’ve known me for years!”

Hak pouted, overly adorable for such a handsome man.  “The article said to…”

Kija crossed his arms, finally sitting up straight. “The article?”

Hak grumbled and passed over his unlocked phone. On the screen was an online article titled AWKWARD FIRST DATE? HERE’S 10 CONVERSATION STARTERS.  Kija couldn’t help himself—he started laughing instantly.  “You—you looked this up?!  We’ve been friends for so long, you don’t need this!”

“That’s the problem!” Hak argued as he retrieved his phone.  “This is our first date, it should be—I don’t know—different? I don’t want it to be like every time we’ve hung out.”

In truth, their hangouts were the definition of casual.  Usually, them and their shared friend group would meet up at either Hak or Yona’s houses and watch movies or play games.  Kija tended to fall asleep before midnight and had to be carted back to his home. But on more than one occasion, Kija and Hak would spend a night alone watching B-rated sci-fi movies or forgotten action classics, since they were the only two people in their friend group who liked such flicks.  Those nights were the instigator behind Kija’s feelings as well as a treasured source of memories that he could play over and over when he was lonely.  But he had to agree with Hak—it wouldn’t be a good first date if it was at all like their usual hangouts, silence that was only interjected with jeering or laughter.  He wanted something lovely, something more like a cheesy romance novel than a movie for teenagers.  It made him happy, knowing that Hak felt the same.

Kija heard a camera snap and immediately turned to glare at his cousin from where she was peeking from the kitchen.  She only giggled and noticeably took another picture before escaping to her station.

Kija sighed before pulling on a smile.  “It’s nice we agree, then.”  Remembering the bouquet, he leaned over to the bag holding Hak’s clothes and the bouquet to pluck out one of the small yellow flowers. The tiny stem pinched between his thumb and pointer finger, he held it out to Hak.  “To a good first date?”

A dusting of pink peeked out from Hak’s tan skin. “Yeah…” he agreed as he took the flower and tucked it behind his right ear, “to a good first date.”

Things become easier, after that.  The food was delivered and quickly devoured.  A chocolate cake, “compliments of the chef”, was placed between them within minutes of finishing lunch, and the two of them split it.  Hak, of course, has more of the cake than Kija—the man was the quicker and more voracious of them, but Kija didn’t mind.  He was too enchanted by the specks of chocolate cake on Hak’s mouth, the flower in Hak’s hair, and good conversation to complain.  Thankfully, Kija’s cousin doesn’t bother them any further, and Kija paid the cheque without hassle.

They walked somewhat aimlessly after that.  A live band performance was scheduled at the park they met at, but that wasn’t for another hour.  Kija found himself enjoying the easy silence, and he kept staring at the bouquet once again in his arms.  He couldn’t believe Hak, a brute by most estimates, had chosen something so beautiful for him.  Just as Kija was about to properly thank him for the gift, Hak suddenly stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, hands dug into his pants pockets and face towards the ground, and asked, “Are you having fun…?”

Kija turned to face him.  “Of course I am!”  The sullen dip of Hak’s lips and scrunch of his eyebrows didn’t lift.  Kija stepped into his space, forcing eye contact. “I’ve had a lovely time so far.” Embarrassment flooded his cheeks and made him look away.  “I… This is better than anything I’ve imagined.”

He heard Hak snort.  “I know about those romance books you like to read.  This hasn’t been as great as those, I’m sure.”

Kija frowned, crossed his arms.  “Those are dramatic.  I don’t read them because they’re exactly what I want.” Age-old frustration rose within him, threatening to force out the wrong words.  He was never good at saying exactly what he wanted.  Instead, he took a deep breath and waited out the frustration, then the hint of awkwardness, then managed to say, “Everything I’ve imagined and everything I’ve read haven’t had the reality of having you actually here with me.”  He grabbed Hak’s wrist and kept on charging through, before humiliation and anxiety could catch up to his mouth.  “I’ve wanted to be with you for years.  You could throw me into the sea and I would still consider this the best, most fun date I’ve ever been on.”

Hak was silent.  Kija was about to take back all his words, save himself a least a little pride, when a calloused hand reached up to caress Kija’s chin and guide him to look up.  Kija followed through and barely had time to appreciate the vulnerability on Hak’s face before the taller man kissed him.

Fireworks burst beneath his lips, spread through his teeth and his gums, traveled down his throat and expanded through his entire body.  In that moment, he could lift a piano with his human hand, could run a marathon without breaks, could hold the entire world on his back.  His heart burst, and it was the most wonderful Kija had ever felt.

“I feel the same,” Hak said when he pulled back. “I-I mean…” He snaked an arm around Kija’s back, tugged him closer.  The flowers crushed between their chests, but Kija couldn’t find it in himself to care. With his hand on Kija’s cheek, their breaths intermingling, black hair tickling pale cheeks, Hak muttered, “My feelings for you are recent, I think.  But, I… I wanted to go out with you and it’s been great.  You’ve been great.  Kija, I want to be your boyfriend.  Can we?”

Kija’s smile could barely contain his joy.  This was more than he had ever dreamed of on those lonely nights.  Hak wanted him too.  Hak wanted him.  His happiness alone could power the whole city.

“Of course,” he said.  “I want to be your boyfriend, too.”  And then he leaned in to steal a kiss of his own.

[mxtantrights]

Dreamscape - two

a/n: hi!! send me a message if you liked it! or wanna talk <3

word count: 2.2k

warnings: violence, humor in place of actual feelings 

TWO HOURS LATER

STARK TOWER. NYC

The hours kept on passing by quickly for Mari and people were slowly leaving the party. That meant that it was getting more intimate. She had learned about several names in the last minutes and she was proudly keeping up. But there was one stare in the room that wasn't leaving  her face.

The small group was talking amongst themselves as Mari zoned out. She was thinking about why she couldn't remember the battle of New York. She had to be somewhere in there, she was an agent after all. How could she just forget?

A high pitched ringing came through Mari's ear and it made her hiss. She held her hands over her  ears in annoyance as she looked around to see where the noise was coming from. But all that she was was everyone else reacting to the high pitched ringing too.

Tony pulled out some weird kind of tablet from his pocket and looked at it. Maybe it had been the source of the sound. Mari didn't know.

A few seconds passed by and she heard clattering footsteps. It made her jolt out of her seat in an instant. It reminded her too much of her captors coming to get her out of her cell to do their little science projects on her.

"No, no..." A voice- an automated voice, came from down below the seating area where everyone was. Mari stood still and watched as a few people in the group laid their attention on what was down there. "How could you be worthy? You're all killers."

The blonde man that Mari came to know as Steve was ready and alert. "Stark." He called out to Tony but he looked as confused as anyone else. "Jarvis?" Tony called out for someone else. Mari wondered who this Jarvis person was.

"I'm sorry I was asleep," Mari inched closer to the scene and saw a robot. An actual robot talking to them. It was all beaten up and torn apart but it was standing there talking like nothing was wrong. Like it was normal. "Noise and I was tangled hmm... strings had to kill the other guy he was a good guy."

"You killed someone?" Steve questioned with all the courage of a solider. He was questioning a robot. Mari was bugged out by all of this but it was something to keep her mind off of her own story.

The robot kept turning around and adjusting. "Wouldn't have been my first call but down in the real world we're faced with ugly choices." The machine spoke as if it were human. Like it could make choices and know things like feelings.

"Who sent you?" Thors voice made Mari's eyes wander over to him. She wondered how they all were so brave right now to even stand there. The robot looked ugly and defeated and psycho and Mari wanted nothing to do with it. Tony's voice came from the robot and played over his own words.

Dr. Banner named the robot and the robot perked up a bit if that was possible. "In the flesh." It joked but then it looked down at itself. "Or no not yet. Not this christmas but I'm ready." As the robot spewed words Mari noticed Maria grabbing her gun and Thor with his hands on his hammer.

The same one they were all laughing about and trying to pick up just a few minutes ago. In a few minutes things went from sociable fun to- whatever this was. Mari had no weapons on her seeing as she just got out of captivity.

"I'm on mission." The robot stated which made Mari's fear charts go up a mile. A robot had a mission? How much had she missed? It was only three years. What happened in three years? "What mission?" One of the voices around her asked but they were all beginning to fade into one as she felt the panic bubble up.

"Peace in our time." The robot put lightly and without a warning the glass behind it shattered and out came other robots. Flying robots.

While everyone else in the room was equipped to handle the situation there was one person here that could get hurt. That needed to be protected. Dr.Cho.

Mari shielded the doctor as the two ran to take cover by the piano. Everything turned to war around the both of them. She saw Steve fly across the room after being hit with a coffee table. Thor knocked his hammer into one of the robots which sent it flying like a baseball out of field. Clint and Rhodey- Tony's babysitter-- were running somewhere.

Mari felt a shark twinge in her arm and inspected it. A huge chunk of glass was lodged into her forearm. With her free hand she took it out slowly and threw the chunk of clear glass on the floor. It was painted with a transparent white fluid.

She looked at the supposed wound only to see something else. There was smoke coming out of her skin. Something inside her egged her on to feel it, touch it, anything. She listened to the voice in her head. Her fingers ran over the wound and the smoke seeped back into the cut and slowly left a white mark where it used to be.

"Thats..." Dr.Cho trailed off looking in awe at Mari's healed wound on her arm. Mari shook her head lightly in disbelief and screamed in surprise as a robot fell to the ground near the two of them.

"Get behind me." Mari spoke softly yet ordered the doctor. Dr.Cho knelled slightly behind her as the robot buzzed back to life and flew into action. It's hands were raised and ready to fire but Mari's powers had a mind of their own.

A transparent white wall went up between the two women. Mari could see Steve and Thor behind the robot gearing for a fight. "Blondies! Help!" She shouted and Steve sprung into action, taking the robot into his hands and throwing it like a frisbee. And not a moment later Thor's hammer collided with it.

A little more chaos ensued but soon enough the robots were taken care of. Well, almost all of them.

"that was dramatic." The robot's voice cut through the somewhat silence and made Mari's  shield disappear. "I'm sorry I know you mean well you just didn't think it through you want to protect the world but you don't want it to change how is humanity saved if it's not allowed to evolve?"

Mari felt her body grew cold at the word evolve. What if that's what she's done? What they did to her? Made her evolve?  She watched as the robot picked up the destroyed one on the floor as an example. "With these? These puppets. theres only one path to peace," it stopped for dramatic effect and turned to look at everyone in the room "the avengers extinction"

Thor wasted no time in throwing his hammer at the robot and smashing it between the wall. It broke into pieces but the head was still attached and on. The voice ghosted through the room "I had strings but now I'm free.."

It seemed like the world waited for no one. Not even Marizella to cope with what had happen to her. No. She was to be thrown into battle and push everything to the back of her mind. At least she willed herself of this thought.

Anything was better to her than having to deal with herself.

-

The group settled into a lab of some sort. Everyone was fanned out and talking specifics. Maria and Mari were both sitting near a desk. Mari had chosen to stand seeing as Maria was digging out glass from the sole of her foot.

Mari had gathered that Ultron was created by Tony. And that it went rouge for reasons unknown but now it was surely out to kill the avengers and then humanity. Or create peace in our time but that sounded like bullshit as always.

As Mari was trying to understand the concept of a robot gone rouge Thor stomped into the lab. He- he was wearing something new now. It looked a little bit familiar to her maybe she saw his photo somewhere.

But he wasn't happy. Instead he was very angry as he gripped Tony's throat in one hand and lifted him off the floor. Mari yelped a bit at seeing the weird fight play out. "Come on use your words buddy." Tony's voice came out scratched and strained.

"Oh I have more than enough words to describe you Stark." Thor surely snarled at the playboy making Mari nervous. He said he was from Asgard and that doesn't sound like a place on earth. He's got strength, a weird hammer. That man was definitely  not human. "Thor! The legionnaire." Steve asked of him which made Thor put Tony down.

"The trail went cold about a hundred miles after it was headed north. And it has the scepter." Thor explained and Mari was left trying to make sense of what had happened tonight. She was so out of the loop it was funny. It was to her.

Another laugh beat her dry one to it. It was Tony. And Mari couldn't help herself but to hold down her own chuckle. Maria nudged her lightly but that only made it worse.

"You think this is funny?" Thor asked Tony with his arms crossed over his chest. Mari had to bite her tongue from letting out the hysterical laugh hiding in her throat. It was funny. It was horrible. An absolute tragedy.

She just came back from being imprisoned. Only for a robot that a genius made to basically threaten all life an humanity. But she's here! She's free! What wasn't funny about that?

"No, it's probably not. Right?" Tony looked at Mari who looked back at him with the same face and shook her head. They were both obviously in hysterics at the moment. But for two very different reasons. "This is very terrible. Is it so- is it so- it is. It's so terrible-"

"This could've been avoided if you hadn't played with something that you-" Thor's anger coursed through the room which finally made Mari stop with her laughing. Instead she focused on the team of superheroes that didn't look like a team. Not to her at least.

"No I'm sorry- it is funny. It' a hoot that you don't get why we need this" Tony matched up to Thor's level but even then the blonde man was over shadowing him. Mari noticed that out of everyone in the room Tony was the one at the head of it.

"Tony maybe this might not be the time" Banner spoke softly to try and calm Tony but that didn't do any good. Tony instead turned to Banner. "Really thats it? you just roll over show your belly every time somebody snarls?"

"Only when we've created a murder bot." Banner recanted and Mari's eyes went wide. It was a serious situation. And she was just laughing a few seconds ago. But that robot could be out there killing people.

"We didn't." Tony disagreed and looked to Banner. "We weren't even close, were close to an interface?" He asked the doctor and his face didn't help Tony's case. And before either of them could speak up on the matter Steve did.

"Well you did something right and you did it right here. The avengers was supposed to be different than shield." Mari grew a little light headed at that remark. What was that supposed to mean? Was SHEILD now known as a faulty organization? Just because of the corruption inside of it? That was unfair.

"Anyone remember when I carried a nuke through a wormhole? " Tony asked the group but it struck something in Mari. For the first time since the day she was taken she finally able to remember something. A glimpse of something.

A black hole in the middle of the city with a flood of aliens coming out of it. She blinked away the sight of terror in her head. It could have been one of her projected dreams. Ever since they did their experiments on her it's been hard to distinguish what was reality and what was fantasy.

And she never wanted to make something up about the missing day to make herself comfortable again. It's what she did for the first month she was captured. Until the hydra doctors walked her through a far worse nightmare.

Mari looked to Maria. "There was a wormhole? Like a real life- actual wormhole?" She asked in a whisper so the others wouldn't hear her and Maria nodded her head. Mari couldn't believe it. Maybe her dreams could hold the right information sometimes.

The group kept on talking but Mari was still stuck in her own head. She had just pictured the wormhole in her head. With no details from anyone at all. It was all on her own. But it was such a tiny second of it.

During the battle something must have happened. She must have seen something she wasn't supposed to see and gotten into the hands of the opposition. And it would make sense from there how she had been imprisoned.

Little old Mari just couldn't keep her nose out of their business.

[cadday]

Collateral Damage Chapter 8

For a while everything just returns to routine. He gets up, goes on guard duty or assists infrequently in the labs, which really translates to picking at Even. Some days he trains with Dilan and Aeleus, some days he just trains the brat Lea, who is okay to have hang around when he isn’t mooning over the Isa. He sometimes asks his other heart resident questions and she answers kinda vaguely but from what he can tell she’s older than him somehow, and knows Luxu at least by name. She is also a key bearer who isn’t keen on Luxu doing whatever it is Luxu is doing. So makes her an ally. Which is good. What’s not good is her heart not getting much stronger and she sleeps most of the time more out of necessity then anything else. He worries she’s going to just vanish one of these days and there won’t be much else to be done about it.

Besides he concerns Radiant Garden remains, well, radiant. It shows no signs of falling to darkness as it is, and the few heartless interlopers they dispatch are few and weak. Braig still gets fidgety for days when they appear and he lurks in the courtyard until he catches sight of the little redhead girl on days where he thinks there are too many. She doesn’t ever seem to be in danger or missing from action so he tries to relax and stay some semblance of positive.

It’s freaking storming when things go wrong, because of course it is. It’s been more than a month since he’d been restored to just Braig and he should have known not to let his guard down.

At first Braig is loitering around the library, Ienzo was reading and Braig, with some assistance from Lea and Isa after he egged them on enough, had built a book fort around the other boy. They were trying to figure out the best way to make a doorway that didn’t collapse immediately when Aeleus came in the room, soaking wet and a little worse for wear.

“Braig something’s happened…” He’s up and running out of the library before Aeleus gets much more out. The man is hot on his heels though and quickly catches up to him to keep pace.

“Master Ansem, Even, and Dilan went ahead. They sent me back to get you, some little girl showed up in the storm and said that monsters had attacked them.” They ran out the door and into the storm and Braig cringed at the lack of visibility. Aeleus steered them off towards the residential districts and they slowed down when they were greeted by several people loitering around their doorways looking on concerned. They spotted Master Ansem, and Even at a smaller house down the street. The little girl was their clinging with Even’s labcoat wrapped around her awkwardly. They were all soaked from the rain and Even was kneeling next to the girl talking about something with a serious expression. Master Ansem looked less than happy.

“What happened?” They skidded to a stop and Braig noticed the house's windows were all shattered. He cringed before looking back at Ansem.

“The heartless returned and…” He glanced at the girl before frowning and stopping his thought. Braig could only guess that there was a reason the kid’s grandma wasn’t around. Dilan came out of the house then looking grim, he shook his head and Braig tried not to wonder if he could have prevented this. He felt something hit his leg and he stumbled a bit startled. Looking down he was greeted by the girl clinging to him for dear life. Master Ansem sighed.

“Now Kairi, it is going to be okay,” Ansem looked back at the house and shook his head. “She will have to return with us until other arrangements are made, we should at least get out of the rain before we all catch a cold.” Braig watched the rest of the apprentices watch the girl, Kairi, unsure of how to proceed and he sighed before picking her up.

“Well let’s go then. It’s freaking cold out here and I don’t fancy getting struck by lightning.”

The trek back to the castle was mostly quiet and Braig tried not to think about how young Kairi was and how she wasn’t much older in the time he had already lived through. Back in the castle Isa, Lea, and Ienzo were loitering around the entrance trying to not look concerned when they came back soaking wet with another kid. Master Ansem waved them off though, which only meant they kept lingering in doorways as they all took turns getting dried off and keeping an eye on Kairi. She was really quiet and Even said it was most likely shock. At some point Ienzo, Lea, and Isa had begun dragging in pillows and blankets, and a very ridiculous teddy bear to pile around her and eventually they all took to laying around the sitting room he was holed up in waiting to see what happened. Dilan and Aeleus had gone back to the street to see if anything else had been attacked or anyone for that matter. Even was falling into the role of fussing Dad again as he kept checking Kairi’s temperature and fussing around the sitting room until Braig got so frustrated with his fidgeting around he tripped him into the seat next to him. Braig was just sitting. Master Ansem had commented about Kairi seeming to recognize him and Braig mentioned meeting her on patrol, which apparently meant he wanted to help babysit. Honestly he preferred this to returning to the street, for one the rain sucked, but mainly he was having a hard time coping with, well this failure. Heartless taking hearts could mean Radiant Garden could still fall, albeit slower. Without the machine it could give them more time to stop it.

He would have to teach Kairi how to summon the keyblade. Braig didn’t really have much choice. The heart sent a feeling of agreement and he frowned slightly. Not right now though. The kid needed time to cope and Braig needed to figure out how he was going to explain any of this to the other’s if and probably when they found out what he was up to. Sure he would be able to explain training the kid as concern for her well being but well when the keyblade shows up there will probably be some questions. Eventually Dilan and Aeleus return with less than stellar news. Two families were missing from nearby houses as well as an older gentleman who lived alone next door. Broken windows and in one house the dining room looked like it had been splintered into a hundred pieces.

Braig wanted to hit his head on the wall. Instead he helped send the brat’s to their rooms for the night and helped Even as he set Kairi up in a guest room. She still wasn’t talking but their was not much else they could do tonight. Braig hoped the sunrise would bring a positive light back to the world.

“Kid my rooms two halls away okay, a left into the big hall and then another left. I’m the first door on the right. You need anything feel free to wake me up. If you can’t find me feel free to just yell until someone finds you. Lea yells when he's lost all the time as well so everyones used to it.” Kairi didn’t even look at him so he sighed, “Good night kid.” He shut the door and headed to his room to turn in.

The next week Master Ansem sets about trying to find a place for Kairi, and after exhausting family and friends as being unable or otherwise not around anymore, Kairi becomes a fixture in the castle. Which is convenient for Braig but makes Even get dramatically aggravated for a while even as he personally makes her and Ienzo chocolate chip waffles for breakfast that morning and then takes them shopping to get Kairi some things for her new room. Kairi is so little and it takes her some time to adjust as much as it does them.

She has nightmares. Screaming, crying terrors, in the middle of the night. They take turns based on who gets to her first really to calm her down. Aeleus buys her a night light shaped like a star. It changes colors and seems to help a bit.

Lea and Kairi get along remarkably well. He carries her everywhere and Isa indulges her just as much because it makes Lea light up like the freaking sun when he does.

Ienzo shows Kairi books and stories, and reads to her a lot. She likes stories of worlds, and different places. Stuff with happy endings and magical creatures. Her favorites have dragons, and her least favorites have princesses locked away or sleeping. The kids though are okay and Braig feels a little hopeful again. Seeing Kairi with the other kids though reminds him this kid is way too little to be fighting anything.

‘not safe if she can’t fight.��� And his weird heart friend is right but it still doesn’t make it suck any less. So Braig out of spite and because frisbees are not weapons, buys Isa and Lea real weapons. He gets a lecture for it about safety, sights christmas presents only to be told it’s the middle of summer but who cares, they were training them to fight anyway. Isa is not really thrilled at being given a weapon, he gets a sword because braig figures it’s close enough to what he used later and giving a teen a claymore seemed like the road to injury. Lea gets chakrams, because he can’t think of anything else to get the kid, but they're plain compared to the memories warring in his head and little more than bladed circles. The little turd actually complains they lack style and he tells him he can have nicer ones when he can use those properly.

Ienzo gets a book on magic because he feels guilty buying the other twerps things and not the younger boy. Ienzo seems at least happy with it and Even is just happy he didn’t get Ienzo a sharp thing he thinks.

Training Lea and Isa is equal parts awful and hilarious. They tend to alternate between being motivated and lazy and he finds while Lea’s style he get’s, kids bendy and fast and he can work with that, Isa kinda fights like he’s trying to break everything into a million pieces, for being so calm Isa has a temper just as much as Lea in a fight. So he starts dragging Dilan and Aeleus into training, and then pushing the little berserker in their direction.

This is fine for a while and he feels better when they all can defend themselves adequately. Heartless still came and went, they kept an eye on darker days and there were casualties but few and far between.

As time moves on Braig feels a little better about the changes, and starts to think less of what hasn’t happened. Aqua never does return, and he assumes the worst and adds it to his growing list of failures. Years pass and he teaches Kairi to summon the keyblade, with the guidance of the other heart, under the guise of meditation or some bologna. She proceeds to run around the castle showing everyone her giant flowery key. He pushes Even in the right direction into understanding what it’s for and not before long Kairi under strict supervision is riding Radiant Garden of heartless. They take turns going on jobs with her and the kid turns out to be a scrappy little thing in a fight. She’s all quick movements and dancing away from attacks. Lea likes sparring with her the most and they spend hours in complicated spars trying to wear the other out.

Braig still feel’s tense though and as he watches the kids grow up they get closer to another major point in his time that hasn’t happened. Ansem Seeker of Darkness might not even exist in this world, no Xehanort Terra meant no Xemnas so really they shouldn’t have anything to worry about...

[asherlockstudy]

Pls ignore if u dont wanna discuss!I find it interesting you see link as a 'strategic thinker' when I feel like alot of ppl think the opposite(to the point of ytcomments calling him slow/an idiot/on the spectrum).Tho I think alot of his wideeyed goofiness is put on, I put part of awkward stuff said down to not considering implications before talking. Theres even an old video where he talks about how he could reveal something embarrassing at any time and it's part of his personality hes had to ow

Yeah, I know, it’s a rather unusual viewpoint but I stick sooooo hard to it! However, please note that I’m not at all confident about the way I explained my points here. What follows is: 

An unnecessarily long essay on how Link Neal’s mind works that makes me worry about myself because honestly why did I even write all this and I am not at all sure I know what I’m talking about, sorry

First of all, those who think Link is an idiot need to pay more attention. Link is probably the control freak (to avoid the term “Big Boss” that would be unfair for Rhett) behind their successful corporation and this takes something more than a slow guy. He could be close to what you can call “on the spectrum”, with his systems and OCD and all, but people with Asperger’s are usually very intelligent anyway. I think Link has these systems mostly for psychological reasons though, the routine makes him feel safer. 

Anyway, most of his silly moments are made up for laughs like you said and his ability to confuse the audience as to whether he ‘s trully that silly is technically another success on his part, although I feel he’s getting tired of this role lately. 

When Link chooses a stupid answer in a quiz or makes a foolish choice in a game, there is usually a pattern of two explanations:

He often provides a perfect reasoning and then inexpicably goes for the wrong answer / choice, which proves he’s trying to lose in order to get punished for entertaining purposes. He sometimes is in the lead and suddenly gives bonus points to Rhett or something, so there is higher probability for him to lose or, even better, both of them to get punished. On average, if it can’t be ideally both of them, Link subtly tries to be the one getting the punishment. Perhaps he considers his own reactions more dramatic (they usually are) and therefore funnier. In short, Link prefers to get in trouble as long as he provides an entertaining product. It’s a conscious decision that he hides behind silliness. On the contrary, if Rhett can avoid a punishment, he will do so because Rhett often sets as a priority to not look like an idiot.

He genuinely made a stupid choice. Thanks to his hobbies and interests, Rhett is more well-rounded and knowledgeable than Link but if you take the occurences of explanation #1 out of the equation, the ratio of the times Link is being stupid to the times Rhett is gets significantly smaller. Of couse, being less knowledgeable has nothing to do with quick / strategic thinking. 

Speaking of quick thinking, Link tends to be wittier than Rhett. Not that Rhett isn’t incredibly witty already but I think Link is as much and slightly more. 

In the rare occasion of serious discussions, there are two other possibilities:

Link usually tries to make light of every single conversation (eg in Ear Biscuits), stuck to the fact that they are supposed to be a comedic duo, which isn’t always a guaranteed success and sometimes even generates awkwardness. Rhett doesn’t do that and since he also is the one who usually provides information / knowledge, he comes off as more intelligent and mature without this being necessarily the case. 

When Link is 100% serious about something, he’s very different. His stature is different, his facial expressions are different, his eyes become more piercing, even his voice gets deeper. It’s not like Link is a psycho but there are some extremes in his personality and he is usually good at keeping each extremity for where it’s supposed to be. His childish side is ideal for GMM. In rare serious discussions with Rhett on GMMores etc, I find myself agreeing with Link most of the time and despite Rhett’s confidence that he knows Link like the back of his hand, I feel Link actually understands Rhett on an even deeper level than Rhett does. I also think he’s more self aware than Rhett and just knows both of themselves better than Rhett. On the other hand, Rhett is better at manipulating a conversation to his benefit and frequently oozes so much certainty on his argument that Link ends up in the losing side because he knows convincing Rhett otherwise is a challenge and he just gives up. For a long time I instictively thought Rhett was on the right because he gives off this impression of always being right. But when I started paying more attention, I started getting Link’s points more and more. In short, Link is a thoughtful guy ;) whenever he’s given the chance to show it (almost never, sadly). 

Now that I expanded on this which wasn’t even what you exactly wanted me to discuss originally, let’s go to your ask in particular. (I just felt I needed to explain first why I don’t consider Link slow.) 

As I already mentioned, Link has some extremities in his personality. He is impulsive and emotional which means his emotions drive his actions before his brain can stop him. When he’s angry or very excited or feels sarcastic or anything really, he will just blurt out whatever’s on his mind. But that doesn’t mean Link does not understand what he is talking about, it just means he doesn’t have a good filter on his mouth and at the moment he does not care to have one either. 

There might be a paradox about Link - although he strikes me as an extrovert, he is actually not particularly socially skilled. But social awkwardness has little to do with intelligence as a whole (there is what we call social intelligence of course) and it is more common than not for intelligent people to be socially awkward and generate many weird moments. Then again, Link is very sensitive in awkwardness or inappropriate remarks or insults when it’s someone else doing it (not necessarily to him) which makes me think that he has a perfect understanding of what he says too at all times, only he’s usually bursting too much with enthusiasm, fury, hurt, irony or love to keep his mouth shut effectively. In occasions when he feels uncomfortable, another extremity of his is severe anxiety and he feels so much pressure to improve the situation that he will try to say anything to alleviate the moment which inevitably leads to failure quite often. I think that’s what happens in his personal awkward moments. 

In GMM, in all these lovely moments when Link says something that makes us go “What on earth did he say again?”, like 85% of it, Link is perfectly super-absolutely aware of what he’s saying. Extremely aware. Like the “meat flap” to Stevie. He’s also angry in that video which explains his boldness. Or even the “Your wife can hang out with me anytime” to Rhett. I start suspecting he was even playing up a bit his shocked reaction after the Newsical kiss with Rhett. That’s how gloriously evil I consider him

The rest is because of emotions and an even looser filter since Link knows that there are no really bad implications that can occur during GMM unless, I dunno, he says something really horrible which he doesn’t really do. I mean, Rhett may say something extremely awkward more rarely but it usually can be even worse or more hurtful than whatever Link says. 

Last but not least, Link is the epitome of clumsiness. This contributes to the idea of him being foolish, although they are not really correlated, if anything, it’s just a stereotype. His brain also tends to get stuck to a certain thing which makes him  oblivious to anything else for the time being but I seriously doubt it is as much of a deal as Rhett makes it to be. Technically this is filtering of what matters to him, at least in his case.

But when Link is not a rollercoaster of emotions and feels relaxed or has already processed something and is confident about it, that’s when the strategic thinking comes up and I seriously think he’s unbeatable.  I think Rhett has a more relatable kind of intelligence and he is clever in pretty much everything more or less whereas Link can be absolutely ignorant in what he doesn’t care about but can easily rip everyone apart in any field he shows an interest in and that is beneficial for him (management, finances, marketing, humour, entertainment, acting, psychology, yes, psychology, remember Sheena who said he has amazing empathy and he is the leader? Sheena knew what she was talking about). And probably many other fields of interest I don’t know about but all these need a good strategic brain. Link channels his intelligence in certain ways, probably for efficiency, and his way of thinking is also a bit peculiar which might estrange initially but he’s veeeeeeeeeeeeeeery clever underneath this carefully constructed persona. And underneath that soft cookie there is a much more challenging man to deal with. And underneath that divine calming smile there is a hell of emotions, good mixed with bad. I think he’s a very intense person. 

I find him so fascinating that he almost scares me. There is a small chance he fascinates me so much that I straight up imagine things about him but honestly I think I may be right about at least a few of these. He’s definitely much smarter than most people think he is, let’s leave it at that XD

[bat-besties]

On Impossibility - 4

Chapter 1   Chapter 2    Chapter 3     Chapter 5  Chapter 6   Chapter 7     Chapter 8  Chapter 9

A popular!Logan and loser!Roman high school AU based on @2pointomg’s idea with eventual Prinxiety. 

impossible 

ɪmˈpɒsɪb(ə)l

adjective

·       not able to occur, exist, or be done.

Eg. It is impossible to fund both the sports and drama programmes with the school’s limited budget.

·       very difficult to deal with.

Eg. The situation which Logan Sanders, Student Body President, is in after he convinced the school board to cut the unsuccessful drama programmes is impossible.

·       (of a person) very unreasonable.

Eg. Roman Prince.

To Roman, nothing is impossible. Not following his older brother Patton to acting college, not being a loser taking on the school’s popular Student Body President and definitely not writing and performing an epic school play with no money and six cast and crew members.

Edited by @alpacasarethegreenestanimal, who can no longer be described as the Virgil to my Logan in this context. Theatre to Roman, then?

@toolazytothinkofcreativename

@entitydark

@romanasanders

@barclays-sides

@cashmeredragon

@jughead-is-canonically-aroace

@immacrazyfangirl

@narniasfinestavengingsociopath

@featuredfander

@what-a-catch-joe

@mightaswellenthuseaboutbooks

@candiukas

It was the best thing Roman had ever written. As his friends pointed out, he said that every time he wrote a new play (or ballad or short story) but that was just a testament to how quickly he improved, and how well he took constructive criticism aboard –

‘No, no, no! No kiss? How can there be no kiss at the end?’

Kyle looked down at his friend with a mixture of fondness and exasperation, ‘I’m not kissing you.’

‘It’s a teeny peck of a kiss.’

Talyn shuffled through their script, ‘It says here, ‘Rosso swoops Ombretto into a passionate kiss…. sensuous lips…. forbidden gay love…. could have confetti….at least 10 second of lip contact.’’ They looked up at Roman, raising their multi-coloured eyebrows.

Roman, lying on his stomach on the stage, held a hand out dramatically ‘Alright, alright. We’ll discuss the kiss when we get to it.’ He sat up, ‘So… do you guys like it?’

Valerie smiled at him, ‘I do.’

Terrence looked up. ‘Roman – it’s the best thing you’ve ever written.’

Roman smiled. All the stress of coming up with a good idea, all the late nights he’d put into that script, all the times he’d woken up his parents with reading through soliloquies, was worth this moment. Six high school kids sat in a circle on a stage in a dark auditorium, still cluttered with instruments and with the assembly podium in centre stage and realised they could make something amazing. Yes, there weren’t many of them, but Roman wouldn’t have traded his friends for the most star-studded of all Broadway casts. The love he had for them and his knowledge of their individual strengths shone through his play. It was an intense gothic-style story, and in his eyes, it was perfect.

Roman was Rosso, a knight fallen from grace due to his anger and arrogance who must prove his worth by going on a quest into a cursed forest.

Kyle would be Ombretto, who played the dual role of villain and love interest – Roman had originally written a different part for him, Rosso’s companion Giallo, who was the source of hope and goodness in the trials Rosso would face, but Giallo had to be written out because there was no way one person could play both characters – and Ombretto had to stay.

Terrence was a dancing malevolent fairy, Valerie was the evil queen of the forest and Dahlia would be Rosso’s guide through the woods, Margherita.

Of course, Talyn was in charge of hair, make-up, costume and props – their talents would be especially important as they had no-one to do set, so their work would have to evoke the gothic world much more than the group’s joint effort at some sort of background.

Elise had agreed to do sound and lights nearer the time.

‘We’ll show them,’ said Dahlia firmly, ‘we’ll show them what we can do – and how important drama and the arts are.’

Was it cheesy? When we are serious and heartfelt we can seem ridiculous, but in that moment it was not cheesy to say ‘We’ll show them’. In that moment, the six of them saw for the first time how this idea of theirs that they’d been working on for the past month could be realised. The easy companionship, the sense of purpose, the excitement for the future and the commitment to the project, no matter how hard it would be were cheesy, perhaps, but they swelled to fill the dim auditorium with possibility. The podium was some distant tower, the ropes backstage tangled vines and the seating was filled with expectant shadows.  

Jarringly, the doors at the back of the auditorium swung open, and the intruders flicked the harsh white lights on, revealing the stage again as set up for mundane assemblies and not fantastical plays. ‘Alright Logan, I want you opening, I know you like responding but I’m trusting you to write an airtight opening speech, I’m going to close since I have the most experience, the middle we’ll sort out….’ Joan paused, looking at the blinking theatre kids on the stage. ‘Um, we booked the auditorium, so could you please leave.’

Roman stood up, indignation radiating from him. ‘This theatre has been used by the Drama Society from 4 ‘til 6 every Thursday for the past ten years- ‘

‘I’m sorry. First off, it’s an auditorium, not a theatre, secondly….’

Logan was doing his best to hide behind Joan and the others, hoping that Roman wouldn’t notice him. He still hadn’t apologised for the assembly incident, the past few days he had just been trying to keep himself together after his fight with Virgil. The extra debate practices before their competition in New York had been a godsend, and now Roman had to ruin them.

The others had already slipped their scripts into rucksacks and had collected any jackets lying on the stage. ‘Roman.’ Valerie picked up her friend’s backpack.

‘No.’ Roman replied to Valerie apologetically, then turned back to Joan speaking firmly, ‘No. This is our place.’

As the theatre kids stood in the glare of the light on stage, bags hung off single shoulders and jackets draped over arms they looked – helpless, somehow. And Roman was still standing there, clutching his script to his chest and staring Joan right in the eyes. Suddenly, Logan could see himself as he had been at his old school, sitting in the back of the seating. ‘Disputandum dominatur displays logic and higher social status to remove the theatrum parvus from their natural habitat. It is unlikely the theatrum parvus will find a secure habitat again due to government programmes aiming to cause them to go extinct.’ He told his head to shut up.

In his notebook, Logan always rooted for the underdog.

He stepped forward, waiting for Joan to finish speaking. Once they had, he cut in before Roman could.

‘While the debate team must use the auditorium now, our competition is in just three weeks. If you would consent to using our classroom for that period, you could book the auditorium at other times, and after that you could go back to normal.  Besides, we practice in E4, which is very spacious so should be suitable for any small-scale exercises in make-believe you wish to engage in.’

‘Small scale? Small scale?!’ Roman roared, then he placed his hands on his hips – how someone could be that unconscious about the absurdity of their body language Logan would never know – and projected to the back of the room, ‘No! We are putting on a play. It will be the greatest play this school has ever seen, and furthermore it will get us back our funding! We will take your offer and for your generosity will give the debate club seats in the front row.’

Logan couldn’t tell whether that was sarcastic or a show of genuine gratitude.

Joan sighed, ‘Alright, it’s ten past and clearly we all have things to do. Let’s get started with compiling our research.’

As the Roman and his entourage left the auditorium, Logan didn’t hear a single word of what his captain was saying.

In the back of the room his former self was laughing. ‘Theatrum parvus member beats opponent twice its size with bravado and conviction.’

------------------------------------------------------------

‘I don’t understand why I have to wear that!’

‘Because it’s your costume that’s why!’

‘Yeah - Talyn is the costume designer, they have final say!’

‘Well, I’m the actor, so shouldn’t I have final say over my lines?!’

‘So why did we workshop this play for so long if you don’t have any say over your lines!’

‘We workshopped for too long, we won’t get it ready in time!’

‘Maybe we would get it done sooner if you guys would co-operate a bit more!’

‘Maybe it would be a bit better if you didn’t bulldoze us every time we disagreed with you!’

‘Look, let’s just take a break for ten minutes and come back to it.’

‘Thanks Valerie,’ Roman sighed and put his head in his hands, ‘Ten minutes everyone.’

He knew that it was late and they needed to finish blocking the first act before the school closed or they would be a full week behind their schedule, but he would start ripping down the posters in that stupid English classroom if he had to stay in it for one more minute. Everything which made his play magical seemed childish in that room – the Google translate Italian names, Terrence’s dance which the space was too small for, even Valerie’s evil incantation.

Walking quickly down the hallways and enjoying the quiet, Roman ran over his lines in his head - why had he used ‘alas’ three times in as many sentences? ‘Princey’, ‘Disney’, ‘Princess’ or sometimes just ‘freak’ were the names the students knew him by and having a class of people shout ‘alas’ at him every time he spoke wasn’t something he wanted to encourage. Putting his whole being into every part he played always made it difficult for him when people teased him for his acting but performing in a play he had written was like offering his soul to the school on a platter. He knew everything inside him was beautiful and worthwhile – he was a shining star, the best guy in the school! – but it was hard to hold onto that when his peers found it ridiculous time and time again. And Logan Sander’s anti-bullying campaign counted itself as a success if nobody was getting beaten up in the hallways. Roman couldn’t help but resent Patton sometimes for the respect people in his year had had for him and his talent. He could never be the year’s shoulder to cry on or literal sunshine like Patton had been, but he would settle for nods in hallways and having the ball passed to him in PE - for genuine applause after his play. He could never settle for anonymity: it was something Roman found shameful, but he would rather be the butt of jokes or eyerolls than left in peace. This way, everyone knew his name. They would remember him when he succeeded in life!

He checked his watch as he wandered into Art – five minutes of freedom left. He stopped his journey and leaned on a table covered in splatters of purple paint. It all came down to the fact that no-one outside the cast and Talyn would feel the sense of mystery and charm this play held for them or appreciate the richness of the world or the drama of the story the way that they did.

Looking up, suddenly he was transported back into his enchanted forest.

Paintings in the style of illuminations had been blue-tacked to the peeling paint of the art room, and they were the most beautiful things that Roman had ever seen. Thorns embraced collapsing stone towers and glowing eyes peered out of bottomless wishing wells. A weeping knight cradled a dragon’s head as it lay with a lance in its side and a lady all in white wandered through a midnight forest lit by blood-red stars. The pictures glowed with light – he leaned forward, drinking in each careful brushstroke and inked line. They were perfect. Roman knew he had to get this person to join his play. He didn’t care if the artist was Logan Sanders himself because he was filled with the illogical but definite thought that as soon as he could get someone like that onto his team his play would begin to feel dark and eldritch again. He took a moment before he looked at that Comic Sans name tag, scared to have this hope taken from him. ‘Virgil Lee’. Huh.

Roman had mixed feelings on that. He had always enjoyed working with him, even if Virgil never seemed to want to move into a friendship beyond English projects and pre-lesson conversations. He had really tried to befriend him: he’d set up a speaker in his bedroom and sung ‘You’ve got a friend in me’ with a cowboy hat on to Virgil when he was round to analyse Moby Dick. Would someone time-travel to freshman Roman and burn his Disney karaoke CD? Or at least tell him that when Virgil stopped the backing music halfway through it wasn’t him that was being weird (Roman still used the CD). The angsty nature of the pictures definitely fit with the emo’s aesthetic and Roman knew that he had an appreciation for Angela Carter and Mary Shelley. The thing was that when Roman said he would even have taken Logan Sanders he did not expect his best friend to be the artist. Still, he had apologised to Virgil after the assembly (he was somewhat offended at the response his beautifully worded speech had got – the boy had been distracted and seemed as though he wanted nothing more than to be left alone) and at least it wasn’t some random freshman or something.

Pulling out his phone, he saw that he only had a minute to get back to the classroom. He needed Virgil as soon as possible, so before he could think too much he called him. The hall was silent except from the slapping of Roman’s shoes and the blaring of the dialling tone in his ear.

‘Hello?’

‘Ah, yes, Virgil, are you free to talk?’

‘You could just text me like a normal person.’

‘Is that the sound of a Disney film I hear?’

Virgil was indeed watching Disney. He had set himself up on his sofa with the Nightmare before Christmas, a tub of Oreo ice cream and a pile of blankets, trying not to think about Logan or Roman or anything much at all.

‘Nightmare before Christmas.’

‘Classic!’

‘What do you want?’

‘Well, friendo, I was in Art and I couldn’t help but notice your beautiful paintings!’

‘Um, OK. They’re not- ‘

‘I do not have time to deal with self-deprecation! I am calling because I need you to join my play. To do set design and help Talyn with the props. Please.’

‘Dude, I appreciate the offer, but I’m not qualified to- ‘

‘You were in set last year!’

‘I didn’t design the set though!’

Roman stopped outside the classroom door. He leaned on the wall and spoke more softly, ‘Virgil, it’s a gothic play. It needs you. I need you. Come on! It’ll be fun.’

The sound of a put-upon sigh was music to Roman’s ears. ‘Fine. When do you want me to come in?’

‘Now?’

‘I have ice cream and am watching a Tim Burton film, why would I leave that to go to school?’

‘Tomorrow?’

‘Sure thing, Princey.’

‘Goodnight, Charlie Frown.’

‘Hey!’

‘I’m sorry for calling you Charlie Frown.’

‘I’m sorry you called me too.’

‘Enjoy the movie.’

‘See you tomorrow.’

-------------------------------------------

Virgil shifted the sketchbook under his arm as he stood outside E4, peering into the frosted glass panel in the blue door. He pulled out his phone to reread the text: 'E4 4:00’ which Roman had sent the night before. Tugging at the bottom of his sleeve, he barely had time to register a blurry shape rapidly filling up the window before the door swung open.

'Virgil, set designer extraordinare!’ Roman went in for a hug, which Virgil sidestepped. The actor looked down for a moment, then settled for ushering Virgil into their old English classroom as though it were the Old Vic itself.

‘Well, come on in.’

'You've met Talyn, right?’ Talyn looked up from their fabric samples and waved.

'Yeah, sure.’

If by met Roman meant 'stared longingly at the awesome dyed hair of' then Virgil had certainly met Talyn.

‘So, basically a disgraced knight called Rosso goes through a cursed forest with a guide Margherita, then faces an evil queen, mavolent spirit and finally a witch guy under the queen's power, who he gets together with at the end.’ Roman explained quickly.

Virgil quirked an eyebrow. ‘That’s really weird, you know.’

Roman threw an arm round Virgil, who started a bit at the sudden contact. ‘And you are here to make it even weirder!’

Virgil smiled – he was glad he came. It was funny how familiar this felt: the overdramatic boy, the yellow lights of the classroom defiant in the dark school, a project to be done. It was a funny mix of English projects with Roman and meetings with Logan. He shook his head, clearing it of all thoughts of his former best friend.

Roman had been so incredibly right about Virgil! Talyn animatedly explained their designs to him, and all the actors tried to do their best to impress him. Not Roman obviously, he was unaffected in his performance by the sight of those slender legs swinging from the desk or the pale knees framed by frayed, dark denim. It was just that it felt right to have him there. The boy's fringe fell in his face as he leaned over the design of Ombretto's cloak, tracing a finger along its intricate design.

‘How can you afford to make that?’

Talyn shrugged ‘We’ll find a way. I'll sew it, we’ve all chipped in for thread and beads and things, and I’ll see if the Art Department happens to have like a football field of black fabric spare.’

‘I’ll bring in some money.’

‘Thanks.’

As Talyn bent over their designs again, Virgil looked at Roman. The actor's hair was flopping stupidly into his face as he yelled passionately at Valerie until he unconsciously swept it back with a hand. What a dork.

For the past few days Virgil had been bringing in a packed lunch and eating by himself outside, but for convenience he began eating with the theatre kids. While he had been terrified of most people in his first few years of high school, he couldn’t believe he’d been too scared to ask to sit with them before now. A larger part of him than he would like to admit wanted Logan to see him with these people, sketching set pieces and joking with Roman about how their play fit into the lore of all different fictional worlds (Star Wars was as far as they could make believable). But the Student Body President didn’t so much as look up from his piles of text books when Roman stood up on a table to give his speech with a change in the position of him and Kyle or stop writing his anti-bullying charter when their table was overturned by a particularly annoyed sophomore.

[alwaysmychoices]

“Magical Moment”

Pairing: Drake x MC (Collins Alexander) x Liam [Love Triangle- Liam Endgame]

Rating: G for General Audience

Words: 1,444

Set during the dance lesson of Royal Romance Book 3, Chapter 3

“Never mind, this is ridiculous. If I haven’t learned by now, I’ll never learn,” Drake grumbled, his dance steps seeming even clumsier on the rocky path as he stepped away from Collins.

“It’s hardly been five minutes, Drake,” Collins was laughing at him- the good-natured kind that he’d only heard from Liam in his childhood. It reminded him of the last time he tried to learn to dance. He’d been smitten by some noble girl and was eager to learn something so he could ask her to dance. When he stepped on the dance floor, he could still hear their taunts at his failure, and the memory crashed into him with paralyzing force. He couldn’t do it.

“I grew up watching these dances, Alexander,” Drake avoided her emerald green stare. He knew that he would be lost the moment he did. He could never really say no to her.

“Drake…” Collins' voice was so soft that Drake’s cold exterior began to melt, “I get it. A few months ago, I was on the outside, too. These dances may seem silly, but for people like us, they mean something. Let me help you.”

Resolve waning, Drake tore his gaze from the crackling fire nearby and found her stare. He’d never seen anything quite like what he saw in her that night- pure compassion yet equality in her gaze. She wanted to help but never looked down on him for it. Her offer was pure and based on friendship and affection, not a nefarious motive.

Drake suddenly understood why Collins was so easy to fall in love with. It wasn’t that she was beautiful- though damn, she was- or that she was simply different from Cordonian women. It was her sincerity. It was the way her smile always met her eyes. It was that she was about to become Queen of Cordonia and was giving a commoner dance lessons in the middle of a ball.

“Fine,” Drake’s voice was drenched in feigned annoyance, though he knew that she saw through it by the sparkle in her eyes. An adorable grin stretching across her face, she raised her arms once more and waited for him to resume the starting position.

The lesson was hardly fun. At moments, it was infuriating while at others it was exhaustingly tedious. But Collins made it better. She laughed when he clumsily stepped on her feet or made a misstep, and she distracted him from his failings with reassurance and praise.

She fit into his arms so well… The realization startled Drake and prompted a questioning smile from Collins.

“Everything okay?” she prompted, biting her lower lip as they continued their box step.

“Yeah, of course. Thinking about the dance,” Drake lied, darting his eyes away from hers.

Collins cocked an eyebrow, disbelief written on her face, but she let him get away with it. “Beautiful night?” she asked, politely calling him out for his frequent staring at the moon instead of her.

“Very…” Drake answered absently.

Drake wanted to be absent at this moment. He didn’t want to think too hard about it or survey the implications of everything it may or may not have meant. He was perched on the edge of something beautiful yet dangerous. The road he’d taken was treacherous. Each second he spent with Collins was another moment sacrificed to a ticking time bomb. He didn’t know if he could always trust himself around her…

The right answer was to leave. It was to end the dance lesson and stay the hell away from Collins Alexander. It was the honorable thing to do for everyone involved. If he did that, nobody would get her. Nobody except for him, at least.

Yet, he kept doing the wrong thing. He kept taking the risk and talking to her. Watching her smile and making her laugh. He could feel his attachment grow with every passing conversation. He was the man for the moments in between, but Collins was never really his.

But… this moment was magical.

Beneath the star-lit sky, they were just two people. She wasn’t madly in love with another man, and he wasn’t bound by friendship to stay away from her. In Drake’s mind, a whole lifetime like this played out. They’d met without Liam’s involvement, exploring the connection they both denied. They married, had a family, and danced under the stars… But the life was just a dream.

“If only my mom could see me now,” Collins laughed, shaking her head as she added, “She would have insisted I actually finish all those dance lessons.”

Drake smiled, “Little Collins in ballet shoes?”

“I was a great ballerina!” Collins insisted, her chuckling growing louder, and the sound warmed his heart, “I just didn’t like everyone else making the routines for me. I thought I should show myself as a true artist.”

Drake nodded solemnly, playing along with her serious tone, “Of course. How could anyone mess with your artistic vision?”

Collins couldn’t stop laughing through, throwing herself into his chest as she attempted to quell the giggles forming in her body. She slowly calmed herself, still beaming up at him, and Drake wished he could have stomped time and spent the rest of his life like this.

“Really though…” Collins began to talk again. It was always so easy to talk to Drake, though she could never really decide why, “Ballroom dancing classes made me cringe. I took them when I was thirteen, so I was about a head taller than every boy there. I practically had to squat just to complete the twirl!” Collins was trying to make him more comfortable, but the intimate details of her life only furthered the conflict brewing inside of him.

“I’m sure they were all in love with you,” Drake’s words were so tender that he felt the surprise in Collins’s posture. A blush crept across her cheeks as she glanced down and pretended to be preoccupied with the placement of their feet in the waltz.

“Ready for the spin?” Collins asked, a smile perking at her lips. Drake knew from watching her on the dance floor that this was her favorite part of the waltz. Even the most unfortunate dance partner could earn a smile from Collins with the proper spin, and Drake felt a swell of pride insist that he be the best. He wanted to be the one who made her smile.

Maybe one day she’d smile at him the way she smiled at Liam.

Drake executed the following dance moves flawlessly, earning an impressed grin from his dance partner and a gush of surprise. She surrendered to his lead, and he saw the enjoyment on her face. As if her smile egged him on, he ended with a flourish of a dip, and though fits of proud laughter, Collins clapped for him.

“That was amazing, Drake!”

“I aim to please,” Drake’s eyes were locked on hers, her chest now against his as she leaned up out of the dip, and the opportunity was right there.

He just had to lean in… He just had to kiss her.

But he didn’t.

He wasn’t born a noble, but that didn’t stop him from his undying sense of nobility. He couldn’t do that to her or to Liam. So, he faked a smile and stepped away from her.

“I’m so proud of you, Drake. I knew you could do it,” Collins pushed her hair behind her ear, her large engagement ring glittering in the moonlight, and his stomach dropped to his feet.

He could never get used to seeing that and knowing she was really engaged. Collins Alexander would be married within a month to his best friend, the most amazing man Drake knew and the only one worthy of becoming her husband. Collins wasn’t the girl he met in New York. She was going to be a queen.

And Drake and Collins weren’t going to have a happy ending.

She wouldn’t call off the wedding, proclaiming her love in dramatic fashion and asking Drake to throw caution to the wind for her. She wouldn’t give all of this up for a chance with him. She would always care for Drake, but she would never love him like he loved her.

Collins Alexander was the woman of his dreams, and she was in love with his best friend.

“We should probably get back to the ball,” Drake forced the words from his tongue, watching with sadness as Collins agreed.

As the pair walked back to the ballroom, Drake tried to hold on to the magical moment beneath the stars, but truly, his time had passed a long time ago…

Author’s Note: I was inspired while playing the last chapter and wrote this in one go! I love writing angst, and while I know I could have made this better with more time, I hope you guys enjoyed this angsty drabble! 

[theraptorreviews]

A Review of Netflix’s Death Note

Netflix’s Death Note adaptation is bad. The film has been panned by critics, diehard fans of the show, and even casual Netflix browsers. Death Note (2017), to be blunt, has absolutely nothing to offer that is new or interesting. It is a film embarrassed of its source material, while simultaneously relying on it as a crutch for when it fails to create anything original. It’s worst crime isn’t that it just fails to be a Death Note adaptation, but that it fails to stand on its own.

The plot of this movie is extremely simple. Light Turner, played poorly by Nat Wolff, one day stumbles across the Death Note, a notebook that kills whoever has their name written in it. Together with his forced romantic lead, Mia Sutton, played by Margaret Qualley, and the death god that accompanies the Death Note, Ryuk, played by Willem Dafoe, Light decides that he will use the Death Note to rid the world of crime, all while avoiding the detective extraordinaire, L, played by Lakeith Stanfield, who will stop at nothing to put an end to Light’s killing spree.

Let’s start with the good:

1. Willem Dafoe as Ryuk

Willem Dafoe was a perfect casting choice for the role of a uncaring cold monster who loves death and destruction. We know this because he was the Green Goblin in Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man film. And while he’s entertaining in this film, you can’t help but feel as though he’s just going through the motions of being the Green Goblin once again. I’m not sure I would say that he’s just phoning it in, but it’s very clear that he was chosen because of his role as the Green Goblin. He’s easily one of the “best” parts of the movie, but we’ll be touching more on him later.

2. Lakeith Stanfield as L

He puts in effort into playing the character, one that’s easy to see especially compared to the horrendous performances put forth by the majority of the rest of the cast. He is actively trying to nail the character that he was hired on to play, even attempting to get the anime/manga character’s mannerisms down. He is easily the most competent person in this movie, but that’s not a huge compliment considering the rest of the film.

That’s it. That’s all the positives that are worth mentioning.

Now onto the negatives:

1. Light Turner

Casting a person of asian descent as Light would have in no way saved this movie. While it would have definitely limited the amount of controversy that the film acquired as early as the first trailer, the character of Light is so fundamentally broken and unlikable, that I doubt that even someone as charismatic and likable as George Takei would be able to make him enjoyable. It’d be more entertaining, that’s for sure, but it wouldn’t be good.

Light is a walking contradiction played by Nat Wolff as every 90s punk-stereotype loner kid. The fact that Light never once says “welcome to my twisted mind” is astounding to me, as it would legitimately fit his “character” here. He is very much so like every 80s comic that attempted to leap off of the success of Watchmen or The Dark Knight Returns comics: the attempt to appear deep is more important than actually being deep. We are simultaneously supposed to root for Light as the good guy while he takes pleasure in killing, develops an egotistical god complex, and takes tips from anonymous strangers on the internet on who to kill. But that fails because he is not a deep, complex character. He is simply a loner murderer that can easily be explained in that sentence alone, the fact that they are presenting him as this deep, psychologically challenging character is, frankly, insulting to the audience. You can’t have him be simple enough for every person to figure out but complex enough to need to peel back layers, you can’t have it both ways.

Maybe we’d be able to buy that perception of depth, if he weren’t such a unintelligent character that simply cannot plan ahead for the life of him. He is simultaneously a genius, but is completely unable to tell that his murder-loving girlfriend, Mia, is psychopathic, unhinged, and willing to do anything to save herself. He is simultaneously a mastermind, and yet he walks around with the Death Note out in plain sight and literally tells Mia everything about it without the slightest bit of provocation. Light is a dumbass, and yet we’re supposed to believe that he is a mastermind capable of knowing multiple languages and outsmarting everyone aside from L.

2. Mia Sutton

Mia Sutton has two personality traits in this movie. Either she is Light’s loving, obsessive girlfriend who revolves her entire life around him, or she is a psychopathic murderer who thinks that she can have moral superiority while in the middle of killing innocent people.

The big plot twist of this movie is that she kills several FBI agents who are investigating Light, and it’s meant to be a massive reveal. The only issue is that it isn’t a reveal, it can be seen coming a mile away. She even tries to get Light to kill his own detective father just so that he can be assured that no one will come after him. She is psychopathic from the very beginning, but it’s meant to be taken as a massive shock when Light figures it out.

Couple all this with the fact that Margaret Qualley just doesn’t act when playing her, and you have an absolutely boring and pointless character who’s only purpose is to be romantically involved with Light. It would be sexist if it weren’t for the fact that it might just be purely incompetent writing. It might just be too stupid to be able to accept fault.

3. Tone

Death Note (2017) doesn’t know what it wants to be. It’s an adaptation of an anime/manga series steeped in philosophical undertones directed by a man who’s known more recently for cheap, jumpscare laden horror films like the recent “Blair Witch” sequel reboot.

The opening scene displays this perfectly as we cut to an overcast and dreary day in Seattle, paired together with an unfitting 80s synth pop tune. From the opening scene, you should be able to grasp at least some form of tone for the rest of the film, but Death Note (2017) can’t understand how to maintain any tone they put forth.

The opening suggests a character drama from the way that we focus on the two leads and how they interact with the world around them. We pan across the overcast Seattle day towards a local high school, where we see Light Turner finishing homework for other students for money, he looks up and sees Mia, a disinterested cheerleader who smokes on school property. All of a sudden, the Death Note falls from the sky right next to Light.

But then not even twenty minutes later, it turns into a horror film with the introduction of Ryuk. Light is in detention having been caught by a teacher. The lights cut out and something breaks in the darkness of the room. Slowly Light traverses the empty room, and comes across the silhouette of something unearthly and demonic. He stares, frozen in terror, when all of a sudden the beast looks dead at Light with glowing red eyes. It’s transformed into a horror movie with no provocation, completely contradicting the serious tone previously established. With that tone being immediately broken with one of the most unmanly screams ever put to film. Nat Wolff’s scream is the equivalent of the shitty joke where someone runs over to a character saying “we heard a girl screaming” only to reveal that it was a male character who screamed. If I were Nat Wolff, I would be legitimately pissed that Adam Wingard and the editors chose to put this take in the movie.

And then we get to the first kill. Light, still in detention, looks out the window and sees the stereotypical bully and lacky who picks on him attacking another student. Remember that this kid, although he is an asshole, is still a kid whose worst crime is punching another kid, but we’ll get back to that later. With Ryuk egging him on, Light decides to take revenge on his bully and writes his name in the Death Note, with the instructions that he will be killed by decapitation. A truck with a ladder is run off the road, and the ladder flies off the top of the truck, and completely severs the bully’s head in a puddle of blood and guts and grey matter and gore. In the span of thirty minutes, this film has gone through presenting itself as a serious character drama, a dark monster horror film, and a gorey shocking film like a bad slasher flick. And it doesn’t get better from there.

Adam Wingard cannot manage to maintain a tone, which is completely baffling to me considering that this appears to be the only movie he has directed that I know of where he cannot manage that. Over the course of the film the tone can be anywhere from the aforementioned serious dramatic story, to a cheesy romance story with as much chemistry as a Twilight book, to a serious in nature crime procedural, to a dark ending where a main character dies to an upbeat 80s synth song about love. And while some filmmakers can easily shift between tones, Adam Wingard shows that he cannot as you feel every single tonal shift that this film has with the force of a semi-truck colliding into a smart car.

4. Pacing & Character Development

Because this is an “adaptation” of the anime/manga Adam Wingard chose to fit as much as he could of the 25 episode run of the manga into an 1hr 45m movie and, naturally, it runs into the same problem that movies like “The Last Airbender” and “Dragon Ball Evolutions” run into. You cannot condense every single ounce of character development that the original source has into something so small. And while the original Death Note anime/manga isn’t as long as Dragon Ball’s 300+ episode run, it’s still a lot to try and condense into such a short amount of time, one might even say it’s impossible to successfully condense.

As such, Adam Wingard and the screenwriters compensated for the condensation of the original source material by completely scrapping all character development of every character aside from Light, and just glancing over Light’s transition into a murder obsessed psychopath in the middle of a 20+ minute montage that covers:

The beginning of Light and Mia’s relationship

Light’s transition into a serial murderer

The majority of the Death Note kills in the entire movie

The impact Light has on the world with his murder spree

The start of the FBI’s investigation into the murders

All of that would seem like it would be fairly important to cover in the actual movie, and you would be right for thinking that. Why they chose to only give character development through a montage that has no concrete end date is beyond me. Maybe that montage lasted one month in the time of the movie, maybe it lasted up until the beginning of Mia and Light’s senior year. I don’t know, because they never say.

By the time you reenter the world of the movie post-montage, it’s a completely different one. Character relationships have changed, Light has killed hundreds if not thousands of terrorists, dictators, and other criminals and has formed a god complex where he has deemed himself a dispenser of justice onto sinners, and violent crime has begun to decrease worldwide because of Light’s actions. All of that isn’t shown over the course of the movie, but in the quick montage that also focuses more on how Light and Mia are a couple. This single montage absolutely kills the pacing of the movie.

5. The Script & Deus Ex Machinas

I’ll be frank in saying that Death Note (2017) feels incoherent script wise. It’s like the first two credited writers had brilliant ideas and wanted to possibly create an American Death Note spin-off series to the original anime/manga, with the only connection being the titular book and possibly Ryuk. But then after they pitched the idea to Netflix and got it approved, it’s as if Adam Wingard and another screenwriter got absolutely terrified that nobody would look at a Death Note adaptation without Light and L and so they quickly changed everything and added in the two characters.

It feels this way, because the script feels rushed and unnatural. I would easily say that the script is over 50% just pure exposition. Exposition from Ryuk on how the Death Note works, exposition from Light on how his dad, the cop, acts read as though it were a character description taken directly from the script, exposition from L about how he’s solving the case, exposition from characters on who’s what, why, and how, and so on and so forth. It’s bad writing, not just for a Death Note adaptation, but in general.

This is especially apparent in the numerous Deus Ex Machina’s that the script willingly stumbles into. One of the most apparent to me, aside from the entirety of the ending, is when L discovers that Light is operating in Seattle. He knows this because Light’s first known victim is a guy from Seattle who was in an armed stand-off with the police, which Light watches via a live news feed over the internet. According to L, the live news feed was only broadcast to the Seattle, but Light found the feed on the internet. You know, the internet. Where I can find live video footage from pretty much every country in the world. This is an asspull at best and lazy at worst. Had this been before the prevalence of the internet as a way to see live footage, like the original Death Note, this would make sense. But it’s not. You can argue that because of proximity Light’s internet search would bring him the closest result first, but L has no way of knowing that. Logically he should know that Light could’ve scrolled through pages of live crime newsfeeds before finding one to test the Death Note out on. This is circumstantial evidence at best yet the movie treats L as if he’s a Einstein level genius for figuring it out.

And if it’s not Deus Ex Machina’s it’s just butchering characters to make the plot work. As stated previously, Light openly walks around the school with the Death Note and, despite not yet knowing Mia personally and knowing that the Death Note is actually able to kill people, just reveals everything to Mia without any real provocation. She legitimately just walks up to him, asks what the Death Note is because she sees it, and he tells her. But at the same time he’s supposed to be a mega genius who can do everyone else’s homework for them for some spare cash and a loner who has absolutely no friends nor any interest in making friends. The screenwriters have the characters bend to fit the plot rather than the plot working around the characters.

6. Who Is This Made For?

When visual media adaptations come out, I always ask one question: why should I watch this over the original? And this point still stands here. The film fails to live up to the potential set in place by the original manga/anime, but fails to stand on its own as its own thing. You have absolutely no reason to watch this over the original anime/manga, especially when considering quality.

Frankly, this film doesn’t seem to have a target audience and instead tries to give something for everyone. Casual horror fans were meant to enjoy the creepier, horror movie moments. Action and gore fans were to enjoy some of the more creative deaths. And Death Note fans were to enjoy the fact that it’s based on an intellectual property that they enjoy. But in trying to please everyone, you get this vapid, bland film that appeals to almost no-one.

Every American film adaptation of anime run into these same pitfalls headfirst. “Dragon Ball Evolutions”, “The Last Airbender”, “Ghost in the Shell”, and now Death Note (2017). All of these films share the fact that they don’t know how to interpret their source material, yet they rely too heavily on it. And my point still stands. Why should I watch the abysmal “Dragon Ball Evolutions” when I could easily watch the cultural icons that are Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z? Why should I watch one of M. Night Shyamalan's worst film when I can just watch one of my favorite cartoon of all time, Avatar: The Last Airbender? Why would I watch the derivative “Ghost in the Shell” film when I could see the animated feature that inspired the Wachowski sisters to create “The Matrix,” one of the most influential action films of all time?

Right now, Netflix is one of the only streaming service that has the original Death Note anime. Even Crunchyroll, a streaming site for anime specifically, doesn’t have it. And this makes the film even more pointless. Why would anyone want to watch the critically panned film when they could just scroll the screen a bit and have the cultural icon that is the original ready to go in seconds? When you search “Death Note” on Netflix, you are inevitably going to get the anime and the movie right next to each other.

Don’t watch Death Note (2017).

If you enjoyed this, please consider following this blog to read this and other reviews that I have written and will be writing. Or consider donating to my monthy patreon, any amount helps.

Thank you all and have a good day.

[fadingintoastoria]

Natasha Rostova and Borderline Personality Disorder

I’m halfway through reading War and Peace and also a big fan of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 and I’m convinced that Natasha has BPD.

To be diagnosed with BPD you have to meet at least 5 of 9 of the following signs/symptoms, which I will list and explain. Since Great Comet is what most people are familiar with right now, I’ll try to give examples from that section of War and Peace, but some examples will be from earlier in the book.

Also, all spellings of character names will be from the Signet Version of War and Peace, which is the version I will be quoting from.

Now let’s get into this.

1. Frantic attempts to avoid real or imagined abandonment.

Personally, I think the word choice of “frantic” is a little bit odd, but really the point of this criteria is that a person reacts in extreme ways to the possibility of being abandoned. Natasha does this by saying extreme things at the mere thought of being abandoned. For context, this scene happens just after Prince Andrei proposes to Natasha and then tells her that it will be a year before they can actually get married:

“It’s awful! Oh it’s awful, awful!” Natasha cried suddenly, and again broke into sobs. “I shall die if I have to wait a year! It’s impossible, it’s dreadful!”

She looked into his face and saw his look of compassion and perplexity.

“No, no, I’ll do anything,” she said, instantly checking her tears. “I am so happy!”

And a bit earlier in the chapter - before that scene - when she hasn’t seen Prince Andrei in a while and assumes that she’s been abandoned by him, she also says much more that she clearly doesn’t mean:

At first Natasha listened to her mother, but all at once she interrupted her.

“Stop, Mamma! I’m not even thinking about it, and I don’t want to. He came and then just left off... just left off....”

Her voice trembled and she almost cried again, but recovered herself and went on.

“And I don’t at all want to get married. I’m afraid of him, and anyway, I’ve quite, quite got over it now.”

Maybe this isn’t quite what one might call “frantic,” but there is no denying that she is saying extreme things and showing a definite fear of being abandoned.

2. A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation.

To be fair, the examples I put above could technically fit into this as well. However, I’m going to use a much more specific situation that Great Comet fans are definitely familiar with.

Natasha and her cousin Sonya are extremely close and have been through the entire book up to this point. The point in question being where Sonya, out of concern, reads the letter that Anatol wrote to Natasha. Natasha isn’t even upset when she finds this out. In fact, she “smiled ecstatically” and told Sonya that she couldn’t hide it from her any longer. Throughout their conversation, Natasha shows herself to be affectionate toward her, both verbally and physically.

However, when Sonya expresses doubt at Anatol’s love for Natasha, then Natasha starts to get upset, but not extremely upset, even though she does say that if Sonya were to tell anyone that she would be her enemy. Eventually, the discussion ends in tears.

Later on, Sonya and Natasha go to a dinner party that Anatol is at. Sonya sees the two interact and brings up the subject again to Natasha, showing even more concern this time:

“Natasha, I’m afraid for you!”

“Afraid of what?”

“I’m afraid you are going to your ruin,” said Sonya resolutely, and was herself horrified at what she had said.

Natasha’s face grew angry again.

“Then I’ll go to my ruin. I’ll go to it, and the sooner the better! It’s none of your business. It won’t be you who’ll suffer, but I! Leave me alone, leave me alone. I hate you!”

“Natasha!” gasped Sonya.

“I hate you, hate you! You’re my enemy forever!” And Natasha ran out of the room.

What I think is happening here is something referred to as black-and-white thinking or “splitting.” Basically, someone with this specific symptom of BPD has a hard time seeing people as a whole person with good traits and bad traits, but instead, sees someone as all good or all bad depending on the situation. 

I’ll even argue that her convincing herself that she’s in love with Anatol after only having seen him three times is another thing that points to her having this symptom of BPD.

3. Markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self.

This is something that I don’t see that strongly in Natasha. She’s described as “full of life” and through the idealistic way she views people (for the most part) and her dramatic word choices, she doesn’t stray from this description too terribly much.

What I will say about this though is that Natasha seems to love people to a fault. She even tells Sonya about Anatol: “The moment I set eyes on him I felt that he was my master and I his slave, and that I could not help loving him. Whatever he bids me to do, I shall do.”

However, this is the exception, not the rule, and I would say that this isn’t a symptom that she has. While the example given could make sense for this criterion, it’s much better explained by the one listed prior to this.

4. Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging.

Impulsive behavior is at the very core of Natasha’s entire being.

First off, let’s state the obvious. Trying to elope with someone that she had only seen four times at this point and known for about a week (or even less) is extremely impulsive and definitely could have ended horribly for her.

She says impulsive things too. Things that could easily ruin her relationships with people she truly does care about. She says these things to Sonya, to Pierre, to Marya, to Andrei, to her mother... need I go on?

5. Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior.

One suicide attempt is not enough to meet this criterion, and as we know, Natasha attempts to poison herself with arsenic after she finds out that Anatol is married.

However, besides this very obvious example, Natasha mentions dying and says she “shall die” very frequently.

She said it to Prince Andrei earlier, in an example already stated.

After her elopement with Anatol is intercepted, Natasha tells Marya Dmitrievena: “Leave me be... what do I... I shall... die.”

Also - after she has already attempted suicide - when talking to Pierre she implies it again saying that “For me all is over,” after Pierre says she has her whole life before her.

These are just a few of the times that she mentions that she shall die or is suicidal. I suppose Tolstoy was the only one who would ever truly know how serious those threats are, but with one suicide attempt and many mentions of death under her belt, I’d say this criterion is definitely met.

6. Affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (eg intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually only lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days).

I will consider this criterion not met for the sake of my lack of examples of something definitive to point to for this.

7. Chronic feelings of emptiness.

I don’t think she has this either. She does, in conversation with her brother Nikolai, mention that she feels like this occasionally, her exact words being: “Does it ever happen to you? Do you ever feel as if nothing will ever happen - nothing; that everything good is past? And you feel not so much bored as sad?”

Since that’s the only thing I can definitively point to her implying that she feels empty, I’d say this is more of a passing feeling than a common feeling for her.

8. Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger.

Well, she blows up at Sonya for one.

Another example that comes to mind for this is this:

Before Natasha had finished singing, fourteen-year-old Petya rushed into the room in great excitement to announce that some mummers had arrived.

Natasha stopped abruptly. 

“Idiot!” she screamed at her brother, and running to a chair, she flung herself into it and broke into such violent sobbing that it was a long while before she could stop.

“It’s nothing, Mamma, really it’s nothing. Only Petya startled me,” she said, trying to smile, but her tears continued to flow, and she was choked by sobs.

Neither Natasha’s anger nor her reactions to events ever really seem to be in proportion to the situation at hand.

9. Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms.

Natasha goes into states of “intoxication” at the opera and elsewhere in the book, where she is described as having no idea where or who she is. These states of intoxication describe the state of dissociation so well that I’d say I’m completely confident that this is what she’s experiencing.

So in conclusion, she definitely has at least 5 of the 9 symptoms of borderline personality disorder required for a diagnosis. Let me know what you think of this or if you have any other examples that I haven’t thought of.

[drferox]

I need help! My family dog is incredibly overweight, because my parents feed him free range (access to a full food bowl 24/7) and they give him human food... He almost never really exercises. I do what can, but I'm away at college. They refuse to listen when I say this is going to kill him... What would you say to them? I need to say something to get through to them because everything I'm trying isn't working 😭 thank you. Also, question tax.. came and stayed for the anecdotes and case studies!

I am a vet. If I am presented with a dog (or cat) where this is a serious problem I can say exactly what I mean. I believe my current boss said it best when he said:

“If your dog doesn’t lose half her body weight she will stop being able to walk and she will die.”

The privilege of having ‘Dr’ before your name means that sometimes you can pull out statements like this for a big impact, but since you’re currently in college this might not work for you. 

There are a few truths that I should impart on you at this point.

I can’t convince my own parents that their dog needs to lose weight.

I couldn’t convince the above dog’s owners that she needed to lose weight. Only after a second opinion did they believe that. The dog is question was so large that she could not stand without assistance.

I can’t convince my partner’s parents about anything about their pets, including basic things like what is toxic to animals.

Nagging someone about their pet’s weight is as effective as nagging them about their own weight. That is, not very.

Owners of obese pets probably know something is wrong but are too unsure, embarrassed or afraid of being shamed or guilted to start doing something about it.

Humans also have a tendency to take what you say about their pets personally. If you say something ‘bad’ about their pet they may take it that you said something ‘bad’ about them too.

I would recommend reading this post about motivating people to seek veterinary attention, and aim to provide carrots, remove hurdles.

Don’t use any negative emotions to try to convince your family to do anything. It is unlikely to work. Honestly you may be better off simply trying to convince them to take the dog to a vet, because having a professional who’s not related to them may be more likely to be listened to.

Things I might discuss in a consult with similar owners might include:

Conditions the dog may have which have predisposed to weight gain (eg Cushing’s, hypothyroidism)

Conditions the dog is at increased risk of due to their weight, and cost of treatment

Conditions the dog actually has, eg cruciate tears, other joint injuries.

How to read a feeding guide on the packet of food to know roughly how much a pet of normal activity levels should need to eat to maintain a normal weight. (Lots of my patients had been being fed 2 or 3 times what their recommended intake should have been)

Protein:fat ratios in food or more nutrition detail only if they’re interested

Target weight feeding, portion control, rationing treats.

How to stop other family members or neighbors from overfeeding the pet

That dogs want attention as well as food, often happy with just attention

That a dog is just as happy with a quarter of a smacko as they would have been with a whole one.

Realistic expectations

Feeding plans and instructions.

The aim of the consult is to make everything as simple as possible and not generate blame or guilt. Those two emotions are completely useless and will only be a great big wall in front of getting anything done.

Realistic expectations is important because you don’t need to necessarily get a dog down to ‘perfect’ weight, sometimes you just need to get it a bit closer in order to improve its quality of life. If you can make a dog lose 1% of its body weight in any given week, you’re doing really well. That’s slower weight loss than most people expect, due to various weight loss shows that have been popular in recent years, but it’s not what we’re expecting to see. Slow and steady is what we’re aiming for, not dramatic weight loss.

The reason we do it is to reduce illness or symptoms of illness in these animals. If an animal is a bit overweight but stable, happy and healthy I’m not going to be as bothered as I would be about another animal which has consistently gained weight every single year. We are not aiming for ‘perfection’ we are aiming for better welfare. 

As a side note, I cannot examine an anonymous dog and tell you where on a chart like the one above this dog might be. Like many things in life and medicine, risk is a spectrum.

I would also like to point out preemptively that the issues of an obese pet should not be compared to or confused with fatphobia in society in general. There’s no psychological factors about body image affecting our pets, they do not understand this concept and society tends to see fat pets as ‘cute’. The aim in encouraging owners to keep their pets towards the lower end of the above spectrum is to minimize medical and orthopedic conditions, not about appearance.

[aemilythings-blog1]

Getting to the top is one of the best things about hiking up a peak or doing an alpine crossing. We all love those incredible views and want piercing blue cloudless skies, mountain ranges stretching far off in the distance, and not a puff of wind. But the alpine terrain doesn't often lend us these great conditions. There are dangers and risks to be aware of...

THE DANGERS OF ALPINE PEAKS AND CROSSINGS

Alpine terrain in simple terms can be defined as terrain at an altitude where trees stop growing (often due to cold, but not always). You can see this on many mountain ranges where there is a clearly defined tree line.

What alpine terrain means for hikers is some extra precautions we need to take to ensure we stay safe and are prepared. Every year, people around the world die or need rescuing. Many underestimate the weather, others are unaware of it, and a few leave decision making too late before turning around.

Alpine areas, especially peaks and alpine crossings, have rapidly changing weather, are cooler, have poor visibility with clouds, and can frequently have snow and ice at all times of the year.

In New Zealand, nothing sparks more rescues than the Tongariro alpine crossing. Almost every week, rescue teams head out to help someone who is injured, lost, or in bad weather. Deaths do occur in some cases. Mt Whitney in the US has its own problem with countless people now attempting it, leading to a huge increase in rescues and deaths.

To be aware of what you can face when trying these sorts of trips, these are some of the dangers and conditions that exist in alpine areas:

The Weather

One of the most common reason people run into difficulties on alpine peaks or crossings is the weather. Elevation plays a key role in shaping a regions micro climate to the point that individual mountains can have their own. Mountains will form their own weather compared to the surrounding land, often with increased wind and rain/snow. You can have a downpour on one side of the mountain while the other side is still sunny. And on top of that, when the weather changes in the mountains, it changes fast and often violently!

Terrain

As soon as you get above any tree line, the terrain dramatically changes. Vegetation no longer gives support and you will encounter scree slopes of loose rock which not only present sliding dangers, but the risk of sending rocks onto hikers below you as well. Scrambling is often required to get around steep sections. Rocks can get slippery with cloud moisture (or ice). Even in summer, patches of snow may exist (depending on region) and many are unprepared for this with the right gear or knowledge of how to stay safe. In many rescues, a sprained ankle or other small injury is the cause from being physically unprepared for the harsh terrain. In ideal weather conditions, a rescue is straightforward. But in bad weather, many people simply don’t carry all the clothing layers and gear they need to survive.

Cold (Hypothermia)

You can expect a 9.8°C decrease in temperature per 1000m rise in altitude (5.4°F per 1000 feet). So even on a hot, sunny day, it’s going to be cooler as you go higher. In New Zealand for example, most accessible peaks and crossings involve hiking over 1000m in elevation. Hypothermia is a very real danger in alpine regions and in the back country. Above the treeline, it’s always more exposed to the wind and lower temperatures, as well as snow, ice and rain. Getting cold without the means of warming up can quickly lead to a deterioration of mental and physical function. And don’t think it can only happen with snow or ice around! Hypothermia can happen to you in above freezing levels, so just because it doesn’t feel cold, doesn’t mean you are safe from it if unprepared.

Read More:

How to Layer for the Outdoors. Your Complete Guide to Layering

Summit Fever and How to Avoid It

Wind

The wind is a hazard many people forget about. Expect a windchill of -2°C per 10km/h of wind. And mountainous areas love strong winds! The wind is often magnified into strong gusts, and a sudden, strong gust while you are walking a delicate section of a track with steep drops is more than enough to throw you off balance. Many people have fallen this way. Always assume there will be strong wind at some point on your hike up a peak or over an alpine crossing.

Snow/Ice

Snow and ice on the ground mean you are best off waiting for a different time/season, or hiring a guide unless you have the proper training to use crampons and ice tools. In the morning, snow slopes are often frozen from the night. In the afternoon, they are soft and wet and will ‘ball’ up under your feet, also leading to slips. Once you start sliding on snow or ice, it's hard to get control again in anything but a gentle slope. Often, ice can also sit beneath soft layers and can lead to a slip.

Avalanches

Avalanches are also a hazard to respect. Unless you are trained in backcountry travel through avalanche terrain, it is best to assume all routes crossing through, or under alpine terrain, will have avalanche dangers. Even with low risk avalanche forecasts, there are still isolated pockets of unstable snow. It takes a surprisingly small amount to knock you off your feet, and if the slope ends in cliffs, the outcome is catastrophic.

Whiteout

Since its often much more windy up top, peaks and alpine crossings are often subject to whiteouts. As clouds close in, visibility can be poor or even less than a few feet which leads to many losing their way, or worse, falling off cliffs or down slopes. Navigation is extremely tricky in whiteouts. With no prior experience, people will easily become disorientated. And even with experience, these are dangerous conditions.

Social Media and getting that 'photo'

In this day and age of sharing our photos and videos online, people can often not realise what is involved in getting to a location or undertaking a trip. The person posting may not share the full story or their background experience.

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing in New Zealand is a good example of this. There are comments from people who have done the trip complaining about the lack of handrails or their misjudgement of how serious it would be, despite the vast amount of information and signage available. This shows a complete lack of research before they even started, and for many, a desire to get that photo no matter the conditions.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR AN ALPINE PEAK, CROSSING OR PASS

Research

Before you even arrive at the carpark to start your hike, you should have a good look online or by visiting a rangers office. This will often reveal what is involved in doing your chosen hike and if it meets your expectations. This simple step alone could prevent many deaths each year.

Your layers

Layering for the outdoors is the key to being not only being comfortable, but also staying safe as the weather changes for better and worse. Having adequate rain, wind, snow and cold protection can literally make the difference between life and death when the weather turns for the worst.

And just as important is this: NEVER WEAR COTTON IN THE OUTDOORS!

Below is an example on general layering for the outdoors. It doesn't take into account how active you are (eg: sweating), so for a detailed guide on layering, see my post:

How to Layer for the Outdoors. Your Complete Guide to Layering

Your Gear

Make sure to carry equipment that will hold up to the conditions and is reliable. Having your backpack fall apart, or worse, trying to carry everything in your hands without one, is not ideal and can lead to some dangerous situations. I thought I had seen it all when someone brought a suitcase on a hike, but then something even crazier happened... You can read about it HERE.

Your food & Water

Carrying enough food and water seems like a no brainer, yet even people experienced in the outdoors can underestimate it on certain trips. Carry at least 2 L per half day. When it’s cold, you might think you don’t need as much water but it’s actually just as important to keep taking in fluids. Food is important as you may need extra energy throughout the day, so always pack more than you need. Packing the night before is a good idea to make sure everything is ready to go in the morning.

Your Fitness

We can often overestimate our fitness and that’s OK. Not every hike is going to be easy. That’s all part of the challenge anyway, right? But if you have never hiked before and you want to try 1000 meters of elevation gain up steep terrain, it might be best to work up to it on some smaller hikes first. Going up is hard work, and going down is actually quite tiring as well, so try to have a look at what sort of distances AND elevation gain/loss you will be doing on your intended route. Start small and work your way up to the bigger stuff, you’ll have a better time doing it that way!

Your attitude

Most importantly is your attitude to the trip. If you are of the stubborn type, take extra note here! Avoid summit fever and turn around when things aren’t going to plan.Be honest in the outdoors. If you are not prepared, both physically and mentally and with the right gear, your attitude can save your life. Alpine environments are harsh and brutal. The mountain will always be there tomorrow, but you might not be if you don’t make the right choices!

Alpine peaks, crossings and passes hold wonders for the curious and adventurous. Staying safe and respecting these environments lets us enjoy them, have a good time, and make it home for another day.

[sporadic-writer]

What’s in a name (pt. 2)

Bucky x Reader

Warnings: swearing, alcohol, idk anything else someone might not like

This is an OC series I’m working on. I’ve connected it with the X-Men stuff and it takes place after Civil War, but it all works out.

pt. 1 here 

---------------------------------

E stood in front of her mirror in her room the X-Men mansion. Dresses scattered on top of her bed made up her discarded pile. Beside that pile, sat Jubilee scrolling on her phone. She was called in to help E find a dress for the party and auction tonight at the Plaza Hotel.

“What about the shimmery orange colored one? Put that with some nude heels and you’re set.” Her gummed snapped as she asked.

“Nah I wore that a while ago, plus I think Meghan (Pixie) wants to borrow it for a date. The open back is good with her wings. I don’t know.. I want the right dress! I haven’t gone to a function with the Avengers in a long time. Hell, none of us have in eons! I wanna look good.” She huffed as she pushed back some silver hairs from her face. “Juju bee what about the dark green one? I’d put it with my black corset heels and some gold accessories?” She turned to face her friend on the bed and looked at her with a questioning expression.

“You look good in anything! Ugh you could have a feed bag on your head and be a goddess.” She huffed while dramatically dropping her arms on the bed. Then she calmed down and gave a serious reply. “The green would look good. You managed to get a date with James Proudstar with it.”

E titled her head to the side and slightly nodded in agreement. She smirked and said, “You’re not wrong. And those were a few good months of dating him. Til he left me for Blink. I can’t even get annoyed or upset because they are so sweet. Plus, it wasn’t going to go anywhere.. Anyway! So green it is. Hair up or down?” The friend replied up and went back to her phone.

“Any other reason you want to look so good tonight? Finally going to let Sam Wilson think he has a chance with you?” She stayed to keep her friend company while she got ready for the event tonight, but couldn’t help but tease her a little bit.

Blushing, but rolling her eyes, E played defense. “No, no reason at all. I just want to look good. That a crime?” She played back, but her mind flashed to a certain someone. “It’s nice to be noticed.”

“I’m not saying it isn’t, but the Avengers are hot and we don’t see them all the time like the guys here. Not to mention, you need to get some.”

“Says who?” She gives you a look and a snap of her gum. “Fine maybe I do, but as much fun as a hook up is, I’m looking for a more secure, long term type thing here.”

“Well if you want that, then a bolder eye look; and straighten your hair. Really get someone’s attention tonight. But then it’ll be the ones who aren’t intimidated by you.” The pyrotechnic mutant grabbed the silver-haired woman’s shoulders and put her chin on her head while twirling a few hairs.

*fast forward to the evening*

Music and chatter swelled as guests mingled around the Plaza’s grand hall. E found herself at the base of the stairs, talking with some political head honchos. She was three cosmos in and only feeling herself being barely buzzed enough to deal with them. Some of them were still condescending towards mutants, despite the fact that they’ve saved the world’s ass more than a few times. She was here to have a good time and not to listen to people drone about the real world, let alone politics.

“You know what gentlemen, lady, I have to… walk away now.” She stepped away leaving stunned high-powered figures. As she approached the bar again she heard Tony laughing.

“Those people will be pissed at me now because of that.”

E rolled her eyes, “Please, they barely like me anyway. Plus I’m sure one of them will drop a fat and impressive number and win something at the auction. That and the drinks will help them forget all about it.” She turned to the bartender and ordered a shot of silver tequila and another cosmo. “Thanks for the open bar by the way. Want a shot?”

“I’m good. Thanks though, and I know it takes more than the average amount of booze to get you toasted but umm any reason you ordered a shot at a charity auction?” He wasn’t judging, but genuinely curious.

“Oh you know, having one for Wade. Plus I’m preparing for Sam’s next pass at me.” She smiled at the man in front of her with the rose-colored glasses. “Now if you excuse me, I am going to go mingle and find a cute man to dance with.” She strutted away to scope out everyone present, starting with the auction tables. That way she could made a bid or two in the meantime.

While E was conversing with Tony, others were having their own fun. Off to the other side of the bar, Thor was pouring Steve and Bucky some of his industrial mead. The three men, Wanda, and Sharon Carter were talking amongst themselves, waiting for the party to kick in a little bit more before going out to the crowd.

“Hey Buck, if you stare at her anymore I think you may either go blind or put a hole in her.” Sharon spoke up from her brandy while Steve suppressed a laugh into his new cocktail. “Go ask her to dance or something. She clearly is here to have a grand time. She just downed that shot like water.”

The long haired man almost glared at her, but he was too busy watching the subject of conversation indeed take the shot like a champ. And he was a bit impressed. He noticed Tony and her laughing as she followed her shot with another cocktail. He was curious about how she was handling herself. It must have showed on his face, because Steve spoke up beside him.

“It takes a bit more than usual for her to be effected by alcohol. She can get drunk, quicker than us, but about five shots of Everclear to her are equivalent to one or two shots of any average liquor to any average person. So about three shots of Thor’s stuff. Maybe though, since she’s never actually had any. Sam and Clint learned that the hard way. E drank them under the table! Now, go ask her to dance. She’s heading towards the auctions.” Steve nudged him in her direction as the others egged him on.

With a grunt and small glare at his friends, he approached the woman whose purple eyes were permanently burned into his brain. As she’s glancing at every item up for bid on the tables. He takes not of her elegant stance and the way her hair stands out against the dark green of her dress, and sparkles from her gold accessories make her shine. An idea however, pops into his head. So he makes a detour towards the DJ. Once he walks back towards the woman, La Vie En Rose begins to play. His pride boosts a bit when he sees her perk her head up and smile. He did have the right idea!

“Would you like to dance?” He asks simply to gain her attention. When E smiles and nods yes, the words begin to play. The metal hand Bucky is known for grabs her own and his hand places itself on her waist, and hers goes to his shoulder. However, it is the English Louis Armstrong version that begins to play. With a scoff he says, “Damn I meant for the original to play.”

Her eyebrows perk up and she thinks it’s cute how he put some thought into the song. “It’s quite alright. I may know both versions, and the original is a classic, but there is something beautiful about this one.”

“At least it’s long enough for a proper dance. Especially with someone who knows how to genuinely dance.”

“People nowadays know how to dance, just not the classic manner we grew up with. I will say, I do appreciate that you know how to properly lead. Last time I had one of those was in the 80s.”

He instantly wants to know more about her past, to know everything about her unique history. “Someone special?”

“He was actually.” E takes note of his slightly surprised answer, not expecting that answer. “He was someone from my past, but he’s gone now.”

“Damn I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring something like that up.” Guilt washes over him, despite her reassurance that everything was fine. “Alright I’m going to change the subject now in a not so smooth manner. How many dances or drinks will it take for you to tell me what E stands for?”

The chuckle she lets out makes him feel like he could float. “More than you may think. But you’re cute, so I will tell you that it is a nickname. Both for my powers and the fact that my first, middle, and last name start with E. Wow.. Either I am becoming a lightweight or I don’t know because I have not revealed that much to someone I just met in a long time.”

“I consider myself lucky then. Although I will tell you that one way or another I will find out your name.” She appreciated his teasing tone, it was sweet and made her really smile. “Also, thanks for callin’ me cute darling.”

They kept dancing until the song and the next one was finished. After they made a few bids at the auction, they went to the bar where the others were secretly watching them interact.

Thor was the first to greet the woman with a bright smile and fair question. “E can I offer you another drink?”

“You know I can never pass you up on that Thor. Vodka gimlet please. So how is everyone?”

“Emma Ester Edwards. My guess for the month.” Everyone turned to Wilson who looked confident in the name he just blurted out. Everyone laughed as he pouted after E simply shook her head no with a sassy smirk on her face. “Oh come on! I have been at this since I met you girl. Will you even tell me if I get it right?”

“I take offence that you think I would lie to you. I promise if you ever somehow get it right, I will tell you. But that day will happen no sooner than you lifting Thor’s hammer so I’m not worried.” She looked proud of herself for that one. Confidently she sipped her drink, flipped her hair, and leaned her arm on Bucky’s shoulder. He seemed to get the hint right away and put his arm around her waist. She felt good, looked good, and knew the night ahead was going to be worth the time spent getting ready.

-----------------------------------------

Leave a comment, like, and a reblog! As always I hope you enjoy!

[classycollectorartisanposts-blog]

rsa car insurance quote

"rsa car insurance quote

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BEST ANSWER:  Try this site where you can compare quotes: : http://freeautoinsurance.xyz/index.html?src=tumblr 

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I will be turning 17 in a year and a half and i am set on getting a 2006 Volkswagen Polo because i don't need much more from a car. It will mostly just be used for short drives through my town and city and I will be parking it on the road. I'm hoping to find one with a 1.2 engine and no higher because i know that is a dramatic factor in the insurance cost. I was just wondering, as a rough estimate, how much per year (in British pounds) would the insurance be?""

Car insurance - first time driver?

First time driver :) I'm 19 & female. I'm hopefully getting a car by the end of the year. So I was just checking the general insurance prices (I know they change regularly, but I just wanted to see) Anyway, I typed all my information, I was the main driver (I didn't put my parents down as additional drivers either) and the cheapest price was 694.94 - would that have been for the year? It was full comp too. It also had a total excess price, what does that mean? I'm really confused; I though first time drivers had high insurance?? Thanks! Also, I have a job so I will be paying for everything. Not my parents. I put in the quote that I had a full driving license, not provisional which I have. Just that I hadn't bought the car. I clicked on one of the quotes & it showed 11 monthly payments of 66.27 and the full total as 798.49 BQ: If I got my car within the next month; then asked my dad to teach me, would I then be able to take a couple lessons with an instructor before I took my test? Or would I need to have all my lessons with an instructor?""

Is their any where that can calculate the average price of car insurance without details?

I just want to calculate the average cost for car insurance without the hassle of putting in my personal details being that it will be at least 2months till i get my licence.

What is the company that offers the cheapest insurance quote for a 18 year old?

I need Full coverage: PIP, Comp & Collision (500 Deductible), Liability. My car is financed""

Car Insurance Question - diminished value?

My car was struck form the rear, while parked. How can I make sure that I am able to collect the diminished value , caused by the accident. It looks like I have to hire an appraiser, how much do they charge? Do you have recommendation for a specific appraiser? I live in NJ. Thanks""

Where is the best place to get an auto insurance quote?

Where can I get a free auto insurance quote?

Which auto insurence is the cheaper?

i whan insurance may car but which one is cheaper

What insurance coverage should i get?

i purchased a motorcycle for 1800 dollars and parts are cheap for it so what coverages do i need and which ones dont i need

The best insurance for a student?

I was thinking of getting home contents insurance or something- could anyone recommend me anything?

ABC news did a #realmoney story on How to find affordable dental insurances or plans; Baton Rouge?

How can people save money and still get the best dental care in Baton Rouge. What insurance is best for a family of 5? ABC news did a segment on #realmoney and I am wondering more ...show more

What is the cheapest online car insurance in the market today?

What is the cheapest online car insurance in the market today?

How much does liability car insurance cost for a 17 year old girl?

I know that the full insurance may be roughly 140-160 a month for me, but I was told by a friend that his insurance is only 80 bucks a months because he only got the liability insurance in which his insurance only covers the other car, but not any damage done to his own in the case of an accident. Keep in mind, he's male, and he is also 21. I'm looking to buy either a: 2000 sunfire 2000 cavalier 1995 jimmy 1998 chevy tracker 1993 bmw 325l ....and the idea is that I would get it with the liable insurance to save some money. How much may this cost me a month? I have no history of any driving infractions or accidents.""

rsa car insurance quote

rsa car insurance quote

Insurance Car Accident?

So today my insurance expired Feb 1st and I had thought I was covered for today. It is snowing outside and a car crashed behind me and did some serious damage. I called the insurance company and got insured. If the crash happened before I paid the insurance but no police were involved am I still covered. The exact timings wouldn't be found out if no police were called at the time correct?

Best home Insurance in Texas?

I'm a first time homer buyer and I'm about to gets quotes for home insurance and I was wondering what are some of the best and affordable companies to go with????

Affordable Healthcare Act (Obamacare) - Survey question ideas?

I'm doing a sample survey for Social Science. I have to come up with 25 questions pertaining to my topic of inquiry. My topic is The benefits of the Affordable Healthcare Act, which is informally known as Obamacare. My hypothesis is the Affordable Healthcare Act would be beneficial if it was slightly altered to exclude the individual mandate. I need ideas for more questions, outside of the demographic questions. Here are the eleven questions I have so far: Do you have health insurance? Yes. No. In the process of obtaining a health care plan. Have you ever heard of the Affordable Care Act, the American health care bill signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23rd, 2010? Yes. No. Do you understand the key aspects that make up the Affordable Care Act? Yes. No. Somewhat. Did you believe that there was a problem with the current state of health care, and that it needed reform? Yes. No. The new Healthcare Act is going to be funded through a variety of new taxes and offsets. This includes a new Medicaid tax imposed on people that make over $200, 000 and $250, 000 annually, and a 40% tax on premium Health Insurances. There will also be new taxes on medicine, high cost diagnostic medical equipment, and a 10% tax on indoor tanning services. Do you believe that the imposed taxes are worth the sacrifice, so that more Americans could have health insurance? Yes. No. The U.S. Supreme Court is currently reviewing the Affordable Care Act. Several U.S. states are questioning the laws constitutionality because the law requires Americans that dont have health insurance to choose an affordable healthcare plan or pay a fine (this is called the individual mandate). Do you believe that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional on these grounds? Yes. No. Not sure. If you do believe that the individual mandate is unconstitutional, do you believe it is worth the sacrifice, so that more Americans could have health care? Yes. No. Does not apply. Do you believe that the government could still make the policy work if they exclude the individual mandate, keeping in mind that this would likely require more tax increases in different areas? Yes. No. Maybe. Having a basic knowledge of the Affordable Care Act, do you think that the government should abandon the policy and work on a new one? Yes. No. We should wait and see how this one turns out first. Do you stand to benefit from the Affordable Care Act? Yes. No. Not sure. Do you have any friends or family members that stand to benefit from the Affordable Care Act? Yes. No. Not sure.""

""Cheapest motorcycle for a 20-21 year old. Parameters: price, fuel economy, and insurance. Please help?""

I am 20 years old but will be turning 21 in late spring, and i was planning to buy a motorcycle with my tax return coming up (down payment and first/few insurance payments depending on whether i go monthly or biyearly). I was wondering what the Y!A community thought would be the cheapest on me when it comes to balancing initial price, fuel economy, and insurance prices for someone my age. I was thinking a moderately powered large roadster-style bike (i'm reluctant to say chopper...i hate that word) that doesn't go too much above freeway speeds, but i'm open to hearing other people's suggestions. I'm from southern illinois, and am a large guy, but not giant. No crotch-rockets please.""

CRAZY Insurance Premium! Any way out?

From Toronto, Ontario, I am a 19 y/o male and want my own vehicle. Without paying a crazy insurance rate of $6000+ per year, how can a 3rd vehicle be purchased and licensed under my parent's name (I live with them) having them as the primary driver? The problem is, from what I know, if I am licensed and living at the same address, I will automatically be primary driver of the 3rd vehicle as now there are 3 drivers and 3 vehicles. So what if my parents had 6 cars? There must be some way out..""

Omg what do i do my dad wont put me on his car insurance and im under 19 so it costs more?

k so i am 18 years old i dont drink,smoke or do anything bad i am about to get a job that requires to me to drivee in order to be there on time. i have my permit, but my dad WILL NOT LET ME DRIVE. he thinks im crazy, and psychotic and i don't know what to do. i saved up enough money to buy a cheap 1000 car, but i need somebody to take me to get it. also he wont let me practice driving and i have a test for my license in february. im never gonna get it im gonna be a failure all b/c of him!!!! please tell me what i can do. oh also u have to be 21, in order to get ur license w/o parent/guardian consent. and i have no friends to drive me cause i just changed schools. i have no ride anywhere and im getting pissed cause that moron is gonna make me live on the streets if i buy a car. but then again id rather buy a car and live in it then live with him my moms even worse shes getting rid of her old car cause her dad is givinhg her a lexus for free and shed rather get7000 grand for it then give it to me and its my bday this week lol and her cars worth 3000 but shes lying to me o well lol""

How much does car insurance cost a month?

for a 20 year old university student who's low risk

How much would car insurance be for a 17 year old?

Should be getting a car soon, think it's going to be a 96 Cutlass Supreme, the 2 door. Mileage is probably really high, it's an old car, my grades aren't so hot e.t.c. Never got a ticket, crash anything like that. First car, anything else im missing lemme know.""

Looking for affordable health insurance?

i have insurance through my company we are switching from KAISER at 136.00,per check which is 272.00 per month and were as the company pays the other half,AETNA now will charge 178.00 per check which comes out to 356.00 per monththis is the only option that our company has given.so i'm asking ANSWERS help in finding affordable health insurance for me and my spouse i'm 8 yrs younger i'm turning 62,this july 29 and my spouse is turning 70,this nov she has arthritis and myself just sciatica off and on somebody please help with affordable health insurance thank you Gilley""

Can you get your license in California without buying insurance right away?

I have had my permit since last June and have taken two behind the wheel lessons. My mom just told me that she cant get me my license because of the cost of insurance. I was wondering ...show more

""Why is my car insurance for my 1st car, 2500 and my friends insurance is only 1500 for his 1st car??""

Why is my car insurance for my 1st car, 2500 and my friends insurance is only 1500 for his 1st car?? This is confusing me, both our annual milage is estimated to be 5000 miles, they are both in group one insurance groupes, they are both a 1.1L etc, everything is the same apart from the make of the vehicles. I have treid other vehicle qoutes, but yet my insurance qoute is still 2500, and my friend qoutes is only 1500.""

How much would my car insurance go up for putting a little scratch on someone elses vehicle?

I'm with State Farm

Whats the insurance rate for a dui person in california?

25 years old,07 dodge charger.. i live in pomona ca. 1st dui what am i looking at for monthly insurance payments?""

How much is gonna cost in Insurance if I buy salvage car here in califonia?

How much is gonna cost in Insurance if I buy salvage car here in califonia?

I got a ticket for haveing a expired drivers licence how will this effect my insurance rates?

The only ticket given was for the expired drivers licence. does that effect the insurance? im not sure cuz it does not mean i am a bad driver. anything will help! need to know fast. and i am in wyoming if that makes any differance.

What is the cheapest economical car i can buy in the UK?

i want cheap insurance, tax and fuel consider that i am 18 years old dont want a box under the car""

Good but cheap car insurance?

Im 17 and just got first car, it's a 2004 Mini Cooper 1.6 and now im looking for insurance, but not sure on what one to go as there is so many out there. I want some cheap and good (and easy to join) but i haven't got a clue about what to go on as i know nothink about insurance so i need a bit of help....... What would be a good and cheap company to join to? and also how much would it cost?""

Checking Insurance Quotes?

May be a stupid question but can you check different insurance quotes even if you haven't passed your test yet, just to get an idea of how much it will be ?""

How much do you pay for auto insurance for teen?

im 17 almost 18 looking to drive soon? how much would I pay if.... -no good student discount -3 cars -1 boat -live with parents under whom which ill have co-sign my insurance for now out of predictions, how much do teens usually pay for auto insurance?""

Insurance on a ford fiesta 1.25 GHIA?

im 17 and will be having my full license at the very latest January the 1st just wondering the average price for cheapest cover, 5 door 1.25""

Motorcycle insurance prices in uk at 17-19?

Hello, I really want to get a motorcycle at the age of between 17 to 20 (preferably 17-18) but I was wondering how much it would cost for the insurance of a brand new Yamaha r125 and a Kawasaki Ninja 300 at each age between 17 to 20, thanks guys and it would clear some thoughts on how much it would be, what age seems good. I really want to get a bike before uni.""

Best used mpv with cheap tax cheap insurance good mpg?

im looking for an mpv thats cheap to run on fuel , car tax, insurance,and maintenance, people have suggested a citreon berlingo ? does anyone have one and does it qualify my needs""

How much would insurance be on this car for a 17 year old?

Photo: http://i.imgur.com/oBPkdUi.jpg

How much would car insurance be for a 16 or 17 yr old guy?

im 16 now, ready to get my first car and drive, but i need a steady job to pay for my insurance. so being young and a male, how much should i be looking to pay?""

How does this car insurance thing work?

and where can you get car insurance quotes.

rsa car insurance quote

rsa car insurance quote

""What kind of life insurance is better for me, term insurance or permanent insurance?""

Is there any advantage to permanent insurance over term insurance or vis versa? I mean, basically it looks like term is the better deal because I can buy more death benefit for a lot less money, but permanent insurance gives me money with a death benefit. I'm in my late 40's, have a wife and 2 kids, normal bills, mortgage, etc. Does anyone have any opinions about what is really the better deal long term?""

How much would car insurance cost?

how much would car insurance cost for a 16 year old guy driving a 2006 pontiac g6 4 door 2.4 liter engine

Do you know of any good family health insurance plans for cheap?

I currently work in a hopital and pay only $200/month for insurance. I am pregnant with my 2nd child and thinking of cutting my hours at work to where I could no longer carry their insurance plan. We also own a small business, so my husband doesn't carry the insurance. I only have to work 20 hours a week to keep the insurance at my job, and it has awesome benifits, but I would love to be home after the 2nd baby is born. What do you think? Should I keep my insurance at work or any better ideas?""

""Was to help make health care plan was to help make health care more affordable, what happened?

It does not seem it is going in that direction; it seems like more of a insurance sale for insurance company.

I have a question about auto insurance in Arizona.?

I am 18 years old and just obtained my drivers license. I do not own a car but I would like to use my grandparents jeep in times when I need to get to school. It wont be a routine thing just a back up plan in case I cannot find a ride. Do I need to get a non owner insurance policy to able to legally drive in Arizona or am I legal to drive without insurance as long as my grandparents have the car insured?

What is a medical insurance deductible?

What is a medical insurance deductible?

What type of cars would have the highest car insurance payment?

couples? Sport cars? What type of cars have a high car insurance payment? I wanted to get a two door but heard the insurance would be high. Since im young I know it be higher also. What would be best to get?

Approx. how much would a leased car amd insurance cost a 24yr old male?

Planning on either a alfa romeo, or civic moving to the uk so not sure what leases are like and insurance. Insurance in toronto is sky high so im assuming it will be the same. I pay $400 a month so arounds 200pounds. Just looking for estimations thanks. City driver too, possibly london or glasgow.""

I need to how much car insurance will be ?

Im 19 years old an i live in topeka ks. im goin to be gettin a 1994 camaro i want to no how much the car insurance will be since it is a sports car

Can insurance rates go up if...?

If you have a provisional license issued and you get a citation for carrying passengers in your car before your 5 months is up, can your insurance rates go up? If so, how much?""

Is $110/mo a good price for motorcycle insurance?

I'm 18 years old, i have no tickets or citations on my record. It's a 250 cc kawasaki ninja.""

Will I get the money from my life insurance back?

I have had life insurance for a year now, which gives me a discount on my car insurance. When I am 21, my car insurance rates may go down and I may not need the life insurance discount from State Farm any more. Will I get the money that I have put into the life insurance back?""

How much will driving lessons in an automatic car be?

I live in the UK, and i'm having to learn to drive in an automatic car because i have a disability which affects my concentration How much would it be to take lessons in an automatic car? And is the insurance more expensive? Thanks""

""Need cheap car insurance, already looked into geico and progressive?""

what's a good, AFFORDABLE company i can go to for auto insurance? i'm a 19 yr old female, living in dallas, tx marital status: separated""

What would an insurance company pay for a totalled 2006 Toyato Camery?

What would an insurance company pay for a totalled 2006 Toyato Camery?

Do insurance companies use mortality rates to set premiums and other costs for certain age groups? Why?

Do insurance companies use mortality rates to set premiums and other costs for certain age groups? Why?

""If I am under my wife's health insurance plan, do i need to get my own insurance under Obamacare?""

Currently, my kids and I are under my wife's health insurance plan. I heard that if we stay under her plans, we will be penalized once this Obamacare goes into effect.""

Where do i get a cheap auto insurance company?

Where do i get a cheap auto insurance company?

Why is my car on Motor Insurance Database (MID) while I haven't bought insurance yet?

I've just bought a used car for my son, received the new log book; however, I haven't bought insurance yet, as I intend to keep the car off road at the moment. But when I checked my car on the Motor Insurance Database (MID), it recognized my car. Apparently it is ok to drive this car, although I haven't bought insurance for it. Do you think this is ok, or will I be stopped by the police driving this car?""

Whats the average cost a month for car insurance in california for an 18 year old?

Whats the average cost a month for car insurance in california for an 18 year old?

""Am I paying too much for auto insurance, or is it average for my age range?""

Insurer: GEICO Premium: $240/month (6-month policy, includes collision and comprehensive w/ $1,000 deductible) Gender: Male Age: 20 (almost 21) State: FL Driving for: 5 years Accidents/tickets: None Vehicle Type: SUV Vehicle Year: 1995 Supposedly, my premium is supposed to go down when I turn 25, at least that's what GEICO said. The other companies are just as expensive. What are your thoughts?""

California auto insurances?

There's a car under my parent's name and under their policy. i'm 19 and i have my license for a year now. Since i am on my winter break now and i would like to drive it sometimes. However, i'm not under their policy nor any policy. So, i am driving their car and if 'm involved in an accident, will i be covered under my parent's policy? And i heard that if i am involved in an accident i will be covered by my parent's policy for the first time only, so is this true?""

What are peoples opinions of the affordable care act?

I am not that informed about it and curious how people feel about it

Whats cheap cars to insure for a new driver?

Hi there im currently undertaking my lessons and instructor said I should pass before march time and just wondering what cars are cheap to ensure for new drivers and how much roughly are they a month and is there any way I can knock it down to make a bit cheaper? can you get finance cars for new drivers with insurance and tax free for 3 years?

Can I drive an insured car without insurance?

I got my G2 a week ago and I was wondering if I can drive my parent's insured car without being listed as a driver. I drive very safely and I've never received any ticket but my insurance quotes are insanely high, especially because I am a guy. I really can't afford it and neither can my parents. Some people say I can still drive and some say no and I'm very confused. Please answer if you know for sure. Thanks in advance""

rsa car insurance quote

rsa car insurance quote

Any 18 Year old drivers with car insurance?

I'm 18 and I cant find any insurance under 7K and this is clear ageism. Are there any other young drivers who are sole policy holders with cheaper insurance?

How much would insurance for a 17yr old cost?

the car is a cts-v coupe. I need to know if i can afford the insurance b4 buying for my son. -thanks

Does any one know about any 0 deductible health insurance plan with low monthly payment?

State California

Geico car insurance down payment?

Is anyone here doing geico auto insurance monthly payments? I just got my policy and had to put a downpayment. the down payment is part of my policy total right? it's not like an extra fee? I'am pretty sure it's part of my total.

How long it takes to find a car before it is considered a loss for insurance purrpose in California?

What is the search time frame for a car to be considered loss for insurance reimbursement in California? I am buying a new car and considering my insurance policy option and also thinking if I truly need a LoJack.

Question regarding auto mobile insurance company policy?

so i just got with a new insurance company about 2 months ago. Would the insurance company accept a claim and cover all the expenses of a car accident if they didnt withdraw their monthly fee yet, but then i did received their pink slip of the policy number and everything?""

Which car insurance companies only ask for 3 years convictions?

Can anyone give me a of list of car insurance companies which only ask for 3 years of convictions...? I have 6 points, I'm 22, passed my test 3 months ago, and accumulated these points 3 years and 2 months ago... Catch my drift? :)""

Does anybody know of a cheap insurance company for eighteen year olds?

I just turned eighteen and I'm looking for car insurance since what I'm paying right now is really high ( 290 for minimum) Everywhere else I look wants like 1000 dollars a month for minimum coverage thats crazy how can anyone afford that? Are there any good companies in specific for someone in my position?

What is the typical cost of condo insurance in florida?

I'm trying to understand what homeowners insurance woul cost in florida for a 2 bedroom condo. I'm not ready to call an insurance company. I'm looking in Ft.Myers. Just want to know is it thousands of dollars and out of my range or a few hundrend per year. Say for a 75k condo.

Cheap car to insure for 17 year old boy?

Please just say a few car names and not your not geting any for cheap

16 year old male car insurance question?

My mom has Gieco car insurance. I was wondering how much car insurance would be for me on a 1998 Jeep Wrangler with a security system, and 4x4 drive. I tried to get a quote yesterday on the fone but they made me wait like 40 minutes so i hung up and it never works online so please help me.""

""Crashed car into the bushes, would basic insurance cover it?""

My car brakes gave up on me and i crashed into the dense bushes. The police didn't even write a report since, as they said, it was no fault of my own and i had no injuries. Since i didn't hit anybody or anything but the bush there was no fine for me to pay. I don't know how big is the damage to the car since it happened on a saturday evening (i'll have it checked out tomorrow), but the front looks bad. I have basic Florida insurance, and i just want to know if they would cover it before i call them. If they don't cover it i'd rather just get it fixed without having my insurance rate go up. So... since it was not my fault (there were witnesses who saw i did everything possible to get the car safely off the road) would it cover at least part of the expenses?""

Where can I get affordable health insurance?

I am a full time college student, and my school offers insurance, but it is expensive. I need basic health care to cover doctors visits, specialist visits, and x rays. The main reason I need coverage is that my back is messed up from a car accident about a year and a half ago and I can't take the pain anymore. I went to my states website and the insurance they offer is currently not accepting applications. I have looked at tons of sites online, but so far am having no luck. Any advice would be appreciated.""

Car insurance for 18/19 yr old?

im 18/19 yr old and just passed my test. how much will it cost for insurance to drive a 1.6 and im a girl? and how much will it cost if i did a passplus?

How much homeowner insurance should I buy?

In other words, how much does it really cost to rebuild this house? My homeowner insurance company insures the dwelling for X, and another company suggests I insure it for 76% of X. So who is right and how do I find out? Another important question -- do most people try to get 100% coverage in case the house is vaporized, or do smart people go for, say, 75% coverage because the entire house probably won't be destroyed? Advice, please.""

What is a car under 1000 for young drivers with cheap insurance ? ?

What is a car under 1000 for young drivers with cheap insurance ? ?

Do you think if I worked at McDonalds I could be able to afford a mustang GT and pay for car insurance?

I want to buy a mustang GT. I prefer a 99-01 year. Which would probably cost me about 400-500 a month paying car payments and car insurance. I'm only 16 years old. But I plan on getting a job when i'm 18 and buying a car. I also need to get my GED, which I start taking classes for that next fall.. because I dropped out of school for specific reasons I wont talk about here. If I work 6 hours a day and earn 7.40 an hour for 5 days a week, thats about 880 bucks a month. Plus my parents could help me out a little. I would use all the money I get from work for the car payment, insurance and gas. Would I have enough money?""

Which minivan has the cheapest insurance for a NEW driver?

looking at second hand minivans - been doing some rough online insurance calculations but so far all above 1000. any body know any minivans which will have a low insurance for a NEW driver

Just passed driving test. 18 years old. What is the cheapest insurance company for me?

Just recently passed 17, turning 18 in a few days. What is the best insurance company in terms of price? also what car would i need to purchase to get the cheapest possible quote? Advice needed!""

Where can I get the lowest priced auto insurance in orange county California ?

I'm a single dad choking on Title IV-D child support enforcement and I want to get my car registered so I can get a job, pay the support be a good dad and jump through all these government circus hoops. I need the lowest priced auto insurance I can get. Perfect driving record and I just want the minimum coverage because I drive a cheap car. Thank You!""

Can You get Insured for a car thats not yours?

My girlfriends car is un insurenced and she got her L's suspended can i get insurence if im driving her car now?

Everything auto insurance will ask you?

I had a car accident, the other driver's insurance company called me, and I need to know all the questions they would ask me personal or not. I know they will ask about the facts of the accident, but I want to know what personal questions(like age, health insurance, education, etc.)""

How much do you think the cheapest insurance would be for my classic car?

My car is a 68' . Yes It is very old. I have been trying to get a quote but most websites do not have the option for cars older then the early 90's late 80's. Anyone with a classic car help? I thought about antique tags but I will use It as a daily driver and in the state of VA that's illegal so.. it's chevy impala 4 doors. btw. all I want is a liability.

""My car insurance quote is 5,000?""

This is the cheapest quote given by the companies. I am 19 years old and working in a minimum wage job. How can they expect me to be able to afford 5,000 in insurance when I'm only driving a 250 car? How can this price come down? Will waiting until I'm older reduce the price?""

How much does car insurance cost for a 16 year old?

Im a girl with good grades that would be added on to my parents insurance policy, can anyone give me a dollar estimate?""

rsa car insurance quote

rsa car insurance quote

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