#we're tackling the original sin

[the-red-thread-that-strangles]

Rei is late for the first time since he's started working at Poirot.

Neither terrorism attacks nor hostage crises have affected his being on time. Not even a runaway horse managed to keep him.

But he spends one night with Akai Shuichi, and his perfect record is ruined. Asshole.

Despite his calling ahead, Azusa gives him a worried look. He stops briefly to give her a mock-embarrassed apology, turning up the charm. Promises he won't be late again. Then he's off to the storage room.

He needs to fetch his ingredients and get to baking.

Rei's going to find Akai and strangle him, just as soon as his shift is over.

.

Roughly 12 hours earlier.

There's a gun aimed right between his eyes.

That in itself is nothing unusual. The situation could be worse, really.

After all, his own gun is pointed right back at Akai Shuuichi's annoyingly smug face. At this distance, he'll be able to read his movement, react in time. He'd rather talk, but if the sniper fires, Rei will drag him into hell too.

Blood for blood. Mutually assured destruction.

(His excitement is slightly dampened by the fact he's rather certain Akai won't kill him.)

"Caught you." Rei can't help the satisfaction slipping into his voice.

Finally. After three years, their game of cat and mouse is over. He'll have his answers.

The most pressing of which-

"Where's Scotch?"

The words cut into the silence, sharpened by fear. His best friend might still be dead, after all. (If he isn't, why hasn't he contacted Rei?)

It's not like he has much to go on to suspect he's alive, besides the fact that Akai himself came back from the dead. Rei can only hope he brought Hiro along.

Before Akai answers, there's a click. The world becomes dizzyingly bright, expanding past the muzzles of their guns.

Rei blinks the disorientation away. Spots silhouettes from the corner of his eyes. He hasn't met them before, but he's familiar, of course, with the owners of this house. How long have the Kudos been watching them?

While he's busy processing that revelation, Akai holsters his gun. Part of Rei hates how nonchalant Akai is about all of this, exposing himself so easily. Like Rei isn't a threat, won't put a bullet in his head because of a couple of witnesses. (Hates that he's probably right.)

"I propose a trade. For old time's sake."

(The words leave a bitter taste with Rei. They haven't exchanged anything, not goods, not words, not warmth, in years.)

Akai snaps open a cheap flip phone - likely a burner. His thumb hovers over the call button. The fingers of his other hand, long and dextrous, wrap around the barrel of Rei's P7M8, tugging gently, but insistently.

Rei considers his options. He holds no illusions - without his gun, he won't be able to dispatch Akai. But he's more than capable of holding his own for long enough to escape, if need be.

(He could just fire, right now. It wouldn't have to be lethal. Could take the phone by force. But chances are, whatever information Akai has, he'll be much less willing to share it with a bullet wound.)

Rei looks up at Akai, meets his green, green eyes. The part of him that shows genuine emotions, some days. (Not that Rei is one to talk.)

Finds Akai looking...tired. He wears a small smile, but it's worn around the edges. There's no open mockery, no quiet amusement. It's just the two of them, and an offer.

Rei lets go of the gun. He hopes he won't be needing it, tonight.

.

Akai helps him up, his hand warm and steady. As soon as he's upright, Rei lets go - he can walk perfectly fine by himself, thank you very much.

The FBI agent shows him to the living room, tells Rei to make himself a home. After all, the Kudos have promised to give him some privacy, for his chat.

For a moment, the sniper lingers, gaze caught by the phone. Then Akai casts his eyes down, and leaves Rei alone.

Silence, if not for the crackle of the damned fireplace, fills the room. Rei hesitates for a moment. Then he presses 'call' for the only number in the directory.

The phone crackles with static, beeps as it establishes connection, then-

"Hi, Zero."

The world stops moving. Relief floods his system, sapping the tension from his muscles. He leans against the soft backrest, breathing freely for the first time in a good long while.

.

Their talk is short. Rei asks some questions to establish it's truly Hiro, not an imposter (though that would make a very poor basis for the negotiation the Kudos have planned).

Hiro tersely explains some things, although he isn't allowed to give away much. He's in the FBI's witness protection program. That they're talking at all is a massive bending of the rules, authorized only because of Akai's insistence. He claimed it was of critical importance to their mission.

It certainly is, to Rei.

.

The next hours are a blur.

The sofa dips when Akai sits down at his side, the Kudos already having taken their seats on the other side of the small coffee table. (He wishes Akai would sit farther away. That he be less reasonable in his assumptions and demeanour.)

It's somewhat surreal to think that celebrity actress Kudo Yukiko of all people gives him a steaming cup of chamomile lavender honey tea. Good thing working with Vermouth has knocked most of the starstruck behaviour out of him; his younger self would have made a fool of himself.

He can't afford that. After all, they are seeking him out in an official capacity, requesting PSB senior agent Furuya Rei's cooperation.

It certainly is strange for them to reach out through him, considering his known enmity of Akai. But he's a professional - he might be reluctant to work with the man, but it's not his decision to make. He'll relay the offer, unless it's utter garbage.

So he pays attention while they share what they can of their plan to take down the organisation. Listens to their pledge for equal contribution, and their promise of crediting the PSB with a successful operation; an obvious play intended to soothe the wounded pride of the Japanese, after years of illegal activity. But it's the least they can do.

If one were to ask Rei, the offer is certainly worth considering. The PSB has been working the case for five years now, and while they have gathered intel, and managed to place Bourbon as a vital asset, they're barely closer to shutting the organization down than when they started. It's sprawling, interconnected with various businesses, and, worst of all, active internationally. If they don't cut off all its heads at the same time, odds are the members will simply flee to a different branch. Maybe lie low for a bit, and then go about their business with renewed vigour.

It seems like an international cooperation might just be necessary to achieve this task. So he'll be their messenger; it's above his pay grade to decide whether to take them up on the offer or not.

Though privately, he hopes his superiors agree; every day they lose ground to the organization. By this point, Rei doesn't really care anymore whose plan it is that finally does the organization in, as long as it gets done. (And as long as he and the PSB are finally treated with the appropriate amount of respect.)

Still, he can't help thinking they wouldn't be having this conversation now, if these foreign agencies had respected the official channels ahead of time. Maybe Hiro could be hiding in Nagano then, with his brother, instead of being confined to the other half of the globe. In the US, of all the terrible places to be. He shivers.

.

By the time they're done it's very late. Rei is already half-dozing off, despite his best efforts to stay awake. It would be highly irresponsible to drive in this state, so he's asked their hosts for a coffee (he's sure a place housing Akai will have more than enough of it to go around). He'll just rest his eyes for a moment, until they're back.

.

Something light is being dropped on him, almost stirs him to consciousness. But it's warm, soft, and smells of huddling together in an abandoned apartment.

(Of long-forgotten small comforts.)

Not a threat.

Thus satisfied, his body collects its due, and he's dragged back under, into deep, dreamless sleep.

.

Which brings Rei to the reason he's late.

Someone, and he has a very good idea of who it was, put his phone in airplane mode, drew all the curtains shut, and kept the rest of the house quiet.

(Let him sleep for as long as he needed to.)

So Rei wakes up with a start, in a barely familiar place, the digital clock on the wall indicating it's way past opening time for Poirot. Shit.

He grabs his belongings, pistol, clothes and keys and all, and dashes out the door. He swears he can see Okiya - no, Akai, he was right, damn it - look down on him from that favourite window of his. Asshole. Contrary to him Rei has a job, a cover to maintain. He'll get back at him, yet.

.

It should probably worry him that he can perform the drive to Poirot on autopilot. Too many late-night stakeouts turning into impromptu naps, requiring him to drive straight to work after. So much trouble, over nothing. If Akai had just cooperated sooner-

Then, what? Rei hadn't managed to track him down before his supposed death, and the less interaction there is between Okiya Subaru and Amuro Tooru, the better for both of them. He grinds his teeth, barely manages to brake in time for a redlight.

(Hates that he understands the caution, to a degree.)

.

The universe really is conspiring against him, today.

After the lunchtime rush, a certain pocket-sized detective is ushered in through the door, followed by his guardian and her best friend. The kid gives him odd looks all throughout ordering lunch, too sharp in a way that makes the hairs at the back of his neck stand in up. Rei gives him his sunniest smile, and an extra packet of sugar. He's played games with Gin and Vermouth in worse conditions; he won't yield to a particularly precocious six-year-old.

Despite getting more sleep than the last three nights combined, he's not feeling too well. A single good night's rest can't undo weeks of insomnia. If anything, it only makes apparent what he's lacking.

He finds his mind wandering, glad the preparation of food comes automatically, by now. Whisk and mix and pour. Fry, remove from the pan...

"...uro? You seem unwell."

Too-familiar green eyes stare back at him, bags under the eyes and all. Rei barely manages not to flinch.

Of all the people to catch him spacing out, it just has to be Akai's little sister. The gods must truly hate him.

"Ah, miss Sera. I apologize, I was just pondering some new options for our menu." He winks, gives her his most dazzling smile. "The chamomile lavender honey tea cake has me under its spell."

In response, she just wrinkles her nose, unimpressed. Squints at him with those jade eyes that always see through him too easily.

"Are you sure you're not running a fever? It seems a little warm in here already, yet you're working in a sweater."

Rei blinks at that. The temperature seems fine to him. Azusa hasn't said anything about it either.

"I appreciate the concern, but I assure you, I'm perfectly fine. Now, what can I get you?"

One slice of red velvet cake (of course - why did they even keep that on the menu?) and a macchiato later he's rid of her.

For now, at least - she's joined her friends at the window seats, and judging by the way she keeps sneaking glances at him when she thinks he isn't looking, he hasn't seen the last of her yet.

Still, her questions are odd. Surely he doesn't look that terrible?

(Vermouth has taught him some of her secrets; he's been concealing the shadows under his eyes for a while now. Nobody's ever found him out. Why is it now that people notice?)

.

He continues to work mindlessly, unfocused. This damn shift just doesn't seem to want to end.

He just about manages to avoid knocking Ran out for leaning over the counter, into his space. She remains blissfully unaware of the danger she just escaped, smiling brightly, kindly.

"Excuse me, I have a question."

Rei closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, counts to four. Smiles at the girl. "Go ahead", he says, continuing to whisk some cake batter.

Ran leans in closer, conspiratorially.

"Masumi is too shy to ask" - that's a bold-faced lie, if he's ever heard one, and he's something of an expert on the matter - "but she'd love to know where you got that sweater."

Now, Ran's a lovely young lady, always eager to help. It's a pity she's being manipulated for Sera's gain. Because there has to be more to the question, even if Rei can't see it yet.

Of course, he can't tell the girls the truth - Kazami bought it for Bourbon's cover. But the best lies are closest to the truth, so-

"I apologize, but I do not know where it was bought. A friend gave it to me." His best calculated-apologetic smile smoothes the blow, hopefully.

"Oh. I see." Ran visibly deflates. Still, her good manners prevail. "Thank you, though!" And with that, she's heading back to her table.

Strange. What could Sera possibly want with his sweater? If she wanted to track him down, surely there's more efficient ways, and it's not like he doesn't have a dozen similar cream sweaters-

Wait. Cream?

Rei's pretty sure he dressed in black to infiltrate the Kudo manor. He's not been home and he hasn't changed for work.

He manages to supress a groan, but he's sure there's some unpleasant emotion visible on his face.

...he must have grabbed the sweater along with the rest of his belongings in the morning rush.

Now that he's looking at it, it's clearly a little too large for him. It's also warm, fuzzy, soft, and utterly unoffensive. That's probably why it didn't register, before.

The sweater does smell decidedly of Akai - cigarettes and a hint of his obnoxious aftershave. The warm scent of curry is new - though unsurprising, given his foray into cooking. Great. That's why they've been staring at him. Sera likely recognizes the sweater and Conan spends enough time with Akai to know the scent.

His gut instinct is to go change, right now, get rid of the damning piece of connection to the man he has too many conflicting emotions about. But a long-sleeved black turtleneck is hardly appropriate work attire for Poirot. Besides, if he changes now, the pair of detectives watching him will just have their suspicions confirmed.

So he grits his teeth, takes in a deep breath that smells too much like Akai, and gets back to work.

.

Rei does change out of the sweater as soon as he's done with his shift.

(It doesn't help. The scent lingers.)

.

He's tempted to just toss the sweater, but can't help feeling like it would be a waste. It's quality craftsmanship, well-worn but taken care of - this kind of sweater would pill, otherwise.

It really shouldn't be faulted for its owner's flaws.

So he puts the sweater in a bag, intending to have it dry-cleaned and give it back later.

He should really hunt down Akai, too, but if he's honest, he's just too tired. He probably shouldn't even drive, in his condition, but he needs to get to a safe place, to think about the developments of the night.

.

He reports to Kuroda, showers thoroughly, and falls into bed.

.

Rei can't have slept long. The sunset colours the world in blood red hues by the time he wakes up, out of breath, heartbeat too fast.

Visions of smoke and ash cling to him. Explosions, destroying him one by one, until nothing remains but death alone.

Hagiwara and Matsuda, taken by violent flame.

Hiro's remains, crushed and burnt beyond recognition.

Akai's smile, grimly defiant, as he's shot by Kir. He too finds his end in a blaze, lacking glory.

They're gone.

Consumed by the inferno that seems to follow Rei around. Which burns everything he cares about, leaves him freezing in its wake.

(He can't even cry, his tears evaporating in the heat.)

Rei shivers, draws the blankets closer. Hopes for a little bit of cover, a little bit of warmth.

Please. If he could just shake off the nausea. If he could stop his spiralling thoughts. Logically, he knows that's not all true, even if his heart burns. Akai and Hiro aren't dead.

It's a lie, they're alive, it's a lie, they're alive, it's a lie a lie a lie a lie-

A set of sharp barks rips him out of his thoughts, back into the present.

Oh. He's woken Haro.

The little guy stands in front of his bed, ears tucked back and hackles raised. A defiant ball of fluff that cares so much, trying to growl the nightmares away.

(It might just work.)

Slowly, shaking and somewhat off-balance, he reaches down to scoop up his dog. Wiggles the blanket off his shoulders so he may cradle the whining bundle of fur to his chest. It's soothing, to feel the warmth of another living being by his side. They sit, the silence permeated by Haro's huffed breaths. His body heat seeps into Rei's chest, nestles in his heart.

"I apologize for worrying you. I'll be fine, soon."

He's not alone.

Haro nudges his hand, demands to be pet. Rei obliges, of course he does.

He's not alone.

.

Still, the headache is a pain. He won't be able to go back to sleep like this, will need to grab a painkiller.

He makes his way to the kitchen counter, keeping to the walls because he's still somewhat unsteady, carrying his bundle of warmth along.

The dog throws a fit as they pass the bag with Akai's sweater, growling and yapping at it. Despite the circumstances, Rei can't help but smile.

"I'm glad to see we feel the same way about him."

Wait.

Inspiration strikes in the form of a very stupid idea.

Because that sweater, with its stupid mixed scents, reeking of Akai, is proof he didn't just imagine last night's events. Tangible and olfactory and physical proof. If he were to wake from a nightmare, with it by his side...the anger at Akai would surely keep the pain at bay.

It's worth a try.

.

As he goes back to bed, Haro lies down beside him. Rei keeps petting him, one-handedly. With the other, he holds on to a cream sweater that isn't his.

When he breathes, it smells of too-long stakeouts in windy apartments.

Of Rye's extra blankets, the ones he started to bring when he noticed Bourbon always freezing; irritating to no end, how he was always better prepared for cold weather than Rei.

(It smells of Bourbon's cooking, given in exchange for soft blankets.)

Scents of a tentative alliance, as thread-bare as the fabric between them.

Grounded between the warmth of Haro, and the scent of Akai, Rei falls asleep, waiting for the dog days to finally be over.

[jules-has-notes]

APAP 2019 — VoicePlay live performances

Every trip to the Association of Performing Arts Professionals annual conference in NYC included a showcase concert to show off the guys' talents for potential show bookers. The setlists they put together each year included a combination of established crowd pleasers and new material that demonstrated the breadth of their repertoire. These two recordings are great examples of their appeal.

.

This medley was incredibly impressive when they released their videos with professional audio recording and mixing, and the ability to record as many takes as they wanted. Seeing the guys tackle it live might be even more astounding.

Details:

title: Panic! in 4 Minutes

original songs / performers: "Victorious"; "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"; "Emperor's New Clothes"; "Miss Jackson", feat. Lolo; "The Ballad of Mona Lisa"; "This Is Gospel"; "High Hopes"; "Say Amen (Saturday Night)"

written by: all songs by Brendon Urie in collaboration – "Victorious" with Mike Viola, Morgan "White Sea" Kibby, Jake Sinclair, Alexander DeLeon, Rivers Cuomo, & CJ Baran; "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" with Ryan Ross & Spencer Smith; "Emperor's New Clothes" with Jake Sinclair, Lauren "Lolo" Pritchard, Sam Hollander, & Dan Wilson; "Miss Jackson" with Dallon Weekes, Lauren "Lolo" Pritchard, Jake Sinclair, Amir Jerome Salem, & Alex Goose; "The Ballad of Mona Lisa" with Spencer Smith, Butch Walker, & John Feldmann; "This Is Gospel" with Dallon Weekes & Jake Sinclair; "High Hopes" with Jake Sinclair, Jenny Owen Youngs, Lauren "Lolo" Pritchard, Sam Hollander, William Lobban-Bean, Jonas Jeberg, Taylor Parks, & Ilsey Juber; "Say Amen (Saturday Night)" with Jake Sinclair, Sam Hollander, Lauren "Lolo" Pritchard, Imad Royal, Nathan Abshire, Suzy Shinn, Tom Peyton, Tobias Wincorn, & The Budos Band

arranged by: Layne Stein & Earl Elkins Jr.

performance date: 6 January 2019

My favorite bits:

Layne including the tape rip sound effect in his percussion

that gorgeous "Victorious" chord

Eli's fantastic grit on "Emperor's New Clothes"

the clean cut-offs during "Miss Jackson"

Geoff taking over the beatboxing during Layne's lead for "This Is Gospel"

the lowkey step-touch groove

sparing J.None's vocal chords by substituting a harmonized ♫ "we're gonna feel alriiight" ♫ for the squealingly high "Saturday"

such a well coordinated ending

Trivia:

This medley was originally released in two parts, with a week-long cliffhanger between "The Ballad of Mona Lisa" and "This Is Gospel". Clips from those videos play on the screen behind them as they perform it live.

.

This number was a longtime fan favorite at VoicePlay's live shows. The bandmates often refer to each other as brothers, and that comes with the occasional bickering. Luckily for us, this battle for the spotlight is entertaining as heck and (as far as I know) only pretend.

Details:

title: Elvira

original performers: The Oak Ridge Boys

written by: Dallas Frazier

arranged by: Geoff Castellucci

performance date: 6 January 2019

My favorite bits:

"Are there any country fans here?" / "Boo." / "This is gonna go great. Thanks." 😒

the trio in the corner hastily rearranging themselves

everyone cutting out for the first ♫ ⇓ "miiine" ⇓ ♫

Earl's strategic retreat after Geoff gives him the stink-eye

that extra low-end riff at the end of J.None's solo

and Eli's incredible vocal agility, sheesh

Geoff adding an extra deep dip at the end of the second chorus just to rub it in

the surprisingly lovely voice of the cameraperson

that impressive breath control from Earl

Geoff being unable to make eye contact as he strokes Earl's beard

the big ending that never disappoints

J.None dabbing on the way out

Trivia:

Their pals in Home Free enjoyed VoicePlay's version of the song so much that they used this arrangement as a starting point for their own recording with The Oak Ridge Boys.

[twilightichor]

𝐗𝐗𝐈. Last night I had an eureka moment when thinking about the possibility that those who abandon their gods are immediately cursed to turn into hilichurls at some point. This led me to think back of Khaenri'ah and that either some or all of them were branded as the greatest sinners and then I remembered that in actuality, Sumeru did introduce us to six cardinal sins —mentioned in one of Cyno's stories— that to be fair, might apply to more than just what was happening in the nation of wisdom at that time. A bit of research in combination with an excellent wording from a subreddit makes for a far more comprehensive list of sins:

✦ Sin of creation —to tamper with human evolution—: Evolution and creation in the face of the gods.

✧ Sin of immortality —to tamper with life and death—: Tampering with life and death in the face of the gods.

✦ Sin of arcane —to delve beyond the universe—: Discovery of fate / destiny and arcane knowledge in the face of the gods.

✧ Sin of genesis —to investigate the origin of words—: Exposing divine lies and beliefs in the face of the gods.

✦ Sin of omission —to revere gods without acts of devotion—: Failure to perform a divine request in the face of the gods.

✧ Sin of reason —to attempt the forbidden and fear none / to divulge secrets without a hint of fear—: Divulging divine secrets without fear in the face of the gods.

To tackle what first brought me to think about the six cardinal sins when wondering what sin the people who are prone to turn into hilichurls at some point, I believe that the most suitable one for their particular case would be the sin of omission. While I can't tell for sure about all the people who travelled from the seven nations to Khaenri'ah, when thinking about Sal Vidagnyr, these people's sin was to question the gods when they said that they would benefit from a good life and they wanted to know what would happen after the years they said that this would extend. In answer, the gods fell in silence and stopped guiding humans (it's also possible that it coincided with what happened around the Apocalypse era) and these people pursued the heavens to see for themselves if the concept of divinity was real to begin with, only for the civilization to end in disaster as a result. By taking this example into account, the loss of faith in gods altogether and their pursuit of a land devoid of their gaze could suffice for these people as well as their descendants to be branded with the curse of wilderness.

If we're to bring all of these to Khaenri'ah and what limited knowledge we have of that kingdom, just by reading these sins alone is enough to come to the sound conclusion that, if they didn't commit all of them, they did most of them:

The sin of creation is self-explanatory by thinking about Gold alone with her creations of monsters. So it is the sin of immortality with the pursuit of transcendence, but also if we think that at least Gold lived for several millennia since the Crimson Moon dynasty. As for the sin of arcane, it was mentioned in a certain weapon description that astronomers branded as heretics discovered the truth of the false sky and the source of fate with it. The sin of genesis is what makes me doubt the most if taken in the literal sense of looking into the origin of words, but exposing lies told by gods themselves is something we saw the Abyss Order pursuing, specifically if we think back about Enjou and his desire to achieve Before Sun and Moon, as they believe that the world didn't start with gods. Lastly, the sin of reason checks too just by considering that Khaenri'ah was actively pursuing Forbidden Knowledge and in some descriptions of Abyss Order monsters, they seem to have an obsession with divulging certain truths very well concealed.

[reginrokkr]

𝐗𝐗𝐈. Last night I had an eureka moment when thinking about the possibility that those who abandon their gods are immediately cursed to turn into hilichurls at some point. This led me to think back of Khaenri'ah and that either some or all of them were branded as the greatest sinners and then I remembered that in actuality, Sumeru did introduce us to six cardinal sins —mentioned in one of Cyno's stories— that to be fair, might apply to more than just what was happening in the nation of wisdom at that time. A bit of research in combination with an excellent wording from a subreddit makes for a far more comprehensive list of sins:

✦ Sin of creation—to tamper with human evolution—: Evolution and creation in the face of the gods.

✧ Sin of immortality—to tamper with life and death—: Tampering with life and death in the face of the gods.

✦ Sin of arcane—to delve beyond the universe—: Discovery of fate / destiny and arcane knowledge in the face of the gods.

✧ Sin of genesis—to investigate the origin of words—: Exposing divine lies and beliefs in the face of the gods.

✦ Sin of omission—to revere gods without acts of devotion—: Failure to perform a divine request in the face of the gods.

✧Sin of reason—to attempt the forbidden and fear none / to divulge secrets without a hint of fear—: Divulging divine secrets without fear in the face of the gods.

To tackle what first brought me to think about the six cardinal sins when wondering what sin the people who are prone to turn into hilichurls at some point, I believe that the most suitable one for their particular case would be the sin of omission. While I can't tell for sure about all the people who travelled from the seven nations to Khaenri'ah, when thinking about Sal Vidagnyr, these people's sin was to question the gods when they said that they would benefit from a good life and they wanted to know what would happen after the years they said that this would extend. In answer, the gods fell in silence and stopped guiding humans (it's also possible that it coincided with what happened around the Apocalypse era) and these people pursued the heavens to see for themselves if the concept of divinity was real to begin with, only for the civilization to end in disaster as a result. By taking this example into account, the loss of faith in gods altogether and their pursuit of a land devoid of their gaze could suffice for these people as well as their descendants to be branded with the curse of wilderness.

If we're to bring all of these to Khaenri'ah and what limited knowledge we have of that kingdom, just by reading these sins alone is enough to come to the sound conclusion that, if they didn't commit all of them, they did most of them:

The sin of creation is self-explanatory by thinking about Gold alone with her creations of monsters. So it is the sin of immortality with the pursuit of transcendence, but also if we think that at least Gold lived for several millennia since the Crimson Moon dynasty. As for the sin of arcane, it was mentioned in a certain weapon description that astronomers branded as heretics discovered the truth of the false sky and the source of fate with it. The sin of genesis is what makes me doubt the most if taken in the literal sense of looking into the origin of words, but exposing lies told by gods themselves is something we saw the Abyss Order pursuing, specifically if we think back about Enjou and his desire to achieve Before Sun and Moon, as they believe that the world didn't start with gods. Lastly, the sin of reason checks too just by considering that Khaenri'ah was actively pursuing Forbidden Knowledge and in some descriptions of Abyss Order monsters, they seem to have an obsession with divulging certain truths very well concealed.

[mostcertainlynotcis]

oh my original idea was that logan and deceit were parenting remus but deceit momming both of them sounds cute too

anon i owe u my life

~~~

"Remus!!"

Remus jumped and literally rolled out of bed at the urgency in their voice.

"YEAH??" he yelled back.

"Get dressed and come downstairs! We're heading out and we have someone for you to meet!" his ren instructed.

"ALRIGHT!" He quickly pulled on a thin T-shirt and ripped jeans that his dad would not entirely approve of, which he didn't mind. He started down the stairs like a normal person, then sat on the rail and slid down the rest of the way, landing easily on the floor below. His dad sighed heavily upon seeing him.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?" he asked. "You're going to get hurt!"

Remus just shrugged. "Nah. I'll be fine. Where's Ren?"

"They're just in the kitchen. They're making your favorite~" Logan answered in a singsong voice. Remus grinned and ran past him to the kitchen, ignoring how his dad called after him to not run. He burst into the kitchen, skidding to a stop just before he hit the wall.

"Goooood morning!!" he chirped, inhaling the delicious smells coming from the stove.

"Good morning," Dee said, smiling softly at their son's antics.

"Is that what I think it is~?" Remus asked, leaning in. His ren pushed him away by the forehead, ignoring his cry of protest.

"It is. Now go sit at the table and have patience, chaos gremlin," they said.

"Patience is boring as fuck," he declared, plopping down at the table.

"Language," Logan chided as he walked in. He walked over to Dee and planted a kiss on his cheek. Remus faked a gag, and Logan rolled his eyes. He adjusted his glasses and sat at the table next to him.

"So!" Remus started. "Ren said you have someone for me to meet?"

"Ah, yes. It's a surprise, but Dee and I are quite certain you two will get along well together," Logan answered.

"Ooo, how fun! I'm excited!" he decided, clapping. Logan smiled softly.

"I'm glad to hear that, Remus." He ruffled his hair and Remus laughed. A moment later, Dee set a plate of food in front of him - three fried eggs, wrapped in bacon and ham with molten cheese on top.

"Here's your food sin, you little gremlin," they said fondly. Remus grinned and dug in. The three of them traded idle chatter until Remus declared he was done with a loud burp.

They got in the car and headed out, dragging Remus along for boring errands, until finally, Logan got a call. He paid close attention, trying to get any details he could, but Logan was painfully vague. So, he just zoned out again as they drove to some house.

They pulled to a stop and Dee shepherded him out of the car. They knocked on the door, and a middle-aged man with a cardigan tied around his shoulders answered the door. He lit up when he saw them.

"Oh, hey! You must be Dee and Remus. I'm Patton!" He shook Remus's hand enthusiastucally. "I'll go get Roman!" And he left, just like that. Remus froze.

"...Roman?" he whispered, looking to Dee. They just smiled. A moment later, a boy came rushing out, tackling Remus in a hug. Remus yelled in delight, holding his twin close.

"Oh my God," Roman whispered, and Remus alone could tell he was on the edge of tears. "Oh my God. I thought I'd never see you again."

"Too bad, I'm here now and you can't get rid of me," Remus laughed. He helped Roman to his feet.

"Awfully bold of you to assume I want to be rid of you," he shot back. They finally noticed how everyone else was watching them. They just smiled, and as Remus hugged Roman tightly, he knew everything was going to be okay.

~~~

[please do not tag dukedontlook, tw remus, or tw deceit! thank you!]

[mdwatchestv]

Everything I'm Going To Watch In October (Oh God We're All Already Irreparably Behind)

Hi best friend!

I thought doing this was really fun, and brought me closer to you - my core audience. It also helped me organize my TV life (whereas I actually referred to my own blog like an asshole in order to make sure I was watching everything I said I was.  Because this is the brutal honesty hour, here is a quick recap of how I did with September:

American Horror Story: Cult - I've watched three of this so far! Boy golly does this season not know what it wants to be.

Top of the Lake: China Girl - I didn't start this yet in hopes my boyfriend would catch up and watch the first season. Yes, I know he never will, and I'm lying both to you and myself.

Broad City S4- Watched it alllll, because I'm just a relationship girl.

Better Things S2 - Jumping back into this was the best choice I made last month. Thank you employees of FX for pressuring me.

The Emmys - Yeah I wrote a whole blog about it, and i was MORE THAN HALF RIGHT.

Channel Zero: No End House - Actually fun and legit creepy (Scarier than AHS...all tea all shade)

The Good Place Season 2 - No biting.

Gaga: Five Foot Two - You guys I'm worried about Gaga.

Transparent: Season 4- Haven't started, don't @ me. God it's depressing to be a whole season behind on something in 24 hours.

KUWTK 20th Anniversary: KYLIE IS PREGNANT, KHLOE IS PREGNANT, WHAT A WORLD!!!!!

The Good Doctor - Haven't mustered the strength.

Law & Order - Did people not like this? LA + bong bong + 1989 + true crime + Dr. Daddy = good.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Yas queen.

Great News - Briggggaaaaa

Will and Grace - So similar to the original series it's eery. For you to decide if that's good or bad.

But now October has come! And with it the arrival of new network shows that I'm not going to watch, programming about ghosts that I'm not going to watch, and Keeping Up With The Kardashians!

Sunday, October 1st-

Ghosted (8:30pm on Fox) -

The title and promos for this show have made me as skeptical as Scully in a cornfield at midnight looking at chupacabra bite marks, but I owe it to Adam Scott and Craig Robinson to at least give it a try. Fox has shown they are able to provide worthwhile comedy (talkin bout chu Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and paranormal investigation seems like a sturdy enough basis for comedy.... Let's just say I'm willing to consider the extreme possibility that there is comedy in the unknown. Maybe the laughs are out there.

Keeping Up With The Kardashians (9:00pm on E!)

 DID YOU NOT HEAR ME SAY KYLIE. IS. PREGNANT.

Monday, October 2nd - The Halcyon (10:00PM on Ovation) 

I barely understand what Ovation is, but this is a British series about a fancy hotel in London during World War II starring fresh-faced youths and Olivia Williams created by a woman. I have bolded all my trigger words in the previous sentence.  Even if this is bad, it will still be amazing. How do you suspect one watches Ovation?

Tuesday, October 3rd - The Mayor (9:30pm on ABC)

 The Mayor is a half hour about a young rapper who semi-accidentally becomes the mayor of his hometown. I thought the promo for this was genuinely funny, and Brandon Micheal (not a typo) Hall was horribly delightful as Dory's ex on last year's Search Party (don't even get me STARTED on my love of Search Party). With a lovable lead, and the even more lovable Daveed Diggs producing, I'm hoping this show will be able to inject some much-needed optimism and levity into political comedy.

Wednesday, October 11th - Riverdale (8:00pm on CW) 

If you are feeling any sort of judgement stirring over this entry it is only because you have NOT YET WATCHED RIVERDALE. Riverdale is Twin Peaks for teenagers, Riverdale is whip-smart dialogue and rock-hard abs, Riverdale is the best cast show on television. I'm not even kidding, this show has my very favorite casting work of any other show. Golden-boy, ginger-haired Archie's parents are Luke Perry and Molly Ringwald. Pretty boy from the wrong side of the tracks? His dad is Skeet Ulrich!!! It is just 100% pure enjoyable. Also did I mention the abs? Archie's abs are crazy.

Friday, October 13th -

Lore (Amazon) 

This anthology series from Amazon is based on the podcast of the same name written and narrated by Aaron Mahnke. The podcast consists of creepy short stories that range from mass murderers, to why tunnels make people uneasy. Each episode is beautifully written and delightfully unnerving and if the series is able to capture even a little of the fairytale magic of the podcast it will definitely be worth a watch.

Mindhunter (Netflix)

 If I could choose any career to have that is not my career, it would be FBI criminal profiler. Sadly, I recently googled how to have this job and you need do a lot of stuff I don't want to do first, and there are literally only like five of them in the FBI. Feels like a very similar skillset to casting though tbh. This is directed by David Fincher, it is about the BIRTH of serial killer profiling in the FBI, and it stars beautiful cinnamon roll Jonathan Groff. I have watched the trailer almost every day. I want it so bad. SO BAD.

Saturday, October 14th-

 Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency Season 2 (9:00pm on BBC America) 

Feel what you will (and validly so) about Max Landis, the first season of this show was quirky, clever and funny without feeling overwrought or precious. It handled time travel with mastery, and boasted a host of charming performances. It also had a corgi. And a kitten. I wrote about the first season when I started this blog last year (if you are interested you can read those entries HERE, be warned it may not help you recap the show in any meaningful way). I plan to tackle season two as well, so mark your calendars and the place in your heart that you have carved out for me. Everything is connected.

Sunday, October 22nd - 

The Walking Dead Season 8 (9:00pm on AMC) 

I am locked too deeply in a hateful, but passionate embrace with The Walking Dead to stop watching now. Whether I can summon the force of spirit to write about this season remains to be seen. (If you would like to re-live the agony and ecstasy of season 7, you can read everything I wrote about it HERE)

Monday, October 23rd - 

Scared Famous (9:00pm on VH1)

This is a VH1 reality program starring Tiffany "New York" Pollard, Alaska Thunderfuck and Eva the Diva. Need I say more? I needn't.

Friday, October 27th - 

Stranger Things Season 2 (Netflix)

 Doo doo doo doo doo do do do

As a disclaimer to my ‘why are you not watching’ section, I don’t watch most network dramas being a) I am tired, b) I try and expose myself to as many new shows as possible, c) I am tired. Besides I am already woefully behind on my September shows, and it’s ALREADY October (and I’m behind). I can’t add 22 more hours of TV into this mix. When will I have time to watch Scared Famous!

But before you ask-

Curb Your Enthusiasm - This show is obviously legendary and I enjoyed it in the past, but it also makes me deeply upset and gives me anxiety. I can’t deal with those vibes right now.

The Gifted - The promos for this show claim it is one of the best Marvel series. If it is truly as good as Legion or Jessica Jones you let me know and I will watch it.

Scandal - I loved this show deeply for many years, but ultimately had to consciously uncouple from it. 

Mr Robot- I tried. I couldn’t

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - I have no excuse for this beyond laziness.

Jane the Virgin - Same.

I don’t know about you but it feels really good and cleansing to confess all of my television sins to you. I hope it’s just as soul-purifying for all of you viewers at home as well. If you think I missed something let me know, and I will tell you more specifically why I’m not watching it. I will see you all back here soon to talk about DIRK GENTLY! You can catch up! First season only 8 eps!

XO MD