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writemywaytoyourheart · 3 years

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Aim For The Heart | Chapter 5: Crimson Pages

Pairing: hitman!jungkook x female reader

Genre: E2L, romance, angst, drama

WC: 6k

Warnings for this chapter: strong language, mentions of murder, blood, alcohol consumption, kook is an ass, tae is hot af, I think that’s it let me know if I need to add anything else

Tag list: @moonchild1 @hopekookies @barbellastyles98 @teresaisla @ggukkieland @mwitsmejk @scuzmunkie @jaebeomsblackgf @sugaslittlekookies @moon-asia @armyhollander @yoonchrisgullwrites @njkbangtan @higashikatasgf

summary; Jeon Jungkook is an infamous hitman, known for his inability to fail at whatever job is thrown his way. At least, up until now. Y/n, a kind-hearted and full of life teacher, is his newest target. Jeon isn’t sure who would put a hit on this seemingly innocent girl, but fortunately, that isn’t his problem. All he has to do is pull the trigger.

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The sound of pans clanging around in the kitchen brings Jungkook out of the deep slumber he was in. It was the first time in more than a week that he actually got a decent amount of sleep.

Jungkook groans and rubs his eyes tiredly.

When he is finally able to orient himself and remember where he is, he squints in the direction of the kitchen to see a shirtless Taehyung digging around in his pantry.

"The hell are you doing?" Jungkook slurs.

Taehyung turns around when he hears the younger's voice, "Oh, morning Kook."

Then he turns and continues to rummage around noisily. Jungkook sighs and drops his head back down onto his pillow. He flings one of his arms over his eyes to block the sunlight streaming in and reminding him of the precious sleep he just lost.

After a minute, Taehyung walks over and slaps Jungkook on the stomach.

Jungkook flinches, then groans in annoyance, "What the hell?" He snaps at Tae.

The older boy just smirks down at him, "Do you even eat? There's literally nothing to eat here but ramen and a few mushy apples."

Jungkook rubs his eyes, "What?"

"Food. Sustenance. You have none." Tae speaks up louder making Jungkook flinch again.

"If you're gonna complain then get the fuck out," Jungkook mumbles sleepily, turning away from his idiotic friend and closing his eyes again.

Taehyung rolls his eyes, then slaps Jungkook's ass, hard.

The sleepy boy jerks up and turns to grab at Taehyung angrily, "Leave me alone, asshole! Go find your own food!" He shouts, slapping at Tae's chest.

"Come with me."

"No."

"Please."

"Fuck off." Jungkook snarls then lies down again.

Tae sighs and sits on the edge of Jungkook's bed, "Grumpy butt." He mutters.

Jungkook turns his head to peek at Tae, then he sighs, "Fine. Get dressed."

"Yippee!" Tae gets up and runs over to where his bag is, pulling out his clothes as fast as he can. Jungkook sighs tiredly and forces himself to get up and dress too. _

"So, when are you supposed to be finished?" Tae asks around a mouthful of food. He and Jungkook are in a small cafe, eating the breakfast that he so graciously offered to pay for.

Jungkook finishes chewing and swallows before answering him, "They wanted it done within a month."

"A month? That's a big window. Most hits are a few days to a week." Tae muses as he takes another bite of his pancakes.

"I know," Jungkook mutters, confused himself. They had assured him that a month was expected, even when he told them, again and again, he could get it done within a week at the most.

Turns out he was wrong.

There must be something they know that he doesn't.

Jungkook still can't shake the feeling that the target is playing with him somehow. She must be putting on an act to catch him off guard when he least expects it.

"Sooo," Tae drawls, "Are you going to take a month to get it done?"

Jungkook sends him a glare, "Of course not, why would I waste time on one target?"

Tae shrugs, looking at Jungkook closely as he takes another bite of his food.

"How long has it been?"

"That's none of your business-"

"Why are you being so secretive all of the sudden?" Tae snaps, making Jungkook glance around to see if anyone is listening to their conversation.

There are only two other tables with people at the moment and none of them seem interested in anything going on around them outside of their little bubbles.

Good.

He turns back to his older friend and whispers fiercely, "Stop being so loud for fuck's sake. Are you trying to let the entire restaurant know what we're talking about?"

Tae just sneers at him before continuing to devour his breakfast, "I bet you a thousand bucks I'll be done with my hit before you're done with yours."

"Fuck off."

"No, I'm serious," Taehyung swallows the chewed-up pancake in his mouth, "I bet you one thousand that I'll be done first."

"No." Jungkook takes another bite, trying to ignore the young man sitting on the other side of the table.

"What? You scared you'll lose?" Taehyung taunts with a smirk on his face, "Why should someone as good at what he does as you be afraid of a tiny school teacher?"

Jungkook glances up at Taehyung, his eyes burning with anger, "Fine, you know what? I'll take your bet."

Tae drops his fork onto his plate and reaches across the table. When Jungkook takes his hand, he shakes it once, "Deal," Tae says triumphantly.

Jungkook just shakes his head and goes back to eating. He rolls his eyes when Tae speaks up again, "So, what's your plan?"

"You think I'd tell you?" Jungkook scoffs.

Taehyung shrugs, stuffing his mouth again. ______________

"Miss ___?"

You look up from the worksheets you were going through at your desk. The kids have been working quietly at their seats with whatever they wanted to do at this time.

A tiny girl named Minju is looking at you with big brown eyes, her long black hair is in two ponytails, one on each side of her head. You smile at her and set your pen down.

"How c-can I help you, M-Minju?"

She hands you a picture that she drew, "This is for you."

You look at it and see a few stick-figure kids smiling and holding hands in a line, at the end of the line is you, smiling and holding onto Minju's hand. You're even wearing your favorite white skirt and peach blouse, along with your chunky tennis shoes.

A few tears spring to your eyes and you look back at the small girl, "It's b-beautiful Minju. This m-must have taken you s-so long to do!"

She shakes her head and smiles shyly, "It only took me maybe a little bit of time?"

You laugh and hold the picture to your chest, "I l-love it. Thank y-you so much."

She nods again, then she leans in closer to whisper softly, "You know we love you, right Miss ___?"

You try your best to hold in your tears as you nod, "I love you little d-ducklings too."

"Oh yes, we know!" She whispers enthusiastically before turning and hurrying back to her seat. You smile at her as she sits down and gets to work on another picture.

You place the picture as carefully as you can into your bag, wanting to frame it when you get home later. You're sure you have a frame somewhere that will fit it.

The rest of the school day goes by smoothly, nothing much happening besides the kids getting a lot of their school work done. You always give them time to do their homework on Fridays so they don't have to worry about it over the weekend.

You haven't seen Jungkook for a few days now, ever since you two hung out that day earlier this week. You were starting to wonder if there was something about you that he found annoying, then you reminded yourself of Mina's words to you a few years ago.

"If someone doesn't like you for who you are, please don't waste your precious time on them, ___. You're worth more than that."

It isn't your problem if someone doesn't like you, you're just going to keep on doing what you do best. And that's being a friend to anyone who wants it.

With that in mind, you pack up your stuff after seeing the kids off and wishing them a good weekend.

You look up when someone suddenly opens your classroom door, not even bothering to knock.

When Mr. Baek walks in, you feel your stomach drop.

"How c-can I help you?" You ask politely.

He chuckles darkly and you feel a shiver go down your spine when he walks over and sits on the edge of your desk, pushing his glasses up his long nose.

"Next week is the last week of school," He says casually.

You nod, "Y-Yes, it is."

He looks at you pointedly, "Are you coming back next year?"

You swallow thickly, "U-Um, I th-think so."

His demeanor changes suddenly and he glares at you before standing up, knocking some of the papers off your desk as he does.

Then he leaves without another word, practically slamming the door shut behind him.

You stare at the door in confusion, wondering what he has always had against you. He hasn't been very pleasant to you ever since you started working here back in August of last year.

You shake it off and finish packing your things.

When you're all packed up, you peek outside of your door, checking both ways down the halls to see if he's lingering around anywhere. When you don't see him, you slip out of your classroom and hurry down the hall towards the front.

You peek your head out the front too, glancing both ways before coming out and cautiously walking down the front steps.

Fixing your bag on your shoulder, you hurry down the sidewalk, just wanting to go home and not stop anywhere today.

"Hey, wait up."

You jump out of your skin at the sound of a voice right behind you. Then you turn and see Jungkook walking closer to you, a look in his eyes that you can't decipher.

"Heading home?" He asks casually.

You nod, a smile slowly spreading on your face at the sight of someone who you think might be your friend after all.

Jungkook smiles at you, but you notice something flash in his eyes before he smothers it and comes closer, "Can I walk you home?" He asks.

You look at him closely, trying to figure him out. When you can't, you nod once again, "Yes, tha-that would be ni-nice. Thank y-you."

Jungkook walks next to you as you continue on your way home. You try your best to think of something to say, but you aren't sure what to ask to make the awkward tension between you two break.

You glance over at Jungkook and see him watching his feet as he walks. That brings a smile to your face again.

You look down at your feet and notice how much bigger Jungkook's feet are than yours. Even with your tennis shoes, his feet look huge.

A tiny giggle escapes your lips and Jungkook lifts his head to look at you.

"What's so funny?" He asks in confusion.

"Oh, n-nothing." You assure him before biting your lip and looking down at your feet again. Jungkook squints at you suspiciously but lets it go.

When he looks back down he notices that your walking pace has matched with his.

He looks to the side at you and feels a tiny pinch in his chest when he notices how concentrated you are on trying to make sure your pace matches his. Jungkook forces himself to look away, not liking the feeling that's coming over him all of the sudden.

Remember why you started this, Jungko-

"Where h-have you been, J-Jungkook?"

He starts at the sudden sound of your voice, then when he regains his composure he laughs sheepishly, reaching up to rub the back of his neck.

"I've been busy with work."

"Oh."

"And an old friend of mine came to town." He explains further, not sure why he feels the need to.

"Ah, r-really?" You ask enthusiastically, clearly excited for him, "That m-must be so n-nice."

"Meh, he can be a pain." Jungkook chuckles and you smile at that, then you frown.

"If your f-friend is visiting, you ought t-to be h-home with him."

"Nah, he's fine," Jungkook reassures you quickly, "He's probably just eating my food and watching TV."

You laugh at that, a bright sound that makes Jungkook genuinely smile for the first time since meeting you. You can see the smile in his eyes.

Then it's like it vanishes into thin air as he clears his throat.

"Anyway," He mutters, "Want to hang out this weekend?"

You look at your fingers that you are fiddling with, it's a habit you've had for years. Then you nod, "S-Sure, we c-can invite your friend-"

"No, it's fine," Jungkook cuts off your suggestion. For some reason, he doesn't want you to meet Taehyung.

Or maybe he doesn't want Taehyung to meet you.

Either way, he doesn't like it.

"I mean," He continues when he sees the look of confusion on your face, "He has something with work this weekend. He's on a business trip right now. So, he doesn't have a ton of time to hang out." Jungkook explains in a rush.

Now he's just rambling.

He clears his throat and nods, shutting up.

"Oh, ok." You say simply.

Jungkook breathes a sigh of relief when you don't push it any further.

You make it back to your house a little while later, Jungkook walking you up the stairs and right to your door.

"Thank you, f-for walking me h-home." You say sweetly, smiling at him. Jungkook just nods, then after a moment of silence he speaks up, "So, what time did you want to hang out tomorrow?"

"Um, maybe w-we can meet for l-lunch?" You suggest.

Jungkook agrees quickly, "Alright, then I'll meet you downstairs at noon." Then he turns and hurries away, just like he always does.

You laugh at his behavior, wondering why he always seems to be in some kind of rush. Then you go inside, setting your things down before heading to your closet to find that frame you know you have that will fit the picture from Minju perfectly.

"Where were you?"

Jungkook rolls his eyes at the words Tae speaks right as he comes into his apartment, "Does it matter?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I was bored all day long." Taehyung pouts.

Jungkook makes a face at him, "Entertain yourself then, idiot. I wasn't even gone for longer than an hour."

Tae watches Jungkook as he pulls his shoes off, "Were you working?" He asks with a lilt to his voice.

"If you must know, I needed to take a walk alone, without you talking my fucking ear off." Jungkook snaps.

Taehyung's eyebrows raise to his hairline, "Fuck, someone's grouchy. You on your period, Jeon?"

Jungkook looks up at Tae, dropping his shoes on the ground, an unamused expression painting his features.

He sees Tae's mouth twitching as he fights the urge to laugh. That just pisses Jungkook off even more. He bends to grab his shoes to put them back on, but Tae jumps up from the couch and hurries over to knock the shoes out of his hand.

"I was kidding, JK. Jeez."

"Why are you even here?" Jungkook asks in exasperation, "Aren't you supposed to be getting a hit done or something?"

"Don't pretend you don't like having me here," Tae smirks and punches Jungkook lightly on the arm.

"I don't."

Tae frowns, "You used to be a lot more fun."

"Well, I'm not anymore, so leave me alone." Jungkook brushes past Taehyung to get to the kitchen. But he gets stopped once more when Tae grabs his arm.

He looks at Tae in annoyance, "What is it?"

"I should be asking you that. The last time I saw you was a year ago and you were my same old Kook. What happened-"

"I grew up, okay?" Jungkook yanks his arm back and continues his trek to the kitchen to scrounge through the fridge.

"Growing up doesn't equal being an asshole to your best friend," Tae mutters before moving to the couch and plopping down onto it, now in just as much of a funk as Jungkook is.

The younger boy pulls a bottle of soju out of the fridge and glances at his friend sitting on the couch, his brows furrowed and his arms crossed over his chest.

Jungkook purses his mouth before moving over to the couch and holding the bottle out to Tae.

The older boy looks away in a huff.

Jungkook sighs, "Look, Tae. I'm sorry, okay?"

Taehyung glances at him, "Sorry for what?"

Jungkook fights the urge to roll his eyes, "For being an asshole."

Taehyung snatches the bottle and opens it with ease, taking a quick sip before grinning at Jungkook, "Ok. I forgive you, you little shit."

Jungkook's nose twitches in irritation but he doesn't say another word.

"Well, I'm hungry," Tae says simply, taking another swig.

"Me too." Jungkook sighs, sitting on the couch.

"We need to go grocery shopping." Tae looks pointedly at his young friend.

They sit there in silence for a minute before Jungkook heaves a huge sigh, "We can go on Sunday."

"Why not today?"

"Because they have a lot more deals on Sunday," Jungkook says, making Tae choke on his next drink.

"The fuck, Jeon? What are you, an old woman?" He wipes his lips, smiling at the glare Jungkook gives him.

"No, I just prefer not to spend a fortune on things like food."

Tae shakes his head in disbelief, "Who the fuck are you these days?"

Jungkook just stands up to head to the bathroom, "I'm taking a shower. There's some ramen in the pantry."

"I'm sick of ramen," Tae moans.

"Good." ______________

You swipe the lip gloss over your lips gently, not wanting too much.

You never really wear make-up but you decided you wanted to try it out today and ask Jungkook how it looks. Mina is usually the one to tell you all the things you can do to improve it or tell you how good it looks. Since your best friend won't be back for another three weeks, you suppose Jungkook will have to do.

You look at the simple look you did, with just a little coverage, some mascara, gloss, and a tiny bit of blush. You think it looks okay, it's definitely a subtle difference.

Then you hurry to your closet to get out your favorite white skirt. You decide to wear your peach blouse today as well since it always lifts your mood and you could definitely use a mood-lifter.

When you're finished pulling your clothes on, you look at your phone and notice that it's a little after noon.

"Oh!" You run out to grab your purse, tripping a little on your own feet before you get on the ground and pull your shoes on.

By the time you're running down your steps, Jungkook is wondering if you've forgotten your plans as he stands downstairs and looks at the time on his phone.

Then he looks up to see you bounding down the steps, your hair flying around and your skirt hiked up as you hold it so you don't trip.

His eyebrows shoot up as you stumble in front of him.

"So-Sorry I'm late." You huff out as you struggle to get your hair out of your lip gloss where it decided to stick.

Jungkook shakes his head, "You're not late. I just got here." He isn't sure why he lies to make you feel better, but he does.

Then he notices that you're wearing make-up. It's not a lot, a very light look. But, it doesn't look that bad-

He shakes his head again to clear it.

No. No, no, no.

Jungkook clears his throat as you watch him curiously, "Y-You okay, Jungkook?"

He nods, "Fine. Let's go."

Then he turns and starts to walk briskly.

You hurry to catch up with him.

"You p-pick the food thi-this time." You say with a smile when he asks you what you want for lunch.

Jungkook looks around, then he points to a little restaurant, "How about that place?"

Well, that was easy.

You nod, "Sure! I've n-never been there."

"Me neither," Jungkook admits as you two make your way there.

You laugh at that and Jungkook finds himself fighting a smile.

Stop it.

Stupid.

Jungkook opens the door and walks in, once again leaving you to grab the door before it hits you. You brush it off and follow him in.

"Table for two?"

You see a girl in a black and white dress holding two menus and smiling at the two of you. Jungkook nods uncertainly and you two follow her to a table in the middle of the room.

After you sit, you look around and see a few couples eating at different tables around the restaurant. You look at Jungkook to see he's already looking through the menu.

"This place is fancier than it looked from the outside," Jungkook says with a frown as he looks over the options. He hadn't meant to take you to a nice place.

You grab your menu and open it up, almost gasping at the prices.

Then you look at Jungkook again. He glances up to see your huge eyes peeking at him from over your menu.

"L-let's get out of h-here." You whisper suddenly.

"What?" He whispers back.

You glance behind you to see the waitress coming over with some water for you both. She sets it down and smiles graciously.

"Would you like to order some other drinks?" She asks politely.

You look at Jungkook in a panic.

He gulps and looks back at the waitress cluelessly. You realize he is just out of his element as you are, so you speak up.

"C-Could we have another m-minute p-please?"

Her whole face changes when she hears your voice. Her eyebrow twitches and she bites back a laugh as she bows and moves away.

You have no idea why she did that so you just brush it off, but Jungkook has a feeling it had to do with your stutter. He looks at you as you glance around the fancy room cluelessly, that same feeling coming over him that he got the other day. He pushes it down again.

Then he jumps a little when you take his menu away from his face and whisper, "C-Come on, let-let's escape while she isn't l-looking."

Jungkook stares at you like you're crazy when you watch her walk away into the kitchen before jumping out of your chair.

"We haven't even b-bought anything yet. Co-Come on!" Then you reach over and grab his hand, dragging a very confused Jungkook out of his chair and practically running out of the restaurant.

You're giggling like a little school girl as you run down the sidewalk, still holding onto Jungkook's hand tightly. He doesn't fight it, just follows you until you run into a small dress shop.

When you finally let go of his hand, you turn and the smile on your face is bright as you reach a hand up to cover your mouth. You can't seem to stop laughing at the situation.

Jungkook is frozen in his place, still trying to figure out what just happened.

"W-We should find somewhere else to eat f-food." You say, still giggling a little.

Finally, Jungkook seems to come out of his shock and nods, "Uh, yeah...where should we go?"

You shrug, "It's s-still your tu-turn to pick."

Jungkook can't help staring as you blink a few times, looking around the shop, then your head cocks to the side for a second.

It's almost like you can't control it.

Then you look back at him and notice him staring at you, making your already pink cheeks turn even pinker.

"Uh, y-you okay Jungkook?"

You snap in front of his face and he blinks back into reality, "Oh. Oh yeah, sorry." He rubs the back of his neck, feeling awkward that you caught him staring at you.

You just send him a bright smile and shake your head, blinking hard a few times, "It's okay, I-I b-blank out sometimes t-too."

Jungkook takes a deep breath and looks out the window, watching people walking by on the sidewalk.

"Let's just find some food. I'm starving." He mumbles, then he hurries out of the shop, you hot on his heels.

You two find a small cafe that isn't nearly as fancy as the other place and go inside.

Jungkook leads you to a table for two and you take a seat. There are already menus on the table and you reach for one.

Jungkook reaches at the same time and your hand brushes his. He pulls back like you burned him and you look at him apologetically, "S-Sorry."

He just swallows and gestures for you to take one, so you do.

"Ohh, this looks m-much better." You say happily when you glance over the menu.

Jungkook mumbles an agreement, relieved you two aren't at the other place anymore. As much as he hates to admit it to himself, he's glad you got both of you out of that.

You end up ordering a few different dishes that you agree to share so you can try more things. There isn't much talk until the food comes, then you're both too busy stuffing your faces to speak.

When you've had your fill, you sit back and sigh, rubbing your tummy with your hand. "Ohh, I'm so f-full," You moan, "Lo-Look, I've got a food b-baby!" You exclaim, laughing.

Jungkook snickers for a second before smothering it and continuing to eat the rest of the food that you can't stomach.

You frown, wondering why he won't just let himself laugh. Then you decide right then and there that you'll get him to laugh someday, whatever it takes.

Jungkook ends up asking for a box for the leftovers because apparently, he isn't a bottomless pit like you initially thought. He explains when he sees the confused look on your face, "I was going to bring some back for my friend if that's alright?"

"Oh! Of c-course." You say with a smile. Jungkook wonders again how you can smile so much all the time and not have sore cheeks.

You and Jungkook bicker for a moment over who pays the bill, then you end up deciding to split it up. Jungkook pays for more than half of it, insisting that he ate more anyway. When the bill is paid and the rest of the food is packed up, you two head out.

Jungkook looks up at the clouds for a minute before speaking, "So, what should we do now?"

You're quiet for a minute, then you hold up a hand, "I h-have an idea!"

Jungkook nods, "What is it?"

"F-Follow me." Then you scurry away.

Jungkook looks at you in confusion.

You had him sit down on a big rock in the nearby park as you dug through your bag. Now, you're finally pulling out a sketch pad and some pencils.

"Want t-to draw?" You ask happily.

Jungkook feels a pinch in his chest at the sight of blank paper and colored pencils. He hasn't picked up a colored pencil since he was fifteen years old.

Since right before this all started...

He snaps out of it when you gently place a blank piece of paper on his lap. Then you pick out all the colors of the rainbow and reach out to grab his hand. You open his hand and place the pencils in his waiting palm.

Jungkook feels his palms get sweaty when he closes his fingers around the pencils.

"Th-There you go. Now, d-draw whatever you'd l-like." You say, the teacher in you coming out.

You see a small smile on his face before he again hides it and adjusts himself on the rock. He hands the pencils back to you, pushing them into your hands roughly.

"I don't want to, thanks though."

You frown at that, wondering why he's upset all of a sudden.

"Did I d-do something wro-wrong?" You ask anxiously, aware of his change in behavior.

"I'm tired is all," Jungkook says as he stands up suddenly, the piece of paper you gave to him floating down next to you on the ground. You take it carefully and place it in your bag along with the pencils.

"Ok. I'll j-just go home then." You say, picking yourself up off the ground, "You sh-should go get some r-rest, Jungkook." You say kindly, putting your purse over your shoulder. Jungkook doesn't meet your eyes as he nods.

"See you later," Jungkook says stiffly before turning and walking away.

You bite your lip, waving goodbye to him even though he can't see you.

Jungkook runs up the stairs to his apartment, bursting through the door and tugging his shoes off. He notices that Tae isn't here as he walks over and sits on his bed.

What the hell is the matter with him?

Why does he feel like this?

Suddenly the door opens and Taehyung struts in, pulling his shoes off and dropping them by the door. Jungkook looks up and does a double-take when he sees his friend.

Taehyung is in a black and white suit, the first few buttons of his shirt undone, the tie loosened and his black hair a bit messed up. He looks rumpled like he was just in a fight. But that isn't what takes Jungkook by surprise.

His friend is covered in bright red blood.

And he's smiling brightly, his white teeth a shining contrast against the dark stains on his clothes.

Jungkook swallows, "What the fuck, Tae?"

Taehyung just grins wider, "I win."

Jungkook hangs his head, "You came up the damn stairs like that? You fucking dumbass. What if someone saw you?"

"No one saw me, chill JK!" Taehyung walks over and holds his hand out, "I believe you owe me something."

Jungkook fishes his wallet out of his back pocket and pulls out the amount they promised before shoving it into Tae's bloody chest.

Then he walks to the kitchen and grabs the to-go box he brought back. He holds it up for Tae to see, "This is for you. Wash up before you eat it though."

Taehyung walks over and touches Jungkook lightly on the chin, "Thanks, sweetie." Jungkook pulls away, feeling something on his face that was on Tae's finger. He reaches up to wipe the blood off of his chin, "Go wash up," He snaps.

Tae just nods and saunters off into the bathroom.

A few hours later, Jungkook is in bed and listening to Taehyung rant about how fucking satisfying it was to rid this world of that rapist bastard and how Jungkook should've seen the look on his hit's face when he realized who he was and why he was there.

"So, how is your hit coming along? How is ___ doing?" Tae asks suddenly.

Jungkook tenses at the sound of your name, then he remembers that Taehyung saw the file and that's how he knows your name.

"I'll be done soon," Jungkook assures him quietly.

"Mm." Tae responds, then he yawns, "What does she look like anyway? I didn't get to see since you tore up the picture."

Jungkook swallows thickly, "Why does it matter?"

"Is she hot?"

"No."

"Come on, I bet she's a fucking cutie. That's why you're so down in the dumps."

"She's just a fucking idiot. She's annoying, stupid, ugly, and can't even speak correctly." Jungkook huffs out in a single breath before turning on his side and slamming his head down on his pillow again.

The silence after that is deafening.

"The fuck you mean she can't speak correctly?" Taehyung guffaws suddenly.

"It means exactly how it sounds. She's just a worthless nobody." Jungkook spits.

Tae laughs quietly, "Damn, that's harsh, Kook. Even for you."

"Shut the hell up and go to sleep."

"As you wish. Night, JK."

"Goodnight." Jungkook grits out.

When he's finally able to drift off to sleep, Jungkook finds himself in an apartment that he's never been in before. His brain tells him that it's his target's place.

He looks around, wondering why it's so quiet. He walks to the back, looking at all of the childish pictures decorating the walls of the hallway.

"Hello?" He calls out cautiously.

When he gets no answer, he walks into the room at the end of the hall. There's a big bed with a giant octopus stuffie on it. Next to the bed is a pair of pink slippers.

Jungkook turns and walks into the bathroom inside the room, there's no one. When he moves to leave, he sees his reflection in the mirror and freezes.

He's covered in blood.

A dark crimson color decorating every inch of him.

Jungkook turns and sees the bed again, but this time, there's someone in it. He walks out of the bathroom and sees a body lying motionless on the mattress. It's also covered in blood.

His heart rate picks up as he sees sudden flashing images of the target, holding his hand and dragging him out of a restaurant, laughing giddily. Then you're kneeling in front of him on the grass and offering him a blank piece of paper, "You can d-draw anything, Jungkook." You stand up and swing your arms out, "Draw m-me!"

Then the images are gone and he once again sees the lifeless body on the bed. It's wearing a long white skirt and a peach-colored shirt, their socks are bright pink with frills. He can't stop seeing all of the little details.

Jungkook stops breathing as he inches closer to see the face.

A feeling of dread washes over him as he steps closer and closer.

"J-Jungkook?" A small voice whispers somewhere near him, but he doesn't stop walking closer. He needs to see it. He needs to see their face.

"Jungkook, I th-thought you were m-my friend-"

He swallows thickly his throat suddenly dry as he is about to see the face of the person he just killed. Then someone walks through the bedroom door, he looks up and sees Taehyung smirking, covered in blood as well.

"Nice, JK. I guess you really had it in you."

The small voice doesn't stop as Jungkook turns back to see hair covering the girl's face. He reaches over and moves the hair gently-

"J-Jungkook-"

"Jungkook..."

"Jungkook!"

"JUNGKOOK!"

Jungkook shoots straight up, his eyes wide open as he grabs at his chest. He starts to cough while he feels himself, trying to make sure he isn't covered in blood.

He's in his own bed.

Fucking hell he's in his own bed.

"Shit, the hell kind of dream were you having?" Taehyung's voice rings out next to him. Jungkook flinches and looks to the side to see Tae sitting on the edge of his bed.

"You're sweating like a turkey the day before Thanksgiving." Tae laughs.

Jungkook ignores him and stumbles out of bed, trying to get to the bathroom.

Taehyung watches in confusion as Jungkook fumbles his way into the bathroom and then he hears his younger friend fall on the ground before he starts to gag.

"Hey, whoa. You okay, Jeon?" Tae gets up and moves to the bathroom to see Jungkook hunched over the toilet and throwing up whatever was in his stomach.

The older boy plugs his nose and gags at the sight, "Shit, Kook. Fuck."

By the time Jungkook's stomach is emptied of its contents, Tae has all the young man's clothes off apart from his boxers and has tossed him into the shower to rinse him clean. Tae gags again at the smell as he rinses Jungkook off before putting some shampoo in his hair and rinsing him again.

"Fucking pain in my ass," Tae mutters angrily.

Once Jungkook is all cleaned off, Taehyung grabs him some fresh boxers and a pair of sweats to put on. He tosses them on the closed toilet seat and closes the door behind him so Jungkook can get dressed in private.

A few minutes later, Jungkook comes out of the bathroom, his hair wet but he's clean and in nice new clothes. His cheeks are pink from embarrassment, but Tae just waves it off when he tries to speak.

"Ah shut up. I know, ya ate something bad. Blah blah blah. We never speak of this again, understood?"

Jungkook just nods at Tae's words, then he speaks up quietly, "Want to go shopping now?"

The older boy stands up and claps his hands, "Finally! We'll have something to eat around here."

Jungkook is relieved that it's all in the past by the time they get to the grocery store, but that relief is short-lived when he sees a girl in a long pink skirt and light yellow shirt carrying a basket down the candy aisle right in front of them.

She trips a little on thin air but catches herself, her usual bright smile gracing her features still.

Then she looks up and sees him, her smile getting wider as she raises her hand to get his attention.

Fucking hell.

____________________

a/n: so sorry its late my loves, but i hope you liked it!

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snifflesthemouse · 3 years

Text

Why isn’t the second-born of the second-born listed on the Royal website’s Line of Succession Page? Still yet?

Hello and Good Day! I hope this post finds you all well, happy, and healthy. As for this author, please rest assured my silence has nothing to do with the content of this space and everything to do with personal preferences. In other words, I have been absent simply because I wanted to take a break from it all. During this break, there have been plenty of things worthy of discussion.

However, many of those discussions are discussions we’ve already had before, long before the press decided to make it officially newsworthy. It would seem the news and media are slow to catch onto what we’ve ALL known for quite some time. For example, we all knew the couple were planning money moves and business dealings long before the official “We quit!” announcements. We already knew, long before the news started discussing it, that the couple were trying to monetize their links to the Royal Family. And we all already knew that bullying claims and horror stories existed long before any official third-party investigations. This post will focus on the big question(s) of late: Why hasn’t the second-born of the second-born been added to the official Royal Family Line of Succession list?

The Royal Line of Succession (found here: https://www.royal.uk/succession) still suggests the second-born of the second-born is not in the official line. This could all very well be a big misunderstanding. Occam would suggest the simplest solution is the correct solution, right? So, the simplest solution would be that IT (or the responsible party for managing changes to the Royal UK website) hasn’t got around to making the changes to the Line of Succession.

According to the Mirror, (article link: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/royal-familys-website-yet-add-24565116) updates or changes to the line of succession page can vary. It took 12 days for HRH The Prince Louis of Cambridge to be added. It took 15 days for Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor to be added. Master August Philip Hawke Brooksbank was added to the official line of succession page 61 days after his arrival. The article didn’t mention how long it took after Master Lucas Tindall was born for his name to be added to the page.

The important fact, though, IS that both August and Lucas are on the list. Neither child has been christened in the Church of England. August’s christening had to be rescheduled. Lucas’s christening has yet to be scheduled or announced. It is worth noting, however, that Zara Tindall is not a working royal. Her first two children, Mia and Lena, were both christened at St. Nicholas’s Church in Gloucestershire several months after they were born. Both christenings were privately held with Her Majesty the Queen present. The godparents weren’t made public, either; yet it is known Prince Harry was named as one of the godparents for Lena.

It has been suggested Zara and Mike will follow suit with Lucas and hold a private christening at St. Nicholas’s Church in the near future. Some even suggest it will be around Christmastime when they do so, and that the Queen will be present for the christening. The Queen was suspected to attend the christening for August at Windsor before the worldwide bug caused the event to be rescheduled. The point of all this is that being christened has NOTHING to do with being added to the line of succession. We can see that is true since Lucas and August are yet to be christened.

According to Tatler, (article found here: https://www.tatler.com/article/surrogacy-and-peerages-legal-issues-family-law-marchioness-of-bath) titles and succession rights rely on the terms of the original grant. When it comes to the line of succession for the Royal Family, the royal.uk website explains clearly what requirements must be met for someone to hold a spot in line. These requirements have changed very little over the centuries. For someone to be in the line of succession, they must be legitimate-born Protestant descendants of the Princess Sofia, Electress of Hanover. Before the law changed, male descendants took precedent over females. Children born AFTER 28 October 2011 no longer adhere to the male-preference.

When the laws changed, with them also changed who needed consent from the Sovereign to marry. The updated laws stated only the first six in line to the throne needed Sovereign consent to marry. The law also changed the rules against descendants marrying Roman Catholics. Now, a descendant of Princess Sofia can keep their spot in the line of succession if they marry a Roman Catholic. When one thinks about it, it would seem like Her Majesty could predict the future.

The changes to the law essentially made sure that any female children of Prince William’s wouldn’t be knocked out of place. It also ensured Prince Harry would have to get permission to marry. However, nothing much else changed regarding the rules. So, any child added to the line of succession still needed to be a descendant of the Princess Sofia, Electress of Hanover. They had to be Protestant (only the Monarch need to be in communion with the Church of England), and they had to be legitimate. What exactly dictates legitimate, though?

Legitimacy requires the children be born to married Protestant parents, one of which who also descend from Princess Sofia. Therefore, children born out of wedlock are ineligible. Children born of surrogacy, regardless of the type of surrogacy used, are treated like adopted children. Adopted children are ineligible for the line of succession. Which brings us to the next point.

Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor is in the line of succession. This tells us that he is a legitimate heir to the line of succession. So, he was born to married Protestant parents, one of which is a direct descendant of the Princess Sofia. Now, I’ve seen the theories regarding Archie. That’s a hot button topic for many. But the fact remains he is in the line of succession. There are several unanswered questions surrounding his birth. As I’ve mentioned before, the easel announcement had to have been created specifically for his birth since the document format was entirely different. No lines were even placed because there were never going to be any signatures.

If Archie were born with the use of a surrogate, it would mean one (or more) of the following:

1. The Royal Family either knew from the get-go and facilitated a cover-up

2. The Royal Family didn’t (or doesn’t still) know anything is amiss

3. The Royal Family learned about the surrogacy AFTER the fact, and the decision to leave Archie in the line of succession was a strong-armed, forced decision put upon the Royal Family

a. If this is the case, it would mean nobody saw #6 or his wife in private, behind the scenes to notice something was amiss

b. The Royal Family DID see the duo and caught on, deciding to distance themselves from the whole ordeal

c. It would also suggest Megxit was more about them saving face and ridding themselves of the deceitful duo now residing in Montecito.

4. The Deceitful Duo lied and deceived everyone, kept a distance from everyone, and used their “rift” with the other Royals as an excuse to keep them at bay.

Think about it. Buckingham Palace botched the announcements. First, they announced the couple were in labor in the afternoon, even though Archie was born early on that morning. The birth announcement/easel wasn’t signed, and it was entirely changed to fit the situation. Then, there was that questionable tweet from Kensington. Coupled with the alleged statement from the alleged Doctor’s husband that his wife did not deliver the child.

Now, either Archie’s mother saw an opportunity to fuel rumors, speculation, a family rift, etc. and decided to purposely make everything mysterious to drum up drama and attention. Or… the truth is there is a coverup at play. We may never know. But it does speak volumes to how things are playing out now with their second child.

Their second child was born in California on 4 June. There are already stories making the rounds regarding the second-born. First, it was #6 demanded a private christening at Windsor with the Queen in attendance. Then, it was #6 was supposed to acquire the baptismal gown and bring it back to California, so the child could be baptized stateside. Allegedly, the Queen said, “NO, NO, and NO!” to all of the demands (i.e. private Windsor ceremony, borrowing the gown, etc.).

New Idea reported the gossip (article found here: https://www.newidea.com.au/lilibet-christening). Saying all those “No’s!” enraged the couple, so they are banning Royals from the christening and having their own private ceremony stateside. Potentially, even having a Roman Catholic christening. That would end up being the perfect coverup…

If they decided on a Roman Catholic christening, they know it would force the second-born out of her spot in line. It would also become the scapegoat excuse. They could say the cruel Royals forced their hand, in turn forcing them to forfeit their second child’s spot in line. The same couple obsessed with the titles, who also denounce needing titles to serve since service is universal, would have the perfect excuse. Nobody would question it further (in their own minds, anyway).

But all that is speculation. Let’s look at facts. Facts state that a child must be legitimately born to a descendant of the Princess Sofia and baptized as Protestant. That is all. The disqualifiers are being born out of wedlock, being adopted, or being born of a surrogacy (again, regardless of the type of surrogacy). Children born of surrogacy are treated as adopted children. A child could be 100% conceived from both married parents’ gametes (meaning the child was conceived using both parents’ egg and sperm) but carried by a gestational surrogate… AND STILL be disqualified from succession rights. The law sees it that the surrogate carrying the genetic child of the married Protestant parents breaks the chain of descent. These are the facts of law.

So, whether the omission of the latest Montecito Mansion addition is a snub, the result of someone in a tech department somewhere failing to get around to changing the official webpage, or legitimate, we may never know for certain. Who knows? Maybe time will prove us all wrong, and the omission will be amended on the website. What we do know for certain, however, is being christened isn’t a prerequisite. This is true because, as of today right now, 2 of the 22 names on the line of succession are not christened. Prince Louis wasn’t christened within 12 days of his name being added, either. Nor was Archie christened within those 15 days of being added.

And remember… a DNA test would only prove whether a child is genetically its parents. A DNA test doesn’t prove whether the child is born naturally, via c-section, surrogate, or anything else. DNA only declares biological relations. It declares the “who” but not the “how”.

I’ve listed several websites that I have pulled information from below for anyone interested.

It’s also worth a look to see how much the Montecito Muppets try so hard to copy Zara and Mike Tindall. You see, Zara and Mike Tindall didn’t do a formal photo call for the birth of any of their children. No pictures on the steps of the hospitals. Mia (the oldest of Zara and Mike’s children) was introduced to the world via a photo spread with Hello Magazine. The couple chose to do the photo shoot, as well as being on the cover of the magazine, because they felt people wanted it. They did the shoot as World-Class athletes, not as Royals. Lena was introduced in an advert for Land Rover’s all-terrain pram. The announcements for Lucas (both the pregnancy announcement and the birthing announcement) were made by Mike on a Rugby podcast.

Zara and Mike Tindall, being non-working Royals, must make their own money. They have no titles. Their children have no titles. They have no Sovereign Grant money. They have no Royal Protection Officers protecting them 24/7 either. Their children were christened in private, and the godparents weren’t made public. Well, except Prince Harry was named as Lena’s godparent. He was married at the time of Lena’s christening. His wife was pregnant at the time, too. One wonders if the wife was also named as a godparent. One also wonders if the wife got the idea of half-in-half-out from seeing how successful The Princess Royale’s children have been in life sans titles.

It’s like they saw these hard-working people who happened to be related to the Monarch, who just so happened to be of Royal blood and descent. Who didn’t have to answer to the public as much as senior “working Royals” because they didn’t take tax dollars. But the truth is, they can never have what they envy so much about The Princess Royal’s children. They lack the talent, skill, grace, and understanding that The Princess Royal instilled in her children. That’s why they constantly depend on “bombshells” for attention and revenues. But that itself is a discussion all its own…

ARTICLES FOR YOUR INTEREST AND CURIOSITY:

https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1415464/zara-tindall-princess-eugenie-royal-baby-news-christening-tradition-evg

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/celebs-tv/inside-two-cotswold-churches-fit-5544053

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/royal-baby-christening-traditions-gowns-24301504

https://celebrity.land/en/royal-fans-should-prepare-to-wait-for-glimpse-of-princess-annes-first-grandson-lucas-tindall/

https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1462070/zara-tindall-news-mike-tindall-lucas-mia-lena-royal-baby-talk-interview-royal-family-spt

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-9777651/Princess-Eugenie-forced-cancel-Windsor-christening-son-August-following-Covid-scare.html

https://www.history.com/topics/british-history/royal-succession

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/20/enacted

https://www.royal.uk/succession

https://www.tatler.com/article/surrogacy-and-peerages-legal-issues-family-law-marchioness-of-bath

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-law-journal/article/abs/significance-of-status-and-genetics-in-succession-to-titles-honours-dignities-and-coats-of-arms-making-the-case-for-reform/3B2FBB705EEFCE82E04E80002D4D486A

https://www.thejournal.ie/royal-inheritance-succession-explained-701049-Dec2012/

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/royal-familys-website-yet-add-24565116

#line of succession #megxit #yankeewally #legality #why

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moreidsdaughter · 3 years

Text

spencer reid fluff alphabet

summary: a fluff alphabet that took way to long....

genre: fluff

warnings: none

word count: 1637

a/n: wowowowow i'm not dropping something out of nowhere...

A = Attractive (What do they find attractive about the other?)

spencer loves the way you put dedication into the things you do, whether it’s writing, reading, your job, staring at the television, watching your favorite show while being curled up on the couch or taking care of things around the house.

what do you find attractive about spencer? many things obviously, but his mind definitely is at the top of the list. You adore his mind, you adore the way he can ramble for days at a time. if you need him to be quiet, you hug him or plant a soft kiss on his lips.

B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why/Why not?)

yes, for sure. you know that spencer would be a great dad, especially because of the way he is with kids. however, he wants to have one when he feels it’s safe. safe meaning not working at the bau. at the same time, he knows that he can’t protect his child from the world, so what’s stopping him?

C = Cuddle (How do they cuddle?)

spencer loves cuddling facing you with one of his arms securely wrapped around your waist. He pulls you as close to him as possible and lays your head on his shoulder. He nuzzles his head into your head and takes in the smell of your shampoo. then he places a light kiss on your head

D = Dates (What are dates with them like?)

spencer prefers to stay in and order takeout and watch movies, or read to you on the balcony. he tries to do these things with you once a week, but his job can get in the way. in spencers’ mind, as long as you’re doing something together, he’s happy.

when you and spencer do get out, you like to go on coffee dates or picnics. You two normally choose food and drinks. then you lay it all out on a blanket in a park. On coffee dates, you and spencer share your thoughts on different topics. spencer normally brings up books and you normally bring up current events and pop culture.

E = Everything (You are my ____ (e.g. my life, my world…))

“you’re my home.” spencer whispered, his hands grabbing yours. you took a second to process his words. “you are the reason i keep going. you're the only person i feel truly comfortable around without any judgment. when i’m with you, i’m at peace with myself and i’ve never felt that way in my life.” he took a gentle breath. “when i’m with you i feel at home and even though it doesn’t make sense, you've told me that it doesn’t have to. none of this has to make sense because i’m in love”

F = Feelings (When did they know they were in love?)

spencer knew that he was in love when you started repeating facts that he said to your friends. one time you had been at a birthday party and you said “more people celebrate their birthdays in august than in any other month. about nine percent of all the people on earth have august birthdays.” you giggles after rambling. spencer looked at you with a smile, he couldn’t wait to hug you.

G = Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?)

spencer is the most gentle human being on the planet. he’s always patient and careful with you, he has one of the softest souls you’ve ever come across. he loves being gentle with you. he watches you when you’re sick, even though he despises germs. he loves to leave soft kisses all over you and he loves hugging you. your pet names for him match his actions towards you. you call him: bubba, sweet boy, my love, baby. he’s always looking out for you and he puts you first even though you tell him not to.

H = Hands (How do they like to hold hands?)

spencer isn’t the biggest fan of public affection, but he loves to hold your hand in private. When you and spence are alone, likes to do one of these two things, interlocking your fingers or he holds your hand and rubs circles into your palm.

I = Impression (What was their first impression?)

spencer met you in a coffee shop and you were reading one of his favorite books. he sat down at your table and asked you about your thoughts on the book. even though you weren’t done yet, he could tell that your thought process is similar to his. when he found out that your thoughts aligned and how the way that you process is similar to his, he knew that you were someone worth getting close to.

J = Jealousy (Do they get jealous?)

sometimes, it’s never because of you, but his own insecurities. spencer trusts you a lot and he knows that you'll never hurt him, but it doesn’t stop his mind from wandering. when people are affectionate with you in public it makes him jealous. he furrows his brows and his hands clench because his mind is thinking would she like me better if i was more affectionate in front of other people?

K = Kiss (How do they kiss? Who initiated the first kiss?)

spencer’s kisses are soft and affectionate, which makes him a good kisser in your eyes. he never rushes and he’s always gentle. it doesn’t matter if it’s a peck or a makeout session, most of the time he will take it slow.

you initiated the first kiss technically. you asked “can i kiss you?” and he responded with “yes.” you brought a hand to his cheek and slowly moved your lips in closer. when your lips connected it was magical, you smiled into the kiss and he did as well. then you giggled and pulled your lips from his.

L = Love (Who says ‘I love you’ first?)

spencer. you’re walking into your apartment with him after a date at a museum and you place your bag and coat down. spencer does the same and sits himself down on the couch. once you sit down, you turn on the television and spencer wraps his arm around your shoulder. you're slowly drifting to sleep and your head is falling onto spencer’s shoulder. when spencer thinks you're asleep he whispers “i love you so much, you’re my home and you make me feel safe in a corrupt world of madness.” what he didn’t know was that you were still awake, so you returned his words “i love you too bubba.”

M = Memory (What’s their favourite memory together?)

it was your first christmas together as a couple and you wanted to decorate a tree together. You dragged him to buy christmas decorations and a tree. the tree wasn’t big, but it was your tree. you guys decorated the tree with different color bulbs and other cool decorations. spencer was begging to put the star on top of the tree, so you let him. you baked cookies and made hot chocolate. Then you guys sat on the couch watching christmas movies and you fell asleep on each other.

N = Nickel (Do they spoil? Do they buy the person they love everything?)

spencer isn’t a very materialistic guy, he prefers intimate moments over items. however, when he does get you a gift he makes sure that it’s something meaningful.

O = Orange (What colour reminds them of their other half?)

soft colors, like pale yellows and neutrals. these colors are what make spencer feel at home and he sees you as his home. one of yellow’s meanings is clarity, that’s how spencer sees you, you help him see things.

P = Pet names (What pet names do they use?)

spencer doesn’t have a lot of pet names for you, but the ones he has are special to him. Spencer likes the classic pet names; sweetheart, honey and baby. occasionally he’ll swap those out for your nickname.

Q = Quaint (What is their favourite non-modern thing?)

spencer isn’t quite up to date with technology, so he likes almost everything that’s older. specifically he likes reading books and writing things in typewriters or by hand. he just thinks that there's something about it that makes him feel warm on the inside.

R = Rainy Day (What do they like to do on a rainy day?)

spencer loves curling up to you on the couch and reading to you on rainy days. he likes drinking a warm beverage like tea or hot chocolate. eventually, you’ll try to convince him to watch a show and then you guys fall asleep.

S = Sad (How do they cheer themselves/others up?)

spencer is pretty good at cheering you up, he always tries to make funny jokes or watch a funny movie with you. if he can’t make you feel better, he’ll just be there. he’ll ask you questions about why you're upset and try to find the root of the problem. however, he will never be pushy about these things, he just wants to be there and make you comfortable.

making spencer feel better is a hard task. normally he just shuts down when he gets like this, he’ll mope around the house and stay quiet. he thinks that he can get over the issue himself, but he can’t. It takes awhile for him to open up, but once he does, it never stops. at the end of the day, he just wants a hug and some cuddles.

T = Talking (What do they like to talk about?)

spencer loves to talk about literature and facts. he never has nothing to talk about because he can go on and on for days about anything, but literature is definitely his favorite.

U = Unencumbered (What helps them relax?)

you. you help spencer relax. whenever he’s in a room with you, his bundle of nerves just melt away.

V = Vaunt (What do they like to show off? What are they proud of?)

his knowledge. he’s not afraid to dish out facts around others, unless he’s told to stop. sometimes he can’t help it, but he’s still so proud of his mind.

being with spencer is great, but it’s easy to feel small compared to him. Spencer tries to make sure that never happens, he’s your hype man. he hypes you up for anything like fixing something or decorating a room.

W = Wedding (When, how, where do they propose?)

it was at a team dinner. it wasn’t in front of the team though, he pulled you out to rossi’s backyard and got down on one knee. when you went back inside, you didn’t say anything because you wanted to see how long it would take the team to notice. let's just say, the team found out within minutes because spencer couldn’t keep a smile off of his face.

X = Xylophone (What’s their song?)

spencer doesn’t really listen to modern music, he listens to mostly classical music. however one time, he’s listening to music with the team and garcia puts one fool for you by zayn malik. it makes him think of you almost instantly. the ballad with hints of piano making him think of your softness and his love for you.

Y = Yes (Do they ever think of getting married/proposing?)

yes. all the time after a year of dating, but very early on he had a small sense that you were going to marry him. it didn’t become real until you met his mom, diana reid loved you from the moment she laid eyes on you.

Z = Zebra (If they wanted a pet, what would they get?)

A cat. it’s low maintenance with your work schedules and it can roam around on its own.

taglist (send an ask if you would like to be added):

@ssaemxlyprentxss@itsmyblogandillreblogifiwantto @pinkdiamond1016

#spencer reid #spencer reid headcanon #spencer reid fluff #spencer reid x reader #Spencer Reid x reader fluff #spencer reid x you #Criminal Minds Fanfiction #criminal minds #spencer reid fluff alphabet

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stranger-who-writes-fiction · 3 years

Text

I had a whole list of stuff I liked about Supergirl Ep. 6x07 “Fear Knot” typed out and then accidentally hit the keyboard command for ‘select all’ and THEN accidentally hit ‘b’ so.

A list! That will...be much shorter than the original! Because I’m very tired and don’t wanna type it up all over again! XD

Spoilers!

Okay, rapid fire highlights, HERE WE GO!

Space Dad was the true MVP here! Just wonderful J’onn content throughout.

The Danvers Sisters hug! I wanted exactly one thing from this episode and that was it.

Interesting BTS info revealed about the hug: Originally, it was supposed to be the main trio (Kara, J’onn, Alex) but they trimmed it down for time so it ended up being just a Danvers Sisters moment AND, AND! Chyler’s ‘I got you,’ such a LOVELY callback to the Pilot, was ad-libbed!

Fine. Just. Make me feel feelings, show. Geez.

The Tower is a MARTIAN SPACESHIP!

Alex, re: the Tower reveal - “I love Martian technology.”

Same, Alex. Same.

The ENTIRE* GANG OF SUPERFRIENDS got meaty character bits that build on all of the stuff introduced in earlier episodes!

*Save for M’gann, but I appreciated they at least had a line about how she was staying behind to hold down the fort.

Anyways, back to character stuff, in particular! We see Kelly grapple with feeling out of her depth as the lone ‘normal’ one in a group of heroes/vigilantes, introduced in...was it 6x03? AND we see the set-up for GUARDIAN, WOO!

The thing I love about the Guardian mantle, for James and as we’ll no doubt see for Kelly, is that it’s about protecting people; their weapon of choice isn’t really a weapon at all, but a shield.

J’onn and Alex’s stuff more directly ties into how they’ve been handling the ‘save Kara’ mission

Obviously Alex’s fears in particular speak to the larger, ongoing stuff about how so much of Alex’s identity is wrapped up in protecting Kara, but this mini-arc of seven episodes has sort of...laser focused that? A little?

This made a lot more sense in the first draft I swear. XD

And J’onn gets to come full circle with successfully completing the mission by being both a dad AND a strategic leader.

And then poor Nia is still struggling with insecurities regarding her dreaming powers, a thread that looks like it’ll carry over into the next set of episodes.

BRAINY AND THE BALLOONS????

J’onn:

The Lena portion...occurred!

Not really gonna comment on it beyond the very good sci-fi references they packed in there. Of course, we have the Alien 3 reference (which I've opted not to include b/c it’s a pretty gross image that could be upsetting if you’re not expecting it? Also I’m sure it’s all over twitter.)

But the Kelpie also had an Abyss vibe, IMO:

J’onn’s Space Dad montage was EXCELLENT.

J’onn: “NOT TODAY SATAN”

Oh, also, the red Phantom eyes and in-synch talking in Kelly’s fear vision was very creepy.

The different pairings of various characters was cool! I really liked Brainy and Kelly chatting.

And then poor Kara!

AT HER LOWEST!

WITHOUT HOPE!

FEELING LIKE A DANGER AND A BURDEN TO HER LOVED ONES!

Oh, that meaty character work, we LOVE. TO. SEE. IT.

And shock of all shocks, it is PAPA ZOR?!?!?! WHO SNAPS HER OUT OF IT!??!?!?!

BUT! Papa Zor-El is only able to snap Kara out of it because HE HIMSELF was snapped out of his funk by Kara!

And like. I’ve seen the complaint that this relationship has not been built up enough for us to really care but...IDK. I’m a sucker for the moment where he like, gently touches her face and delivers that hope speech and

GUH! FEEEEEELINGS!!!!

And you know what? I’m glad. That Kara’s dad is not The Worst in this particular adaptation.

I mean. He’s done some incredibly sketchy things still, but. Not quite ‘experimenting on your own child, sending her to a foreign planet WITHOUT ANY CLOTHES and brainwashing her into murdering her cousin’ levels, you know?

“That’s my family. They’re really here.”

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!

And then the hug! THE HUG! It’s so quick but it’s so good and I can’t WAIT. UNTIL AUGUST 24th!

I also love that we got a teaser of the next episode?! That was awesome and wholly unexpected.

(OFFICE SHENANIGANS! AAHHHH LOOKS SO GOOD!)

Oh, also, Nyxly (Nixly??) lives! And catches a ride to Earth Prime, which I’m sure will go over well. XD

As always, some OVERALL THOUGHTS!

ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR DAVID! An interesting but no doubt tricky episode to direct! It came together so nicely, though, and had some genuinely neat set-ups in terms of how they used the cast and set.

(Also round of applause for Chyler’s episode last week, totally forgot to give her props in my list. FOR SHAME. For shame.)

In terms of season 6 thus far as a whole...I’ve just really liked this front half, here.

The Supergirl folks have had to work around some incredibly challenging extenuating circumstances during the final season of their show--I mean. They didn’t have their LEAD ACTRESS until several months into filming! DURING A PANDEMIC!

And while...yeah, I’ll admit I found some of the exposition in various episodes to be. Trying? And still pretty packed because they’re juggling so many characters...that they’ve managed to have such nice character bits throughout is just. GOOD. IT’S VERY GOOD. I LIKE IT A LOT.

As I mentioned above, this mini-arc of seven episodes has done such a solid job of setting up and developing internal conflicts for the characters that are exacerbated by the external conflict that is Kara’s absence. Like, everything is pretty tight! And connected! There’s such a good through-line EVEN WITH the two time travel episodes!

(And, okay, I’ll indulge in one targeted bit of ‘c’mon fandom, really?’ - I’ve already seen complaints of, ‘I thought this show was about SUPERGIRL’ re: this particular episode and like...did you miss? The whole previous episode? That was such a nice Kara showcase? And I say again: LEAD ACTRESS. WAS UNAVAILABLE. AND HAD TO PLAY CATCH-UP. ALSO, PANDEMIC.)

(And in fact, the whole Phantom Zone plot has been a BRILLIANT bit of efficient storytelling--you not only have an in-universe reason for your lack of a lead, but also, it creates this space for the other characters to really miss Kara.

I guess the way I would describe it is like...going back to Kara’s original death in Crisis--yeah, it sucked that she died, but the entire DC Universe came together to talk about how heroic and great she was. And in a final season? Of a show called Supergirl? If you can’t have your lead on screen, the NEXT BEST THING is to have the character’s presence really felt via the OTHER characters.

With stuff like, having her inspire them! And reflecting on what she means to them, as a friend and family member!

...Again, this made more sense in the original draft? XD)

...Anyways.

My only nitpicks: I miss Will! But understand why he hasn’t been around, from a story standpoint. Also, the dialogue in some of the earliest episodes didn’t always...gel? But these last three in particular have been much improved in that regard.

IDK if I’ll keep these li’l positivity lists going throughout the remainder of the last batch of episodes--the move to Tuesday night has been tough. XD But either way, SUPER (ha, ha) excited for the back half!

#SG post #long post #supergirl spoilers #supergirl season 6 spoilers #gif #gifs

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asfaltics · 3 years

Text

and yet we went on reading

Flim, sb. Obs. Sc[otch]. A whim; an illusion. 1 in the manufactory of these flimsy things 2 had hung a basket of fodder underneath for these flimsy things 3 Poor indeed are their prospects of continued protection, if they rest upon these flimsy things alone. 4 will you never learn to choose good, useful, lasting articles, instead of these flimsy things that do good to no one, and that a breath 5 took hold of these flimsy things, Oh! 6 the discomfort, the positive misery of these flimsy things 7 wretchedly printed on bad paper, with few or no literary expenses, these flimsy things drag on 8 “These flimsy things don’t last long, they soon break,” said he. “Of course they do!” declared Madame Guibal, with an air of indifference. “I’m tired of having mine mended.” 9 In all her looks the words we see, These flimsy things are not for me And I with them do not agree. 10 of these flimsy things 11 the ice floes ran in under and cut out these flimsy things. 12 about 12 inch in being evident that these flimsy things are depth, which projects over the top of the difficult 13 He knew “Well, it’s a good deal warmer than when to leave a man unhindered and to these flimsy things” he said, lifting the 14 attempt to hit some of these flimsy things, you will put your screwdriver through them. 15 You undertake to fix some of these flimsy things and you put a screw driver into them and they go to pieces. 16 You undertake to fix some of these flimsy things and you put a it in the same condition although I know 17 Lucy gave her skirts a toss “I am getting tired of these flimsy things, and am trying to wear them out” 18 “I must get some more,” he said, “stronger than these flimsy things.” 19 First of all, I know now what it means to travel “light.” These flimsy things 20 These letters, these unintelligible flowers, these bits of lace and of paper, what are they? Around these flimsy things what is there left ? And yet we went on reading. But something strange is growing gradually greater... 21 “Why, if I put these flimsy things on now they’d be in holes before I ...” Thorough Young Lady enters. Thorough Young Lady — “Good morning... I’d like a dozen” 22 They had seen it as a whim, Agnes knew; a flimsy, floating thing which scientists might examine under a microscope. But if that were what it was she was full of them. 23

sources (all but the last pre-1923)

1 Joseph Wright (1855-1930), The English dialect dictionary (London, 1898) vol. 2 : 405 2 OCR cross-column misread (on forged bank notes, and banks), at The Black Dwarf (“A London weekly publication, edited, printed, and published by T.J. Wooler”; January 13, 1819) : columns 21-22 “The Black Dwarf (1817–1824) was a satirical radical journal... published by Thomas Jonathan Wooler, starting in January 1817 as an eight-page newspaper, then later becoming a 32-page pamphlet. It was priced at 4d a week until the Six Acts brought in by the Government in 1819 to suppress radical unrest forced a price increase to 6d. In 1819 it was selling in issues of roughly 12,000 to working people such as James Wilson at a time when the reputable upper-middle class journal Blackwood’s Magazine sold in issues of roughly 4,000 copies.” wikipedia on Thomas Jonathan Wooler (1786-1853), also see wikipedia 3 OCR cross-column misread, at “Mrs. Perewinkle’s Visit to Boston,” by “Muhitable Holyoke,” in Frank Leslie’s New Family Magazine 3:2 (August 1858) : 161-167 (162) 4 ex The Chronicle (“An insurance journal”) 10:18 (October 31, 1872) : 274 on the mismanagement of The Globe Mutual Life Insurance Company under Frederick A. Freeman, its president, and/or other members of the Freeman family (including Pliny Freeman). 5 ex Out of the world, by M. Healy vol. 2 (of 3; London, 1875) : 27 asides — this would be Mary Healy Bigot (1843-1936), daughter of the painter George P. A Healy (1813-94 *) A brief entry on Mary Healy is found at A Database of Victorian Fiction, 1837-1901; rather more, including an extensive list of her publications (journalism, fiction, translations, &c.) is found at her French wikipedia page — “Mary Healy utilisa le pseudonyme de Jeanne Mairet, mais aussi celui de « Madame Charles Bigot » et de « Mary Healy-Bigot ». On trouve des écrits non seulement publiés en français (souvent par Paul Ollendorff), mais aussi en anglais et en allemand. Elle produisit aussi de nombreuses traductions avec parfois l'aide de sa soeur Edith Healy.” in his autobiography is to be found the reason he (and later his daughter after the death of her husband Charles Bigot (1840-93 *)) would move to Chicago — George P. A. Healy, his Reminiscences of a Portrait Painter (Chicago, 1894) : 57 6 ex Alex(ander). Mackenzie, The Life and Speeches of Hon. George Brown (Toronto, 1882), in Chapter 19, The reform convention of 1867. Resolution of thanks to Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown’s reply : 113 7 ex correspondence to the editor (on the subject of “new restrictions in dress”), by “Freedom,” in The Meteor (“Ed. by members of Rugby School”) 175 (May 18, 1882) : 60 8 ex John Bull’s Neighbor in Her True Light : Being an Answer to some recent French criticisms. By a “Brutal Saxon.” Veluti in Speculum. (Third edition. London, 1884), in Chapter 11, The French Press: its Vanity—Le Temps and London Telegraph contrasted—Des Debats—Le Figaro—Le Clairon—Press Laws—Fear of Actions for Libel—Want of Freedom : 87 9 ex conversation about a fan, in Émile Zola (1840-1902 *), The Ladies’ Paradise : A Realistic Novel (London, 1886) : 74 aside — The novel is set in the world of the department store... (wikipedia) 10 “The Village Wedding,” in Poems by Chas. F(rederick). Forshaw, LL.D. (Bradford, 1889) : 28-33 (30) 11 from Act 2, Scene 4 of John Lesslie Hall (1856-1928) his Judas : A Drama in Five Acts (Williamsburg, Virginia; 1894) : 73 aside — “also known as J. Lesslie Hall, was an American literary scholar and poet known for his translation of Beowulf” (wikipedia); (some) papers at the College of William and Mary 12 ex “He saved others” (from Brotherhood Star), at Herald and Presbyter (“A Presbyterian family paper”) 68:46 (Cincinnati and St. Louis, November 17, 1897) : 15 in full — “When ice was running in the North River at New York, a ferryboat was crushed in, under the water line. An employe was sent down to stop the leak, or hold it until the boat could be run into the slip. Bedding, clothing and anything available were passed to him, but the ice floes ran in under and cut out these flimsy things. The boat reached the dock. Passengers were all hastened ashore. The boat was raised up by chains, so that the break was above the water, but the man did not come up on deck. They hastened below and found a bruised body of an unconscious man, pressed close against the opening. Careful nursing brought back life, but broken health and a disfigured body were his. ‘Even Christ pleased not himself.’” 13 OCR cross-column misread at J. B. Fulton, “Faulty Concrete Construction,” in Fireproof 3:6 (December 1903) : 31-33 (32) 14 ex OCR cross-column misread, at Francis Prevost (H. F. P. Battersby, 1862-1949 *), “The Siege of Sar,” in Ainslee’s (“A magazine of clever fiction”) vol. 12 (January 1904) : 1-44 (22) 15 ex Arthur H. Elliott, “The Gas Range in the Kitchen” In Light, Heat and Power 5:12 (February 1906) : 942-946 (944) self-described as “A monthly magazine devoted to the fields of illumination, and also combustion for producing heat and power, wherein the elements employed are natural, artificial, acetylene, gasolene, or petroleum gases.” 16 ex “The Gas Range in the Kitchen," in report of Elliott paper, in The Metal Worker, Plumber and Steam Fitter (March 3, 1906) : 52 17 same as no.s 14 and 15 above, but OCR cross-column misread, at Arthur H. Elliott, “The Gas Range in the Kitchen,” Progressive Age (Gas-Electricity-Water), 24:4 (February 15, 1906) : 96-99 (97) 97 Paper delivered at the First Annual Convention of the National Commercial Gas Association, held at the Cadillac Hotel, New York City, January 24th and 25th, 1906. 18 ex Mrs. Mary Dudeney. All Times Pass Over (London, 1909) : 75 (snippet view only, but entire at hathitrust) aside — little is found, biographically; author of poems, stories, even songs as Mary Du Deney (BL catalogue); are these of the same Mary? — “A novelty appeared in Judge Allen’s court in the shape of a woman, Mrs. Mary du Deney, who sought solace and mental refreshment in a book while her fate was being decided in a divorce proceeding. After reciting the grounds upon which she sought the divorce, the lady was lost to the world until the Judge cut the knot and she again felt the thrill of single blessedness.” (Los Angeles Herald (23 December 1900) : here); and ◾ “...Old Lady Was Swaying, Fatal Collision with Cyclist At Bridgwater. Returning a verdict of Accidental Death at the inquest on Thursday on Mrg. Mary Du Deney. aged 85, of 2. Holmes Buildings. St. Mary-street, Bridgwater, who died in the hospital on Tuesday...” (Taunton Courier, and Western Advertiser (20 September 1947) : here) 19 ex William Caine (1873-1925 *), The Devil in Solution, (nicely) Illustrated by George Morrow (London, 1911) : 68 (snippet view only, but opens to same page at hathitrust 20 from this longer passage — “First of all, I know now what it means to travel ‘light.’ These flimsy things which the Japanese make are wonderfully serviceable. For instance, I purchased a silk Japanese raincoat which sheds rain perfectly, and yet when not in use I carry it in the pocket of my light overcoat.” ex “Japanese Milling, and Weather,” in Rosenbaum Review 2:39 (Chicago; September 15, 1917) : 8-10 asides — devoted to grain trade; at some point title changes to The Round-Up; published by the J. Rosenbaum Grain Company; this would be Joseph Rosenbaum (1838-1919), whose interesting life is sketched by Arba Nelson Waterman, in “Historical Review of Chicago and Cook County and Selected Biography," found here ◾ perhaps more interesting is the editor of Rosenbaum Review (and its successor Round-Up), J. Ralph Pickell (1881-1939? *). ◾ see, for example — “Senate Asks Jardine of Chicago ‘College’” ¶ Secretary Jarine was asked Friday, June 25, by the Senate to explain his connection with the Roundup College of Scientific Price Forecasting of Chicago. ¶ A resolution making the request was offered by Senator Caraway (Dem. Ark.), and adopted. Caraway said the secretary had accepted appoitment as a member of the faculty of the college to teach students “how to speculate and get around the rules of the grain futures act which he administers.” ¶ The resolution asked the Secretary to state whether his information on grain futures markets was obtained as a result of his official connection with the department of agriculture, and what compensation he has received from the college. ¶ The Roundup College school for price broadcasting [sic, should be “forecasting” ?] was held at the Congress Hotel four weeks ago. Secretary Jardine was announced in publicity as the principal speaker. The school is run by J. Ralph Pickell, listed in the telephone book with offices at 1848 West Washington Boulevard and 328 Ashland Boulevard. It is said, however, that the offices have moved to Western Springs, Ill., near Chicago. ¶ Pickell at the time the school was held, said about 500 students would be in attendance. Each student, he said would pay $50 for the course. ex The Illinois Agricultural Association Record (July 1, 1926) : 3 21 ex chapter 23 (the last) in Henri Barbusse (1873-1935 *), Light (Fitzwater Wray, trans.; 1919) : 301 several scans of the same at hathitrust 22 ex Fashions for Men (this passage) and The Swan (in one volume, subtitled Two Plays by Franz Molnar (both comedies in three acts; English texts by Benjamin Glazer); (Liveright, 1922) : 117 Ferenc Molnár (1878-1952), at wikipedia 23 ex Rachel Cusk, Saving Agnes (1993; Picador 1995) : 2

—

subject to change, corrections, &c.

#cento #flim #flimsy #tercet #Mary Healy Bigot #The Black Dwarf #Rachel Cusk #Mary Du Deney #J. Ralph Pickell

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ohnobjyx · 4 years

Note

you answer about celebrities being prudent with dating got me curious as western boys in bands, especially in the rock/alternative/rap scene, seem to have a reputation for dating/sleeping around a lot, do asian idols just not date/sleep around a lot or are they just better at hiding it because they are expected to?

Hi, anon! I’m slowly working through all the asks, but I remembered yours when I was watching this week hotpot episode from SDoC S3 (I’m wondering if I should write a post compiling all the candies, but I have so many asks pending).

To start with the answer, let’s put the disclaimer first: I don’t know celebrities, I’m a simple fan just like all of us. Whatever they do in their private life it’s their own thing, and I just simply try to place an objective view of their situation here.

Just a clarification: when we talk about idol or celebrity, I’m talking about those that are pretty successful in the industry (with their number of fans ranking in the millions). These are the tip of the iceberg in the industry however. The bulk of them have less fans, but are also less subjected to scrutiny by the public.

1. First of all they are prudent because it isn’t widely accepted as “good” that people date/sleep around a lot, especially among the older generations. However, many young people also feel that it’s unacceptable, and their opinions may vary from “they must be very promiscuous or they flicker a lot” to “if they haven’t been able to keep a relationship for long, there must be a problem with this person”.

2. We’ve already talked about the fact that celebrities are expected to uphold a clear and good moral example for their fans. They’ll be heavily criticized if they do things that aren’t socially approved, and it’ll impact negatively on their work prospects. So, I suppose that in the case any celebrity did date/sleep around, they’d have to be masters at hiding their “affairs”.

Let’s just imagine how a male idol’s gf fans (the type of fans that fantasize being their idol’s gf) would react if their idol publicly dated around with many girls. I don’t think that would end well.

3. Like I said at the beginning, I’m going to talk about those idols and celebrities that have more success in the industry.

So, when we talk about dating/sleeping around, there’s something that we can’t ignore: time.

I don’t know about the workload of the boy bands (especially, as you said, in the rock/alternative/rap scene) but the workload of an Asian idol is terrifying.

Let me show you a few examples:

a. Even before he debuted in the boy band, dd spent almost everyday hours dancing, no free weekends and barely vacations, since he was 13 and entered the company. As a child, he got myocarditis when he was learning to dance. As soon as he got discharged, he went back to dancing, and spent his summer vacations (just a month in China, btw, August) dancing from 1 pm to 9 pm everyday, to recover the lost ground (this really was a test for his love for dancing, but just imagine it: he could do 8 hours a day just because he liked it, how many hours would he pull when pressed by the company?)

b. To anyone unfamiliar with Asian culture, the Lunar New Year’s Eve is the most important celebration in Asian culture, a night when family gathers together to celebrate the arrival of the new year. Asian idols usually are full of work, even that same night, so they almost never spend the New Year’s Eve with their families. A famed actress (in her fifties), once said in a program: “my father died last year... and one of the things I regret the most is that I haven’t spent a single New Year’s Eve with him in the last 20 years”.

c. In 2015, a year after his debut with Uniq, dd posted on w/ibo: “Just another year that I can’t be with my parents on New Year’s Eve... just a little sad” (and from what I know, he hadn’t spent a single New Year’s Eve at home since his debut).

d. I don’t know if any of you are familiar with Running Man, another c-variety show that’s very popular in China (I recommended it, btw). They did a night-life special last year, and when the director announced the theme (that they’d start filming by 4 pm and continue through the night), the host were like “just that?”:

“Then like our usual jobs”, “I can stay awake longer than an owl”, “I’m also good at spending all-nighters”.

One of them actually said: it seems that they don’t really get what an actor’s job is... everyone say how many days and nights have you gone by without sleeping in you busiest times? Angelababy (that’s her stage name, yes): “When I was a model... I really spent three days and three nights without a single moment of sleep.” Li Chen: “Before I came here to film yesterday, I spent 4 days filming night scenes for my drama, so 4 nights without sleep.”

Song Yuqi: “If we count sleeping an hour a day... I went a full week without a full night of sleep. Yesterday was the longest I’ve been sleeping in the last month”.

Their attitude is what surprises me the most, to be honest... It’s like, “of course we would spend a whole night awake, no problem!”

e. One of the previous hosts from this show once said that from his daughter’s birth to her first birthday the amount of time he spent with her totalled to three months.

4. I actually remembered your ask yesterday when I was watching the hotpot episode because of this:

The hosts mentioned getting back at their hotels after filming at 6 am (I think they had been filming the episode during the day and most of the night, and wanted to film a part of the dance using the first daylight). Actually, dd was talking about ZYX making noise in his room practicing dance moves at 6 am (wtf dude, you just pulled an all-nighter, please sleep).

There was a stalker photo of dd taken at 3 am when dd was coming out of the filming site for SDoC S3, one of the other day (just imagine it: you’re leaving the workplace, after a hard day of work, and instead of getting into the car peacefully you have to escape from these people).

This kind of workload is insane. When they aren’t filming, they are travelling to filming sites, filming tv shows episodes, filming commercials, doing interviews, photoshoots, practicing whatever show is coming up next, reading scripts, and a long list of things they do. Almost without a single moment to rest.

I remember an interview of another actor, in which he said that if he had a free moment in his schedule or a free day, he spent it sleeping and talking with his family.

I’m not saying that with this kind of schedule keeping a relationship is absolutely impossible, but it resembles greatly a long distance relationship, no matter where your home actually is. So dating around a lot is quite of... difficult? (at least in my opinion). And about sleeping around... maybe it’s just me, but if I had a free night with their workload... I’d pass out as soon as I was in my room, and that’s all the sleeping I can envision.

(Btw, this kind of work pace is a trend in China. I've been told that it’s actually common to have surgeons doing 36-hour shifts... here I was thinking that 24h shifts were outrageous).

5. However, it’s not impossible. It wasn’t so long ago that a scandal got out about an actor who was married and with an adult son AND still had time to keep a mistress.

I hope I haven’t rambled too much, anon, and that you find my answer useful!

Edit (thanks to @gremlin-02!): “you're missing the part about propaganda. chinese idols have to hold up "chinese culture/good morals/examples of good citizens" they are not gonna be promoting a play boy idol since it "corrupts" the family values and state system.”

You are absolutely right, and it’s also a point that supports the second part of this post. We tend to forget about it, but the national propaganda has shaped the country from its core. Without it, the country would be very different today. Not better or worse, just... different, since propaganda, for all its bad reputation, has played a large part in their economic growth and their position in the world economy today.

#ask #my post #I think I should create a tag for this kind of asks #c-culture #those who have questions (short or related to post) can leave a comment and I'll try to answer them when I can

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shipping-receiving · 5 years

Text

Jaime x Brienne Fic Recs: Master Post

LAST UPDATED: 16 August 2020

All the J/B fic recs by yours truly. I am no longer updating this post as I have been doing very little reading and reccing over the past year or so.

Just a note that these are mostly suggestions just to start readers off, it’s not meant to be a comprehensive database. I’ll occasionally add to past answers/lists but part of the fun of reading fic is discovering stories on your own! Here’s a messy AO3 search tips post that might help you out.

All my tagged recs List of asks that could use more recs

SUBSTANTIAL LISTS

Modern AU Part 1

Modern AU Part 2

Slow Burn AU

Canon!verse Endgame(-ish)

Arranged Marriage/Marriage of Convenience

One-Shot Smut

Over 100k words

JB Fic Starter Pack

Parental!JB Part 1

Various bed-sharing scenarios

Brienne disguised as a man + genderswap

Non-modern, non-canon!verse AUs

Modern AU Part 3

AUs based on a gifset by @frucienforever

J/B Investigate!

Fics based on movies

Starter pack for someone who has only watched the show, including S8 fix-its but no modern AUs

Book!Canon master post

J/B Classics

Medium-to-long one-shots

Super soft fics

S8 fix-its

PERSONAL FAVOURITES

My go-tos

My personal list of most beautifully written canon!verse fics

IMO, fics with the Best Jaime / Best Brienne / Best Jaime x Brienne

Best 2019 canon!verse fics (as of mid-2019)

Best 2019 AUs (as of mid-2019)

JB Fav Fics

RESPONSES TO ASKS

Historical/fantasy (including canon!verse) arranged marriage AUs + Regency AUs

Parents/Adoption

Sex worker

High School

Brienne as Evenstar, Jaime goes to Tarth

Canon!verse Pregnancy

Tywin approves of Brienne

Professors

book!Jaime being jealous of Hyle Hunt

Daemons, sort of

Angst

Hogwarts

Jaime keeps his sword hand

Jaime as military strategist / Jaime & Jon

Threesome / Brienne with Jaime’s children / Non-relationship obstacles

jealous/possessive!Brienne: part 1 / part 2

Brienne & Tyrion

Phone Sex (also see comments on post)

doctor!Brienne

Pregnancy angst

Soulmates/soulmarks + more

Brienne has friends! (besides Jaime) / Brienne is BFFs with Sansa

Childhood/teenage friends

Spies? Sort of?

Pegging (also see comments on post)

FWB

Morning after

Fluff

Tending to injuries

Jaime nicknames Brienne something other than “wench”

Spending time in King’s Landing

Age difference + Brienne is still a virgin

Reincarnation

Getting back together after a break-up

Brienne dies

Drinking games/getting drunk (no S8 recs)

more jealous!Jaime (including show!canon and AUs)

Bath sex

Post-bear pit

Exploring J/C as abuse

Jaime jealous of Renly

Sparring

crack!fics

Meeting at tourneys

Jaime being upset about Brienne considering marriage for the sake of Tarth

J/B get married after the war

Jaime is jealous of Oberyn

Scenes in between fighting the Others/Night King

Time travel

Canon divergence before Season 8

Coffee shop

Jane Eyre / Jane Austen / Regency

Funny canon!verse fics

J/B travelling together

J/B choose to get married, Cersei has to deal

Jaime being needy and in love AF

Brienne isn’t a virgin when she gets with Jaime

Modern AUs where Brienne loses her virginity to Jaime

Sports

During Robert’s Rebellion

J/B’s first time around S2/3

No incest, but Cersei’s still... Cersei

Galladon is alive / insecure Jaime

Jaime thinks Brienne died but she’s alive

Jaime jealous of Tormund

non-Tyrion-friendly

Best friends to lovers

Canon!verse but J/B meet as nobles under ‘normal circumstances’

Dirty talking Jaime

UST to explicit RST (AUs)

Outside POV

Politician AU

Post-S8: Brienne moves on / Jaime has to earn her forgiveness

Fake dating

Brienne & Arya

Attending weddings as each other’s dates

J/B’s first time, show or book verse

Armour removal 1 / 2

Angsty masturbation

Jaime & Arya

Meadows of Tarth

J/B fulfil each other’s sexual fantasies

Jaime is insecure about Renly

Jaime crying

Daven Lannister

Jaime gets emotional during sex

Cersei poses a direct threat to Brienne

College AUs

Trial by combat

Cersei survives, Jaime chooses Brienne

Brienne is older than Jaime

Jaime gets to be a parent/parent figure to Myrcella and Tommen

Face-sitting part 1 / part 2

Single-chapter soulmate fics

J/B fics in Spanish

Lannister siblings grow up with two parents

Season 1!Jaime interacting with Brienne

Secret marriage + more

Drinking game

Jaime is a playboy

Tyrion marries Brienne

Everybody coming together to celebrate

Cersei walks in on J/B

Jaime doesn’t relinquish his title/serves on the small council

J/B have kids before falling in love

J/B go to the Wall

Brienne loses her hand

Cersei is supportive

Jaime gets along with Catelyn

Jaime denies his feelings + more

J/B fight side-by-side as a married couple

ghost!Jaime

Brienne gets pregnant out of wedlock but not in S8

Brienne as a lady

J/B as kids

Alternative to S4 White Book scene

Brienne holds her own with Cersei

Jaime courting Brienne

Brienne stands up for Jaime against Cersei

Jaime is brought up on Tarth

Brienne loves Jaime to the point of being self-sacrificing

Jaime kissing Brienne’s rope burns

Jaime seduces Brienne

Jaime starts out very harsh/cruel to Brienne

Modern AUs where they only sleep together after they begin a relationship

Set during the journey to Harrenhal

Pod as a pet

King/Hand/Lord!Jaime

JB act like a couple but are not

Older but still innocent/shy Brienne

Dirty talk

Demisexual!Jaime

Riverrun/tent scene AUs

Outdoor sex

Brienne giving Jaime a blowjob

Mythology AUs

Knighting scene

P&P + Regency AUs

Canon!verse but with no JC incest

Dancers AU

Brienne might be Targaryen

Divorce

JB fighting the odds as a team

Reality TV

Quiet Isle

JB meet before Season 1

Art/artist AUs + Selwyn appearing in modern AUs

Canon!verse fics where Brienne acts like a mother to Pod

Brienne has a tattoo

Brienne is friendless

Halloween

Cersei tries to ruin things

Roommate AUs +1 +2

J and B get together around S2 or 3

Tormund helps J and B get together

Verbal affirmations of love

Jaime being particularly annoying

Arranged marriage; first time happens on wedding night

Angst with a happy ending, minimum fluff

Modern AUs with book!canon elements

#jaime x brienne fic recs #jaime x brienne #braime #got fic #asoiaf fic

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therainroguefanfiction · 4 years

Text

🎂 Can We Keep It? (Morisuke Yaku)

Genre: Fluff, Comedy, Slice of Life, Birthday, Suggestive 16+

Word Count: 2,350

Pairing: Reader x Adult Yaku

World: Haikyuu!!

Prompt(s): “Grocery shopping” from @last-three-braincells

Author’s Note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FAVORITE PRECIOUS CINNAMON ROLL YAKU (;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`)

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Sunlight streamed through the crack in the curtains, finding your face with ease as if it trying to reach out to you, a gentle reminder of what today was. You blinked a couple of times to clear your vision and then you remembered. From the fog of your sleepy brain, the date shining through like a beacon in the dark – August eighth.

With a smile, you turned over in bed, slipping your arms around your boyfriend from behind, your hand resting over his heart, relishing the steady beating against your palm. “Mori, baby. Wake up~”

Morisuke hummed sleepily, his hand coming up to rest over your own. “What time is it?”

You glanced over your shoulder at the digital clock sitting on the bedside table. “It’s almost eight, my love.” You reached over his body so you could peck his cheek and he smiled, turning over to face you, giving you access to his lips which were slightly swollen from sleep and so very soft. “Happy birthday, Yaku Morisuke.”

His eyes lit up with warmth and love, bringing you back down to meet his lips for a slower, passion-filled kiss. “Thank you,”

“What do you want for breakfast?”

He hummed, his thumb gently rubbing your hip. “Let’s just have some cereal. We’re going to have a lot of food at the party.”

“True. What cereal, though?” You wondered, sliding off the bed and stretching your arms above your head. “I think we have captain crunch, cocoa puffs, and rice krispies.”

“Cocoa puffs, of course.” He grinned, slipping his hand into yours before leading you from the bedroom.

“After breakfast, we can take a shower together before heading out~” Your lips quirked up when his cheeks lightened at the idea.

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The grocery store door slid open when you approached, blasting you with a gust of cool air as you stepped through the doorframe. Yaku grabbed a shopping cart while you pulled out the list from your pocket. You had decided to host a barbeque for his birthday and, with all of the friends he had made in high school, you suspected that the backyard was going to be full of people, so you needed to get enough food for everyone.

Yaku pushed the cart toward the canned foods and you followed at his side. “Should we divide the list to save time?”

“Oh, good idea.” He paused in front of the cake aisle. “Let’s choose the cake together first.”

“It’s your birthday, you should choose your favorite.” You insisted, bringing the back of his hand to your lips.

Yaku frowned at you, his other hand on his hip. “It’s my birthday, yes, but I’m celebrating with the love of my life.”

“Oh?” You quirked a brow, offering him a half-smirk. “Will I get to meet them?”

“Not funny,” he rolled his eyes, but you didn’t miss the small smile before he turned away, heading farther down the aisle. “We also have to think about the guests. There’s no point getting a cake if I’m the only one eating it.”

“That’s true,” you hummed, eyes scanning the various flavors of boxed cakes. Several of them looked quite good, but none really stood out as the best option.

Yaku reached up toward the top shelf, only to stop short, his eye twitching. He lifted himself onto his toes, his fingers just short of the box he was trying to get. You glanced over at him, trying not to smile at your boyfriend’s plight.

“Babe, do you want me to -”

His cheeks burned with embarrassment and frustration as he huffed, turning away from you. “Don’t ask, just do it!”

You brought your bottom lip between your teeth to suppress a smile at how cute he could be when it came to his height, reaching for the box of vanilla cake. It was obvious what he was thinking – vanilla is a basic flavor and is the option that most people will likely enjoy or, at the very least, not mind. “What about icing? We should spice it up a little, for flavor.”

“I picked the cake, you pick the icing.” Yaku glanced at you, using the back of his hand to cover his mouth as he slowly got over his embarrassment.

With a hum, you handed him the box before heading further down the aisle, scanning the various flavors of icing. They even had some with pieces of candy or crumbled cookies on the top, but that seemed a bit too much with just a regular vanilla cake. “Oh, what about raspberry?”

Yaku’s eyes lit up and he nodded. “That sounds really good!”

You set the small jaw into the cart beside the cake. “How do you want to divide the list?”

“Let me see,” he gently took it from your hands, his chocolate eyes scanning the contents. “You get everything that’s refrigerated or frozen and I’ll get everything else,”

“You memorized the list just now, didn’t you…”

“I did.”

“You never stop amazing me, Mori.” You murmured, leaning in to steal a kiss from his sweet lips, his hand holding the side of your face to keep you there longer. You certainly didn’t complain, nipping at his lower lip until he granted you entrance, his tongue meeting yours with fervor. When the urge to breath became too much, the two of you parted, eyes shining with a love so raw, you had to wonder if it was real.

“I’ll meet you back at the front, okay?”

You nodded and the two of you separated, you heading for the front to get a shopping cart so you didn’t have to carry the items. While you did your best not to sneak in items that weren’t on the list, you couldn’t resist grabbing some ice cream sandwiches because they were limited edition and shaped liked cats. You were nearly done with your list when something caught your eye.

One of the employees was standing in front of the black double doors leading into the back of the store, her eyes shifting back and forth as she chewed on her lip nervously. You made the mistake of pausing, your curiosity unable to ignore how suspicious she was acting, and her eyes met yours.

Something told you that you should continue on your way as she started toward you, but you were far too curious about what she was going to say, so you kept your feet planted firmly and waited.

“Hello,” she greeted with a nervous smile. “Can I… help you find anything?”

“Nope,” you told her simply. “Are you okay? You seem super nervous.”

“I-Is it that obvious?” She swallowed, leaning closer as she lowered her voice. You nodded and she glanced back at the door. “I have a serious problem!” She didn’t wait for you to respond before she started spouting off her story, her words rushed and slightly panicked. “I recently broke up with boyfriend and it was super messy, so to get back at me he snuck a baby llama into the store and if my boss finds out he’s going to fire me and I really need this job and I don’t know what to do and I -”

“Hey, calm down.” You tried to soothe her, gently holding her by the arms as her eyes filled with tears. Maybe you were being more selfish at that moment than genuinely helpful, but you didn’t care. “I’ll help you. Take my cart and put the llama in it, I’ll act as if he’s my pet that I brought with me into the store.”

“R-Really?” Her eyes lit up. “You’d do that for me?!”

You nodded, deciding not to tell her that it was more for yourself than her.

“Okay,” she took a deep breath and wrapped her hands around the handle of the cart, pushing it past the black doors. You stood nearby, keeping an eye out for any other employees or customers, but that section of the store was pretty empty, the few people nearby paying no attention to what was happening. She returned a few moments later, gently pushing the cart so as not to jolt the creature.

The llama in question was small and quite fluffy, its fur off-white in color. It was curled up against the back of the cart, its legs underneath its body, a small tan towel placed beneath it to help it feel more comfortable against the wires. You had to force back a squeal when you laid eyes on it because it was honestly the cutest creature you had ever laid eyes on.

“Thank you so much for this. I’ll never forget it!”

“You’re welcome!” You gave her a bright smile, eyes closed as you offered a peace sign. When she walked away, you leaned carefully on the edge of the cart, reaching your hand out to him. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before his cold nose made contact with your skin, making you giggle. He didn’t seem afraid so you slowly moved your hand closer until it was resting on his head. ‘My god, it’s softer than my heart when I look at Morisuke!’

Oh. You had temporarily forgotten about your boyfriend. What would he say when you rolled up with a llama in the cart? Shaking your head, you gently patted him on the head and smiled goofily. ‘Nah, I’m sure it’ll be fine. If I pretend it’s normal, he’ll probably just go along with it without question!’

And that’s exactly what you did. You rolled up to him acting as if that llama had been with you your whole life and was a part of the very fabric of your being, but he was not fooled. As soon he turned around, his eyes shot to the creature as if by some magnetic pull.

“Y/N,”

“Yes, baby?”

“Why is there a llama in the cart?”

“Whatever do you mean, love?”

“There is a living, breathing llama in the cart, Y/N.”

“Yes, llamas do tend to breathe.”

Morisuke deadpanned, eyes shifting to look at you but you were more occupied with what was on the shelf beside you, which happened to be canned cat food. You briefly wondered if they could eat cat food, but you figured that would be a bad idea. “Where the hell did you get a llama?!”

You scowled, turning your attention to the small creature that had fallen asleep. “You’re going to wake up, Barrack!”

He sputtered in disbelief. “Did you really name him after the forty-fourth president of the United States?”

“No, it’s spelled differently.”

“…”

“The president is B-a-r-a-c-k but the llama is B-a-r-R-a-c-k. See? Different.”

The sound of his hand hitting his forehead could be heard across the store, making people stop and look up as if the sound had come from the ceiling. “Y/N -”

You pouted, knowing what he was going to say. “Can’t we keep him, Mori? Please~?”

“We can’t just – it’s not – there’s laws – I – stop looking at me like that!” He groaned, his cheeks dusting with pink at the loving, pleading look you were sending him, the look he found so desperately hard to say no to.

You folded your hands underneath your chin, looking at him through your lashes. “Pretty please? We were talking about getting a cat anyway…”

“A llama is very different from a cat!”

The sudden yell made Barrack jump, awoken from his short nap. He searched for the source, dark eyes landing on Morisuke who looked a bit guilty for waking him. He stood on his short legs, carefully walked across the wired cart so his feet wouldn’t fall through the holes, and when he got to the end, he lifted his head to reach over the edge of the cart, nose just out of reach of the male’s arm. Mori shuffled a step closer and Barrack nudged his fluffy head against his arm until Mori finally caved and started to gently pet the creature.

You watched his expression carefully and you knew he was falling just as quickly for the baby animal as you were. You took the opportunity to slip behind him, arms winding around his slim waist as you rested your chin upon his shoulder. “I think he likes you baby,”

As if to prove you right, Barrack let out a contented hum of approval, trying to push himself farther against the male’s hand. Mori knew having a llama join the family would be a lot of work and a lot more difficult than simply getting a cat, but… the little creature was so adorable and easily getting to his heart, plus it made you quite happy which was always a bonus in his book.

With a defeated sigh, he leaned back against you, closing his eyes. “Fine, we can keep him.”

“Yes!” You cried out, increasing your grip on the male as you shoved your face into his back. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Barrack started to bounce around the cart, feeding off of your excitement as he snorted in pleasure.

Mori shifted in your hold, turning around so he could rest his hands on your hips, eyes shimmering with unspoken happiness. “I’ll do anything to make you happy, Y/N.”

You chuckled in response, hand going to the nape of his neck so you could tug at his hair. “Don’t worry, baby, I’ll make it up to you tonight~”

His cheeks darkened as he leaned forward, intending to claim your lips, but a soft cry, eerily similar to that of a child, made him stop, both of you turning to look at Barrack as he sat in the cart, stomping his front feet.

“I think he feels left out,”

“Something tells me he’s going to get between us a lot,” he sighed.

“Isn’t that what it means to have children?” You smirked, quirking a brow at him.

He only shook his head, hugging you closer with one arm and gently patting Barrack with the other to calm him down. He didn’t miss the onlookers peeking into the aisle trying to find the crying child, only to find an overexcitable llama.

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📜 Read more by checking out my masterlist 📜

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cardandpixel · 4 years

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Die of the Dead - A KickStarter preview

2-5 Players, apx 40min, dice manipulation/area control, Radical8 Games Designers: James Allen and Mark Stockton-Pitt Artwork: Rusembell AS EVER THIS IS NOT A PAID/REIMBURSED PREVIEW, C&P just like the game a lot! Halloween in the UK means cheap masks at Asda, not answering the door for 5 days after 6pm, and eating all the bagged sweets you bought with no intention of ever giving out. For me as a sound designer and composer, it also means hours upon hours of sitting in front of a sequencer from August onwards creating sounds and characters with the sole intent of scaring the behecksus out of the general public. This year is going to be a weird one, with that little viral beastie still kicking around, so a few game nights playing monster and ghost games might be on the cards instead. We like to think of Halloween as a big deal in Europe and N America, but for residents of Central and South America, the end of October is a much more cultural affair. Nov 1st & 2nd sees the celebration of Dia de Muertes – The Day of the Dead. What strikes you first about anything to do with the celebration is the sheer splendour of colour and design. Just about everything involved with the celebration is a panoply of vibrancy, echoing the central philosophy of the holiday of celebrating, not mourning, the souls of those who have passed. What also struck me, was the playfulness of the festivities which often include sharing not just good stories of beloved friends and relatives, but often the funny and ridiculous, even foolish stories of their lives too. Though cultural misappropriation is a very lively topic in boardgames at the moment (and rightly so – 3Minute Boardgames’ current work on respectful handling of the Māori culture in games is a good example, as well as the many discussions over slavery portrayal as part of the #BLM dialogue). The joy, colour and playfulness of Dia de Muertes lends itself more comfortably as a subject for a potential boardgame to me – and yet, there are surprisingly few. Two in a relatively short list are the new version of Skull (though in design only), and the 2017 card game Dia de los Muertos. ARTISTIC DESIGN/COMPONENTS So, loving the aesthetic of the celebration as I do, I was drawn immediately to a small table at Airecon this year where an explosion of colour greeted us to the game Die of the Dead from Radical 8 Games. Die of the Dead is a dice manipulation / area control game where players take the roles of friendly spirits, gently guiding the souls of the departed up the marigold steps and back into the land of the living for the festival. The first player to have one of their souls reach the village step of the altar, is the winner. I’m shameless in my admission that I’m going to be more interested in a game that looks great – I know, but I can’t deny it. Die of the Dead had me hooked immediately. It looks utterly beautiful and features some astonishingly original components. What I hadn’t realised until I dug a little deeper, was how far-reaching this design goes. Radical 8 have not merely lifted a beautiful design aesthetic from a cultural phenomenon (unlike many who slap on sugar skull make up for Halloween, blissfully unaware of any deeper significance), but have done this game – properly. The design, the gameplay, the mechanics, and the components are all deeply inspired by the celebration and in an impressively respectful way.

Just taking the components as a starting point: The tokens – incense, candles, bread and marigolds are all significant gifts laid on the beautiful altars during the festival – the marigolds or cempasủchil especially are highly significant, their scent said to guide souls back to their family homes, an idea echoed in the mechanical use of the token. The 3D stepped altar (or ofrendas) – is highly suggestive of both the domestic and public stepped altars that are laid out with colourful gifts for the dead, again, echoed beautifully in the game. The player boards – these are holding sites for souls before their ascendency. The dice – are representations of the souls themselves and their movement around the board is highly thematic of the journeys that friends and relatives’ souls make over the festivities. The caskets – are both beautifully rendered solid boxes, but also functional as dice shakers / hidden resource boxes – each highly thematically and individually decorated.

It’s truly difficult to know where to start with this game as it has all been done so very well. The press pack for the forthcoming Kickstarter even cites the involvement of a cultural advisor and a Mexican artist, Rusembell on the project, and it shines through on everything to do with this game. It’s a lot of time, trouble and thoughtful effort that should be envied by many other designers. No opportunity to reflect the splendour of the festival has been wasted at all in the design of this game, and Radical 8 should be very proud.

GAMEPLAY But no game is really safe from scrutiny of its mechanics, no matter how beautiful it is, and happily, Die of the Dead does not disappoint here either. In Die of the Dead, the players are each trying to guide their supply of souls (dice) from their home player board, via the caskets, to their final destination on the 3D altar at the end of the play area, back to the land of the living. Players will prepare their souls, add them to caskets, undergo a number of ‘area control’ style comparisons and finally, ascend their souls onto the steps of the altar where they may be rewarded with gifts or abilities.

The 4 caskets are the real heart of the game. It is here that most of the player interaction takes place, and it uses a clever and unique little mechanism to transport souls from the first casket to their eventual goal on the altar steps. Players will be adding their dice (souls) to the open first casket and from there on, the caskets are in constant motion. A player will take one action on their turn, by selecting a casket and carrying out the action associated with it. Each casket location has a different action, and these are noted on cards numbered 1-4 underneath the caskets themselves. Each casket also has a secondary ‘consequence’ action at the bottom of the card. Casket position 1 – players can add 3 prepared souls or 1 ‘free’ (unprepared) soul. If there are 2 players’ souls in the casket, the casket is shaken, if there’s a 1 rolled – move the casket along.

Casket position 2 – players may prepare 2 souls. The casket is then shaken and the souls compared (a variant on area majority) and the winner prepares another soul. If a 1 is rolled, the casket moves along.

Casket position 3 – the casket is shaken straight away, any duplicate souls are removed leaving 1 soul per player min in the casket. The player then takes a token, allowing additional abilities.

Casket position 4 – the casket is shaken and the souls compared again. 2 of the winner’s souls are ‘ascended’ to the altar steps. The casket is then either: moved along, a power soul gained (more later) or 1 of your own souls ascended to the steps.

Once again – this shifting and constant play for majority also feels very thematic to me and reminiscent of the playfulness of the festival itself “Oh our Uncle was so argumentative, he could have a fight in his own coffin!” I only noticed going through the rulebook that this was actually reflected in the artwork on the action cards, but when I was playing the demo I recall thinking that each of the locations was a little like a different aspect of the soul’s journey. Arrival, sorting, a little tussle with your neighbours and finally ascendancy. Always nice when a game rewards you like that by confirming you got the idea right! The use of the dice is interesting and once you get your head round the travel of the caskets, can provoke some immensely strategic decision making. Only 3 dice can be held in preparation, so the timing of free slots for preparation or potential return of dice from losing roll comparisons in the caskets makes for some very complex chain decisions (which then, of course, can be overturned in a second by another player’s actions). Dice in your pool are considered ‘free souls’ and usually have to be prepared before the caskets, but Casket 1 allows a free soul a ‘bye’ which is useful if you have no prepared souls or have no empty slots. There are also ‘Power Souls’ which can be won on the altar or selected by the Casket 4 action. These have a skull in place of the 3 & 4 and are considered wild in comparison rolls. Ascending souls means bringing them into the family altar – the very cool 3D steps at the end of the table. The first ascended soul goes on an empty space on stair 1. A player may select which bonus space would be best for them. The more players land on stair 1, the less choice of bonus, until the final player in a 5 pl game, who has to use an empty space with no bonus. As soon as a soul is placed on the 9th step, the game ends and the player who owns that soul is the winner (ie not the person who placed it – who may well be different due to Casket 4’s secondary action) This feels like a game that warrants replay to improve your strategy each time, though you are still delightfully at the whim of player interaction. This sort of ‘out of my hands’ game really appeals to me, it prevents run-away leads, often levels play a little and makes for much more fun for less experienced players. I like that skill is rewarded, but that it is not the sole way to win. The tokens are won either from Casket 4 or again as an ascendancy bonus. The tokens boards are double sided: Side A being a generally simpler action; Side B for a more strategic game. Eg The Candle on side A allows the caskets to simply be moved along, however, Side B allows 2 adjacent caskets to be swapped. Again, this allows for some much deeper strategic gameplay – especially tokens which allow ‘peeking’ into the caskets. I have a notoriously terrible memory and lost track of what souls I had in what caskets very quickly so a mitigating token I could use at just the right moment was really useful.

CONCLUSION York-based Radical 8 don’t have a huge back catalogue as yet, but Die of the Dead deserves to do really well as it’s an absolute belter and hopefully the start of great things to come. I’m not going to lie, there were a few times during the shortened demo, where the game was a lot to take in, but that’s as much about the way I learn games as the game itself. I learn best from going step-by-step thru the rules whilst shuffling pieces around and there just isn’t time for that in the scope of a convention demo (though the guys were amazingly patient and very clear with their explanation) – I did keep running to the casket ability cards during the demo though, so I have to hope they might put a small set of player aids in the box for 53 yr olds who are sat at the end of a 5pl table (hint). The game packs a satisfying amount of gameplay into its relatively small box, and the quality of the components is insanely good. I would happily play the handmade version from Airecon, but I’m guessing the final production will be even better.

It scratches a lot of gaming itches for me: variations in play each turn; lots of decision making; huge numbers of routes to winning; a nice bit of player interaction; and a decent chunk of screw-over and luck that means you can always blame someone else for your bad gameplay. I like the attempts to make for a simpler initial game, especially as there is a lot to keep track of in your first game. The player boards are actually doubled sided allowing an asymmetric start bonus for each player, and of course, the Token cards are double sided also. I appreciate efforts such as these as I think it helps newer gamers, slow learners (like me) and more casual gamers alike. I also appreciate the Open Casket variant which allows potentially for some much more devious play. However – there’s always a dark side, and it wouldn’t be fair to let this go in a balanced overview. Yes, the game has a fairly steep learning curve and a lot of concepts to take in from the get-go, but any game with a lot of strategic depth can have that same issue and so long as you don’t mind that, this game is no different from many others. But, my big issue is the one that has dogged mine and ‘Ers gaming life for years – 2 player variants. Die of the Dead does class itself as 2-5 player, and honestly, without going too much under the hood, I can’t really see a reason why it shouldn’t work normally at 2 players, but that’s for the designers to tell me as I’ve doubtless missed something. But…. The solution suggested in the box is one of my least favourite ways of solving the 2pl issue – effectively a dummy hand. My feeling on this solution has always been – if a game needs a dummy hand, then it doesn’t actually play at that player count. Especially here, as there is actually little stopping the dummy hand from winning. Nothing says you played a crap game more than the dummy hand actually winning. I’m genuinely hoping Radical 8 can come up with a much better solution for this between the KS campaign, and the final release. It’s worth it as it strikes me as an ideal 2pl game. It also feels to me like a great ‘strategic beer & pretzels’ game – of which I guarantee there are very few. It’s not far off as far as I can see, which is why the current rulebook 2pl solution feels so clamped on with my sort of standard of welding. It seems particularly odd especially when so much variation in the game has been offered for higher/lower strategy. I only have a preview copy of the rulebook at the moment, and I had to read it thoroughly to make sure I’d recalled the game correctly - and I know there’s a lot of time between now and delivery, but it’s already a pretty decent rulebook and one that I’d feel confident learning the game from scratch from. It’s very clear and describes some quite complex ideas very clearly. I sincerely wish Radical 8 well with this on Kickstarter when it launches on August 25th 2020. The price looks to be about £27 + shipping, which feels like an absolute bargain for a game that’s been this well presented. It’s a lot of game for your money both design-wise and strategically and I would heartily recommend at least paying the page a visit. Happy gaming y’all!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/radical8games/die-of-the-dead

Photo attributions: Beautiful game pics - Ross Connell (moregamesplease) @moregamespls Catrina image - By Paolaricaurte - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 Altar image - By AmbarCCPM - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 Artwork: Rusembell @Rusembell rusembell.deviantart.com Other images – official rulebook and our own.

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