#look shorter i love you but you are committing fashion crimes

[yottakitsune]

A blind date. That was all it was, right? You quickly found the woman across the table from you as enchanting as anything could be. When she spoke, you found yourself hard pressed to think about anything other than her voice. And while your eyes did trail over her body occasionally, you always found yourself back to stare deeply into those sapphire hues. You didn't care about the pointed ears or the oddly sharp teeth that peeked out when she smiled widest.

It was just some drinks. She couldn't be persuaded to actually have dinner with you yet, but eventually she excused herself to the bathroom after some buxom blonde disappeared into there. When she was gone you felt like you were in a daze. You couldn't wait for her to return. A few minutes later the blonde stumbled out rubbing her neck. She didn't seem as top-heavy anymore, and her hair seemed shorter. Or was she shorter? That was all impossible.

Eventually Hema returned with her ruby red lips parted into a smile. "Let's go for a walk," she suggested. You eagerly rose to your feet and found that the woman who could rest her head on your chest before could now rest it on your shoulder. Not to mention a new slit had opened on the front of her blouse to show off several inches of cleavage. You asked about the changes and a command echoed through your head as she spoke. "Don't think about it. Everything's like it should be," she said. Even after she finished speaking the words clung to your mind like a static-filled sock.

You don't remember much of that walk, but you felt the date was a success. She gave you a slip of paper with her number on it. It was a little old fashioned trading numbers when you could have just put it directly into each other's phones, but she did what she wanted. You walked home with your head in the clouds, but you made it there easily and fell asleep.

The next morning, you felt like you awoke with a splitting headache and could barely remember anything from the night before. Just a phone number in your pocket and a mental image of blood red hair and glowing blue eyes. You needed more of that.

You called the number and Hema answered shortly. "I'm so happy to hear you're alright," she cooed. I was thinking we could go out for another date this weekend. I did so love the time we spent together." Even through the phone her voice was hypnotic. You immediately agreed to another date. The week both flew by and drug on for an eternity. Sleep was full of nightmares of tearing people apart and committing the most heinous crimes imaginable.

Always you awoke in a cold sweat and you would call Hema to calm you down. Her voice was soothing and you found yourself relaxed by her assurances that they were just dreams, no matter how vivid they were. One night you were awoken by a knock on the door before the date night and Hema was standing in the hallway waiting. She was a whole head taller than you now and she escorted you back to your bed. She was completely enthralling and you just lay on the couch with your head in her lap while she ran her fingers through your hair. "I'll be with you tonight, so don't worry." She leaned forward and her once modest breasts filled your vision. They had to have been at least as big as bowling balls now.

She became more bewitching than ever. Each stroke and you felt more relaxed and... indebted? How odd.

She was gone when your eyes fluttered open. That was fine with you. She just probably went home to get ready for the date that night. The hours ticked by and you pulled the curtains closed. For some reason the daytime sun agitated you. More minutes and hours passed until somebody banged on your door. It sounded like somebody was trying to beat it down and break in!

You ran to the door in a panic and looked through the peephole. All you saw was blue silk and gold embroidery. That was weird. When you opened the door you could only stare at Hema. She smiled down from where her head nearly touched the ceiling. "Are you ready? I don't think I'll fit in your car, so you'll have to walk with me." You nodded dumbly and obediently followed after. All around you neighbors rubbed their necks and rolled their shoulders, and all of them looked far smaller than you remembered. Some of them even looked far older. You didn't understand it, but you just needed to stay with Hema.

She powered forward on legs nearly as long as you were tall and held your hand to force you to jog to keep her pace. It was only right that she not be inconvenienced by your shortness. Instead of a bar or restaurant like before, this time you were taken to her home and went downstairs into a penthouse suite like you had never seen before. Gothic architecture reminded you of old horror movies. She smiled and motioned for you to sit on her couch. She walked off to leave you alone.

She leaned in from behind and you felt a kiss on your neck. "I'll be right back. Sorry, but I need to be a little more comfortable." When had she gotten there? You felt lightheaded, but you nodded obediently. There was no reason to doubt your mistress. You tugged at your clothes, not sure when you had lost so much weight. They were very baggy and hung off of you like a child wearing their parents' clothes. Hema returned a few minutes later wearing a lacy cocktail dress that showed off a great deal of her pale skin.

"I'm feeling thirsty, and you have so much to give." She leaned in and just one of her breasts had to have weighed as much as your whole body! "Don't worry. I'll give some back eventually. You've been such a charming thrall." Hema leaned in and scratched your chin with a clawed fingertip. "I think I'll keep you around for a few centuries." She flashed a predatory smile that would have made you shiver a week ago. Now you only looked forward to being of use to this vampiress. "I promise I'll stop before there's nothing left. I don't want to break you too soon." If you had any will of your own left, you might have guessed why everybody around you kept shrinking.

#breast expansion #giantess growth #ai art

[skynapple]

Budding Romance | Ch. 11

Love and Deepspace | Jeremiah x MC / slow-burn / friends-to-lovers

warnings: none

Multi-chapter | A03 link

Beginning | <- Prev | Next ->

"Sweet Tart" A little visit, a little closer

In the light of a summer early afternoon, a young huntress flings various outfits onto her bed. All manners of dresses and somewhat casual outfits are arranged as she glanced frequently at the clock. She still had time before he arrived, but she was frantically wondering what kind of impression to make. Leading up to this, she'd managed to bribe Jeremiah into agreeing to visit. Although, she knew he was under the impression he was dropping something off, but to her a visit was a visit. 

Regular communication had felt more comfortable and casual now. It started mildly with plant updates and questions and had then lead into both sharing updates of Xavier sleeping in random spots. It felt fun to have the secrecy of a fun inside joke between them. Mild as the interactions were, she still felt her heart immediately flutter at the mere sight of his name in her notification. Although, she still got the sense that there was still a wall between them. Jeremiah was playful, and thoughtful, and kind, but never said too much or went too far into a flirty territory.

Thus she decided to test some waters - just a little bit. She had made her ploy after receiving another image of Xavier sleeping in an awkward position at a restaurant table.

[Smh you two! Getting into trouble? I can arrest you yk.]

Jer: [Brb committing crimes ;P]

Such a silly conversation had sent butterflies into her stomach, making her keenly aware that she had been smiling widely at her screen in public. In embarrassment, yet not wanting the conversation to end, she had decided to switch gears.

[You have 2 seconds to bribe me or I'm calling the police.]

Several minutes had passed in that moment and she had wondered if it was too much of an unusual response, or if she was interrupting them. Just when she had begun to feel restless, her screen lit up again.

Jer: [A bribe? :o but you're an honorary citizen!]

[2 seconds are up! Cops are on their way!]

Jer: [Nooo \(;A;)/ I promise I'm not committing nefarious crimes! I'll buy you cookies if you call off the police.]

The use of the old fashioned emote had made her giggle as she thought of what to reply, wanting to see what else he would come up with, secretly wishing it would lead to an opportunity to see him again. Then again, she had remembered what Tara had warned about not long ago. Deep down, she thought that sometimes men tended to miss perfectly handed opportunities without being direct enough.

[Hmm. Gonna have to do better than that.]

Jer: [Ma'am pls! I'll bake them homemade!!]

Now that was an interesting proposition, especially when taking into consideration a certain neighbor above her that couldn't bake to save his life. It might be fun for comparison, she thought.

[Deal, but you have to bring them to me.]

Now had come the date of the intended sweets delivery. She was anxiety ridden and frantically attempting to find something appropriate. The decision fluctuated between casual and cool, and cute and flirty. She settled somewhere between, with a casual dress lightly decorated with a sunflower pattern, and a slightly lower neckline. It had initially caught her attention in the store after recalling the sunflower he had given her just a few months ago.

On the dot of their scheduled time, the front door chimed. Jeremiah was punctual and polite as ever. She sauntered over to the door, adjusted her dress, and opened with a bright smile, feeling radiant, greeting him warmly with a simple, “Hi, Jer!”

The man looked nice, with a plain green shirt layered with a light tan poplin that remained unbuttoned, accentuating the flecks of green in his hazel eyes. She noticed a light refreshing scent, and that he’d recently cut his curls a little shorter, probably for the summer heat, but she wasn't sure how she felt about it. In his hands was a plastic tupperware, none other than her bribe. 

She welcomed him in, reaching up to give him a quick hug. He accepted it stiffly.   

She wondered what he was thinking, whether it was too much, but tried to remind herself that light hugs were probably fine even between acquaintances and tried not to overthink it. 

"You look great." He complimented on entering.

It was exactly what she wanted to hear, but actually hearing it was another thing entirely. Suddenly she didn't know how to respond. It would have been fine if she left it at “Thanks!” But instead she rambled on, noting, “This is is just a casual dress. It was on sale,” to which she immediately she felt idiotic. The explanation was more than unnecessary. There was warmth in his voice as he responded in turn with a light chuckle, but it only amplified her nerves. As she closed the door, she breathed out and tried to remind herself of her intentions. 

"So, Chef 'Miah, tell me what you've brought today." She said, spinning around and clasping her hands behind her back playfully.

"Oh," He suddenly looked awkward, with an embarrassed laugh. The expression only affirmed in her mind that he was completely adorable. After clearing his throat, he responded, "Well, as a token of gratitude for sparing me from calling the cops during my heinous crimes, I've prepared some lemon cookies for you today."

Unable to resist the opportunity to tease him more, she gathered her courage and leaned forward with flirtatious intent as she took the container from him, letting her fingers brush over his. "Well, let's have a taste, then I'll decide if I'm letting you off the hook." 

He didn't back away, but noticeably reddened. "Ah, well, if they suck then... I guess we're back at square one."

She set the container on the counter and eagerly opened it to try one, out of the corner of her eye noticing that he put some distance between them and leaned on the counter with his elbows. The cookie was soft, but had a crisp outer top. The tart lemon flavor softened into sweetness. It felt like the perfect summer day in one bite. Enthusiasm filled her, although when she glanced over, she noticed that he was only staring at a groove in her counter top.

"Jer, these are really good!" She exclaimed. "You promise you made them yourself?"

"I swear." He replied, grinning finally, then grabbed one to eat himself. "I'm not hopeless like Xavier. When we were…uh, one time we took a mandatory cooking class. Guess which one passed and which one failed." The answer to the rhetorical question on who was a better cook was now answered, undoubtedly. The winner was clear. 

"No way! You two have known each other that long?" She said, leaning a little closer, using the excuse of taking another cookie.

"Hah... yeah." He laughed again as if he was reminiscing, then for a brief moment they locked eyes and he stopped. Warm gazes lingered, and she felt like it was a first true moment of connection. It felt good - so good, as if they were both thinking at the same time,

It's so nice to meet you again.

Then, his eyes averted behind her to the near-dead azalea plant on the sill above her kitchen sink.

"What in gods name is that?"

"Oh!" She stepped aside to block it. "Nothing!"

"Nothing?!"

"It's fine! Plenty of life in it!"

"No way. Let me see it!"

"Access denied!"

She stuck both her arms out wide to create a virtual fence. The mischievous look he got made her wonder what he'd do next. To her surprise, he quickly slipped his arms under hers, respectfully cautious about where his hands were, and lifted her into the air to set her aside out of his way. The action was accomplished as easily as if she were a mere chair in the way. He moved quickly over to the plant while she was still in shock at his strength and touch, heart pounding before she hurried to meet him on the other side of the counter. 

“Jeremiah!” She chided, but was absolutely bubbly at the interaction.

If he was flustered too, he no longer looked it as his attention was only on the florals in her window sill. "Do you know what these are? These are azaleas. Do you know what that means?"

"No, what?" She tried to sound oblivious.

"Azaleas mean love and passion. Your love life is dead. You let it die." He teased. Or, to her it sounded like teasing. 

"Well!" She feigned frustration -not about to reveal that she bought it like that on purpose- as she reached up to cover his eyes with her hands. It took some effort, needing to reach on her toes. He wasn't as tall as Xavier, but he still felt tall to her. "I told you not to look!"

He ducked his head and grabbed her wrists as he did. The motion of it seemed oddly skilled. Briefly she thought to ask if he'd ever taken a self defense class, but now that they were interlocked she could only think of how close he was.

"I won't help you every step of the way this time. You killed that plant, you bring it back."

"Challenge accepted." She said, determined, but hoping he didn't really recognize how deeply she was blushing. 

"So says our brilliant lady. Nothing can stop her! Not even her anti-green thumb."

She giggled, wiggling her fingers to wrap them around his wrists.

"I'll succeed! Thanks to your training."

The moment felt warm and comfortable. It felt so good to smile and laugh together, sincere and carefree. They searched each others eyes and with her heart pounding she wondered if maybe he might find an excuse to close the distance. Instead, he let go of her wrists and indicated to the cookies on the counter.

"So, bribe accepted?"

"Yes... if you give me the recipe."

"No can do. It’s a secret.”

"Please! I promise I won’t share it. But I really want to try!”

He looked serious now, scratching his head. “It’s… well, it was my fiancée’s grandma’s recipe. She made me swear. But, I mean…”

“Oh! I’m sorry!” She responded quickly, but eyed him, not sure what to think, or what else to say. Just a split second of sadness flashed in his eyes and she was quick not to miss it. He returned to her gaze warmly, as if nothing had happened. 

“I might be able to make an exception,” His smile deepened, appearing more mischievous again, “If you bribe me.”

For some reason that encouraged her even more. Could it possibly mean that he was over his past?  She had no concept of how long ago it was for him. She already began to over-analyze it but didn’t let herself get carried away.

“I’ll have to think of something.” She responded, meeting his airs.

“In the meantime-” he continued slowly, “why don't you uh... see if maybe your neighbor’s home and if he wants any? I made plenty in case you wanted to share.”

“Are you kidding?” She reached behind him to grab the lid and put it on tightly. “Shareable doesn’t mean have to. These are all mine!”

He laughed again. "You know what? Fair point. Well, I’m glad you liked them. I hope you enjoy!” It suddenly looked like he was about to leave, as he took a step forward towards the door.

“What are you doing the rest of today?” She asked quickly. 

He seemed a little bewildered, glancing at the ceiling although she wasn't sure why. “Well, normally I have to…"

"If you have some time, why don't we take a walk? I'll show you around the neighborhood. It's so pretty this time of year!"

"Okay." He agreed without hesitation. "So hospitable! You know what, when Xavier moved in last year, he never showed me anything."

She grinned, grabbing her keys. "So I'm just all-around better?"

"Not even a question," Then he added a little softly, "Always have been."

She felt butterflies swirling again, but Tara's voice of reason in her head struck again. Be careful.

"I think you're better too!" She laughed, but quickly felt bad. "I'm kidding. He's a good guy. You know."

"Oh, I can't wait to tell him you said that."

"Hey!"

--

As they had taken a walk in the crisp sunshine, he felt too happy to really think of what it meant, or why he felt so warm inside and out, or why she was smiling at him like that. It was almost precious to watch her, completely radiant in the summer light, pointing out things she liked about this neighborhood, shops she frequented nearby, stray cats who were all too familiar with her. He wondered if she liked small creatures on Philos too. 

As they laughed and talked, he mostly listened, full intent to avoid speaking too much about himself. As he listened, for some reason, she kept catching his eyes. For some reason, he couldn't stop looking at her.  He thought it was because she was more interesting than the surroundings, that she didn't know he was already very familiar with having seen much of it develop completely from the ground up.

Deep down, way deep down, the voice of reason that only showed up when he was almost asleep that night would speak to him.

This is dangerous. He wasn't home. He's going to be upset. He'll think you're trying to steal her.

Ridiculous. I'm not. He knows that.

No, what if he doesn't? That's why he gets so worked up.

Well that's on him. If he was man enough he'd care more about stealing her anyway. He obviously doesn't care about the no-contact rules. He's being too slow.

You need to back off.

No, I'm not doing anything wrong. We were way closer than this before.

And I miss that.

And as he starts to wane off to sleep, the beginnings of a seed in his heart start to settle.

I want her to be close to me again.

//A/N: Chapter doodle

#one of my faves but most difficult to write #madi writes #jeremiah x mc #lnds jeremiah #lnds mc #love and deepspace jeremiah #love and deepspace mc #love and deepspace #lads jeremiah #lads mc #l&ds #lnds #lnd #jeremiah love and deepspace #xavier love and deepspace #budding romance

[venusofsuburbia]

Would love to know your least favorite fashion/beauty trends of the last decade given that post you rbed abt how most ppl dress Like That

I want to start this off by saying I didn't hate every single thing I saw in that post. The fact that many people dress the same is not necessarily a heinous crime against fashion, just a simple lack of personal taste and style. However, there are a few actual prosecutable offenses that were committed en masse during the late 2000s and early 2010s:

Low rise jeans. They are the epitome of "just because you Ameri-can doesn't mean you Ameri-should", and besides, most people really really Ameri-can't. And that's okay! I have never in my life felt the need to show off my hipbones in a display of pubic dominance. Bonus points (and by that I mean negative points) if they're way too long and bunch unattractively around the ankles. It's not cute, it makes your legs look shorter, and it absolutely destroys your hems.

Visible thongs. Put. Them. Away. Ask yourself, "Is this truly what I want to say to everyone who meets me, before I've even opened my mouth? Do I want to tell them, without words, that I am the sort of person who walks around with my underwear hanging out like that is a normal and respectable thing adults do?" This trend is second only to the current, somehow more horrible trend of jeans with built-in thong straps.

Flip flops as anything but beachwear, and even then they're on thin fucking ice. Flip flops are not shoes. No matter how many sequins, how much embroidery, or how fancy the clothes they're paired with, thong sandals will never be anything other than awkward and juvenile at best.

Orange skin, but especially the kind that abruptly stops at the jawline. Please, for the love of all that is holy, just match your foundation to your skin tone. This was a difficult concept to grasp for girls of the late 2000s/early 2010s, especially as Jersey Shore reigned culturally supreme, but I pray the youths have learned from our mistakes.

The specific combination of thin scarf, Abercrombie hoodie, jeans, and Uggs that was worn by every basic blonde bitch at my high school. It's not offensive or tacky, and as teenage outfits go, it's not even all that bad. It's just basic, and it brings me back to high school, so for those two reasons I hate it.

I'm sure I will think of more later on, but rb this and tell me what I missed so we can hate it together.

#i LOVE hating things with other people it's such great bonding #shimmerge #questions queries quandaries #y2k fashion #y2k style #i know i pick on the early aughts a lot but it wasn't all bad #maybe i'll make a post about things i liked from the era to make up for it? i still think motorola razrs are the epitome of cool #truly the peak of cell phone technology

[hyoubusqueenofespers-moved]

Lethal Lovers (A Kyousuke Hyoubu x Azusa Hyoubu Fanfic )

A short self ship fanfic featuring Kyousuke Hyoubu from Zettai Karen Children and Azusa Hyoubu aka Shadow Angel. This is also my very first Shadow Angel fanfic I’ve written. I hope you enjoy it!

••••••

Summary: During a business meeting, Hyoubu and Azusa are conducting deals with an associate. However, they’re intentions aren’t that of forming a deal with business, but instead; dealing with an enemy set on attacking them. However, the enemy appears to be two ruthless espers who are dead set on killing them both. It’s up to Hyoubu and Azusa to fight them off before the powerful duo becomes prey of assassination.

Trigger Warning: Gun Mention, Blood/Injuries, and Heavy Violence

••••••

Espers, a species of mankind who are capable of using psychic powers, also what is popularly known as ESP. Many people across the world are capable of using these special abilities, however, only very few espers are Level 4 through 7. Despite their outstanding abilities, many espers are still heavily discriminated against by humans who viewed them as monsters for their superhuman abilities. Most businesses primarily focus on humans as their top priority and their have been countermeasures made in order to regulate the abilities of espers by creature devices that weaken their abilities or negated them completely. Espers are easily targeted by organizations who intend to use them for foul means as ESP seems to be a lucrative business to dive into for many crime syndicates across the world.

This is where the all esper organization, P.A.N.D.R.A, comes in, lead by the charismatic yet potent world renowned esper criminal, Kyousuke Hyoubu. Despite their criminal activities, they view espers as top priority as they don’t mind using ESP to put a stop to those who harm their species of people and can the group easily described as freedom fighters, who intend to overturn the oppression some espers face, willingly to commit unlawful and violent actions to do so.

Today is one of those days. Hyoubu, a young looking man with white hair who wore a common design of a Japanese school uniform, appears to be handling business in a fairly large building which appeared to be hosted in a dimly lit looking room with a large collection of pricey watches on a shelf and old fashioned paintings on the wall. Accompanying Hyoubu in the room appeared to be a older man, appearing older than Hyoubu himself, and Hyoubu’s trusty advisor and his very dear husband, Azusa, a slim man shorter than Hyoubu with dark skin and long black hair and red eyes. He also sports a black suit and black half face fox mask on the side of his face. In his left hand, Azusa held onto a black briefcase. The two of them appeared to be conducting some sort of activity with the older businessman, Hyoubu doesn’t mind conducting business with people who are espers with similar viewpoints. However, this isn’t really what the duo of P.A.N.D.R.A are truly here for.

Black Phantom, P.A.N.D.R.A’s business rival, are making their presence known across Japan in the world of lucrative yet illegal ESP business, one of them being the use of ESP for assassination. By brainwashing espers to remove the personalities and will of the individual, these espers made the perfect killing machine for people such as Black Phantom themselves. However, Hyoubu as well as Azusa wouldn’t take kindly to this as both happened to be targets of assassination for Black Phantom. Black Phantom gotten hold of two espers who were sent to deal with the esper duo. Luckily, Hyoubu was prepared for them having to fight and even deliberately brought themselves plus his advisor to take them on.

In the current moment, Hyoubu listened to what his associate had to say. During the middle of conversation, Hyoubu communicated to Azusa with sign language, telling Azusa to be prepared for an esper going to shoot him, watching the couple from afar using clairvoyance. Hyoubu’s incredible powers could even let him sense espers from a long range, likely due to him being a high level, being of the Level 7 variety who are said to be the strongest espers. Hyoubu is a truly unique esper in his own right, hosting more abilities than even that of a typical Level 7 esper, is able to use his powers to prevent him from aging keeping his youthful appearance despite being the age of an elderly person, and could sometimes bypass devices that should nullify his powers. He used his ability to sense espers, noticing that an esper with a sniper rifle had its locked and loaded for Hyoubu himself.

“Thank you for having this business meeting with me, Mr.Hyoubu. Same goes for your advisor. Hopefully, this deal shall go further into the future.” The older man said to them, before he suddenly collapsed to the ground, revealing itself to be a well designed android. Hyoubu got up from his seat and along with Azusa, headed towards the middle of the room. “Get ready Azusa!” Hyoubu warned him with a strong sense of composure. Suddenly, a bullet flies towards Hyoubu, breaking the glass. As the bullet soars for Hyoubu, it instead takes a different target, one that the gunslinger wasn’t trying to target for, Azusa. He takes the bullet meant for Hyoubu and when it made impact, a large pool of blood escaped his body, causing Hyoubu to show a sign of sorrow. Azusa appeared to look with a sorrowful and panicked expression who believe death was going to take him away from the man he loved.

However, they weren’t going to go done with ease like that. After the bullet aimed for Azusa, the collapsing man looked towards his husband and boss with a smug smirk. Hyoubu looked at Azusa with a confident smile. As Azusa collapses; he appeared to dissolve into black shadowy mist that showcased that Azusa was truly an illusion that he created using hypnosis. “You’re not good enough for this!” Hyoubu mocking the gunslinging esper with a smug tone from afar. Suddenly, another esper made its presence known by teleporting to the area. This time, one with an electrifying bo staff. They charged at Hyoubu with their bo staff, attempting to bring in a powerful thrust to his chest. However, Azusa teleported using a shroud of darkness as a catalyst in order to in front of the propelling bo staff, blocking it with his parasol. The gunslinger from before made his face known to Hyoubu, teleporting into the room and attempting to surprise Hyoubu with throwing dagger. Hyoubu used his psychokinesis to stop the dagger aiming for him and crushed the knife with powerful telekinetic force, making the dagger essentially unusable.

Hyoubu teleports himself and Azusa to safe range where they didn’t make themselves too close to the enemy. Hyoubu and Azusa looked at them. Like he usually does to friend and foe, Azusa performs a formal bow to them, wanting to show himself being rather gentlemanly. Azusa appeared to look very formal with his outfit he wore, resembling that of a old fashioned commonly associated with vampires. He even had a top hat to give off that vibe as well. These must have to be the Black Phantom espers.” Hyoubu glared at both of them, looking rather disappointed that they have to fight an esper, especially one that no longer has their self in tact with them being a shell of their former self. The esper with the bo staff was very tall while the esper with the knives was short, even shorter than Azusa himself, who’s considerably short himself. The espers looked at Hyoubu and Azusa with cold stoic eyes, who had no other thought process than killing them. Azusa showed a grieving expression as well, having to fight an esper when their overall goal is to rescue and improve the well-being of espers even with both of them being criminals. Due to the espers’ brainwashing being strong for even Hyoubu making it even impossible for him to break and having to deal with the fact if Hyoubu tried to attempt to break the brainwashing, Hyoubu would get attacked by one of them, they had no choice but to truly kill them both. Luckily, Hyoubu already made arrangements with P.A.N.D.R.A once the fight is over.

Hyoubu wipes the disappointing look on his face, replacing with one of a smug grin. Azusa himself replaces his sad expression with a sinister smirk. Despite Azusa’s gentlemanly demeanor, he radiates a very smug and sinister side to him when he does. The two assassins we’re about to fight Hyoubu and Azusa. This would seem like a piece of cake for them. However, Hyoubu and Azusa weren’t just any esper combatants. The couple were known to be a force to be reckoned with as they easily used their teamwork abilities and fighting ability to easily crush their opponents, having dealt and severely beaten their foes this way. Along with this, they are the most powerful duo in all of P.A.N.D.R.A and both of them being known as “The Most Dangerous Esper Crime Duo In The Underworld”. Though, Hyoubu ended up making a team name for the both of them, Shadow Angel. They truly did spark intimidate in their enemies with their abilities. Not only their powers showcases how dangerous they can truly be, Hyoubu and Azusa truly show a deep bond for another which was considerably remarkable, especially when it comes to a group of renowned criminals like themselves and happen to show great enthusiasm towards each other, as not only a powerful team, but also when not committing crimes or fighting together.

Hyoubu looks at Azusa with a confident smile. “Are you ready My Dearest? Lets make sure they won’t land a scratch on us.” Hyoubu told Azusa with a prideful tone, yet wasn’t afraid to remind himself as well as Azusa how much he loved Azusa and calling him cute nicknames, even during situations that require fighting. Hyoubu only shown himself to call Azusa by romantic nicknames. They both looked at each other with a strong sense of trust in both of their abilities. ”Of course. I’m not letting you fight alone in this one, Angel.” Azusa told him looks at his lover with a playful and lovingly smile at Hyoubu’s adoring remarks. Like with Hyoubu, Azusa had cute nicknames for Hyoubu that only he would say to him. Hyoubu looked back at his opponent with a strong sense of confidence. Azusa radiates a suave yet sinister and confident demeanor, as an aura of darkness coats his thigh high boots and parasol. Hyoubu chuckled. “Let’s see if you two have what it takes to defeat Shadow Angel!” Hyoubu taunted the two esper assassins with a mocking tone. Both formations glared with menace in their eyes as the tension of the what’s going to happen next rises. The couple were ready to be lethal and menacing to their foe.

The esper with the bo staff didn’t take lightly to Hyoubu’s taunt and teleported towards Hyoubu, who makes an attempt to jab their bo staff charged with electricity at Hyoubu’s chest. It was quickly blocked by Azusa’s parasol, infused with darkness. The bo staff esper looked surprised as they watched Azusa look smugly at him and Hyoubu backs up, moving himself back away by flying using psychokinesis, placing himself on the ground after doing so. Hyoubu hides his left hand behind his back, lightly charging electricity around it. The bo staffer released their weapon from Azusa’s grip, making their move again, performing several whirling back spins, uppercuts, and spins with their bo staff only for Azusa to dodge all their attempts at damage moving backwards; performing a combination of aerial cartwheels, butterfly kicks, and butterfly twists in order to escape swiftly and elegantly while the man still effectively held his parasol in his right hand. Once Azusa got closer to Hyoubu, Azusa gracefully finished his movements and raises the hood to his parasol to block when the staffer jabs the hood of the parasol. However, Azusa once again dissolved into black mist making his foe fall for another illusion. Being caught within Hyoubu’s range, he aims extremely powerful force of electricity at the staffer, surging through their body causing them to scream and collapse to the ground. The knife wielding esper sees this an opportunity to attack Hyoubu from the side. Combusting the knives with pyrokinesis, three fiery knives head towards Hyoubu only for him to stop them with psychokinesis and crush them as if it was crumbling paper. Azusa appears again using his umbrageous teleportation, this time surprising the knife esper performs a drop kick yet rolled around in time and quickly gets up. However, Azusa refused to let their enemy escape easily. He goes in the offensive side, performing an 180 kick to his neck, hitting him with which made the man cough up blood. Azusa follows up with by twirling around to for an opening, as Azusa performs a powerful blow to their face, using the handle of parasol in order to so. Azusa sends jabbed the esper with enough force to be sent back and lose balance. Regaining their focus, Azusa teleports away in darkness and Hyoubu uses psychokinesis to send the person flying throughout room with the power of Hyoubu’s potent telekinetic force. It was only the beginning of the fight and the assassins were showcasing themselves to be struggling against the other pair. Looking from afar, it seemed that Hyoubu’s telekinetic powers combine with Azusa’s soaring kicks left the knife esper no chance of them getting up and appeared to be dead. The staffer struggling with their injuries. The rumors that Black Phantom of Hyoubu and Azusa being a powerful duo were no lie. Their synchronized movements, their powers, their formation, their anticipation, and the fact that they trusted each other in battle truly made them effective against the two. Even though the other espers, tried to recreate the same formation, it was nothing compared to the power of Shadow Angel.

During their fight, both Hyoubu and Azusa kept their composure and even looked at their enemy with a wicked smirked. Hyoubu chuckled lowly. “Are you sure you want to continue this? You haven’t even landed a scratch on either of us.” Hyoubu comments smugly yet carries a sense of mischief to his tone, boasting about their power as a duo. Hyoubu held Azusa’s hand for a quick second. The struggling enemy with the bo staff made his way up. They appear to fumble and wobble for a second. Hyoubu lets go of Azusa’s hand in preparation. “Shall we teach them a lesson, Azusa?” He spoke with eagerness. “Truly. I’ll be en garde.” Azusa replied.

The bo staff teleports to Azusa to aim with a corkscrew kick and aim bo his staff again at him. When they attempted to injure him again, Hyoubu teleports Azusa switching places with him. Luckily for Hyoubu, he shuts down their attempts by stopping their movements with psychokinesis and sends him away but this time; Hyoubu shows his combative skills as well as when the staffer was about to attack again, Hyoubu forcefully parries his weapon from his hands with a kick, leaving the staffer vulnerable to his follow up knifehand. Even when the staffer attempted to punch Hyoubu, Hyoubu catches his arm effortlessly following up with Hyoubu infusing his arms with flames; flicks the side of his arm into his opponent’s chest bringing him to his knee. Hyoubu teleports once again, switching places with Azusa as he effortlessly finishes off the foe with a front aerial that made them collapse to the ground.

Azusa returns to Hyoubu, bowing politely at him, looking at him with a sense of accomplishment. “You did well Azusa.” Hyoubu praised as he looked joyful. Hyoubu places his hand on the side of Azusa’s face. They appeared rather intimate and affectionate at one other. Azusa smiled adoringly at the affection Hyoubu gave him. Suddenly, Hyoubu notices the staffer trying to move once again. “Azusa.” Hyoubu signals at Azusa, pointing at the staffer. “You think they would learn by now Hun? Azusa comments. Hyoubu chuckled. “I would believe so too. They really are a stubborn one.” Hyoubu said mischievously. Since the staffer didn’t risk wanting to face the lethality of them both, instead, releases electricity from his hands and surges through the ground; causing it to raise, reaching the couple. “Well damn.” Hyoubu comments as they both get injured by the bolts of electricity, increasing its power to make sure that the target was dead.

The target saw that the couple collapsed, sighing with relief that they took them out. They picked up their bo staff, ready to return to Black Phantom despite their injuries. Hyoubu laughs wickedly. “You really are naive, aren’t you?” The injured Hyoubu asked rhetorically with a tone of slyness and sarcasm, he smugly smirked. The staffer looked confused but the illusionary hypnosis wore off on both of them, with Hyoubu’s illusion warped away while Azusa’s dissolved into mist. The staffer looked in shock as Hyoubu surprises them from behind. Hyoubu jabs his hand into forcefully into esper’s chest, piercing them with blunt force. “Now, you can properly rest.” Hyoubu spoke as he releases his hand from them. This time the opponent was done for as once the esper collapsed, they didn’t make a move. Hyoubu shook the blood off his hands. Azusa arrives in the room, teleporting from shrouds of darkness.

Hyoubu smiles warmly at Azusa as bows to him politely and formally. “You did very well.” Hyoubu complimented. Azusa looks at him with a loving and playful grin. Both decide to take a moment to sit down, using their powers like that did exert their energy quite a bit. Azusa rests his head on Hyoubu’s shoulder. “This is the power of Black Phantom? How disappointing. It’s bad that they use espers like we are some sort of circus animal.” Azusa commented. “It’s truly more disappointing that if their presence continues to flow, it’ll be hard for us to rescue the espers. They might’ve not been the strongest but I believe more will end up coming after us. Black Phantom is not only our business rival but also the enemy of espers as a whole.” Hyoubu replied. Azusa checks his cell phone, seeing that P.A.N.D.R.A isn’t that far from their current location, being only two minutes away currently. He shows this to Hyoubu. “They’ll be here in two minutes.” Azusa looked at Hyoubu with a warm smile, thinking about P.A.N.D.R.A, they felt like a real family to them both even with their criminal history. Hyoubu smiles silently and took it upon himself to kiss his shorter husband’s cheek. Azusa flustered for a second before smiling happily. As they wait for P.A.N.D.R.A to arrive, both of them looked off into the distance watching their surroundings, as they think about how much accomplished today.

#romantic f/o: hyoubu the king of pandra #s/i: umbrakinetic king #otp: shadow angel #hyoubu kyousuke #zettai karen children #fictional other #self ship #self shipper #self shipping community #f/o #self ship writing #self ship fanfic #the unlimited hyoubu kyousuke #self insert writing #my self ship #self insert x canon #self ship writer #self ship positivity #self insert positivity #villain s/i #villain f/o #anime self ship #tw violence #tw gun mention #tw blood #tw injury

[brightbeautifulthings]

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (trans. Robin Buss)

"'I have heard it said that the dead have never done, in six thousand years, as much evil as the living do in a single day.'"

Year Read: 2019

Rating: 3/5

Context: Last year’s year-long Les Mis read went so well, I decided to choose another intimidating classic to tackle in the same fashion this year. I know myself, and if I don't deliberately pace out a book like this, I'll try to read a thousand pages in a week, and it will just be a miserable experience. (That's not to say some classics aren't miserable experiences regardless of how you read them, but that's another issue entirely.) The Count of Monte Cristo was calling to me from the shelf, and by pure luck, I already owned the edition I wanted to read (plus a B&N abridged version that promptly went into the donation box). Reviews overwhelmingly praise Robin Buss’s translation for ease/modernity, and the Penguin Classics haven’t let me down yet.

For my less coherent updates in real-time: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX. My review is spoiler-free, but my updates are not, so read with caution if you’re not familiar. Trigger warnings: In a book with a thousand pages? Everything, probably, but for sure death, parent/child death, suicide/suicidal thoughts, severe illness, guns, abduction, poisoning, slavery, mental illness, sexism, ableism, grief, depression.

About: When forces conspire to have sailor Edmond Dantès arrested for a crime he didn't commit, he spends years in a hellish prison, fighting to stay sane. Through bravery and good fortune, he manages to escape, and he assumes a new identity for himself: The Count of Monte Cristo. Under this guise, he inserts himself into the lives of the French nobility, vowing revenge on those who wronged him.

Thoughts: Like most thousand page novels, there's no reason this novel needs to be a thousand pages, but the one thing I can say about them, collectively, is that I come away feeling like I have a relationship with them that I usually don't get from a shorter book unless I've read it multiple times. And it makes sense: I've been reading this book for a year. I've had relationships with actual humans that were much shorter than that. Dumas's prose (helped along by Buss's translation) is accessible and not overly dry, if not quite as humorous as Victor Hugo’s. Thanks to both of them, I now have a rudimentary understanding of the French Revolution and the difference between a Royalist and Bonapartist (because truly the only way to make me read about history is to put it in a novel).

Dumas proves himself more capable of staying on topic though, with one or two exceptions. The only margin note I cared to write was, apparently, "Horrible digression", and I stand by that. As soon as the novel leaves Dantès’s perspective, it gets less interesting, beginning with Franz encountering Sinbad the Sailor on Monte Cristo and continuing with the Very Weird and Terrible Side Anecdotes about bandits in Rome. Otherwise, much of the storyline is more or less linear, without the intricacies of Waterloo or the Paris sewer system. It grows more chaotic as the book goes on though, with frequent digressions into every character's backstory.

The plot takes such a drastic turn that it's almost like reading two different novels with two different main characters. At the beginning, it’s most like an adventure story. There are sailors, prison breaks, and buried treasure. Yet, for all those things, it’s surprisingly un-suspenseful. Dumas has a very stolid way of story-telling. The pace is almost supernaturally consistent, so that even things that probably should have tension in them are presented as a matter of course. (Or maybe I’m just hugely desensitized by media.) I wasn’t as excited as I thought I should be during some of the more compelling parts, but there’s something reassuring about Dumas’s relentlessly straightforward story-telling.

The middle takes a major dip in interest. Cue a lot of long and tedious backstories, plus Monte Cristo's elaborate set-ups to take down his enemies. It basically devolves into a soap opera of the various dramas of Paris’s rich and powerful families. Monte Cristo barely needs to lift a finger to destroy these people, since with a few mostly harmless suggestions, it looks like they're all going to self-destruct at any moment without outside help. The ending never really recovers from the action of the beginning, thanks in large part to the characters. There are more than it's worth keeping track of, including a lot of side characters, family members, and name changes. A detailed, spoiler-free flow chart of how everyone is connected to everyone else would have been helpful. (But be careful about Googling those because spoilers.)

Edmond Dantès is an easy hero to pull for, since he’s honest, good, and capable, and he has a kind of earnest faith that things will work out that’s endearing. He goes through a fair amount of character development in prison, and his father/son relationship with Faria is especially moving. On the other hand, it's difficult to like his alternate persona, The Count of Monte Cristo. Dumas goes a bit overboard in making him filthy rich and knowledgeable about literally every subject, and no matter how generous he is to his slaves, they're still slaves. Whether he’s playing the part of a pompous ass or is actually a pompous ass is sort of irrelevant by the end. There are a couple of flailing attempts at character development in the last sections where he wonders whether he had the right to do everything he did, but it's too little/too late to make much of an impact.

The story wouldn't work without some Shakespeare-level villains. Danglars is Iago whispering in Othello’s ear, and Villefort is even more insidious because his upstanding citizen act is so convincing. Caderousse is just a coward, and it’s interesting to see how jealousy, ambition, and fear all play an integral part in condemning an innocent man. Mercédès is a bland love interest; Valentine and Morrel are basically the Cosette and Marius of the novel, but at least there are some decent people on the page to pull for. Much as I dislike all the descriptors of Eugenie as “masculine” (because she must be less of a woman if she has a mind of her own), she's a powerhouse, and I was living for her lesbian relationship with her piano instructor.

It's clear Dumas has no idea when to end a story, since every time I thought we'd wrapped up a plot with a certain character, they'd resurface a few chapters later to spin it out a little further. Though everything (and I do mean everything) moves much more slowly than necessary, I was satisfied with the way it all played out. It's hard to come back from a main character I can barely stand though, and I happen to not like novels where nearly every character is terrible. While I found Les Mis surprisingly relevant on its social commentary, I’m struggling to see why Monte Cristo has stuck around. Only the first parts could reliably be called an "adventure novel," and the rest is purely middle of the road.

#book review #the count of monte cristo #alexandre dumas #monte cristo readalong #classics #3/5 #rating: 3/5

[eternityunicorn]

Elijah’s Eternity Part Ten

Author: eternityunicorn 

Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU

Pairing: Elijah Mikaelson x OC

Warnings: Violence, Language, Smut (Smut marked +18)

Summary: Elijah Mikaelson didn’t know what to expect when he encountered the strange archer in the night, but he certainly didn’t think his whole world would be turned upside down by it. Yet, he quickly learns that she is more than what she seems, having come looking for an Original after a large spike in supernatural being populations started cropping up on Earth a thousand years ago. Now, he must help her decide if the supernatural community should stay on their home planet or leave it for good? A task that is made more complicated along the way, as his life is changed forever.

NOTE: OC is from my up and coming novel series. Other elements from said novel series also included. 

———————————————————————————————————

The walk to the Art Institute of Chicago was frankly quick. It was just located a couple of blocks away from the penthouse, not a long walk at all. Elijah walked with Eternity by his side, her hand nestled in the crook of his arm with her other hand resting on his bicep. It reminded him of their time in Maine, just a couple nights before. 

They moved steadily toward their destination, while Elijah spoke of his few past adventure in the city. She smiled at his retelling, at the excitement he displayed whenever he would paint the imagery of the old landscape for her. She didn’t say much in reply, contented to simply listen to him speak.

His telling made the already short journey feel even shorter. It wasn’t long at all until they were climbing the steps of the Art Institute, recognizable by the green lions that stood guard on either side of the large stairway. Once inside, he took the lead in showing her around the place, having wanted to show her his favorite pieces and periods of art.

For a while, they simply wandered about, viewing this painting or that sculpture. He would tell her of his knowledge in each piece. Again, Eternity was content to let him tell her what he knew, seeming to absorb everything he said with high interest. She would comment here or there on what she had experienced in regards to the time periods each piece was from, but for the most part, she was just content to look and listen. 

One of the exhibits of the institute was that of old Viking swords and shields. Here, he stared at each piece with a certain fondness. A lot of the items locked behind the glass had been apart of his life long ago. They generally reminded him of a time long since past - of home. He began talking about the construction of the swords and shields in a step by step fashion, becoming more animated as he went. He remembered these things like they had happened yesterday and not a thousand years ago.

Then Elijah started speaking on the symbols etched into the metal. On one of the hilts was a worn etching of Loki, the Trickster God of Asgard. All he had to do was mention the figure’s name for a dark look to cross Eternity’s face. It was similar to the ones he had seen before upon her lovely features. 

She wasn’t looking at him, but at the sword he had mentioned. Her body was tense and it seemed like she was trying to light the old blade on fire with her stare. It didn’t light up, as he partially expected, which was good. It would be impossible to compel that many people into forgetting such a strange incident. Yet, he was concerned as to the cause of such a disturbed look. It didn’t settle well to see her upset.

“Eternity,” Elijah called to her, reaching to gently grab her arm.

The moment he touched her, she snapped out of it. She smiled shyly and laughed nervously at him. “Forgive me,” she whispered.

“Are you alright?”

“Aye. Just remembering...the past.”

With those words, Elijah was immediately more interested in her than the artifacts. “Explain.”

Eternity looked back at the sword with Loki on it, though this time her expression was light and animated, if not also a little sad. “Loki, along with all the figures of the old Norsemen’s religion, are real people,” she told him softly. “It is the same for some of the other mythologies too. Zeus, Hera, Hades. Anubis, Osiris, Isis. Odin, Thor...Loki. All of them are real.”

Elijah was taken aback by her words. So, there were gods amongst the immortals she spoke of. While he admitted he was surprised, it wasn’t as if he hadn’t expected to find out something of that nature from her. In fact, it made sense that some of the figures of human mythology would be real. But what puzzled him was why did the mention of Loki affect her so much? 

“Loki and I have history,” Eternity answered his thoughts. “He killed my grandmother, who was the Universal Queen before the duty fell to me. They hated each other and so, Loki acted as he always does: with malicious intent, slaying her before should even defend herself.”

“So, you seek revenge for this crime,” surmised Elijah. 

“No, not revenge,” she responded quickly. “I am a guardian. Revenge is not in my nature as a result. Though justice certainly needs to be fulfilled for his actions, but not with his death.”

Elijah didn’t understand. A man committed regicide and yet death wasn’t to be the automatic punishment for such a heinous crime? Maybe the laws were different for the immortals, he reasoned. Perhaps, they understood death was too swift a punishment and so, chose other methods to execute justice.

“You know, all those old Norsemen stories that you and your family grew up on were mostly complete fabrications,” smiled Eternity, changing the direction of their conversation. 

He allowed it, figuring it was best for now. So, he smirked playfully, “Is that right?”

“Aye, it is,” she nodded. “Odin, Loki, and Thor used to come here to Earth, to tell tales of their godhoods to the poor naive humans. Odin was especially full of himself when he spoke of how he created the universe and life itself to the humans. Of course, it never happened. Odin is not a creator god or any sort of god for that matter. He, like all immortals of light, are fallible creatures with only a higher calling of guardianship. Yet, he and many others, still like to think themselves gods toward those they deem lesser than; humanity being number one in that.”

“They sound delightful.”

“They are quite ridiculous. A little pathetic as well.”

Seeing how indignant she was becoming, Elijah observed, “You’re very impassioned by this distasteful attitude of your fellow immortals.”

With deadly seriousness, Eternity replied, “When they think themselves above others, you’re damned right I’m impassioned by their distasteful attitudes. Nobody is better than anyone else. No matter their station in the greater scheme of the universes.”

Elijah was impressed by the fierceness in her, in that moment. Her sapphire eyes were unyielding and intense with a noble sense of compassion for others, particularly in regard to those weaker. It was beautiful to see light in someone nonhuman like him. He had lived in darkness for so long, hoping to see light shine in on his world. Now, here she was doing just that with her value of others, of the innocent. His heart swelled for her and before he knew it, he was cupping her cheek and pulling her close. He kissed her passionately. 

Though a little surprised at first, she reciprocated eagerly, curling her hands up into his hair tenderly as she did. 

Elijah didn’t know how long they stood there wrapped up in each other, but by the time they parted, both of them were absolutely breathless. He took the opportunity to whisk them away to another area of the institute, holding her hand in his the whole way.

“You know, I’ve spent the past thousand years doing as I pleased,” he found himself telling her as they went. “Justice for the Mikaelson Family has always been based on self-preservation or selfish pursuits, including killing those that dare oppose us, humans included. Niklaus is the most ruthless of us, but we’ve all killed, maimed, tortured whenever it suited us. Even I’m not excluded from such...darkness.”

“I know,” Eternity said. “The darkness is powerful. It is easy to give into it, to let your darker nature prevail, especially when you have a brother who is a master of it; of fear, or control, of revenge. Live like that long enough and it’s difficult to live any other way, even if you wish it. But there is always light, even in you, Elijah - in Niklaus. If you can find it, then you can be different, better.”

“Maybe I just don’t believe that,” he smiled humorlessly.

“Perhaps it is simply something you have to discover on your own,” she countered, “but in the meantime, may I suggest you consider this: would I be here with you, if you were such a monster? If you are not capable of more?”

Elijah gazed at her profoundly, considering her words, but he didn’t reply. Instead, he turned back to the tour of the Art Institute, trying to turn their outing back to a happier tone.

Soon, they reached the Far East exhibit and Eternity was enthralled by the art there, as she gazed at some old Japanese artworks from the Feudal Era. Their previous talk had been abandoned for the time being.

“My family is from Japan,” Eternity informed him casually with a fond smile. “They lived in the region before the Great War. We’ve adapted many of the customs and whatnot from our ancestral home on Earth.”

Elijah looked surprised, “Really?”

“I also have a different cousin from the one I mentioned before,” she said, “whom still lives there. She runs a small shrine and tends to the wounded and sick mortals who wander into her forest. Though it’s technically illegal, she does also revive people from the dead, but usually only children. However, that should always be an exception to the rule.”

“I’ve been to Japan, years ago, and now that you mention it, I do recall hearing about a mystical shrine that performed miracles,” admitted Elijah, after some thought. “I thought it was utter nonsense, as many tales like those are. I suppose I shouldn’t have been so hasty in dismissing the stories.”

“Perhaps, it’s for the best that you did dismiss them,” Eternity replied. “Kaname wouldn’t take kindly to a vampire entering her woods. Not even one that meant no harm. Dark creatures are simply not allowed there.”

Elijah couldn’t take offense to that. It was true, he was a dark creature; a being created with dark magic. No doubt, her cousin had the same purpose in life as Eternity did; to protect others from the darkness. 

With that thought, he began to wonder why Eternity was with him? He was a being of darkness, and she was one of light. They shouldn’t be together. She shouldn’t want to be with him. Yes, they had an arrangement, a temporary partnership. But it was more than that. She had allowed more and in a short amount of time. Eternity was right by his side, as his lover - a companion. He didn’t understand it. Yet, he wanted nothing else than her by his side. He believed she felt the same way. 

“I’m with you because I like what I see in you,” Eternity told him, reading his thoughts again. “You are a complex man, to be sure. You are fiercely devoted to your family. You care about their well-beings over all others, a noble cause. Of course, you’ll commit whatever terrible sin you must to protect your family and that can lead to terrible deeds. But I can see that you are capable of love and compassion and forgiveness, qualities that are of light, qualities that I can appreciate, despite your flaws.”

Elijah gave a small smile, reaching out to touch her cheek tenderly in appreciation, before moving on.

From there, they explored other parts of the institute, their conversations resuming their lightness. Eventually, they reached the food court and decided to take a break from their wanderings. There were others around, families and couples alike, getting food or sitting about conversing. The voices echoed in the vaulted room, making each conversation blend in with the others.

Elijah bought lunch for them and they sat together, at the outside seating with big green umbrellas at every table, where it was much quieter. He had ordered a couple cold sandwiches and juices for them to enjoy; though in truth, Eternity enjoyed the food more than he. He wasn’t exactly fond of the low quality rubbish that the institute provided. 

“Human food is amazing,” Eternity hummed appreciatively. “Their cuisines are so much better than most of the immortal worlds.”

“Is that right?” He replied, amused by the way she vigorously scarfed down the subpar ham sandwich as any ordinary person might. “I would think that theirs would be the superior cuisine.”

She scrunched her nose at him, “No, it’s not. It’s because most immortal food is produced through magic. The magic makes any food created from it taste artificial, stale even. It’s not appetizing in the least, believe me.”

“Is that why you come here to this world? To have decent food?”

“One of the reasons, yes.”

He chuckled humorously. 

Before anything else could be said, the loud sound of gunshots rang out into to the air. The sound had alerted Eternity, especially when many screams accompanied the continuous sound of firing guns. Elijah was mildly curious about it, but he didn’t get involved with the affairs of humans. Human matters were of no concern to him, an Original. Though from what he knew, he could surmise that it was either a robbery going wrong or a crazed madman going on a rampage. 

“It’s coming from outside the institute,” Eternity informed him needlessly, getting up swiftly.

“So it is,” replied Elijah with slight disinterest.

She didn’t seem bothered by his reaction. In fact, she looked understanding of it. “Normally, I don’t get involved in human affairs either,” she said hurriedly, ‘but that’s mostly because I’m not around to be involved. I’d like to see what I can do to help. I simply cannot abide by any innocent getting hurt.”

Of course, she couldn’t. 

Elijah sighed, “Well, perhaps if we go to the roof, we can see what we can do without letting the entire city know about us. I do like to maintain a low profile.���

“Just what I was thinking. Shall we?”

“As my lady wishes.”

With vampire speed, Elijah got them up to the roof of the institute. They moved to a spot where they could observe whatever was going on down below without notice. From their vantage point, Elijah could see a dozen police surrounding their suspect who had a hostage in his grasp - a gun pointed to the young woman’s head. From the looks of things, it also looked like a couple of people were wonder, bleeding on the ground. The smell of human blood was strong. It was good that Eternity’s blood was still sustaining him or else he wouldn’t have been able to remain so composed. 

The scene was full of onlookers and rescue teams. There wasn’t any way from him to do anything with so many witnesses. It was lucky for the humans that they happened to had a goddess watching over them in Eternity.

She swiftly assessed the situation. “The gunman is being controlled,” she observed. “I sense weak human magic - a dark variety of it.”

“A witch.”

“Aye.”

“Well, what do you suppose we do?” He asked, finally becoming interested in the situation, but only because one from the supernatural community was involved.

Eternity smiled, “I got this.”

Instantly, her outfit shifted into the corset and leather legging ensemble she always wore when going into battle. In her hands, her yumi bow and a single arrow already notched there appeared. The arrow head glowed bright blue like her horn did when she was a unicorn. She took aim at the possessed madman and let the arrow fly. 

To Elijah’s surprise, the arrow wasn’t meant to wound the man, but instead landed at his feet. Immediately, the blue light waffled up into blue vapors that swirled around the human. The gunman ceased holding the gun at the woman in his grasp and he slowly released her in a hypnotized sort of way. Within moments, he swayed and then collapsed in a heap on the ground. 

“The spell has been broken,” Eternity informed Elijah. 

It seemed to be true. The gunman recovered from his fall and began looking around him in confused horror, wondering what was going on. Then the realization hit and the man panicked, screaming that he wasn’t responsible for the crime, just as the police were moving in to subdue him. He begged and pleaded, but it fell on deaf ears.

“He’s a pawn,” observed Eternity, as the gunman was being carried off into the awaiting police car. “The lover of a vampire is he, but he doesn’t know that his lover is of supernatural origin.”

“This vampire probably angered a witch and the witch sought revenge through the human,” supplied Elijah. “I wonder if he or she is a member of the local vampire clan.”

“You refer to the one we’re to meet.”

“Yes. That very one.”

Eternity’s outfit shifted back into the lovely lavender dress from before. Her bow vanished as she changed as well. “Now I’m even more intrigued to meet this clan.” 

Elijah held out his hand to her then, “Yes, so am I.”

She took his hand without hesitation. The two of them headed down off the roof. Their exploration of the institute was over. Though the tour of the city was still on the agenda. There were other places that Elijah knew she would find interesting. 

They spent the rest of the day, going around the city, with Elijah telling her of the history, of his own personal experiences there. He also took her to the shops around town, letting her explore the human world at close range. The people they passed all stopped to stare in awe of Eternity. Some were curious and others were wary. Children were the most amusing in their admiration. They would stop and look with wide eyes and excitement. It was as if they could see what she really was, despite her human visage. Maybe they could. Either way, it was fascinating to see.

Eventually, the evening set in and Elijah took Eternity to a high end Italian restaurant, where they were served the best wine and far better food than that of the Art Institute’s food court. They sat and talked about a variety of things, nothing of great importance. It was just light talk, the same as it had been since earlier in the day. There was nothing but enjoyment in each other’s company. 

Then just as they were leaving the restaurant, Elijah felt the hunger stir inside him for the first time since he had tasted Eternity’s blood. Outside, he told Eternity, “I must feed.”

Eternity nodded understandingly, taking Elijah by his hand and leading him away toward the back of the building. Once they were concealed in shadows, she turned to him and said, “Feed on me.”

He didn’t hesitate this time. He pulled Eternity to him, embracing her tightly in one arm, while the hand of the other reached up to trace the column of her neck tantalizingly. He could feel the blood coursing through her beneath his fingertips, it caused the excitement of the feed to course at a greater pace through his own body. 

Without waiting another moment, Elijah descended up Eternity. His mouth traced open mouth kisses to her skin, his tongue reaching out to taste the soft flesh. He felt her sigh and relax against him, just before he let his vampire teeth sink into her neck. 

She gasped and tensed, but only for a moment, relaxing against him again almost immediately. She clutched him to her, a hand cupping the back of his head tenderly, while he pulled the blood from her. She moaned deliciously, the sound driving him. As before, the taste of her was exquisite and it warmed him to that same higher degree, making him feel far stronger and  completely sated than any human could. 

When Elijah eventually pulled away and looked down at the woman in his arms, Eternity had that glazed, flushed look about her again, giving the impression of drunkenness. “That was amazing,” she sighed contently. 

He grinned down at her, “You seem to enjoy my feeding on you.”

“I do,” she replied without hesitation. She smiled widely, while still clinging to him. 

Elijah chuckled, keeping his arm securely around her to keep her from falling. She simply didn’t seem to be able to support herself. “Come on, Sweetheart, let’s get you home. We can rest there until it’s time to meet with my acquaintance.”

Eternity nodded. She let him guide her out of the shadows and back out into the open. Together, they headed home to wait for the midnight hour to strike and their meeting with the vampire clan to commence. Little did Elijah know, what adventure awaited them when they arrived there.

#elijah mikaelson #the originals #the vampire diaries #ocs #my ocs #romance #adventure #love story

[crispsevans]

Films in 2019

Woah, it’s been a while since I actually wrote some reviews to my seen movies. My current count is at 21/150 for 2019, 12 out of 21 seen in theatre.

filmpage - filmlist - suggest a film

CAN CONTAIN SPOILERS.

Vice (2018)

seen in theatre production country: USA OV: english seen version: german Starring: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Sam Rockwell, Steve Carrell Director: Adam McKay Plot summary: The story of Dick Cheney (Bale), an unassuming bureaucratic Washington insider, who quietly wielded immense power as Vice President to George W. Bush (Rockwell), reshaping the country and the globe in ways that we still feel today.

Review: I went to see this one before Oscar night, so I actually have seen most of the nominated movies of the year. 

I don’t know how much of this movie is actually true, but I left the theatre quiet shocked, because somehow most of those things just passed me. It may be, because I was a child when Bush and Cheney ran the US politics, but looking back a lot of it made sense to me. 

Now however much of it is true, it was a very ... entertaining movie. I really love McKay’s style of directing and story telling, also the cinematography and the final cut of the movie were really good. Bale’s performance is outstanding, as always, and I am still mad he didn’t win that Oscar. 

If you’re into political movies this is a Must-See. Rating: 4,5/5

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)

seen in theatre production country: USA OV: english seen version: OV Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant Director: Marielle Heller Plot summary: When Lee Israel (McCarthy) falls out of step with current tastes, she turns her art form to deception.

Review: This was part of the Oscar night double feature that I attended.

SUCH A POSTITIVE SURPRISE!!!!

Never heard of Lee Israel before, since this movie is based on her own book. I was so curious to see which role it was that brought McCarthy to her Oscar nomination and I was pleasantly surprised by her performance and also by Richard E. Grants performance in this movie. It was so serious but had so many funny moments - it’s a very authentic piece of film. I loved it a lot and is such an underdog movie. Very entertaining and well played. I also loved the color grading of this film. Rating: 5/5

If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

seen in theatre production country: USA OV: english seen version: OV Starring: KiKi Jayne, Stephan James, Regina King Director: Barry Jenkins Plot summary: A woman in Harlem (Jayne) embraces her pregnancy while she and her family struggle to prove her fiancé (James) innocent of a crime.

Review: Also part of the Oscar night double feature.

Very good and very important movie, though I had the feeling it could’ve been a little shorter. I have not read the book this film is based on so I cannot judge how good the adaption actually is, but I enjoyed watching it. Some serious issues are talked about in this movie, but at the same time it has so much love in it. Also a lot of naivety, but that’s probably because of the age of the protagonists. Rating: 4/5

Anon (2018)

streamed on Amazon Prime Germany production country: USA / Canada / Germany OV: english seen version: OV Starring: Clive Owen, Amanda Seyfried Director: Andrew Niccol Plot summary: In a world without anonymity or crime, a detective (Owen) meets a woman (Seyfried) who threatens their security.

Review: I still don’t really know what to think about this one to be honest. It was part of the 99ct-Prime Deals over here in Germany and I’m usually really into futuristic movies like this, e.g. I loved “In Time”, which was also directed by Niccol and the reason I really wanted to see this one.

The entire atmosphere of this film was very dark and mysterious. I don’t really know if I understood the movie right, to be honest, not because I don’t know what they’re saying in the movie but some scenes were kind of a mystery to me.  Rating: 3/5

Isn’t It Romantic? (2019)

streamed on Netflix Germany production country: USA OV: english seen version: OV Starring: Rebel Wilson, Liam Hemsworth, Adam Devine Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson Plot summary: A young woman (Wilson) disenchanted with love mysteriously finds herself trapped inside a romantic comedy.

Review: I had high hopes for this one (I love romcoms), but I was let down completely. It was over the top, tried to be super funny when it actually wasn’t and I just sincerely didn’t like it very well. Poorly written, I’m sorry.

I loved the fashion of the movie though and another plus for Rebel Wilson and Liam Hemsworth, because I love them anyway.

Rating: 2,5/5

Captain Marvel (2019)

seen in theatre (twice, soon thrice) production country: USA / Australia OV: english seen version: german Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck Plot summary: Carol Danvers (Larson) becomes one of the universe's most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races.

Review: SALTY AF AND I FREAKING LOVED IT.

I can see why so many men dislike this movie, but I loved it so much, because it’s so salty and Carol is the hero we deserve. Here we go, new strongest avenger. Who’s Thor and who’s Hulk? HAVE YOU SEEN CAROL FLYING THROUGH SPACEEEEEE????

Loved the message of this film so much, probably my most favourite Marvel movie with Black Panther. Higher, Further, Faster BABY.  Carol as a character is a very strong woman, not giving up ever since her childhood. Very inspiring character and character development.

I had literally zero expectations, because I really disliked the trailers. They don’t do this film justice. If I wasn’t into the MCU already, I wouldn’t have joined after seeing those trailers. But what a shame it would’ve been, if I hadn’t seen it.  Shoutout to my friend to paid my ticket the first time and went to see it with me again like two days later lol. Yes, I saw it two times already and I plan to see it a third time in OV - can’t wait for that one.

Also Goose is the best thing about this movie. 

Midway through the film I saw the twist coming, though, but I really liked it. Would I see it again? A billion times yes. Rating: 5/5

The Imitation Game (2014)

streamed on Amazon Prime Germany production country: USA / UK OV: english seen version: OV Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Mark Strong Director: Morten Tyldum Plot summary: During World War II, the English mathematical genius Alan Turing (Cumberbatch) tries to crack the German Enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians.

Review: I missed seeing this one back in 2014 when it hit theatres. So I was very happy when it was part of the 99ct Prime Deals and I got it immediately. I wasn’t let down, what a great movie. I did a little research and even though the movie is different to Turing’s actual biography written by Andrew Hodges, I really liked it a lot and Cumberbatch’s performance is really amazing. His portrayal of Turing came across as very authentic and believable. 

Cracking a code is really a thing of impossibility for me so it was very interesting to see the process of cracking Enigma. Turing’s legacy still lives on ‘til this day with every new computer that is build - we really owe him a lot. It makes me sad to have found out he most likely committed suicide after his hormonal ‘therapy’ that he had to go through. 

Very touching.

Rating: 4/5

Monsieur Claude 2 (2019)

seen in theatre production country: France OV: french seen version: german Starring: Christian Clavier, Chantal Lauby Director: Philippe de Chauveron Plot summary: Claude (Clavier) and Marie Verneuil (Lauby) face a new crisis. The four spouses of their daughters, David, Rachid, Chao and Charles decided to leave France for various reasons. Here they are imagining their lives elsewhere.

Review: Sneak monday, luckily we only paid 2,50€ this time. 

This film is a disaster, building up on ‘humor’ that is based on homophobia, sexism, racism and many other bad things. I did laugh, but not because I thought it was funny, but because there was so much reality in it that I used the laughing as a way to cover up my disbelief in this. 

If people seriously think this is funny then I don’t know what’s wrong with them, I’m sorry. I don’t know if the intention of the movie was to actually show people how stupid it is to be THIS political incorrect or if they were actually thinking this is genuinely funny. However, just don’t watch it - it’s a waste of time.

Half of a point for the beautiful french countryside shots and the whole location setting plus the fashion in this movie. 

Rating: 0,5/5

#films2019 #reviews

[unexpectedreylo]

Spoilerific Thoughts On “Solo”

Rosé All Day In The GFFA!

As of writing, I’ve seen the movie twice and I really enjoyed it both times.   Forget those tales of a troubled production; Ron Howard made a solidly entertaining, fun film with lots of goodies and surprises for fans of most stripes.

“Solo” is basically a heist movie and a Marvel-esque origin story at the same time.  When we meet Everyone’s Favorite Smuggler, he’s a runaway living in Corellia’s dark and filthy underworld hoping for the big score to get him and his girlfriend Qi’ra away from their Fagin-like “master.”   We march through Han’s escape from Corellia, how he ended up with his last name, his abrupt and necessary decision to go to the Imperial Academy, his time as an Imperial officer, his first meeting with Chewbacca, and his re-entry into the galaxy’s underworld with his mentor, Tobias Beckett.  We witness his first meeting with Lando Calrissian and finding the love of his life, at least the one that isn’t a breathing person, the Millennium Falcon.  The famous sabacc game?  It’s there.  So’s the legendary Kessel Run.  All of the while, Han’s penchant for trouble and not listening to anyone but himself puts him in danger over and over.  It’s all great character development and enjoyable to watch.  But there’s more!  In “Solo,” we see the gray and topsy-turvy world of the galaxy’s criminal class.  Sometimes it appears glamorous and beautiful, sometimes it looks just like what it is:  dirty and awful.  The good turns out to be bad and the bad turns out to be good.  All of the while, Beckett reminds Han never to trust anyone.

So, you might ask, what did you think of Alden Ehrenreich?  Alden was in the same crappy position that Chris Pine was in while playing Captain Kirk in the more recent Star Trek films; it’s very difficult to step into a very famous role played by a very famous actor.  Ewan McGregor had a similar problem but because he played Obi-Wan decades younger, it gave him a lot more wiggle room to define the character himself while making it credible he and Alec Guinness were playing the same guy.  Ehrenreich and Pine were playing their respective roles less than 20 years younger than their more legendary incarnations.  That’s tough.  I’m certain some people are blowing off this film simply because they can’t accept someone else playing Han Solo.  The other side of that coin is it’s precarious in HOW you play the character.  Take on too much of Ford’s affectations, it looks like an impersonation, one that could descend into parody fast.  Completely ignore them and people won’t connect that it’s Han Solo at all.  Now, Ehrenreich doesn’t really look much like Ford.  He’s shorter, his nose is smaller, the whole shape of his face is different.  There’s only a bit of resemblance around the eyes and the makeup people thoughtfully added Ford’s chin scar.  It’s a little jarring when you realize that eventual son Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) really does look related to Ford while Ehrenreich looks like neither one of them.  My mom the movie critic, who saw the movie with me and my brother the first time, thought Ehrenreich is actually better-looking than Ford.  But (and there’s always a but) attitude can make up for a lack of resemblance.  More on that in a second.  For what it’s worth, Ehrenreich does have the right attitude.  It’s like seeing a more boyish Han, one who gets by on b.s. and bluster, who’s a tiny bit full of himself, and who hasn’t experienced a decade’s worth of betrayals yet to come and other things that made him far more world-weary in ANH.  This Han is charming and self-assured, a cinnamon roll whose circumstances define him but won’t defeat him and turn him into well, Qi’ra.  From this movie, it’s easy to see why he was drawn to Rey in TFA.  He saw a lot of himself in her.

Everyone does a pretty bang up job in the film performance-wise.  I have to say Donald Glover absolutely kills it as Lando.  Glover doesn’t really look like Billy Dee Williams but he’s got the Lando-ness down perfectly:  the smoothness, the vague sleaziness, the flair for fashion, and all around cool.  He even nailed Williams’s way of speaking without making it an impersonation.  Glover has so much charisma in the part, I really wouldn’t mind seeing him again in his own adventure.  Woody Harrelson was an excellent fit as Beckett.  Harrelson brings his own charisma and worldliness as the father figure who initiates Han into the life that as prophesized, he never got out of.  Casting him was a great idea.  Also worthy of mention is Phoebe Waller-Bridge as L3-37, or simply “L3.”  Funny and sassy, you’ll be touched by her short time onscreen.  And the mysterious Enfys Nest (Erin Kellyman) who turns out to be not quite what we thought.

The surprise in this turned out to be Emilia Clarke as Qi’ra.  Of all the new characters, she’s easily the most fascinating.  She’s beautiful, smart, resourceful, and tough but also a bit of a femme fatale.  She has a heart but she’s also hungry and hell bent on not ending up a Corellian street rat again.   She is what Han could have been with a few degrees of difference in his personality or more time spent a virtual slave on Corellia, what Rey could have been had she decided to trade on her looks and feminine wiles for material security from crime bosses.  The interesting thing about her is she clearly cares about Han.  I don’t know if she loves him per se but she does care about him enough to know she has to protect him from her.  She’s sort of like that old Amy Winehouse song, “You Know I’m No Good.” Paul Bettany’s character and Beckett both warn Han that he doesn’t know her as well as he thinks he does and that she’s done some pretty bad things.  We know for sure she allied herself with a crime syndicate that has committed atrocities and well, we find out toward the end how far her darkness extends.  She accepts Han’s affections but to a point.  Why?  She knows they can’t get attached.  At the end, when she splits in the mobile Crimson Dawn HQ, it seems to parallel the last Force bond seen in TLJ.  In TLJ, Rey has to do it for her own sake as well as Kylo’s.  In this movie, Qi’ra does it for Han’s own good.  The more he’s kept away from this stuff the better, not so much IMO she fears that lifestyle would destroy him as she realizes at some point her knife has to go between Han’s shoulder blades if he keeps hanging around.

Poor Han.  Not only can the guy never escape trouble, he’s constantly faced with betrayal throughout his life, which it is easy to see why he leans so much on Chewie.  Say what you will about Chewbacca, but he’s the one of the very few beings who never lets Han down.  Sadder yet are the implications of Han’s upbringing and his relationships with authority/father figures.  In one conversation with Lando, Han mentions his blue collar dad that he wasn’t close to.  Who knows what THAT relationship was like?  Han tells his Imperial recruitment officer that he “has no people,” so the officer christens him Solo.  (For all we know, Han’s real last name is Wallbanger or Horowitz or Seymour-Butts.)  Why Han was on the streets is still a mystery.  Did Han simply run away from home?  Was it disagreement and butting heads or was there severe dysfunction, i.e. addiction, abuse, neglect?  Did Han do something to the old man?  We don’t know and it’s not like Han to tell.  Han takes to Beckett as a surrogate father figure who of course betrays him.  Another fascinating and tragic parallel takes place near the end of the movie.  Most people pay attention more to the “Han shot first” aspect of it rather than how this scene predicts Han’s eventual fate in TFA.  Han kills his father figure just as his own son will eventually kill him.  Han of course was acting in self-defense but it’s tragic all the same.  Han’s family situation also predicts the struggles he has in his relationship with Ben Solo.  In this context it makes sense that a man who had no idea what a dad is like would struggle to be one himself, especially since he’s almost or at middle age when it finally happens.

Another thing to love about “Solo” is its careful attention to the mythos.  The film has the style and feel of Brian Daley’s novels from back in the day, while much of Han’s backstory, known to Star Wars lore fans for decades, is in here.  Moreover, elements from the expanded universe, video games, The Clone Wars, and the prequels are brought in to great effect.  Teras Kasi?  Glee Anselm?  The Maw?  Carrida?  Aurra Sing’s fate? Colo claw fish roe as an appetizer?  It’s all in here!

I will say this:  DARTH MAUL’S SHOCK CAMEO GIVES ME LIFE!!!

I blurted out, “What the hell?!”  when he turned up at the end of the film.  (I also had to explain to my brother, who had never seen The Clone Wars or Rebels, why Maul was still alive.)  A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.  That Qi’ra is working for him has a whole host of implications for her and possibilities for Maul to return in other Star Wars canon.  And yes, that’s Ray Park reprising his role and Sam Witwer voicing him.

“Solo”’s score is pretty good, a mix of original and unique music and John Williams’s classic scores.  Listen for some fun callbacks like “Asteroid Chase” from TESB.

Like “Rogue One,” “Solo” is a smaller movie than the bigger, sweeping main saga flicks.  It doesn’t have TLJ’s artistic ambitions or haunting quality.  But there’s room for a movie that’s pure fun with a few more layers than expected.

#solo han solo ben solo star wars solo: a star wars story

[most-likely-terrible-dr-imagines]

Oh matchup! Im a girl,and is it okay to be shipped with just V3 boys? I enjoy messing with people and making them play guessing games. I've also grown to be a bit of a compulsive liar over the years. Im fairly interested in criminology and programming. I like to have my hair colored unnatural most of the time,and I have a thing for fashion,Its always gotta be stunning. I get poked fun at for my height quite a bit, but they do get met with a toe to the shin everytime. My humor is also fairly dark

I ship you with… Ouma Kokichi!

I feel like it’s quite obvious as to why, your manipulative personalities work well together but clash at the same time. At first it’s a somewhat love/hate situation, since it always catches him off guard whenever he gets lied too. So your existence completely turns his world upside-down, especially whenever you commit your ‘crimes’ against him.

Eventually though his anger turns into a bit of admiration, his thought process is that anyone worthy of being his partner in crime could be close to him. Soon enough though the simple ‘admiration’ aspect turns into more of a ‘I really like you’ but, y’know, more Ouma-fied.

One of his favorite aspects about you, is that you are shorter than him and he will pick on your for it absolutely all the time or whenever he gets the chance too. He’ll even use your shoulder as an arm rest when he can, as long as he’s able to avoid the toe to the shin. 

He’ll also poke fun on your obsession with fashion, but he really likes how well you’re always dressed. You always look adorable regardless of what you’re wearing, but what’s best is when you have nothing on

If you’re unhappy with your matchup, please send it in again and we’ll try to accommodate to your tastes. 

#Matchup #ouma kokichi

[shardclan]

Compared to thousands of years trapped within ice and crystalspine, deaf to everything but the voice of the Chosen and unable to act in any meaningful fashion, the jailhouse of Clan Aphaster was comforting. The cell was frigid enough that icicles hung from its snout, but it wasn't the power of the Imprisoner. It was mere ice. Similarly, the imperial that had captured it was merely a common ice dragon.

But the one facet of possibility it still had the power to gaze into told Hitth that the true warden of the prison would whittle down its possible fates. Penitence was only a common ice dragon, but he served his lord's ideals absolutely. He was like to recognize that Hitth's eyes were frost-blinded and start asking complicated and invasive questions about what Hitth had done to invite so much of the Icewarden's ire. Lies would be fine enough, but someone connected to Penitence was not common. Not a Chosen, but favored for certain. There was no lie Hitth could speak or guise they could wear that would prevent them knowing its nature from a single glace.

Escape would not have been hard; Hitth could have been long gone if it only sought escape. But if it wished to linger in the lands of light, it could not make a fugitive of itself. It had to make its case and have them mark it as a free dragon.

The story that Hitth had suddenly woken up rather disoriented in the Starfall Isles was technically the truth. It didn't want to talk about why it was blind because it was a sensitive and personal subject, and that was the truth. It stumbled toward the portal because it sensed magic and assumed there would be other dragons to help it--that was true too. Where was it going now, where had it come from, did it need medical assistance, could it shift? All questions with reasonable, true enough answers. It just had to get through them, and they would let it be on its way.

Luckily for Hitth, Penitence was preoccupied with another matter altogether.

During the previous night, when the clan was restless from the absence of their queen and their knowledge that she had to present herself to the Arcanist, a requisition had been fulfilled. An order for a pearlcatcher breed change scroll on Margravine Caress' coin. It had specifically been set aside for pick up by Astrit, but when it came time for him to get it, it was clear something had gone wrong.

Qaseem had been been found inside a form fitting cocoon that looked horribly like Shade possession at first glance. The only indication it was anything else were the golden numerals wafting over his motionless form at intervals. He hadn't actually been harmed. If anything his posture, frozen in the act of some bit of written bureaucracy, suggested he hadn't even known anyone was there. Nothing at the warehouse had been touched either. Except for the pearlcatcher scroll.

Stellaria had arrived back home just in time to see Ashes hastily tossing on his robes with a look of keen worry in his eyes. She wouldn't usually have followed him, but perhaps she was in a strange state of mind after seeing her grandmother's resting place. It came as a surprise even to her that she wasn't turned away. This was a matter of the Logistics and Inventory sector, which she was a part of. If anything, her grandfather seemed comforted just knowing she was within his line of vision as he worked at undoing whatever had been done to Qaseem.

When all was said and done and the guardian was free again, it came to light that the only person with Qaseem that night had been Eosphoros. The imperial was nowhere to be found despite it being well past the opening hour of the food bank. A report from Margravine Maka at Thunder's March claimed he had crossed Hewn Canyon while the queen and her party were still in the Starfall Isles.

Penitence had gotten involved at that point, but in Stellaria's opinion he was a brute who had no idea how to approach the situation with anything but harshness.

"I'm telling you," she said patiently. "You've got no idea what the Hewn City is like."

"That's what Iblis and Carnelian are here for."

"Ah yes, these men who have never walked the ruined depths alone. They will know their way through tainted land where even the Weaver herself can shed no light."

"Much more out of you and I'll put you on ice, Tribune's kin or no."

Despite being a full head shorter than Penitence, Stellaria still managed to look down her nose at him with thoroughly unimpressed eyes. "I suppose I'll report your poor handling of this situation to Arcanus then?"

"Poor hand--" He snorted frost, agitation giving his dark skin a fine sheen of ice that steamed in the high temperatures. It was too close to Flameforger's for this. "There is a criminal in there. They stole--"

"A pearlcatcher scroll, I know. And have you thought any about why? Do you know anything about them at all?"

"I know they stole from Margravine Caress and if I don't get my hands on them, she will, and she will be far less kind."

Carnelian flicked his lighter just loud enough to cut through the hostility building between the two. Once the cigarette in his mouth was lit, he looked to Iblis and gestured back toward Noon Point. "Go home."

Iblis glanced nervously at Penitence. "But I was asked for."

"Because you're a ranger, but that's only in the Summerlands. We don't need you here. Go home, Iblis." He kept his eye on him until it was certain Iblis had made it back into the light before turning to Stellaria. "Where would Eosphoros have gone?"

"I can show you." She looked pointedly at Penitence. "If we go alone."

"Alright. Penitence, you'll excuse us."

Penitence blocked their path, eyes near white with contempt. "I'll do no such thing. It is my job as appointed by Telos to deal with criminals. Stellaria is a known friend to the criminal and you're shadow-born. What kind of fool would take either of you at your word about apprehending the thief?"

"You're so caught up on the crime itself you haven't thought about motive at all." He blew smoke between them. "Think, you glacier-brained fuck. One of The Parhelia stole a scroll that can turn its target into a pearlcatcher."

Stellaria hugged herself tight. "Eosphoros has no love of money or material, and bears no ill will against others. They didn't flee here to make some secret exchange or to use it on some enemy. They came here to be alone."

Penitence stared at both of them. The implication was not lost on him, he just didn't care about such details. A crime had been committed and that was the bottom line. Still, it seemed apparent that a talking-down might be needed here. If Eosphoros used that scroll...

"I'll await you at Thunder's March," he said begrudgingly. "If you dare show your faces without Eosphoros in your custody, neither of you will see the light of day until the Starfall Celebration."

Both of them kept their silence until the stodgy ice dragon was gone. Before, neither Stellaria nor Carnelian had paid the other much mind. Seeing one another at the graves the night before was the closest they'd come to ever interacting. For Stellaria, this was awkward. For Carnelian, it left him irritated. First Atsushi had come around apologizing for...well, everything. Offering feelings that were actually recognizable as normal--dare he say healthy or even genuine?--expressions of attachment. And now this girl. This headstrong girl who didn't know how to back down and despite her prim and pretty appearance would get into the dirtiest kind of brawl if it was for someone she cared about.

Looking out for her felt too familiar. Itchy, even. "Ashes will go to fucking pieces if anything happens to you, and the clan is really relying on his expertise right now. Are you sure you know where you're going?"

"I know where they would go," she said certainly "That'll be good enough."

#Flight Rising #New Days Dawn #Decided to make this a 2 parter #Mostly because I super wasn't expecting this surprise fatherly chemistry from Carnelian toward Stellaria #And because I want the next post to really focus on Eosphoros #Their relationship with their status as one of The Parhelia and their relationship with Stellari #C: Stellaria #C: Carnelian #C: Penitence

[josely23-blog]

If you are interested in studying abroad no matter the country  is important to first know a little of the background of the country, it’s history, it’s culture and it’s surroundings. France is one of the most visited countries due to its beautiful sites including the Eiffel Tower and its to die for cuisine.This is the place I would enjoy studying abroad in.France is the second largest country in Europe and is said to be one of the most diverse there as well. Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Spain border France along with the Mediterranean sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The Capital of France is Paris which is also one of the most important cities in it. Although Paris has been remade time and time again it still holds its historical value and purpose which is said to be very noticeable if you walk the city. France is one of the oldest nations thanks to an alliance made back in the middle ages. The government form in France is republic having two legislative houses.I would say religion and politics are not related majority in France. The religions practiced in France are primarily Roman Catholic being about 83-88% of the populations, Protestant coming in at 2%, Muslim 5%, Jewish 1% and the rest unidentified. The primary language spoken in France is French followed by English and Spanish. Very few speak German, Italian, Arabic and Portuguese. My guess is the surroundings of France brings in the bit of diversity in aspects of language and religion although its roots remain more prominent.

A bit of historical background may make you appreciate the cites you see and the time spent abroad France. Below will be ten of  many important dates in the upcoming of France. Prior to the French Revolution France was divided by a class system that had a king whom was the up most respected in the system as he got all his orders from "god" then there was the first estate made up of the Catholic clergy, then there was the second estate which was made up of nobility, then the third estate which contained everyone else for example the peasants , the farmers, layers , business men etc. The third estate dominated in number being made up of 96% of Frances population. The French Revolution broke out when the third estate was tired of being treated badly as they wanted equal rights with the other two estates that often teamed up against them. When it came to making decisions the third estate generally was over looked as each estate only had one vote and usually the nobles and the clergymen would vote the same. This is when the third estate which had mostly middle class people decided to fight back and attack the other two estates for the opportunity to be treated the same all across the board. At this time France was going through a rough time economically and couldn't afford to have everyone feed and working. The third estate put out a national assembly which in the end would end up distributing wealth and food. This led to a Deceleration being passed in1789, which states everyone is born free and equal, completely eliminating the caste system.Following this the first French Republic was founded in 1792. After this the French turn to a down hill spiral being in wars with much of Europe and executing people left and right. Another major event that occurred in France was the execution of Louis XVI in 1793 by guillotined for crimes committed against the people. Other important events include the adaptation of the metric system in 1795, the general Army being led by Napoleon,the creation of banks in 1799, the restoration in 1814, the second republic in 1848, the battle of sedan in 1870 followed by the third revolution in 1871, 1889 with the world expo in Paris with the effiel tower, the first world war 1 in 1914 and he second in 1936. All the history can be a tad overwhelming but understanding the change and process that led a country to what it is today is the true reason why we study abroad. We go to these countries in hopes to adapt and soak in information otherwise not known or see unless you go there.

Now comes the part where we talk about the living in France today. It is said that France struggles a bit with women and men roles. As men seem to be held to a better standard and thought then women. French natives think women shouldn't drink too much, should walk a faint straight line between sexy and overly attractive , and often struggle with pay against men even with the same requirements met. Even though there is said to be an equality struggle between men and women France itself is known as one of the most romantic places in the world. the people are said to be very happy, helpful and full of life. They spread the love especially with the custom they have of kissing people on both cheeks when greeting them. Women kiss both men and women on both cheeks when saying "hello" but men shake hands with other men rather than participating on the double kiss with other men.though this is a common gesture it is usually practiced by people whom are friends and family strangers usually just use a hand shake.  Another custom that may be good to know is that people only call each other by the first name if they are friends or if invited to otherwise it could be rude to refer to someone by the first name if you have no connections with them. The natives of France seem to be very close once they know you but in the beginning stage personal space and respect is required.In conclusion the French people communicate with all forms, body language, hands, verbal etc. They also express themselves and communicate through clothing being one of the fashion capitals in the world.

Here comes the fun part,....FOOD. Food seems to play a major role in almost every culture. The most popular food items in the culture are the French baugette which is a type of bread, the chocolate mousse, the croissant, different cheeses, onion soups and more. it is said that in France the most prominent meal is dinner which usually starts at 8 o'clock at night, breakfast is said to be non existent if not very light leaving most people to really start eating at about 1 pm which is also very light.Dinner may consist of appetizers and cheeses prior to the meal. It is also explained that it is practically held with family and everyone watches tv as the news come on at that time and a three course meal is usually implemented.A traditional dish said to be served at any time of the year to feed alot of family is called the Potee Normande. this is a stew type meal which is made of chicken, beef, pork, and a mixture of vegetables

For entertainment the movies and cinema activities seem to be the most popular. Although a lot has changed in France and has been force to be redone and advanced moviegoers have only grown over the years.With several good movies being made there such as a Christmas tales, Van Gogh, eyes without a face and  more the type of movies made vary from romantic to horror all in which seem to be a hit.  Also going to art museums is very common and popular in France. All in which sounds like a great deal of fun.The next thing that should come to mind is well how do we pay for these activities? Well in France the currency is expressed in Euros but you may see some stuff with both a Euro price and a francs pricing to help people with the transition of currency as it changed a while ago. To further help you understand the Euro, one Euro is usually about $1.12 in USD money. Which in all honesty is not too bad and not difficult to shop and think of money while going abroad.

In addition to all the above information I think it is important to really practice and take in the daily routines of the people while going abroad. Upon further reading  I would say that France may be a mixture of Synchronic time and sequential time.It was stated in many readings that France is very laid back and allows more off a laid back work week with shorter hours then what we are use too. Most people focus on education and the freedom aspect and more cultural pursuits. This seems like something enjoyable as most of us are use to a schedule and full work days with little leisure time. All of this being good but may take a bit adjusting too when you get there and then come back to a more fast passed long work week.

In conclusion, i think that studying abroad in France may be a very easy going process. It seems to me that the people are great, the food is tasty, and that the surroundings although very different than ours isn't too far fetched either. The language barrier may be the most difficult part in the journey but other than that getting around and using money/site seeing shouldn't be to hard of a task. France seems to me to be a place full of culture, rich in history, and exploding with new things to learn about making it all that more exciting to visit.

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[delitefullypeculiar]

With a stream of threads hanging from her clothes, the woman with red hair walked out of her front door and disappeared in the anonymity of a rainy day. If someone had noticed her, they would have seen the bags under her eyes, the look of both disappointment and frustration, someone might have even stopped her or laughed at her as she was still wearing her silk carolyn pyjamas, which didn’t really look like sleep wear bar the print of unicorns on them. But one of the advantages or disadvantages of the big city is that nobody notices you and so she carried on walking uninterrupted, towards the park and from there over the bridge, further and further away from home. She was carrying only her  credit card and one pointy object in the pocket of her Minoru jacket.

…………

‘It was the husband, who found the child playing on the floor with the dissected body,’ said fashion detective Ariadne Overlock to her colleague sewing inspector Sophie Bias. ‘He claims that last time, he saw the dress in one piece on the dress form. Apparently his wife was getting it ready to go to some party, the Moneta party he said, at the weekend,’ she continued.

‘Where is the wife now? Why has she done this to the poor dress?’ Bias asked.

‘She’s disappeared. When the husband woke up, she wasn’t in her usual spot in front of the sewing machine and nowhere else in the house. He claims to have called her a few times, but there was no answer.’

‘Hmm, what has happened here?’ Bias said looking closely at the dress, she hadn’t even heard her colleague’s reply. ‘It seems, she started unpicking the dress but then gave up and simply cut the overlocked seams. The waist and the hemline look as if they had been tortured for hours. And the threads, they’ve been splattered all over the kitchen.’

‘Yes this is what I thought as well. If only the child could talk, he must have seen everything. The husband mentioned that he sits next to his mum playing quietly when she sews,’ Overlock added.

‘And the murder weapon, it’s nowhere to be found. Could she have taken it with her? Let’s seal off the place, send the husband and the child to the hotel and I will call the team to come for a more detailed inspection,’ said Bias and her mind had already moved to other matters like the coffee she still hadn’t drunk.

…..

It didn’t take long for the investigation team to arrive at the crime scene and get on with their tasks.

‘The murder weapon was definitely sharp scissors,’ said the coroner, I would place all my bets on Fiskars and I’m pretty sure they are still in the house. The seam ripper was only what started the torturing.’

A photographer took a picture of the stretched body and the ripped hem, whereas the rest of the team, were combing the house for the murder weapon.

‘I found it, I found it,’ shouted a man from the bedroom upstairs and he was soon seen descending the stairs, holding a pair of Fiskars scissors.

It was at that very moment, the front door opened again and the red headed woman entered her house. She didn’t immediately notice the yellow tape in the corridor, nor the man who had just come down the stairs. She did, however, notice all the people in the kitchen going through her sewing stuff. Moneta was still on the kitchen floor.

‘What the he…’ she managed to utter before ten people turned round to look at her. The coroner reached for his phone and before anyone had the chance to move, had Bias at the other end of the line.

‘Hold her there, I’m on my way’ she said and hang up the phone. A little while later, she and Overlock were interrogating the woman with the red hair.

‘Why did you do that?’ Bias asked and pointed at the body.

‘She wasn’t good enough,’ replied the woman, ‘and in any case, I’m planning to fix her.’

‘I think, she’s beyond fixing,’ Overlock added. ‘Tell us what happened.’

‘A day ago, this poor soul, was a lovely dress hanging on my mannequin,’ the woman started without any protest. In her head she hadn’t committed a crime after all. ‘I was so proud of the dress, it looked so beautiful, until I tried it on. What mostly bothered me was the fact that some of the gathers were not sitting properly and they created weird pleats in the back that I really hated. Even if I oversaw the pleats, it was too short and I just didn’t like it. So I did it, I grabbed the seam ripper, and started unpicking, and because I had never been patient enough to unpick the overlocker seams, I took the scissors and simply cut them off. This of course resulted in the waist of the skirt becoming slightly bigger and the bodice slightly shorter, but only slightly so it was ok. I took some more of my clear elastic, gathered the skirt and attached it to the bodice. Going back to it this morning to fix the short hem, I noticed that the seams were visible, and not hidden between the bodice and the skirt. I wanted to pull my hair, if I could see it, it meant other people, could too. This time I didn’t even attempt to use the seam ripper, instead I went straight  for the scissors and just chopped the dress. I showed no mercy, I was so mad at it. ‘

‘Where did you go after that?’ Bias asked.

‘I wasn’t planning to leave it tortured and dissected for others to find but when I reached for some more clear elastic to right all the wrongs, I realised in horror that I had run out, so I went to the local haberdashery to buy some more.’

‘And did you?’

‘No, I didn’t because as it usually happens, whenever I really need something they never have it.’

‘So you will not be able to fix the dress, which means you have to come to the station with us.’

‘No, no wait I will fix it, I will use the regular type of elastic, it won’t be perfect but it will be good enough. Please, I’ve been planning all week for this party.’

Bias looked at her in disbelief for a few minutes. ‘Ok,’ she finally said, ‘but under one condition, I will stay here and watch you.’

‘No problem, but I will need to be given my scissors back.’ The man who had found them, handed them back to her.

First she cut two pieces of fabric as wide as the width of the front and back bodice and as long as the length of the bodice she had chopped off. When she attached them together it looked something like this and she was quite pleased with it.

Having cut the size xs to start with and having chopped the waist twice, she had ended up with a much larger waist, that even if she wanted she wouldn’t have been able to gather to the original size, so she recut the skirt, sewed the pieces together and after gathering it with the white elastic, she attached it to the bodice. It wasn’t perfect but looked much better than the previous version. Then she hemmed it and finally attached the collar, in a contrasting fabric, as she had originally dreamt, but had failed to execute.

When the husband and the child returned from the hotel, the police had sent them. The dress was no longer a corpse, it had miraculously amended itself.

‘Mummy will go to her party,’ he said to his son.

So she did and boy could that dress swish.

    Moneta: Murder and Resurrection

With a stream of threads hanging from her clothes, the woman with red hair walked out of her front door and disappeared in the anonymity of a rainy day.

Moneta: Murder and Resurrection With a stream of threads hanging from her clothes, the woman with red hair walked out of her front door and disappeared in the anonymity of a rainy day.

#colette patterns #handmade #moneta #moneta party #sewing