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watermelonlipstick · 3 years

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Dreams, Chapter 4

If you haven’t read this series before, you might want to start on Chapter 1, or check out the Dreams Masterlist! Here’s the series description:

When Dean dies for good leaving Sam and his girlfriend (the reader) behind, they must figure out how to carry on without him. Alone, reeling, and unsure what to do next, trying to honor Dean’s memory and follow their hearts gets even more complicated when their nightmares become dreams that feel a little too real.

If you have been reading this series....things are going to start happening....

Title: Dreams, Chapter 4

Pairing: (past) Dean Winchester x Reader, (eventual) Sam Winchester x Reader

Word Count: 3773

Summary: For Sam and the reader, a winter night working together leads to an uncomfortable confrontation and a confusing dream.

Warnings: angst, fluff?, alcohol, swearing, slow burn, I think that’s it!

The tree was still up a few days later when you were throwing together sandwiches. It was a gloomy afternoon, stealing from the already meager offering of sunlight you got each day, but at least you could see the Christmas lights as you worked in the little kitchen and listened to Me Talk Pretty One Day. Brushing crumbs off your hands, you ducked your head into the bedroom to tell Sam lunch was ready.

He was sitting on the bed with his legs crossed under him, looking surprisingly young with his long limbs folded. He glanced over at you briefly with a noncommittal nod before turning his gaze back to the wall. You walked into the room when you understood; following his eyes to the photos where you’d taped them up. Toeing off each of your boots, you climbed onto the mattress with him and gently put your arm around his broad shoulders. “He would’ve loved this,” Sam murmured, and it was almost too low for you to hear.

“Which part?” you asked, trying to match his tone.

“This cabin, the bar, Christmas.”

“I think you’re right.”

You looked over at the pictures, a tight row intentionally placed a little too low so you could see them as you fell asleep. Sam tilted his head to rest on yours.

“We had a lot of fun though, didn’t we?”

You considered the memories and the heat coming off of him under your cold fingers. “Yeah, we did.” After a beat you opened your mouth again. “Getting that tree was fun.”

Sam pulled back and you looked up at him. A sad smirk was tugging at the corner of his mouth. “That was fun, wasn’t it?”

You curved your head back into him. “Dean would’ve liked that too.” He was silent for a moment.

“There’s no way he would’ve worked at the bar and not made every night a party.”

He was right. Even just passing through, bars like the one you worked at were Dean’s favorite—no frills, honest people, décor not so nice it couldn’t tolerate some spills in the name of a good time. In the right mood Dean would’ve been everyone’s best friend in an hour, taking shots with the owners and playing pool with anyone who had a spare minute.

You sat upright and tucked your hair behind your ears. “Okay, then tonight’ll be a party.”

Sam looked at you in surprise. “Uh, what?”

“You heard me. Tonight, we’re doing tequila shots and dancing on tables and talking to people longer than to take their orders.”

“It’s a Monday.”

“Wouldn’t have stopped Dean. Now come eat this sandwich I slaved over, you’re a lightweight on an empty stomach.”

Sam’s smile was tired, but he obediently untangled his legs and got off the bed to head to the kitchen. You padded after him, letting a deep breath out through your nose. Dean would be so pissed if he saw you weren’t being strong for Sammy, just a little tougher, come on. By the time Sam sat down at the tiny breakfast bar to eat, you’d screwed your face back together.

In some ways, it was better that you’d had this sudden change of heart on a Monday, when there weren’t so many customers to watch you crumble if it came to that. You had a propensity for being a sad drunk even in the best circumstances, and this first time truly drinking around people since losing Dean was about the worst circumstance as you could imagine.

A few shots in Sam’s cheeks were flushed and you could feel the heat in yours as you sucked hard on a lime wedge. He was pretending to know about some football controversy with the over-shoulder towel that was ever present when he worked, his legs crossed and accentuating the long, relaxed line of his body. It was an especially cold night and condensation clouded the windows of the bar where hot air met the freezing glass. You watched as a woman about your age—you were pretty sure her name was Megan but had only served her a handful of times—traced lazy shapes in it before replacing the moisture with a hot breath and starting over. It was almost hypnotic and you didn’t know how long it was until you snapped back to reality when Sam’s warm hands wrapped over your shoulders.

“You okay?” he asked, low and private, straight into your ear.

“Uh, yeah, sorry. Just tired,” you lied.

Sam gently and half-consciously kneaded the muscles in your shoulders. Before you realized what you were doing, muscle memory bobbed your head to the side, kissed his rough knuckles, and pressed your cheek to his hand. You both froze.

“Aw, so cute,” Steve sang out from across the bar top.

You took your chance to step forward out of Sam’s grip. “Yeah, yeah. Refill?” Steve nodded, and you snatched another Miller High Life out of a mini fridge under the bar and popped the cap with a fluid practiced motion. About a week ago you’d realized that the twist-bottle callus you had just below the first joint of your index finger had come back, a recurrent souvenir that had lasted years after you’d quit bartending last time. You were thankful for it as much as the distraction from your bizarre reflexive step over the unspoken boundary between you and Sam. It wasn’t that the contact was unprecedented, obviously, you could only catch even chunks of sleep tightly wound around Sam and kept your fingers wrapped around his forearm as he drove, but Dean was the last person whose skin your lips had touched. Until now, you corrected yourself. It was a very specific kind of closeness in a relationship already stretching the limits of what appropriate intimacy could possibly be.

You jammed a cold metal scoop into the ice machine to break up chunks and buy some time. The same grief-hungry part of your brain that searched Sam for facial tics and habits that Dean had couldn’t stop repeating how much those hands felt the same, dry and warm and firm under your lips, under your cheek, and you wanted to clutch at them, a phantom of Dean’s that first stitched you up in Bobby’s kitchen all those years ago when life was easy and bloody, so nervous to touch you his hands shook and the scar still remained to this day. You crashed through those thoughts with a solid thump of This Is Sam Not Dean Sam Your Friend Sam The Only Thing You Have In This World, and how cruel it was to triple distill him down to only the parts that were reminiscent of someone else. Sam, who chopped wood to keep you warm, who restocked beer in the little life you’d created here. Sam, who in his own unfathomable sadness let you latch onto him as a steady point in a storm and kept you afloat just as you had him.

“Hello?” Joe repeated, a touch of concern peeking through his annoyance.

“Yeah, sorry! What’s up?” you asked, hearing the shrillness of your voice as you tried to overcompensate.

“I’m trying to buy you a drink, hon. 5 shots, dealer’s choice.”

“You, me, Jake, Steve and who?” you asked, racking up 5 sturdy shot glasses.

“Your Paul Bunyan over there, unless you’re trying to take his too. I’ve never seen you guys really drink before, gotta jump on my chance,” he winked.

“Oh, okay. Uh, Sam—” you called out across the bar. He was wiping up a spill you knew didn’t exist from the way he focused too hard on the bar top, trying to look busy. He looked up at his name and walked over with his hands jammed in his pockets. His unease was palpable, and your heart sank as you let go of any possibility that he wouldn’t have registered the fleeting kiss and the shift was only in your head. “—Joe’s trying to get you drunk.”

“Careful, Joe, you think you can carry me home?” Sam joked, and you thought you would be the only one who’d be able to detect the tightness in his throat underneath it. He rubbed a lime wedge on the web of his thumb and poured salt over it before handing you the shaker. You almost dropped it when your fingertips grazed his.

“To the only people dumb enough to move up here in the winter,” Steve proclaimed, touching his glass to the counter before shooting it. You all followed suit, politely chuckling at the teasing. When you took the lime wedge out of your mouth, Sam had his palm open in front of you. You dropped the rind in his hand and let him take the stack of glasses to the sink.

It didn’t get as crazy as Dean likely would’ve gotten which was probably good for the bar’s bottom line and your drive back to the cabin, but Sam did end up somewhat accidentally hustling Jake for $100 over a game of pool and singing along to Shania Twain when you put it on. You were careful not to touch him or stare too long the rest of the evening, and by the time you were flipping chairs up for the night you had almost convinced yourself that nothing was different save for a little softness around the edges of the ever-present bolus of sadness in your stomach.

Sam had two cases of Miller Lite from the basement in his grip, the veins on his forearms popping out as he set them on the ground in front of the beer cooler and crouched to replace the ones that had been drunk that night. You double checked that the cash drawer of the register was even and hopped up to sit on a spare spot of counter.

“That’s the last one?”

“Yeah, I already did the Coors and Bud.”

“Are you good to drive or do you want me to?” You wiggled your toes in your shoes, feeling the ache of standing for hours in the balls of your feet.

“No, I’m good to drive,” Sam said, shaking hair out of his face. He looked up at you, hazel eyes hard to read with fatigue or fear or pity or some murky combination thereof. You drew tight spirals over orders you’d taken that night, feeling the pen press impressions into the small notepad. The absence of words spread out to close the distance between you, feeling cloying and claustrophobic even as the Nate Bargatze standup you’d cued up piped out through the bar’s speakers.

“Hey, I—”

“Are you—” Sam started at the same time. You held out a palm to signal for him to continue, not truly wanting to speak yourself. “Uh, sorry. I just…I—I’m not Dean. I can’t be Dean.”

The words and deflation in his shoulders made you wish you’d been set ablaze. Stunned, you felt your mouth open and close around words that weren’t materializing, just collecting in your throat and hardening there, the backup starting to choke you.

“I, uh—I know,” you finally managed to squeak past the lump.

And part of you wondered if he was right in thinking you were using him as a stand-in. As atypical as the whole situation was, you couldn’t imagine that it was normal to sleep in the same bed and spend virtually every minute together. You began to feel sick at the thought that Sam would be out living up to his potential somewhere if it weren’t for you, back to law school or righting the wrongs of the world rather than in a Northwoods dive bar restocking domestic beers at 2:30 on a Tuesday morning. The selflessness of it seemed unfathomable and yet so entirely something Sam would do. Suddenly it felt like the walls were collapsing around you.

The moment stretched out and Sam stood up, leaning on the counter across the bar from you. His jaw was set hard and he tilted his head the way he did when he was trying to stop himself from teetering over the edge of tears. “Sam, I—I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

He cleared his throat but looked down at the nonstick mats on the floor. “No, ah, you don’t need to apologize. I just need you to know I can’t be him for you.”

You didn’t dare look up in case you met Sam’s eyes as you nodded, so eviscerated and humiliated you were having a hard time taking a deep breath. After a long minute you heard the clink of bottles as Sam finished restocking, grabbed your coat to mumble something about warming up the car, and went to the small parking lot. You managed to make it into the Impala before your vision started swimming and the potential enormity of the situation crashed against you; was this the end of your carved out hideaway, full of grief and memories and comfort and little moments of affection and joy you had just barely started to accept? All for some stupid thought that Dean would be happier if you were out getting wasted, an idea that reduced him to a drifter barfly instead of the complex man who’d been more loyal and loved more deeply than anyone you’d ever met. The tears dried up quickly as self-disgust rolled over you and started ringing in your ears. You didn’t hear Sam coming and jolted when he opened the door, recoiling against the passenger side to give him as much space as possible. He glanced over at you with eyes so pitying that you couldn’t bear to look at them, staring out the window at the abject darkness the rest of the drive home.

Sam didn’t turn on the stereo.

Back in the cabin, you quickly shucked off your coat and snatched what you needed out of the bedroom before barricading yourself in for a shower. You didn’t bother taking your makeup off first, allowing the sting of mascara to get washed away in the water. It was too hot and you didn’t care; you only came out when you realized you were going to leave Sam in a cold shower in the last week in December.

You brushed your teeth in the mirror and took a few deep breaths before sliding out, heading past the open bedroom door straight to the kitchen in order to gulp down a panicked glass of water. Mercifully, you heard the bathroom door lock when Sam entered it quietly. You took the opportunity to grab your pillow out of the bedroom, tossing it on the couch and pulling the throw off the sofa’s back to cover yourself. Your eyes were closed tight and ramming up against your racing mind when Sam came out.

“You don’t have to sleep on the couch,” he said softly from behind you.

You opened your eyes but didn’t move your head to seek him out. “It’s okay.”

Sam appeared in front of you, legs bending severely to perch on the short coffee table. His bare chest still glistened a little from the shower and you knew the green flannel pants he was wearing were soft and thick to the touch. Earnest hazel eyes meeting yours, Sam braced his elbows on his knees.

“Sam, I’m really sorry. It was a weird reflex and it was unfair for me to—”

“No, I, it—it wasn’t that. It’s just like, sometimes when you look at me, you look like you’re seeing a ghost. I’m just—I need to know you’re not staying here because I’m the closest you can get.”

If your heart hadn’t been shattered and re-shattered over the last almost- two-years and today, the fear and resignation in his eyes would’ve sent you to pieces. You pushed up to sitting in order to give Sam the respect he deserved.

“I can’t—I won’t lie and say you don’t remind me of him, but you’re my best friend—been my best friend since I first met you guys—and I am so, so, sorry I made you feel…I could never try to replace him, Sam.” You were barely making sense, having a hard time stringing together how you felt. “The only place I want to be is with you. You’re all I’ve got.”

It felt desperate and needy but it was true and Sam deserved the truth. You didn’t shy away from him, stayed there holding his gaze until he seemed content having searched your eyes for anything hiding from the light. After a moment he nodded tightly against lips pressed in a firm line. “Okay.”

Sam stood up, the broad planes of him catching the glitter of the Christmas tree lights. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet and tentative. “Can you, uh, can you come back?”

It took a moment to process before you nodded, standing up and snagging your pillow before following Sam into the bedroom. You climbed into your side of the mattress, close to the wall and your tiny precious gallery, and Sam folded around you, his warm skin seeping through your t-shirt onto your back. You felt tense and comfortable all at once, safe and uneasy. The two of you sat there for a long time, the relatively light weight of Sam’s arm over you betraying that he wasn’t asleep either. When drowsiness finally began to tug your eyelids closed, he pressed his lips to a spot on your shoulder exposed from the looseness of its sleeve. The last thing you remembered was his arm going heavy like an anchor across yours.

The sun is hot and delicious on your cheeks, baking the cotton of your jeans and t-shirt into you and turning the roof tiles under you into a frying pan. Wispy clouds move with no urgency across the sky above you and you can’t think of anything better than this, glancing down to worn laces on Dean’s boots undone to give his feet some air as his t-shirt clings half-humid to him. You know his freckles are going to be darker by dinner and it makes you smile to think about it but you’ll never tell him—it makes him shy to be reminded of the spray of pigment that makes him feel alternatively feminine or juvenile but never stunning the way you think it should. You press up to your elbows, barely registering the sting of heat and grit of the roof underneath you and kiss the spot on Dean’s arm where his shoulder slopes into his bicep. He smiles down at you, a lazy half-open smirk perfectly framed by the blue sky behind him like a painting.

“You’re so weird,” he chuckles. “Who kisses someone’s arm?”

“Then come down here,” you toss back, exaggerated pout ready for him. He ducks down to you, the warmth of his lips on yours like a cookie fresh out of the oven, like sliding down the hallway on new fuzzy socks, like the summer’s first plunge into water.

Sam’s head peeks out from under the gutter. “Bobby’s putting brats on the grill, do you want any?”

“Hell yeah, extra onions,” Dean yells down, grinning smugly when you make a face.

“Me too!” you call out, watching Sam squint up at the roof.

“No onions though, right?”

“You’re the best, Sam.”

Sam beams up at you, dimples almost high enough to reach the squint-crinkled skin around his eyes. He nods and ducks back out of sight.

“Come on, I’m thirsty,” Dean says, standing up. He reaches a hand down to you and takes a half step back to brace himself, stepping on the lace of his other boot. He stumbles and it’s a quick shuffle and you realize he’s too close to the edge his next step is into thin air like Wil E. Coyote and you’re grabbing at that same thin air and you can see his face change when he realizes and some part of your subconscious that’s even deeper than this can feel it’s happening again and the sound is so final, such a wet crack but you scrabble to the edge anyway because you have to see and Dean’s lying there.

He’s clutching his left leg bent against his chest like a stretch. “Son of a bitch, what the fuck!” he mutter-yells, and you hear the thump of Sam and Bobby running through the old house and skittering to a stop in front of him as you carefully shimmy down the porch post with your hands tearing on the gutter’s rusty edge, jumping down when you feel the railing beneath you.

“Dean! Are you okay?” Sam yells over Bobby who’s cursing out the goddamn idjit told you not to climb up there it’s like having a bunch of teenagers in this goddamned house and Dean winces and nods angrily.

You’re lifting up the hem of his jeans and gingerly taking off his boot and Dean hisses when you peel off his sock, but nothing is poking through the skin and that’s better than you expected. “Can you stand up?”

He nods again and you can practically taste him biting back the string of expletives when you and Sam each take an arm and lift him to standing. You snake a hand into his pocket and grab the keys to the Impala, leaning behind Dean to say to his brother, “I’ll take him to the ER.”

Dean doesn’t argue and it’s yet more evidence that it’s pretty bad, but you feel fine, elated almost, that he’s still warm under your palm and against your side, that he still smells like fresh laundry and domestic beer and a little bit of salt and engine grease. Sam’s long arm opens the door when you get there and slides Dean in and you promise to text when you know how bad it is as you round the car and get to the driver’s side. You turn the key in the ignition and throw your arm around Dean’s seat to reverse out of the driveway. Dean’s looking at you as you throw the car back into drive, staring almost, and his face is soft even around the broken ankle.

“I’m always going to love you,” he says, smooth and sure of himself. You tug your eyes away from the road with half a question on your face but Dean doesn’t explain why he’s saying this now. “I’ll be okay and I’m always going to love you, no matter what.”

It doesn’t make any sense and you open your mouth to tease this unexpected sappiness, remind him the ankle is just one more in a long string of injuries he’ll owe you for, and then Dean’s gone, the car’s gone, and the heat is coming from Sam’s chest in front of you.

Continue to Dreams, Chapter 5

Thanks again for reading! If you liked it, check out my Masterlist or send me a request!

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brandyllyn · 3 years

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War makes thieves, and peace hangs them (pt1)

Summary: When Santi needs people for a mission he knows just who to call. But it quickly becomes apparent they’re short one key role - a thief. Preferably one with nice breasts who makes friends easily.

Told from POV of Triple Frontier characters and while it’s an OFC she is never described. Her "name" is a radio handle.

Other chapters... My Masterlist

Word count: 2319. Read it on AO3.

Author’s note: Look, I’ve been itching to write something hella raunchy and while I love my other fics they’re full of soft people being dorks and falling love. This is not that. This is filthy smut basically from the go. The plot (what of it there is) exists solely to allow these people to have sex. Also, Fuck Tom. He’s in this fic for like 90 seconds before I summarily get rid of him.

Rating: R swearing. objectification. drugs (mentioned, not used). gendered slurs. no sex in this chapter.

"It’s a five man job," Santi was saying it for the third time that night but Benny just kept shaking his head at him. Across from Benny, Frankie pushes his ball cap off, tossing his arm over his chair and letting it dangle from two fingers.

"C’mon you guys," Frankie starts to say but is cut off.

"Maybe, but not this five," Will points out.

"You had no right to call in someone else without talking to me," Santi can feel the edge to his voice.

"Am I wrong?"

The question deflates the irritation out of Santi. No, he wasn’t. That was the shitty part. The more they found out about this job the more he realized they were going to need someone with a different skillset than the five of them. "Fine, who is he? How do you know him?"

"We ran into each other in South Africa. Ended up on the same job, different sides," Benny taps a finger against his beer bottle. "A few other, less than legal, follow-ups. They’re the best I know of Santi."

"Yeah," Santi picks his bottle up, draining the last of it. "But all things considered I’m not sure that means much."

Benny rolls his eyes. "Whatever man, they’ll be here tonight. I’ll introduce you and you can make your own decision. Fair?"

Santi nods once and watches as Benny gets up. "I’ll get the next round." The other men waggle their beers and Benny doesn’t even bother counting before heading off the empty outside patio and back into the bar.

It was a quiet night, at a quiet out of the way bar. From their vantage on the patio over the water they can see people as they arrive, but also are surrounded on three sides by water, minimizing eavesdroppers.

"I don’t like it," Tom grumbles and Santi turns to him.

"I feel like we’ve covered that," he points out.

"Some new guy we don’t know? Fuck Pope, this whole thing is already too dangerous," Tom continues.

"What do you want me to do," he hisses. "I’ve come too fucking far to back out-"

He pauses when he hears the door to the patio open, a waitress coming through with a tray of beers. He’d clocked her from the corner of his eye, about eight miles of the longest legs he’s ever seen in his life, bare from tiny denim shorts down to a pair of unlaced combat boots.

Those were odd. Not necessarily what he would have expected. He studies her a bit more closely as she sets the tray of beers down, squatting next to the table to transfer the tray from her shoulder to the table. Tom had already fallen face first into the girl’s cleavage - which was either ample or benefitting greatly from being on display in a bright orange halter top that started somewhere around her rib cage. She returned Tom’s lascivious stare with a wink, brushing her body against the man’s as she stood back up and passed one of the bottles to him.

Santi reached for one but was blocked by her body as she leaned across the table, sliding a bottle to Frankie who rubbed a hand over his mouth and tried in vain to make eye contact with something other than her breasts. Will was silent on receiving his, a half smile on his face as he watched her stretch a bottle to him. Finally she turns to Santi, placing the last beer in front of him and flipping the tray up under her arm.

"Tu amigo pagó," she smiles, gesturing with her chin inside. He glances that way and sees Benny nodding back from the bar, tucking bills into his wallet. "Tienes algo…" she starts to say and he turns back to see her pluck a bit of fuzz off the collar of his shirt. Smiling, she pinches it between her fingers and flicks it over his shoulder. "De nada."

"Gracias," he winks at her and she winks back before flouncing off the patio and back into the bar. Both Frankie and Tom turn around fully in their chairs to watch her - but Santi was perfectly positioned to watch the sway of her ass as she went back inside.

"Hot damn," Tom gives a low whistle.

Santi rolls his eyes, focusing on the beer in front of him. To his left, Frankie is fiddling with a coaster before he suddenly jerks and looks at his hand with suspicion.

"What the fuck?" Frankie snaps. "Where the fuck is my hat?"

"What?" Will asks.

"My hat. My fucking hat." Frankie holds up the coaster and glares at it, then at Santi. "Where is my fucking hat?"

"Did you set it-" Santi starts but Frankie cuts him off.

"I was holding it in my goddamn hand. And now I’m not." Frankie pushes himself back from the table, peering under it.

"What’s got Fish riled up?" Benny asks, sliding into a chair on the other side of the table.

"He’s throwing a fit about his hat," Will fills him in.

"Fuck you, I liked that hat," Frankie grouses, eyes still scanning the floor.

Ben laughs and Frankie shoots him a dirty look. "Ah, I see you’ve met our thief then," Benny says with a satisfied smirk.

"What?" Frankie jerks forward, the legs of his chair hitting the wood of the deck with a thunk.

Santi cocks his head, "You set up a little audition did you?" When Benny nods Santi grins. "The waitress?" Will nods again and gestures to someone inside. A minute later, the woman pulls up a chair next to Ben - wearing Frankie’s hat. He had to admit, she looked cute. He hadn’t gotten a good look at her face before, a little preoccupied with other parts of her, but she was quite stunning.

"You should give Frankie his hat back," Santi tells her in a low voice.

"Nah," Frankie quickly interjects, a little slack-jawed. "You can uh… you can keep it. For a bit." She grins at Frankie and judging from the look on his friend’s face, Santi had an idea of what mental image Frankie would be jerking off to later that night.

"Boys, this is Wildcat," Ben wraps an arm over the woman’s shoulders, "the best thief I’ve ever met. And ours for this mission."

"Neat trick with the hat," Tom says to her breasts.

"Not to burst your bubble Benny," she turns to him, "but I can’t take the job."

"What? Why not?"

She reaches into her top and while Santi would have sworn that you couldn’t fit so much as a tic-tac in there she manages to pull out a small baggie of off-white crystal powder. A flick of her wrist and it lands in the middle of the table. "I don’t deal with this kind of shit."

Santi reaches for it, getting there just before Tom who mutters 'bitch' under his breath. Holding it up for a moment he studies it before hiding it under his palm on the table. "Who’d you take it from?"

"Me," Tom sounds defeated.

"Yeah, like I said, I don’t deal with this kind of shit." She turns to Benny and shrugs, "Sorry babe, you’ll have to find someone else." She gets up, leaning over the table and placing the ball cap back on Frankie’s head and giving it a flirtatious tap. From his angle, Santi can see practically the same view as Frankie, as well as the line of her back and the curve of her ass as she leans over.

She kisses the top of Ben’s head when she stands up, giving Tom a wide berth and going around the table. Santi doesn’t watch her past that, eyes on Tom.

"What the fu-" but he’s interrupted by something shiny dropping onto the table.

"Sorry," her voice was right next to his ear, "forgot this."

It takes Santi a full five seconds to process what he’s seeing. One of his dog tags. He pulls his chain out of his shirt quickly, sees the primary one… and the loose shorter chain hanging empty.

"Son of a-" he turns but she’s at the door already, winking and blowing him a kiss before leaving.

"Pope let me-" Tom starts but Santi turns on him.

"Fucking meth, man? What’s wrong with you?"

"Hey, it’s just a bit to help me keep going," Tom raises his hands, "don’t fucking act like it’s the end of the fucking world."

"You’re out," Santi says it with finality.

"What?"

"Anyone have a problem with that?" Santi looks at the other three men but they all shake their heads.

"Fuck you," Tom spits, "fucking Fish has a coke problem and I don’t see any of you-"

"Hey," Frankie leans forward, pointing a finger at Tom, "you can go fuck yourself."

"Not if I-"

But Santi is on his feet, hands in Tom’s shirt as he walks the man backwards a few steps and shoves him against the low railing on the patio. "I love you man, but I can’t have this shit. It’s too important. Go back to the hotel."

Tom deflates. "It’s just to help man. Just to help."

"I know," he pats Tom on the shoulder. "I know. But you’re gonna have to sit this one out." Santi watches the other man leave. "Go get her back," he tells Ben.

Will swipes the baggie from the table, raising an eyebrow in question and Santi nods. Will quickly turns and tosses it into the lake beyond.

She slid into Tom’s chair without so much as a twitch of her eyebrow that the other man is gone. "Are we trying again?"

Santi sits down to her left. "First tell me how you got my dog tags."

"And my hat," Frankie asks.

"Quick fingers," she says, "two distractions."

"Two?" Frankie asks and she winks at him.

"One. Two." She shrugs each shoulder, making her breasts jiggle with the motion. Frankie blushes and reaches up to cover his face with one hand, pretending to scratch his beard.

"Seriously," Santi grabs her attention again, "how’d you do it?"

She shrugs again, "People don’t watch for the things they should be watching for. You guys… you’re perceptive. Situationally aware. You could probably tell me every weapon within sixty feet of this table." She smiles, "You’ve noticed my hand on your arm, and you’ve noticed my foot against your ankle." He had, was enjoying the feel of her fingers against his skin and her toes rubbing along his sock. "But where is my other hand?"

Santi startles, looking down. Her other hand comes into his line of sight and he sees she’s holding a watch.

"Wait that’s-" Will splutters.

"Son of a bitch," he mutters and hears Ben laugh. He turns on Will, "What were you watching?"

She answers for him, "He’s been watching my mouth." Will coughs but doesn’t deny it. She grins at them both before leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms, waggling her fingers. "Figure out where someone wants their attention to go and you can make them concentrate on anything."

Santi bites his lip before he looks over at Benny. "You trust her?" Ben nods. "Then she’ll do."

"Oh goodie," she snarks, "a dream come true. So what’s the job?"

Santi lowers his voice as he outlines the next few days. She asks good questions and the five of them roughly map out their plans. When they finish, Santi leans back in his chair. "So, we’ll meet in the hotel lobby tomorrow morning, 0600?" Everyone around him nods except for Ben who just curses.

"Fucking hell Pope, you know I hate mornings."

Will rolls his eyes, smacking his brother in the arm, "How the hell did you get through Airborne with an attitude like that?"

"By being a damned good Ranger," Ben grouses back.

"And cheating on the written shit," Frankie mumbles into his beer. Ben shoots him a glower but Frankie just smiles to himself, ignoring the other man.

"Well, if you boys are done," Cat breaks in, "I have a date." For just a split second Santi thought she was looking at him, but he follows her gaze over his shoulder and sees a petite brunette wearing a leather mini-skirt and white tank top crooking a finger their way. Cat winks back at her and rises gracefully from the table, palms flat against it. He couldn’t help but notice her long fingers.

When she gets to the other woman she wraps a hand behind her neck, pulling the brunette into a kiss. Even in heels, the woman was a good three inches shorter than her. The brunette breaks the kiss and leans into her, whispering into her ear. Santi sees her eyebrow go up, a half smile, and then she was looking back at their table and those beautiful legs were coming their way.

"Ben?"

"Yes Cat?" the man answers with a raised eyebrow.

"Can you vouch for your friends?"

Benny doesn’t hesitate before answering, "With my life."

"That’s good to hear," she grins. "Frankie?"

The man’s head whips around. "Yeah?"

"Would you like to come with us?"

Frankie blinks and Santi almost felt sorry for the man. Almost.

"Wha-?"

"Teresa would like for you to come along. And I’m not opposed. So…?"

Frankie’s moment of confusion passes in a heartbeat and then he is shoving his chair back and scrambling to his feet. "Fuck yes."

She laughs, leading him back to the brunette who is grinning. The brunette wraps one arm around Frankie’s waist and the other around Cat’s as they leave. The three men left at the table watch them go in varying stages of disbelief.

"Lucky son of a bitch," Will mutters and Santi can’t help but nod.

"Some thief you found us Ben," Santi says into his beer as he leans back in his chair.

"She’s the best," Ben grins back. Part2

#triple frontier #writing

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currentfandomkick · 4 years

Text

Miraculous Team and the Batboys- Mundane Monday and Plot is Connecting Maybe

HEY so thank you all for waiting, puppy plus work being mobbed is hell, so this took forever to get brain power to write... oh well.

Marinette was on guard when she came into class. Her meeting of the “End Gabriel Agreste” Club with its core four members—herself, Chloe, Nino and Sabrina—went well. They were now 15% away from their goal.

Apparently Felix snatched up 3% on his own and gave it to MDC while she was away. Apparently it was his way of a peace offering… or a bribe not to kill him on sight. She wasn’t sure which… yet.

Properly awake and with her favorite drink (blend of dark roast, cream and a tiny bit of Energy Mayhem Special) she was good for the day. Everyone had their usual orders in their seats.

She raised an eyebrow when she noticed a text from Red Robin on her phone, currently a rose and bird emoji label.

RR: So, scale of one to ten, how bad is it if I accidently figured out your partner?

Marinette took a deep breath at that, checked the classroom (Nino was off with Kitty Section debating how to fix the ‘off’ bit of the rift in Rose’s latest song—something about it not ‘punching right’ and Luka being busy with his other band, Chloe and Sabrina were currently fighting Bustier in her office, Alya was conspiring with the Girl Squad on Lila’s end since she wasn’t in, Max and Kim were obviously eavesdropping on that conversation while Nathaniel was off in his own world). Damian still hadn’t come in, and Adrien wasn’t in yet… she wondered if her Chaton was going to sleep in for once.

LB: Please tell me you haven’t told your team

She kept her breathing steady, not letting panic overtake. That would alert people she didn’t want knowing, to looking, which leads to suspecting and rumors and theories and she’d like to avoid that entirely—especially since she still can’t really lie.

RR: I have a feeling you would kick us all out if I did, so I haven’t.

Marinette sighed, tension leaving her shoulders.

LB: Good. Keep it that way as long as you can, okay?

RR: They’re detectives, once they have the pieces they’ll put it together… also, why is your team so easy to figure out?

Marinette winced at that.

LB: Dumb Magic Rules.

Like the one that training a wielder young will prevent corrupting them to use it for personal gain. Like the one where a Guardian cannot be a True Guardian until they connect to the entire Box or Set of kwami. Like the one where Fu can’t give up being Guardian until she’s fully fledged… and that means until she can reclaim the Nooroo and Dusuu and heal Dusuu’s miraculous. That when she does—when she does Fu is gone.

She kept her breathing steady. nothing that they wouldn’t see as Typical Marinette Fretting Over Orders… not that they knew she had those cleared for the month.

“Good morning Dupain Cheng.”

She put her phone away easily, quick to keep up Typical Marinette (no plotting or superheroing here, just Typical Marinette, Baker’s Daughter and Keeper of Secret Drink Menu).

“Hi Damian, how was your weekend?”

“Annoying.” She winced at that. He didn’t exactly have friends here, and time differences are a horrible strain on them… Maybe Ladybug should keep an eye on him… just in case. “I hope yours was adequate.”

She was really wondering who taught him French today… he was being less him and more… stuffy than usual.

“I just needed some time away...” Honestly, she needed a lifetime away from Bustier and Hawkmoth… Lila was manageable (now).

“I am glad you were able to then.”

She was wondering where her deskmate went and why he wasn’t looking at her… Maybe she overdid it last week? She—no. She is stopping her analysis brain from going off and---

“Hello Marinette,” grinned obviously Not-Adrien. Seriously—how did they all fall for it back then? Body language, facial tics, accent—its all wrong.

She narrowed her eyes, not aware that Damian was doing the same beside her.

“Aw, didn’t you miss me?”

Nino came over then, scrunching up his nose as they both could tell Fake Adrien Agreste from the real one with ease now.

“What are you doing here,” Nino was definitely tired… He was not applying his sleep schedule quiz results at all. She was so lecturing him… lunch. She could pencil it in for lunch after wrecking Felix for taking Adrien’s place for the day.

“Oh, good to see I-Love-You Girl isn’t the only one that grew a brain since I last saw you all.” Felix raised an eyebrow at Damian, lingering. Plotting. “You’re new.”

“American Transfer, leave him out of whatever’s going on in that thing you call a brain.” Marinette was not going to deal with an akuma over this. Nope. She was not dealing with that again—or a series of Akuma… God she was going to kill Felix personally if he did. Chloe was untouchable as the Mayor’s daughter, but him? She could take him down again.

“And where’s my bro?”

“Your precious Ladybug,” He sneered, “didn’t cast whatever she did last time, and he’s home sick since his allergies are acting up. I figured it’d be as good a time as any to pull our old switcheroo to keep his Father-Farthest away.”

Marinette twitched at that. She knew she was forgetting something… She sent a quick text to Red Robin.

LB: Why didn’t you tell me it was Mr. Pigeon irl, not video!

RR: …you thought I figured it out from a video?

Marinette rolled her eyes openly at her phone, ignoring Nino as he threatened Felix with his own brand of Bro Shovel Speech.

LB: detectives, most of our battles are caught a decent amount on video, and most of Paris knows that Mr. Pigeon makes him sneeze. Really not a hard recon.

RR: I think you are overestimating my willingness to watch amateur video at length when I can outsource.

Marinette huffed at that.

LB: So you trusted them to not miss major clues when you were all working on different things and would miss key connections?

RR: we’re on the same page as a team. Plus, I get better info filtered with my apps

LB: Magic Fucks Things Up

RR: I’ve noticed.

She looked up to see Damian staring ahead, and wondered if she did something, or didn’t or—NO! Bad Marinette—no going down Rumination Ruin until its time to sleep. She needs daytime for Plotting, Nighttime for Anxiety and Regrets to run wild.

She kept her attention forward when class began, pointedly Not Talking To The Gremlin but not busting him either—she wasn’t going to get Adrien in trouble. Bustier may not notice the abuse signs, but a few other teachers had, and were given the ‘heads up’ by Nino and Chloe and Sabrina.

Lila was the only one unaware of the switch when she left during lunch to drop off a few deliveries her parents asked her to handle when the rush hit. Mostly to one elderly home, and one to her favorite Rescues Only center.

(if she was seen cooing at Lord Murder—yes she knows that’s a Bad Name but the giant kitty amputee was named that years ago before she was found and stubbornly refuses all other names. So, Lord Murder (Never Lady, she hisses at that) it was.)

She blinked when she saw Damian walk in on her checking the Lord Murder’s prosthetic.

“Hey Damian.”

“Dupain Cheng.”

Marinette nodded in acknowledgement and hoped he didn’t catch her calling Lord Murder “the lord and master of murder, the most deadly kitty in existence, and yes, clearly the most cunning of kitties to manage to scratch Mean ol’ Jean with the new paw when it doesn’t even have claws, because you are The Lord Murder, kitty of cuteness and wrath to all unwanted bath times.”

He was watching her then. “Lord likes you.”

Marinette raised an eyebrow, as yes, her favorite rescue (sorry Chat) likes her. She’s the one who argued them into letting them try out prosthetics and handled the funding (officially as MDC) and may have gone overboard on checking everything from the fits and materials and… yeah, okay, she could admit that the giant fluffy Norwegian Forest home in a millisecond if it wasn’t for the health code violation (soon… Gina mentioned she might stop renting out her old house soon as the current group was only a quick temp and she didn’t want someone else living there that wasn’t like family… and something about her Lost Son using it for the moment. Maybe she could convince Maman and Papa to let her do house sitting is she breaks out the Kitten Eyes.)

“Yes. Yes she does.”

Then Lord slow blinked at Damian. She wasn’t sure if she sould be offended or worry her favorite might be adopted by someone else, or glad that it was a serial pet adopter that actually took care of their pets and would be just as nuts as her about making sure Lord Murder was happy and healthy.

“I see she likes you too.”

She could feel Tikki dying in her bag… yes, she was being… awkward. She got it…

“Anyways, I should get going, still have a delivery to do and all so…”

She didn’t, she just really had no idea how to broach the Awkward that was Damian Greyson at the moment.

“See you tomorrow.”

That got him to pause. “Tomorrow?”

“Uh, gymnastics for the rest of the day, making up for what I missed so…”

“If you see the Other Grayson, tell him he is not to hug you.”

Marinette raised an eyebrow. “I…” Brother, father, maybe cousin or legal guardian or friend of his father’s. Too many possibilities, too much to spiral on that she can’t right now. SO.

“O. okay then.”

“Good.”

Marinette waited for him to leave the room, looking at a Too Amused Lord Murder.

“Don’t you start with me, I know I’m a mess on a good day. And no, I’m not overthinking this time Lord, I’m planning, there’s a difference… And no, its not an Alya Plot.”

Those went sideways too fast.

She left with ease and froze at the text from Red Robin.

RR: Can we meet up tonight? No traces that way.

She sent a time and place and –If no akumas happen.

THANK YOU ALL FOR WAITING. it has been a hellish time at work and extra shifts and war-zone lately on top of Precious Puppy Bonding and Care. As always, edits when I can get there and any comments or things you'd like to see expanded on more, leave a comment and I'll try to work it in if it flows.

As you can see, Plot Lines are converging soon.

Big Question though--what kind of Lila Exposed By Class do we want/are angling for? I can go legal or social backlash, blacklisting from Agreste brand, or some combo, or keep it a background element as I don't like how cannon Lila is written and the characters altered to make her bad lies work, so...

Other inquiry--do we want Dick to see Marinette take down someone (probably trying to rob her) on her way out of her gymnastics place on her way home using a few Obviously MIxed Gymnastics and Specific Brand of Martial Arts that feels oddly familiar to Nightwing who tells Red Robin and for him to groan as 'Coffee Angel, Why!' and then the next day its 'oh. Coffee Angel is also That Woman's Granddaughter. It all makes Sense now.' (as i hc Gina as probably busting a few drug, weapons, and human trafficking rings on occasion as how she met Jason back in the day) OR for him to only see the end as Nightwing and stare as she took them down and used her earbuds as 'makeshift handcuffs' while she's calling Sabrina as "I'm fine, no dodged their hits and yes i didn't get gassed this time... yes I'll let the medics look me over and no i'm not going to vanish before they get here unless Akuma, Yes if that happens i'll go to the hospital after--Look, i think i saw a shadow just move. I'm going on Akuma-mode now so... Thanks!" before running to meet up with Red Robin and have it take meeting Gina and looking between Gina and Marinette and how she responds to Jason trying to spar with her and then it clicks? I can go either way, but... Tim figures them out quick and straight up says at one point "I mean, Queen Bee after Style Queen, inverse colors... I've seen the multiverse, I had her pegged after seeing her in the bakery last week." All while Not Telling The Bats as Marinette's team doesn't even know and he has a feeling (correctly) she'll react Badly if she isn't the one to tell him before he comes clean, and ears her bolting as 'no support, team leader, and often absentee and likely disabled mentor, civilian life was a wreck for two years and her civilian safety net is only JUST reforming... hm. That's Famil--Oh.... well... wait until trust is there and let her move on that front, try not to set her off and offer help in what she'll allow--or risk pissing off the demi-goddess of creation and his Coffee Angel. Which he'd like to avoid, please and thank you.

Yeah, Tim is definitely going to Project on Marinette in this.

Also, I see Jason or Dick as Getting Marinette is InvolvedTM next... and Damian being the one to confirm the suspicions.

Prefer Jason Big Brothering or Dick "New Sister Mode Engaged" to suspect she's a temp hero? (Jason via Have You Seen Her in a Spar--and it's Gina's Granddaughter vs Dick 'Her Moves are Too Familiar, Maybe Ladybug uses her as a Body Double and trains her?' as the first Suspicion Arisen among the Bats.

#maribat #daminette idea au #miraculous team and batboys #my writing #my writings #how do you tag #long post

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soraka-in-warhammer40k · 4 years

Text

Immortal Astral Goat Psychology

Welp, if I am not shitposting or RPing I might as well go into some fine astral-goat-psychology right now. I have been awake for what might been close to 40 hours now with that 11 hour flight crossing 9 different timezones and another good six hours to complete the travel and now just having downed some sugary caffeine beverage so I can hold out for maybe three more hours so I can keep my sleep rythm somehow intact.

Best time to make a lenghty in-depht headcanon-post, alright? I will probably collapse after finishing this delirious write-up but then it’s a complete breakdown with a slight hint of feeling accomplished. Gotta take what you can get, right?

For some reason I have always tended towards the “not-exactly-human-immortal” sort of characters. Things that resemble humans and even like them or some aspects of them very much to the point they’d like to be one even though that is a task they’d never accomlish, their timeless nature being part of the reasons. Always wondered why I gravitated towards such designs, now I know it’s my own fucked-up brain so yeah this might also just be me projecting my own mental mess somewhere so take it with a grain of salt.

Soraka meanwhile is a real special case. It is said that she “descended” of some sorts, that she turned into a regular “mortal”, but that’s only true when viewed from a certain distance. OG-Celestial level of distance. Going by visuals one might just consider her being of vastayan heritage, but that’s not what sets her apart from regular mortals. Surpreme regenerative and restorative powers as well as a perspective on the very fabric of existence itself that no other living being could possibly have make sure she will always be the odd one out no matter what she does. This and some other things might have led to certain psychological tics or patterns depending on how you’d want to call it.

1.) Soraka will never, EVER assume the most powerful/top-spot position in the room even if by all means she is the most qualified/strongest/fitting for the job.

There’s a certain reason Soraka prefers mortals over other celestials, and that is mostly their potential. Literally the one reason she came down to this plane of existence was that she knew who was running this reality (other celestial entities), and she apparently was woefully disappointed with what she was seeing. By her logic the celestials are UNFIT for their position to the point where a mere species with a POTENTIAL is worth paying more attention to. I am not sure if you can call this a really weird inferiortiy complex of some sort or if she just really wished that humans and vastaya would realize their potential so the multiverse is finally in better, possibly more qualified hands - and effectively taking the burden of her, even if it is not actual responsibility and only the “burden of knowing”.

2.) Despite her absurdly powerful magic she dislikes using it because that would interfere with her original goal.

Humans and Vastaya (and maybe even the Undead) have a potential to realize, however it is something they must achieve on their own to truly become something new and not become an OG-Celestial-knockoff. So ideally she shouldn’t even get involved, only in the most minimal ways. But she has all this power, yet she can’t really do anything with it. It’s a neverending source of frustration.

Combine this method of “subtle influence” with the previous point, and you might have a very clear basis for a personality that might very easily drift into an passive and lethargic state, who refuses to step forward even at times where they totally should and could. Especially when you combine this with the next point:

3.) The usual immortal-problem: the ones with limited time just become a blur, the other timless ones get stuck in their ways.

This usually goes against her philosophy about individual actions shaping the world and so on - but let’s be real, even in a world where a single person can gain the power to obliberate an entire city with the snap of an finger, how many people TRULY lead lives that actually posess agency and action-potential on a national level even? Especially positive long-term effects? You have a few powerful individuals and then those who’s lives get tangled with them, but everyone else, the “background noise” so to speak? Absolutely irrelevant.

This is already a downer, seeing fruitless yet repeating patterns over the course of centuries - but now imagine it also going against your core philosophy, and it getting shoved into your face again and again. Sometimes even this goat probably wonders if it is worth getting up in the morning or if she should just stay in bed...

Not that other immortal entities are much of a help either - either they are of horrible character (*cough* Sol *cough*) or they are “young immortals” like the current Targoian aspects, or Kayne, or the Darkin/Ascended in general... who all have major psychological issues they definetly should work on.

Except Taric. He’s just a fellow with a goal and who has his priorities set and does his job. The gem-man is the one beacon of hope in a bucket of absolute nutjobs that maybe, just maybe, they also can sort things out. You shouldn’t get your hopes up too much tho...

---

It always irked me when people portray Soraka as this sort of alturistic healer, along with all the cliches that come with it (submissve, cute, weak, naive, you name it) when in reality she must sit on a massive bulk of frustration and some really bad days you better not bother her that she’d rather just spend alone in bed.

As much as I like me some adorable cute-sy Soraka content, I really with people would tap more into this somber, potentially even melanchonic side of her. Sure, her philosophy requires her to have a certain baseline of optimism regarding existence as a whole, but you know how it is - you never have the same optimism levels every day, and after so many years I doubt that the average for Soraka is in the exceptionally high area.

I just hope that in canon lore Soraka finds some actual friends to help her through the “bad” days...

#Soraka #League of Legends #sleep deprived shitposting here have some actual content on this excuse for a blog

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queenraikichi94 · 4 years

Text

A song to heal a tired sould 9 (Raikichi x Piers)

Rated: Teen and Mature

Warnings: Bad language and NSFW

Note: Rakichi is around 25 years old

----------PART 9---------------------

“I still think that this isn’t a good idea, uncle”

“C’mon, Raikichi. I know you don’t trust him, but it’s better to have him under vigilance than having him as our enemy”

I sighed as I decided what clothes I should wear for the lunch we were going to have with Chairman Rose. When I arrived at home few hours ago after spending last night with Piers, my uncle explained that Chairman Rose wanted to offer me something, and since it looked important, I couldn’t say no, despite my total distrust on the man that confront Piers yesterday. With a sigh, I took a simple white dress and I went to the bathroom to prepare myself. Once I was done, I pulled my hair into a ponytail using a white flower adornment and then, I looked to my makeup kit. Glaceon tilted her head and when I was near to take the brush in order to cover my scars with makeup, she jumped onto the dressing table and closed the kit with her paw. “Hey!” I complained but she shook her head “Oh, c’mon, Glaceon” I sighed as I rolled my eyes, but she kept her paw on the kit. “Yeah, I know I should show the scars with pride but...I don’t know...” Glaceon made a sound that meant ‘You are a survivor, a hero, and the only who takes the risks to save people and Pokemon when they are in danger, so yes, show them’. I sighed again as I stood up in order to put a pair of white sandals on my feet and then, the rest of the accesories: the Dynamax band, the Z-Power Ring and my Keystone. Once I was ready, I took a white purse and a light blue jacket and I went to the living room where my uncle was dealing with my rebellious Galarian Zigzagoon.

“Raikichi, could you tell her not to bite the cushions?” he asked as he tried to pull her away from the cushions before cursing when she bite him “Ow!”

“Zigzagoon, don’t bite” I said as I took her on my arms “Sorry uncle, I caught her this morning but I don’t understand why she has done that”

“Galarian Zigzagoon are a bit more agressive than their Hoenn counterparts” he said treating the small wound on his arm

“But she didn’t bite me...Wait, maybe...I think that I know what’s happening”

“Then we should discuss that while we travel to Hulbury” my uncle said putting his jacket on. If it was weird to see Piers with different clothes than his uniform, seeing my uncle on a formal suit was...More weird?

I nodded and I returned Zigzagoon to her Dusk Ball and then, we exited the house, taking a Flying Taxi to Hulbury. During the flight, my uncle told me to relax, cause he noticed I was nervous. Easy to say, difficult to do. I sighed and when we exited the Flying Taxi once we arrived to Hulbury, I tried to calm myself down. “Come, the restaurant is on this way” my uncle said and I followed, with Glaceon at my side.The restaurant was very VERY luxury, and that was making things worst since the people that were inside looked so haughty and arrogant, something I noticed when I heard some of them speaking bad about me when the saw me.

“Uncle, why we have to be in this restaurant?” I asked in low voice “I don’t like this...”

“I didn’t choose it; it was Chairman Rose’s idea”

Now everything had sense. Chairman Rose was going to play on his battlefield. My uncle noticed that as well and he cursed to himself as we approached the table were Chairman Rose and a woman I’ve never met were waiting for us.

“Kabu, Raikichi, I’m glad you’re here” he said shaking our hands “Oh, Raikichi I want to present you Oleana. She’s my secretary and my second in command of all the companies I have in all Galar”

“So this is the World Champion? Chairmanm, if I can say this, I expected someone more...imposing” she said very derogatory. Oh, you wanted war, bitch? You would have war.

“And I expected Chairman Rose’s secretary not to be so...haughty and arrogant that only judges people by their appearences and not by their goals” I said with a challenging gaze directly to her “You’re not the only one who can play this game, Miss Oleana” Fuck you, bitch.

“How dare you...”

“Please, please, calm down” Chairman Rose said “Oleana, Raikichi has gathered a lot of sucesses since she became the World Champion, so there isn’t any need of speaking to her like that” Fuck you bitch. Again. I could see a little tic on her eyes as she was controlling herself. Two could play this game, and I wouldn’t let that haughty bitch to humillate me only because she was always after Chairman Rose. Maube her position had something related to her particular treatment to other people, but I wansn’t going to allow her to piss me off like that.

We sat down and we ordered the food; my Glaceon nuzzling my hand in order to comfort me. I smiled softly as I stroked her head while I heard the conversation until the waiters brought us the food. “So, Chairman” my uncle started “You said you had an offer”

“Oh, yes” he said “In some months the Gym Challenge will start and I was thinking on asking you, Raikichi, to have an exhibition match with Leon during the opening ceremony. Of course, only if you’re agree”

“That sounds...” I started before being interrupted by Oleana. Bitch.

“Excuse me, Chairman, but this girl is the last thing the League and the Gym Challenge need. Look at her; what people would think about her if they saw her againts our Champion and what they would say if she beats him? Maybe you are proud of those scars, but for me and I’m sure that for a lot of people here, those are the proof of you not having care and...”

“I had enough hearing all your shit” I said standing up

“Raikichi...” my uncle said, trying to calm me down

“I’m not going to stay here hearing her insulting me, and insulting all the things I did in order to protect people and Pokemon” I said very angry “Now, Oleana, go and face the dangers that I usually face and if you don’t die in the process, come and we’ll speak again. Maybe you’ll lost a leg, but hey, you don’t care. You only care of people having a pretty face. This is for you. Fuck you off and never try to speak to me like that until learning how to respect people.” I said taking my jacket and my purse “And I hope you don’t speak bad about my family, cause that would cross a line that you won’t be able to cross again. Good evening”

Ignoring my uncle calling me, I left the restaurant, Glaceon after me. I also ignored the Flying Taxi that was waiting outside. I needed to calm down and a walk would help me.

-----KABU’S POV--------

Seeing my niece that angry made my heart shrink with worry, but also, I was angry. Not at my niece; but at the woman that insulted her. Raikichi had faced multiple dangers that only someone with her title could deal; and I was sure that many regional Champions didn’t have the guts to face those dangers sometimes. Oleana didn’t understand that; she didn’t want to understand that, and all of that ended with my niece leaving the restaurant. When she was a child, I always cared of her despite not being in Sinnoh. When she won the Sinnoh Pokemon League and faced Cynthia in order to claim the World title, I was there to see my brave niece gathering her first big goal. And now, Oleana decided to insult my niece’s achievments.

“That was rude by your part, Oleana” I said, holding my anger inside me. It was weird to see me angry, but after seeing what happened between Raikichi and Oleana, it was difficult to control my anger “Raikichi put her life in danger many times in order to protect people and Pokemon”

“Then she was a fool doing that. There are more people that can do that”

“Would you have the enough courage to face the legendary Palkia and Dialga at the same time you have to stop a crazy man that wants to destroy the world using both legendary Pokemon? Would you have the enough courage to stop a man that wants to manipulate all the people and having them thinking and believing in his speechment? Would you have the enough courage to face a man that wants to use a destructive weapon to destroy everything?” I asked “Or what about helping a poor guy that was near of being killed by a Salazzle?”

“I heard that the boy was a grunt of something called Team Skull” Oleana said “If I was her, I wouldn’t save him”

“But she isn’t you and she didn’t care if the boy was or not from Team Skull. She cared for his life and she saved him” I said standing up “It’s clear that you should know people better before judging them” I added and then, I looked to the Chairman “If you excuse me, I have to find my niece”

Without letting them to say something, I took my jacket and I exited the restaurant as I heard Chairman Rose arguing with Oleana. With I sigh, I called my niece, but she didn’t answer the call. I tried two more times, and I got the same result, so I decided to give my niece her space and time to calm down. As I approached the Flying Taxi, I texted to her that I’ll be waiting at home and if she needed something, she only had to text me back. Then, I took the Flying Taxi back to Motostoke.

---------RAIKICHI’S POV----------------

Fuck that bitch. She really got me on my nerves with her haughty maneers and her way of talking to me like that. Holy Arceus. why people like HER has to exist?! I kept walking ignoring the little pain of my feet, Glaceon following me worried. “Fuck that bitch, ARGH, I REALLY HATE HER!” I yelled to the sky and then, I took a deep breath before exhaling all the air I took in that deep breath. Glaceon tilted her head and rubbed her fur onto my legs “Don’t worry, girl. I won’t let that bitch to treat me like that”

We kept walking until we arrived at Turffield and then, I got trapped into a bunch of fluffy Wooloos. Glaceon tried to sneak away, but a Wooloo got her up on his back. The Wooloos managed to make me fall to the ground and despite of getting my dress all dirty, I couldn’t help but laugh. They were so cute and fluffy. “Okay, okay, you’re tickling me!” I laughed

“Hey, Wooloos! C’mon, what are you-Don’t do that, you can hurt someone without intention!” I heard someone saying as they approached the bunch of Wooloos. I recognized that voice. It was Milo, the Grass Gym Leader from Turffield, and now he was making the Wooloos to disperse “Raikichi! Are you alright? I’m so sorry, I didn’t want the Wooloos to surround you” he said helping me to stand up.

“Yeah, I’m fine, don’t worry” I said removing the grass strands from by dress

“Your dress...”

“Oh” I said and then, I laughed “Don’t worry about the dress. In fact, I was going to take this out once I get home...By the way, do you need help in the farm?”

“Of course, but may I ask why? I don’t want to sound rude...But you look a bit exhausted” he said

“Nah, don’t worry. I ask cause I want to do something to distract myself” I replied “Let’s say that the lunch I was having with my uncle and with Chairman Rose didn’t end well and I need something to calm down before going back home, so if you don’t mind having me helping you...”

“Oh, then, c’mon” Milo said with a big smile on his face

We took the Wooloos back to their fenced and then, we went to see how the orchards were since soon it would be the harvest season. After two hours, we finally got the tasks done and I sat down on a trunk near the farm in order to take a breath after doing that amount of effort. “Here, take this” Milo said offering me a fresh lemonade that I took and drank half of it in one sip.

“Thank you” I said after giving a great sigh and savouring the lemonade

“You know, Piers was here few hours before you came here”

“Really?” I asked, blushing a bit and being glad that he didn’t notice it

“Yeah” he said after drinking a bit of his lemonade “He was searching for something and I helped him”

“And what was he was searching?”

“Well, he told me it was a surprise, and he told me not to tell anyone” Milo said “You know, he was always hiding his true self behind that cold mask, but since he knows you, he feels more comfortable showing his feelings”

“I see...” I murmured blushing again before shaking my head “Oh, I wanted to ask you a small favor”

“What is it?”

I let my Zigzagoon exit from her Pokeball and then, she quickly ran to try finding a battle with the Wooloos but Glaceon stopped her. “I caught her this morning and I think I did when she was ready to evolve, so I was thinking on having a battle with her and help her with that”

“Oh, then, follow me”

We went to a small battlefield near the farm. Milo told me he used that battlefield to train when he wasn’t in the Gym, and after taking our positions, he choosed his Eldegoss while I choosed Zigzagoon of course. The battle started, with Eldegoss showing his experience in battle and putting Zigzagoon in problems, but then, she showed me the moves she learnt, leaving both Milo and me with our mouths open when she used Ice Beam againts the Eldegoss and then, after many hits and many moves, she started to glow; she was evolving and I couldn’t be more happy than that moment; if my legs didn’t hurt a lot, I would been jumping of happiness. The glow dissapeared and Zigzagoon was now a Linoone, a Galarian Linoone.

“Look at you, girl! You’ve evolved!” I said as Linoone tacklehuged me and licked my face. Glaceon celebrated it too and I managed to get up again, both Glaceon and Linoone were rubbing their furs againts my skin “Thank you so much, Milo”

“Don’t worry, Raikichi. We’re friends and friends are there for helping each other” he said

“I should go back home now before my uncle decides to start a rescue if I don’t appear at home” I said with a yawn “I’ll come again to help you in order to return you the favor”

“You don’t have to, but if I see that I need help, I’ll tell you if you want to come”

I nodded and together with Glaceon and Linoone I mounted on the Flying Taxi that took me back to Motostoke. Once I arrived, I sighed and I made my way to my uncle’s house, only to be interrupted by a small bunch of people that were wearing similar clothes to the ones the furtives used. “Hehe, look what we found. The bitch that made our friends to end in jail” one of them said “Look at you, you look as the filthy bitch you are. You will pay for ruining our business” he said trying to grab my wrist but was interrupted by the Shadow Ball my Glaceon used against him “Your filthy Glaceon will pay for this” he groaned and commanded his Toxicroak to use Poison Jab againts her.

“Glaceon, dodge it!” I ordered and she did it, but then, another Toxicroak appeared and used Birck Break, hitting her on her back and throwing her away “Glaceon!!”

“Not so fast” the man said as he grabbed my wrist “You’re going to...Akh!”

Linoone had used Bite againts him and I got free and when his Toxicroak tried to use Poison Jab on her, she stopped the Pokemon using Thunderbolt. I had enough of this shit, but when I was going to command another move to Linoone, Glaceon jumped and now she was at her side, but poisoned, and using a Z Move with her in that condition wasn’t a good idea. “Glaceon, Linoone, use Ice Beam!!” I ordered and the furtive’s Pokemon were now frozen, but then I saw that there were two Thievuls coming for us. Glaceon was trying to keep up despite of the poisoning and Linoone didn’t recover all from her previous battle with Milo. With a curse, I cursed myself for not bringing more Pokemon with me, so I decided that the best was retiring, but I ended in the floor after being attacked by the Thievuls that used Dark Pulse, making also Glaceon and Linoone to end on the floor as well. Glaceon tried to keep fighting but I got her. I didn’t want her to get more hurted.

“Where is your strenght now, Champion?” the furtives said and laughed, insulting me and my Pokemon

But before I could reply, a Dark Pulse and a Flamethrower hit the Thievuls, throwing them to their trainers. “Raikichi!!” I heard my uncle saying as he approached me with Piers at his side.

“Hey, are you alright?” Piers asked kneeling at my side

“Yeah...But Glaceon and Linoone...”

“Piers, take my niece to my house” my uncle ordered as his Salazzle took position ready to battle

Piers nodded and after allowing his Obstagoon to take my Glaceon and my Linoone with him, I let my boyfriend to carry me on his back. Glaceon was shivering due the poison that was affecting her and I couldn’t help but feel guilty for that. “Babe, don’t cry, please” he said. Shit. I tried to hold my tears but it was impossible “I’m with you, and that’s all what matters, ‘kay?”

“Okay...” I said with a sob before seeing that we were entering in the Pokemon Center that was near my uncle’s house. Piers put me down and held me firmly as we approached Nurse Joy and let her take care of my Pokemon. While we waited, Piers held me close to him, waiting in silence as I let my tears away until I started to calm down “S-Sorry...I’m the worst trainer that...”

“Don’t continue that phrase, babe” Piers said stroking my cheek as he removed wipped the tears away

“But look how Glaceon and Linoone are! I should have been more careful and maybe that Toxicroak wouldn’t have hurted Glaceon and...”

Piers rolled his eyes before kissing me, interrupting my words. Luckily for us, no one saw that. When we broke the kiss to get some air, he leant his forehead againts mine before hugging me “They took you by surprise. You were tired, and when someone is tired or exhausted, their reflexes are less than when they are fine...So please, stop thinking that about you, babe.”

“I really had a bad day, and all of this shit started in that damn restaurant” I said

“Your uncle told me a bit of it, but if you want, you can tell me later once we’re in your home”

I nodded and when Nurse Joy called us, we went to the counter where Glaceon and Linoone were waiting, full recovered. With tears in my eyes, I hugged them and after thanking Nurse Joy, we went to my uncle’s home. Uncle Kabu wasn’t home, so I suppoused he was still dealing with the furtives. Glaceon and Linoone went to the living room and Piers let his Obstagoon out of his Pokeball to be with my Pokemon. I was so tired that my legs failed, but Piers was quick and held me at time.

“Easy there, babe” he said going to the bathroom with me “I’ll prepare you the bath. Where are your sleeping clothes?”

“Under the pillows of my bed” I said as I started undressing slowly, trying to ignore the pain of my body. Piers quickly went to my room and as fast as he went, he returned with my sleeping clothes. He put them on one of the bathroom cabinets before starting to fill the bathtub with warm water.

“Let me help ya” he said removing the ponytail and my accesories. He stroked gently my skin, checking the small bruises I got “They’ll pay for this”

“They will have enough with my uncle’s punishment” I said as I finished getting undress

“But they are the friends of the ones that tried to hrut you when you defended Linoone” Piers said stroking my cheek “They hurted you, someone really precious to me, and I’ll make them pay”

“Piers...I don’t want you to get in trouble...” I said trembling “I don’t want you to get hurt...”

He stayed silent for few minutes before hugging me. Then, he kissed me and helped me to enter in the bathtub. I sighed in relief when I felt the warm water relaxing my tired muscles, and I got even more relaxed when Piers started to massage my shoulders, his callouse hands working in the right spots. After that, he went to the living room in order to check if my uncle had returned, and then, he came back. “It looks like Kabu is still with them”

“I should have deal with them...”

“Raikichi, please, stop saying that” he said as I cleaned myself “You were exhausted, and you didn’t expect to be battling againts six people at the same time, so please, babe, don’t say that”

I looked at him and I sighed before nodding and smiling softly. I finished cleaning myself and when I was ready to get out of the bathtub, Piers helped me and then, he helped me to get dried and dressed. With care and with a strong I didn’t think he could have, he carried me in bridal style to the living room and put me in the couch. “I’ll prepare you some dinner, ‘kay?”

I nodded and got comfy in the couch, smiling softly when I saw Obstagoon playing nice with Linoone. Glaceon jumped next to me and curled, her head on my leg. “I’m glad both of you are feeling better” I said

Piers made a simple but delicous dinner and after that, we cuddled in the couch watching some films in the TV until I fall asleep on Pier’s arms.

-------PIERS’ POV------

I didn’t expect to find Raikichi fighting a bunch of furtives in the middle of Motostoke, but there she was, and she was dealing with the friends of the bastards that decided to hunt near Spikemuth. Now, we were at his uncle’s house, cuddling in the couch. Kabu told me to take care of Raikichi as he dealt with those criminals, and there I was, hugging my brave girlfriend as we watched some silly but in a way, good films until I heard a very very small snore. I looked at Raikichi and I discovered she had fallen asleep. I couldn’t blame her; she was exhausted after all the thing that happened with Oleana, the work she did in the farm helping Milo cause she needed to get distract and then, the fight with the furtives. How a girl like her could have that amount of energy? I shook my head and smiled as I stroked her back gently. I understood her; Oleana could be a bitch, and with me, she always showed that haughty face cause she didn’t consider me a good Gym Leader only cause I rejected to use Dynamax. Fuck that bullshit.

I sighed and then, I heard the main door opening; Kabu had returned home. He sounded tired. “Hey” I greeted him and he approached us “It took you too long deal with those bastards, didn’t it?”

“Yeah, but most of the time it was trying to avoid them to run away” he said with a sigh “How’s Raikichi?”

I pointed at her and he sighed in relief when he saw her sleeping. “We should take her to her room” he said and I nodded, being careful cause I didn’t want to wake up her and slowly, I went to her room and left her on the soft bed before covering her with the blankets. I smiled when I saw her hugging the Galarian Zigzagoon plushie I gave her.

“Piers?” Kabu called me and I went to the living room “Thank you”

“Don’t thank me. Ya know I’ll do everything for her”

“Then why you don’t stay tonight? She needs you after the hard day she had today...And don’t worry, I don’t mind if you sleep in her room. I trust you the enough to know you won’t do anything that would hurt her”

“I told you, I would never hurt her” I said and then, I yawned

“Go to sleep. Both you and Raikichi deserve a rest”

“The same for you” I replied and then, I went to Raikichi’s room. I closed the door behind me and I kicked my boots away. I removed also the ponytail and my trousers before laying down next to her under the covers. I smiled as I stroked her cheek gently before hugging her. That made her curl closer to me as I embraced her with my arms. Glaceon curled at our feet and quickly fall asleep, and I followed my girlfriend to the dream world minutes later.

-----RAIKICHI’S POV------

I woke up with the chirps of the Rockidee that were outside in the balcon of my room. Slowly, I opened my eyes and I smiled when I saw Piers sleeping next to me, with his arms around me. I closed my eyes again and I nuzzled his neck. He stayed, he could have gone to his house but he decided to stay here, with me...He really loved me, and he didn’t stop showing me how much he loved me. With a soft sigh, I tried to get back to sleep, but failed, and that made him chuckle a bit as he woke up.

“You stayed...” I murmured againts his neck

“Of course I did, babe” he replied stroking my hair “I stayed cause I wanted, and also, cause your uncle asked me to stay...”

“Thank you, Piers...”

He smiled and then I rose my head to kiss him. “You smell sweet...Vanilla?”

“I knew you would like it, so yes” Piers chuckled as he hugged me again

“What time is it?...Oh shit, I had to go to help my uncle at the Gym”

“Nope” he said wrapping his arms around me “Your uncle said that you have all this day free, and since I have my day free as well, I have plans”

“What plans?”

“Doing things with you and having a lovely meal at the evening” Piers said “What do ya think?”

“That sounds fine for me”

Piers smiled and then, he stood up and after putting his trousers on, he exited the room, leaving me blushing madly. After some minutes, he came back with a bag on his hands. “I texted Marnie to bring me some clean clothes” he said before taking my hand and pulling me gently to his arms “Let’s go to have a delicious breakfast and enjoy this day, ‘kay?”

“With you at my side? Of course, babe?” I said kissing him

After the breakfast and getting ready, we went to do some activities to have me distracted cause I couldn’t stop thinking on what happened last day. Piers told me that we were going to stay at night in Wyndon, so he helped me to prepare a small bag with some clothes and things and once we were ready, we took a Flyinf Taxi to Wyndon.

Wyndon was really REALLY big. I was amazed at all the things I was seeing. First we went to visit some boutiques and then, we tried the battle in the Battle Caffé in which we on, with a bit of difficult, but we won. We had lunch after that and then, we went to visit more places during the evening, including the galar Hurricane. The views from the cabinet when we were in the highest points were beautiful.

“You’re enjoying, aren’t you?” Piers said smiling soflty

“Yeah...I really appreciate all the effort you doing to cheer me up. It’s really working” I replied smiling as well

“Then we should get to the next part of this special day” he said as we exited the Hurricane and then, we went to a restaurant to have a romantic dinner. We talked about his ideas for the concert and he suggested me to do a contest performance in the middle of the concert. I wasn’t sure but I told him I would think about it.

After the dinner, we went to the The Rose of the Rondelands, one of the most expensive hotels in the all Galar, and knowing that Piers had booked one of the most expensive rooms of the hotel made me look at him with curiosity. “Leon’s idea.” he said as we entered in the room, closing the door behind us “He wanted to pay the room but I said no cause I could afford easily with the money of the concerts and the money I win being the Gym Leader” he added as he removed his ponytail and then, he unbuttoned his shirt before kissing me “Did I tell you how much I love you?”

“Yes...But I love hearing you saying that, babe...” I said as he removed my clothes slowly after , and then, I did the same with his clothes. Once we got naked, we sealed our lips in a tender but passionate kiss as we laid down in the bed. Piers kissed me gently as he stroked my sking gently as well. I moaned when his lips went to my neck.

“Babe, if you want me to stop, if you don’t want to do this, tell me, ‘kay? I don’t you to feel uncomfortable” he said

“I want this, Piers...I want you...” I said to his lips beofre kissing them

Piers kissed my lips once more before going down, kissing my skin until he reached my wet entrance. Slowly, he started to lick my clit as his fingers stroked my entrance before entering a finger inside, making me moan and arch my bacl as I pulled his hair away gently. He entered a second finger and then a third one and I started to see the stars. We’ve talked a bit about when we were going to have sex the first time, and we were agreed that this first time would be romantic, and if we wanted it rough, it would be another day.

“Ah...Ah...Damn, Piers, this is so fucking good...” I moaned as I arched my back more and then, I reached my orgasm as I moaned his name. Piers went up and kissed me making me taste myself on his lips “I...I want you, Piers...Inside me...”

Piers nodded and after taking a package, he took the condom from it and covered his hard lenght with it. Once his cock was covered by it, he lined himself with my entrance and pushed himself in slowly with a moan. Fuck, he was big, but not too big that could hurt me. His lenght was enough to fill me. “Can I move, babe?” he asked softly and when I nodded, he kissed me as he started to rock his hips softly. We both moan as I crossed my legs around his waist. Piers moved a bit faster as we moaned louder. “Fuck, babe, you’re so good” he groaned with a moan as he bite my neck softly “You’re so fucking good” as he moved a bit faster than before “My goddess...My muse...”

“Ah...Piers...You’re so fucking good too...” I moaned even louder as I reached my orgasm again, crying his name as I moaned. Piers kept rocked his hips until he reached the climax as well. Both of us panted, trying to recover our breath. Once we recover our breath, Piers pulled out of me and after covering the condom with tissues and throwing it to the trash bin, he returned to bed with something on his hand. With his free hand he covered us with the blankets and I curled next to him. Then, I heard a noise coming from my belt and Glaceon exited from her Pokeball, and when she jumped onto the bed, she gave me the look that meant ‘I was tired of being in my Pokeball so I decided to get out sin you had finished your stuff’. I chuckled as I traced circles on my boyfriend’s chest with my fingers until he gave me a box. “For you, babe”

“What’s this?” I asked opening the box and taking out of it a Love Ball. I looked at him and then, I moved it and a Pokemon went out of it. I blinked twice until I realized that it was an Applin that after noticing me, went to nuzzle me before greeting Glaceon. “It’s so cute...Thank you, Piers”

“Here in Galar we have the tradition of giving an Applin to the person we want to confess our love or to the one that we actually love and we want to show them how much we love them”

“So that’s why you went to Turffield and asked Milo for help?” I said and he nodded before chuckling as I hugged him tightly “I really love this, Piers. I’m...I’m without words right now but...Oh, Piers, I love you, I love you so much. Thank you, thank you” I said kissing his face a lot before kissing his lips

“I love you too, babe” he said kissing me back before laughing when Glaceon sighed and curled herself to get some sleep. Then, he looked at me when I yawned, so he allowed me to lean my head on his chest “Did you enjoy this day?”

“Of course I did, babe...” I said closing my eyes, tangling my legs with his as I laced my fingers with his

“Sleep well, my lovely muse...” he whispered before kissing my temple and bthen, he closed his eyes as well “I love you...”

“Love you too...” I whispered before I fell aslee, quickly followed by Piers.

#raikichi pkmn #pokemon sword and shield #piers #piers x oc #kabu #marnie #milo #leon #trainersona #a song to heal a tired soul

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useless-blog-dont-bother · 5 years

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NYGMOBBLEPOT THE MUSICAL - THE SCRIPT

Disclaimer: I swear I’m not on crack. It’s just that I write this when I desperately want and need to sleep but just can’t. And of course I don’t own any of the songs, nor the characters. And no it’s not the regular writing style, it’s written like a script.

PART 1

SCENE 1 – STREETS OF GOTHAM

The streets of Gotham are busy as usual. Some say the hectic streets of this city are a literal madhouse. But those people obviously never set foot in a real madhouse and especially not in the hell reserved for the criminally insane: ‘Arkham Asylum’. And yet they’re complaining.

GOTHAMITES: There’s a hole in the world like a great black pit,

And the vermin of the world inhabit it,

And its morals aren’t worth what a pig could spit,

And it goes by the name of Gotham…

At the top of the hole sit a privileged few,

Making mock of the vermin in the lower zoo,

Turning beauty into filth and greed…

And if you’ve sailed the world and seen its wonders,

You’ll know the cruelty of men is as wondrous as Peru,

But there’s no place like Gotham!

A kid, her backpack on one shoulder, is on her way home after a long day at Gotham High. A grown man pushes her and snatches her backpack.

KID (on the ground): Ugh, not again!

That kid is actually lucky, being robbed isn’t the worst thing that could have happened there. But it is the third time this month that she loses her bag. Only in Gotham.

SCENE 2 – OUTSIDE THE ICEBERG LOUNGE

Two men are getting out of a club called the Iceberg Lounge. A limousine is waiting for them.

EDWARD (about to open the limousine door): I’ll get the door!

OSWALD (going in the limousine): Oh, you’ll get much more!

BOTH: Either way we can’t go wrong…

With how shamelessly and how famously we’re both just getting along…

The smallest of the pair takes his partner’s hand and eagerly pulls him inside the limousine.

BOTH: We’re get, get, getting, get, get, getting, getting along!

OSWALD: So, what have you planned? I’m confident you didn’t make me close the lounge and got us the limo for nothing.

EDWARD (talking fast): We haven’t had date night in a while so I thought we, you know, we might as well make it a bit fancier than usual since it hasn’t happened in days, in weeks actually because of the lounge and the occasional robberies and the meetings and –

OSWALD (amused): Slow down, Ed.

EDWARD (blushing as he adjusts his glasses): I – Sorry, I –

OSWALD: No need to apologize, nor explain. I know how that brain of yours can be sometimes.

EDWARD: Hey!

OSWALD: You know I didn’t mean that in an offensive way. And you know I love everything about you. From your schemes to escape the GCPD to your way of fidgeting with your glasses when you’re nervous.

EDWARD: Everything? Even the riddles?

OSWALD: Especially the riddles.

EDWARD (chuckling): Now you’re just lying to make me feel better, Oswald.

OSWALD (smiling): What? No, I’d never do that.

SCENE 3 - RESTAURANT

Oswald and Ed are sitting at the best table of an expensive restaurant.

OSWALD: You really weren’t kidding when you said ‘fancier’.

EDWARD: Only the best for you.

OSWALD (resting a hand on Ed’s hand): For us, dear.

EDWARD: He’s touching my hand…

OSWALD: He’s looking kind of funny…

EDWARD: Wait, he knows I’m gonna propose?

OSWALD: Is this because I touched his hand?

EDWARD: Well, I guess…

OSWALD: Well, I guess…

BOTH: I’ll just go with it…

EDWARD: The very first time I saw you,

A very long time ago,

I have to admit,

I liked you a bit,

But I didn’t want you to know.

OSWALD: When we were roommates,

All I could do was stare,

And I can’t refute,

You looked pretty cute,

Tying that guy to a chair.

BOTH: I guess we’re doing this,

See that look in your eyes,

How could I resist?

It’s meant to be because we’re allies,

Time to move in for a kiss,

Just go with it and don’t ask why,

I guess we’re doing this…

WAITER: Are you, sirs, ready to order? Oh, I’m awfully sorry. It seems I’ve forgotten to give you the wine card earlier. I’ll be back in a second with it.

OSWALD: Well he couldn’t have had a worst timing. Where were we?

EDWARD (standing): I – I have to go to the restroom.

OSWALD (winking): Want me to accompany you?

EDWARD (laughing as he turns red): N – No, I’ll be back in a second.

SCENE 4 – MEN’S RESTROOM

Edward is muttering to himself while frantically washing his hands. As he looks up at his reflection in the mirror, Edward gasps.

THE RIDDLER: Long time no see, right?

ED: I thought I was done with you.

THE RIDDLER: If you really wanted to be done with me, you shouldn’t have taken those pills earlier.

ED: It was to help me with –

THE RIDDLER: Yes, I already know. Too nervous to propose to Pengy. We share a brain, you know?

ED: No, we don’t share a brain. You’re a figment of my imagination, an hallucination due to pills I should definitely throw away.

THE RIDDLER (resting a hand on Ed’s shoulder): Oh please, I’ve been in your head way before you started taking those pills. And I’m much more than a mere hallucination. I’m you and I want to help you, to help us.

ED (adjusting his glasses): Do you think he knows?

THE RIDDLER: Well, you did force him to close the lounge for the night and dragged him to Gotham’s fanciest restaurant. And I’m sure he’s aware that it’s been exactly a year since he’s been released from Blackgate.

ED: Oh crud…

THE RIDDLER: Also, another dead giveaway. Just look at us.

ED (dabbing his forehead with his handkerchief): Yes, I know.

THE RIDDLER (mockingly): We look like we just ran a marathon! I’ve never seen us sweat that much. And, Christ, quit blushing each time he looks at you.

ED: You’re really not helping.

THE RIDDLER (with a sly smile): You’re right. But maybe -

ED: Don’t even think about it.

THE RIDDLER: You really think the stuttering mess that you are is gonna be able to pop the question?

Ed briefly stares in the mirror before looking down. The Riddler’s smile grows bigger.

THE RIDDLER: I thought so.

ED: It’s such a bad idea…

THE RIDDLER: It’s a brilliant idea. Let me help you, Ed. We want the same thing, we’re the same. I’m just, well, stronger.

All your nerdiness is ugly,

All your stammering’s a chore,

Your tics and fidgets are persistent,

And your charm is non-existent,

Fix your vibe then fix some more.

ED: But -

THE RIDDLER: Oh, everything about you is so terrible,

Oh, everything about you makes me wanna die.

ED: Jesus Christ…

THE RIDDLER: So, don’t freak out,

And don’t resist,

And have no doubt,

If I assist,

You will be more chill.

ED: Alright. But you better not mess this up. I -

THE RIDDLER: Don’t worry, Eddie. Penguin’s wrapped around our finger anyway. He would never say no.

Ed sighs as his doppelgänger disappears. He is about to walk up to the door but he decides to glance one last time at his reflection. He smirks. The Riddler has taken over.

EDWARD: Let’s get to work.

#gotham #oswald cobblepot #edward nygma #nygmobblepot #nygmobblepot the musical

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1358456 · 4 years

Text

Review Response, Dec 22 - 28, 2019

“28″, but I’ll be including the reviews that came in this morning. Because hey.

And... there are a lot. The most this year.

Legacy Prologue - Kalos

1) That first part DEFINITELY reminded me of the XY chapter, except Y is being the Hikikomori (shut-in) and X is trying to drag her out... It’s a good role-reversal!

I also wanted it to be like the time in XY where Y found out what happened to her mother and she got super depressed. Except this time, X tries to do something about it. Finally.

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Legacy #008

1) LOVED IT!

Thank you!

2) Poor moon. I loved this chapter

Hey, it’s you! <3 Thank you kindly.

3) WoW cool chapter. So blue confessionele next chapter hopefully? Lol have been waiting on that for the entire story so Lets hope its the case

Haven’t we all. ... Except for those that don’t like this pairing...

4) It’s nice to see platinum trying to help blue move things was a good chapter with nice interactions with the juniors and seniors all under the same roof

It’s like a big Dex Holder family! ... But not too big, since there are far too many of them nowadays! And despite Platinum not really wanting to get involved, she helps out anyways, as “foretold” by the Headcanon Chronology!

5) While Moon really should rest, the idea of her getting that Spirit of Vengeance team you posted about on your Tumblr sounds way too awesome. ...Also Umbreon bias since it's my first (and only) shiny, but yeah.

Poor Blue - it really is probably only going to hurt her the longer she keeps it in. Wonder how that is going to play out, since I guess Platinum's now put things in motion. I think the first scene in this chapter is the one I enjoyed the most.

Damn, for Moon's Pokemon to die like that...that's gotta be traumatizing. I have to admire that determination though, even though she's shaping up to be a revenge-obsessed character from what I see.

Awesome chapter as always and can't wait for the next one!

Hehe. Spirit of Vengeance. The amount of curse in that team would be quite terrifying. Hehehe... ... Only shiny, you say? Aww...

Platinum has gotten the ball rolling despite not really wanting to. MVP of the confession? Hehe... Sisterly bonds, indeed. Now, will it work out in favor for Blue??

Moon can’t be filled with a lust for vengeance if none of her friends and Pokemon have perished. And so now she rises from her agony with ice cold determination for blood to be spilled for the blood that had been shed. ... Or does that saying go the other way around? Heh. Regardless. She’s pissed, has a bow, lethal poison, and soon to be a team packed with ghosts (and Dark types).

Thank you as always! And you won’t have to wait long~!

6) Eh lucky really isnt my cup of tea but the way you write stories is pretty awesome keep up the good work!

I could tell by the anon ID you picked. To each their own. And thank you!

7) Awww blue being so shy hahahaha. Its like the roles have reversed since the first time they met thats so cute! Anyway Great story as usual

Hehe. Timid Blue~! It’s new and very cute, isn’t it? And thank you.

8) Hey man Great story looking forward to the next chapter

Thank you. It’s coming very soon.

9) Wow this is A really underrated story I really like how you keep most characters so in character!

Still underrated... in comparison to my previous stuff. But that’s to be expected, I guess. And thank you.

10) Well Colour me surprised ! A Pokemon story thats not forcing crack pairings! Anyway Where is green in this story?

Heh. Crack pairings... Only once in a solar eclipse. And... who? Heh. He’s in Kalos and thus off screen.

11) Wtf did moons Pokemon just die? Great story but damn thats fucking dark

Yes they perished in the fire. “Die, insect” and all. ... And one of them was an insect! Heh. Ahem. ... Dark? That’s not dark. Have you seen the stuff I did in SA and Destiny? Heh...

12) I mean I kinda like the story but isnt specialshipping canon? Also this is really really dark

No, it’s not canon. What is canon is that Yellow has a crush on Red. What’s also canon is that Red is uncomfortable with the idea. And of course he is. He thought she was a guy the whole time and then suddenly found out all at once that she was a girl and had a crush on him. His response is not going to be positive. And again, this is not dark. ... Though I guess that depends on your sensitivity.

13) hey sorry for not leaving A review for so long but I still really like the story lol!

Hey, you’re back. ... Then... who’s the anon with the v2 of your ID?

14) I love your writing style!

Thank you!

15) I somehow found Pearl smacking Black across the face to wake him up funnier than it should’ve been. Haha

I wonder if Blue really will confess to Red today. If so, I wonder how the opportunity would present itself.

Its quite sad that Hau, Lillie, and two of Moon’s Pokemon died. I guess this is where Moon’s overhaul comes in. I cant wait to see Moon’s viciousness unleashed when she inevitably meets the guys responsible for all that.

I look forward to more!

Hehe. Black always getting smacked around in my stories, literally and figuratively.

Will Blue truly confess on that day (which is a day before the stuff in Alola happens), or will she fail again due to anxiety? And will it end well for her??

Moon’s overhaul is happening now, yes. For that, she’ll have to go to Galar too. And I don’t know sh*t about that region, so... that’ll be difficult. Hehe. And much later in the story when she meets her foe... oho, Rage Unleashed Moon!

16) Moon and Lillie sure get burned really bad. Also, what about the kid with the malasadas? Hopefully, Blue will confessed to Red soon...

The local boy with the malasada had the same fate as Lillie. Two stretchers with a body on top, with the white blankets pulled all the way up.

17) I figured that now would be the best time to give a review for one of your works. therefore, I should review my personal favourite.

I been a consistent and long-time reader for numerous years now without ever leaving a review. I simply didn't have an account until recently just so I can give my thoughts on some of the series that you make.

Regarding Legacy as a whole, it truely showcases your ability to take the wide variety of dexholders and thiee different personalities and place them in situations that would absolutely never occur in the actual story. I have always loved the way you portray each individual character, improving thier teama and strategies and having genuine character growth. Although Sun and Moon are my uncontested favourite characters so far, I adore the way you use Platinum B in your stories, giving her a genuine personality and character traits.

You also generate a wide range of different and creative settings for each of the characters to go through. Legacy is the perfect example of this in terms of one truely coherent story setting. by using the opportunity of the highest stakes that these dexholders may ever face, you use the opportunity to explore all of the aspects of each character amazingly and how they would face this danger.

Since Sun and Moon are my favourite characters, the wait for this chapter absolutely killed me. Although it sucks that due to the lack of reviews for these characters I will get few opportunties to read your way of presenting the characters What I am trying to say is that the way you write your characters makes them feel REAL. I genuinely believe that these are the actual characters as they personalties are replicated and refined to perfection The way both Sun and Moon react in this chapter is exactly the way I would have expected them to. Being a Deliveryshipping day 1, seeing even the slightest interactions in any media, especially in your stories always brings joy to me. I have regulary reread most of your works such as Special Chronicals and Distinct Events becuase each story is chapter is amazing in its own right.

Your amazing work has inspired me to possibly start my own project one day. I am sorry for the stress that you have gone through this year and the issues with the Discord. It will get better this year. Seeing as you use reviews to indicate the popularity of a particular series, I had to write this review so that this series can get the update it deserves so that we can all see how this fantastic story ends. Thank your for all of the amazing work you have done.

Whoa, hello. Haven’t gotten a review this long since a certain someone stopped with Destiny reviews back in July.

Accounts aren’t necessary for the reviews. Guest reviews exist! And if you use the same anon ID, I’d know it’s you. But thank you for going through the effort! It’s much appreciated!

Aww, thank you very much! <3 And while I don’t know about Sun, but Moon is going to be in the spotlight quite a lot, so enjoy it! Since Platinum is my uncontested favorite, she gets plenty of development in my stories, with new character bonds, teams, battling style, etc. And unlike in DPPt, she actually gets to do things against the enemy.

Of the three major stories I’ve written (SA, Destiny, Legacy), Legacy has the lowest stakes. But I think it’s also the most personal, which I guess means it’s much more important for individual Dex Holders. Well, we’ll see as time passes. And yes, these are kind of things that would never happen in the actual arcs, so the Dex Holders get to be stress-tested. How would they react given their personalities, tics, relationships, etc, in a realistic situation?

Oh. ... Ahem. Sorry for making you wait 7 months. Ehehe... And while it’s true that Sun and Moon currently have the lowest “viewership”, that changes as time passes. Like Black and White in SA and X and Y in Destiny. As the “meh” torch is passed down to Sword and Shield, Sun and Moon might rise in popularity, thus increasing the chances of them appearing in my stories.

I don’t really know if this was how Sun would react though. But I also don’t know how he would’ve actually reacted, so this might not be outside the possibility range. I kind of had him act like Black, really, but without being as sweet... or loud. Well, there will be more Sun & Moon interactions for you to enjoy in the upcoming chapters, so... there you go!

You should start your own project! Go for it! And eh, Discord. Sh*t happens. I wouldn’t call that stress. Anyways. Yes, I use the review count as an indicator of how many people have finished the chapter. Of course, there are plenty of people who read the chapter to the end without reviewing, and the number of people who review after reading tends to fluctuate. But if there is a trend, that indicates a trend in viewership as well. And that is what I look at. Hence the charts. And yes. We’d all like to see how the story ends. Me included. Keep up with the reviews and we’ll all see it by 2021.

And thank you so much for the review and the... sweet talking. Hehe <3

18) Just found this story and am enjoying it thoroughly. Big fan of your Blue characterization as well, I used to enjoy shipping Red with Yellow, but recently, I've come to enjoy Blue with Red.

A small nitpick - Did none of the juniors comment on Red and Blue sleeping in the same room/bed while they stayed in Red's house in the last two chapters? I would assume the female juniors already know Blue likes Red and so won't say anything unnecessary, but I guess the guys are a little more tactful than we give them credit for?

Looking forward to me. Cheers.

Red with Blue works very well. And it’s cute! Hehe... ... biased.

Heh. The girls... already know, since the girls who are in the house were Platinum, White, and Y, and they already know of Blue’s crush and all that. So White and Y would just snicker at the fact that Red and Blue are sleeping on the same bed, while Platinum would just smile. As for the boys... Diamond might notice something if he spent more time talking to Red and Blue before and after. But I doubt Pearl or Black would notice anything odd. They’d probably just assume that Red and Blue are sharing the bed because a ton of guests were sleeping in the living room, so there were no other options.

Of course, all that’s assuming that the juniors know that Red and Blue are sleeping on the same bed. I don’t recall having Red and Blue give them a tour of the house, so as far as the juniors know, there might be another bed upstairs. ... Though a house tour is generally the first thing you do, but... heh. Ambiguity. No one knows for sure.

And I look forward to seeing more reviews from you!

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Well well. Would you look at THAT. Way above the average now. So... looks like I’ll have to keep my word and update Legacy again before this year ends in 3 days. Heh. Of course, I did notice a few things but... well... whatever.

18. That’s the most reviews I’ve gotten in a chapter in all of 2019. Or 2018. ... And vast majority of 2017 (Legacy Prologue - Kanto was in January 2017). If this kind of thing happened much more frequently, I would be updating Legacy like once every two weeks, instead of 3~4 times in a year.

But, there you have it! New record in almost 3 years. As a result... Legacy update in 3 days.

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DE #031

1) Sun and moon are so cute. I love them

Support the new...ish pairing!

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And with that, DE #031 is no longer in the top 4 least reviewed. Yay!

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SC #017

1) Awesome story.

Thank you.

2) Well that was...brutal alright. Thugs deserved it though. I'm mildly surprised no one died, but I think that's more because I'm used to seeing that from your old "doom hammer" chapters.

I admit the Santa part was an amusing touch, and I guess that explains why you needed to release this by the end of the year. Heh, Blue's gadgets are useful as always and very effective - that's a nice disguise. That action scene was awesome and easily the best scene in this chapter. The situation aside...it was nice to see Red be a hero even without his Pokemon.

You were right - this is an enjoyable chapter and I like this "brutal Red" experiment. Can't wait for the next chapter!

Heh. The doom hammer is for serious stories. Not comical ones. So no one dies in the hands of Santa Claus. This time.

Ahem. Well, there’s the inspiration for the chapter, and the reason behind the line of “Or Santa will go jolly on your naughty asses with a candy cane axe”. Hehe. Cheers, everyone, Santa has come to town!

And the duo of Red and Blue becomes much stronger. Mercenary Red with technological support!

Hehe. Much more serious brutal Red (instead of comical) to come up later as the experimentation continues. Ohoho!

3) holy crud, santa beating up a gang is greatest thing ever

Yep. Santa going to town on their naughty asses with a candy cane bat. What’s not to love?

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And with that, the latest SC chapter is now in the top 4 least reviewed. For now?

... Looks like the “A Day at Work” chapters are failing miserably, since they’re at 1 and 3 reviews respectively. So... I guess I won’t be doing that again.

And with this, the longest review response post of 2019 has come to an end.

#qna

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vrainsrewatch · 5 years

Text

episode 11 thoughts

me: i shouldn’t have too much to say about this episode, since it’ll be mostly dueling! me, 25 screenshots later:

(see what i did there. i’m funny i promise)

a lot of the early episodes i’ve seen twice, or at least use regularly in amvs so i’m somewhat familiar with what happens in them. that is not the case for this particular episode, so even though i sort of remember the beats of it, i’d forgotten a lot of the juicy stuff.

like this.

i’ve seen people bring this scene up before, but it’s really interesting. AI don’t need to sleep, but does the existence of free will inside of them give them the option? sleep is something animals do because they have to. humans sleep way, way longer on average than most other predators, and while there’s certain animals that sleep upwards of 15 hours, those are mostly prey animals -- or at least, animals who don’t really hunt. sloths, koalas, etc.

people do, however, sleep sometimes when they don’t technically have to. people take naps when they’ve had a stressful day, or are staying up late for an event, or even to get through a class that bores them. does that make it an activity?? that one can choose to do?? it’s kind of a weird thought lol.

anyways though,

i don’t talk about emma too much, but she’s a pretty cool gal. she’s obviously incredibly intelligent, she’s an expert hacker, but i love her ability to put things together quickly. she’s an information broker and a bounty hunter, so it makes sense she’s good at putting clues together to form a conclusion fast. i just like that they bothered to have her think this one out so we get to see that, since she doesn’t get much screen time past this season.

i also had forgotten how often dr. kogami shows up in these episodes. for some reason, i only remembered him being here or there throughout the first season, up until rev vs pm round 3.

there’s people in the fandom who like to demonize revolver, mostly because of the tower i think, but honestly, he’s a respectful opponent. he really did not have to explain anything to playmaker -- at the moment, all revolver knows is he’s some dude going around kicking his lackeys asses in duels, and has an ignis attached to his duel disk. he doesn’t know he was a LI victim. he doesn’t have any reason to suspect that, as of right now, but he still goes out of his way to clear things up for yusaku.

it’s an important aspect of his character that i think people who dislike him tend to forget, and like, you do you -- like and dislike whatever characters you want, i mean -- but you shouldn’t erase parts of them just because you’re not a fan.

anyways though,

it’s really interesting to me how revolver talks about free will. he’s more spiritual then i would’ve guessed, as we find out from his duel vs. soulburner in 115-116, but it shows here, too.

the ignis have free will, but he thinks of them as below humans; creatures that will only cause harm. if they have free will, they have the choice to be good or bad, and yet he is so dead set in his thinking. he has all the pieces right there, but he just won’t put them together. and with his changes towards ai specifically and what he says to soulburner about flame in their duel, you have to wonder if it’s a willful ignorance.

however that follows up with:

which like, again shows how spiritual revolver actually is in some ways, which is interesting considering how rooted in science he is a lot of the time, but also,

the way he phrases this makes me deeply sad for him. i’ve talked a lot about revolver’s thoughts on his father already, so i won’t talk about it too much here when i’ve got so much else to cover, but really. he deserved an actual father, not an asshole who wrongfully put himself on a pedestal to be admired and worshiped.

i feel like the fandom is so used to the concept since it was introduced so early to us in the series, but seriously, this is kind of a crazy thing. despite how advanced den city is technologically, clearly this has still never been done before outside of the hanoi project. that is a lot to take in and process.

seriously. i don’t blame yusaku and everyone else for being so skeptical. it doesn’t sound possible to us, even though in the real world, it’s been something we’ve talked about since we started developing AI, basically.

it brings so many moral questions to the table, too, because if something has free will, if something is able to think and live like us, would it be wrong to continue to make it do things that might be against its will? would it be wrong to delete the program, if it’s capable of forming connections with others?

moving on to something less serious, though:

everyone’s favorite meme scene LOL. seriously, this is so stupid and nerdy, i hate it and love it so much at the same time.

originally i wasn’t too fond of revolver’s first avatar, but it’s really grown on me tbh. not really relevant, but things like this actually made it grow on me lol.

next up though we get a flashback of yusaku’s backstory. at the current moment, we really have no context for these scenes, but they’re still shocking to look at in their own right:

and of course, we have little ryoken’s words of encouragement.

not only do we find out why yusaku does the three things mantra, we also now have the clues that revolver was the one who told this to him, way back when, since we see him use the same tic in an earlier episode.

i’ll try to keep my thoughts on this brief, since i have a lot to say about this, so bear with me.

firstly, the last line. not only is it one of my favorite quotes in the whole series, as it’s simple, powerful, and holds meaning in my own life, but it reflects back on what i was saying about revolver having all the pieces but purposefully not putting them together about the ignis.

it’s a concept that’s hard to grasp at their young ages, and yet ryoken puts it eloquently and yusaku takes it to heart, turning those words into fuel to keep him going.

three things to live, three things to go home, three things to defeat the enemy.

these are not normal words of encouragement, and it’s very clearly intentional. this is something a child can cling to, which is exactly what yusaku does. he clings to it so much, even ten years later these are still the words he hears when he needs to get through something. even ten years later, he thinks of three things for everything he does.

ryoken wanted that child -- the one that he lured back to his father, the one that kept losing and kept screaming in pain -- to have a reason to fight back.

and boy, does yusaku fight back.

anyways though.

a lot of people, myself included, love the irony of this. the person he hates, the person he wants to save, the person he’s dueling right now, they are all the same. he is right in front of him, but he doesn’t know it. ah, it hurts so good lol.

a lot of people don’t consider ryoken to be captured, but i do. just not in the sense that yusaku is thinking of.

this is where everyone gets the confusion of firewall being his ace, and i mean like, i get it. but it’s the same way as like, salamangreat pyro phoenix or violet chimera are soulburner’s secondary aces, becaus heatleo is his true ace.

at least, imo. maybe i would’ve been wrong had firewall not been so overpowered it had to be axed from both the OCG and the TCG lmao.

okay, but why? why just you, seemingly? i touched on the fact that it’s possible jin and spectre also have link sense, i think, but takeru doesn’t. miyu seemingly doesn’t -- or does she, with her ability to sense aqua on her chest during her coma? so really, it’s just takeru, then. why is he the odd one out, here? and was this a byproduct of the LI or were the children chosen on purpose because of this ability? was it something that just had to be awoken inside of them?

g o d

have you seen it before? were you even there when revolver took down cyberse????

anyways.

this is so cute. i love them. his little smile. but also, it’s interesting to note that he does this not believing ai has free will. i saw a few people complaining that yusaku’s attachment to roboppi (like the flashback of him petting her head like a dog or smth) was out of character, but it’s clearly not.

he clearly gets invested in the AI around him, probably because he knows he doesn’t have to worry about them hurting him or anything. it’s... sad :(

honestly, i wonder if revolver would’ve won this duel had he not been using his father’s strategy with fire prison. they’re very evenly matched in skill, so i wouldn’t really have been surprised.

this screenshot was just taken because CR called them varrets instead of rokkets but still changed the monster names to rokkets and when i first saw this episode i was like ??? ultra confused lmao.

i’m so glad the subtitles get more consistent as the series goes on. though i harp on CR a lot, i really am grateful they have the whole series and were able to simulcast it throughout it’s airing.

anyways, that’s all for right now! i started watching this episode like, an hour and a half ago almost LOL so i’ve gotta get some stuff done before watching another. see y’all

#vrains #episode 11

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taestykooky · 5 years

Text

My Evolution in Stanning Jaebeom / GOT7

Ever since yesterday? Was it yesterday? I’ve lost track of time...I’ve been hugging my body pillow and rolling around in bed squealing and moaning “Jaebeom-ah”. I’ve literally accomplished nothing, the dishes are still in the sink, the cat has been destroying everything and I don’t even care... I’m a fucking mess. Did I even eat anything? Thank god I didn’t have work, tomorrow however is going to be a challenge. How am I suppose to go back into society like this? His oh delicious body, that darn belly button and happy trail with his damn gorgeous face keep replaying in my head. *sigh*

When did I become so fucking thirsty for this man? When did the admiration and love for him turn into this? Like yeah, I’ve always been a huge fan, his smile always brighten my day. Don’t get me started with his eyes... his voice, oh god but like I can still partly function after hours of calming down. But this, I don’t even know what to do with myself. Every time I look at him now, even when he’s acting all cute, I’m lusting for him. Like shit sis, a picture of him just sitting there at a fan sign has me all hot and bothered. Wtf?

A part of me is screaming, “girl, pull yourself together! He ain’t even know you exist.” But like I know and but I just can’t stop. It’s just crazy to think back when I first saw him during the dream high/bounce era, I thought he was cute. It was so innocent. When he debuted again with GOT7, I was excited to see and get to know him & the others. Of course, he became my bias but it was pure admiration of who he is and how talented he was.

Was it during the Just Right era that I found him to be more attractive than usual? I think that sounds about right, that scene with him in the car...And then came MAD’s If You Do, boy did my heart fluttered. I remember replaying Tic Tic Tok over and over just to hear his sexy voice. That song did things to me especially his “내 맘이 너를 원해 나와 같기를 바래, 나에게 너를 맡겨 You know you like it, baby”. Seriously? I replayed that part so many time I felt sorry for the rewind button.

Looking back now, he was the joy of my life, something to look forward to after school. I struggled a lot during that time but GOT7 was my light through it all and still is.

When Fly came out, I was absolutely in love with it. His voice starting it was heaven to my ears and he looked so damn fine...(maybe this was when the thirst slowly started?) I remember singing along so much that even now when it comes on randomly on my iTunes that I just instinctively singalong.

Oh boy and then Hard Carry. The whole Turbulence album is one of my all-time favorites. 니꿈꿔 (Dreamin’) was on repeat for the longest time, like his voice is so clear and delicious. I still squeal when it comes on and singalong like the fangirl I am...

The beginning of DefSoul. This boy was already out to destroy me...I should have seen it coming. His voice is really divine though. I remember being nervous to click on Bad Habit because that little inner voice knew he was going to wreck me. And oh god, he sure delivered. Don’t get me wrong I love everyone in GOT7 but hearing just Jaebeom’s voice is just absolutely heavenly. Holic is still being played every night before I head to bed. I guess 2016 was when the thirst began.

Next was the Arrival album, it’s another of my favorites, just like Turbulence, I can listen to the whole album on repeat and I did lol... Paradise & Go Higher were played back to back A LOT. Never Ever was always playing on my desktop when I was doing things and I’m not gonna lie I always stared at Jaebeom’s parts because I have issues...

Then holy shit, JJ Project made a comeback! Verse 2, dear lord, I remember being so sad because I couldn’t afford the album when it first came out. My paycheck wasn’t gonna be there for another week. I cursed at myself for going out to eat a few days before with some girlfriends... When I finally got it, I was so ecstatic. That album was absolutely the best. Fade Away was played so many time, I really can’t get enough of him.

7 for 7 *sigh* I swear my heart melted for this album. It was so soft. I listened to it a lot at night. Jaebeom’s vocals in You Are is one of my favorites. I’m not even gonna talk about the two mv for You Are & Teenager. It was just all squealing, singing along, and staring. 2017 was my holy grail, being blessed with 4x the Jaebeom was heaven and boy did I needed it that year.

Ah, 2018, it started with DefSoul blessing us with 5 tracks. I still can’t decide which one is my favorite between Think of You, Channel & Don’t Touch Me.

His mullet also made a debut which honestly, at this point, I’m already so whipped for him nothing he does will disappoint me or turn me off. I actually liked it and I’m usually not a fan of mullets *shrugs*

Eyes On You was a nice album, I enjoyed it. I was low-key jealous of Hyolyn...Look’s mv was played too many times, I really missed them. I was so busy in 2018 that this was the first time I saw them since their Teenager mv. I usually watch their V-Live & Web Series but life is cruel lol...

I actually missed a lot in 2018, I still need to catch up on everything I missed. But thanks to me being so busy, I delayed buying Present: You which turned out to be a blessing for my wallet. I ended up buying the repackaged album instead.

Miracle was full of emotions, and all the sub unit’s and solos were awesome~ Not Jaebeom related but King was one of my favorites. Sunrise *sigh* his voice really makes my heart yearn for him, 1:31AM especially. That 2Jae should make a debut already... Think About It made my heart hurt for some reason, idk this whole album had me in a weird headspace.

I realize I didn’t mention the Japanese albums but I do have 2 of them (I Won’t Let You Go & Moriagatteyo) and bought 3 tracks (My Swagger, Turn Up & The New Era). Their Japanese promotions are hard for me to follow and keep track of, not because I don’t like it but I don’t even know they’re promoting it until like it’s over.

And now we’re in 2019! Starting off with more DefSoul because he’s so sweet and amazing. I thought it was hard to pick a favorite before with vol.2 but vol.3 is just too hard. I just love the whole damn thing too much. His voice is so addicting and his English has improved so much it’s driving me crazy.

When I thought it couldn’t get any better, Jus2 makes a debut. Ugh, he’s really doing too much. The whole Focus album is just sinful. Every time I listen to it, all I do is have unholy thoughts. That body roll/wave whatever in Focus on Me had me swooning and his mullet is gone and he’s back with that fuckboi haircut looking so god damn good. I was watching the special for Focus on vLive and I didn’t realize it then but it was one of the times I was truly happy and enjoying myself this year. Just watching him talk about when he wrote the songs and explaining them made me so happy.

SpinningTop: Between Security & Insecurity, it’s been out for 2 months now? And I still don’t own it which makes so sad lol... There’s nothing but dust & lint in my clutch. Eclipse *sigh* I’ve been playing it on repeat and I’m sure my neighbors are sick of it. I feel like I’m burning holes in him when I watch him. Oh god, and the astronaut video, I never loved him more. Is it wrong that I want to be his fingers...not to be nasty or anything...

Lol, anyway, I haven’t listened to the rest of the album yet because I want to hear it together on the cd cause I’m weird like that. It’s killing me, I really wanna hear what Page is like. Their spoiler video was a fucking tease. They literally didn’t give any lmao...I totally wasn’t staring at his legs the whole time. Why am I like this??

The World Tour, the thing that started this whole rant. They are gonna be here in California again and once again I can’t afford the tickets. Looking now, the ones in LA that I want are $805-227, the ones I want in Oakland are sold out but I would settle for the $407-342 ones...but I don’t have that kind of money plus my car is in repairs *cries*.

But I probably would die if I went because look at him... All these fan photos and videos of him are enough to bury me in the ground. The shirtless video and pictures are really what did me in. I didn’t realize I was so fucking thirsty for him. I knew I was thirsty but not this thirsty. I never knew I could feel this way for someone that I know is unobtainable.

It’s been 7 years since he’s debuted, 5 years with GOT7 and it’s been the best 7 years of my life. Watching him continue to improve and become the man he is today has been truly a blessing. Even though, I’m a hot mess over here being a thirsty ass...my feelings did start out pure and innocent. Those feelings are still there and just evolved into something more. He just does things to me but can you blame me? He knows what he’s doing...

But seriously, looking back from the very beginning to now, I am grateful for everything he has done. All the joy and happiness he brought me throughout these years are worth the suffering.

Thank you, Jaebeom-ah for everything, even if your popularity fades one day, you’ll always be my number one.

#got7 #lim jaebeom #jaebeom #super long rant #so thirsty #the apple of my eye

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persona-rrau · 6 years

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Can we see retainer!akira doing some of those tics he has from the game? like messing with his hair when he's embarrassed or tapping his foot in thought, I bet Minato or Akechi would find it cute~

straylize: I can’t speak for TNT’s plans when it comes to art or comics—but I can talk a bit about why Akira hasn’t really displayed this in fics up to this point, though I imagine it’ll be a similar response for us both.

Those tics don’t exist in the same form that they do in canon. Not that they don’t exist at all—but Akira as a retainer in the present day is a very different person than he was a teenager. Before things went terribly wrong and they were forced to grow up pretty quickly, those tics were pretty common. Even when he tried to mask them to be more like a retainer (as he got older and the Kurusus got more strict about adhering to his role), Minato would definitely see them often, and of course, was endeared by them.

But everything changed after their parents were killed. Akira grew up pretty immediately and hid a lot of his true personality behind the mask of being a retainer. That included his sass and his sarcasm, his flirtatiousness, his playful side and his inherent rebellion.

It was also those little quirks. Things like tapping his foot in thought and fussing with his hair gave way to adjusting his hat or dusting off his clothes. The only real remain tic that anyone ever gets to see is adjusting his glasses, which most of the time ends up being kind of a necessity.

Every so often—when he’s tired and overworked, or overly stressed and his guard is down just enough, those old habits shine through. They’re definitely still a part of him, after all. But because he’s forced himself to be so stiff, refined and duty-bound, things that amount to Akira’s “true self” are locked away and… well…

We’ve got a lot of plot to work through before we can really let those parts of him start to more prominently show again.

(I can’t speak for Akechi’s thoughts; the Akechi of my verse would not find it at all cute because he has nothing more than disdain for Akira’s entire existence, so I’ll have to leave that one to TNT’s verse!)

TNT: What Straylize just said! Akechi grew up seeing those ticks, and was obviously endeared by them because he’s remembered them all as retainer and is now using them against Akira. The reason Akechi is mimicking them is because he knows Minato is endeared by them too, and that Akira doesn’t do them anymore because he’s forcing himself to be the perfect retainer not to taint his family name. His humanity is something he knows he has to toss aside (to uphold the Kurusu name) so the few times his mask does break, he tries not to have it break in front of Minato, or anyone that might let Minato know. Yes, Akechi, I’m looking at you. Last thing Akira needs is to give Akechi more fuel to feed the fire he’s making around them.

What Akechi is actually successfully doing by taking over the ticks is make himself what he deems to be a “perfect Akira”, an upgrade. So, the image Akechi is putting forward towards Minato is what Akechi wants Minato to see him as.

In essence, Akechi wants Minato to see him as a better Akira.

Deep down, he feels like Minato should like him for his true self. Problem is, that true self has been lost to years of bitterness, pettiness, and spite. The closest Minato came to seeing Akechi as his true self was those two instances they met when there were younger. Once when Minato ran into him at around age 7, and one where Akechi snuck into Minato’s office. But those two meetings weren’t enough for Minato to get to know him, and sadly, it’s how Akechi manages to trick Minato into thinking his mask is his true self.

The quirks will be more obvious in fics and art that focuses on the past (before their parents died) and/or are closer to the “ending”. Otherwise, those “ticks” will be displayed through Akechi in my art.

#Anonymous #asks #tnt vers #universal vers #straylize vers

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ireviewuread · 3 years

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Slurping Good! Singapore’s First Instant Noodle Themed Experience Playground

Slurping Good! First Instant-Noodle Themed Experience Playground in Singapore

Ever wanted to go a world filled with nothing but your love for instant noodles? Now, you can at this Noodle-ly creation at Rochor, Singapore.

Brought to you by the same people who made Artbox the success it was, they bring to you Slurping Good! where instant noodle lovers come to play.

Chances are you’ve probably at least had instant noodles at least once in your life, but I’m sure you’ve never experienced an Instant Noodle-themed Experience Playground in Singapore.

Located at Tekka Place right beside Eatbox Singapore, Slurping Good! is a noodle-themed experience playground where you can capture Instagram-worthy photos while appreciating the art of instant noodles.

For a paltry sum of $21, you get to experience 13 interactive noodle-ly exhibits that range over 2 levels. This adventure comes with a complimentary tote bag that is filled with plenty of goodies for you to enjoy as well.

You Start Off as A Noodle

Upon entering the surreal settings, you instantly ‘turn’ into a piece of noodle.

You read that right! You are the noodle on your instant noodles journey here.

Noodle Drapes

Walking in, you’ll be greeted with your noodle-ly relatives hanging from the ceilings. Like your relatives in the human world, these ‘blood-related beings’ comes in all shapes and sizes.

Aside from the larger cutouts, you’ll notice these seemingly ‘real’ instant noodles hanging around. I hate to be the bearer of bad news so here are some good news - those instant noodles are real.

Coated in a layer of resin, these circular instant noodles are taken from their packages and hung from the ceilings, so that they could hang out with you. Ain’t that wonderful?

After you’ve gathered enough family portraits, go on the quest to find your #OneTruePairing for everyone needs someone. Or in our case, some toppings.

Egg-hibit

For me one of my favourite toppings to have in instant noodles is eggs. From hard boiled eggs to scrambled eggs, I am a slave for eggs. In this egg-hibit, you not only get to take a memorable selfie in front of the fried eggs wall, but you get to vote for your favourite egg-y cooking method as well.

Drop your vote where it counts! Make Instant Noodles great again!

Oh Crab!

Under the sea in this next toppings zone is where you get to balance out your crabstick with some seafood puns. Snap a photo with this crabstick seat while you read the cute and punny posters on the wall.

Coriander Tic-Tac-Toe

When it comes to coriander there are only two kinds of people in the world:

Those that thinks coriander is just a garnish and should not be eaten.

Those that goes to coriander hotpot buffets.

That’s why this installation was born. This installation allows both coriander lovers and haters to settle their difference with a game of tic-tac-toe.

And hopefully, we can all come to an agreement that coriander hotpot buffets should not exist.

InstaHam

Spice up your Instagram page with this can of InstaHam. This large can of spam can not only turn your frown upside down but it does not increase your pounds as well.

Say Cheese!

Say cheese in this cheesy exhibit. There are 2 sizes of cheese for you to pop your head out from - the larger one for the adults and the smaller one for the children.

As a millennial, I can’t live without cheese, as the years go by we see more and more flavours capture our tastebuds. But I’m sure we can all agree that as long as you’re not lactose intolerant, cheese is one of the best pairings you can have with instant noodles.

What’s Cooking

Once you’re done picking out your choice of toppings, head-on by to the What's Cooking Swing where you get to experience how it feels like to be that sweet, sweet noodle stirring around in the pot.

Chu Qian Yi Ding Slider!

With the stirring out of the way, it's time to show yourself to the world. Head down the ramen slide and voila, you’re now a cooked noodle.

Similar to the cheese installations, there’s child- and adult-sized noodle slides.

Nissin Cup Noodles

Do you know the world’s first instant noodle was invented by Momofuku Ando, founder of Nissin Foods?

In 1958, Momofuku produced the first instant ramen, Chicken Ramen, after he was inspired by the ramen stalls around Osaka. In 1971, the first cup-type instant noodles, Nissin Cup Noodles, was born.

This interactive space features a 1.7m tall cup noodles, various photo zones and an area where you can create your own dream cup noodles.

Although chicken ramen may be the first instant noodles flavour, it may not be the little red dot’s favourite cup noodles.

Take a guess on the nation’s favourite flavour of Nissin cup noodles. Let me give you a hint, it’s related to the Land of Smiles.

Noodle Wall & Noodle Lab

The experience of being an instant noodle ends as you ascend the steps to the noodle lab and noodle wall. Time to be the human that is so obsessed with instant noodles again!

Red-carpet Merchandise store

You wouldn’t want to go back home empty-handed, so head on over to their merchandise store, where there are more photo-zones for you to snap while you shop.

From earrings to phone cases, aesthetic instant noodles merchandises flood the shop. Amongst these official merchandise, there are also various food-related items from our local brands.

Tip: You might want to look into your tote bag for a Slurping Good! retail voucher.

Soul Good Noodle Bar

Once the playing and fun are out of the way, you’re bound to be parched and hungry. Grab your DIY noodle order and head next door to Eatbox where Soul Good Noodle Bar stood.

There, you get to submit your order and get 2 free toppings.

Tip: You might want to look into your tote bag again for an F&B voucher.

Win Lazada Vouchers & Nissin Instant Noodles

If you’ve taken my tips and opened your tote bag, you would also notice some coin-like tokens in it. Those tokens are for the Lazada and Nissin claw machines located at Marketplace.

Try your chance with the Lazada crane machine and be rewarded with up to $50 Lazada vouchers. Or if that’s not your vibe, try your hand at the Slurping Good! X Nissin crane machine to win some instant noodles.

Tip: To locate Marketplace, go to level one and face the direction away from the MRT. Walk across the zebra crossing and safe entry into the building. Head downstairs and you’ll be able to see the machines.

The Arcade at Marketplace

After you’ve run out of chances at the claw machines, head over to the Lazada photo booth to snap more selfies. If not, roam around and take a chance at these claw games, retro games and even arcade games in the basement.

Psst. Some of the machines in the basements are Boshi Boshi, Dance Dance Revolution and even themed pinball machines.

Spice Up Your Rochor Experience

‘Play’ and ‘shop’ at the same time at The Rochor Experience.

The Rochor Experiences comprises of:

Slurping Good! - An Instant Noodle-Themed Experience Playground

EatBox - A creative food hall

Marketplace - A basement content space with pop-up retail concept

Slurping Good!

Opening hours: 10am - 10pm

From 25 Sep 2021 to 30 Jan 2022

Location: Tekka Place, Annex Building #01-51 to 54 2 Serangoon Road Singapore 218227

Website | Facebook | Instagram

A few things to note:

Visitors are given a maximum of 45 minutes at the experience playground.

Visitors required to remain masked at all times

No pre-event testing is required

#slurping good #instant noodles #instant noodle playground #ramen

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squip-filth-archives · 6 years

Photo

Happy Holidays everyone!!!!!!! Click the read more for lots of mentions and emotional ranting,,

@thecreationartist - max!! you’re super fun to plot with, and you’re such a great friend!! you’re super kind and such a goof and your lineart is,,, to Die for.

@violet-makes-an-entrance - cj!!!!!! you’re such a sweetheart and so so much fun to talk to, you’re the kind who people feel like they can tell anything at all to! you’ve got lovely character design and i look forward to working with you more!

@asksadsquip - madi,,, oh my gosh, i already told you earlier but imma say it again!! you’re just,, a very genuine person that i can automatically open up to. you’re laid back and oh my god your plot?? you’re,, super good at plot stuff. and you’ve come so far since we’ve met!!! i’m sincerely super excited to see what you have planned!!

@be-less-stressed - nico! we haven’t talked like,, at all. maybe twice. but you seem pretty chill!! i hope you never give up on what you’re trying to do. i know you’ll go far!! believe in yourself and you’re unstoppable!!!

@squipperooni - atlas, i haven’t talked to you much either but from what we have talked about, i can tell you’re very passionate! you have strong opinions and you stick by them no matter what, which is a very valuable thing! never change. for anyone.

@askfluffslikeus - mattie!!! oh my god you’re the sweetest thing to every exist,, your art is so sweet and fluffy just like you!! you’ve got passion, and even though you’re kind, you still won’t hesitate to fight for what’s right, especially if it involves your friends! never let anyone turn you bitter. there are far too many people like that in the world.

@zefiroza - zefi!! we haven’t talked much one-on-one but let me tell you,, every time i see your art i kind of cry a little. maybe a lot. your art is what i aspire to have mine be like!! it’s so defined, and so strikingly yours. you stand out! but in a good way! never back down from that-- it’s part of what makes you special!!

@ask-thesquips - ningy, we’ve only talked a few times, but dude!! you are a MASTER storyteller!! your writing is so hecking good oh my god! and you’ve got such a nice sense of plot and character development, even though it hurts me all the time.

@ask-human-squip - richie!!!!!!!! your art Kills Me. it’s got sharp features, things that are striking that make it so obviously yours, but at the same time it’s soft and easy on the eyes. and you as a person are so great to talk to!! you seem like a goofball, and that’s fantastic. you deserve only good things, my guy!!

@ask-squip-turned-human - diNOOOOO! the way you draw individual characters is so?? distinguished? like when you see them, you have absolutely no doubt as to who they are because of how well you capture them. at the same time, you give kinda a whole new perspective to those characters! you accentuate their traits that makes them stand out in a way now one else quite does.

@askthesquipkiddo - cam! you’ve been following me for a long time, oh man. you’ve improved on your art so much since we met, and i know you’re determined to keep doing so!! never give up on yourself, okay? you’ve got something special!! don’t let anyone take that away.

@sassy-tic-tac - adri. oh my god. you were... the main one who inspired me to make my blog, actually. your art is so gentle, so soft,,, like marshmallow creme. and you’re so welcoming to everyone, you’re so understanding. but you’ve still got a fire in you!! you’ve got passion!! don’t you let anyone put that fire out.

@asquippyparadise - suz! i know we kind of screamed compliments at each other the other day, but i’m doING IT AGAIN,,,, your coloring is so!! nice!!!! it just catches they eye immediately. and even though it was good before, you’ve been gradually improving on it since i first saw it!! i know you’re going to go far, and i’m excited to see what you do with your blog!!

@ask-squipspam - other atlas!!! dude!!!! we’ve talked like twice but man was it fun. you’re honestly super cool to talk to and you seem like a lot of fun!! your lineart is so ~smooth~ and your colors are just!!!! spot on!!!! i hope we can interact more in the future!!!!

@ask-cupidsquip - i need to talk with you more man >:0 your blog is so entertaining to read through, omg,,, and you’re improving on your art skills really steadily!! what you’ve got now is cute, but i know you’re going to go further!!! meanwhile, your color theory is really nice :0

@buzzmorechill - mike!! mike,,, my dude. your characters are just instantly lovable no matter what. your art has something about it that makes people Know it’s yours, but you still put your own personal spin on everything you do. i’m excited for what you do next!! and you’re a sweetheart to talk to. you’re v approachable and seem really laid back!! i really wanna talk with you more!!!

@askthehellishtrinity - rykie!!!! your plot stuff Hurts but it’s,,, so good. you’ve got so much patience when it comes to your characters and people, and you’re always willing to lend a listening ear to people when they need. you’re a rad friend, dude!!

@420ismymagicnumber - el!!!! we don’t talk very much, but!! you’ve got some good stuff in you, dude. you have so many creative ideas! you just gotta let them all out!!! you’ve got so much heart, so many feelings for what you do. you’re lovely!

@otakusquip - hey!!! we haven’t talked personally, but!! i appreciate that you’re always ready to jump in at any given time, you’re always wanting to make something new! that kind of energy and motivation is admirable.

@emotional-tictac - pash,,, your art is just. gahhh it’s so so nice to look at. it’s like a soft handmade blanket. it’s soft and warm and just very comforting to see. and you’ve got so many ideas! and so many talents!! i hope the following year treats you well and i hope you get the motivation to finish all the projects you want!!

@immadeofmath - jodi!!!!!!!! you were the other Big Blog that made me want to start my own. your characters a huge asshole but he’s still? lovable?? how u do that,, your art has come such a long way since the beginning!! your blog is super fun to read through all the time, i’m super hyped to see where you go with it!!

@askavirussquip - ben! we haven’t talked at all but. i love what you’ve got planned so far. your art is really pleasing to look at, i love the angles!! and you’ve already made such an improvement since i first saw you! i’m excited to see your plot develop!!!!!

@ask-squip-plus-host - ahhh gosh you’re a sweetheart!! you’re lovely to talk to and your art is hecking adorable!!!!! you deserve so much more than what you’ve got now, but i know you’re not going to give up!! you’ve got a lot going for you and i know you’re going to go far!!!!

@askthesquipped-qu33n - i’ve only spoken with you a few times, but you’re very kind!! you genuinely care for the things you do and put so much of yourself into it. you’re going places, i can feel it!!!!!

@squip-bean - bean sprout, you’ve been with me since the beginning. we’ve grown kinda distant, but i haven’t forgotten you in the least!! you’ve made so much progress since we first spoke, and i’m sure you’ll continue to do so!!!!

@ask-sweet-squip-orion - opal! you’ve got so much energy when it comes to your projects. you can come on strong, but you’re genuine! you mean well almost all the time. and though you’re nice, you’ve got a fire inside. you’re always ready to fight someone who insults your friends! which might get you into trouble, but still.

@bemorebeta - mayo and cas! we’ve only talked a few times, and i’ve been meaning to change that. mayo, i’ve talked to you a bit more, and you’re super fun to talk with!! you’re fun and easygoing and i’m pumped to see where you go with your blog!! your art is sweet and nice but also has a sense of maturity to it?? i love it!

@askasquipouttahell - !!! we need to talk more tbh!!!! i love your character design and you’re really fun to talk with, even if you can be a heck and mention the unmentionable demons of my past now and then. you’re funny and really fun to talk with. i hope we can talk more in time!!!

and to everyone, thank you so so much for being here! it’s been an amazing few months and i wouldn’t trade the time i’ve spent with you all for the world. thank you for being my friends. i’m so glad i got the chance to meet all of you. i hope the new year treats you all well! i love you!!!

#my art #the squip squad and others!#i love you guys!!!!!!#ahhhh feelin emotional

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canemnecredite · 7 years

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trading tongues.

date: 08 october 2017 @ approx. 9:30 pm location: the karavadra estate ‘ballroom,’ new rome

As a closing event to the end of the Festival of Fides, the Karavadra family holds a little celebratory soiree for New Rome’s influential and elite. In the midst of the glamour, Adriana and Jax fall into their usual banter... but with a twist.

featuring: jackson karavadra -- @avadakaravadra & adriana caninii

JAX: It was a scene Jax had seen many a time, a common backdrop of many memories from his youth. The Festival of Fides was in full effect, and it wasn’t like the Karavadra family to pass up the opportunity to have a party, especially when there was a god to be celebrated. Glittering people milled about in their formal wear and sparkling jewels might set some on edge, but Jax made his way through the crowd as if he were born to be here, and walk amongst these well-connected citizens of New Rome. A smile here, a lingering touch there— it was an artform, and it was one his father had taught him from a very young age. Networking was what the Karavadra's did best... or at least they were supposed to do best. There was no doubt that Jax was the sibling that had truly excelled when it came to this particular teaching of their father's. As he moved effortlessly through the crowd, his gaze was drawn to an outlier, and he wasn't surprised to find that the very bane of his existence, Adriana, was guilty of doing nothing but sipping wine on the outskirts of the party. With a sigh, he made his way over to her. It wouldn't do if people thought he had snubbed her and her family by not greeting her. Once he was close enough, he maintained his easy smile before saying to her, "Well they'll let just about anyone into parties these days, won't they?" with a pointed look her way. He was careful to make sure that to any outsiders their conversation would look as cool and friendly as any other interaction he'd had that night.

ADRI: How tiresome it must have been to attend these gatherings again and again and again. Whether it was by bloodline or office, those ushered to the Karavadra estate adorned in all their finery knew this ritual religiously. Every few months - or every month, depending on the related party - New Rome's community of elites and influentials came together in their traditionally formal manner to meet, chat, and conduct business. Connections were invaluable assets to hold in the cutthroat upper echelons of their society. Power and glory meant something here; alas, not every single individual of what could be considered New Roman 'royalty' was so keen on participating in the delicate intricacies of retaining popularity. In this instance, Fides’ Festival was the standing excuse for the party, but that did little to alter its basic nature and intention. Adriana was stationed at her usual post -- the perimeter of the lavish hall - or was it a ballroom? Truthfully, the daughter of Mars couldn't care less about the specifics. She felt out of place among these people who fell into her family's class. She had never been a socialite. It was her name that required her attendance. Nothing more, nothing less. So she attempted pass the time without any event, but then he had to find her. Her budding stress at the sight of him was painfully evident when her huff of breath conjured a mild fog on the inside of her glass. Her eyes rolled languidly in their sockets at his witty remark. Though, she wouldn't expect anything less of her lifelong nuisance. "Jax," she greeted him curtly and swirled the red beverage with a subtle turn of her wrist - a restless tic, "I see you're enjoying yourself. You always have flourished among the petty and refined. Tell me, have you charmed the pants off any of your guests yet, or are you setting aside the only potential entertainment for this stale little reception of yours?"

JAX: As soon as she had finished speaking, Jax was already prepared to return her remarks with a quip of his own, and not a single moment separated their words. Perhaps it wasn't the most typical definition of chemistry, but it was chemistry nonetheless, just a particularly more toxic one. "Yes well, I wouldn't expect you to get along as well amongst the refined. It only seems unfair to thrust such expectations upon you." With a teasing glint to his eye, he reached to grab the wine glass from her hand and wasted no time in bringing it to his lips. After sampling the deep burgundy liquid, Jax savored the flavors as if he were the sommelier of a Michelin star restaurant. "Well it's a bit bland for me but—" he gave her a once over with his lingering gaze, "— seeing as the one drinking it is you, I suppose it makes sense." It was somewhat of a lie. There was nothing bland about how Adriana was dressed tonight, and though he was hard pressed to admit it, stunning was the only word that came to mind as he looked over the picture she made. "As for charming the pants off people," he took a moment to sweep the people that were in attendance, "I guess four phone numbers isn't the worst I've done. And what about you?" There was a pause between his words, and for a moment it might have seemed as if he were insinuating she might be his entertainment for the night. But in a moment he was speaking once more. "Anyone that strikes your fancy?"

ADRI: Adriana withstood Jax's teasing with a practiced ease. While most would look upon their dynamic as a poisonous affair, there was a strange semblance of rivaling stimulation about it. Perpetually challenging one another was a thrill for each of them, whether or not they would ever willingly admit it. "It is unfair," the centurion quipped. "Gods know I'd much prefer to be scuffing myself up on the training grounds with my legionnaires, furthering their training. You know, tending to a task that's genuinely important." She flashed him a little smile from the corner of her lips. Then he moved to snatch the drink out of her hand. For an instant, Adriana wasn’t fully paying attention to what he was actually doing, and by the time this occurred to her and she dropped her jaw to speak, it was too late. Not only had he spoiled any present chance of Adri becoming slightly inebriated — her standard tactic for enduring these nauseating soirees -- but sipping out of her glass meant she may have inadvertently poisoned him via that maternal power she had thus far yet to master. Even in small doses, envy could be an unpredictable force, especially in someone like Jax would already had more than enough ego to contend with. Despite that, Adriana wasn't about to reveal what may or may not have entered his system. Her abilities as a legacy were no public matter, so the response he won was no more than an irritated glare. It faded some at the odd sensation of sensing the sweep of his gaze over her figure and was replaced by a quiet smugness after a blink. "Only four?" she smirked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "That's fewer than I would expect of you. It would be a shame if you were already losing your touch. How ever would you survive?" But really, his appearance was impeccable. She merely refused to say so. At his almost implication, a single brow quirked higher than its counterpart, cueing the faintest glint in her eye that disappeared not a second after it had manifested. "I haven't done enough exploring to find out," she spoke simply, then added with a minor tease, "but I doubt there's anyone here that would suit my taste regardless. Too many spoiled children, conniving idealists," her hazel orbs flicked back to Jax, "and champion narcissists."

JAX: Being in Adriana's presence always gave Jax the strangest juxtaposition of thoughts. On one hand, she was someone that was actually his equal both in rank and lineage, and that was something that wasn't always easy to find. Especially now that Camp Jupiter was known for letting the Greeks walk their hallowed roads and temples. But on the other, she was far too ready to combat his every word for his liking, even if there was a part of him that was amused by their banter. As the wine made a warm path down his abdomen, there was the slightest and somewhat strange tingling sensation that didn’t usually accompany his drinking habits, but for the moment he wrote it off. "Just because it's easier to lose your life in a real fight with swords and monsters doesn't mean this particular battlefield is any less important. Tongues can be just as sharp as swords." It might have been a verbatim phrase from Jax's father, but Adriana most likely wouldn't know that. He took another sip of her wine before offering it back to her. Not because of any sort of politeness or common courtesy, but simply because he was certain he'd find her reaction amusing. As it was, her glare had only caused his smirk to strengthen. "Aww it's so cute of you to be worried about me, Adri. Don't worry. The night is still young." Perhaps her words were meant to be insults, but it was easy to Jax to appear as if she were showering him with the highest compliments known to man. "Guilty as charged," he said with a confident shrug. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the string quartet his father had hired shuffling into place to begin their mood music for the night. And soon enough their dulcet tones were filling the air. "At least I'm a champion. It'd just be sad if I was bad at being full of myself. So what category do you fall into? Underwhelming try-hard or overwhelming failure?”

ADRI: Tongues can be just as sharp as swords. Very true. Adriana was familiar with the use of personal weapons in addition to the physical ones that lined her armory. But her speech was admittedly the least developed of those tactics. "Oh, yes— it is exceptionally important. I'd say the both of us can more than attest to that." Teasing, at least with Jax, was Adriana's way of avoiding potentially unpleasant subjects. The thought of silver tongues instantly brought her grandfather to mind. He was an eloquent speaker and a master of persuasion; however, not all of his qualities were so positive. When Jax offered to return her wine, Adriana made a low grunt of disgust and waved her hand at him in a gesture of 'No thanks, you can keep it.' Of course, Jax would interpret her clever jabs as compliments. He was undeniably insufferable in that way. As the musicians settled themselves in for a night of hired play, Adriana let herself become momentarily distracted by them. She had a surprising sweet spot for the melodies of string instruments. They could change the atmosphere of a room with unparalleled finesse. Unfortunately, before she could enjoy the sounds, Jax threw another quip back at her. She returned it with a frown. "Careful. Pride is famous for tearing down the best of champions." She spoke in words apt in representation of the vengeful goddess in her line, who could be quite ruthless when it came to balancing out overwhelming displays of hubris. "At least I try. You act as though your traits are mere god-given gifts. It's a tad unbecoming, really." Adriana stopped to take a second glance in the quartet's direction, pensive, briefly reminiscing, and then engaging those thoughts. "I remember when these things used to be interesting. Watching everyone fall on their ass because we littered the dance floor with marbles was far preferential to this—" she sighed, lost for how to properly communicate her mixed feelings of boredom and isolation. "It actually used to be fun. Not miserable."

JAX: Another of Jax's smirks came over him as she agreed with his comment. "With any luck, one of those four numbers I've gotten may have a sharp enough tongue." He hoped it was rather obvious what he was insinuating at this point. But her reaction to his offering back of the wine had him internally rolling his eyes. She acted as if the plague itself had infected him. "You realize that sipping off the same wine glass isn't nearly as dangerous as trading tongues, don't you? I promise I don't have mono. And I'm told my tongue is more gold than silver," he said with an obviously suggestive air. The quartet was good, after all Jefferson Karavadra wasn't known to have anything less than the best. But still— Jax couldn't help but judge the violinist as their strokes left him wanting. For a moment he feigned a look of hurt before continuing on. "Please. My talents were ones I worked for. Sure, I'm more naturally charming than most. But you don't become as charming as I am without practicing." His ears tuned into the quartet once more, and a wince passed over him. "Just like the violinist should have practiced on his strings instead of playing with new ones tonight." Some violinists loved the sound of new strings, but he was not one of them. The mention of their pranks did bring up rather fond memories for Jax, though he acted as if he were above such things nowadays. Every now and then Leo could convince him to get in on a prank, but only after a good amount of convincing. It wasn't always obvious, but his elder siblings were most certainly his weak spot. "I'm surprised they still let us back in after all the childish pranks we pulled." He brandished the wine before her once more, placing it just before her lips. "It doesn't have to be miserable. If you'd just give up your pride."

ADRI: Adriana hooked on to Jax's insinuation quicker than she could blink. His smirk was just sultry enough to give away his words before they even passed his lips. And Adri couldn't help returning that smirk. "Maybe so, but I don't take anything at face value. You're going to have to find yourself some witnesses before you convince me." A shadow shifted in her eyes, deep behind all else and passing on the barest hint of carnal thoughts. Adriana couldn't entirely falsify such curiosities. It wasn't in her nature to push them aside. Jax's commentary on the violinist's string choice as a metaphor to his own practice intrigued her. Honestly. She knew he played the instrument himself, but she had never given much thought to how knowledgeable he must have become after years and years of instruction. Adriana might have heard the difference, but she couldn't have told you what caused the variation. "Why don't you kick him out and show him how it's done then?" she suggested jokingly— in part. The Karavadra siblings were infamous troublemakers and Adri had gladly gotten caught up in their tide when the lot of them still had the time and innocence to spare. "Yeah, they were pretty epic. It's a mystery to me how you talked so many of them down." When the wine was held at her lips, Adriana dropped her eyes to the liquid and then back up to the irritatingly tall man in front of her. "I suppose it's a sacrifice worth making..." After a moment or two of her eyes lingering on the drink, she gingerly received the glass and tipped it back to continue her earlier pursuit. "So, were you thinking anything not-so-miserable in particular?"

JAX: Jax couldn't help but push his tease it bit further. Obviously the idea of doing anything with Adriana was absurd, but he wanted to see just how far he could go. "Of course. It'd be stupid not to test the goods before buying. So are you gonna be the one verifying the purchase or should I be talking to someone else?" The first violinist wasn't a performer he entirely proved of, but taking his place would have been out of the question. Jefferson would have been irate if Jax did anything but network at an event such as this. In addition, he didn't have any particular desire to play for crowds, unlike Leo. No, he was fine just where he was. "Even if I played we'd still have to pay him. Seems like a waste," he teased back. He straightened for a moment with pride as Adriana commended his abilities with smooth-talking, but just then he caught the familiar gaze of his father, Jefferson. And he was wearing a look that Jax knew well and had come to dread. Ever since they were little, Jefferson had made Jax ask Adriana for a dance at gatherings such as this. Thankfully she'd started declining his proposals years ago, and he had been spared the agony of having to dance with her. It wasn't that he disliked dancing, if he were being honest— he quite enjoyed it, but with Adriana? That was entirely a different story. Besides, he'd never understood why Leo couldn't be the one to dance with her. Most likely it was because their father knew that Leo would buck at doing most things his father asked him to do, and Jefferson didn't want to take any chances. As it were, Jax sighed and extended a hand as a livelier, yet still dance-able tune began. "Well now that we've made out via wine glass, we might as well dance. It's not too big of a next step, is it?"

ADRI: Adriana was not remotely interested on actually following through with any of their suggestive teases toward one another. Sure, Jax wasn't rough on the eyes, but just no. "Please," her eyes rolled in sync with the twitch of humor at the edge of her lips, "If I was the one verifying you wouldn't be taking your wares to anyone else ever again, and I don't like to dwell on singular contracts." She brushed her statement off with a shrug, as is if it was nothing, a casual line like any other. Jax had a point regarding the violinist. He might as well continue to play if he was being paid for it, otherwise it was wasted spending from the Karavadra funds, which a man as astute as Jefferson would certainly manage with precision. He wouldn't be too thrilled if his son disrupted his system. Adriana could sympathize with Jax along those lines. Family patriarchs were a force to be reckoned with. There were some matters that you couldn't challenge, because they would keep pushing them without a care for their progeny's personal opinions. In such cases, it was best to just indulge them. So when Jax offered Adriana his hand, no notes of shock lit up her features. She stared at it and then him, and then back again lingering with her eyes, calculating how she wanted to respond. Refusal would have been her default, but tonight was exceptionally boring without, apparently, anyone interesting to engage. Speaking generally, dancing was not her favorite pastime. It wasn't that she was poor at it, not at all — in fact, she quite graceful on the dance floor, to the majority's surprise — however, she had always been a fighter at heart. She sought thrills and action, not pointless spinning and twirling about in a room full of people. Nevertheless, the quicker pace of this particular tune and her eagerness to simply do something spurred her to break free of years' worth of stubbornness. At first, she appeared hesitant, hazel eyes still lingering on his hand, the debate turning in her mind. Then, she flicked her eyes upward to meet his, nursing another sip of wine to taunt him as she did so. "I've taken bigger leaps." A pinch of the burgundy remained in the glass when it left Adriana's lips. She swirled the bit of it and subsequently presented it to him in exchange for her hand. "Let's hope you haven't forgotten where those steps go."

JAX: Jax couldn't contain the snort of amusement that escaped him at Adriana's words. "Please. There's inflated ego, and then there's delusion. I'd say you've ventured into the latter if you really think so highly of your test run." Certainly Adriana was strangely attractive, but that didn't mean she was anything that would hold his interest for more than a single round. But the fact that he was thinking of such a situation was absurd anyways. Sleeping with Adri was something he would never lower himself to. However, Adriana's acceptance of his forced offer to dance was rather surprising, and he quickly realized he didn't actually remember the last time they had done such a thing. It must have been when they were far younger. A single momentarily raised eyebrow was the only indicator of surprise he gave, before he spoke. "I knew you'd give in to my irresistible charms one day. Just try not to step on my feet, or I'm dipping you and then dropping you," he finished with a smirk. In an instant he was pulling her by the hand towards the dance floor near the quartet. And then his hand had slipped firmly around her waist, and in effortless moments he began to lead her in a waltz. Ballroom dancing had only been one of many tutored subjects he and his siblings had been forced to endure. As always Jax had been a diligent student, and it showed in his smooth motions. "With any luck, the steps lead us right off a cliff. That put a nice early end to this," he said with a nod towards their joined hands. As the music filled the air, and the crescendos of the tune went on, Jax followed the pace and tone they set, taking Adriana with him. "Show us those fancy feet, then. Hopefully you can manage it without a sword in your hand." As the first swell came, he led her into a twirl, hoping that she wouldn't fall and embarrass the both of them.

ADRI: "And what right have you to judge my accuracy when you lack the evidence to make a claim yourself?" Adriana was determined to get the upper hand, or at least settle for a draw, on their little game of suggestive teases. Jax was very good at it. A worthy opponent, no doubt; but that was all this was. A game. The raise of his eyebrow, however brief, sparked a warm feeling of satisfaction in Adriana's bones. The pair of them hadn't danced together since they were far younger, and even then Adriana had done so stubborn and grumbling. Now, years later, she had accepted his offer willingly. Certainly, he couldn't have been expecting such an answer. How curious she was to see what he made of it. "No, I'm indulging you out of sheer boredom. And anyway, if I ever was going to dance with someone — not that I regularly would — I'd much rather do so with someone who knows what they're doing. Rest assured that your feet won't come to any harm. I'm not looking to be dropped on the ground in front of such an influential crowd." Adriana said nothing of it, but when Jax not walked, but pulled her out onto the dance floor, his eagerness left her a bit... nervous. He was quick to indulge the tempo. She nearly blanked on the placement of her empty hand when his arm slipped around her waist. It sent a quiet shock up the length of her spine, because coming from him, there was no telling what it would lead to. Would he intentionally find a way to embarrass her in front of the crowd or would he spare her that shame for his own sake — it wouldn't look positively on his part if he dropped her, after all. Fortunately, her hand did find a home on the edge of his shoulder and she fell into step with him in practiced ease. "It would," Adriana smirked at the sight of their hands clasped together, internally cringing. "Though, there are always worse things we could be doing. This is something we've done before, even ages ago, so in theory it's technically nothing new." Being a legacy of Nemesis' alter ego had its perks. Adriana had inherited an elevated skill for balance. She wasn't one who tripped or toppled easily, and on those few occasions where she did, it never took her long to find her feet again. So when Jax prompted her to spin, she didn't fret over the logistics. Whether it was a sword maneuver or a dance step, the core of the action was no different. "No one needs fancy feet to dance properly." Adriana twirled under her partner's hand as though it was as natural as breathing — swift, stable, and bold — and she came back to him it was with a renewed vigor and glint of challenge in her eye. "It takes practice and patience is all. But I suppose training with the weight of a sword in hand does lighten it some."

JAX: "Fair point." It seemed that Adriana wasn't particularly phased by his fake advances, which only made Jax want to push her further. Leaning in slightly so that his lowered voice would rumble only between them, his tone dropped an octave or so to meet his suggestive air. "Are you making an offer?" It seemed almost a bit too easy to make these advances on Adriana, but perhaps that was only because the push and pull of their bodies as they danced was heat inducing. Perhaps he should let his father know to turn up the fans, for it seemed that his arm around the daughter of Mars' waist was smoldering. "I know of at least three very nice and private closets off of this room that are excellent for— how did you put it? Verifying my wares?" It was all too fun toying with Adriana like this, and he couldn't deny the slight rush it gave him. She had said this dancing was nothing new for them, but something about this particular turn around the room had him questioning the validity of her words. Jax continued to lead his dance partner around the floor, wondering idly if Adriana begrudged the fact that per gender norms, he was the one who got to lead the dance. Another attempt to spin her later, and he was back to teasing. "Do you think I could do this enough times to make you fall on your face? To be honest it might make an improvement." It wasn't the truth. Unfortunately the years had been kind to Adriana, and given her features that spoke of her concentrated godly heritage, as was most likely the case with the Karavadra family. When the gods had frequented your family so often, it had its perks. They neared the food table, and he couldn't resist once again making a playful threat. "Here comes the hors d'oeuvres. What would you like to wear tonight? The deviled eggs or the foie gras?" he said as he insinuated the potential intention of dipping her into the bright array.

ADRI: Adriana was expecting Jax to return her teases, as he never failed to do, but when he countered her this time, the drop in his voice and the nature of his words had her blood simmering. Sure, he was still toying with her, but the directness and change in tone suggested that partially, perhaps, this was more than an insinuation. The Mars in her couldn't tear her eyes away. It was no secret that the god of war and the goddess of love were involved in an immortal affair, and while it wasn't necessarily a power, that hunger and passion could be found in a number of his children — Adriana not excluded. She allowed a taste of that flame to present itself in her eyes as she regarded him, utilizing a slight drop in her own voice for good measure. "Are you interested?" She would play along as long as she was able, far too curious to see how this played out. Her hand on his shoulder shifted ever so closer in towards his neck, and she smirked. "Well, in home as large and grand as this I would hope you had somewhere more suitable than three closets. How many bedrooms is it you have here? Surely one of them is presently unoccupied— or are you really so lax in maintaining your guests' boundaries?" Adri wasn't paying attention to the dancing anymore. How could she when frustrating Jax in this way was so much more invigorating? She might have grumbled about the conventional lead he took as the male in their scenario, but because of the difference in their heights, it made no sense to complain. Trying to take over the lead with him was bound to end awkwardly. "Mm, I'd be impressed if you could manage that. At the least, I think we both know I'd find a way to prevent my face from being smacked into the floor," the daughter of Mars chuckled and she turned again and came back, this time a bit closer than before. Despite his threat, they sly grin she sported held — as did her hands, whose grip clamped tightly at their positions. "Don't even think about it," she sneered at him, "or I'll ground you so quick you'll be seeing stars for a week."

JAX: Jax wasn't entirely prepared for the look Adriana gave him, and for a moment he thought he saw a hunger there that he'd often seen in many other faces shortly before he'd slept with them. But he'd never imagined what it might look like coming from Adriana. It wasn't disagreeable...to say the least. A small shiver of anticipation ran down his spine as her hand came closer to contacting with his skin rather than the fabric of his tuxedo, and his own arm that had wrapped around her shifted ever so slightly lower, as if he were testing the waters. In another moment he had whisked them past the food table, without so much as even threatening to drop Adriana on top of it. He was far too preoccupied with the other portion of their conversation to be concerned about teasing her with pranks as childish as that. Her question echoed in his head though. Was he interested? There was a moment when he was shocked to find that the thought of finding a nice private room or closet with Adriana didn't repulse him. In fact, it seemed to pique his curiosity. Perhaps he'd had more wine than he thought. Leaning ever so closer to his dance partner, he made sure his words went directly into her ear as the heat of his breath most likely brushed against it. "I was simply thinking of time's sake. It's a lot farther to an empty room than a dark closet. Just how desperate are you to take me on a test run?" He couldn't deny the chance to make another advance, and once again his deepened voice was filling the air between them. "But what if I wanted you on the floor? Perhaps of one of those nice rooms you were talking about?"

ADRI: Adriana almost thought she'd seen a blip of that anticipation that sent chills down Jax's spine, and a smug smirk revealed itself as reward. There was a break in their conversation, one that struck Adriana more than any other word or action that he had already thrown at her, because Jax was relentless, quick-witted. If they had wholeheartedly been teasing one another, he would have snapped back, said something to counter her threat at the idea of being dropped, and yet, he didn't. Which, in her mind, held a striking implication that her speculations about whether this was merely teasing or truly suggestive might actually be leaning toward the latter — especially when coupled with his eventual response. The hot breath on her ear forced Adriana to hold her breath and shut her eyes for a brief moment. His chosen form of delivery was absolutely diabolical— not that she was expecting anything less. Regardless, it sent a burn through her veins that was impossible to ignore and she had no choice but to shut herself out for an instant before responding because, honestly speaking, if she hadn't, she might have dragged him out right then and there. Fortunately, she had more than enough experience with that temptation to shut it down, or at least channel it into something more productive. When her hazel eyes snapped open a second later, the daughter of Mars flashed him the slyest smirk she could manage. "If I'm the one who's desperate, why are you the one suggesting we rush to a closet?" When she met his eyes once more, she took some of that suppressed ferocity to fuel the little flame in her eyes that she knew he couldn't miss. His question prompted her to mimic what he'd pulled only moments ago, as she took the tiniest step forward and leaned up to his ear, allowing her hand to drift to just the edge of the exposed skin on his neck while she answered him in a provocative hiss. "Well, don't hold back on account of me. I'm flexible."

JAX: As Jax continued to dance about with Adriana, there was a moment when the smaller details of the world surrounding him began to fall away. It wasn't because he was enraptured by the creature before him or anything of the like, truly. It was simply a byproduct of being so intensely focused on the words that were falling from her lips and the ones he was preparing in response. Her eyes having shut for the few moments they were was something he considered a victory. He was getting to her. Jax was certain of it. It only egged him on further. The brush of her hand against his neck didn't help as it seemed that the place where it had made contact was burning, not to mention the new closeness of her. As a counter-move, his own large hand inched lower, and soon enough he had found the skin of her lower back that was exposed. A benefit of having a cut out grace the back of the daughter of Mars' dress. His fingertips danced across the smoothness there, drawing lines and circles that were meant to tease and taunt. "Flexible? That's most certainly something I won't be willing to buy until tested." His hand remained where it was, as well as his voice. "Perhaps you're not desperate enough. I'm not some half-rate bargain, you know. That being said— I'll be generous. How about a tester?" he said as he inched ever closer to her, his eyes purposefully and playfully dropping to her lips. Of course, he'd never do anything of the sort in front of all these guests. And just then, the song Adriana had agreed to came to a close, but Jax lingered where he was for a moment, too invested in his tantalizing to give up so easily. But it seemed he would be forced to. Catching the gaze of his father over Adriana's shoulder, he knew he had been talking with Adriana too long. It wouldn't do to ignore the other guests. And just like that Jax was dropping his dance companion, stepping away.

ADRI: Maybe Jax was getting to her. Just a bit. But Adriana would have bet that she wasn't alone in that scenario. He continued to taunt her, allowing her step closer and dropping his hand to the break in her dress. They were evenly matched, continuously leveling the field only to take their game one inch higher. Jax was strategic, not only countering her touch to his neck, but adding to it with the aimless swirls of his fingertips — a simple gesture, and yet so thoroughly annoying. Adriana glanced toward her back quickly, not that she could actually see what he was doing, and then flicked her eyes in return to his, keeping the faintest smirk afloat on her lips. "Oh, so you do want me desperate," Adriana chuckled lowly to match the tone of his voice. "So much so that you're willing to give away free samples." Her head tilted thoughtfully and teasingly while a staged little coy grin painted her lips. "Are you sure you're not ill?" she whispered between them, following his eyes to her lips, then up again. Gods, it was tempting. Even though the idea of sleeping with him was absolutely insane, that didn't mean she wasn't curious about these outstanding qualities he claimed to possess. So for a few seconds that seemed to drag on for hours, she debated her options. And just when she'd nearly made up her mind, the music tapered to a close. Now they were just standing there. His hand was still on the small of her back and hers rested in the curve of his neck, but the distracting glamour of the melody and their dancing had fallen away, and the heat in her blood chilled with it. The flame in her eyes went dark as reality flooded in, overtaking her senses and abolishing whatever strange feelings she might have temporarily held for her rival. "Well," the daughter of Mars withdrew her hands and she settled back into the usual smug coolness he was used to, "now that that hell's over, I think you've had enough of a practice run to woo one of your four takers — easy prey. Daddy must be so proud." With a renewed smirk, Adriana padded a few steps backward, leaving with one final taunting gaze. "If you get bored, you know where to find me, but— I'm sure I'll have found someone more ambitious by then."

JAX: Now would have been the time Jax would normally say something along the lines of the sight of Adriana being the thing that was making him ill. But there was a strange and surprising reluctance to break the spell the two of them had woven. What was ever more surprising was the flare of feeling that came at the loss of Adriana's hands. Was that...disappointment? No. He wasn't that desperate. Still...he couldn't help but wonder at what might have happened had they continued. Would Adriana have broken? It didn't matter. It was a question that would never have an answer. Pulling himself back into the person he was when meeting new people at a party, he gave her a nod as she retreated. "At least I wasn't damned to it eternally. Perhaps I'll actually have to thank that violinist for saving me from certain regret. See you around...if I'm unlucky enough to see you." And with that he faded back into the crowd, returning to the guests he'd been busy entertaining before.

#trading tongues.#jax.#fides fest.#[ docs. ]#[ original sin. ]

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zdbztumble · 7 years

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The Literal-Minded Milotic

When I gave Misty a Milotic in “Writing’s on the Wall,” it was just because she must have one. It’s a Water-type, it kicks ass, it’s a close match to her own color palette, and why shouldn’t the one main girl to ever catch the protagonist’s eye have the most beautiful Pokemon as a partner/avatar?

Said Milotic having trouble with taking things literally was almost an afterthought, but I kind of like that quirk of personality. So here are some drabbles on it, set during BW, XY, and post WotW, respectively. You don’t have to have read WotW to follow along...but it would be nice if you did. :D

"...and Victini finally got to see the ocean!"

"That's great, Ash! And you're sure you're okay?"

"Yes, Misty. For the fourth time, I'm okay."

Misty frowned at his tone. "Don't talk that way to me, Ash Ketchum. I'm allowed to worry about you." You're lucky I don't make you tell me fifty times.

"I know, I know. But everything worked out, just like it always does."

Misty sighed. His mother was the one who always filled her on Ash's day-to-day and badge quests, but whenever he called Misty himself - which wasn't often - it always seemed to be after some insane adventure, more often than not with a near-death experience to boot. Almost drowned, eaten by orange goo, almost erased from existence, and now almost frozen to death. Honestly, Ash...

"So where do you go from here?" she asked him.

"Well, Cilan says that - "

"Psy?"

Misty looked over her shoulder toward the doorway. Psyduck had just waddled in, sporting his water wings. He glanced up at the display monitor on the phone and, upon seeing Ash, broke out in the cheeky grin that still made Misty flush. The dopey duck could barely remember his way around the gym or comprehend a battle command, but he'd cued in on his trainer's deal with Ash years ago and never let her forget it.

"Hi, Psyduck!" Ash called from his end, throwing the water fowl a wave. "Still can't swim, huh?"

"He can," Misty grumbled. "He made it across the shallow end the other month, but it freaked him out so much that he went back to the water wings. And he still can't go under the wa - "

"Tic!"

"Duck!"

"Now what?" Misty turned around, and immediately buried her head in her hands. Milotic had slithered into the room, and had Psyduck pinned into a corner. The Tender Pokémon was staring intently at the duck, who seemed even more confused than usual and just slightly terrified. Misty stepped over her serpent's tail as she walked over to take a look at the hall outside. Water was all over the place, a small table and lamp had been knocked over, and a framed picture of her sisters that should have been on the wall was on the floor, the glass cracked.

"Misty?" Ash asked with a tilt of his head as she stomped, scowling, back to the phone. "What's up with Milotic?"

She sighed again. "We're training right now. When I got out of the pool to take your call, I told her to 'keep an eye' on Psyduck."

...

"Milotic, use Hydro Pump!"

Misty's Pokémon was quick to respond. She nailed Staryu right in the jewel, and while the starfish managed to stay on its platform in the pool, it was clearly struggling under the pressure.

"Alright, Milotic!" Misty cheered. "Keep it up!"

"Staryu, Rapid Spin!" Daisy commanded.

"Hyah!" The Star Shape Pokémon spun hard to the left, leaving the platform and hurling itself through the air. Milotic followed it with her head, never stopping her Hydro Pump. She got water on the poolside floor, on the empty bleachers, and all over Daisy.

"Hey!" she moaned. "I just got my hair done!"

If it were Gyarados, Misty would've chalked that up to attitude, but Milotic still hadn't stopped her attack. "Uh...Milotic?"

Staryu was still airborne, and it was now circling the pool, Milotic still following. The starfish flew in front of Misty's platform, and before she could dodge it, she got a taste of Hydro Pump herself. It was on her at full blast for a moment, but it very quickly trickled away. Through her sopping bangs, Misty could see why. Milotic had flopped her head onto Staryu's old platform. Her eyes were bugged out and she was taking her breaths in tired wheezes.

She had "kept it up," alright; kept it up until she'd completely exhausted herself.

Misty let out a small moan as she pushed more of her hair back. Her already extensive list of expressions she couldn't use around her serpent had just grown by one.

...

There were so many other good things Misty associated with Pallet Town that the fact it had a beach sometimes slipped her mind. It wasn't as large as some of the other Kanto beaches or as developed as Cerulean Cape, but it was still a lovely place with plenty of room for her Pokémon to play. Marill ran along the water's edge, chasing Pikachu's tail. Psyduck was locked in a staring contest with a wild Krabby, as he had been for the past fifteen minutes. Gyarados, Starmie, and Kingdra swam a few yards out from the shore. And Milotic was curled up in the sand to sun herself.

Misty was tempted to join her, but she knew how easily she burned. It was also too hot. The shade from her sun umbrella didn't help that much, but it was better than nothing. Still, she let her toes slip out from the shadows and taste the unadulterated heat as she stretched out a little on the towel she was sharing with Ash.

"So the gym's gonna be closed a little longer, huh?" he asked, sitting up slightly.

Misty nodded. "The filter for the pool's still broken. They thought they had it figured out, but they need special parts to fix it, so it'll be another two weeks." She scooted over so that their sides were pressed together, and she rested her head on his shoulder. "But I don't mind staying here a little longer."

"Uh..." Misty didn't need to look up to know there was a blush in Ash's cheeks. She smiled, but didn't say anything. Being boyfriend and girlfriend was a strange experience for both of them, especially given the circumstances that finally got them together.

Ash swore up and down to her, their friends, his mother, and the G-Men that he had no idea why Team Rocket wanted him. An ongoing investigation had yet to turn up anything. As a precaution, both Ash and Misty had been pulled out of the Trials for the Hero's Crown, over their objections, and word was put out that they were being sent to Alola. The original plan was for them to actually go, but Misty had put her foot down on going anywhere until she knew her sisters had the gym up and running again. The G-Men had reluctantly let them go to Pallet Town, with three agents as protection.

Even under watch, the past month in Pallet had been as wonderful a start to a romance as Misty could've asked for. Things didn't go the way she'd once pictured when they were still kids and her feelings no more than a crush; they still teased and bickered constantly, their few dates were simple and often tied to Pokémon, and there were no hearts and sparkling lights flying through the air. But everything so far had been very...them. It was as if she'd never left and as if they were just meeting at the same time. It was fascinating to Misty just how much Ash had, and hadn't, changed.

For instance: he actually understood the basic concepts of attraction and affection now, but he still struggled with the cuddling, hand-holding, and other overtly romantic gestures that he dubbed "love junk." It drove Misty crazy sometimes, and inspired a few of their squabbles, but it could be incredibly cute at times too.

She rolled over to face him, propping herself up a bit higher by resting her arms on his chest. Just as she'd thought, he was blushing, and a nervous little smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Comfy?" she asked teasingly as she walked two fingers up toward his collar bone.

"J-j-just a little hot." Misty laughed lightly. From another guy, that might have been a double entendre, but Ash didn't have it in him to pull those off.

"It is pretty warm," she agreed. "I almost wouldn't mind a blizzard right now."

"Mil!" Milotic had reared up and was staring at them, her head cocked slightly to the right. She reared back in preparation, and Misty realized her mistake.

"Wait, Milotic! I didn't mean -"

A wave of flurries and freezing wind blew across them, sending the sun umbrella and their picnic basket flying. It didn't last long, but when the Blizzard stopped, both Ash and Misty were caked in frost. They clung to each other for warmth, though the shivers from one made things worse for the other.

"W-w-w-well, at l-least w-w-we're the c-c-coolest c-couple on t-the b-b-beach," Ash stammered. Misty didn't even smack him for the pun; she was too cold, too stiff, and too frustrated with Milotic.

"Y-Y-YOU DOPE!" she spat.

"Mil?"

"Psy?"

Psyduck had wandered over to the serpent. They titled their heads toward one another, and they both had looks of complete confusion in their eyes that Misty found baffling, infuriating, and somehow endearing.

No wonder she was with Ash.

#milotic #misty waterflower #pokeshipping #satokasu #aaml #fan fiction #psyduck #writing's on the wall #ash ketchum #z's fics

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coldtomyflash · 7 years

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Wally West Speech Patterns

So I wanted to do this speech patterns post as separate from what turned into the body language post because then I can focus more exclusively on the language aspect, but I’ll mention a bit throughout for how to combine that with body language.

Precise Word Choice

Okay so importantly, one thing that really stands out about Wally is his actual word choice. Unlike a lot of people I’ve looked at so far, even when he’s not using technical language (like Cisco and Caitlin with physics and biology), Wally actually uses a lot of multi-syllabilic and more specific words. He doesn’t say he “we dropped him off in iron heights”, he says “deposited” in Iron Heights. That shows a more precise use of language. Not “I don’t know” but “unclear” (so cute in that scene).

He uses words like “required” instead of “needed”.

He doesn’t go for the simplest words, not because he’s trying hard to pick complex ones, just because he seems naturally strong in linguistic intelligence.

Even when he’s trash-talking villains and might opt for a more punchy “yo metal mouth,” he’s equally likely to go with “A little quaking in your boots might not be inappropriate,” when he’s not pressed for time.

And look at that word choice! It’s brilliant. The use of a double negative (”not” and “in-” before appropriate) fluidly rather than simplifying the statement to a positive (”a little quaking in your boots might be appropriate”) which would make his statement more direct and come off as a little less clever-sounding. He wants to sound clever when he’s being cheeky.

And I mean, look how he uses words here to tease even while displaying some discomfort (which, note, more restrained posture and body language).

He’s chose a four-syllable word for his adjective (interesting), a highly specific and less common word for the noun (venue) and his comment is noticeably tongue-in-cheek in part because of that word choice. And then talking about the ‘theme’, which is more an abstract word (and not all of the characters like to deal in abstraction when they make remarks, for the record). He didn’t say “style” or “decorations” or anything, but chose ‘theme’. He likes to use some metaphor and abstraction in his language.

So we get from that that Wally likes words a good deal, and enjoys word-play, a little bit at least. Please please write him with a love of language, even though it’s subtle.

Plainer/Punchier Words

But note that you don’t have to always have him going for longer or more precise words. Don’t strain yourself. Because he sure doesn’t. He’s happy to be direct and even to swear, a bit more than some of the other characters, but still sparingly.

I’d say that Wally doesn’t mind to swear, and does maybe slightly more than some of our other characters, at least in Flashpoint. “Who the hell are you?” and “I’m so gonna kick your ass” come easily to him. But he’s never vulgar, and the swears come out mostly when he’s challenged and when he’s being Kid Flash.

Wally is also perfectly happy to opt for the word “weird” as one of his preferred adjectives. Really, he uses it more than once.

It’s great. (He’s also one of the few characters the word ‘dude’. Joe also does sometimes. I kind of love it). Another word he likes to use is ‘awesome’ actually, which he’ll use totally without irony. He uses it here again, with a ton of other adjectives too, more specific ones as he’s searching for words to describe a feeling, and maybe not used to not having the exact words he wants at his fingertips.

(Though note, like the tic-tac-toe theme example from above, Wally isn’t above sarcasm. He’s just very dry when it comes out, and it’s often when he’s annoyed or tired of something, or exhausted maybe. It’s not his base mood, but it certainly can come out).

Both ‘weird’ and ‘awesome’ come out when he’s feeling comfortable in his surrounding though, more relaxed with who he’s talking to. And he uses them appropriately. He remarks on things that genuinely are weird.

Practicality

Which brings me to another point. Wally is very practical. Like, as a person, and in his speech. That’s part of the precision thing. But he’s often the one voicing when things are strange or awry, remarking on the improbability of their situation. He’s also the one to jump to the simplest solution to a problem:

He likes to cut to the heart of things and see them as they are, and isn’t one to over-complicate an issue if it doesn’t have to be. Which means he also cuts to the heart of interpersonal problems, even personal ones, in a flash:

Ouch.

But note that he’s well aware of his own feelings and showing a real clarity of understanding the situation. He feels that people don’t have faith in him and his abilities here and he’s not wrong. They’re more worried about him being hurt than they are trusting of his ability to succeed. Wally sees the core of things and it shows in his speech, getting there concisely.

Even though he likes adjectives, he’s not overly flowery when he talks, at least unless he’s really upbeat about something. Particularly when upset, he’s more short and to the point with his word choice (”it sucks”) but there is nothing overly simplistic about his phrasing.

Sentence Structure

Wally uses full sentences. Like, almost always. I mean, not if he’s responding “yeah” to someone, or there’s a good cause for him to be short and speak in phrases. But unlike some people (*cough*Leonard*cough*) he never drops the subject of a sentence. He doesn’t even drop descriptors that he could. “That dude gets weirder every time I see him” and not “dude gets weirder every time I see him”.

Even here, conveying a very complete thought when asking for help (this could be transcribed as a single two-clause sentence instead of as two sentences, because he very often uses two-clause complex sentences if you listen to him).

So Wally’s more naturally verbose than some people. He uses full sentences and lots of adjectives -- all that ‘weird’ and ‘awesome’ to qualify nouns, even the word ‘inappropriate’ about the Rival quaking in his boots, ‘greatest’ to explain the feeling of running, and just generally across the board. There are so many adjectives (and sometimes adverbs) popping up in his speech, helping to stretch out those sentences.

Softening His Speech

And you know what else there is? Qualifiers and hedging!

I love talking about how people qualify and emphasis, which you might know by now. Because this really gives insight into a person and also into specific little things that will make their speech sound like ‘them’ instead of same voice. I’ve said that Len very seldom qualifies anything (I think he uses the word ‘really’ once or twice?) and that Barry mostly only qualifies into making things more absolute (adding “at all” to something). But Wally? Wally hedges properly, to soften something. To qualify it. Thank you, Wally. I mean, not that he never uses a qualifier as an adverb for emphasis:

But look at how he hedges this statement, even jokingly: “I think”:

He’ll often say “I think” in front of something to make it less absolute.

This ties in to how he turns imperatives (orders) into questions sometimes. He softens a command by seeking agreement from the person he’s giving it to.

And he also does this a bit with declarative sentences. Check out this gifset where he’s angry and shouting at Joe (season 2) but still says “okay?” mid-rant in part because he’s still unsure of himself and is hiding behind bluster (I’m guessing) and in part because he probably isn’t too comfortable with shouting people down and being so abrupt with them.

He’ll ask questions for clarification too, especially when unsure of himself. Because he doesn’t shy away from bolder statements when he’s confident or needs to feel confident, building up someone else or else sure of what he wants:

But questions are a definite facet of his speech. Most of them don’t require an actual answer, they’re rhetorical or just phrased that way. And I think that Wally uses questions a lot to soften his speech. Not to seem soft but not to have sharp corners and bold demands. He’s incredibly personable and likeable and it shows through in this way.

Contrast how in this gifset where we saw him use ‘awesome’, how he says “are you kidding” instead of “you gotta be kidding me,” which we’ve seen Leonard do in a way that came off as quite sharp. That’s the difference.

Emotions

I should point out, since I just brought up anger, that a lot of Wally’s speech, like anyone’s, is impacted a lot by his emotions. I’ve made reference to that already, about how he’ll say ‘weird’ and ‘awesome’ more around people he’s comfortable talking to. About his dry sarcasm at times, that irony. But his anger is important too. He was pretty understandably angry when we first got to know him in season 2, but you can tell he isn’t used to being angry and shouting people down all that often, like I just said.

It’s especially noticeable because his go-to response when others are shouting or else are angry with him is to trail off and get quieter. You see it a lot and I reference it in my body-language post. Wally retreats and processes what’s going on, verbalizes (often to someone else, for example like to HR) to get his thoughts in order, and then he talks to the person about what’s going on, cutting to the heart of the issue fast, like I said.

But if he is going to fight back (because he knows what he wants to say and what the issue is already) he’ll often bring a question into it instead of pushing back with declaratives.

His anger brings out his prouder and more stubborn side though. Which definitely exists. Although when he’s in a good mood, Wally will comfortably admit if he doesn’t know something in order to learn, when he’s upset or less comfortable, he seems to shut down and let pride keep others at a distance. This was the whole issue with how Joe first approached asking Wally to move in with him, for instance. But note that in Flashpoint, he’s like “is that like, a thing, ‘flanking’?” (lol yes, Wally, it’s a thing).

And when he’s not angry or frustrated with someone, he admits to needing help.

So he is at least a little bit ruled by his emotions in his speech, but for the most part, he doesn’t let it get in the way of his good sense, even if he can be a bit stubborn. His strong ethics tend to be what guide him though, a deep sense of loyalty but also the desire to do good and help others, and he places that above his own anger and pain every time.

Final (Minor) Notes

I mentioned that Wally will hedge a statement with “I think” but that fits into a broader pattern he engages in. He’ll often praface a statement with some minor addition like “I think” or “wait” or “hold up” (the latter two I find ironic, for a speedster).

And while I’ve talked about how he uses adjectives a lot, I find that interesting because he means he doesn’t have to be quite as short and declarative in his sentences. For instance, when he says “cool skateboard” to that kid in Flashpoint (and notice he softens this whole interaction even more by adding ‘though’ at the end), we can contrast that to someone like Mick, who uses simple declarative sentences for his preferences a lot, and would probably say “I like your skateboard” instead. When it comes to matters of taste and preference, Wally doesn’t state, he describes.

Wally’s speech also gives rise to the notion that he has a strong grasp of intrapersonal (self) understanding and a sort of existential mindset, a calling to a higher purpose. His desire to help people comes out time and again and he doesn’t hedge that desire ever. He questions his purpose and looks deep into some personal questions.

And in an amongst a lot of the other things I’ve said about his word choice, sentence length, cutting to the heart of issues, and phrasing things as questions, this gifset (and the sentence at the bottom) really showcases all of that in one place and also puts something else in perspective: Wally, especially when emotional, is comfortable going on for a few (long) sentences at a time. Although short sentences or a single-sentence-at-a-time is perfectly common, don’t hesitate to write him going off for a while when needed, especially if he’s upset and calling people out.

He has a longer speech again here too, with more of that intrapersonal understanding (and vivid word choice) showing through.

And okay, I think that’s all I’ve got for now. I hope this helps. There’s probably more to say about his speech (of course there is) but with any luck, this will provide a good starting place for people who aren’t sure how to write him.

[Link to the body movement post]

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