#amadeus please go for a walk

[ultimate-spiderman-stuff]

Web-Warriors x gn!reader headcanons please? How would they react when they'd befriend reader and then realize they have a crush on them?

Peter

Peter met you in school

He got assigned to sit next to you in history

You were drawing,not really paying attention to the class

He kinda was just tapping his pen awkwardly trying to think of a good conversation starter

Ends up blurting out something really randome like:

'Hey, did you know that barnacals have the largest dicks relative to their size?'

He practically dies inside

He hurriedly tries to back track,stumbling over his words

Then you just look up from your drawing,raising an eyebrow at him, nodding slowly

Peter just stays quiet for half the period then he decides to ask what your drawing

You turn the sketch book around to show him Darth Vader

Cue to both of you fangirling over Star Wars

After a while you guys started hanging out at breaks with Harry and MJ

The both of you have the kind of friendship where you'll say randome facts about stuff completely out of then blue

Finally the team gets so annoyed with the constant yapping that they don't bother asking Peter if he likes you, they tell him

You already knew you like him but was just waiting for the right time to ask him out

The next day after class you both confess at the same time

It was really awkward but wholsome

So you start dating

Flash

He met you at the gym

You were doing weights and he offered to spot for you

You gladly accepted his offer and you guys clicked instantly

At first he thought it would be a one time thing, but the next time he was there he saw you and instantly came over

Soon you both were sharing opinions of different artists to listen to,and walking home together

Soon he asked you out

You went out for smoothies

Miles

You were from the Red Room and was recently taken into SHIELD

SHIELD had given you some Red Dust so you were free from the Red Room

Miles had come over to hangout with you in the cafeteria and was currently talking your ear off about Ghostbusters

As annoying as his constant banter was the plot was quite interesting

You were always getting into fights with everyone but you found him just that little bit more tolerable

Miles also liked hanging out with you even though you frightened him a bit

But after awhile he began to not really be bothered by you

Soon he decided to ask Peter for some advice on what he was feeling

Peter wasn't quite his best decision to go to cos Peter is practically clueless in that category

But after a lot of researching and Google saying he was going to die of a heart condition, both of them found the answer

Ge was in love with you

Ot was a very sweet confection, the poor boy was so nervous

You had no idea about dating

But everything eventually worked out

Amadeus

He met you at SHIELD

And yes you were 13 the same age as Amadeus

You were a botanist like your parents so you were able to work in the labs

Amadeus might be the 7th smartest person in the world but plants were just not his thing

So when he found some new plant based material on patrol he asked you for help

It turns out he wasn't as much as a prick as everyone else said he was

But he was still annoying

After a couple of days he was becoming a bit less of a dick then before

After a couple of weeks the prodject was finished

He kept on finding reasons to go back to your lab and the relationship began

None of you guys actually said it, it kinda just happened

So like who knows you could just be really good friends who shares a lab and custody of a goldfish

Ben

Scarlet was on patrol when he saw a creepy dude with a gun go into the cafe you were working at

By the time he got there he saw you judo flip the guy

So he just sat back and watched the show

Once you were done with him, he webbed the guy up, staring at you suspiciously

'What? Did ya think I couldn't protect myself just because I have no powers?' You asked

'Did I say that, punk?' He muttered, glaring harder

You rolled your eyes at his attitude, giving him a hot chocolate

Once he left he had to say you peeked his interest

So when aunt May was having a bit of trouble finding where to go to for lunch he suggested the cafe you worked at

May noticed that he was staring at you more than he did at other people so made sure to go there more often

Sometimes he even goes there without May

He begins to go there almost every day so that he can see you

He starts to talk to you and and become somewhat friends

After awhile he confide in May

She was so excited that he was interested in someone

So when he decided to confess he was a blushing mess

You got what he was getting at and said yes

[th3-0bjectivist]

Dear listener, this will be my final musical entry for 24’ and for several months, and we’re gonna end it with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one of the elite few great classical composers of all time. I feel like these days, classical music has been somewhat devalued and relegated to running in the background of ultra-absorbent paper towel commercials. This is a damn shame, because classical music changed music on planet Earth forever, and composers like Mozart once represented bleeding-edge innovation in the realm of music. For his time, Mozart wrote music in every available and accessible genre and excelled at each of them as well. Much like classical music in a broad sense, WAM attempted to create works that were universal in application. Much like me, the man genuinely enjoyed pleasing every segment of his wide-ranging audience with his personal versatility. Is it any wonder that you’re familiar with WAM’s name and works even though you weren’t even living during his era? So, how do men like this become immortalized? Join me below for an answer from some guy on the internet. Just above is The Requiem in D minor, K. 626, a piece Mozart didn’t even finish before he died. It is haunting, beautiful and really exemplifies WAM’s range. Thank you, all my dear listeners on Tumblr, for celebrating another year of music with me. I’ll be doing more of the same next year as well, but without further ado… the WAM you’ve been waiting for.

Dying young at 35 but filling his entire short life with his own firebrand of musical creativity, WAM started his career at an extremely fresh-faced 5 years old when he wrote his first keyboard composition. He wrote his first SYMPHONY when he was an 8-year-old… and I don’t know if anyone is aware of this but, that kind of natural compositional talent doesn’t exactly grow on trees these days, or even hundreds of years in the past. Like many other classical artists, WAM was brought up in the Church, specifically in the Catholic faith. He is well known for composing ‘divinely inspired works’, specifically designed for Mass between Epistle and Gospel. Performing for imperial courts as a mere child and then going on to create 600 + total musical works in his lifetime, WAM wasn’t just some musician from Austria; he was a Bonafide genius. He could speak over a dozen languages, was awarded the Order of the Golden Spur by Pope Clement XIV and was perhaps one of the most notable and famous Freemasons of all-time. WAM even went as far as producing openly masonic works like The Magic Flute and Thomas, King of Egypt. Unlike other classical artists (Brahms, Beethoven, Vivaldi), WAM was a family man who cherished his children but left very little to them because of his excessive drinking, extravagant general spending, and personal generosity. His lack of money-management aside, WAM stands tall as one of the most, if not the MOST famous Austrian musician of all time. Fun fact: WAM loved fart and poop jokes. I’m NOT kidding. He went as far as writing scatological music for his recreational and drunk buddies and quipped about his bowel movements to close friends and family members in numerous letters. Why would I mention this, you may ask? Because, for his time, this man was a walking immortal on Earth. Mozart’s shit-based humor humanizes him to me, and I love how this yester century genius thought absolutely anything coming out of the human ass was hilarious. Having been subject to numerous infections and bumps on his skin before his untimely death, WAM died young and under entirely mysterious circumstances which have never been properly identified or explained. Just below, you’ll find The Best of Mozart. Smash play, enjoy, Happy New Year. It was a pleasure, as always, to provide Tumblr with music and information in 24’.

A prodigy, more versatile than his contemporaries, and more influential than the vast, vast majority of any common musician…Mozart is a legend and an inspiration. Is it any wonder that his surname is well-known even to this day… even though he had no grandchildren? Image source: https://www.redbubble.com/i/kids-t-shirt/Wolfgang-Amadeus-Mozart-digital-painting-in-high-resolution-by-hypnotzd/142756337.VXRIW

[ziracona]

Pt 2 since the weird way tumblr does text in 'blocks' won't let me upload it as one. [Fate/GO AU – The Kid (pt: 1, … 22,23, 24, 25,26, 27, 28_1, 28_2, 29_1, 29_2, ?)]{Some spoilers for og FGO/Temple of Time, vaguer spoilers for early CITLB}

.

.

“Oh, wow. Salieri! Would you look at that view.”

For a normal human, there probably wouldn’t be a view here by the mountains at all, but as a servant, I can catch a glimmer of blue off to my left. Ah! That must be the coast!

“It’s not the coast,” says Salieri as if he can read my mind. Tiredly, he continues to hike up along the ridge we’re on.

“How can you tell?” I pout, hurrying to catch up with him.

“Because it’s a river,” he replies, which isn’t an answer at all.

I sigh at him. “Well, if it’s a river, it’s a lovely, beautiful, sparkling river!” I say instead, redoubling my efforts.

He grimaces and keeps walking forward.

Tch. He’s like this all the time now!

“Salieeriii,” I whine, hurrying over brush and little rocks to try and walk beside him, “Why won’t you talk to me?”

“Amadeus, please,” he says, exasperated. We don’t generally sweat from exertion like this, but for some reason he’s drenched, poor guy.

I lean in and blink at him with my big eyes. “Yes? Please what?”

He opens his mouth to say something, then sighs wearily and just keeps walking. I hurry to his other side.

“Come on! This is the perfect opportunity! Nobody else is around!” I prod, “We could talk about old times! We can say anything we want!”

“Do you have any idea how difficult it is for me not to kill you?” he asks desperately, still trying not to look at me, “Even with my Master nearby, it takes most of my focus to hold back. Now, we’re alone. Us being alone is not a good thing Amadeus, it is a bad thing.” He stops walking and finally glances at me, looking thoroughly beaten. “Actually, I think it would be best if we split up.”

“Split up?” I ask in dismay, “What—here? –In the middle of the jungle?? In the middle of hostile territory, with a missing Master?”

“We could cover more ground separately,” he counters.

Well this is terrible! I was trying to annoy him into some kind of a response, but I didn’t want him to leave!

“Noooo,” I say, throwing myself at him and clinging to an arm. I feel him stiffen. “Salieri you can’t leave me alone out here! I’m just a little caster! I’ll be torn to bits!”

He grimaces at me again. His bright red eyes are creepy—I wish they were still brown.

Stiffly, like an automaton, he turns his head away and begins to try and pry me off.

“No, Salieri, no!” I plead dramatically, jumping up and wrapping my legs around him, “Didn’t you say you would be so unhappy if somebody else killed me? If you leave me alone I’ll get killed for sure! Don’t abandon me!”

Frantic now, he struggles to get me off, but I’ve got him like a boa constrictor. Finally, he screams in a fit of enraged desperation, and transforms. His spiky red and black armor appears, covering his usual suit, and a mask sets over his head. Only this time, both grow exponentially in size, and I’m flung off as he gets bigger, mask molding into his flesh.

I fall onto my back and gape up at his form as his arms and legs get longer and bigger, and he begins to hover in the air above me, parts of his armor floating about him like pennants. When he opens his mouth, it’s the mask that speaks, with lines of razor sharp, inhuman teeth, as if it’s his head now. He’s a shape and size that could almost be human, but just a little beyond what’s possible, in size. It’s horrifying, and it’s terribly beautiful at the same time.

I’m scared, I think, but I’m also excited by it! And, I guess, I’m a little ashamed. I probably shouldn’t feel that way about something like this…

“GET. AWAY FROM ME!” the thing bellows, echoing out an inhuman roar.

“Wow!” I say from flat on the ground, “Salieri! I didn’t know you could do that. You look so scary; I love it!”

It screams at me, and the sound is enough to hurt. The sound is not beautiful. The sound sucks.

I wince. “Alright, alright! Calm down,” I say, and I pull myself up and brush off my suit. Standing up is actually more terrifying, because I have an exact scale next to it of how much bigger than me he is this way. “Yikes! You really do look scary.”

“I AM SCARY,” he bellows.

“Mmmmm,” I step closer and consider him, “Not really. It’s a terrifying costume, and if we were strangers, I bet it would scare me off! But I know it’s still Salieri under there.”

“I am not Salieri,” he growls, looming above me, “I am the Man in Grey. I am Death! I am not a person, Amadeus. I am YOUR DEATH, personified!”

Hmmmm. “Well, you sure look like Salieri!” I say cheerfully. “Sound like him, too.” I get right up in his—well, his abdomen really, because he’s floating and also a lot bigger now, and I can’t reach his face—but I get right up in his space, and put a finger to my chin. “Hmmmm. No, I’m just not buying it!”

Enraged, the thing screams again, and it sure is a nasty sound—my poor, musical ears, yeesh. I don’t mind it too bad though, but then the thing jumps on me!

Like a lion, he slams down on top of me, massive clawed fingers digging into the ground and pinning my shoulders. My back hits the rocky, slanted ground beneath us, and I end up almost upside-down from the terrain’s slant, staring up at this massive, fanged face that isn’t his head anymore. It’s the living red, black, and grey armor, and his warped mask, living steel. Sharp lines and lines of too many teeth to be possible open wide enough to bite off most of my head, venomous looking saliva dripping down its chin as it roars. It doesn’t have eyes, just the impression of eyes, where the visor on the mask would be back when it was a mask.

“Antonio-“ I say, and then I yelp in pain as he digs his claws into my shoulders, “Ow! That actually hurts!”

“HURTS YOU?” hisses the massive thing above me, “I’LL KILL YOU!”

He lunges at me, teeth snapping shut around my neck, and then just as the skin breaks and I feel little needles of pain sink in, he jerks and freezes up, then slowly, raggedly drags his head back, opening his mouth and letting go of my throat.

I can feel blood, and it did sting when he bit, but I can tell there was no real damage done.

Breathing heavily, he chokes out, “Get up! Get out of here! Go, or I really will kill you!”

…Poor Salieri, I think, watching this horrible thing struggle with itself above me, You look so confused, now.

He drags his claws out of my shoulders and sits up, giving me room to drag myself out from under him. I don’t though. I just push myself up too, bracing my arms behind me, him still straddling my legs.

“No you won’t,” I say.

He breathes horribly, like he barely can at all, and a low growl begins to form.

“Salieri,” I continue, and I put a hand over his shoulder. Using my grip on him to maintain my balance at this angle, I put my other against what serves as a face, “Don’t be so stupid all the time, Hübscher. I know you aren’t the old you, but you’re still—”

He rakes a claw across my chest and slams me back against the ground. OW! This one hurts a lot more! I can feel the blood bubbling up a lot quicker, too.

With his left hand, he grabs my throat and digs his claws into the ground again, this time pinning my neck between what used to be his thumb and his index finger, but are now claws the size of knives. Around us, I hear music start to play, even though no one is playing it—not even him. It just seems to live in the dark grey mist seeping out of him, my requiem. Our requiem, now, I guess.

I should be scared, I suppose. I know I’m supposed to be. But it’s like seeing a man with a scythe in a haunted house. It’s nothing real. The blood, the pain, the fear—they aren’t real to me at all. All I can do is laugh at them. My Salieri, he is such…such a caricature, of the idea of my death. He’s like a bad drawing of a scene. Even if he did kill me, it would look like some ridiculous nightmare whose obvious falseness is clear the moment you wake, and you can’t remember how you ever thought it was anything but a dream at all.

The mask of this beast form that is meant somehow to be Salieri roars at me, and the sound is so shrieking, so awful, so piercing, it tears my eardrums. I can feel blood dripping from them.

“I WILL DESTROY THE MAN BELOVED BY GOD,” shouts the mask above me. He raises his right hand high, and a massive version of his usual sword appears in it. It’s bright black, like the night sky, and shaped like a conductor’s baton, and a cross. Such a beautiful sword. He twists it in his hand so the blade is aimed between my eyes.

“You won’t kill me, Salieri,” I say, watching the bright reds segments amidst the blacks and greys of his mask.

His grip on my throat tightens, and I can feel his massive arm shake.

Around me, the fog seeps in and whispers. I remember this from before—back in the vault—and for the first time, I do feel a pang of fear. Fear, and regret.

Words spill out among the whispers, and I can see the speakers in my mind. I hear my beloved Constanze cry and ask why I left her in crippling debt, to raise our children alone. I hear my father berate me for failing to be appointed once again in Vienna. I hear whispers the Sunday after my mother’s death, saying a doctor would have been called in time had I not spent the family fortune tripping after failed dreams. I see Nannerl, pausing mid-phrase and staring blankly at the piano at her fingertips; I hear voices without sources telling her she can never play past 15, because as a woman, it’s not her place. I see her husband, so old compared to her, snap at her—her step-children disobey, and demand—her own son far away, with father. And I see her holding a letter from me, and smiling at some joke I made about shit. But the smile is the saddest I have ever seen on her face. I am in Paris, at an opera the week of the letter. I am writing. She is alone, by candlelight. I see the four children I had who didn’t live through their second year. A little wood box, a little wood box, a little wood box, a little wood box. I see my mother’s face, and she’s not in it anymore—she’s cold and still. I see Maria kneeling in shackles at a guillotine. I see her head fall. It’s not even a clean bucket that catches her. I see a blossom of matching red open horribly slowly, like the lid to a can, as Salieri slides a blade along his throat.

“Enough!” I shout, squeezing my eyes shut. The whispers continue, but their volume fades back into the smoke around me. “There is no point in showing me this, Salieri! It isn’t scary! It just makes me sad!”

His grip tightens again, and I start struggling to breathe. I have to fight back the urge not to say something extremely flippant to him, and I can almost hear Maria in my head thanking me for pretending to be a decent human this once. It isn’t easy—this is the perfect time! If he only knew what I’m giving up for him…

“I’m still not scared of you! I’m not ever going to be scared of you!” I choke out, “Give it a rest already!”

He crushes my windpipe and I can’t breathe at all, as he lets out another horrible wail.

It’s the most awful sound I’ve ever heard. It’s like the whispers I heard in the fever of my death, if agony replaced terror. I feel pressure build and then stabs of immense pain in my ears, and then all I can hear for a few seconds is a fainting ringing pulse.

Salieri brings up his shaking right hand with the sword, still aimed at my head, and I’m not afraid of him. I am sure he won’t kill me.

But I realize, he isn’t.

“Antonio, how was Franz Xavier?” I ask.

Salieri stops, arm still raised.

I smile at him, and I let my tone slide from its usual mocking lightness, to a more sincere tone. “Was he a good boy? He was only four months old, when I died. Did he look like me?”

“…No,” says Salieri. He sounds muffled and distorted to my damaged ears, but I ignore the aching pain in them and use the entirety of my focus to hear. “I am afraid he looked like Constanza.”

“Why afraid?” I say cheerfully, “We both had good looks, so it’s alright for him either way. Besides, Karl Thomas was my spitting image—if I got both of them, it would have been unfair.”

“…He…was a good student,” says the thing that is Salieri now. His voice is low and strained, but even with my damaged ears, I recognize it as undeniably him. “…You would have been very proud. He grew into a fine young man. And he loved you. They all did.”

“Good,” I say with a smile, shutting my eyes. He eased the pressure on my throat as soon as he began to talk, although I don’t know if he noticed it, and I can breathe just fine now. “I am glad you taught him. I looked up to you, you know?”

Salieri doesn’t say anything.

“Isn’t it so funny?” I continue, opening my eyes again to look up at him with a sad little smile, “When I was alive, and we competed, you won—every single time! You won the job as Princess Elisabeth's teacher at the piano over me, twice. You won the Emperor's opera composition contest. I lost Da Ponte to you. Again and again. You were simply better than me, Antonio-“

“—Stop,” says Salieri, voice rough.

“—But it’s true!” I say, “Yet, when I lost, you chose to premiere my music. Again and again. You became the Kapellmeister, and used your position to revive my opera. I would never have done the same for you.”

“I know,” says Salieri quietly.

“You were the better teacher. Better husband, better father. You were well respected, while I was an insolent scoundrel, hopelessly in debt,” I continue, “Of course I admired you. I copied you, for Papageno’s whistle, and Papageno and Papagena’s duet.”

“I noticed,” says Salieri, almost with the sound of a smile in his voice.

“That was the idea!” I say happily. I try to sit up, forgetting I am trapped beneath his hand, and I ram my windpipe into it.

Noticing, he hesitantly raises his hand, digging his claws out of the earth. I push myself up onto my elbows, and he moves the sword back as I bring myself towards it.

“You remember when I took you to see The Magic Flute?” I ask him.

He nods.

“You were so excited!” I say, “You cheered every piece! Every performance, every song! I’d never seen you watch an opera so engrossed as to not for a second remember there were people in the seats beside you. You cheered so loud, Salieri. One of the masters of the art, the Emperor’s chosen. You were good enough to know the difference between music that is great, and music that is perfect, and you loved my work. I only ever felt so happy when Constanza was in love with a piece.”

“…It cannot have mattered that much,” he says quietly.

“Of course it did,” I argue, “Antonio, you lived for too long without me, Liebling. The way people spoke about you changed how you think about you, but it has also changed how you remember me. I wanted you to love me, because you were great enough for that to be special.”

He stays quiet, but somehow, he looks sad to me now.

“I annoyed you,” I say proudly, “Like I annoyed everyone. And you disapproved of me, and I tired you. I always did. You know, so many people tried to like me, Salieri. So many of the men who wanted my business or my favor—they hated me, but they could convince themselves they liked having me around. You, though? You never did. But you were still a patron to me. You worked with me, you pushed my work, you praised things you liked. You were with me, when I was dying. You were one of the only people at my grave. You taught my son. You’re Salieri. Don’t you get it?”

I grab the tip of his sword and press it at my throat, offering him the death Maria had, the death he tried to give himself, the one I hate so much.

“You won’t do it. It doesn’t matter if you’re the Man in Grey, or my death, or Death itself. It doesn’t matter if you’re not Salieri, because part of you is Salieri. And Salieri loved me,” I continue, and I reach up and touch the thing’s face, “He didn’t like me much, but he didn’t need to. He was one of the only people who ever really loved me. And even when people lied about him, and hounded him, and drove him to death, he still clung to that. The Man in Grey isn’t real. My death is over—it’s no stronger than any other death. Even death itself is just a passionless reality. But Salieri? Salieri was amazing. Salieri was real. I actually cared what Salieri did. So, it doesn’t matter if he’s only a fragment of a fragment of you. Salieri could be 1% of what makes up you, and he’d still be stronger than all the rest. Nothing any part Salieri could ever kill me. And I’m sorry, because it makes you sad, and you’re stuck with a task you can never complete. But you’re not scary, Antonio, and I’m not going to run away.”

The sword crackles and fades into smoke, and he’s left with his arm still raised, unmoving.

“I’m lonely and weak and bored all the time, and I don’t know anybody else around, but I right now I’ve got a summon with one of the special people I actually like, who will baby me and do all the hard work, so of course I’m not going to let you abandon me!” I add, grinning up at him, “Besides, I ruined your afterlife. The least I could do is keep you company in it. Some part of you must want me around. I love you too, don’t you know?”

His arm slowly droops down to his side, and he crouches there limply above me, on his knees. The little bits of cloak around him flutter in a breeze that isn’t real, like so much about how the throne has warped him.

“You foolish man,” he says quietly, his voice almost sounding dead to me, “I will hunt you. I will hurt you. That will never change.”

“So what?” I ask brightly, and I wrap my arms around his neck and smile up at him, “You won’t kill me, and you will protect me from everybody else! I don’t mind getting hurt if it’s only you.”

“Wolfgang,” he pleads, and I shiver with excitement to hear him use my first name. “I don’t want to kill you. I… …I do want to kill you—I MUST—I need-! –I don’t-!” His voice is fragmented, jarring, changing from word to word. “—Please! Please stop; leave me. Even if I don’t want to kill you, I only need to lose focus once to make a mistake.”

Instead of leaving, I lean my head against his chest and shut my eyes with a smile. “So what? You’ll just never make a mistake then! It’s not like me trying to never make a mistake. You’re Salieri! You’re patient and careful! You have focus, and discipline, and all those boring things you need to be respectable and successful in life, that I don’t have at all.”

He makes a pained sound. “I can’t.”

“Sure you can,” I urge, snuggling against him, “I know it will be agony, but we are heroic spirits! Every summoning, we suffer. That’s all that ghosts are meant to do: suffer, and regret. If we’re cursed to suffer anyway, wouldn’t you rather do it with me?”

Salieri makes no reply.

“It’s better to suffer every day, than to be alone,” I add, and I open my eyes again and tilt my head up to look at him. He’s still this thing of metal and hate, with no face, no eyes. Somehow, it doesn’t really seem like a big deal. It is him, after all. Was there ever really another part I cared about?

After another few moments of silence, I say, “Don’t you want to be with me?”

“…How can you say things like that so carelessly,” he whispers, sounding heartbroken. The massive thing above me lowers its head. It has no face I can see, but I get the feeling he’s shut his eyes.

“I don’t have any mode except for careless,” I answer, surprised, “…That doesn’t mean I’m not sincere.”

It tilts its head up a little. “LOOK AT ME! I am not your Salieri!”

“Then whose are you?” I demand, “I thought I was like the sun to you!”

He opens his mouth and stops. “… …I am not a person.”

“That’s okay,” I reply happily, “I’m a devil.”

“No you’re not,” replies my Antonio’s voice tiredly, “You’re just a man. Who doesn’t know when a word should stay in his head instead of stepping outside of it.”

I grin. “You are a person. Only Salieri scolds me like this.” He starts to answer, and I don’t want to give him a chance to argue, so I cut him off. “—Do you still love me?”

He doesn’t answer. He just hangs his head and slumps there above me.

“You are so easy to tease,” I sigh, “I like that.”

“Please don’t mock me,” he says quietly.

Hm. He said that to me before, in the bar. Come to think of it, we never finished that talk after.

“I am not mocking,” I argue, “Just because I’m funny and irreverent, doesn’t mean I’m mocking. Did you cry when I died?”

“…”

“Did you think about me much? Did you miss me?” I prod.

“Stop asking questions you know the answer to,” he says, pained.

“Well, I missed you,” I say, leaning my chin against his chest and my head back as far as it can go, so I am looking right up at him, “You know, I was so happy to see you again. You’re somebody nice, so I bet you would have felt bad for me if our positions were reversed, but I’m just me, so I thought, ‘Oh wow—I get Salieri all to myself now!’”

“Stop!” he urges, like I will hurt him.

“Then talk to me!” I insist, “Tell me the truth!”

“…It doesn’t matter anymore,” says Salieri, pained, “It never really did.”

“…Now you’re the one being cruel,” I reply quietly.

This seems to surprise him.

“You get to decide how you feel, but I get to decide if I care about it…” I say, sulking.

It’s quiet for a minute. I’m tempted to keep picking at him, but I can tell he’s thinking. I think maybe for once, I should let him. Besides, I’m bleeding all over him and I’m tired and my ears hurt, but even as this cold, hard, metallic avatar of death, he’s warm, and comforting to be around. I’m too comfortable hanging off his neck and watching him, to want to make it stop. I think I could almost fall asleep like this.

“…You never stop loving someone,” he answers finally, his voice very tired and quiet and sad. Very human. Very Salieri.

I laugh, and I feel him stiffen. “Really? Never? …What an answer.”

I fell out of love all the time. My Constanza wasn’t my first love, or my first attempt for a wife. I had fleeting affections with the intensity of the sun. Love is a feeling, after all. Who can feel the same way about anything their entire life?

Salieri lowers his head. “You mock me again.”

“No,” I sigh, “I don’t. I’m laughing at myself, Antonio. That’s what’s different between us.”

I let go of his neck and lower myself back to the ground, then slide my hands behind my head and look up past him, at the sky.

“You are so steady, and kind,” I say, smiling as I watch the faint blue behind clouds above us, “The only thing I ever really loved enough was my music. I just didn’t know how. I don’t think I was born with it in me. I loved my family, but not like you. Not like Constanze loved me. I loved music. You loved the reasons that people love music. She loved that music can sound the way it does. Those all sound the same, but none of it is.”

“…No one is perfect,” says Salieri. His form flickers in the smoke, and the armor shrinks and melts away, leaving the man in the grey suit that I know so well, on his knees above me. “You are too unkind to yourself.”

It’s so funny. I’m not criticizing myself at all; I love myself. I’m a genius—I can’t help if I’m different, and if I wasn’t, I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to write the way I did. If I traded my soul to music, then it was a good deal. Yet, he’s so convinced. He looks so sad for me. Him.

“…Why did you love me?” I ask him, looking away from the sky to study his face.

“Amadeus,” says Salieri with a sigh, “Nobody can answer that question.”

“Hm?” I ask, surprised. I push myself up onto an elbow. “Why not?”

“Because, any reason we could give is simply something about you,” says Salieri with great exhaustion, “I could say it is your music, which I did love. Your creativity, your excitement, your range. I could say it is because I watched you grow and change so much. I could say it is because you were a companion. But none of those things are you, not even your music. Your humor, your personality, your interests. And it was not any one, or any combination of those things. I’m sure your wife would have told you the same. It’s just you. But there is no other way to say that.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, sitting up all the way.

Salieri tries to move back to give me space, and realizes for the first time that my legs are between his. He makes a sound of discomfort and hastily shifts to the side to get off me. I snag his shoulder before he can become distracted by this, and ask again, “That doesn’t make sense.”

This works, and he refocuses on being exhausted by my questions instead. “…Well, why did you love Constanza?”

“Because she was beautiful, and intelligent, and she understood music, and sang well,” I reply, making a list in my head, “She was from a family I had interest in, and she was fun, and best of all, she liked me.”

“Is that still your answer? After the end?” he asks. “Why do you love her now?”

I consider. “…Yes. All those things—just more. She put up with my lifestyle, she loved my music, she encouraged me. She had patience, instead of hate, when I frustrated her, or hurt her. She was brave.” It’s…strange. I haven’t thought about her in this kind of…list before. No one has ever asked me to recount my reasons. It’s making me feel…badly. Oh. I think I miss her… “…She was my wife, and she loved me,” I add more quietly, after a moment.

Am I sad?

“—Yes, that,” says Antonio. He gives me a worn smile like he’s proud of me. “’She was your wife, and she loved you.’ What more can you say? You don’t think of her as the pieces of her that were useful enough to care for, and the rest. You think of her as your wife, whom you loved. You aren’t broken, Wolfgang. You’re just thoughtless. Just because you don’t think about how you do things, doesn’t mean you weren’t doing them. You’ve always been this way.”

Ah. Funny. I would argue with anybody else. He scolded me a lot, when we were alive. He also praised me a lot. It never seemed like either one truly changed how he felt about me. He just felt how he felt, and said what he decided to.

“That’s so silly,” I say with a sigh. I glance over at him and grimace. “So, you had no reason. You just did?”

“No, stupido,” replies Salieri, “Is that what you just said about your wife? I loved you because I loved you. I met you, and I got to know you, and I saw who you were. All of it. Whatever our differences, that person mattered to me. Deeply. All of him. I could give you reasons, but none of them would be complete. You were Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, my friend and fellow artist, and I loved you. There is nothing else I can say that would be completely true.”

This is so complicated. But, for the first time, I feel a bit caught off guard. Nobody has ever claimed to love even the parts of me they hate before. …but, I already knew this about Salieri, didn’t I…? I always have. I knew he accepted me. That’s why I like him. So, why have I never thought about what ‘accepting me’ means until now?

Maybe I really am stupid. Maybe it’s just a little beyond my understanding.

Or, maybe for all my selfish love, I want him, even if he’s a warped and distorted version of himself now. Maybe even though I accept it all because I want him for me, it’s still just a little, tiny bit like what he describes.

“I can’t feel about you like you feel about me,” I say slowly, actually thinking through my words for the first time all conversation, “But, I still want you.”

He smiles sadly, as if he knew I would say this, and looks at the ground.

“…To me…” I continue, still thinking it through, “…You are still ‘Salieri.’ Nothing you can say will change my mind.”

He looks back up and meets my gaze, but he lets me talk.

“…But…you aren’t ‘Antonio, my friend and fellow composer, whom I love,’” I tell him, “You are… ‘Antonio Salieri, who loves me.’ I think…that is the thing I liked. I knew you loved my work, and me, and I appreciated that. Even if I was never able to really feel the same way.”

“I know,” says Salieri softly, “I always knew that.”

“Yes,” I agree, “and you never minded.”

“I told you,” says Salieri evenly, and he smiles at me this time the way he used to. Like…he’s just glad to see me today. “I didn’t love something I could get from you-“

“—But I did!” I interject, “That’s exactly why I loved you.”

“Maybe you liked me, then,” says Salieri gently, “like you said.”

I do not like that. Why don’t I like that? I’m the one who said I don’t know how to really love.

“Why can’t it count that I love that you loved me?!” I ask, a little worried now.

He smiles, and sighs again, and stands up. He brushes off his knees, and then offers me a hand. “It’s alright, Amadeus. You do care for me, or you wouldn’t have tried to help me just now. That’s all I—that’s more than I really wanted. Come on. We need to keep moving.”

I take his hand, and he pulls me up, then takes in my bloodied and disheveled appearance, and looks very sorry.

“Amadeus, I-“

“—It’s fine,” I say, shaking dirt and grass off myself, “See? Nothing serious. Just some scratches.”

Salieri doesn’t look satisfied, but he stops arguing, and turns to keep moving up the rise. At least he’s not trying to get away from me now.

I stay where I am for a few steps, watching his back get further from me.

“Wait,” I call.

He stops, and turns around.

“That’s not all,” I say, working it through, “Salieri…who makes me happy to see, and I love.”

Taken aback, he stays there.

“Salieri…who tries so hard to prop up everyone he teaches, and I admire,” I continue, and I take a step forward, “Salieri whose operas were forgotten because they pointed out corruptions, and I remember.”

I take another step, then another.

“Salieri who…” I stop, and I laugh.

He tilts his head at me.

“I’m sorry—I’ve run out of good words,” I apologize, walking closer anyway, “You know, once I heard Scherzo and Caro Bell'idol Mio played back to back?”

“You hear Scherzo?” he asks, smiling and looking amused rather than mortified like I sort of expected.

“Yes. You should hear them back to back, and then you’d understand what I can’t say. –Oh! Do you want to hear them?” I ask excitedly.

“—Those are both canons,” he says with the disapproval of a teacher, “You can’t sing them by yourself.”

“Then sing with me!” I beg. He raises an eyebrow, looking exasperated and amused. At least he’s calmed down. This is the most he’s looked like Salieri since I saw him again.

Not waiting for an answer, I begin with mine. “Beautiful, beloved idol of mine-“ I sing, summoning music around me with a wave of my hand.

“Beautiful, beloved idol of mine,” he echoes, overlapping with me a step after, humoring me out of habit.

“-Do not forget about me. I always hold the desire, to be close to you,” I sing, and he finishes after me, still looking bemused.

“It’s a lovely canon, Mozart, but it’s meant to be sung by three people,” says Salieri.

“Yes, but we don’t have a third, and I just need to make a point—Again?” I plead.

He sighs and smiles and sings it through once more, actually performing this time. I forgot how nice his voice is. Antonio never sang much—he was a composer, and not a singer of course—I am the same way—but we both can sing; it would be difficult to write the lyrics otherwise, I think. Even his singing voice sounds safe and welcome. It’s like hearing a family member sing.

“Now Scherzo?” I say.

He exhales a laugh, but he obliges again.

“These canons,” I sing.

“These canons,” he echoes, overlapping my words, and continuing just a step behind.

“-are for joking and laughing,” I continue happily, “and the words are intended just for that.”

I grin and sing it through a second time. He’s still smiling too, and he looks more relaxed. I guess he remembers his one fondly. I’m not surprised; Salieri always liked children. I wrote my canons like poems, because it was art. He wrote his canons like rhymes, because they were for students to learn with, and families at home. He remembered stuff like that. I didn’t.

“Ah,” I sigh happily as the music ends, “Listening to them and knowing us, how can it be that you didn’t write Caro Bell'idol Mio, and me Scherzo?”

“It does suit you,” he agrees.

“It suits me to sing,” I agree, “But you wrote it. In the end, no matter how I act, I am Caro Bell’idol Mio, and you are Scherzo. That’s why I love you.”

I am proud of this answer. It makes sense to me. It’s a bit of a relief, too. I think it lets a lot of things make sense, in ways that are not so daunting.

I do not think, from his expression, that it makes sense to Salieri though.

“I like your kind of different. I can see it. I don’t think about it,” I add carelessly, waving a hand, “But I like it.”

He’s like an umbrella; he makes space for other people to be well in. I don’t think he would be at all impressed by this metaphor though, so I don’t stay it out loud. I just hook my arm around his, and tug him after me.

Salieri lets me, still looking confused, but after a moment of thought, he smiles.

“What?” I ask him.

“It’s just nice,” he replies, “I don’t think you’ve ever said something good about one of my works before.”

Oh God, have I not?!? …Hmm. Damn. I might not have, to his face. –This is ridiculous! We knew each other for most of my life! Surely there were times we just don’t remember…

“I don’t really understand what you mean, but, I suppose I don’t need to,” he adds, giving me a hesitant smile.

That’s so much more mature than I would be about this. He never stops amusing me. He’s so easy.

“Anyway, thank you. I’m glad you like Scherzo,” he says.

“You know that wasn’t the point, right?” I ask, eyeing him, “I don’t ‘like Scherzo,’ I like how you wrote it.”

“Yes,” he says with a gentle laugh, “I know.”

Hmmm.

“Well, good,” I say cheerily, and I wrap my arm around his more tightly and lean my head on his shoulder, “Because that’s the only way I can say it.”

Antonio is quiet for a moment, then pats the back of my hand as we walk.

He looks happy.

Salieri is Salieri, I think, He looks happy when he holds my hand, and he loves me.

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

This new human is fun.

I watch him out of the corner of my eye as we sit and wait, watching the ugly man-made structure below us. Why did humans in the future have to stop caring if buildings were the ugliest things you’d ever seen? What happened to making architecture have some small, remote tinge of appeal? Gross.

It’s also boring. But, whatever. I can be patient. At least my bodyguard is amusing.

He’s doing what I told him to, watching the base with the singular focus of a guard dog. Alter isn’t like a dog at all in any other way though—he’s like a cat. A stray cat. Stray dogs are different—they hold back and act hostile when threatened, but once they lower their guard, they shift modes from vicious to friendly. Cats are different. When they lower their guard, they aren’t friendly—they’re just a little less ready to bite you and run. This man is on edge and prickly, never relaxing completely, never even turning his back to me without being aware of it.

It's very interesting to watch. I have to wonder.

When I first met him, I told him he looked like he’d been trying to beat back armies of utukku alone for ages—like the husk of a great warrior, still somehow up. That’s still true, but, there’s more to it.

His body has been deeply tanned, like he walked the desert for years, and there are cracks along him that glow gold. Why?

“…Did the Counter-Force summon you?” he asks out of nowhere without even looking at me.

“Huh?” I ask, taken aback, “No.”

It’s his turn to look surprised, and he glances away from his watch duty for a millisecond to look at me.

“No, I summoned myself,” I add.

We’re in a little cave, the size of a bedroom. I carved it out of stone with a few well-placed bolts, and set up a blind here; it’s really close to one of the big facilities these humans are running in the jungle, and it’s close enough to see them well, without chancing being seen. Their bounded field cloaking the facility is powerful, but I’ve got my own spells of true sight carved into the opening to the cave. So long as you’re inside, the circular opening functions like one big magnifying glass—and best of all, since mine is not a bounded field, it’s hard to sense unless you get up close.

“…How?” he asks, like he’s indulging me by believing enough to ask.

I huff. “’How’? Really? I’m a Goddess.”

He looks me up and down. “Not from here you aren’t.”

I roll my eyes. “No, but I still have a vested interest in this. Besides, it doesn’t matter if I’m from here. Any Goddess can who’s strong enough can find a way to manifest.”

“Oh, that’s a vessel,” he says as if it’s just clicked. I guess he hasn’t had a lot of experience with gods, because of course it is.

“If you were in front of my true form, you’d be speechless from my beauty, and paralyzed by my power,” I grin. I sit up and fluff the thick hair of the body I’m using. “She’s not so bad herself, of course—obviously I wouldn’t use a body that was, but trust me when I say an avatar scales back every aspect of a god.”

He doesn’t say anything, so I guess that answered his question.

“Why?” he asks. Huh, guess it didn’t after all. He already knows what they’re doing to spirits the Counter-Force sends in, like himself, and the other projects we had time to talk about on the way here, so I guess he must mean ‘why do you, Ishtar, specificialy care’ and not ‘why would someone be fighting them’.

“I told you, I have a vested interest,” I say with a smirk. I float over from the back of the cave, and settle next to him on the floor. “If it’ll satisfy you, think of it this way; I’m a Goddess of Life. If everyone dies, that’s pretty bad for me.”

“…I didn’t think they were trying to kill everyone,” he says, narrowing his eyes and focusing on the far guard towers.

“I’m sure they aren’t,” I agree, “But humans don’t have to aim for being jackasses and ruining the world, in order to do it.”

Bored again, I lay down on my back in a pillow of my massive hair, and look up at him. He glances at me this time, full head turn, and I feel very smug. He’s way too focused on his job.

I mean, yes, it’s his job I gave him, but he should still be more focused on me.

“Anyway, how are you healing?” I ask, “You look better.”

“I am better,” he agrees, turning back to his task.

“Good.” I wave my hand, and a pitcher of water appears, a bowl of fruit and a plate of meat beside it. “Here,” I say, snagging an apple from the bowl and carelessly tossing it up and down to have something to do, “Eat up.”

He glances at the food out of the corner of his eye, then back at the compound. “I’m good.”

That’s so annoying. “Do it anyway,” I say with a tone, “You need the energy boost.”

Alter sighs, and picks up some meat and bites into it. Even though he does what I say, it’s no fun to boss him around. He’s so exhausted and burned out, it’s like he doesn’t even think about it.

“Well?” I ask, rolling onto my stomach and propping my chin in my hands, “How is it? Good?”

“…I can’t taste anything,” he says with a shrug.

You can’t taste anything??

“Uhm. Why?” I say.

He gestures to himself at large, never breaking focus on scanning the station. “Most of me is gone by now. That includes my sense of taste.”

…that’s terrible.

This is less fun now. It’s starting to be kind of upsetting.

“So, no taste at all?” I ask, pulling my self up to a sitting position and crossing my legs, “What about wine? Can you get drunk?”

“I don’t know,” he says like the question is almost interesting, but only almost, “I can’t remember trying.”

“What, did you lose your sense of memory too?” I ask. He gives me a look that clearly says ‘Yes, actually’. I gape at him, aghast. “Are you serious? –W—Okay then, what do you have left?!”

“Sense of direction, sense of danger,” says coolly after thinking about it for a moment, “sense of pain-“

“—So you can still feel touch then!” I say excitedly.

“…I can feel pain,” he says tiredly, “Not all touch. As a general rule, if it was supposed to be a positive thing, I probably can’t feel it anymore.”

I stare, and then ponder this in focused horror for a few seconds.

“Alter, I think that’s the most terrible thing I’ve ever heard,” I say, looking over at him again, “Who cursed you?”

“No one. This is just what happened to me eventually,” he replies without emotion.

Man. I wish he would tell me more, now. He’s not very open.

“—I see him,” says Alter.

I perk up, and follow his direction. It only takes a moment to pick out the figure we’ve been looking for.

“That’s the Archer I was telling you about alright,” I agree, “But who the hell is he holding? Is that a little girl?”

Hm, it is. She’s covered in blood, and it looks like he’s taking her to the medbay, but she’s not wearing a uniform, and I’ve never seen her before. It’s not like they get new recruits here, either.

“…Prisoner form another faction?” suggests Alter, following the same path of logic.

“Probably,” I agree, “…Great!”

I sigh happily and float back against the stone floor again.

“This is perfect for us! If they’ve got a prisoner, they’ll probably be distracted tomorrow, questioning her. Even if they don’t, they’ll divert people to guard her, and it’ll be the thing on everyone’s mind,” I continue.

I was a little concerned about their Archer—he’s really the only thing that could cause a problem for me. But, if he’s caught up with a prisoner, then we might not even have to find a way to kill him! Ah, if we can get away with just sneaking around, that makes this so much better!

“Okay, enough for the night,” I say, waving a hand at him lazily, “Take a break. Do whatever you want until dawn; just don’t leave the cave.”

“…Shouldn’t we move when it’s dark. Now is our best opening,” says Alter.

“You’d think so,” I agree. I open my eyes and frown at the top of my little cave hideaway. “They’ve got an edge at night, though.” I flop onto my side and watch him. “I’m a goddess of stars. And Venus, which is hidden by the sun during the day, but I have many sources of power, so I’ll be fine. Their edge at night is so ridiculous, I’ll take my chances with the day.”

“Their edge being?” asks Alter.

I grin at him and wave a finger. “No-no. Not so fast. You won’t tell me anything about you, while I’ve told you my name and my domain. I’ll explain, but only if you tell me about yourself.”

He sighs. “Fine. I don’t need to know anyway.”

I can’t believe that didn’t work. I mean-?! What kind of man doesn’t want to know the tricks his enemy will be using! Is he a warrior or not??!?

Huffing, I get up and walk to the back of the cave. I wave my hand and create a pile of cushions and blankets to rest on, and go angrily go curl up there.

That bastard. He’s watching me, and he looks amused!!

Wait—he smiled. That’s the first time, he-

Hmmm.

“Fine, suit yourself!” I snap, playing it up to see how he reacts. I wave my hand, and another set of cushions and blankets appear by him. “Sleep or die of boredom—do whatever you want.”

“Shouldn’t someone keep watch?” he asks dryly, “I thought you wanted a bodyguard.”

“I have all kinds of trippable alarms around this place,” I say, offended, “If anyone gets close, I’ll know. It’s shielded too, so it’ll block a few attacks on its own. I know how to set up a proper blind, okay?”

Who does he think he is? I’m not an idiot; I’m a Goddess. I don’t need to be questioned every six minutes.

Despite my generous offer, Alter stays at the mouth to the cave, watching the compound.I roll my eyes. Fine! Guess I’m not sleeping either.

It’s annoying, and so is he, but I have to say, as far as job-specific performance, I don’t have complaints. He really knows how to lock in and focus, and I’m not worried about him turning on me. Heroic Spirits are all some kind of professional, but I get the idea this is the specific type of professional he was. Hmmm.

“How come you lasted so much longer than the others?” I ask, curling around a pillow casually as I watch him, “I mean, I know you’re an Archer. But, so were some of the other presences I sensed.”

He shrugs without looking at me. “Unlucky, I guess.”

UN-lucky?! Rude. Everyone else died before I could save them.

“…What did the Counter- Force summon all of you specifically for?” I ask.

Alter makes a noncommittal gesture with an arm.  “Don’t know.”

“Come on, it didn’t summon you without instructions,” I say, “It’s not that inept.”

“Maybe others got instructions. I just assumed I’d be fixing a problem like always,” he replies.

I wonder if that’s the truth. He’s so evasive, and so closed off, it’s hard to tell when he’s lying, and when he’s just curt. Wait. ‘Always’?

“Always?” I echo, “What do you mean, ‘always’?”

“I’m not a hero,” he replies, glancing over his shoulder at me and speaking with a ‘didn’t you know?’ kind of tone, “I’m a Counter-Force Agent.”

A what now?

“A what now?” I prompt, sitting up, “Is that like…” I think a second. I mean, I know what the Counter Force is. So…? “…Like an attendant to Alaya?”

He starts to say no, then reconsiders, and shrugs. “In a way.”

“Wow. She treats her attendants like shit,” I comment. Since he’s not using them, I hop off my little nest and move over to his pile of blankets and pillows, and flop down luxuriously next to him. “So…You stay at Alaya’s instead of the Throne of Heroes, and she sends you out to fight whenever she’s threatened?”

“Sort of,” he says, watching something in one of the buildings in the middle of the compound now. I follow his gaze, and my vision is every bit as Archer-Good as his—way better, I’d warrant, but I don’t see anything interesting. “Counter Guardians are sent to deal with any threat that would destroy mankind. Mostly, that means we kill people whose actions would kill too many other people.”

“Like a guard,” I say.

He grimaces.

Okay, no. I try to picture this for a moment. I guess if they’re sent out to stop people before the damage is done, then they’re more like assassins?

“You don’t like this job?” I observe, watching his expression carefully.

Alter shrugs. “It’s fine. I don’t really think about it. I do what I do. Besides, I don’t have a lot of capacity to feel left. I guess so long as the job gets done, that’s what matters.”

I guess humans need their ways to protect themselves, especially now that the Age of Gods has ended, and beings like me aren’t around as much anymore, to watch over them. Still.

“That doesn’t sound very efficient,” I decide, and I roll onto my back again and stretch, “I mean. Your system for keeping humans alive is to just smite every time a situation gets tense? Don’t get me wrong—I love a good fight. But…Every time? I’m a goddess of War, and I’d get tired of that. It’s Enlil behavior. Foolish. When you break things, you don’t have them anymore. Isn’t your Alaya supposed to be a God of Mankind? Gods of Life are supposed to preserve it.”

Mmm, thinking about Enlil makes me mad. Look, I love to smite, when somebody has it coming, but if I didn’t do other stuff too, I’d just be a God of Vengeance.

“Why do you care?” he asks.

!

“How DARE you?” I spit, getting right in his face, “I am a Goddess of Life! Fertility, birth, creating! Why do I care!? Do you know who I am?!”

He leans back a little as I keep pressing into his personal space in a rage.

“I am the Goddess of LOVE! Love, and WAR, and Justice!” I snap.

“Alright-“ he starts.

“Wisdom, heroism, power!” I continue. He keeps leaning away, and I keep moving forward because I want to shout in his stupid face! “Wickedness, righteousness, plundering cities, lamentation, rejoicing, deceit, truthfulness, rebel lands, kindness, activity, being sedentary!”

With nowhere left to lean, he tries to move away, but I’m faster, and he ends up flat on his back with me on my hands and knees on top of him, shouting into his miserable face lividly!

“Carpentry, coppersmithing, scribes, smiths, leather-working, fullers, builders, reed-working, attractiveness, purification, shepherds, RESPECT!” I spit at him, “Awe, reverent silence, kindling fires, extinguishing fires, the family group, descendants, triumph, strife, counselling, constancy, going to the underworld, returning from the underworld, swords and clubs, cults, black garments, colorful garments, power, treachery, straightforwardness, lovemaking, kissing, speech, lions, travel-!”

“-good lord,” whispers Alter, gaping at me.

“Prostitution, musical instruments, the art of song, the venerability of old age!” I shout, “Kingship, comforting, judging, decision making, planning, safe places, perceptiveness, attention, heart-soothing, consternation! Truth, victory, law, and the HEAVENS!”

He flinches, closing an eye to keep spit out of it, then looks up at me and says, “…isn’t that kind of a lot?”

I smack him so hard he goes flying and becomes an imprint in the cave wall.

Or, I’m going to, but something in me decides I’d rather brag over him instead.

“Hmph,” I say, turning up my nose, “For a weak God, maybe. I earned mine, and I take care of all of them.”

“…but some of them contradict each other,” he says in the voice of a man saying things he knows might get him smacked so hard he becomes an indentation in the wall, who just can’t help saying it anyway.

“So?” I snap, “So do humans. I’ve seen the same people forgive the unforgivable, and hold grudges their whole lives. Gods can do the same. We contain multitudes. I can embody as many ideas as I want.”

“…well it sure explains some of it,” he mutters from beneath me.

Oh, he is getting on my last nerve.

“Some of what?” I hiss.

“You’re very volatile,” he replies.

“And you’re very stupid,” I snap, “You know I could disintegrate you, right? I’m your master, and I’m twice as strong as you are!”

“Only twice?” he asks.

I do smack him this time, though not into the wall. I know that’s what he was trying to get me to do, but I’m still not going to let him get away with it.

Okay you want to play games? I think.

“You know,” I say, and I change my demeanor. My anger and pride become a cold, controlled malice in my voice, a danger hiding just under the water, and I lean very close to his face, my dark brown hair falling around us and blocking out the little remaining light outside. “You’re Alaya’s bitch. A ‘Counter Guardian’. That makes us natural enemies. Have you realized that yet?”

Alter doesn’t respond.

“Gaia and Alaya split eons ago. The will of the planet, and the will of men. Gods are tied to the will of the planet. We are on Gaia’s side, in conflicts, and you are on Alaya’s. That potentially makes you a threat,” I whisper.

I wonder what he’ll do. Argue, reason? Probably, he’ll either try to piss me off more, or just stay quiet. Those are both really stupid, but he seems to not have the best head on his shoulders. Or maybe he just wants to die?

I realize after a second, that could actually be true.

In the darkness, his golden cracks faintly glow to my eyes, and there’s nothing in his grey irises but exhaustion and very old despair. Like he doesn’t even have the energy for pain.

“Are you going to kill me, then?” he asks simply.

I wonder, if I said yes, would he summon a blade and try to stab me? Or would he just hold still, like it’s an execution?

“Why don’t you react,” I say in the same calm, unattached tone he’s using, “To anything? Is there anything you care about? Or want? That you fear, or dread? Is there even anything you think, or believe?”

Alter doesn’t reply. He just looks at me, passionless.

“Archer,” I say, “You promised.”

Huh?

He does react this time. His brow furrows, and his eyes have life in them for a second. He looks about as surprised as I feel.

What the hell was that?

I look internally, and I’m suddenly feeling all these…emotions, out of nowhere. Attachment, affection, pity, --love? –irritation, pain, sadness? –Confusion, but that one’s mine.

Oh, wait.

It’s got to be my vessel. Oooohkay..? Weird, she’s never done this before. She must feel really strongly about this guy. Why?

Curious, I reach out internally, trying to find some part of her consciousness I can focus on. We don’t have any real communication—she accepted being my host, and I took the body. I mean, I didn’t kill her, so of course she was in there somewhere, but I thought she was perfectly in sync with me.

I can’t hear her, but, I have feelings now that aren’t mine—well, it’s our body, so I guess what’s hers is mine, and they are, so more like, ‘I have feelings that don’t originate with me.’ She feels really sad—I feel really sad, I guess—we feel really sad, about him. Because…? I mean, his work is sad, but…

I try harder.

“Why did you say that?” asks Alter, who I forgot about until just now.

“Shush,” I say, turning my head to the side and shutting my eyes to listen, “I’m doing something important.”

He starts to say something anyway, so I cover his mouth with my hand.

We’re sad… …Okay. We’re ‘mourning’ sad—so-? We knew him? Knew him or someone like him? What else. …We feel…nostalgia, okay. Regret. Pain, affection, happiness, sadness, distress. Whoa, we feel a lot about this. I think…we’re mad at him. We’re also mad at us. Oh, whoa, we are way more mad at Alaya than either of us—good for us. We are concerned. We want…to play with him? No, okay. …to shake him and yell at him, alright. Reasonable. …To take him home and—oh. Hah! No wonder this body was so compatible with me. Mmmm… What else do we want? To ‘fix’ him? Hm. Yeah, that would be fun, but it’s pretty hard to rip someone out of Alaya’s cold, dead hands… I guess that still counts as going against her, though. Besides, she really doesn’t take care of her humans. She doesn’t even give them a good time before she kills them. She just uses them up like she’s sucking the blood out of a sacrifice, and drops the carcass.

“Okay,” I say, releasing his mouth and turning my attention back to him.

He grimaces at me, but he actually looks on edge for the first time now: confused, on edge, and irritated, but also curious.

“Do you recognize my vessel?” I ask.

“…? No,” he says.

I smack him.

“Ow!” He actually looks peeved this time.

“THAT’S for forgetting her,” I huff. We feel very satisfied by this. “You do know, and memory loss is no excuse.”

Maybe it should be. …Nah, I don’t care if it should be. Too insulting.

“We met before?” he asks.

“No, you and my body met before,” I reply, “Remember, Goddess—vessel—divine power makes manifesting a whole thing?”

He looks like he’s sort of sweating now.

Good.

“You promised her something. When you remember what it was, tell me, and apologize,” I order.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says with some genuine stress in his voice.

“Well, good luck,” I say carelessly, “Because you better figure it out.”

Off balance now, he just sort of lays there looking cornered. I study him for a moment.

“…Being a Counter Guardian really did a number on you, huh?” I ask more softly.

“What?” he says, I guess confused by the shift in tone or something. He seems to have some trouble keeping up with me.

“Okay, let’s see,” I say, ignoring him. He can’t taste food. Can’t feel pleasure. Can’t remember.

I get an idea that I like, and focus on him again.

“Your God treats you poorly. I’m going to make you so envious of my sukkals that you wish you never had to work for her again,” I boast proudly. Leaning down, I prop myself up with a forearm, and put my other hand against his cheek. He stiffens and tries to pull away, I guess forgetting that he’s already on the floor. “Calm down,” I purr, lowering my body onto his and pressing against him, “This won’t hurt.”

I kiss him. Lips pressed to his, mouth open, I speak into his throat and order, “Ṣāḫam. Edram. Hussam.” I hear him try to say something, and move his head, but he stops as the magic takes effect.

Kissing him with more passion, I continue the spell. My magic seeps from my lips into his, and from my words, along his throat, and deep inside him.

I hear him whimper.

It’s very satisfying. I haven’t gotten him to lose anything since I picked him up, but finally, he’s down.

It also makes me want to take care of him though. I stroke his short white hair, and the edge of his jaw and brow, and I press harder against him. He chokes out a gasp, and tries to move again, in a panic. This time I let him.

Frantic, he drags himself out from under me, and summons his little sword-guns. Eyes wide and wild, he slams his back against the edge of the cave, and raises them at me, breaths heaving.

“What did you do to me?!” he shouts.

He actually…sounds scared? What in the world is going on?

“Easy,” I say, waving off the concern, “I told you I wouldn’t hurt you. All I did was use a little magic to enhance your senses of taste, touch, and memory. I fixed you.”

“Undo it!” he shouts, aiming the second gun at me. Is he shaking?

“Well, it’ll wear off on its own,” I say, confused, “I basically cast a blessing. It’s not like I altered your saint graph. But, no,” I add, glancing at the plate of food I made for him earlier, “I won’t take it back. You can enjoy some food now. Have a little fun with it.”

He shoots! The little bastard shoots right past my head!

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” I explode. I think he got some of my hair! What the hell!? And after I was so nice all on my own for no reason?!

He flinches, but keeps the guns up. “Take it back!”

“—Are you out of your mind?!” I shout, moving towards him and waving my arms, “I’m the one keeping you alive! Did you really just--?!”

He shoots me.

I can’t believe it.

I hear the gun go off, and feel pain, and then I’m looking down at a bright red blossom of blood seeping out of my beautiful new avatar’s body. He shot me in the CHEST, the little bastard! A little to the center, and he’d have shot me in the spirit core! OH MY SELF. I didn’t even have a weapon out!

Enraged, I summon my massive bow, determined to vaporize him with the power of a star, and feel something tugging on my heart. ‘Fear’?

When I look, Alter’s pupils are the size of pinpricks. Shouldn’t they be big, if he’s focusing on me, to fight?

Wait, yeah—what the hell is wrong with him? He wasn’t even scared when I showed up and found him dying. Now he’s acting like I’m his worst nightmare. Did they put some weird spell in him before I picked him up, and I somehow set it off?

Instead of blowing him to bits, I lower my arms and let my bow vanish, although, I remain alert enough to dodge if the little fucker shoots at me again…

“It was only a little spell,” I say, totally lost at this response, “What is going on with you? I can’t believe you just shot me.”

The pinpricks become a slightly larger pupil size. I think he at least heard that, and he doesn’t answer, but he doesn’t shoot again. His hands are still up, and his grip on his guns so hard I can see the bones of his knuckles press against his skin.

“Seriously,” I say, “What the hell, Alter?”

“Why did you do that?” he demands, voice raspy and tense.

“? Why?” I echo, “Uhm, because your senses don’t work-“

“—Like that!” he interjects angrily.

??? Like what?

“Wait, you mean the kiss?” I ask, thoroughly taken aback. I make a big, shrugging gesture. “Uhm, I’m a sex goddess? I told you that. This is just how that kind of magic works.”

He looks so horrified and hostile about this.

“What?” I say with a laugh, “Did you get cursed by a different sex god the last time you were kissed?”

The guy blanches.

No way. Seriously?!

I sigh and roll my eyes, relaxing a little. “Yeesh. Okay, honey—chill. I won’t kiss you again. I honestly just thought it would be fun—I mean, you don’t have a sense of touch that works, usually, and I’m really good at it. Just trying to be nice.”

I float up and way back over to the corner of the room I set up for myself. He watches me, pivoting with the guns still up to track my movements.

“Seriously? Put those down,” I say, gesturing to my bleeding chest, “I’m being really nice right now, and letting it go, because you’re kind of cute, but if you shoot me again, I’m not gonna be so nice.”

He blinks at my chest like he’s only just noticed he did that. His pupils expand to a more normal size and he blinks again, and then looks at his hands and the guns in them, and slowly lowers them, looking…guilty? No…

I decide to just let him be for a moment, and summon a gem, place it against my chest, and suck the energy out through my skin to heal myself. When I’m done, and I look back over, my little bodyguard is watching me, looking grim and calm again, but also a little beaten, and ashamed of himself.

“Hey. You back?” I ask him.

“…I’m sorry,” he says.

“Good. Accepted,” I reply, “But seriously, what gives?”

“…You enhanced my memory,” he says, his gaze dead and far away again, “I remembered things I had only half remembered before, very vividly. They happened to be similar. Only…”

“Whoever she was killed you?” I ask, kind of curious now.

“…I wish,” he says quietly, “But no. She changed me.”

Ah. …You know, I get that. My body is feeling a lot of things, and it’s actually kind of hard this time to tell which started with me this time, because I agree with most of it. I mean…even as myself…

I consider, then I start to hop up to go back over to him, reconsider, and try waving him over to me instead.

It’s super clear he doesn’t want to come, but he moves closer anyway, stopping at the edge of my little makeshift nest of a bed.

“Well, I’m sorry,” I say honestly, “I understand. That’s why I wanted you to go to sleep.”

He looks at me, finally, to give me a quizzical expression.

“Because if you don’t first, I can’t,” I reply, and I lay on my stomach and prop my chin in my hand, “Just because I’m a God, just because you’re a Guardian, doesn’t stop things from happening to us. I travelled, once. Far and wide, and when I got exhausted, I laid down for a nap under a tree. I woke to find a mortal had found me in that one moment of vulnerability, and had his way with me.”

Even millenniums later, I don’t like to remember this story.

The Alter looks genuinely shocked, disgusted, and hateful to hear that. I guess he’s one of the good ones.

“I’ll never sleep anywhere near a stranger again,” I say simply, shifting the topic as quick as I can, “So, what else would make you shoot me, if I did it—so we can get this out of the way?”

“…It wasn’t your- …” He reconsiders, and then sighs. “Don’t try to control me or change me, especially that way.”

But that way’s so fuuuuun, I think piteously in my head, And you’re pretty and that’s the only way I’ve been able to mess with you…

But, I guess. Fair is fair.

I sigh. “Okay. Fine. On the condition you do try some food and wine now, before that blessing wears off.”

He looks a little surprised by this, but he gives a nod. I think he’s mostly relaxed by now. I guess admitting to being fellow victim made me less intimidating. Great, now I have to think of a completely new way to intimidate him, but one not quite as effective as that…

For the moment, I settle for living in it, and I wave my hand. A variety of breads and butter cakes with honey, meats, fruits, and nuts appear in bowls around us, with them, goblets and pitchers of water and wine.

“I’ve never seen a heroic spirit waste their mana on something like this,” he comments, taking the decadence in.

“Well, what do you expect?” I say, and I snap my fingers and summon a brazier for warmth, and more cushions, plus a stone seat, if he’d prefer it, “I’m a goddess. I’m used to a certain lifestyle. Just think of it as a bonus: stick with me, and you get the best.”

He smiles a little.

Hey, I did it, I think proudly, Finally got him to smile on purpose.

Alter picks up a piece of dried meat, considers it, and then takes a bite. He looks startled, then intent, and he takes another, smaller bite. His smile becomes more genuine, less guarded.

“That…actually worked,” he says.

I huff. “Of course it did. I’m a Goddess of Pleasure. You think I can’t cast a blessing to let people experience some? Your attitude needs some real work.”

He doesn’t reply. He just takes another slow bite, savoring it and thinking. “…I didn’t remember what taste was like,” he says, almost to himself. After a second he turns to me. “Thank you.”

I feel my face heat up, and turn my head away. “F-Finally, some manners.”

Alter smiles again.

It makes me feel good. I think…I think it makes us feel good, actually. I feel like my body is thanking me too. I didn’t even realize she was individually aware enough to care in a separate way. It’s nice though—it’s like having two voices going ‘great job Ishtar, you're the best!' instead of just my one, whenever I pull something off.

I pour myself some water, and eat a butter cake while I watch him.

It’s like watching a kid try things for the first time, except super depressing. He keeps taking tiny bites out of different things, and then thinking hard for a long time—I guess trying to commit it to memory. After about an hour, he starts to actually eat the food, and he even tries a little bit of the wine.

I am extremely proud of myself. Suck it, Alaya. I’m waaaaay better to work for than you, bitch. Look at him: you burned out a perfectly good human. And here I am, giving him a nice reward for a day of work. I bet I could get triple the energy output you do. What do you think will happen to your humans if you never give them enrichment? Don’t you know they wither and die?

“Honestly,” I mutter under my breath, “Does she even like humans at all?”

“Hm?” says Alter, glancing my way. Instead of using the cushions or the chair, he propped one cushion against the base of the chair, and has been leaning against that while he eats.

“Oh, nothing,” I say, waving it away, “Anyway, can I ask something? Who was she, the other sex god? I like to keep a tab of the gods I have beefs with, for when I run into them.”

He exhales something like a snort, amused. “It’s not your grudge, is it?”

“I’m a God of Justice,” I say carelessly, “All grudges are my business. And anyway, you’re my employee now, so your beefs are my beefs. When I have the time, I mean.”

He takes another slow drink and nods, a faint smile still on his lips. “…Well, she wasn’t a god. Her name was Kiara. Sessyoin Kiara.”

‘Sessyoin Kiara,’ I think, and I summon my God Beef Tablet, remember what he just said, summon my Spirit Beef Tablet instead, then add her name to it.

“Shit, you were serious?”

I glance over at Alter and see him gaping at the list.

“Yes. I get a lot of satisfaction when I get to cross one off,” I reply, “Go on. Who was she?” I have to make sure this is actually the right list…I have one for normal humans too.

“Uh—she was a priestess. Sort of. She masqueraded as a holy woman, and on the outside of her organization, you’d never know how rotten she was. It was a cult, that dragged a lot of good people down and into the center of it. Nobody really understood what she was doing until they were in so deep, it was too late to get out. Or to survive at all,” he replies.

“Is that what happened to you?” I ask.

“No,” he says, “I was sent to kill her.”

“Did you?” I ask.

He nods. “…But I had to go through a lot of innocent people to get there.”

“…Was it worth it?” I ask, letting my list disappear.

“No,” he says, without needing to think about it, “If I’d finished the job sooner, it would have been. But it was all so late by the time I got it done…”

“…Yeah,” I say tiredly. I reach over and pat his arm, and he doesn’t flinch or startle, just sort of ignores it. At least that means he’s back to normal.

“What about yours?” he asks after a moment, glancing over at me.

“Was it worth it?!” I ask, taken aback.

“No,” he says like I’m stupid, “What was his name.”

“Why. He’s dead,” I say, hackles raised.

“Because I figure if you’re my employer, your beefs are my beefs too. If I ever end up in the underworld, I can take the opportunity to see what happens if you kill someone already there,” he replies.

Oh.

I brighten. “Well, in that case, his name was Shukaletuda. –You know that once I caught him, he tried to make excuses for doing it?”

“I hope you didn’t let him go quick,” says Alter, with a twisted smile that I really like.

“Oh, please, I’m a goddess of Justice, not Mercy,” I say proudly.

“What, that wasn’t one of your 800 domains?” he asks in mock surprise.

I shove him, and he spills his wine on his plate of food. “You’re just jealous you don’t have any.”

He flings bits of wine off his fingers and all over the place, including onto my clothes, but since he doesn’t seem to have noticed or done it on purpose, I don’t break his fingers over it. I just watch him sadly move his soggy plate of bread and meat, and get a new one.

“Seriously though,” he asks, relaxing against his backrest again, “How did you get so many?”

“It’s a good story, but it’s kind of long, and if you interrupt more than four times, I’m going to put you through a wall,” I warn.

“How long is it that you’re giving me four free interruptions out the gate?” he asks in aghast wonder.

I stick my tongue out at him. He smiles and takes a swig.

“Okay, shut up and listen,” I say.

He nods, and takes another bite.

“So, originally, when the gods were handed out Mes, I only had a few domains—fertility, love, war--oh!" I say, “I almost forgot!”

“M?” he asks through the bread.

“—I’m tired of calling you Alter,” I inform him, “I’m gonna call you Sukkalmutu.”

“Great,” he says sarcastically through a mouthful of bread, “Should I ask?”

“It means like, ‘Vizier-warrior’. My Ninshubur, my bodyguard at home, she’s called ‘Sukkalanna’ sometimes,” I explain, “Which is ‘Vizier of the house of heaven,’ or ‘Heavenly Vizier.’ I like to keep my attendants’ naming traditions the same.”

This is a huge honor for him. The little twerp better get it. Even being mentioned in the same breath as Ninshubur is a gift.

“Oh,” he says, sounding surprised. While I’m not sure he gets just how beneficent I’m being, he is at least smart enough to know it’s a compliment, “…Alright.”

“Good,” I say, satisfied with that, “So, the domains-“

He relaxes and contemplatively begins to skin an apple as I launch back into my story.

“Now, when the heavens were new, the Gods who existed were gifted domains,” I begin, “But once we all had our domains assigned, there were a whole bunch left as yet unused, and my father Enki, he hung onto all those mes that nobody had been assigned yet, because he was the king of Heaven. And there were a lot left over. Like, a lot. And it was just this huge waste. Plus, I’m extremely talented and smart, and I was mostly just like a fertility-harvest Goddess back then, and that was a huge waste of potential, and my time. So, I got to thinking; there had to be a way to get him to give me more…”

[outergalaxiesoutergalaxies]

ALL WIRED UP - a playlist

assimilate this! (exquisite technological mix)

WELL WELL WELL. I haven’t put together a playlist for a month or so, and it’s time. Also haven’t shared many of them here, I don’t think. We will be welcoming Virgo season in with a focus on robot rock, Borg perfection, wired up to the max, a playlist for all you machines and machine-lovers out there.

The Man Machine - Live

Kraftwerk

I was fortunate enough to see Kraftwerk twice in 2014; it was a religious experience. I saw them perform this album, 1978’s The Man Machine in its full entirety. Despite being a huge fan, I wasn’t expecting much. “How cool could it possibly be?” I, a fool, asked myself as I walked into Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown LA. I knew they were going to be standing in front of their trademark podiums pressing buttons. What I didn’t know was how that was going to make me feel. I love the crowd coming in at 0:26 when the beat starts, and again at 0:59, which is when I must assume that the curtain fell to reveal The Robots. If you don’t know this entire album, you haven’t yet lived. Please listen to all of it.

Electricity

Midnight Star

“You got my head all wired up”

This was the start of this mix; it was the root my working Data/Geordi fan mix for forever, aka the “DaForge” mix to those of us with excellent taste. You may recognize Midnight Star from “No Parking On The Dance Floor,” their entire catalog is full of funky computer hits.

Human Being

Jane Inc.

“Accentuate my structure”

A quite hard synth and light drums anchor this track, which came across as a lovely surprise in some of my explorations for this playlist.

Get A Little

Patrick Cowley

Yes, this song has been on a few of my past mixes, including last month’s. To that I say, mind your business and get your ass on the dance floor. Patrick Cowley may be most known for his production work with San Francisco dance legend Sylvester (You Make Me Feel, etc.), but his solo work stands on its own as manual/physical synth excellence. Cowley died of AIDS in 1982, another bright light stolen from us.

Faster Than The Speed Of Love

Georgio Moroder

No synth-heavy mix is complete without the Italian stallion of synth, the techno-grandfather himself. Sorry about the poor transition but this entire album is a flow worth experiencing in full.

Desire

Future World Orchestra

If you’ve ever wanted to see a 1980’s track suit dripped out cartoon-looking white guy from the Netherlands playing about $70,000 worth of synthesizers, look this video up on YouTube. Big thanks to the Pop Overbite TikTok account for helping me discover this duo.

10 Out Of 10 (feat. Kylie Minogue)

Oliver Heldens, Kylie Minogue

Continuum music lovers and long time Kylie fans rejoice; we have less than a month before we get an entire new record. Biting my hands waiting for TENSION, which is out on September 22nd. Love the timeless-yet-90’s feel of this soon to be classic.

Get On Up And Do It Again

Suzy Q

No clue the story of this band (I believe they’re Canadian?) but this one’s been on my “get it going” playlist for a while

Lovelife

Phoenix

Always been a fan of Phoenix, especially when they get back to their synth roots. I don’t think this album (Ti Amo) had a major hit off it, certainly nothing like 2009’s ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix,’ which is unfortunate as there are some fantastic sounds on here.

I’ve Got Your Image

Cameo

This was sampled by Queen Latifah’s 2003 ‘Better Than The Rest.’ The titular line made me think of Seven’s eidetic memory, and it was time for a slow jam.

She Blinded Me With Science

Thomas Dolby

No relation to Dolby sound systems, but there may as well be with this 1982 classic that remains unlike anything else. Check out the video if you’re not familiar.

Data

Shook

I’m not terribly familiar with this artist, who’s based in the Netherlands, but the way he handles a synth works for me.

The Robots - 2009 Remaster

Kraftwerk

Again, I will point out that this album was released in 1978. The live version of this song also hits hard, if you’re so inclined to check out any of Kraftwerk’s live work.

You Are In My System

The System

Smooth techno robot funk, just the way I like it. No recollection of how I came across this hit other than the algorithm recognizing my exquisite taste.

Phantom

Justice

If Daft Punk is the robot rock dressed up on the dance floor, Justice is what you get at 3am after everyone is either wasted or high out of their mind, finding a way (any way!) to keep the party going. Never before or since have I encountered a record that scratched this particular sonic itch for dirtied up, fuzzed out synths continuing to deliver danceable, on the beat hits. If Daft Punk’s “Discovery” plugged us in, 2007’s “Justice” stripped our wires and started sparking them together. Ugh. I could go on about how much I love this record for a very long time.

Work Out Tonight

Ultraflex

I don’t have much to say about this Norwegian/Icelandic duo, other than keep party rocking, y’all.

Gettin’ To The Good Part

Herbie Hancock

What do you say about a legend whose work spans multiple genres, executed flawlessly? Not much, but 1980’s Herbie Hancock showcases his ability to seamlessly fit in with any and all new trends. You know more of his work than you think you do through samples and film, but you can always get to know him better.

Start Computer

Shook

It’s not very often that I hear a song that takes me back to the ebullient joy I felt in 2001 upon hearing Daft Punk’s ‘Discovery’ in full for the first time, but this song touches the vocoder-loving places within me.

Luminescent

Poppy Baskcomb

Baskcomb hails from the UK and I look forward to digging more into her work. Always a fan when a pop song chooses to anchor itself around an uncommon word.

Night Cruiser

Deodato

There seem to be a few different Deodatos but I’m assuming this is the Brazilian musical artist, as I hear those influences present here. Unsurprisingly, a great tune to jam around in your car at night, pretending you’re in a cyberpunk movie.

Master Rocker

Bernard Wright

This album is an instant classic, funky in all the right ways, with a touch of technological that anchors it firmly in time and place.

Sometimes

Les Rythmes Digitales

Don’t have much information about this 1999 album, but I would believe if you told me it was either from much earlier or much later. Always been a fan of music that is both faithful enough and innovative enough to be placed in any time period.

One More Time / Aerodynamic (live)

Daft Punk

My robot boys. If they ever return from retirement, bet that I will be spending my life savings and then some to see Daft Punk live. I have been a Daft Punk fan since 2001, and I am so grateful to exist at the same time as this duo. Listening to Discovery when it came out is an experience in time that I will never forget. I had tried to listen to this album when it came out, but I wasn’t yet advanced enough in my music appreciation to enjoy them live. The first time I heard the transition between songs, every hair on my body stood on end. I want few things more than a Daft Punk reunion tour, but this and bootlegs will have to suffice for now.

Messages From The Stars - Sped Up

The Rah Band

First encountered this song in a twitter exchange about DaForge; it’s not often that a song sounds just as good sped up as it does in the original speed.

Nobody But You

The Apples In Stereo

The first time I heard this song, I was working at Nordstrom, where you could call the operator (even as an employee) and ask for them to tell you the song. The swooping ‘you’s’ at the end are what spurred me into action. I wrote down the name of this song on a pastry bag, and this album has not left me since. It is a warm hug from outer space.

Translight

Breakbot

Eagerly awaiting a new album from Breakbot like any day now. The instrumentals remain undefeated.

Chaos - Laura van Dam Remix

Andrew Bayer, Run Rivers, Laura van Dam

I’m not terribly familiar with anyone here, but this song is a great way to draw me in to a lovely, sonically spacious and danceable remix.

Spotlight

Kylie Minogue

Heartbroken that there isn’t an extended mix of this yet (the DISCO extended mixes are still worth checking out), as it remains one of my favorite tracks from 2020’s incredible DISCO. Only the queen of pop could record an album like this in quarantine. Legends only!!!!

You Put A Charge In My Life

Brainstorm

Whoever makes me a fan vid of Geordi and Data being ‘very close friends’ to this is gonna eventually get a giant hug and possibly (okay, definitely) dinner. No clue what’s happening on the cover, but who doesn’t want to love an alien? Please be for real.

One Hot Love - 2018 Remaster

Makoto Matsushita

I knew nothing of Japanese City Pop until my Spotify started feeding it to me, and I’ve become obsessed with these oh-so-smooth tracks that remain danceable and sharp. A true mood, a vibe, a way to turn around any bad day.

Messages From The Stars

The Rah Band

And to close out the mix, enjoy the song in all its 1980s synthed out, original speed glory, still grooving and moving, a hit in either tempo.

That’s the mix, enjoy! Keep robot rocking and technological trancing🤖

[duhbatmann]

Welcome to Arkham Asylum. Our staff are here to help you.

When Amadeus Arkham built this fine institution few would’ve believed it could be the premier psychiatric evaluation and rehabilitation center is become today. Everyone knows the stories of the various so-called super criminals who've been treated here, but that is only half the story. Our low security wings offer normal, but troubled individuals, a safe haven for recovery. An extensive breakdown of costs and healthcare packages can be found at the front desk or at www.arkhamcare.com/prices. We accept most major HMO's. Our website contains everything you need to know about our facility, and how we can help you. Did you know that the children's area of the site can provide you with the detailed but discreet psychiatric profile of your problem, offspring? Time times have changed at this establishment and through our pioneering techniques we believe that anyone can be cured! We represent all medical specialties and offer a wide range of medical, surgical, diagnostic and wellness programs. High quality of care coupled with Arkham Asylums convenient location Have ensured we are voted the number one facility in the entire state, Arkham asylum is a 500-bed psychiatric Hospital serving the entire Gotham area. We offer internships, and in the last two years have continuously hired from our cities, finest universities, our intern package and insurance programs ensure you get the best start in your new career. Pick up leaflet today!

Mental health and substance abuse issues can significantly impact a person’s life, affecting outcomes in school and work, and making it difficult to maintain relationships. Arkham Asylum offers multiple programs and various levels of care for patients age 13 and up. Our programs promote increased functioning and increased the quality of life for each patient that walks through our doors.

Arkham Asylum works to create individualized treatment plans that are structured to provide a unique continuum of care. As soon as a patient is admitted to our facility, we begin planning an appropriate course of treatment with our dedicated team of physicians, nurses, therapists and social workers. As our patients get the care they need, we simultaneously starting planning for their return to their communities. These plans may include continuing care with the attending physician, partial hospitalization, an outpatient treatment program or other community resources.

Arkham Asylum is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide a no-cost mental health assessment for you or your loved one. Call us at 1(800)-123-4321 or visit our Gotham facility to get started. In the case of a medical emergency or crisis, please dial 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

[practically-an-x-man]

A fairy has come down from the heavens and given your OCs pets the ability to speak! What is the first thing that they say?

Oooooh now that one's fun!

Yoda (Robin's Cat): My food bowl is empty. (Robin: no it's not)

Bravo (Madison's wolfdog): Can we go for a walk in the woods? Please? I know we went this morning but there was this one squirrel really giving me the stink-eye and I've gotta show him who's boss and-

Zero (Indigo's Corellian ferret): You should slow down sometimes. It makes me really sad to see you hurt yourself.

Amadeus (Ophelia's cat): Mother why do you never let me sit on your lap when you're working (Ophelia: *gestures vaguely at her array of sharp tools and blowtorches and other dangerous things in her lab*)

Ruff N' Tumble (Jasper's dachshund): My sunshiney spot by the kitchen went away today, can you put it back? Please? (Jasper: buddy it's just cloudy today, the sun will come back I promise) Columbia (Jasper's cat): Dad had a bad day today, I think you need to go give him a cuddle. I tried but it didn't work, but it always works when you do it. Frankie (Jasper's golden retriever): *just rambles on and on about how grateful he is that Jasper and Kyle adopted him after his last family gave him up (he was a silver muzzle in the animal shelter, he'd been there a while)*

Baron (Nikoletta's cat): I'm sorry about the dead mouse I put in your shoe this morning (Nikoletta: There was no mouse in my shoe this morning. Baron: on second thought maybe it was Dad's shoe...) Barbie (Nikoletta's cat): *somehow does not realize she can now speak until she gets the 3AM zoomies and starts screaming her head off. Poor Abner was so startled he nearly lost control of his dots and blew up the whole damn apartment*

Bonus...

Mefkat (Katherine's magically-created cat): *only speaks Ancient Egyptian, despite being able to understand English just fine*

[ask-idv-shepherd]

Both The Gambler and The Candy Dealer walked down to the room of The Shepherd, Pearce. Samantha seeming rather uneasy about the whole situation, her new father being held hostage by his ex? wasn't something that kept her mind at peace, it only made it worse, was Pearce simply too kind to defend himself or was this ex of his an actual threat?-

"You are… very quiet, more than usual." "Huh? No I'm not, you are." "I'm just thinking, nothing wrong with that." "About…?" "Nothing important… just, my eye is itchy-" "Gross."

Samantha looked at him concerned before knocking on the door, only for Lawrence to open it. Lovers or not, the man needed to stop opening doors without getting an answer first, sadly his impatient beated him to it most of the time.

Looking at the shepher and his new companion, the girl couldn't help but look confused at the whole situation, turning to Lawrence who was just looking at both of them with no-clear emotion, something she learned he calls 'a poker face'.

"Sorry to come in without an answer, I'm an impatient man when it comes to talking with my… friends." The Candy Dealer could tell he felt disgusted calling Pearce a friend rather than something else.

"You must be… hm, what was it… ah, Amadeus! I'm Lawrence and this is my assistant, We're here to talk with Pearce and check on his physical state if you don't mind, I'm like his personal doctor."

"Could you… please let him go for a moment, sir?" Samantha looked between Pearce and Amadeus with a sad face, an old act she used to do to get stuff around the city.

"Impatient indeed, the man could have been indecent! A doctor? As if a devil like yourself could ever hope of entering a profession like that. And you bring a child as if it would sell your pathetic act? Let us not dwell on fantasies. Whatever cursed drivel you wish to spill, spill it."

The Inquisitor seemed to figure out Lawrence and Sam's charade in an instant. What, did they seriously take him for some fool? The ginger knew exactly who these people were. This information brought out from Pearce, willing or unwillingly.

The Shepherd seemed to tense up, still frozen in fear as Lawreand Samantha barged into his room with no warnings whatsoever. Pearce really needed to teach the Gambler some patience once in a while. With him embraced, Pearce seemed to grow a bit embarrassed and anxious.

"Lawrence... Y-You don't have to lie for something like this... he already knows about you and everyone else..." Taking one good look at Sam, a sting in the Shepherd's heart settle in. "Amadeus, c-can I at the least hug my daughter...? Please..?"

There was a moment of silence before the Inquisitor sighed, removing his arms as he mentioned the girl to meet in the middle. A simple snap in the fingers with wordless command. The Shepherd slowly walked over, bending down and opening his arms to the Candy Dealer.

"I'm sorry to get you two caught up in this as well..."

@idv-askchaoticduo

[harveyhawkscripts]

[M4A] The Fortress Titan [DnD and Transformers inspired] [Fantasy] [Character introduction] [Runaway listener]

Google Doc

Usage:

- Okay for monetization

- Please credit me as Harvey Hawk :)

- Tweaks, improv, and pronoun changes are okay! Just please do not rewrite the script completely.

Synopsis: The listener runs away from home and takes shelter in a massive cave. Deep inside the cave, they find a fortress which turns out to house the spirit of the soldier Aurelian. 

Key:

[SFX and Action]

(.) Short Pause

(...) Longer pause

(Voice instruction)

Word count: 1144

—

AURELIAN:

[Robot start-up / maybe gears turning]

(Softly) I am… active? How long have I been…?

(Out loud) Halt! What is your business here? How did you find this place?

(.)

Your voice. Are you a child? What are you doing here, little one?

(.) 

Not a child, but young nonetheless. Too young to be wandering these caves alone.

(.)

I am… I was Aurelian. Now I am no less than the place where you stand. 

(.)

Underground… castle? Not quite. In truth, young one, you stand in a mighty fortress. When you touched that panel, it reactivated me. I have been dormant for… tell me, young one, how long ago was the great Six-Score War?

(.)

I see… Then it has been nearly three hundred years.

(.)

You wonder how I am speaking to you? Understandable. I assume you have never been in a talking fortress before. The truth is, I used to be a person, just as you are.

(.)

You wish to know my story? Very well. But in return, little one, you must tell me what it is you are doing here.

(.)

Very well, then. A long time ago, I was a knight of King Amadeus. Like my father before me, I fought in the Great Six-Score War. And, like my father before me, I had little knowledge of why I was fighting. Though, it seemed no one truly knew what started the war, nor why it continued. It had been going on so long it was as if everyone forgot, and only fought for fighting’s sake.

(.)

Is that what they say…? Hm. And what do you think, little one?

(.)

Yes, greed does seem a more likely explanation. That is what the princess of the time thought, as well.

(.)

The princess was the smartest person in all the kingdom. At least, she was in my experience. And she was… everything to me. We met as children; she would sneak away from her studies and I from my training, and we would walk through the woods together, telling stories and chasing frogs. As I grew older, I fell hopelessly in love. I told myself I would rise above my station for her. I would someday be general, I said, and when that day came, I would ask for her hand. Unfortunately, it was easier said than done. Despite my efforts, it was not I who was awarded the title of general, but a close confidant of the king.

The king, having inherited a war, tired of the bloodshed. He called on his wisest scholars and strongest soldiers, on the great blacksmiths, and finally the most powerful sorcerer in the land. The sorcerer was named Casimir and was known for dabbling in dangerous and dark magics.

(.)

You have heard of him? That does not surprise me. He was incredibly famous – or rather, infamous – in my time.

Well, little one, the king gathered these people to come up with a way to end the war. And what they decided on was a weapon – a giant, devastating weapon that towered over the trees. One that could take two forms: that of a fortress, and that of a warrior.

For years, not a blacksmith, stonemason, or carpenter was spared from the grueling task of constructing the titan. Meanwhile, the sorcerer and his scholars searched for a way to magically pilot the behemoth. And lo and behold, they found one.

(.)

What they needed was a soul. A person’s spirit could be used to power the titan, and in theory they could learn how to pilot it. Casimir demanded a soldier give their soul to the titan, particularly the general. However, the king had great love for his general, and insisted instead that another knight take his place. In return, that knight would receive the highest honors as well as any blessing the king could give them.

(.)

Yes, I gave myself up. It was foolish, but… any blessing. I would finally be able to marry my love. I offered my soul to the sorcerer, thinking I would be in control of the Titan, but… Casimir put an additional spell on my being. A spell that took over my very mind and soul.

Unable to control my new body, I was under the sorcerer’s command. I razed villages and claimed land in his name. I could see the utter destruction I wrought but could do nothing to stop it. And when the opposing side was all but decimated, the sorcerer turned me against the king and demanded the throne. When he would not give it…

(.)

I tried to refuse. I was not strong enough. Under Casimir’s control, I destroyed… everything. The king, his army… the princess.

In the chaos, the king’s general was able to slip past my defenses. He slew the sorcerer, and I suddenly found my faculties returned to me. Dazed and horrified, and still bound to this infernal body, I hid here. I remained in my fortress form, dormant, until you entered and reactivated me.

That is my story, little one. But what is yours? What brings you to the caves deep under the mountains?

(...)

Your parents…? I see. So, you are dealing with your own war, then. My sympathies, little one. No one should be driven to run from their home.

(.)

Young one. I have been alone for hundreds of years. Perhaps I wish to make up for the damage I did years ago. Perhaps I cannot stand to see a child alone, as I once was. What I am trying to say is, If you wish to stay here, to find peace, then I will not stop you. However, I still do not have the energy necessary to transform. Nor do I wish to cause harm to this mountain. If you make this place your home, I will be your friend, but I can do little to actively care for you.

(.)

You still wish to stay? Will you be able to procure your own food?

(.)

There is a market nearby. Very well. Consider yourself welcome. I admit, I have never cared for a child before. Well, I suppose if you are old enough to find yourself here, you are old enough to be self-sufficient. Tell me, young one, what is your name?

I welcome you, then, my new friend. I promise I will care for you as best as I can, despite the limits of this body.

(.)

You are welcome, young one. I must thank you, as well. You have not only awoken me, but you were willing to listen to my story.

(.)

Then this will be a fresh start for both of us. From this point forward, I will be your sanctuary. I will tell you stories of old, shield you from the elements, and be a place for you to rest your head. You have my word.

(.)

Welcome home, young one. I hope you will be happy here.

END

[notesfrompublicschool-blog]

Notes from Public School (2023-2024) - Day 3

Today, we had meet the teacher at my elementary school.

Here are 10 things I heard -

1. “My daughter is coming to your school from another school. It might be tough on her since she doesn’t know anyone. Can you keep an eye on her for me?”

2. “My son has ADHD. Sometimes I forget to give him his medicine because we have so much going on. You’ll know when he hasn’t taken it. Please take good care of him.”

3. “Mr. Barton! In 15 days I’ll start my first class at USC Columbia. Can you believe it? It seems like yesterday I was sitting in this classroom. You mean so much to me.”

4. “You taught one of my younger sisters, Señor Barton. Now, you’ll be teaching another one! I’m so glad!”

5. “Sorry but we don’t speak much English,” to which I replied, “¡Ningún problema! ¡Hablo un poco de español! ¡Me alegra que estes aqui!” (I am so glad they’re here.)

6. “Mr. Barton, do you remember me? I’m starting high school. Is it okay if I give you a hug. I’ve missed you!”

7. “You love to write? My son dictated a story to me this summer. I write it down for him and we turned it into a book!”

8. “Look at you, Mr. Barton! You hair is turning gray but you still have that same beautiful smile!”

9. “Mr. Barton, I’m so much taller than you. I’m playing football for Berea High School this year! My first game is in September. You wanna come to it?”

10. “Hello, my name is Amadeus,” to which I replied, “Amadeus! Like the great Mozart! You’re the first Amadeus I’ve ever met. What a cool name!”

As I walked out the front doors of the school at 6 PM, I stopped for a moment.

I turned around.

I stood still.

I was very quiet.

I was filled with a deep sense of humility.

Think of all those people who walked through those doors at 4:30 PM.

Each one filled with hope.

For this I am thankful.

May I find the courage, creativity and compassion I need to be bright color (maybe sunflower yellow, my favorite color) on the canvas of their lives and be a good teacher for them.

[lowryinbohemia]

Prague - Day 3

Another beautiful day in The City of a Thousand Spires! The day started with us traveling up to the other side of the river to visit the Prague Palace and surrounding monastery. We got to see some beautiful vistas and views of the whole city, as well as get to see some of the old areas of the town that have been walked by various politicians & royalty. We also got to see the area known as “The Gate to Hell” where a prince’s mother once allegedly was dragged to hell because she cursed out the Almighty when her driver was trying to pray. This is of course a legend, but it is a GOOD one. We also got to see members of the castle band, on their way to preform.

We then made our way to the castle, and especially the Viritus Cathedral. The castle has its own set of guards, their uniforms designed by Theodore Pištêk, the Oscar winning costume creator for the movie “Amadeus”, and the choreography of the changing of the guard developed by Miloš Forman, who choreographed “Hair”. We did not get to go into the castle but we did get to go inside the cathedral. The stained glass was utterly gorgeous (as to be expected) and it was so cool to see how the cathedral has grown and developed through the ages. The gargoyles were pretty cool to see as well, even more fun than the ones I used to see outside the National Cathedral in DC.

We took the longer way through towards lunch, getting to walk through some beautiful gardens, including one with a koi pond in the middle. There were peacocks walking around the gardens, who were very pleased to be appreciated by passerby’s. After a filling lunch, we made our way towards the Charles Bridge, and in doing so passed by the John Lennon wall. I had only read about this piece of artwork but seeing it in person was seriously really cool. Especially to see all the different messages and artwork from the years layered on top creating a unique mosaic of statements of goodwill and love. Mom of course had to get a picture of me in front of it; its only fair since I’ve loved The Beatles since I was in the womb.

The afternoon saw us on a tour of the Jewish Quarter of the city. I was very excited to see this area of the town because I had read stories of the strength of the Czech people during WWII and I also wanted to see some of the synagogues of the area. My mother & I are not Jewish but some of the people we have loved the best are Jewish & we have been honored to witness some of the Jewish traditions throughout the years. The focus of the tour spoke on the struggles of the Jewish community prior to WWII and during it, and then the effects of the rise of communism in the area. Turns out that due to the collection of interconnected synagogues in the city, along with the memorial stones (called “Stumbling Stones”) along the streets of the quarter, make Prague the location of the largest Jewish museum in the world & the largest Holocaust Memorial in the world. We got to visit some gorgeous synagogues, two which are still active & holding routine prayer services. The highlight was getting to visit the Old-New Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in all of Central Europe. In one of the the non-active synagogues, it was created into a memorial of the all of the names of Jews lost in the Holocaust that lived in the area previously known as Czechoslovakia, which we found out also contained the names of the grandparents of Madeline Albright. Upstairs was a collection of children’s artwork that have been preserved from art therapy sessions given to the children of the Terezin ghetto, as a way for the children to process the changes in the world around them and find hope even in what could be construed as ultimate darkness. As someone who has used art as a way to help her own clients heal and find meaning in their complicated world, seeing all the beautiful pieces of artwork just reminded me how powerful visual media can be for someone so young.

After the tour Mom & I made our way back to the hotel and later out to grab some pizza at a nearby restaurant with our companions on the Jewish Quarter tour. A long day, but so incredibly interesting.

Tomorrow we head to Česky Krumlov, which I hear will be absolutely gorgeous. So I say farewell for now & I will report back again tomorrow evening!

Lowrs💜

[teachandwrite-blog]

Notes from public school (2023-2024) - Day 3

Today, we had meet the teacher at my elementary school.

Here are 10 things I heard -

1. “My daughter is coming to your school from another school. It might be tough on her since she doesn’t know anyone. Can you keep an eye on her for me?”

2. “My son has ADHD. Sometimes I forget to give him his medicine because we have so much going on. You’ll know when he hasn’t taken it. Please take good care of him.”

3. “Mr. Barton! In 15 days I’ll start my first class at USC Columbia. Can you believe it? It seems like yesterday I was sitting in this classroom. You mean so much to me.”

4. “You taught one of my younger sisters, Señor Barton. Now, you’ll be teaching another one! I’m so glad!”

5. “Sorry but we don’t speak much English,” to which I replied, “¡Ningún problema! ¡Hablo un poco de español! ¡Me alegra que estes aqui!” (I am so glad they’re here.)

6. “Mr. Barton, do you remember me? I’m starting high school. Is it okay if I give you a hug. I’ve missed you!”

7. “You love to write? My son dictated a story to me this summer. I write it down for him and we turned it into a book!”

8. “Look at you, Mr. Barton! You hair is turning gray but you still have that same beautiful smile!”

9. “Mr. Barton, I’m so much taller than you. I’m playing football for Berea High School this year! My first game is in September. You wanna come to it?”

10. “Hello, my name is Amadeus,” to which I replied, “Amadeus! Like the great Mozart! You’re the first Amadeus I’ve ever met. What a cool name!”

As I walked out the front doors of the school at 6 PM, I stopped for a moment.

I turned around.

I stood still.

I was very quiet.

I was filled with a deep sense of humility.

Think of all those people who walked through those doors at 4:30 PM.

Each one filled with hope.

For this I am thankful.

May I find the courage, creativity and compassion I need to be bright color (maybe sunflower yellow, my favorite color) on the canvas of their lives and be a good teacher for them.

[apolsup]

PUTA MADRE OLVIDÉ AÑADIR EL GOLXY Y FREDOX 💔

Ok so golxy

Estos dos chocan, no tanto como Ann y Aiden pero chocan mayormente por Aiden. Al principio Auryn era como... Oblivious? D q Aiden lo quiera cagar a palos y ni Aiden sabe pq, hes rich and everyone likes him but theres something about him that just pisses him off algo en el no termina de agradarle y no puede exactamente descubrir por qué, so he decides to make that everyone else's problem. Se queja de el mayormente con Oliver, pq Oliver tampoco es el mayor fan de Auryn (para Oliver, Auryn es como un animal feo que adoptaron, he doesn't exactly love him but he's here and sadly hes become attached to the ugly thing so tough luck buddy). En fin, Auryn se da cuenta un poquito tarde de q Aiden no lo quiere mucho and they start to fight a little.

En fin, cosas pasan campamento Amadeus stuff (not sure if I want to keep all of the arc as canon since im changing a lot of things in my main au but whatever) the gang kills the witch with Ed Sheeran by their side and then that one scene happens. Aiden is a touchy person, even if he doesn't like to admit it. Odia que lo toquen sin avisar, pero cuando está cómodo hes all about physical contact (I just know it), entonces al descansar su mano en el hombro de Auryn es como su forma de decir I accept you as my friend, Aiden from now on will see him as one of his own and enjoys his company a pesar de que no le guste decirlo en voz alta. Eventualmente Auryn se harta y escapa de su hogar like in canon (not so sure about this pero ps voy a ir cambiándolo si me decido por otro camino) and Aiden, after finding out, knowing what could happen to him if he stayed on the streets agrees to taking him in. He tells his siblings about it and they're like "uhhhhhh..." But he tells them its fine he will take care of it, so they have to trust him

Anyways they become sort of roomies like in canon and theres just this... Warm feeling, algo que los hace sentirse tan en casa? El enseñarle a Auryn a hacer cosas de hogar, la determinación de ayudar en la casa not only to, well, help, but also bc he needs to feel useful or else he'll die. I feel like every golden ship will take forever to actually become a couple idk why he just is like that I guess¿ En fin a este punto son prácticamente una pareja casada pero aún no son nada, and they're scared to break this even if they know the other feels the same they don't really want this, whatever it is, to end

Eventually I think Seba (spring) would be the one to tell Aiden "dude just do it, please I'm so done with you two walking around each other porfa solo besense o algo no sé" theres a bit of restraint and he has to think about it but we all know Aiden doesn't do thinking so he just goes for the kill fuck it we ball or whatever

Anyways while they're just sitting in bed and existing together while Auryn studies (and helps Aiden too), something they started doing after a while of living together, Aiden decides whatever ill just do it and asks him if hes thought about dating someone else apart from Fred. Now that they're used to the whole polyamory thing they feel comfortable enough to ask these things. And Auryn is a bit reserved at first, no está seguro si Aiden está siendo Aiden o de verdad está tirando la idea que cree que está poniendo, so he gives an ambiguous response and lets Aiden lead the conversation. Así que ahora es el momento en el que decide tirar todo a la mesa, todo o nada. He asks if he ever thought about the two as something else while avoiding his eyes and Auryn finally decides to play along, to give in and just go for it. He gets closer and Aiden picks it up, siempre ha sido bueno leyendo el lenguaje corporal, so he also shifts closer until they're brushing hands and he just has to ask, "can I kiss you?" Auryn just says fuck it and kisses him first. Its kind of awkward after that because Meg walked in asking if Aiden had seen her knitting needles, they saw what was going on and walked away slowly. Its fine tho, they talk about it and nervously decide to give it a shot and start dating, they still like to play fight a little but they've become softer around each other. Also expect Aiden to be constantly touching Auryn, a hand on his shoulder, ruffling his hair, leaning on him, anything, you get the idea.

Now, apart from Goulding, Fred gets along nicely with Aiden. They're both chaotic creatures, they're good with sensing vibes you get the whole thing, they enjoy hanging out with each other and stuff. Its not as complicated as other relationships Aiden has, but not as simple as "we are dating now yay" its more of a "you're one of my best friends, I feel so comfortable around you and I wouldn't mind us being more" but they haven't really picked it up yet. They're loud together, they love pranking others and since Fred has his ghostly privileges the pranks are always awesome. But sometimes, after its getting dark and its cold enough that Aiden's nose is redder than usual and his ears are red as well, they're tired enough to sit down and relax. They look at each other and talk about any dumb shit they're thinking about, Fred hasn't always been great at romance, hes only had good luck on his side if we are being honest, and Aiden isn't awesome at it either but they don't have to think about that. They can just exist comfortably with the other, and who knows, maybe once Freddy finds out about this he can help his little ghost but for now? They're content with what they have

The super epic polycule cooking

Fhs week day 5

Polyship - Traditional/FolkClothing - Scarring

This started as me joking abt peeling potatoes being the ultimate date idea, I love peeling potatoes so yeah

So basically this is my idea of the different uhh dynamics between each of these guys,

Anyways I'll explain some things bc I've been thinking about this for a while now

I feel like Aiden and Oliver (my Bonnie) were dating for a while now since they've known each other for a long time, Aiden probably confessed first (at like 15) since hes a bit uhhh act first think later. Oliver was like "cool, wanna date then?" And they've been together ever since

Bon is obviously crushing on Oliver, but knows hes dating Aiden, starts hanging out with Freddy (Oliver asked him if it was cool for him to bring him in order to help him out since yknow guitar) and they hit it off, instead of falling into a codependent situationship like my freddon au, they start dating (bc of the little detail of Aiden and Oliver already dating)

So turns out, Aiden and Freddy are kind of developing feelings for each other, Freddy feels SO guilty bc hes crushing on his best friend boyfriend who is also his best friend, he still loves Bon to death but he cant just pick one and forget about the other he just can't. Aiden is having his own internal hell because he loves his boyfriend but yknow why the fuck is he also crushing on his best friend???? But since hes always been honest with Oliver (it took a while to get there) he decides to just tell him. Oliver has never really been someone to care about society's rule, so he's like "ok? Date him then I don't really mind or care dude, it's fine" so now Aiden has to talk to Freddy about this BUT Bon is also in the picture in case he forgot

So Freddy has been feeling awful for days and has no idea how to tell Bon about what the fuck is going on. Aiden decides to talk to him, and is honest, I like you, I still love my boyfriend, I asked him and Oliver said he doesn't mind, but I know about you and jhon- uh Bon, but if hes cool with it id love to take you out on a date or something I don't know...

Freddy of course is feelings #guiltyaf but also relived to know that at least

1. His feelings are not one sided and

2. Oliver is fine with the idea of sharing a partner

Of course hed like to accept but says he needs time to talk to Bon about it but that he also kind of feels some kind of vibe there and leaves, giving him a little bit of hope at least

Now talking to Bon? It was hard, he loves him but knows hes insecure about this topic (love, dating and stuff) so he tries to be as gentle as possible and tells him, I still love you, but ive been developing feelings for Aiden and uhmm recently he told me that hes been crushing on me and already confirmed with Oliver, and hes fine with it so he wants to like uhmm take me out but I didn't want to give him an answer until I talked about this with you and uhhh yeah I think thats all I still love you I promise I just need to know what you think about this

Bon is surprised, stunned, shell shocked even. He takes his time to think and talk to Freddy. Long story short, he accepts but needs a hell of reassurance that everything between them is fine. After this emotional talk, he timidly asks Freddy about Oliver, Freddy is surprised to see that he still has some small bit of hope in there but smiles and squeezes his hand, he tells him that he could give it a shot and hed be completely supportive and help out if he needed it, but he didn't know how or what would Oliver say if he did ask him out

So how do Bon and Aiden start dating? Well since they're metamours they have to at least be neutral to each other, at some point when they are all hanging out Aiden and Bon would have to interact more, turns out Aiden is kinda cool and okay maybe a little cute. Aiden thinks Bon is nice and its fun to watch him get nervous about horror topics, over flirting with Freddy or other things so they like each other at least enough to consider each other a friend. Time passes and turns out they like-like each other, by this moment they're used to the whole 'polyamory' thing and after giving a heads up to their partners (they both knew way before them) they go out together and well now they're dating too! After talking Aiden also hypes Bon up to ask Oliver out, he tells him "look ive seen some sparks between you two especially when you're playing the guitar, I know Oliver and im sure he'll accept!" So he does, and surprise! He accepted yay!!

So Bon and Onni have some story, way before meeting the animatronics he used to hang out with the nightmares (he used to be way edgier than how he was when he met the gang, his teenage angst was perfect for them!) And got along great with Onni since they had the smallest age gap (a year) theres two aus where they have a story, one where they were dating and Bon broke up with him due to changing and leaving the nightmares behind to befriend and form the toys with the girls, so Onni tries to get him back but is ignored. In the other, Onni has a crush on him but Bon rejects him due to his father being, well his father and not providing a safe space for his kid to realize who he is (Bon did return his feelings but got scared and chose to flee and then he meets the girls and forms the toys). The story changes a bit depending on the au, but it has the same general vibe, Bon finds him Onni sad at the library looking at his failed test (Onni got in with a scholarship and his ability with the guitar btw) Bon would usually just leave but the guilt kicks him again right in the ass and decides to walk up to him and ask if he's okay, Onni is still bummed out so he just answers by pointing at his test and the big red "2.0" (nota mínima d acá idk) and sighs. Bon knows this will end up in disaster but still, sits down after saying "I'm so gonna regret this..." And asks him if he could help him out, Onni accepts, turns out no one else wanted to help him because of his reputation.

So they start meeting at the library occasionally to study, and to bons credit Onnis grades seem to get better! They start to get more comfortable around each other and they fall back into a friendship, it's sweet, inside that library they get to joke and talk as if no time had passed, it feels as if they were barely 13 again. Bon apologizes for being a dick (he was kind of an asshole for just leaving and ignoring the nightmares) but also he needs him to apologize to those he hurt, Bon knows about his tendency to steal from Oliver and making fun of him, he can't exactly just ignore that.

So Onni does so, because he did feel at least a little guilty about it, especially more now that he had a more... Morally oriented friend/potential future boyfriend? He goes and apologizes to Oliver (and other people he hurt as well), Oliver obviously, doesn't like him and hits him, hard. Twice. A knuckle sandwich just for you! And leaves, Bon after hearing about this tends to his poor black eye and split lip (damn Oliver you had that talent hidden huh) but also "you have to admit you did have it coming" "yeah, yeah I know"

Of course they can feel the tension, they know that the other feels the same way but they dance around each other for a while before actually confessing (because their friends/partners were so DONE with it they had to force them to do it) and start dating

Aiden and Oliver DO. NOT. like him at all but they tolerate him for Bons sake, he did prove that he can handle him and control his destructive tendencies, so they accept him under the condition that he does not try to interact with them, and everyone is content with that, (also Freddy doesn't particularly care).

Fred is still here, by this time the animatronics all know about him and they like him, they're friends, Bon learnt about him some time after dating Freddy and they're also on friendly terms, they like to sing together whenever Freddy allows him to possess the body for a while. Fred kind of feels some sparks with Bon but he doesn't know how to explore this so hes ignoring this for a while (Bon is kind of unaware but he does kind of feel warm inside whenever they're sitting side by side and brushing knees)

Out of everyone, Fred is closer to Auryn (my golden) because they can relate to feeling trapped in their living situation and not having enough freedom, due to different reasons since one is a ghost with no memories of his life and the other is a repressed guy with a controlling family but they relate to each other a lot. Fred and Auryn have been dancing around each other for a loooong while, the slowest slow burn to ever slow burn. But Freddy has been pushing Fred to ask golden out for a long time. And when he's just about to do it, Auryn beats him to it! Damn it Goulding! (Joy helped) he says yes but they have to be subtle because Auryns family is, as said before, very controlling and if they ever found out about this they could take Auryn back to England (mi golden es British 😱😱) to finish his studies there so yeah, it sucks but it is what it is.

Auryn and Bon are chill around each other, not exactly friends but they like the other. Bon is also on the "im scared of my parental figures control over me haha" club so he and Auryn have at least something in common. They kiiiinda have some sort of attraction but they haven't talked about it yet.

But yeah I think thats all, maybe ill pick this up some other time bc its so fun to think about different aus where the super epic polycule exists but whatever

OHMYGOD this took a long time to write what the fuck anyways byeeeee

[autumnscrorned-archive]

What is your most prized possession?

“My pet bat Lassie. Hes the only one I can trust.” He glared at the note on his desk . “Unlike some treacherous fae .” 

[klutzyroses]

Hello, dear roses that you are so beautiful... I am impressed by your work that is so charming and so poetic, and also I was inspired by one of these anon:

who requested a beautiful and seductive female kitsune lady as they're s/o..

may I ask so, with Vincent van Gogh, Theodorus van Gogh, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Isaac Newton, Johann Georg Faust. Pretty please🥺

Hihi, your words bring smiles to my face! Here you, dear~

IkeVamp HCs: Kitsune!SO

How would they react to their s/o being a beautiful kitsune?

Suitors: Mozart, Vincent, Theo, Isaac, Faust

Warnings: Slight NSFW

Mozart

Upon their first meeting, the musician unsure what a kitsune was, nor did he particularly care.

She doesn't seem like anything out of the ordinary. She seems a little overly cocky, but otherwise not entirely unusual.

She is incredibly beautiful, yes, he noticed. Disturbingly beautiful with large phoenix eyes, soft full lips that seemed to call to him with her melodious voice.

He initially tries to resist but he can't help but be drawn to the strange seductress until she has him completely-and willingly- ensnared.

Even after they are together, he becomes subject to her seductive teasing and torment.

She knows what she's doing. And she is not sorry.

The pianist will find himself in many situations where his tempting lover lay strewn across the piano he is trying to play...half clothed, in case she wasn't stretching his sanity enough.

One of her many tails brushes against his cheek while he is trying not to lose focus until he slams his fingers down all at once on the keys and glares into her playful gleaming eyes.

Yes, he will certainly get her back for it and he wasn't going to go easy on her.

"You best be ready, Little fox."

Vincent

He was in awe of her, very quickly.

She was lovely, so strange, so foreign to him, how could he not be?

He has no idea what a kitsune is, but from what he understands, it has something do with foxes?

He can't help but picture her with fluffy ears now...

He doesn't always catch on to her rather lascivious or flirtatious innuendo,(regardless of how scandalized Theo usually looks) but he thinks she is interesting to speak to nonetheless.

And she is so beautiful...very beautiful. The sweet artist can't help but watch her sometimes, how her hips sway as she walks, the glint in her eyes when she finds something amusing.

Even when they are together, he finds himself in awe of her at times. And she does go out of her way to surprise him.

One such example is when he wakes one morning to the sensation of fluffiness surrounding him. When he gathers his senses somewhat, he realizes he is surrounded by soft white tails, not one, two, not even five, but nine of them. And at the center of it all, lay his beautiful sunflower by his side, a sweet smile curled on her perfect lips, a pair of fluffy fox ears peeking through her thick locks.

He is floored for a good moment before he finds it in himself to stroke on one of the tails, the one closest to him as it dances around his wrist in an affection gesture. His heart swells at that. At her.

"You are...so beautiful, scatje.."

Theo

So she really IS a hondje, huh?

He is rather dismissive and cocky about it, mostly because, according to Dazai, a kitsune is a fox...which is a type of dog, so now he has even more validation to keep up the nicknames...

She was a...really pretty hondje, he'd give her that.

...Okay she was stunning. Infuriatingly so.

There is just something so intoxicating about her bright eyes, her seductive gaze on him as she teases as hard as he teases her. Which he would never admit aloud but it excites him just a bit. Just a bit.

This of course gets even more heated and sensual when they become a couple. A lot of suggestive teasing and quite inappropriate jokes between the two.

However, when her teasing gets a bit...risque he knows he has to knock her down a few pegs.

An example of this is when she lightly and surreptitiously brushes herself against him in the middle of one of his meetings, sending delicious shivers up his spine as her plump breasts press into his arm, her sultry gaze on him and his every reaction.

He returns her gaze out of the corner of his eye, promising her absolute hell upon getting home. His warning gaze is met with her pupils sharpening just a tad into slits and her sharper canines glinting only for him to see. Clearly, the beautiful fox has every expectation of him upholding that suggestive promise.

"You're going to regret playing this game with me, hondje."

Isaac

What on earth...?

He has never come across anyone like her, anywhere.

He surreptitiously scans her sharp and large eyes, glowing ever so faintly, her full lips curled into a seemingly perennial smile.

He isn't too sure what a kitsune was, but if what Dazai says is true, he best stay out of her way...

He can't help be drawn to her though. She is just so beautiful, so alluring, beguiling, enthralling...he could go on.

It us a bit unnerving how she seems to be able to capture people with her sharp gaze, pulling people in and bending them to her will with just a pretty smile.

Even when they are couple, she baffles him time and time again with her sultry femininity and lustful teasing. The red flush on his face soon grows to be nearly permanent because of the daring beauty.

She seems to just love teasing him to death, which is...not really what he needs, especially with her special brand of teasing meant just for him.

Such teasing usually occurs when she wants him to take a break from tinkering and she is behind him, "innocently" brushing his red cheeks with one or two of her tails, coiling around him like a hug, tickling him until he can bear it no longer.

He takes her in his arms to keep her in place, his adorable face a similar color to a certain fruit, set in a pout and grumbling.

"Fine, fine! I'll take a break just please stop teasing me!"

Faust

Fascinating.

He wasn't incredibly versed in Japanese lore, nor had he been particularly interested until he met her.

But now, upon meeting her, and in her kitsune form no less...

She is quite the intrigue indeed. He simply must know more. Seems vampires aren't the only supernatural entities he can study...

The unearthly beauty, the silken, almost dozen tails, the glowing mesmerizing eyes...there is surely none like her.

He will surely want to know more about her about her kind. Anything she tells him, even of irrelevant, will be noted.

What her lifespan was, what her diet was like, what are her strengths, her weaknesses, what limitations does she have?

As a couple, their dynamic doesn't change much outside of her flirting with her observer incessantly. The difference is that it ends with alot of noise coming from Faust's room at night.

He may not say it but he simply adores watching her, his lovely specimen, her full physique swaying by him, her sleek tails surrounding her like petals dancing in the breeze, her soft red lips curved into a sexy simper as she holds out her hand to him, beckoning him closer to her form. He slides his larger hand into hers and places a kiss on the back of her hand.

"You're purposely tempting me, little fox? You only have yourself to blame when I don't let you go."

🌸

[sushi-guro]

I NEED A TOJI OR GETO PLAYLIST

obey me - a geto suguru inspired playlist 

you monkeys

Alleyways - The Neighbourhood

If things were different, we were young Skinny dipping, having fun, I remember Back in 1991, when the story first begun, I remember All of these shells, holding the things I've done I knew myself before I knew anyone And 'cause we all chew gum We all have fun with water guns La da da da da da Da da dum dum dum And we all grew up, shit got tough Shit just wasn't simple enough, no

All For Us - Labrinth, Zendaya

Guilty or innocent My love is infinite, I'm giving it No need for prisoners Bitch please, hands up, this is a stick up 'cause I'm Hey, yeah I'm taking it Yeah-eh I'm taking it all for us, all Doing it all for love

Swimming Pool - Marie Madeleine

Cold concrete burns my feet In the early night heat Five o'clock, you and me Glass fall crushed on the floor My cold feet red bleeding I don't care, keep singing Singing, sinking, dying, diving Loving, leaving, pulling, pushing Falling, feeling, swimming, swinging Singing, sinking, dying, diving

Requiem in D Minor K.626 Sequentia-Lacrimosa Dies Illa - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Black Out Days - Phantogram

If I could paint the sky Well all the stars would shine a bloody red Stay away

Gangsta’s Paradise - Coolio, L.V.

I'm a educated fool with money on my mind Got my ten in my hand and a gleam in my eye

Hey - Pixies

Hey Been trying to meet you Hey Must be a devil between us Or whores in my head Whores at the door Whore in my bed But hey Where have you been? If you go, I will surely die We're chained

pink party - Isaac Dunbar

I'm your new icon I could answer your prayers I could take 'em on like a God

She Knows - J.Cole (feat. Amber Coffman, Cults)

She knows, she knows And I know she knows, and I know she knows And deep down she knows, she knows And I know she knows, and I know she knows Well alright Oh I, oh I-I-I I can't be what you want from me

Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode

Reach out, touch faith Your own personal Jesus Someone to hear your prayers Someone who cares Your own personal Jesus Someone to hear your prayers Someone who's there Feeling unknown And you're all alone Flesh and bone By the telephone Lift up the receiver I'll make you a believer

Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing - Chris Isaak

You ever tried with all your heart and soul to get you lover back to you? I want to hope so You ever pray with all your heart and soul just to watch her walk away? Baby did a bad bad thing Feel like crying

Look Easy - KAYTRANADA, Lucky Daye

When shit get dicey, I stay icicle I light your night up like it's golden jewels You see it, I'm ready to make a move Just playin', winnin' like I made the rules Yeah, yeah I make it look easy She make it look easy We make it look easy, yeah

spotify link

a/n: ngl I thought about him and Gojo a whole lot while making this </3 Hope you like it tho! 

check this if you wanna request a playlist too🌻

[occult-roommates]

Airport interlude

Around a month later, Akva finally had some time to take a few days aside and go to Del Sol Valley visit Paisley and her family. And then some of her friends showed up at the airport with her to have conversations I really wanted to write but had nowhere else to put idc this ain’t a professionally written novel I do what I want.

Akva: Thanks for coming with me guys! Bye everyone! Dawud: Ciao. Rudi: Welcome, that was a nice walk. Now I gotta go home, it’s the Eurovision tonight and I don’t wanna miss my country humiliating itself yet again. Daniele: Rud, it’s like 8 am, I know Europe is a few hours before us, but I think you’re overestimating it a bit. Rudi: I wanna be ready. Oh and by the way, I’m rooting for your country. Daniele: Aw, thanks. Dawud: No idea what you guys are talking about, but I know a few German songs cause you know, I took German classes in high school. Like Rock me Amadeus or 99 Luftballons.   Rudi: Literally everyone knows 99 Luftballons.  Daniele: To be fair, I don’t think I know any other songs in German but that one, so kudos to you Dav. Rudi: You dont- You don’t even know Rammstein? Like...Rammstein! They’re famous as fuck and they’re icons from my dad’s hometown. He even brought me to one of their concert when I was 10 which...In hindsight he 100% should not have but you get my point. To be fair, I don’t think my dad really knew what he was getting himself into, we had been invited by his best friend. Daniele: Eh, I know them by name, but it’s not really my type of music so I don’t think I know any of their songs.

It was now Dawud’s turn to leave the conversation, as his mechanic lessons were just about to start. Hopefully that day, he was not going to injure his hand. Whelp, now Rudi and Daniele had no reason to stay at the airport, so they just left the scene too.

Daniele: By the way, the other day, don’t remember why, I tried looking at all of the burger joints in the city, and did not see the restaurant you work at. Why? Rudi: Because I don’t work at a burger joint?? I work at a Filipino restaurant??? Daniele: Oh...I just thought...Ok you’re gonna make fun of me but it’s because the place is called Bob’s House and I don’t know, that has strong burger joint energy. Rudi: It’s because their logo is a pineapple, duh...No that’s not a joke, the name was their daughter’s idea and she was like, 5 years old back then. She told me personally while we were smoking weed together behind the art museum. Daniele: I don’t get the joke? Rudi: Ok, I can believe you don’t know Rammstein but...Spongebob??? How the fuck do you not know Spongebob??? Daniele: I did not made the connection alright, calm down. Rudi: Wait, I just realized, but the daughter, her name is Marisa by the way, she’s a mermaid...Well, obviously the entire family are merfolks, but she’s also the same age as Akva, give or take a year or two. And like, she’s bi. I know it cause one time I was talking about wanting a tattoo and she showed me hers, and it’s a heart shaped bi pride flag...Do you see where I’m getting at? Probably not, but I’m still asking just in case. Daniele: Matchmake her with Akva? Rudi: How the fuck did you guess on the first try? But yes, that’s my plan. I think they’d be cute together. Daniele: I think they need to have more in common than just being mermaid. Like, I don’t think Akva would be the type to date someone who smokes weed. Rudi: Ah, come on. Akva’s been through a lot, she deserves a nice girlfriend. Daniele: Please, first you wanted ruin Dawud’s relationship with Matteo, which I get you wanted to do that for me but still, now this? You’re aroace Rudi, stop trying to interve in people’s love life you clearly don’t know what you’re talking about. Rudi: Um fuck you, and I’m no longer rooting for Italy, my vote is going to Finland now!

Rudi did not care, as soon as Akva came back from California, they were gonna try to make her and Marisa meet. They would be so cute together, or at least that’s what the werewolf thought.

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