#CLEAR LIFT 4D

[briancampbell0706]

CLEARLIFT 4D LASER | CLEARLIFT 4D | CLEAR LIFT 4D | LASER 4D FACELIFT | SKIN CLINIC NEWBURY | LASER FACE TREATMENTS BERKSHIRE | SKIN PEELS BERKSHIRE | READING SKIN CLINIC | SKIN CLINIC READING | LASER TATTOO REMOVAL BERKSHIRE | PIGMENTATION REMOVAL BERKSHIRE | CLEARLIFT LASER

Experience the transformative Clearlift 4D laser at Andresa Skin Clinic, the epitome of skin rejuvenation in the United Kingdom. Our Clearlift 4D treatments redefine beauty, offering a non-invasive, painless laser facelift experience. Discover the power of Laser 4D facelift technology, tailored to your needs at our Skin Clinic in Newbury. Explore a range of laser face treatments, skin peels, laser tattoo removal, and pigmentation removal services in Berkshire. Trust our Reading Skin Clinic experts for Clearlift Laser treatments, ensuring remarkable skin revitalization. Visit https://andresa.co.uk/treatment/clearlift-4d-laser-facelift/ for cutting-edge skincare solutions and radiant, youthful skin.

[dermaartsclinic]

4d Clear lift treatment by Dr. Mitra Amiri at Derma Arts

[babyangelsky]

BL Challenge 2k24 ✨Day 7✨

Hello and welcome to @negrowhat's 15 Day BL Challenge! Full challenge can be found here.

Favorite Villain: Korn Theerapanyakul

It isn't often that we get an actual villain in a BL. We have plenty of love rivals but those are rarely ever villains in the true sense of the word. We also have a large, unfortunate array of shitty parents and parental figures, some of which absolutely do fall into the villain category, but they don't deserve my effort or your attention.

But then we have Korn.

Korn is a villain. Make absolutely no mistake about that. This man has dedicated his life to playing 4D chess with everyone around him, including and especially his sons, and he's brilliant at it. There is never a moment where he isn't in control, there is never a moment where he hasn't thought at least five steps ahead, and he has very few blind spots.

What gets me—and what makes him that much more insidious in my opinion—is how he presents himself to the world.

♡ gif by @guzhufuren from this set

"This man, a villain? Never! He's just a nice, soft-spoken dad in a sweater vest! Sure he's a bit intimidating but he's in the mafia, it's to be expected. And just look at how accepting he is of his gay sons! He's looking at a photo of his son and his son-in-law and smiling, isn't that lovely?"

False!

Korn's image is perfectly curated and if you only look on the surface, from the outside that's exactly what he is: a nice dad and a respectable businessman. He's rational, calm, and level-head, especially when you compare him to Gun—which you can't not do. It's impossible to have a conversation about Korn without talking about Gun, who is absolutely just as bad and who I easily could've chosen.

The difference is that Gun's evil is overt and in a way, it's more...honest because of it. He's not out here pretending to be a good person or trying to be anything other than exactly what he is. What you see is what you get. However, I chose Korn precisely because of that insidiousness, because his evil appears so much more subtle but only when it remains in the shadows.

♡ gif by @kinnbig from this set

Because when everything gets brought to light? Hoooooo BOY.

This man kept his foster sister in isolation under lock and key for years after he killed her husband and took her away from her two little boys. Then he left those little boys in the care of a degenerate gambler and watched them sink further and further into debt. And that's only the thin end of the wedge! If we got into all the ways he fucked up his OWN boys, we'd be here all damn day.

Kidnapping on perhaps more than one occasion, a hit squad, Kim's entire personality, Kinn's emotional range, need I go on?

But getting back to Porsche and Chay, Korn could've helped them at literally any point but he didn't lift a finger until they grew up and became useful to him. He could've cleared their debts, paid for Chay's education, provided for them, kept them from getting remotely close to a situation were men were beating them and trashing their home. But he did exactly none of that because whatever sense of obligation Korn might have felt toward them absolutely pales in comparison to his need for control.

♡ gif by @kinnbig from this set

That's what this all comes down to: control. The world is a chessboard and everyone in Korn's orbit is a piece on it. He proposed an outcome for himself and he got it.

He made sure Kinn was cemented as head of the main family and found a way to cement Porsche as head of the minor family. He got rid of Gun and the threat he presented and succeeded in burying the truth of what happened to Porsche's parents with him, because the truth that Korn gave simply is not the whole truth. It never will be because divulging the truth means giving up control, and that is something he will never do.

I could literally talk for hours about Korn. He's a fascinating character. He's got so many layers. Bottom line?

Este señor es el mismísimo diablo. This man is the living breathing devil.

[rappaccini]

okay spidergwen 4d chess is evolving to spidergwen 8d chess for this one.

if synergy with the spiderverse movies got comics-gwen into this crisis of character consistency where gwen can't go home to earth 65, can't come out of the closet, and can't even refer to herself as an adult, the long game for neutralizing gwiles and restoring gwen's character is using synergy to pull her out of it.

but even then it's gonna be a fucking rollercoaster ride that could derail at any time and the realistic best-case scenario will still lead to gwiles happening again, just makorrafied.

here's the short version:

now walk with me:

first, gwen's always been and always will be subject to synergy. all comics characters are, but gwen is especially vulnerable to it.

her creation in 2014 right after the general audience learned gwen died barely a year ago in amazing spider-man 2, ship teasing her with peter immediately and and being kept on a pedestal away from all spider-men but him? absolutely meant to capture emma stone/andrew garfield nostalgia. to the point where the original voice in people's heads when they read gwen's comics was absolutely emma's.

ten years ago, petergwen was the original gwiles. it was a ship between gwen and a far more popular spider-man that reduced her to the role of supportive girlfriend, took her away from her world, her stories and the people who love her, prevented her from being her own person-- and wouldn't let her explore her sexuality. and it felt like a given that it would happen.

like i remember reading those original spiderverse comics in 2014, being afraid gwen was just going to be a plot device to make peter parker sad. that she'd get killed by morlun at the end of the arc, and he'd have even more gwen angst. and then, after she lived, that he'd throw away decades of development for a terrible fling with a barely-legal variant of his dead girlfriend.

instead, that didn't happen. because a lot of writers and editors worked like fuck for years to keep it from happening. they kept them apart, or kept their interactions on a tight leash. now, ten years later, peter and gwen's interactions have a big brother/little sister vibe. they're out of the danger zone. the consensus is "peter and gwen sometimes have tension early in their dynamic, but they get past it and stay friends" and that's rippled out into other media's spider-peter and spider-gwen dynamics (the marvel's spider-man cartoon? does exactly that. gwen and peter have a shiptease, but ultimately stay friends).

the arrival of the spiderverse movies did half the heavy lifting, because gwen's character started taking cues from those movies instead. the pressure to pair peter/gwen shifted to miles/gwen.

it went nowhere for a bit. they aren't friends. they just team up occasionally in group settings. miles is with tiana toomes and gwen's solo, while it lasted, gave her a few dates with harry and she's one conversation away from getting together with em jay. it felt like they were leaving the danger zone too.

but atsv pushed them back in the red. now years of the same anti-petergwen care must be applied to salvage that dynamic and protect gwen's character in the comics and any other media where she appears (movies? games? cartoons? same principle. keep them the fuck apart and give them other love interests to kill that vibe before it can poison anything else).

there's still a clear road out and a few different ways to get there. one of the simplest ones is the same way we got into this mess: use the synergy.

it takes time, careful writing, an alternate ship, and a new property for editorial to leech off of to change the flow of synergy and stop a bad plotline from taking root.

so... where do we seem to be going, and how can we escape?

the spiderverse era:

we know the drill: spiderverse synergy yields an ongoing where editorial wants gwen away from earth 65, in the multiverse, hanging around peter and miles, ambiguously a teenager, and the writer has no choice but to follow those edicts if they want the gig. we've done this already with the mcguire run. we're doing it again right now with the phillips run. we'll probably do it at least one more time when btsv hits.

itsv synergy led to gwen exploring the multiverse when not on 65 (and a character beat where miles crushes on her and she's totally indifferent), the book flopping and getting canned 10 issues in, a relaunch about commuting from 65 to 616 with her eventually moving to 616 for good, that one getting canned after 10 issues too, gwen hanging around 616 and helping out in a few events, and then several multiverse-themed miniseries that put gwen back in 65 without much explanation, eventually ending in her back home for the whole story... and getting extremely close to coming out of the closet and starting a romance with em jay.

atsv synergy is trying to plant gwen in 616 For Good this time, and putting her in a few movie-tie-in events to seal the deal... and nobody wants it. the announcement of gwen's new status quo was met with annoyance and indifference from non-gwen fans, and disappointment from gwen fans. nobody wants this thing except for a minority of hardcore gwiles shippers who don't even buy her comics.

we're probably looking at a similar pattern as last time's attempt: a flop that's canned after a few arcs (maybe even 10 issues), a possible stab at gwiles during the book, a possible relaunch and likely second flop if the 616 status quo is kept, then back to miniseries that gradually return her to her own world. (it would be great if gwen keeps her ongoing and is quietly sent back to 65, possibly even with the same writer, but we can't bet on that.)

btsv comes out in 3-5 years. whatever progress gwen does make towards making it home will likely be yanked back because we'll probably rinse and repeat the sv synergy shit again: another gwen-in-616/multiverse-themed ongoing relaunch that flops, followed by miniseries, probably with gwiles round 3 cranked up even harder somewhere along the way.

-> but maybe 🤞 with gwen confirmed as bisexual by that point. they might not let gwen get a girlfriend in under 5 years, but letting her say "i'm bi" feels possible. she's one conversation away from coming out, and her writers keep putting her in queercoded storylines with women she has chemistry with. at some point, all that momentum's going to break through.

for the immediate future, it's not looking good.

what's that? it's cindy moon with a steel chair!

by then the moonissance should be underway thanks to the insomniac spider-man 3 game dropping around btsv. cindy moon/silk is insomniac's spider-woman instead of ghost-spider.

yes, there was that scrapped multiplayer concept where spider-gwen's a prominent character. but it was scrapped.

if gwen's in the games, she'll have a supporting role, most likely as a civilian, hopefully not as peter or miles' love interest. maybe as cindy's.

-> if gwen is miles's interest, fuck. (unlikely: insomniac's pretty committed to hailey, and tiana toomes is semi-canon thanks to a tie-in novel. it's more likely for them to favor those love interests than cram gwen in out of nowhere.)

-> if she's peter's, it's annoying but salvageable. (also unlikely: it'd be pretty dumb to build up peter/mj as a committed relationship just to replace her with gwen right as they're about to settle down)

-> ... but if she's cindy's? this might be the ace in the hole.

if ism3 comes out before btsv, btsv instantly becomes outdated for putting gwen back in the closet for a straight ship. that poisons the gwiles synergy well ("are you really sure you want to get them together if it means turning miles into the kind of homophobic douchebag who'd shove gwen back in the closet so he can kiss her whenever he wants?").

if ism3 comes out after, then gwiles's chokehold on the post-btsv fandom gets an immediate rebuttal, and if comics-gwen was forced into a romance with miles during the btsv synergy era, cindy gives her a clear path out: coming out, possibly leaving miles for cindy (... and, since miles's reputation is the one they'll want to protect, giving him a way to step aside that makes him look good by framing him as an ally who graciously gives up his romance so gwen can be happy). no matter what, gwiles takes a serious hit and is forever associated with gwen being in the closet.

if gwen's not openly bi in the comics yet, they might go there to ride insomniac's coattails, and tease a gwen/cindy ship for synergy's sake. we keep insisting on em jay being gwen's first girlfriend, but cindy might be the dark horse who takes it.

(even if it's just queerbait, fine. it's another female love interest dangled in front of gwen, and it makes both characters' queerness harder to deny.)

then we have the spiderverse spin-off spider-women to contend with. first, it may not happen at all; all three female superhero team movies we've gotten so far haven't done well financially or been fondly received, and we've gotten basically no info about sw other than a vague suggestion that they still want to do it.

if it happens, it'll be 3-5 years after btsv.

and if spider-women releases... first of all, gwen might be single after the events of btsv, or she'll get a birds-of-prey-2020 plot about finding herself after breaking up with miles, which are the better scenarios but the most unlikely. in the event that sv gwen is still Miles's Girlfriend, the plot is supposedly intended to be a multiversal adventure centering gwen, jess drew and cindy moon so hopefully he won't be in it much or at all.

regardless, there's going to be a comic tie-in. synergy will send gwen on an interdimensional team-up event with whoever the cast are. and since cindy's going to be riding high off ism3... even if she isn't in sw, she'll still probably appear in some capacity, and this'll likely be the second round of synergy that pairs her and gwen.

no matter the context of the relationship or whether sw releases, gwen and cindy's bond is likely to get a big focus in a few years. it's just a question of what kind of relationship it'll be. are gwen and cindy going to be friends, harley-and-ivy-circa-2013-'friends' or a canon couple?

and even if gwen doesn't appear at all in the games or they're not shipped at all, cindy is on track to become the new Default Spider-Woman: she's a lead in one of the biggest games in the world, which will definitely be released, there's a slim chance the tv series might be revived, and cindy will almost certainly be in spider-women and is likely to be the breakout character of that lineup. even if only the game happens, cindy will still be the newest, hottest toy to play with.

which means in 5-10 years, we're either looking at a spider-quad, with peter, miles, gwen and cindy... or, since trios are easier to adapt and market, cindy could get the push from editorial to replace gwen as the One Girl in the trio and become the default female spider for a new generation of kids to relate to (... and more importantly, for their parents to buy merchandise of).

therefore, gwen could finally go home for good, assuming she hasn't already.

if gwen doesn't have an ongoing at the time spider-women happens, she'll probably get one again. or at the bare minimum, she'll get a mini.

possibly even as an openly bisexual character because even if gwen doesn't come out in the comics until then/isn't queer in the games, the resistance to her coming-out will be a lot smaller because:

-> a) the unspoken concern keeping gwen in the closet-- that making ghost-spider queer will lead homophobic parents to refuse to buy their kids her merch anymore-- will no longer be that big of a loss if it does happen, because if silk takes ghost-spider's place as the new Flagship Female Spider, it'll be expected that parents will be buying silk stuff for their kids instead. marvel's still getting their money, just from a different girl.

-> b) which means there's room to tap into a new market. and since the spider-gwen fandom that remain with her will be teens and young adults who would buy her shit even if she's queer (maybe even especially if she's queer)... well, there's your money.

-> c) the 'think of the children' excuse doesn't work if the children in question aren't kids anymore or aren't even into gwen in the first place because they're all about cindy, and if those kids' parents can't get mad at marvel for trying to market gwen to an audience of children when they aren't even doing that. remember, harley quinn didn't get to be canonically bi until she was repackaged as a more mature character for a primarily teen-to-adult audience.

-> d) just saying. the spiderverse is supposedly about showing how anyone can be a spider-hero... yet we still don't have a major canonically queer spider. that's the one part of the spiderverse that marvel's stayed quiet on. which means there's a gap to be filled in the story-- and (here's what marvel cares about:) an audience that has yet to be reached out to, who will give them money and good press when they do it.

gwen is the ideal character to be that first queer main spider-hero because it's a core part of her story, there's already a demand for it, and if the right choices are made about which characters and relationships to promote, the backlash to her coming out will fade away with time and become smaller than the potential gain.

we don't know what the climate for queer characters in kids' media will be in 6-10 years. maybe it'll be so good that gwen's queerness won't affect her presence in spider-man stories. maybe she'll be allowed to come out... and then quietly shuffled out of the main lineup. but even if marvel sidelines gwen away from the Straight Spiders, that benefits her character because it means there's a lot less pressure on her to be on earth-616. which means she can go home and stay there.

gwen's stories are already queer as hell, even with all the synergy and the pressure of being every little girl's spider-hero keeping her in the closet. when that weight is off her back, maybe that'll be all we need to go for it.

it took five years to get gwen away from amazing spider-man nostalgia and the threat of being Peter's Designated Girlfriend, and they did it with a combo of controlling their interactions to keep them from getting together and shifting to the spiderverse and making gwen Miles's Designated Girlfriend. it'll take ten more years to get her away from spiderverse synergy and the threat of gwiles. and the way to do that is to avoid miles wherever possible, keep building towards gwen's coming-out and shift to riding insomniac's coattails to get us there.

(hell, the five-year overlap opening will probably repeat too. in the five years between asm2 and itsv, peter/gwen started to fade away as she was pushed towards miles without being consistently shipped yet... which created an opportunity for gwen to develop romantic interests in harry, em jay and possibly hobie. there'll probably be one between btsv and spider-women, and insomniac spider-man 3 will be out by then. good time to get some distance from gwiles and give her a gf.)

the most efficient way to do this is by confirming gwen's bisexuality as fast as possible in the comics and games, but because of cindy taking gwen's place, the path's still there even if they don't move on it until after spider-women comes out.

... but then we'll have live-action miles probably in development for sony or the mcu, assuming it doesn't happen even sooner. there's no mention of a live-action spider-gwen solo movie or show in consideration (or even an animated show), so at this point, if gwen shows up in other media, it'll be as a supporting character in miles or peter's story.

and that could make or break things for good.

the live-action era:

we'll see how old she is compared to miles and peter, and who their love interests will be. that determines everything.

1) if it's a sony movie about miles, it's more likely than not that gwen's going to be his age/his love interest. sony made the spiderverse movies, lord and miller and pascal (who love the ship) would still probably have creative influence, everyone expects it, you know it's coming.

even if gwen isn't spider-gwen, editorial's gonna force another round of gwiles synergy all over again and the clock's reset to zero. insert another gwen-in-616 attempt, another forced gwiles attempt, another refusal to let her come out and another ten years of unraveling her from that mess.

-> and because it's live-action, everybody will have seen it. unlike video games and animated movies, which have broader appeal than comics, but are still somewhat limited.

-> but if it's a sony movie, it's probably gonna be a mess that'll leave a bad taste in people's mouths and not have much longevity. hopefully there'd be an opening to wiggle out of there.

-> if gwen isn't his love interest / isn't in the sony film at all, well there you go. whoever that girlfriend is will get a boost, and gwen will have that gwiles pressure off her back. it's possible. just don't be optimistic.

2) if it's a spiderverse teamup... pack it up. they'll shoehorn spider-gwen in since she's the most popular female spider-hero, she'll be a bland girlboss who'll probably be shipped with miles or peter. earth 65 takes another hit. the damage may be irreparable because spider-gwen will be seen by everyone as their love interest.

3) but in terms of the mcu, they'll definitely do miles someday, but they're gonna put peter first.

if i had to guess, peter's getting a college trilogy. maybe not after he has his 'neglect peter in favor of spider-man' arc, but he's gotta have his college movies at some point. when peter graduates at the end of sm6, and we no longer have a teen/young adult spider-man for kids to relate to, that's the ideal time to introduce miles. and THEN miles gets his high school trilogy with peter as a mentor figure.

and since gwen was peter's love interest before she was miles's, and peter's iconic college relationships haven't been adapted yet, there's a 50/50 chance that she'll be introduced there, along with harry and a more comics-accurate version of mj.

(if gwen's introduced as a member of miles's cast, we're fucked. plain and simple. the transfer from being a part of peter's cast to being part of miles's will be complete in the eyes of the audience. that shit's gonna follow her everywhere forever, especially since the mcu lasts for fucking ever.)

if gwen is peter's age, ESPECIALLY if peter and gwen are a couple in his college years, we might get out of the gwiles pit for good:

a) gwen might die before ever meeting miles. and even if she doesn't...

b) there's no bigger bro code violation than dating your friend's ex. let alone your mentor's ex

c) the ick of live action college-aged-or-older gwen and high-school aged miles is impossible to reconcile. sitting in a tree on steroids. everyone who sees them together in any other medium (comics, games, cartoons, you name it) is just going to picture those actors, and no one will be able to brush the age gap aside for as long as these movies and the versions of their characters last. and it's the mcu, so it'll last a damn while. even a possible reboot/sony version will have that baggage attached.

so if gwen dates peter first, she'll never date miles in live-action without it being hated by everyone. and the comics will never want to revisit a romantic connection between them as a result. even though spider-gwen =/= peter's-gf-gwen, nobody's gonna see it that way. we can work with that!

petergwen synergy might make its way back... but we all know there's zero chance he won't end up with mj, in the movies, in the comics, in anything, so there's less danger there. the most that'll happen is spider-gwen having to pat peter while he cries on his shoulder about his dead gwen. annoying, but not derailing.

if gwiles happens in live-action, it's game over for fully moving past gwiles and being queer for good. gwen might survive the animated movies on their own, but not the one-two punch of animated movies and live-action. that would guarantee that she'll always be seen as miles's love interest, that they can never be friends without that threat looming over them, and that any progress she makes away from miles will likely be temporary before she's inevitably dragged back to him by editorial. we'll have to rely on comics contrivances like one more daying it or dropping continuity to get her out of there, and those will never last for good.

but if petergwen happens in the mcu, that makes the likelihood of a comics gwiles revisit slim for a solid decade. which creates a decade's worth of opportunity for gwen to seek other love interests that'll make gwiles's status lessen in importance even more.

add the ten year window where gwiles can't stop gwen from being bi to whatever happens in the comics in between sv movies and after insomniac's spider-man series wraps up. the bi gwen momentum is already chugging away. that window could be filled with female love interests who actually get to stick around. (giving gwen male love interests will just signal to straight fans that she's available for a straight romance because straight people don't understand what bisexuality is. she has to date women for that label to stick and for people to get the message that she doesn't belong to miles or peter.)

i know i keep circling back to 'make gwen bi', but it's the truth. the way to escape spiderverse synergy, gwen being stuck as Miles's Girlfriend forever, and gwen getting away from being Spider-Man's Girlfriend for good has been the same since 2018.

make gwen bisexual.

(yes, bi. the spiderverse movies introducing spider-gwen to a generation of kids as a girl who's attracted to men guaranteed that she'll never be a lesbian or asexual in canon. have your headcanons, but it's too late for that to ever happen in reality. if you're gonna campaign for a canonically-queer spider-gwen, you have to ask for her to be bi because that's the only type of queer that stands a chance at being canon someday. get mad at lord and miller, not me.)

(it'd be awesome if spiderverse-gwen's trans coding catches on... but it's just not likely enough to realistically hope for. marvel's far more likely to standardize making gwen bi than trans, and it wouldn't occur to them that she could be both. which she'd have to be, because ignoring ten years of buildup to gwen coming out as sapphic and saying 'hey! she's this other kind of queer but is still only into men!' isn't satisfying. gwen can be trans, but must be bi.)

it's been built up so strongly in the comics that it's not really a question of if she's bi anymore. it's when will they say it out loud? and will it stick or be shoved under the rug so gwiles can happen?

that's the issue. gwen's never been closer to coming out. it could happen as early as the very next issue of her ongoing. it could be next month, next year, a few years, in a decade... or it could literally never happen at all, because she'll get crammed into a romance with miles and her queerness will be stifled to keep her with him. and we have no idea which it'll be. that's what's so frustrating: we have no idea if we're about to get everything we've been waiting an entire decade for, or if it's getting taken away forever and gwen'll end up being the girl chappell roan's singing about in good luck babe!.

(and that's the thing with gwiles. no matter how much chemistry they have, or how well-executed the romance is in the spiderverse movies or anywhere else, this ship can only happens if gwen stifles her queerness, her need to go home to the world full of people who love and need her and her story... and the longer it goes on, the more miles becomes responsible for doing that to her. it's a homophobic, misogynistic gut-punch to both characters disguised as a happy ending. the movies haven't fixed this. if anything, by introducing this romance to the general public, they've guaranteed it'll spread to other canon and delay or permanently cut off her coming-out arc.)

other media is the factor that can speed up gwen's coming-out and make it definitive, or slow it down and reduce gwen to momentary bursts of queerness in between nonstop gwiles slog.

but even if gwiles happens and sticks, it's not the end of the world.

the obvious narrative way out has already been stated earlier: gwen comes out of the closet and leaves miles to explore her sexuality, and miles supports her in doing it.

look, every time they've been shipped together so far, gwen has always rejected him and he just keeps pushing, but the writers and fandom keep ignoring gwen's feelings because this ship isn't about gwen, or miles-and-gwen. it's about miles getting what he wants, which is a pretty white girl with a famous name and superpowers who can't stand up to him. therefore, the only way out that'll stick is for miles to be the one to end things.

the best way to redeem him for the homophobic undertones of encouraging her to stay in a romance she isn't capable of wanting, is for him to voluntarily end the relationship, wish her well, and support her in exploring her queerness.

it's the best way to end the relationship with miles looking as good as possible. and since the fandom and marvel are very defensive about miles and his ego, they're gonna want it to end in a way that makes him the good guy.

and it's also how we make this ship too radioactive to return to. once you show miles realizing the girl he likes is queer, and putting his feelings aside to support her, he can never go on and try to date that queer girl again without it being a hideous character assassination.

that's the best way to do it. but there are others. comics are meant to last forever, so the story will never have an ending. even marriage and kids, the typical ending, can be retconned or walked back. like, peter and mj were married for years, and then they weren't and still haven't gotten back together even though literally everyone in the fandom keeps demanding it. if that can happen to one of the most famous couples in comics, gwen can sure as hell make a deal with mephisto to retcon her comphet brats out of existence, especially since gwen-8 already technically attempted it in the latour run. hopefully it doesn't get to that point though.

if it does, here are some comics-specific ways out that don't revolve around gwen coming out and leaving miles to be openly queer. i am very aware that they suck, so let's just not gwiles at all please.

it was all a mysterio-induced illusion.

gwilesified gwen was a clone the whole time, and real spider-gwen's trapped or hiding somewhere.

amnesia plot. they forget they were ever together.

pull a batcat wedding. huge event that aggressively advertises a wedding that ends in the bride getting cold feet, realizing how wrong the relationship is and leaving the groom at the altar. good for her. make the fandom so angry about being blueballed that they won't want to see her in close proximity with miles again.

have gwen cheat on miles with someone; even better if it's his friend. for maximum chaos make it his clone or his best friend's dad. (if miles cheats, he'll be forgiven. if gwen cheats, she'll be witchhunted for decades by his fans... which means they'll never get back together!🥳).

have gwen go out for cigarettes and a carton of milk one night and simply not come back. 1) she would. especially if earth-8 happens. 2) it would make the miles fans hate her.

... kill gwen off. (it'll never be miles.) have miles move on. and then when she's eventually resurrected she just never gets back together with him. if you're gonna force her to be Spider-Man's Girlfriend again, you may as well fridge her too. just go ahead and do own that miles is just as bad for her as peter was. make the taste in our mouths about this ship so bad that we can never return to it.

drop the plot. just drop it. end one book and start another with them randomly not together and just never mention it again. you do a shit job with the rest of gwen's continuity. why not this?

one more day. nuclear option. the devil himself can break that marriage up and get rid of those kids.

wait a few decades for editorial to switch out and pray that the powers that be give a shit about gwen and will let this ship die. (they won't.)

speaking of.

.... post-first live action miles morales (so... twenty years from now):

alright i've come this far let me throw out a controversial expectation: they're gonna do gwiles again. they are. they just are.

much like the petergwen vibe, gwiles is going to be an unavoidable part of spider-gwen's character moving forward. sitting in a tree was rightly hated and aggressively ignored, but then the spiderverse movies dug up that storyline and pumped life back into it.

and now it's too late. the spiderverse movies are too beloved, popular and well-reviewed for gwiles not to happen again. marvel has hard proof that this couple will make them money, win them praise and avoid controversy. (... and they also know that making gwen miles's girlfriend is an effective way to stop her from being queer and cut off her coming-out arc from ever culminating into anything, while looking progressive). an entire generation of people-- especially children-- now expect gwiles whenever they see gwen or miles (even when they aren't even in the same place or are dating different people), perceive their romance as a good thing, and expect spider-gwen to be attracted to men.

when those kids grow up, some of them will become writers for marvel. and they'll do what the current writers do and resurrect the ghosts of their favorite childhood spider-man stories (which is why Gwen Stacy Death Nostalgia keeps happening even today; that's what the powers that be grew up with, and they're writing for the kids they used to be, not the kids that exist now). which means spiderverse nostalgia. which means gwiles. even if gwiles don't get together in the spiderverse movies, they'll still do it because they'll want to 'fix' that. and all it takes is one dumbass writer to make it happen. so it'll happen.

if the worst-case scenario of gwiles in btsv, gwiles in the games, gwiles in live-action, comic-gwen never goes home, marries miles and has the comphet spawn happens, well no shit the next generation of writers are gonna keep gwilesing. it's functionally over for her and she'll never meaningfully escape.

but even if the best-case scenario pipe dream of gwen never canonically dating him in any media post-btsv, going home to earth-65, coming out and only having romantic relationships with women happens (95% sure it won't)... gwiles is going to resurface in the comics in some capacity, and will probably reappear in other spider-gwen adaptations: games, movies, tv shows, you name it. the horse is out of the barn. it is too late to stop it. we will always have to deal with this ship.

what can be changed is the context in which the ship exists. the name of the game is now putting an end to the "endgame star-crossed soulmates destined to marry and start a nuclear family" dogshit sitting in a tree and spiderverse insist on by... doing what i keep repeating:

1) let gwen come out. either say "i'm bi / into women" or show her kissing a girl. 2) have miles acknowledge gwen's queerness and support it. 3) give gwen female love interests that last in multiple mediums and adaptations to solidify her sexuality so everyone knows (especially those kids who were introduced to her through the spiderverse movies and have no idea that she's a closeted queer girl or that their romance storyline's about gwen being pressured into pretending to be straight and miles letting it happen so he can have her to himself) and marvel can't pull a kitty pryde and pretend like it never happened. 4) build up both gwen and miles' romances with other characters, so people who want to ship them have better canon options. (for gwen, these can be female or male after she's had at least one major girlfriend)

and since a significant section of the trilogy's young fandom acknowledge spiderverse gwen's trans-coding-- or even want gwen to be bi or a lesbian, despite the heavy gwiles preference of the films and lack of any positive dynamic between gwen and any female characters-- there's a good chance that once the spiderverse kids see that gwen's canonically bi, they'll run with it. we just have to get them there.

the best case scenario that can be realistically hoped for is a petergwen scenario (or a peter-and-any-girl-who-isn't-mj scenario): accepting as a given that a staple of spider-gwen's character in any future adaptations will be a probable romance with miles morales, but instead of it being a given, it's merely an option that doesn't necessarily need to exist. and if it does exist, instead of it being an endgame romance, reframe it into a temporary flirtation before they move on to other people.

to make a comparison: we need the collective mindset about gwiles to shift from kataang to makorra-- from "childhood sweethearts who never break up" to "hormonal teens who have a rocky first romance that quickly implodes, but they come out of it as friends and he supports her when she goes on to date a girl". or from 1990s joker-and-harley to 2020s joker-and-harley-- from "the female character only appears in proximity to her boyfriend and is totally defined by her romance with him" to "everyone sees the female character as an individual, knows she's queer, and understands that if she and this guy have a romance, it'll only be temporary, and sometimes he doesn't factor into her story at all."

so, a compromise. give the gwileses what they want, and then give queer gwen what she needs. the makorrafication of gwiles means everyone wins.

we can work with that. gwen and miles's respective stories are at their best when they're about embracing their marginalized identities after rejecting assimilating into the dominant culture they're being marginalized from (straightness and whiteness respectively). they need to start the story by trying to do that so their arcs are more pronounced, and their romantic arcs should reflect their overall arcs. it does actually make the most sense if miles's first major love interest is a white girl he feels pressured to tone down his blackness for, and gwen's is a straight boy she's comphetting with, because the point is they have to grow out of that.

like, as a certified decade-long Gwiles Hater, there is actually a case for gwiles as a romantic plotline, and it's that. the issue with gwiles is the way the ship's been framed. once we change the framing, and that framing is widespread and accepted, we're good. and it is going to take a long time to do. (remember, it took twenty-five years to break up harley and the joker for good. optimistically, it's gonna take that long to get gwen out of gwiles.)

gwen and miles don't necessarily need to be each other's first relationship (that role can be filled by plenty of other white girls and straight boys, and they're best as friends in entirely separate worlds), but it can work as long as it's within that context: fine, they can get together. but they must break up.

that's the way out.

but again, we just don't know what we're dealing with yet. the rollercoaster car might have derailed already and it just hasn't flown away yet. or maybe we'll make it after a couple dicey turns and a fucking agonizing loop or two. man i hate not knowing.

[satyr-gardens]

Oh Brother, What have you done?

Cadmus appeared offended as he responded, "Money? I don't carry my wallet around when I'm with the common folk."

Bennie remained unimpressed, retorting, "Well then, could you please explain how you plan to pay for dinner for yourself and your three siblings? After all, you're the one who invited us out." As they strolled down Tourist Trap Ave, an outdoor mall in the Silver district of Inner City, Bennie's exasperation was clear. The place had all the standard attractions you'd expect to find in any major city: outlet stores for big brands, novelty shops, a couple of Oddity museums promoting unique and unusual exhibits found only here, and even an IMAX movie theatre offering a 4D experience.

Meanwhile, Karnus remained engrossed in his phone, catching up with friends via text since he had been out of service area for nearly two weeks due to his job. Syliph, Karnus's twin, who was partially blind himself, kept a hand on Karnus's shoulder not for his own support but to prevent him from bumping into strangers.

With a mischievous grin, Cadmus scanned the crowded plaza and noticed some scam games where people paid money to lose. He pointed at one that offered a $200 grand prize for pulling a gold brick through a hole.

Bennie, still unimpressed, asked, "How are you going to pay the fee to play?"

Cadmus responded with an incredulous look, saying, "Have we met? I'll just work my magic, obviously." He confidently walked over to the game operator, took his hand, and smiled, engaging in a mysterious silent exchange. After a few seconds of this, the game operator's face softened into a creepy, blissed-out look, thanks to Cadmus's skill with mental magic, which unnerved his younger siblings who had witnessed this power in action before.

"Karnus? Can you come here real quick?" Cadmus called out to his brother who was still absorbed in his phone.

"Nope," Bennie interjected, grabbing Karnus's shirt. "You got yourself into this, and you have to do it yourself. Besides, we're not paying for dinner, and that includes work-related activities."

Karnus looked up, his concentration broken from his phone. "What's going on?" he asked.

Bennie quickly filled him in, and Karnus's face showed annoyance. "Oh, screw off, Cadmus! Play the game yourself!"

Cadmus frowned, looking like an insulted owl for a second. "Fine," he grumbled, rolling up his sleeves.

The three siblings gathered around, planning on giving Cadmus the full peanut gallery experience.

Karnus started off teasingly, "Shouldn't be too hard considering how thin those arms are."

"True," Bennie chimed in, "but have you ever seen him pick up anything heavier than a martini glass?"

Syliph smiled, "I have. It was a big bottle of vodka... but well, I am partially blind, so it might have been a trick of the light."

The siblings giggled at their older brother's expense as Cadmus struggled to get a proper grip on the golden bar through the hole in the box. "You three suck!" he barked in frustration.

Once Cadmus managed to get a solid grip on the heavy gold bar, he muttered some magic words under his breath, much to the eye-rolling annoyance of Bennie, who knew exactly what he was doing. With magical assistance, Cadmus seemingly effortlessly lifted the golden bar through the hole, impressing the crowd of tourists. He handed the brick to the game operator and pocketed the cash prize before catching up with his brothers who were walking away.

"Well, I did it," Cadmus said, with a hint of pride.

"Yeah, but did you really?" Bennie retorted. "It was obvious what you were doing, and honestly, it was kind of shitty." The other two siblings nodded in agreement.

Cadmus tried to defend himself, "So what? I know it was underhanded, but so was that scam of a game."

Syliph interjected, "Sure, but Cadmus, you and that man live in entirely different worlds. You don't know his life. How could you possibly understand?"

Cadmus scoffed, "Guys, come on."

Karnus couldn't hold back his frustration, "No, you come on. You used magic to win at a game just to get $200 for dinner? Hell, you didn't even pay the man for the privilege. You manipulated his mind to let you do it! You know you didn't need to do any of this. We would have been happy if you just took us to one of your restaurants, but no, you had to look good in front of a crowd of tourists to feel special. You are such an ass, Cad." His anger was evident, and he didn't hold back his feelings.

"It's not that serious, guys! Fuck! You... Y-you don't know what that man was thinking about, but I do! He was..." Before he could continue, he was cut off by Bennie.

"Cadmus, just shut up. We don't want to know. Why would we? Next time, just use that big fucking brain of yours and plan ahead and use some fucking empathy for your fellow man. Come on, guys, let's go." Bennie summoned their spear with a blast of light and slammed it into the ground, creating a portal through which the three of them left, leaving Cadmus alone in the alleyway.

@passimtemere

[lenktreeservice]

Lenk Tree Service

Lenk Tree Service

+17174524937 169 Texaco Rd Mechanicsburg PA 17050 United States

https://www.lenktree.com/https://www.facebook.com/Lenk-Tree-Service-413347018833000/https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lenk+Tree+Service/@40.2197311,-77.0508021,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xee244a5f5c030a1a!8m2!3d40.2197311!4d-77.0508021

Our team of professionals performs tree removal, stump removal, lot clearing, tree trimming, tree identification and selection, historic tree preservation, stump grinding, shrubbery trimming and tree care services. Our team uses advanced equipment and tools to ensure that the job is completed efficiently. We believe that our business has continued to grow over the years due to the personalized service that we offer and the strong relationships we've formed since 1986. For more info visit Our Website: http://lenktree.com

Services: Tree Removal, Tree Trimming, Stump Grinding and Removal, Shrubbery Trimming, Shrub Removal, Spider Lift Service

Specialties: Tree Removal, Tree Trimming Services, Stump Removal, Shrubbery Trimming, Shrub Removal,

[bestentours11]

Top Adventurous Places to Visit in Singapore Tour Packages

Singapore, a city-state known for its modernity, cultural diversity, and vibrant attractions, is also a haven for adventure enthusiasts seeking thrilling experiences. From adrenaline-pumping activities to unique outdoor adventures, Singapore offers a myriad of options for travelers looking to add some excitement to their itinerary. Let's explore some of the top adventurous places to visit in Singapore tour packages.

1. Sentosa Island:

Sentosa Island is a playground for adventure seekers, offering a wide range of thrilling activities. From zip-lining at Mega Adventure Park to flying over the jungle canopy at AJ Hackett Sentosa, there's no shortage of adrenaline-pumping experiences to enjoy. Singapore tour packages often include Sentosa Island as a must-visit destination for adventure enthusiasts.

2. Universal Studios Singapore:

Universal Studios Singapore is not just a theme park; it's an adventure-packed destination where you can immerse yourself in the worlds of your favorite movies and characters. From heart-pounding roller coasters to immersive 4D attractions, Universal Studios offers an action-packed day out for thrill-seekers of all ages. Singapore tour packages often include tickets to Universal Studios as part of their itinerary.

3. Skydiving at iFly Singapore:

Experience the sensation of skydiving without jumping out of a plane at iFly Singapore, the world's largest indoor skydiving wind tunnel. With state-of-the-art technology and expert instructors, you can soar through the air and feel the rush of freefalling in a safe and controlled environment. Singapore tour packages often offer iFly Singapore experiences for adventurous travelers.

4. Bungee Jumping at AJ Hackett Sentosa:

For the ultimate adrenaline rush, head to AJ Hackett Sentosa and take the plunge with a bungee jump off the iconic Siloso Beach Tower. Feel the thrill of freefalling towards the crystal-clear waters below before being gently lifted back up to the platform. Singapore tour packages often include bungee jumping experiences for daredevil travelers looking for an unforgettable adventure.

5. Indoor Skydiving at Indoor Skydive Singapore:

Indoor Skydive Singapore offers another thrilling skydiving experience, this time in a vertical wind tunnel. Strap on a flight suit, helmet, and goggles, and feel the sensation of floating on a cushion of air as you experience the exhilaration of skydiving indoors. Singapore tour packages often include indoor skydiving sessions for travelers seeking high-flying adventures.

6. MegaZip Adventure Park:

Located on Sentosa Island, MegaZip Adventure Park is home to some of the longest and steepest zip lines in Asia. Soar high above the treetops and take in breathtaking views of the island as you zip from one platform to another. With multiple zip lines to choose from, MegaZip Adventure Park offers an adrenaline-fueled experience for thrill-seekers. Singapore tour packages often include visits to MegaZip Adventure Park for adventurous travelers.

7. Kayaking in Pulau Ubin:

Escape the hustle and bustle of the city and embark on a kayaking adventure in Pulau Ubin, a tranquil island located off the northeast coast of Singapore. Paddle through mangrove forests, explore hidden coves, and spot local wildlife as you immerse yourself in the natural beauty of this idyllic island. Singapore tour packages often include guided kayaking tours in Pulau Ubin for adventurous travelers looking to explore Singapore's wild side.

Conclusion:

Singapore may be known for its modern skyline and bustling city life, but it's also a playground for adventure seekers. From thrilling theme parks to high-flying skydiving experiences, there's no shortage of adventurous activities to enjoy in this dynamic city-state. Whether you're seeking adrenaline-pumping thrills or unique outdoor adventures, Singapore tour packages offer something for every adventurous traveler. So why wait? Embark on an adventure-filled journey to Singapore and create memories that will last a lifetime.

[xiaozb]

Fight against eye wrinkles and dark circles. Let's talk about some eye masks I've used before

Because the skin around the eyes is relatively fragile and sensitive, it is prone to problems. So I have invested a lot in eye care. In addition to applying eye cream every day, eye masks are also an essential part of me. Especially for those over the age of 25, it is important to pay attention to the maintenance of eye skin

Est é e Lauder Eye Mask

Remove dry lines due to dehydration

Applied to the eyes, there is a slight heating sensation, and the eye area is very tight after use. It has a significant effect on dry lines due to dehydration. There are many essence, which can be used to apply law lines after applying eyes.

There is a drawback, it is easy to slide and should be used flat.

Viicode Eye Mask

Light fine lines with black circles under the eyes

It is commonly used for staying up late. The texture of jelly gel essence can be used for staying up late. The usage is very suitable for lazy people like me. It can be directly pasted and finished. It belongs to the intensive repair eye mask at night, and it will not fall off even when watching a play or eating a night snack. Even if you stay up late at night, the dark circles under your eyes will not worsen, and your eye condition is still good. The fine lines under your eyes will also be ironed out a lot

CPB 4D Eye Mask

Moisturizing, lifting, and tightening

Expensive is really expensive, easy to use is really easy to use. It is very large and can cover even the forehead and nose. After application, it is moisturized and has a clear plumpness, and the brightening effect is also good. When in a bad state, apply first aid before a date.

Apart from applying eye mask, the others do not need to be cleaned.

[drcorycanada]

Does Smoking Affect Plastic  Surgery?

Smoking can adversely affect facial surgery results. Thus it is advised that you stop smoking for a facelift in Toronto. Click on the link and read completely how smoking can affect you and what the surgeon advises you about smoking before undergoing the plastic surgery treatment.

[biglovenrgy]

'*•.¸♡ new affs ♡¸.•*'

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

i've always been rich & spoiled 💅

i don't have to lift a single finger for anything, everything i want falls into my lap just like that ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

my desires want me a million times more ♡

manifesting is easy af, all i need to do is just think ab my desires then they're mine ⋆

it's so wonderful how i don't need to do anything to manifest, i just say it's mine then it's mine!

nothing can ruin, delay, or harm my manifestations - i am the goddess of my reality and i decide how and when things are going to happen ✨

i am THE standard, i am that bitch, i am the dream girl, i am the it girl

everything ab me is flawless

i'm the main character everywhere i go

i am everyone's favorite best girl

i radiate goddess princess energy all the time ୨୧

i'm the baddest bitch who gets every single thing she wants 💅

fuck the 3D and the 4D, they all conform to me.

only good things happen to me and my loved ones ♡

i always get what i want

isn't it wonderful that everything in my life is perfect

i look good all the time, no matter what

i am photogenic

i am confident af

people love me, being around me, talking to me, spending time with me, anything that has to do with me

my skin has always been, is, and will always be perfectly clear

i am literally model status

people love spoiling me with love, gifts, nice words, nice actions and money cuz i'm just that good

i am always getting money from everyone out of the blue. people love paying things for me and giving me cash 💵

I'm filthy rich but i still get tons of cash and gifts from everyonee

i'm not only top tier, I'm God tier

I'm funny I'm sexy I'm smart I'm pretty

i have a natural talent for singing

i can hit high notes better than ariana

i am the queen of singing and high notes

my whistle notes sound like Mariah

i am literally living my dream life

i always get what I want NO MATTER WHAT.

I am always abundant, spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally, financially and it feels so easy and this is permanent as if it was written for me.

It is absolutely normal for me to be THIS perfect.

It feels like everything takes care of all of my desires.

It is always easy to manifest and things shift instantly, within seconds

The path to get my desires is always so beautiful, easy and every step feels even more beautiful than the previous one.

I can rest all day, I can sometimes not even have to correct my thoughts but I still get what I want. Mental diet is my choice to keep myself mentally happy.

[astridbecks]

Technically the fifth installment in this series, but like… a month late. Hope y’all wanted some 4D-chess-playing Archmage Astrid Beck content? 

Also on AO3.

— — —

Disguise Self (1st-level illusion) Range: Self Duration: 1 hour 

You make yourself—including your clothing, armor, weapons, and other belongings on your person—look different until the spell ends or until you use your action to dismiss it. 

— — —

The headmaster’s office sits at the top of the tallest tower on the grounds of the Soltryce Academy. From the tower entrance to the paneled mahogany door, there are three hundred and twenty eight stone stairs. The sole purpose of this seems to be to inflict a sense of mounting anticipation on anyone summoned to speak with the Archmage of Conscription, from student to professor to fellow archmage. 

Astrid stands on the first landing and contemplates the paperwork she abandoned five minutes ago (low priority), the likelihood that this visit will earn her the Martinet’s censure if word of it reaches him (moderate priority), and the value of a well-timed entrance (high priority). Then she casts Dimension Door, bypassing the next three hundred and seven stairs in favor of appearing directly outside the headmaster’s office. 

She lifts her hand and gives a brisk knock. 

“Enter,” a voice calls from within.

Astrid pushes the door open. The office is much as she remembers it from her days as a student — the books on the shelves arranged differently, perhaps; the curtains slightly sun-faded. The area rug is new, a thickly woven and expensive-looking piece of Marquesian design. The rest, though, hasn’t changed. A desk nearly as wide as Astrid is tall, ornamented with mother-of-pearl. A shimmering illusion of the Soltryce Academy seal on the wall behind the desk. A window on the far wall that looks out across the campus, making Zivan’s usually metaphorical preoccupation with oversight entirely literal. Even the air smells the same: aged parchment, bitter incense, a nearly imperceptible hint of ozone. 

Zivan Margolin sits behind the desk, hands folded and deep blue robes immaculate. His stern expression falters somewhat as he takes in her presence, but he recovers quickly enough to say, “Ah, Archmage Beck. You are… not who I was expecting.”

Astrid raises an eyebrow. “Oh, indeed?” 

“Yes, I have a meeting—” He glances at the clock on the wall. “Very soon, in fact.” 

“In that case, I’ll just wait here until you’re done.” 

She steps inside before he can object. Arcane static ripples across the back of her neck as the ward on the door registers her illusion spell. Zivan half-rises from his seat, faint alarm flickering across his face. He opens his mouth — probably to accuse her of being an imposter disguised as a Cerberus Assembly archmage — and Astrid holds up a hand in insincere apology and drops Disguise Self. 

Her illusory robes fade to reveal what she wears beneath — clothing that she hasn’t had occasion to wear in a few years, but that still fits her like a second skin. Black, combat-ready. She usually makes a point of having the sleeves of her robes tailored to alternately show or hide the maze of tattoos on her arms depending on the message she wants to send that day, but here there is no pretense. The sleeves are rolled up, the black ink displayed in much the same way a bare blade might be. If the Volstrucker had a uniform, this would have been it. 

Zivan’s face goes several shades paler as he sits back down, eyes tracking Astrid as she crosses the room. The thick, expensive carpet renders her steps whisper-silent. 

He clears his throat, managing to regain his composure. “As I said, I do have a meeting.” 

“Don’t worry, Headmaster. I can be patient.” She leans with calculated nonchalance against a bookshelf, pretending to peruse the titles, and settles in to wait. 

It’s not long before there’s another knock at the door — five minutes, maybe less. She’s cut it closer than she’d like. Another few minutes of making Zivan squirm would have been preferable. 

With a far less imperious tone than before, Zivan calls, “Yes, come in.”

The door opens. Caleb steps through, still in his professorial robes with a scarf wrapped loosely around his neck as though he’d decided to stop by the headmaster’s office on his way home. The scarf is a soft lavender-gray silk, not exactly Caleb’s usual style and unlikely to offer much protection against the mid-autumn chill. He gives Zivan a respectful nod, then glances at Astrid, brow furrowing in a subtle question. Astrid, of course, does not respond. She’s better trained than that. 

Caleb huffs once — amusement or irritation, hard to tell — and says, “I hope I’m not interrupting anything, Headmaster.” 

“No, not at all,” Zivan reassures him. “Archmage Beck’s visit was… unscheduled.” He gestures to the high-backed chair in front of his desk. The seat is a few inches shorter than the one he himself sits in, which is an intimidation tactic that likely works very well on children and much less well on former Scourgers. 

Caleb remains standing, folding his hands behind his back. His stance shifts ever so slightly — shoulders squared, chin lifted. 

Zivan raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t insist. “I assume you know why I’ve called you here.” 

“Nein, I have no idea.” 

“Really? I’ve received several complaints from students about the… tone of some of your class discussions, Professor Widogast.” 

Caleb frowns, looking convincingly concerned for a moment. “My students know that if a topic of discussion makes them uncomfortable, they are welcome to take a moment to step away free of judgment and discuss the matter with me later if they wish to. That is something I stress on the very first day of class.” 

“You misunderstand,” Zivan starts to say, then trails off as Astrid draws a small dagger and begins to clean under her nails with the tip. 

Caleb’s gaze briefly flicks to her, and this time she does let the corner of her mouth quirk, acknowledging the truly amateurish tactic. The more embarrassing part — for Zivan, anyway — is that it’s working, if the look on his face is any indication.

“What am I misunderstanding, Headmaster?” Caleb asks mildly. 

Zivan clears his throat, apparently switching tactics. “I will be frank. I do not think that political rhetoric belongs in a lecture about transmutative theory.” 

“Ah,” Caleb says. “But introductory courses should provide a wide base of knowledge to students, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Some of your comments have allegedly strayed towards sentiments that could be considered treasonous,” Zivan says acerbically, then makes the mistake of looking at Astrid again. Astrid, who has shifted to balancing her knife point-first on top of one of the bookshelves and slowly spinning the blade, looks back impassively.

“If you’re referring to my most recent classes,” Caleb says, “the discussion was one of ethics. I do not find that treasonous — do you?”

“Young students have impressionable minds,” Zivan says, smoothly sidestepping the bait. He’s avoiding glancing at Astrid now. “I would hate for them to be set down the wrong path because of a careless word from a popular professor.”

Caleb’s voice drops into quiet intensity. “I assure you, the last thing I want to do is cause harm to any of my students at such a formative point in their lives.” 

Astrid watches the light play off her blade as she rotates it once, twice in the pause that follows. She doesn’t need to look at Caleb’s face to know what sort of raw emotion is burning in his eyes.

In the periphery of her vision, she watches Zivan’s posture tighten. “Consider this a warning, then. I do not wish to have this conversation with you again. Please be… mindful.” 

“I certainly will.” Caleb’s voice is remarkably even given how tightly his hands are knotted together behind his back. 

“You may leave, Professor Widogast.” 

Caleb gives a stiff nod and exits the room. 

Silence settles heavily over the office. Astrid stops spinning her blade but keeps it balanced with a single finger as she looks to Zivan. Zivan, for his part, has not relaxed in the slightest. He’s watching her with a wariness usually reserved for large predators. Attacking a fellow archmage would be an inefficient way of signing her own death sentence, and they both know she should be too sensible to outright threaten such a thing — aloud, at least. But there’s a fracture of uncertainty across Zivan’s patient mask. He knows better than most what the Volstrucker were. He can guess at the sorts of violence she’s capable of. Astrid has worked hard to be taken seriously as an archmage in her own right, instead of as Trent’s best-trained attack dog who happened to fight her way to the top of the pack, but when it is in her interest, she can allow her own mask to slip.

The silence stretches, lingers painfully. Zivan breaks first, of course. “Is there something you need from me, Archmage?” 

“Hm.” Astrid tilts her head, pretending to consider the question. “You know, I don’t believe there is.” She flips her dagger into her palm, tip pointed to the floor, and indulges for just a moment in a fantasy of burying it in his throat. The bloodstains would never come out of his expensive rug. 

Anger flickers briefly across his face. “Then what, exactly, was this a demonstration of?”

“It was more of a courtesy call, truthfully.” 

“I will not stand for—“

“I would never expect you to stand for anything, Headmaster.” She sheathes her dagger in a single abrupt motion. Zivan flinches, then tries to pretend he didn’t.

Old habits die hard. Old fears die harder. Somewhere deep beneath the Headmaster’s placating smile, he is terrified that one of his old mistakes will someday stab him in his sleep. 

Or, indeed, in his office.

Astrid smiles. It’s sharp and nearly feral, and Zivan looks away as she says, “Lovely as always to talk with you.” 

With a gesture and a murmured word, she recasts her illusion. Her robes settle around her once more in an insubstantial swirl of scarlet, like blood into water.

:::

Astrid decides to take the stairs this time and is unsurprised to find Caleb waiting for her three landings down. He’s staring out the window, the late afternoon sunlight through the thick glass casting hazy shadows across his face as he fiddles with the hem of his scarf. 

“That was a very quick meeting,” he says. 

“Mm. It was unscheduled.” 

“Yours may have been. Mine less so — I have been expecting a summons from him for about a week. He always gets antsy during my unit on ethics, and this semester’s class is a bit more… bold.” Caleb turns to give her a penetrating stare. She does not look away until he adds, “When did you get word that he planned to accuse me of sedition?”

About twenty minutes ago, but he doesn’t need to know that. She almost wants to retort that he shouldn’t assume that everything is about him, but in this specific instance that would be too easy to refute. “It wasn’t a full accusation. He was just testing the waters.”

“I suppose your presence made sure that that was as far as it went this time.”

Astrid raises an eyebrow. “I doubt that the headmaster values my opinion of your character that highly.” 

“You know what I mean.”

She does, and she’s not taking the bait. Instead, she says, “‘The only sources of institutionalized magical education within the Empire should not be governed by a single political entity,’ hm?”

It’s a direct quote from one of Caleb’s most recent lectures. He shrugs, unbothered. “It’s the truth.”

Astrid slips into Zemnian to say, “I didn’t say you were wrong.” They’ve skirted around that topic before, themselves — she’d offered him an annex position when he kept questioning her drafted reforms to the Volstrucker program, and he’d refused on the basis of not wanting to mix his professorship with direct employment by an archmage. (Never mind that Zivan is technically his current employer. Caleb insists that it’s different, and — well, she can’t say he’s wrong there, either.) 

“I have nothing to hide from the Headmaster or anyone else on the Assembly,” Caleb replies in the same language — ironic, and also a blatant lie. 

Coolly: “I’d hope not, with the risks you take. In the future, could you possibly schedule your lightly treasonous lectures at less inconvenient times?”

He huffs again, this time unmistakably in amusement. “My apologies for not being more considerate of your schedule, Archmage.” 

“Apology accepted.”

A pause. Caleb’s gaze slips away again, through the window to the courtyard below. “Astrid?” 

“Yes?” 

“Thank you.” His voice is too soft, almost unfairly so. She catches the minute tremble in his hands, the way he stops rubbing the edge of the delicate scarf between his fingers and instead folds them together as though to avoid doing something else with them. With his perfect memory, stepping into that office is probably even more disorienting than it is for her. She’s never asked him how he can stand walking the halls of this school when every classroom, every stairwell is layered with memories. 

Astrid follows his gaze out the window. In the courtyard, students — children — are gathered in pairs or small groups, taking advantage of the autumn sunlight to study outside despite the cold air. 

Young students have impressionable minds. As though Zivan had never written their names on a list and handed it to Ikithon, knowing what fate he was consigning them to. Astrid had been fifteen; Bren and Eadwulf had been fourteen. They were young. They had impressionable minds.

“I won’t accept your gratitude,” she tells Caleb.

He looks at her. “Why not?”

This wasn’t a favor Astrid had paid him. Even absent the constant calculus of being an archmage of the Cerberus Assembly, where playing the part of a barely-leashed attack dog in Zivan’s office has its occasional place, she doesn’t want Caleb in her debt. She is a bit resentful of the fact that he won’t even offer to be in her debt, even if she would refuse it. But she knows why, as he must know why she protected him today. They’ll never fully trust each other again, but they’ve rebuilt something like understanding over the past three years. 

Astrid tries to pretend that looking at him doesn’t still hurt sometimes. Regret is a familiar ghost, one that’s haunted her for decades, but it always finds unexpected ways to sink its teeth in. Today, it’s the way the sun through the window catches the copper in Caleb’s hair, crowning him in soft flame, lending a golden tint to the violet-smoke scarf sitting light as a lover’s touch around his throat. 

“I doubt you’ll be changing anything about your syllabus just to suit my schedule,” she says, which isn’t really an answer to his question. 

She sees the moment Caleb decides to have mercy on her and let the subject go. He reaches out and lays a gentle, tentative hand on her arm, touch passing through the illusory sleeve of her robe to land on bare skin. “Well. Not for the Archmage of Civil Influence, but maybe for an old friend, I could make some allowances.”

His hand is warm where it rests lightly over her tattoos and scars. You don’t need to do that, she thinks, suddenly tired. There’s no need to persuade her, no hurt feelings he can soothe. 

Astrid sighs. “Be more careful, Caleb.”

“Hm. I’ll take that under consideration.”

Another blatant lie, but one she’ll do him the courtesy of not pointing out. She steps back, slipping free from his grasp, and begins to weave the somatic components for a Teleport. 

Caleb gives her a small, soft smile. “Auf Wiedersehen, Astrid.” 

 :::

When Astrid returns to her tower, Eadwulf takes one look at her uniform and barks a laugh. “Who did you need to scare the shit out of today?”  

Astrid considers deflecting before giving in with a lazy shrug.  “Headmaster Margolin.”

She kicks off her shoes, leaving them in the entry hall, and stalks over to where Eadwulf has draped himself across a couch. He puts the book he’d been reading face-down on the end table as she perches on the arm of the couch next to him, propping her chin in one hand and narrowing her eyes at nothing in particular. 

“Sounds fun. What was the occasion?” Eadwulf rests his cheek against her thigh to look up at her. Astrid runs her other hand idly through his bath-damp hair. He smells like cherries and vanilla, and his hand is warm as he brings it up to rest against her calf. 

She hums noncommittally. “Sometimes it’s good to remind him what his vigilance has wrought.” 

The first academic year after she was elevated to archmage, Zivan had handed her the usual list of potential candidates for the Volstrucker program. All of them were first year students — fourteen, fifteen years of age at most. She’d smiled and thanked him, then promptly set the parchment alight. The scorched palm would have been worth the look on his face even without the benefit of the message it sent without her having to say it aloud. 

Not like this. Not any longer. 

“Are you planning on making a habit of reminding him?” Eadwulf asks, leaning into her touch. 

“Only if he makes a habit of eavesdropping on lectures in search of potential treason. It is entirely his choice.” 

A pause, then: “Oh, is that who this is about.”

“I don’t know what you could possibly mean,” she says primly, understanding perfectly well what he means. “I’m just making the jurisdictional lines clear. Investigations of that sort are ultimately a matter of civil influence, even when they involve Soltryce faculty.” 

“Mm. Staking out your territory?”

“Marking my claim like the hound he believes me to be.” Her hand falls still, fingers tangled in the longer hair at the nape of Eadwulf’s neck, where it always starts to curl when he hasn’t cut his hair in a while. For just a moment, she allows herself to think about the days after Trent’s death, when it had seemed so plausible that Eadwulf would spin away from her without their teacher’s inexorable gravity trapping them both in his orbit. Eadwulf had always hated politics, had never wanted an Assembly seat, and she would’ve forgiven him eventually if he’d chosen to flee to another continent rather than return to Rexxentrum with her. 

Astrid could’ve done this alone if she had to. She doesn’t think she’s ever thanked Eadwulf for not making her do that — not in as many words. But they’re both fluent in the same language of unspoken things. The games she’s playing now are more dangerous than a few implied threats against Zivan. Refraining from telling Eadwulf about them in any real depth is both a precaution for herself and a courtesy for him. 

“Anyways,” she says lightly. “If I’ve heard about it as an uninvolved party, clearly he’s mismanaging his faculty. That makes it my business.” 

Eadwulf sounds fond as he says, “I don’t want to know how many eyes and ears you’ve got at that school.” 

“No,” Astrid agrees. “You probably don’t.” 

[canmom]

2ku Twosday 2×2×2×2×2×2 + 2 + 2 +1: Cube

Ah, would that we could have a more numerically auspicious number this Twosday 22/02/2022! The twosiest day for the next two hundred years! By which point, who knows, the Gregorian calendar may no longer be in use.

To celebrate the number two, I had the idea of watching a series of cult Canadian horror films all themed around a very twosy shape, the cube. After all, what is a cube but the result of repeated doubling?

Like I said, very twosy shape.

So yeah, we’re gonna watch the movie Cube (1997)! And its sequel Cube 2: Hypercube (2002) and prequel Cube Zero (2007). For ‘Toku Tuesday’ purity, it would be nice if I could show the Japanese remake of the first movie that came out last year, but it’s not on nyaa, presumably bc it hasn’t seen the BD release yet. Maybe another day.

So what’s Cube about? It’s about people dying in a big cube full of lethal traps! That’s basically it! It’s a kind of guro-y psychological horror thing I guess.

Why is there a big death cube? This question is pointedly not answered, though characters speculate. The cube was built by some kind of mysterious bureaucracy, and one of the prisoners helped design it; Wikipedia terms the film’s ‘Kafkaesque’ tone one of the major reasons for its cult following.

The writer and director of the first film, Vincenzo Natali, developed the idea from the 1961 Twilight Zone episode Five Characters in Search of an Exit, which also imagines five characters of diverse origins thrown together in a confined space. To gain funding, he shot a short film Elevated that takes place entirely in a... lift (¬¬), selling the money men on the idea of a film taking place in confined spaces.

The Cube itself was designed by, who else, a mathematician:

The fictional Cube device in the film was conceived by mathematician David W. Pravica, who also served as the film's math consultant.[19] It consists of an outer cubical shell (the sarcophagus) and the inner cube. Each side of the outer shell is 434 feet (132 m) long. The inner cube consists of 263 = 17,576 cubical rooms (minus an unknown number of rooms to allow for movement, as shown in the film), each having a side length of 15.5 feet (4.7 m). There is a space of 15.5 feet (4.7 m) between the inner cube and the outer shell. Each room is labelled with three identification numbers, for example, 517 478 565. These numbers encode the starting coordinates of the room and the X, Y, and Z coordinates are the sums of the digits of the first, second, and third number, respectively. The numbers also determine the movement of the room - the subsequent positions are obtained by cyclically subtracting the digits from one another, and the resulting numbers are then successively added to the starting numbers.[20]

To shoot this, they built a single cube-shaped room, whose colour could be changed with gel panels. The tiny budget could only stretch to five colours of panel rather than the planned 6.

Natali apparently wrote a script for a followup film taking place outside the Cube, but destroyed it when it became clear that this film wouldn’t get made. Instead, the film saw two sequels by other directors: Hypercube brought in Polish cinematographer Andrzej Sekuła, trying to make a more abstract scenario with a 4D hypercube with odd gravitational effects, although the CGI of the time struggled to portray this convincingly; Zero saw Ernie Barbarash, the producer of Hypercube, step into the director’s chair to tell a story taking place, in part, outside the cube. These films go a little further to try to explain the existence and purpose of the cube, bringing in a concept of a government inducing amnesia in prisoners and sending them into the cube in lieu of outright execution. It is, apparently, less psychological horror and more gore oriented.

They all get... mixed reviews, but I think the premise sounds very interesting - I actually had the whole trilogy on DVD for years and... never watched it, for some reason, so tonight I feel like remedying that. If that sounds like fun, drop by in a couple hours at around 7pm UK time (may be a bit later, I’ll keep you posted!) at twitch.tv/canmom...

[wyrmzone]

Ask game: taz all seasons, gemshim inpact, all zelda games (monsters absolutely count)

i couldnt remember the characters from other taz seasons sorry so its just amnesty and balance

taz amnesty:

blorbo: i love duck a lot hes so good

the scrunkly: Dr Harris Bonkers PhD!!!

scrimblo bimblo: i really like pigeon i wish she had a little more "screentime"

glup shitto: vincent isnt really obscure but i love him

poor little meow meow: ned "meow meow" chicane

horse plinko: probably ned again

eeby deeby: none of them deserve eeby deeby except maybe some of the orchestrators of the interplanetary wars

taz balance:

blorbo: i cant choose between magnus and lup tbh theyre both so good

the scrunkly: fisher and angus, i dont want to smoosh angus but i would attempt to smoosh fisher they r very shaped i bet

scrimblo bimblo: upsy, your lifting friend - MY lifting friend. why is it wet in there. i love it

glup shitto: kind of a deep cut but i really like randall from the big bass minigame from that one liveshow idk why i just have this super clear image in my head of a gray-bearded man in a yellow coat with 1 tooth

poor little meow meow: john hunger honestly i love the one ship where merle is secretly dating him while the others think johns dead. also jenkins

horse plinko: boyland i cant explain it i just think it would be really funny

eeby deeby: maybe team wonderland though im pretty sure theyre already in eeby deeby

zelda:

blorbo: link <3 absolute gender legend hes a horse girl hes a sword kid hes trans in 4D

the scrunkly: the spider boss from twilight princess with the tarantula wizard song, midna, all koroks, botw fox, boko baba from wind waker, and the kikwi from skyward sword

scrimblo bimblo: this might not count but the great fairies from wind waker are the superior great fairies theyre so much cooler

glup shitto: i was looking at a list of zelda characters and it turns out theres a character named Roscoe whos literally. a shrine orb. and if you unlock his shrine he just dies. anyway spinch and spinch (the spinches) for sure. also medli and the fat fuck pig from wind waker and botw rainbow pigeon

poor little meow meow: helmaroc king hes just a funny bird and also kilton bc like. same

horse plinko: beedle for some reason he just has a very plinko-worthy vibe

eeby deeby: tingle

gemshim impact:

blorbo: albedo (chief alchemist, searching for the meaning of life, painter and illustrator, figuring out the intricacies of human interaction), childe (in the 99.5th percentile of "number of people murdered")

the scrunkly: pufferfish bc their little faces ... and slimbes... and one of klee's attacks makes a bunch of little guys appear theyre literally so cute and they blow up (klee is the little arsonist elf girl)

scrimblo bimblo: razor (wolf boy) bc i love him he deserves to be appreciated

glup shitto: baishi (lesbian secretary whos absolutely into her boss)

poor little meow meow: childe does not have a great track record but he makes swords out of water and he can actually throw an arrow harder than he can shoot one with a bow which is very funny. xiao (edgy) has sinned but hes not problematic bc hes spent like hundreds of years atoning by suffering physical karmic pains. itto (himbo oni) got in trouble but is not problematic bc it was for good reasons

horse plinko: kaeya a little bit bc i cant just write childe for every field (kaeya is eyepatch man)

eeby deeby: hu tao (funeral parlor director) bc you cant just threaten to bury the zombie girl

scrunklies gallery:

eating him + tiny bombs + slimpe

SHAPE.

[cheri-translates]

[CN] Fireworks Event - Shaw

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for an event which has not been released in English servers! 🍒

This contains important references to Shaw’s Summer Night Date and his Aftertaste ASMR!

Previous section: here

3rd Anniversary Masterlist: here 

Prior to the Carnival, there were questions posed in the Go See You feature which affects which scenario the player sees during the Fireworks Event:

Question 1: If you had to pick, which amusement park attraction do you like the most?

Option A: Something more exhilarating - the Super Splash.

Option B: Attractions like the 4D theatre would be very interesting!

Option C: If it’s with you, the small mine wagons!

-

Question 2: “A perfect day”? Tell me about it.

Option A: You listening to me for the entire day.

Option B: Receiving the present I want most.

--

[ Prologue ]

Although the golden glow of sunset descends quietly, the liveliness of the amusement doesn’t reduce by one bit.

Shaw: It’s almost time to head over. 

MC: What? 

Seeing my puzzled expression, Shaw frowns, then reaches out to flick my forehead.

Shaw: You’ve already forgotten what you said yourself?

[ Option A: Something more exhilarating - the Super Splash. ]

When we arrive at our destination, we happen to make it just in time for the final ride of the “Super Splash” attraction.

Unexpectedly, he remembered the answer I gave to him a few days earlier. A smile involuntarily surfaces on my lips. 

However, when we board the boat, I realise that Shaw isn’t really that excited. 

MC: ...why don’t you look excited at all? Don't you like such exhilarating rides?

Shaw: What’s so exhilarating about getting drenched? If you like it, you can report to me daily. I can help you experience it every day.

MC: There’s no need for that...

While saying this, I open the raincoat in my hands, but see that there’s a very large hole at the top.

MC: Oh no, my raincoat is broken!

At this moment, the staff member has already walked over to us, preparing to press down on the safety bars. 

Shaw: Hold on. 

Shaw signals that he should wait, then smoothly removes his raincoat, covering it over me. 

Shaw: Wear it properly.

MC: But you...

Shaw: There are no ‘but’s. I don’t want to see how silly you’ll look sneezing in front of me later.

Along with the low grunts of the machinery, the boat makes its gradual ascent. Shaw crosses his arms over his chest, seated unperturbedly.

MC: Why don’t you wear my raincoat? It could shield you from some of the water.

Shaw: No need. I’ll get drenched anyway.

Faint light illuminates our faces. The boat has already reached the opening of the cave. I refuse to give in, handing him the raincoat. 

MC: ...you really aren’t going to cover yourself?

Shaw: Nope.

With his words, the boat dives vertically. A sense of weightlessness overcomes me instantly, and the surrounding water floats around us like mist. In the midst of the misty rain, I reach out with both my arms, pulling Shaw tightly to myself. 

Shaw’s eyes widen slightly. As compared to the vertically falling boat, the scene before him seems to leave him even more in shock.

Perhaps he hasn’t even noticed that the corners of his lips have curled upwards, akin to the vague rainbows underneath the misty rain.

After getting off the boat, I look at Shaw excitedly. 

MC: Wasn’t it even more interesting than imagined? You had a great time, didn’t you!

Shaw casts a glance at me, releasing a soft “hmph”.

Shaw: It was all right. But it was pretty sudden...

MC: What? 

Shaw: Nothing much.

Rain gradually patters down, which is a little special for a winter day.

Although I tried my best to cover him earlier, there are still numerous areas where he got drenched.

Water droplets pelt onto Shaw’s fringe, which make his pretty golden coloured eyes all the more bright.

MC: This rain came so abruptly...

Shaw: Forget about it. It’d stop after a while. Where do you plan to go next?

--

[ Option B: Attractions like the 4D theatre would be very interesting! ]

Because of the carnival event, the 4D theatre has also prepared all sorts of movies for visitors to choose from. 

Unexpectedly, he remembered the answer I gave to him a few days earlier. A smile involuntarily surfaces on my lips. 

MC: Shaw, what kind of movie do you want to watch?

Shaw: It’s fine as long as it’s interesting.

MC: What kind of a request is that... mm, what about this comedy?

Shaw: Looks pretty boring. 

MC: A horror film?

Shaw: I’m not afraid.

Shaw suddenly reaches out to the screen with a finger, and points at the name of a film.

Shaw: This one doesn't look bad. 

MC: “Speed” ...have you watched it before?

Shaw: Nope.

Shaw shrugs, as though it’s a natural thing.

Shaw: The name isn’t bad.

Since I don’t have an opinion, we end up selecting the movie which Shaw thinks has a pretty good name.

Perhaps because it’s too hardcore for couples, there aren’t many people in the viewing hall.

The edited film very quickly enters its climax. On the screen, the protagonist is blocked by the antagonist at the intersection. In the next second, a punch heads squarely towards his face--

MC: !

I suddenly feel someone “hitting” my shoulder.

Scanning my surroundings, I don’t see anyone around. As such, I tug at Shaw’s sleeve, speaking softly--

MC: Watch the movie properly.

Shaw: ?

Shaw furrows his brows slightly, lacking understanding.

I ignore him, whipping my head around to continue watching the movie. However, in less than half a minute, someone “hits” me again from the back.

MC: ...

Turning my head, I reach out to whack the person next to me.

MC: [softly] Is it really that fun? Pay attention.

Shaw fixes his eyes on me for a while. Then, he suddenly leans in closer, grabbing my wrist.

The light from the screen illuminates his face. I can sense his unsuppressed gaze, and I feel inexplicably nervous.

MC: ...what is it?

He doesn’t respond, but simply draws even closer, his warm breath falling on my ear--

Shaw: [softly] Are you a fool?

After saying this, he tugs my hand, placing it on the back of the chair. A wave of tremors occur in a second.

He swings the hand he’s holding onto tightly. Even after shooting him an apologetic gaze, he doesn’t loosen his grip.

Shaw: Hmph.

After the movie ends, we stand at the entrance of the theatre. I smile at Shaw, a little embarrassed.

MC: ...hehe, I was wrong for accusing you earlier.

Shaw: Oh? So how do you plan to make up for it?

--

[ Option C: If it’s with you, the small mine wagons! ]

A light breeze blows my hair up. The relatively slow-moving small mine wagons courses along the mountain range, moving into the ore mine shimmering with jewels.

Unexpectedly, he remembered the answer I gave to him a few days earlier. A smile involuntarily surfaces on my lips.

Shaw: You’re smiling so happily. Looks like you’ve finally found an attraction suited for you.

A teasing voice drifts to my ear.

Turning my head, I see that Shaw is leaning against the chair of the small mine wagon, and the entire image looks like a strange fit.

MC: Pfft...

Shaw: What’s so funny?

MC: I thought you’d be vehemently against this.

Shaw: Why?

MC: After all, these types of attractions are really boring to you, aren’t they?

Shaw: It is pretty boring.

Shaw pauses, then he continues.

Shaw: But after getting to know you, we’ve done so many boring things together. Not just this.

The cooling wind lifts his fringe up gently. Although he said that it’s boring, Shaw’s face reveals a relaxed and pure smile.

The mine car gradually climbs to the highest spot. A tender emotion follows suit, bubbling upwards from my heart. Just as I’m about to say something, a shrill cry suddenly comes from behind us.

Visitor: Waaa-----!!!

After a short silence, Shaw and I can’t help but laugh. He leans over, sticking close to my ear.

Shaw: Hey. When you on the U-shaped rollercoaster earlier, did you want to scream like that too?

MC: Of course not!

Shaw: Oh?

Capturing a hint of playfulness in Shaw’s eyes, there’s a stirring in my heart, and I clear my throat--

MC: It was so scary--

Shaw is stunned for a moment. With a laugh, he responds.

Shaw: You’re so lame--

We laugh while looking at each other, feeling an indescribable carefreeness and relaxation. As such, I summon my strength, and scream loudly.

MC: Shaw, you’re even more lame--

I fail to notice that the small mine wagons are currently passing by a ravine. The ravine is open and spacious, and echos are given extra effect.

"Shaw, you’re even more lame--”, "Shaw, you’re even more lame--”, "Shaw, you’re even more lame...”

Shaw: ...

MC: ...

The entire ravine echoes with my voice.

After we get off the small mine wagon, I try to placate Shaw by shooting him a smile.

MC: Sorry, I didn’t think my voice would be so loud...

Shaw looks at me angrily, then bends his finger to tap on my head.

Shaw: In that case, how do you plan to make it up to me?

[ PART TWO PROLOGUE ]

After pondering for a moment, I feel apologetic, taking out a map from my bag, and shooting him a secret smile.

Following the map, I bring Shaw to a veranda.

As the fireworks display is about to begin, visitors have all rushed to the plaza, and this place doesn’t have many people. 

Shaw: Why did you bring me here? 

MC: You don’t really like liveliness, do you? There are few people here, it’s quiet, and it’s a good place to view the fireworks. 

I wave the map in front of him in satisfaction.

MC: I did quite a lot of homework and found this ideal spot. How is it? Do you feel a little touched?

Shaw doesn’t say anything, simply looking at me quietly. After a short pause, his eyebrows suddenly arch upwards.

Shaw: Hey, do you still remember the other question I asked you?

[ Option A: You listening to me for the entire day. ]

After a few seconds of recollection, I nod. 

MC: You were talking about what counts as “a perfect day”, right? Back then, my answer was that I hoped you’d listen to me for the entire day.

Shaw: That’s right. But a day is definitely not possible. I’ll give you thirty seconds to think about it, and you can make me do anything.

I blink, a little dumbfounded. 

Shaw: From now, the countdown will begin--

MC: W-wait! Isn’t this too sudden?

Shaw: I don’t think so. Twenty-five seconds left.

MC: Let me think about it!

Shaw: Rejected. Twenty-three seconds. 

MC: You... I want you to...

Shaw: Twenty seconds. 

MC: ...stop counting!!

While Shaw does the countdown, time passes quickly. By the time he finishes counting, I have yet to decide on what he should do.

In the end, I release a sigh.

MC: ...forget it.

Shaw: Six... hm?

His voice halts.

MC: I think you're pretty good the way you are right now.

I pause, looking at him seriously.

MC: Very infuriating at times, but very straightforward, and very frank. There’s nothing special I want you to do. If I have to say something, it’d be for you to remain the way you are right now. 

Shaw is stunned for a moment. His eyes are fixed on me. After a moment, he suddenly lowers his head and laughs. 

I’m not sure which sentence tickled him, and I look at him with mild confusion.

Shaw: Have I ever told you that you’re really very interesting sometimes? 

MC: ...only sometimes?

Although I’m not sure what he’s thinking about, I can’t help but smile when I see him laughing so heartily.

Gradually, he has his fill of laughter. As he looks at me, his voice brings with it a smile and certainty.

Shaw: I think you’re pretty good the way you are too. I quite like it.

My heart seems to be tugged by something. Shaw looks at me and chuckles softly.

Shaw: I’ll agree to it. The other request you said offhandedly, I’ll agree to it too.

MC: What?

Shaw: Mull over it yourself.

--

[ Option B: Receiving the present I want most. ]

Looking at him, I respond after a moment.

MC: I even thought you forgot about it. 

A few days ago, Shaw asked me what counts as “a perfect day”. Back then, my response as “receiving the present I want most”.

MC: But seeing that you’re empty-handed and didn’t even bring a bag, it looks like you didn’t prepare a present.

Shaw: How did you know I didn’t prepare anything? Not bringing a bag doesn’t mean I came empty-handed.

He whips out his phone from his pocket. Seconds after giving it a few taps, I feel the phone in my bag vibrating.

I tap on the screen, and see that Shaw has sent me a message - he’s shared an album with me. 

MC: “Cherish life, stay away from late nights”...what’s this?

Shaw: An album for insomnia I prepared for you.

Seeing that I'm slightly baffled, a hint of a smile flashes across Shaw’s eyes.

Shaw: Doesn’t everyone want good health? 

MC: ...you’re not wrong. But I think the words “stay away from late nights” don’t carry much persuasive power when they’re from you.

Shaw: Exactly. Don’t stay up late so often. Don’t learn from me. 

Curious, I tap on the album, and discover that its filled with jazz, blues, classics, and all sorts of songs.

MC: So you don’t just listen to rock...

Shaw: What kind of strange misunderstandings do you have about me?

I scroll to the bottom, and notice a few familiar rock songs - I see them often on Shaw’s MP4. 

MC: Pfft, isn’t this an album for insomnia? 

Shaw: Mm. If you really can’t sleep, then you might as well not sleep.

MC: Thank you. I quite like this present.

I nod sincerely, shooting him a smile.

MC: I came across a saying once. “Through a persons’ playlist, you can understand him even more.” In that case, when I finish listening to all the songs in this album, does it mean I’ll have a better understanding of you?

He looks at me, the corners of his lips rising slowly. The night is behind him, as though he’s a part of this present.

Shaw: You could give it a try.

“Bang--” A firework suddenly blooms in the sky, and we look towards the sound.

[ PART TWO ENDING ]

The resplendent fireworks seem to brighten the entire night. In the gorgeous flowing lights, that colour I had chosen is especially outstanding.

[ FIREWORKS ]

-

Shaw: Don’t you think watching the fireworks like this is pretty boring?

MC: In that case, how does one make it more interesting? 

Shaw: You’ve got to add background music.

He takes out an MP4 from his pocket, and a pair of earpieces are suddenly stuffed into my ears.

The world quietens down in an instant, but I can still vaguely hear the fireworks.

Shaw presses the ‘play’ button, and a melody slowly flows into the earpieces--

This is the song I wrote based on his demo the other time. It’s just that the music has become even fuller, and the melody is much more complete. 

This song, which he had originally given up on, has now integrated the styles of two people, leaving a mark belonging to us. 

The night wind brushes my cheeks. A certain corner in the depths of my heart seems to be filled incrementally by this foreign yet familiar melody.

All of a sudden, Shaw moves his lips, as though he’s saying something.

Just as I plan to remove the earpieces to hear him properly, he reaches out to clasp his hands over mine. 

Light from the fireworks descend on his parting and closing lips. The sound waves from the earpieces convey his words to me clearly.

Shaw looks at the girl blinking at him in bewilderment, and he laughs. 

Shaw knows the contents of what he recorded a few days ago, and also knows that right now, she can’t hear his voice. 

He calculates the timing. The sounds coming from the earpieces seem to grab her attention. Rarely nervous, he clears his throat and starts speaking.

Shaw: [in the earpieces] Come to think of it, there are some things I want to tell you. 

Shaw: I know you can’t hear this, but there are still some things I want to tell you. 

Shaw: [in the earpieces] A year has gone by. You’re still so troublesome, and always love going against me. 

Shaw: I’ll admit - in this year, life has become more interesting than before.

Shaw: [in the earpieces] It seems like on these types of days, people say some things symbolically.

Shaw: Although it sounds cliche, since you treat these days seriously, I have to reluctantly say some things.

Shaw: [in the earpieces] I know what you’re anticipating. But I won’t say it.

Shaw: Listen properly. I'm only going to say this once, so cherish it.

A firework explodes in the air. Along with the drum-like beats, his words strike my heart--

Shaw: [in the earpieces] Definitely not. 

Shaw: Happy anniversary. This is just our beginning.

[seasonofthewicth]

A Groovy Kind of Love - Chapter 1

A Throne of Glass x New Girl fanfic. Rowaelin. No warnings.

masterlist

AN: This first chapter is heavily inspired by the first episode of New Girl but this fic will diverge from the show in the future!

-----

Aelin looked up from her phone screen to the large brick building in front of her. Squinting in the sunlight, she took in the old warehouse with its rustic, evenly spaced square windows.

She looked back down to her phone, her text conversation with her cousin Aedion left open. Loft 4D, his message read. She tried the entrance to the building, but the rusty door wouldn’t budge.

Sighing, she tapped call on Aedion’s contact.

“Hello?” His voice came through the tinny speakers of her phone.

“Hey Aedion, it’s Aelin. I think I’m outside.” She peered through the glass of the door, looking for any sign of the golden haired man.

“Oh, right, one second,” The phone clicked as the call ended. She pulled her phone away from her ear, staring at it puzzledly.

“Aelin!”

As she reopened her phone to make the call again the shout rang out from above and she squinted back up at the building to a now open window a few floors up. Aedion peered out of the window waving enthusiastically at her.

“We’ll buzz you up now, fourth floor.”

She raised a thumb towards him and stepped inside when she heard the click of the door.

She hadn’t seen Aedion in a few months, the last time being at a family event hosted by one of the endless Ashryver relatives, but they were friendly enough for cousins. She hadn’t expected his message the day before, offering her the spare room in his loft, but she supposed her mother must have let slip the situation Aelin was in and Aedion was generous enough to extend the offer.

The situation Aelin was in was the result of her cheating, now ex-boyfriend Arobynn. He had been away travelling for a few months and Aelin had prepared for his return by slipping into something silky and small and setting herself up in their house to surprise him.

She hadn’t prepared for the short, curvy woman he had returned with.

Not thirty minutes later Aelin had been in a cab, cursing Arobynn to hell. Most of her belongings were shoved in two duffel bags on the seat next to her as she made her way to her best friend Lysandra’s apartment, ultimately homeless.

As the elevator pulled to the fourth floor, Aelin took in her reflection of the elevator door. She smoothed her hair behind her ears, then untucked it again. It was only Aedion and his roommates, and she just needed a room.

She’d known a couple of Aedion’s roommates from previous birthday events of his own, but not greatly. She scowled briefly at the thought of Lorcan, the grumpy, giant of a man, who her previous interactions with had all ended with snarled insults, but it was harmless. At least to her, she couldn’t begin to understand what went through the raven-haired man’s mind.

She stepped out of the elevator to the hallway just as the door to loft 4D was pulled open. The first thing she spotted were the swirling lines of an elegant tattoo, creeping up the arm holding the door handle.

Rowan Whitethorn, Aedion’s college roommate who she had met maybe once or twice, held the door open, smiling at her slightly. Her eyes tracked up his muscular arms to the broad planes of his chest and shoulders stretching the plaid shirt he wore tightly. His tanned skin peeked out from the collar of the shirt setting off his silver hair nicely. She swallowed before opened her mouth.

“Hey,” She started. “Thanks for having me.”

“Not a problem,” His voice was low and gravelly, but he cleared his throat as he lifted his arm, stretching behind himself into the loft beyond. “Come in, the others are in the living room.”

She smiled and ducked past him through the doorway into the short hallway of the apartment. She heard Rowan shut the door but was spotted by Aedion who grinned as he bounded over from the open living area, a mug of coffee gripped tightly in his hand.

“Aelin! Glad you’re here, how you doing?” He swept her into a tight hug but drew back as he seemed to realise his mistake. His face twisted awkwardly as he leaned back. “Apart from, you know…” He trailed off releasing her fully.

“Don’t,” She groaned but laughed it off shaking her head and turned to smile at the others in the room.

Lorcan was sat on the end of the brown leather couch, his dark hair hanging over his shoulders, arms crossed, and legs stretched out in front of him. He offered her a brief nod as Aedion reintroduced them.

“Lorcan, you know, and of course Rowan.”

The two men acknowledged their introductions, but her attention was drawn to the only male she hadn’t already met.

In the space next to Lorcan, a blonde man with golden skin dressed in grey sweatpants and a loose t-shirt reclined into the sofa, both arms draped along the back. He offered her a wide smile and a hand to shake in greeting.

“I don’t think you’ve met Fenrys.” Aedion smiled widely, taking his seat next to the new introduction, followed by Rowan.

“Great to meet you,” Fenrys offered taking her hand in his own.

She shook Fenrys’ hand with a smile and crossed the room to the remaining seat, a single chair facing the couch. She smoothed her skirt down as she sat, readying herself for the inquisition.

-----

When Vaughan moved out of the loft to move cross-country with his girlfriend, Rowan assumed they would use the spare room as maybe a home office for Aedion, or a work-out space for Fenrys. His recent obsession with training them all to practice his coaching for his job at the nearby high school wasn’t going down well so far in the oddly shaped space remaining in the living area. But, Rowan hadn’t objected when Aedion asked them if he could offer it to his cousin who was in need of a room.

Rowan had been friends with Aedion since their first year of college and had lived with him for most of the eight years since then. Their friendship was easy, despite a rocky start, since the collision of Aedion’s bubbly personality and Rowan’s quiet demeanour had initially resulted in a stiff acquaintanceship until an incident in their freshman year had led Rowan to view the other male as more of a brother. Not that he would ever admit it.

The first time he had met Aedion’s cousin, Aelin, he was a shy, nineteen-year-old and Aedion had introduced them at his own nineteenth birthday party thrown at his parents’ home in Terrasen. He remembered stammering his hello to eighteen-year-old Aelin, stunned by her bright blue eyes and golden hair that matched Aedion’s.

He hadn’t spoken much to her that first time, he’d been nervous and intimidated by the confident, beautiful young woman, but he had met her a few more times since and they had been cordial each time in their brief exchanges.

He didn’t mind a new roommate, especially when it would mean his own rent wouldn’t increase. Not that he would struggle to cover the increase, with the extra shifts he had been picking up at the bar since the break-up with Lyria six months ago.

Lyria. His on-again-off-again girlfriend of three years. They had finally called it off-again for good recently and he considered himself to be doing well in not texting her again for the first time. This break-up felt different to the previous ones.

As he took his seat next to Aedion he observed the girl sitting opposite them all. She had definitely matured in the years since he had last seen her, more a woman than a girl now. Her golden hair fell in soft waves to her middle, and her body had settled into its gentle curves from the slimness of her teens when they had first met. The loose dress she wore fit the muggy Adarlan summer air, as well as bringing out the gold ring in her blue eyes.

“So,” Aedion began, “We know you need a room. Do you have any, uh, questions for us?”

Rowan smoothed his hands down his jeans, waiting for the list of questions he was sure Aelin would have.

“Um,” She started, unsure, “The bathroom. Is there only one? What’s the deal on that?”

Rowan heard Lorcan snort and felt the shaking of Fenrys’ laugh beside him. The bathroom rota, devised by Aedion, sick of being late for work when one of the others took too long, had been a point of contention in the loft since its introduction a year ago. It was mostly followed now, with only minor complaints.

They each had twenty minutes allocated from six-thirty in the morning, but Rowan’s were often up for grabs. He didn’t need them that early when most days he got back from the bar past midnight and didn’t wake up until the others had all left for work.

He knew Aelin was a teacher, like Fenrys, so maybe she could take his allocation. It seemed Aedion was on the same wavelength.

“There’s a schedule,” He said with an almost imperceptible level of embarrassment, but Aelin seemed to hear it too as the corner of her mouth drew up in a teasing smile. Rowan didn’t let himself stare too intensely at her mouth.

“Okay great,” She drawled mockingly. “I’m used to the rush getting ready for work from living with Arobynn.” She looked down at that but waved a hand as if she could beat the thought away.

“Aww Ae,” Aedion said. “Don’t be sad over that asshole. You can just get drunk and forget about him, it’s what Rowan’s been doing over Lyria.”

Rowan’s head shot up at that, glaring at Aedion who was barely even trying to hide his grin.

He sighed, it wasn’t that he had been drinking to get over Lyria, he just worked in a bar. Where there was alcohol that he could drink and at the same time he has been getting over Lyria. Two completely separate things.

Aelin seemed to look at him in understanding and then shrugged.

“I’m down for that,” she said. “It will make a change from crying over Dirty Dancing.”

All four of them groaned at that.

“There won’t be any of that in this living room.” Lorcan stated, in a tone that Rowan wouldn’t even try and debate with. Lorcan probably wouldn’t fight over Dirty Dancing but he couldn’t be sure.

“Dirty Dancing is a sure fire way to get over a break-up,” Aelin said defensively.

Rowan laughed shaking his head at the dynamics already building for the loft, this would surely be fun.

-----

Aelin knew she didn’t have to defend herself to Lorcan, especially not over a film that she was confident in her enjoyment of, but she couldn’t resist winding him up.

She continued. “I need the boost especially considering now basically all of my friends are models.”

Years of being friends with Lysandra had almost numbed Aelin to her beauty, her flowing dark hair and piercing eyes captivated many, not to mention her sizeable breasts. It was what Aelin supposed, made her so successful in her career. Though she knew her best friend was attractive it didn’t normally make her feel insecure but the recent break-up had been a knock to her confidence, but she knew it wouldn’t last long.

Fenrys coughed, leaning forwards, suddenly very interested. “All of your friends are models?”

Aelin nodded and watched Fenrys. His fingertips formed a triangle as his elbows rested on his knees.

“Excuse us, I need to have a word with my boys.” He gestured for the others to follow him to the kitchen.

Rowan and Aedion shifted. Rowan dug Fenrys lightly in the side, narrowing his eyes, but Fenrys just wiggled his eyebrows at Rowan in return.

“My boys.” Lorcan muttered “That is not a thing.” But uncrossed his arms and stood to lead the way to the kitchen.

Aelin couldn’t hear what followed, but it seemed to involve some pleading from Fenrys with Rowan and Lorcan looking varying degrees of uncomfortable. She definitely caught Fenrys mouth the word models, as his arms jerked out, hands splayed wide, but she looked away and took in the rest of the loft.

The open plan living room was surprisingly homely for a group of men in their mid-twenties, with a worn-looking brown-leather sofa with a number of patterned pillows and throws draped along. The wooden dining table behind looked worn but sturdy, with a few odd items left haphazardly on the top.

It was also surprisingly clean. She supposed that’s probably Aedion’s influence, not that the others were slobs, but Aedion had always been a meticulous cleaner, and hideously organised.  

After some more hushed whispers the men turned and slotted back into the living room. Each took up the spot they had occupied before.

“We,” Rowan waved a hand between the members of the group “just have a few questions we need to ask. Logistics.” He directed a pointed look in Fenrys’ direction.

“You don’t have pets do you?” Lorcan asked.

“Nope.” She shook her head.

“You don’t keep weird hours like Rowan do you?” Fenrys chimed in with a scowl at Rowan who raised his hands.

“No,” She replied with a laugh, “The youth of Adarlan test my patience regularly enough for me not to risk going to work without enough sleep.”

They all nodded along.

“And you can move in right away?”

“Yes, as soon as possible. I don’t think Lysandra’s roommate likes me.”

Manon Blackbeak had lived with Lysandra for years, and had always seemed the quiet type to Aelin, seeming to keep to herself. She was stunningly beautiful, as all of Lysandra’s model friends were, but her personality didn’t seem to match. Moving in with them, Aelin had seen a new side to the golden-eyed woman. A side that was particularly unhappy that Aelin and most of her belongings were covering the small space of Lysandra and Manon’s living room. It was why she needed a new place. Fast.

“Okay, great.” Aedion said, smiling at her “We’d love for you to move in as soon as you’re ready.”

She couldn’t hold back her own grin, relieved at how easy it had been with this group of males.

Hello, Loft 4D.

-----

This is the first fanfic I’ve posted for Throne of Glass! I hope you enjoy I’m very excited for this!

[sulfurwrites74]

In the Hands of the Enemy - Whumptboer 2020 (Day 2)

CONTENT WARNING: Homophobia 

The hospital smelt of chemicals and used bedsheets. Cecil had already asked three different nurses and two separate front desks where his brother was being cared for, but he hasn’t gotten clear instructions yet. He walked down the white halls clutching a bouquet of yellow tulips close to his chest.

His brother, Miles, was “in room 4H, dear, fourth floor and down the first hall to the right, but make sure you go through the blue hall not the yellow one they are a bit close, it’s right across from the gray vending machine you really can’t miss it.” He was dragged into an ambulance late last night after experiencing major pains in his abdomen. Cecil got the call about his failed kidneys just a few hours later. It went to voicemail and he had woken up to quite an alarming message.

Still, Cecil couldn’t seem to find it in himself to worry too much about his brother. They had a nice relationship. Or a decent one, at the very least. As decent as two identical twins with an overbearing mother and an impossible-to-please father could be anyway. The brothers got along fine, but there was always this sense of competition between them. A feeling as if there could only be one. They were nice to each other, they didn’t even fight much, but inside they both knew the other was a threat.

Their father didn’t help smother the growing flames of resentment between them either. He only ever gave one of the boys' attention at a time. He only ever praised one of them per month, only acknowledge the existence of one of them per week.

When Miles got into business school, he won their father’s attention for an entire year. It was as if Cecil didn’t even exist. He told himself he didn’t care. That he didn’t need his father’s approval, didn’t need his love. He hadn’t known how wrong he was until he came out.

Their father was never violent. He was never abusive. He never hit them, never raised his voice at them, never insulted them directly. But when Cecil had sat him down, along with Miles and their mother, and told them he was gay, their father reacted in a way no one would have ever guessed.

He stood up, walked up to his son, slapped him once across the face, and told him to get out.

Cecil’s mother was kinder. She fought with her husband for the first time that night. She demanded that Cecil was allowed to stay. Her other half raised his hand against her too, but it didn’t fly. She didn’t step down, either. She was six months pregnant at the time.

It was always like this. There was an inner turmoil between the brothers that never seemed to climax. The two had to share everything. A room, toys, friends, love, even basic human respect. Looking exactly alike was hard enough, sharing everything else as well made it even more irritating.

They had the same warm skin, the same dark brown eyes, the same thick hair, even the same skinny build. The idea that Miles now wanted to share a kidney was simply ridiculous.

Miles always got the upper hand when it came to their parents. They were probably looking down at Cecil (up at him, Cecil would insist) having second thoughts about coming here to help his brother and scoff at his indecisiveness. His father would be thinking it should have been you. His mother would be thinking you have to do this.

Cecil knew it wasn’t exactly his choice. He was the only person who could save his brother at this point. His wife would have done it without a second thought. She asked the doctors multiple times if she could, as she had explained over the phone last night.

“I’m so sorry,” she had said, “I asked if I could- if there was anyone. You need to help him. Please! I know it’s last minute, and it’s a crazy thing to ask, but you’re the only one who can help him.”

Cecil had never had surgery before. He’d never even gotten sick any worse than the common cold, so he’d never been in a hospital for himself. He had gone with Miles and their father when his mother was giving birth to her third child, but even then he spent all his time in the waiting room.

When their father came out without their mother and told the boys what had happened, he vowed to never step foot in another hospital again. Only bad things could happen in a place like this, he thought.

Their father died of a heart attack exactly one month after their mother and little sister passed. Miles prepared the funeral. Cecil attended, and spit on the grave when everyone went home.

Cecil stood in the elevator for the fourth time that day. There was no front desk on the fourth floor, so when he got lost he had to either go down to the first or up to the fifth. The slow rides did nothing to help with his nerves. The music they played on the ride up only worked to anger him more.

As he stepped out of the elevator, he left a rain of tulips behind him. He was holding the stems too tightly. He couldn’t find it in himself to care.

The idea that he would have to go through this sort of pain to make up for a problem he had nothing to do with made his ears turn red with furry.

He turned right when he saw the blue sign (the halls weren’t really blue or yellow, as the nurse had made it sound, but had little signs next to them with a circle drawn with a specific color) and walked down another hall, avoiding rushing nurses and hysterical family members as he went.

He shouldn’t have to make this kind of decision. He could die in there. If something were to go wrong, if the anesthesia didn’t work or kept him under too long, he could lose his life because of this situation his own brother was asking to put himself in. The way Cecil saw it, if he did agree to go under, there still wasn’t any guarantee it would work. Miles’ body might reject the organ, or slip away while in surgery, and there was really no reason to put his own life in danger along with his brother’s for something that wasn’t certain to work.

Cecil passed the gray vending machine and turned down into another hall.

He had people he cared about too. Miles had a wife and some kids and company to run, but Cecil had people too. He had a boyfriend and a dog. Not to mention all the houseplants that would certainly die if he didn’t return. He cared about Marcus a lot and trusted him enough to be intimate with him, but he had absolutely no faith in the man’s botany abilities.

Why should he put all that at risk for someone who never risked anything for him?

The doors finally began to guide him without too much confusion. He passed room 4B, and 4D, and 4F…

When he saw it, he slowed his gait. He crept close to the window but made sure that the people in the room wouldn’t be able to see him.

Inside, he saw Jennifer, Miles’ wife, and Rebekah, his oldest daughter, sitting around Miles’ unconscious body. They were talking through tears.

Cecil stood and watched them silently.

He could die if he agreed, but that wasn’t the only possible outcome. The worst that could happen was he died. The best is that he survived and lived the rest of his life with one kidney. He only needed one anyway. It wasn’t that bad. Surely it couldn’t be that bad.

If he didn’t agree, he would be fine. Nothing would change. But Miles would certainly be dead within days. Hours, maybe. Cecil would lose his brother and it would be all his fault.

Cecil’s hand around the flowers tightened and he clenched his jaw as he stared at the back of Jennifer’s head.

He was choosing one life over another. He was choosing between sons, between brothers. He knew who his father would have chosen. He knew who the favorite twin was. He knew who would have been left in the hospital when they were born. It was the one with a family. With a wife. With kids and money to his name. It was the one who was the owner of his own successful computer programming company. It was the one who wasn’t a disgrace, a moron, an abomination damned to Hell for things he couldn’t control.

Cecil’s hand on the flowers loosened and he turned away from the window.

He knew what the right thing to do was. He knew what the right thing was.

But he was never good, never smart, never righteous enough to do the right thing.

It’s like his father always said.

“Sometimes, you have to step over people to get ahead in life. Only the weak worry about who’s left behind."

Cecil turned on his heel and walked back towards the elevators. He dropped the tulips in a waste disposal bin on his way out.

Jabbing his thumb into the first button in the elevator, Cecil felt something. He had expected guilt, or sadness, mourning perhaps. What he felt instead was freedom. He felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He didn’t just feel free from a hard decision. He felt free from being tied to a double, to a reminder of his own shortcomings in life. He felt rejuvenated. He felt strong.

Cecil got into his car and drove back towards his apartment leisurely. He wasn’t in any kind of rush. Why would he be? He had his whole life ahead of him.