#and random pop psychology but also on what the human in front of you is growing into

[barnbridges]

my most education major take is that people don't want you to parent your children anymore. people don't want mothers (and fathers) to give any sort of life-advice or care to their children. people have become so therapy-obsessed and the whole "intergenerational trauma" craze has made it so that you should actually pass nothing onto your child. you should just take your child to therapy and feed them baby formula until they're 18 and at that point, they're on their own. it's cruel and inhumane and the way people want to de-involve society at large in the raising of children, down to that they shouldn't even be parented anymore.

[thepowerisyouth]

MONEY / FINANCE STRESS CONTENT WARNING, this next line is unfortunately quite stressful about money so this was an important warning for me to add:

This is also less for the random strangers on the internet who have no reason to trust my advice but more for the 10-15 people I know personally who trust my money advice based on prior experience and Ive sent them my blog link in the last month or two

US stock market is about to tank. On a global perspective its stupidly overpriced because markets like China are hitting 5 year lows (as in we've increased our stock market over 2x since "COVID lows", but their market is even lower than it was then.

Timing is hard but it is entirely possible yesterday was the peak of the market. Might also not tank for 6 months.

Market psychology is fucking weird tho so please absolutely dont 'short' anything, which is basically the same as 'buying puts'. Michael Burry nearly bankrupted all his friends, family, and random investors by insisting on 'shorting' things based on knowledge of impending crisis.

Just sell everything. I mean literally everything. Bond etfs might go up but youd have to have eyes glued to the charts to sell in time. Gold wont do, neither will bitcoin. Their negative correlation to stocks isnt really a thing anymore.

Get every etf, stock, whatever into cash in the brokerage account, then move it out of the banks/brokerage firms and into something physically in front of you because we are, in fact, in another 'historical period of bank runs' its just not quite at the peak yet.

Not trying to increase anxiety beyond nessecary-- its just that any, single bank can immediately freeze your money-- leaving it up to the Federal Government to pay you back-- and it might possibly be the case that youd have to rely on whats called a "bank bail in" to see your savings again.

Not a fun situation to be in, even if it wont happen to most people its just safe practice to do this during a "historical period of bank runs"

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This blog is basically my diary of my thoughts (suprise suprise). But Im an open book, privileged (but poor) little white boy with complex societal/generational abuse and very little home problems so lets fucking go theres a whole mormon cargo van to unpack

Definitely recommend tags Im terrible at them.

---

To those reading this, if you have ever met me in real-life or on the internet than you have taught me varying degrees of information which can be randomly retrieved by my brain at any time depending on current CPU performance. Thoughts of my loving husband have occupied my headspace probably 95% of my time since 14 so he has absolutely taught me at least 100x more than anyone else in the world.

When I say "I", oftentimes Im thinking about "me and my husband", or even sometimes "me and my friends/family", or even sometimes "me and society"--- but I am not always 100% aware of the current headspace environment and/or beliefs of the minds of those around me without feedback

---

There are currently over 8 billion individual varieties of the global human language spoken within the mind. Lets start translating them all. Misunderstood words become mean labels.

I fucking hate mean labels

"Math wiz" = racism and/or classism and/or gender shit. Fuck that shit

When a person is niched off into one part of an 8 billion population human society, it becomes impossible to not "live in a bubble". Bubbles change in size constantly even if not visibly observed. Bubbles can be different sizes depending on your current day-to-day thoughts of your own society. Bubbles must pop. Enlightenment implies life only gets better the more times ya pop and lock it

My path away from purely mathematics, logic, and scientific theory began when I met my husband, and for the first time in my life it became important to me not to be an asshole to everyone around me

Ive been told (only after I started dating my traumatized husband tho and helped him heal a lot) that I'm a natural communicator-- and all my life I found myself listening and learning to everything and everyone around me trying to understand both their and my own motivations-- then I like to garble them up and spit 'em out. My memory recall ability is wonky tho and fluctuates highly with nutrient intake-- I'll get into that later

I wish I could have a million years to read every blog on tumblr. I really do. Connecting & communating is extremely important for understanding one another but it takes time

I had an extremely unique childhood (who hasnt lol), enough so to isolate myself quite a lot through sheer dumb luck. My mom is also everyone's favorite school teacher so of course I was learning a lot from a young age. Luckily I glued myself to the first person who wanted to glue themselves to me equally & we grew exponentially closer to eternity

If its still not clear: my husband and I are bored and love chatting with people, but like most internet loving freaks my mouth don't work sometimes well but my fingies do. My ears got fluff a lot but I got eyes for LEDs like a hawk. Wish they werent LED tho

I also have a naturally short sleep cycle (i.e. extra time for this), and I really wont be offended or weirded out by someone reading through and liking 20+ or whatever of my posts at once randomly. Stories are supposed to be read in chunks, and I think of this blog as a story & also workspace for my thoughts that Id love to see which chapters everyone has read through. Also I love (and only respond positively to) positive feedback, yet also suggestions for ways to improve my "theorums". As in, good faith discussions are totally welcome on any post.

For my 50 year old parents reading my blog so lovingly in their limited evening time-- you can sort by tags to see what topics your familiar with, if you play around with the search function while on my page. Mom. Show dad how to do it

In the very, very bottom of my blog I dont even think I managed to tag shit properly-- but its the roughdraft workings of the philosophy, as well as my own logical framework for answering lifes questions. Its 2 months ago so I might not even be writing according to my own works down there anymore idk I change fast sometimes

Last thing for now here is that I was always criticized by teachers for not showing my work, and for not reviewing my tests before turning in, and I pushed back hard because nearly every time I went over and corrected a mistake-- I saw I most often got it right the first fucking time on a pure hunch. I act on impulse when I'm not meditating mostly for efficiency purposes because I believe I'm correct, but remain open to emotionally positive feedback so I can help remove all doubt.

-------

This might turn into my 'life story' post, as its already going there. Heres what I have so far in the way of my knowledge of my family before I was brought into existence, and my "earliest memories":

Family context:

I dont know jack shit. Nobody talks about it at all.

Here's my own observations Ive made using the framework and perceptive filters I was given--

My whole family is white Texans.

Ancestory is slaveowners of course, further back is a very likely direct parent-child descendent line from the most famous inbred british royalty of the 13th century i.e. King John, whose brother was the arab genociding Richard.

I would call my immediate family as upper poverty class. Its more like poverty with extra privileges cause mental health stigma was the only thing holding them back not other shit too.

As children we had a lot of very privileged opportunities because my parents made a lot of sacrifices to try and bring us back up the class ladder. Lets look into that generational trauma issue

My dads parents (born in the early 40s, dont know the year exactly. I think '43 or '44) were more upper middle class, pretty high income. Owned an insurance business that was very successful by the early 2000s at least. My grandpa is described to me as a "monster" and "violently abusive". I have a single memory of him screaming at me as a young child and I was cowering under a desk, so I really believe it. No other stories at all to provide context.

-- I gotta split this section off I realized I wrote the next thing about post-me context Ill need to move this part lower down later--

My grandpa got early onset dementia, my dad didnt notice in time, and my grandpa bankrupted his successful company and lost several million of dollars to "scammers and sexy ladies."

My dad found out around 2015-16 or so. He told me a little bit after telling me my grandparents were getting divorced. My dad managed to scrape together about $200,000 which is being sued for by the IRS actively.

(He split that money in two, and entrusted me tell him how to invest half in safe value stocks that I handpicked as well as a calculated risk allocation to bonds which we sold for 30% profit the second the market crashed. He gave the other half to a brokerage advisor. I never met the advisor but saw the results. Dont get me started on how the other dude did with that money-- we started this endeavor in January 2020.)

Personally I also dont believe that its possible to spend an entire fortune on scammers and strippers, so Id love to see his books and figure out what the hell went wrong with that asshole. I have a hunch I know something more than anyone else ("Enron", guys, we're talking about an insurance company in HOUSTON, in the 2000s) but I will never be sure without the books.

----

Back to other family--

I do not know a single thing about my grandma on my dads side. She raised me quite a lot, but yeah I literally have only heard her life described to me as "she was a housewife"

On my moms side, my Mimi (also born 1940s but slightly younger so I think 1946 or 1947) came from a divorced, upper middle class family. In 1964-65, She and her step mom both got knocked up the same year so she watched her divorced dad remarry to said step mom when she was 18-19 and getting a shotgun marriage herself, so you can imagine what that was like. The "biological" of the two moms was a very good mom and very queer from what I hear. She died when I was a baby, from lung cancer. Thats all I know. My mimi raised me quite a lot, nearly equally as much as my mom did

My mom's dad, my Papa, came from a rural farming family in East Texas. Dont know much else of anything, but he and his siblings were named "Billy, Bobby, and Betty". As in, they are what everyone likes to call "hicks"

--

Moving onto my direct parents now. I know a little more about them of course, but since we're getting closer in age to the present-- I think itll be easier to describe my understanding as common stereotypes. If its unclear what I mean definitely feel free to ask, but I'll probably say "I dont really know"

Not much else is relevant other than knowing that my moms family was the mormon one, but that as soon as my dad was love-bombed by the church he joined to. Mormons were also different in the 90s I'm told.

My dad struggled with being one of the "crazy schizos" of the 90s. As in, very traumatized, upset, and gaslit by the government and his parents. Must have done a damn good job dealing with it by the time he was in his late 20s and I popped out cause he was never a "bad dad" to me at all. Definitely yelled and was more angry at times, but less than any other friends parents Ive ever met, and from what I remember he came into my room at night and apologized to me literally every single time within like 5-10 minutes. I know pretty much nothing about him pre-me. He was a tradesman my whole life and specialized in remodeling kitchens & bathrooms (the 'dirty work of construction'). All his initial clientele were the rich people my grandma lived near and was friends with.

My mom would have been extremely queer-presenting and posting on tumblr if born in the year 2000, but was born in early 70s, and was a raegan teen in high-school in Texas during the satanic panic-- she presents completely cis, straight, but has body dysmorphia issues. Thats about you need to know about those issues I'm sure my tumblr folks can assume the rest and be perfectly correct. Cause thats about all I know too and I'm assuming the rest about my own mother

--- Earliest memories

I think a lot of people face doubt about their own earliest memories, maybe hearing the way I connect the images of these events in my head to my emotions I felt will help others do the same.

----

Two disclosers about me & my current healthcare discoveries before moving on

1) My only "major" childhood trauma is loneliness. I have a partner now (started dating early high school, nearing 10 years together now) who was just as lonely and we are glued to each others side constantly, and have made our life work great that way. So don't feel too bad reading this, I'm only able to write it down because Ive healed that trauma and can dig this stuff up with no issues to validate the emotions I felt even as a child

1) I believe I have a genetic trait that is only just getting discovered. There are something like 6 discovered mutations that hold this similar trait so far, and its just basically chronic insomia.

It being a genetic trait tracks with how my mom describes me as never settling into a normal sleep pattern at 6 months old, having absurd amounts of nightmares and death anxiety keeping me up at night as a child, and I still dont sleep at any given time. I average 2 hours less sleep than my husband, who averages 7-8 now that he isnt actively being abused at home.

Going to get sequenced but even if negative I'd probably just be a 7th mutation, as they only found the other 6 genes via case study.

The scientists whove discovered it call it "Familial Natural Short Sleeper", if you desire to look it up. They describe the trait like its the best possible thing in the world. Well... terminally chronic insomia is not the best thing in THIS world thats for sure.

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My "earliest memories"

These arent ranked by time accurately of course. Took enough effort digging through my brain to turn them up, not like Ive got a 2003 calendar stuffed in here as well.

I did do my best to sort by first memory but it also might be sorted by the order at which I recovered the memories as being one of my "earliest" when I was a child and asked such things

1. Pure emptiness. I can only describe it as dissociation. I can remember nothing about the environment around me, except feeling suddenly sucked out of it, seeing only darkness, feeling almost a ringing in my ears and the deepest dread possible. This same feeling followed me in life for a little while, but started to take more visual shape when I was an adolescent, until at some point I would see myself sitting in a chair alone in a room that is infinitely sized but that slowly gets darker the further out you go. I cant remember what exact "real-world" event caused this feeling to ever happen each time it did. I just can remember having it happen occasionally when I was awake and doing things. Definitely dissociation. (If you are willing to believe me further I think its just probably "lights out" and being scared of that)

1. Riding a mattress down the stairs. I kind of remember two images, one is the tunnel vision of going high speed down the stairs and the other would be from looking back up at the stairs when I was done going down. Totally fun, probably my first rollar coaster ride. I might remember my siblings laughing too but it wouldnt be because I can remember the actual laughing-- but I can remember feeling the joy of being in a group of people laughing. At the time, my parents were selling the house so thats why I also remember it being a completely empty carpeted room that we were riding down into

2. My brother smashing his head repeatedly into the refrigerator for 'fun' and someone saying "wow he has a hard head" or something along those lines. I was learning english I cant remember exactly what they said but that was definitely the meaning I took from their words. I think this memory is strong, because I was truly very curious as to why my brother was just running at full speed, head down, and headbutting a hard surface. The words someone said after that must have been one of my first 'answers'

3. Watching my siblings play in rare Houston snow. Not much remembering there actually. Probably just thought it was mezmorizing to watch as I just really remember a picture and feeling peace

4. Will add more later.

[captainstarkky]

The Importance of Names in Mythology and it’s Connection to Doom At Your Service - A Theory

Names according to hearsay, mythology, and pop mythology have a very important role in our lives as humans. There are a lot of things that can be associated with names but there is one thing that should be taken into consideration when it comes to us humans - and even other worldly beings.

Names gives us a sense of possession.

When we are given our names, it also indicates that we finally have something we can finally say our own. It might not signify anything but if you look at it in a larger perspective, it is basically everything. It makes us powerful - power over ourselves and our actions, and power over our own circumstances.

“Names exist as a gift and as a curse” - Noragami Aragoto

In one anime that I used to watch, they gave name two distinct and polar adjectives - a curse and a gift. We probably know why it is a gift though. It’s a mark of power; it strengthen not only us as humans but also our soul - it gives us path and bestows us the power of responsibility. But why curse? Names are our scourge. It binds us and anyone who knows our names will always have the power over us. Although that also means the same for them.

In real life, it is proven true. At first, I thought it was just an anime and I should not take everything to heart. However, as I went on to adulthood, I began thinking otherwise. Those people who knows your name has great dominion over you as a human person.

But is that all? Just because you have a name, then those people who knows your name now has dominion over you? That’s it?

No.

If you look at it on the other side, if you look at it in retrospect, it is actually the other way around. Names are given as a form of love and care and we should be thankful to the one who gave us one. We develop attachment and that attachment goes skin deep - even soul-deep. It connects you to them in ways you cannot comprehend. That’s probably why we’re attached to our parents the way we are.

Although, no, there is a psychological explanation for that.

Myul Mang is something - take note, something - created by Sonyeoshin; a nameless being in charge of all the - quote unquote - destruction, sadness, devastation - collectively known as ‘doom’ hence Myul Mang.

He obviously doesn’t want any of this. He probably just want to live a peaceful life - a life where he could be himself. But because he has a duty to fulfill, he won’t. He can’t.

Then this gutsy but kind, selfless woman, Tak Dong Kyung, appeared. Because of some shooting stars - yeah, shooting stars pffft -, she wished. ‘Please bring doom upon the world.’ she says.

And for someone who heard her - someone who literally does bring doom, doesn’t that wish sound appealing?

So he casually walked to her front door and said ‘Hi, it’s doom at your service.’

But Tak Dong Kyung cannot be defined by her wish alone.

They spent time together and Tak Dong Kyung grew fond of Myul Mang. Myul Mang also was able to discover Tak Dong Kyung’s good sides - that she’s compassionate, hardworking, selfless and... warm. Even if she was given 100 days to live, instead of wallowing into depression, she did the thing most people wouldn’t even think of doing: to enjoy life at it’s fullest by living a normal life.

Normally, if you’re given a hundred days to live, your reaction would be more irrational. More so if you’re given one decisive wish by a random, handsome man who just - out of the blue, appears in your door.

But she didn’t waste her wish.

Instead, she spent time with him, taught him things he didn’t know, made him see things in a different perspective, see the goodness in him, and made him realize that he is not what his name says he is - that in reality, he’s kindhearted and warm.

That probably warmed his ice-cold chest. 

That probably gave him a passing thought: ‘ah, she’s probably right.’

Then finally, Tak Dong Kyung - even as an impromptu, unplanned, and completely random moment - named him Kim Sa-ram. He did not complain.

Because that was what he wanted from the start in the first place anyway.

Because the one who gave him a name was someone who can understand him anyway, so he probably thought it was okay.

As I was watching the drama develop with every episode, I actually saw how he slowly embraced his name - and how he opened his heart to Tak Dong Kyung.

He started to stop acting on his previous name: Doom. Instead, he started to live with his name which roughly translates to ‘human’. He accepted it not only superficially, but in work as well. He started to act and talk like a human.

He stopped asking her: ‘Was that your wish?’

Although he did when they kissed.

He stopped scaring her, testing her, and forcing her to just spit her wish out.

And finally they kissed.

I’m not saying that he automatically had feelings for Tak Dong Kyung because of the name. Because technically, psychologically, that is impossible. Feelings need time - and with the short span of time from the moment she gave him his name and up to the time they kissed under the rain, it’s not feasible.

It should be way before that. When he was starting to develop feelings for her.

But what pushed him to act on his own? what pushed him to act on his feelings?  He was supposed to follow whatever role Seonyeoshin gave him and asked him to do. I’m pretty sure falling in love with a human, dying woman isn’t one of his job descriptions though.

This is just a theory - my little theory - but I think it’s the connection Tak Dong Kyung created with Myul Mang not necessarily when she gave him the name Kim Sa-ram, but when she accepted him for who he is and who he wanted to be.

And finally, here’s the extroverted potato for you.

[mutilatedmadonna]

A Heart To Heart Conversation (Not Literally Jesus Christ Where Did You Even Get That)

YOOOOOO made it with one hour to spare but ya girl still has her submission for the @secret-shifters gift exchange! This is for the lovely and talented @hiddendreamer67 who I was so fucking excited to write for! Also side note, I started a fic before this one but it was taking too long for my taste so I popped out this sucker instead. That being said like............why waste a perfectly good fic.............why not finish it eventually...........and still gift it to her since it’s techinically her prompt lmaoooo

I will go back and edit this post to include the AO3 link when I publish it :3c

Anyways

Warnings: Mild depictions of gore, fearplay; obviously, it’s all I know how to write whoops

Some people are great talkers, others are fantastic listeners. Some listen so well, in fact, they’re willing to destroy a government lab for you.

“Stop, please, I don’t want to hurt you!”

As if Derrick stood a fucking chance against the massive creature that was currently inching closer to him, crouched low to fit within the compound’s hallways. The alarm ringing was making his head pound, an unfortunate addition to his dizziness he’d been overcome with as soon as he saw the first body. Well, bodies. It had wiped out nearly every scientist and researcher in that sector as soon as it was freed from its cage, growling and hissing all the while as it dug its teeth and nails into the panicking humans. How it escaped at all was still a mystery and probably forever would be. As soon as it clawed its way through the protective lockdown doors into gen pop, all hell really broke loose. Guards tried and failed to take it down, hoping to wound the monster at best so that it could be recontained, but even as more backup arrived with heavier artillery, they never stood a chance. It was fast, it was strong, it was pissed, and it seemed to have a taste for blood and bones.

He didn’t know if it had any sort of plan beyond escaping the observational cage it had been trapped in for years, seemingly going into halls and sectors at random to slaughter the hapless scientists seeking refuge. The only reason Derrick had survived this long was simply because he ran and he continued to run. There was no use trying to hide, it was too good at tracking, so instead he did his damnedest to stay ahead of it. It had been working pretty well until he was stopped by the door at the last hall, a dead end to safety potentially. The only problem being his fucking keycard wasn’t high enough clearance to open it. He could hear it getting closer, hear the screams and crunch of bodies and deep growls that echoed all around. His breathing became more ragged the louder the sounds grew, knowing it was just one final turn away from being at the far end of the hall with a straight shot right to Derrick. No, no, no, he didn’t want to die like this. Not at the hands of this beast, not at the hands of...shit, what he thought was almost his friend.

It was his job to observe the creature in its confinement at night and take excruciating notes about every sigh and twitch it might make. It was truly as boring as it sounded, especially when the creature was awake a majority of his shift but only laid on the floor, quiet and still. It looked depressed and Derrick didn’t blame it. It had long since been locked away before he had even started at the organization, subjected to trials and tests day in and day out for hours so that the scientists could jot down these amazing discoveries. He had no idea what they planned on doing with all this data they were collecting given that this whole place was top secret, the creature certainly never meant to see the light of day. Or rather, people were never meant to see the creature. It’d cause mass hysteria. So, one evening, a few hours into the terribly dull silence he started talking aloud. Not to anyone in particular and not about anything exciting, just idle chit chat with the wall, really. 

He never expected the creature to perk up at the sound of his voice, eyeing him curiously as he continued on. He certainly never expected to turn his head back towards the massive bay window to see it sitting much closer than before. Still watching him with wide, yellow eyes and tilting its head when he quickly shut his mouth. It had never moved so close before, hell it never even showed interest in him before beyond a few glances when he’d first enter the small overhanging room. At the same time, it didn’t appear aggressive or annoyed with his mindless ramblings. In fact, when he had stayed quiet for a minute during their staring contest, it chirped at him. Like it was...encouraging him to talk again. So he did, nervously at first before getting back into the flow of whatever random thought he had at the moment. And every time the creature would just sit and listen, its full attention on Derrick, with the occasional dozing off in the midst of his longer topics. He wasn’t sure how much it actually understood him. After all, it never listened to any directions it was given during another trial, but then again that could have just been out of spite and defiance. It didn’t speak English to his knowledge as it had never once given him a reply, but that didn’t mean it didn’t know it.

It never really responded, but there were quite a few times it would react to whatever he was saying. He theorized it was basing most of its assumptions off of whatever emotion he was portraying in his speeches. When he was visibly upset about some incident with Travis down in aquatics, it would whine. When he was excited about some great news he was dying to share with someone, it would chirp. When he was exhausted for one reason or another, unable to keep his eyes open or his stories coherent, it would purr. Almost as if it was trying to lull him to sleep, which it succeeded in every time with its soft white noise. If he were to be honest, he genuinely looked forward to his evening shift just about every day. Derrick could get so much shit out of his head and off his chest without having to worry about what the creature would think about him later. Maybe this was just a trick of the mind, but...it almost seemed just as happy to see him as soon as he would appear in that bay window, immediately twitching its ears up and moving closer.

Clearly, the mutual bond was not reciprocated.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, why the fuck would the creature like him? He was just another human that stared at him for science and soon enough he’d be just another human ground under its palm until his organs burst. Perhaps it just liked hearing the sound of his voice, anything being better than the silence it was constantly surrounded in, or maybe it had always been sizing him up for a snack. He had never written any of these emotional reactions down. He didn’t...well, it was hard to put in the right words, but he just didn’t want his superiors to have that knowledge that could understand feelings for the most part. That it appeared to like him. That it could be docile. Almost like he was trying to protect it from more severe and psychological tests they would surely run. He wondered if things would be different if he actually did report his findings, like if they could have prevented whatever triggered its rage strong enough to rip down doors and walls.

It was creeping closer now, claws clicking along the concrete floor. It was absolutely soaked in blood, especially around its mouth and hands. The way its tail jerked side to side reminded him of an irritated cat, which he didn’t take as a good sign. It wasn’t like Derrick actually had something to protect himself with like he so claimed. His bluff was called in an instant and it made a throaty rumble in response to his threat. It had been difficult to see at a distance with the flashing, red light acting almost as a cheap strobe, but now that it was only a few yards away, he could very clearly tell there was something hanging from its mouth. Something large and dripping and red and oh Christ it was a body. He hoped the poor bastard wasn’t alive anymore for mercy’s sake, firmly clamped between its jaws and impaled on its fangs. Was that a sign of things to come for him? He pressed as much as he could against the lock door in a vain attempt to somehow phase through to the other side and reach safety. With no such luck, he slid down to sit on the floor instead and covered his head with his arms curling in tightly on himself. He was shaking something terrible and tears still managed to find a way to escape his shut eyes. This was never how he imagined he’d meet his end, but either way he didn’t want to see it coming. Maybe if it did like him just a smidge, it would grant him a quick and painless death. He doubted it, though. It sounded like it enjoyed the struggles of its prey far too much.

Derrick could tell when it was hovering right above him. Its shadow engulfed him, blood dripped steadily into a puddle in front of him, spreading out across the floor until it actually touched his shoes. Fuck, he couldn’t help the sob that escaped him. He was scared. Strangely enough, it didn’t...do anything to him as seconds ticked by agonizingly slow. Staring at him, he presumed? Just how it would when there was a safety window between them. Something heavy landed in front of him with a disgusting squish, splattering more blood onto him. When the silence stretched on again, he hesitantly cracked open an eye to see what was supposedly laying at his feet and immediately wished he didn’t.

It was fucking Travis. Or what was left of him, anyways, torn to shreds and missing a few vital chunks from his body. Derrick wanted to throw up, but his throat was already choked up with more panicked cries. He looked away from the corpse, not wanting to take in anymore of the gory details and instead looked at the face of the creature. It didn’t look upset in the slightest, not like how angered it had been dismembering every other unlucky human in its path. Instead, it just stared back at him with those same wide, yellow eyes, tilting its head at Derrick’s lack of reaction. It leaned down to nudge the body closer to him with its nose, pushing it against his legs and rumbling curiously. No, no, no, get it off, get it off!

“S-stop! I don’t fucking w-want it!” He cried, kicking his legs out to shove the remains away from him. What was he supposed to do with it anyways!? Why was it showing off its latest kill, like it was seeking his approval, like it--

...like it did it for him.

The night before last, he and Travis got into it again in the break room. He was already pissed about being transferred to the division the creature was in and leaving his previous work behind. It could have been because Derrick happened to be the only one there or because he was one of the younger hires, the asshole decided to take his frustration out on him instead. Snide comments turned into full on insults and all Derrick wanted was some goddamn coffee before he clocked out. Waiting for the machine to finish brewing wasn’t worth it at this point, he could pick up a cup somewhere else on the way home. He tried to leave, but Travis blocked the doorway and he, not being in the fucking mood, tried to shoulder past him instead. It was very much not appreciated as the next thing he knew he was being pinned against the wall, the lapels of his coat clenched in his fist. He was absolutely ready to throw hands with this guy before he backed off suddenly, another coworker entering the break room with a cheery greeting and total obliviousness.

Maybe he should have told his superiors about the incident, but he chose instead to vent about it to the creature the next night. As soon as he mentioned when it got physical, its ears flatten back and it growled, though Derrick was too consumed by his own emotions to really care about its apparent threat display. After that was when it had clawed its way to freedom and started its rampage. That...that couldn’t have been what set it off though, right? There had to be other catalysts surely. However, it didn’t change the fact how eagerly it was presenting the mauled corpse of his aggressor, almost as if to say look! For you!

Did that mean...it really did understand him? It understood enough that Travis had tried to attack him and he was not his biggest fan right now. He had been really worked up during that little rant, too, probably making it sound worse than it actually was. Either way, it didn’t like that and took matters into its own hands. Or, mouth rather. This must be its interpretation of protecting him, killing the threat before it could strike again. Good thing he wasn’t one to usually bad mouth coworkers or the creature possibly could have had its massacre sparked by Derrick being mildly annoyed that Sarah always forgot to clean out the coffee filter when she was done.

The creature looked at the body as it was kicked back towards it, whining slightly. Was it upset that he didn’t accept its gracious tribute? That wouldn’t start another fit of anger, would it? He thought it just might when he scoot forward those remaining few injuries to press its face against Derrick’s trembling body. Its bloody mouth transferred an unfortunate amount of gore onto his clothing, but he had other things to worry about, like how close its fucking mouth full of fangs was to his more important organs. The nose buried into his chest rubbed gently, trailing up his neck and to the side of his head. Purrs rumbled with each quiet breath, taking care not to accidentally deafen him. He still cried out when the creature invaded his personal space, though he didn’t have much room to struggle as he was pinned between the door and the face. He whimpered regardless, trying to turn his head to avoid being nuzzled and ultimately failing.

If he thought the impromptu cuddling was bad, he was in for a worse shock when the creature pulled back just a hair, foolishly thinking that it finally had its fill of smelling him or scenting him or what the fuck ever. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy, not when a black tongue darted out from smiling lips to lick him from his stomach to the crown of his head in one, quick swipe. Now that made him actually scream out some sort of pathetic, strangled sound, squirming about as he was lapped again and again and again.

“N-no, don’t, p-please!” He begged uselessly, “D-don’t kill m-me, please, p-please, don’t e-eat me!”

Much to his surprise, the creature actually pulled away from him after that last remark, tilting its head questioningly again. While Derrick was in the middle of his panic attack, doing his damnedest to keep his cries from becoming too harsh, it crossed its arms and rested its head on them, watching as he tried to collect himself to no avail. When it seemed like he was starting to slip deeper into his episode, it started to purr. Quiet and soft, a nice noise to help drown out that increasingly annoying siren. And the worst part was that he really was actually starting to calm down. Not that he liked being so scared he couldn’t breathe, but it was the sheer fact that it was the creature bringing him comfort when it was the one who terrified him in the first place. His sobs quieted down after a few minutes and when they were ragged breaths instead, it started to chitter. Little chirps and purrs and throaty noises he could only assume were directed at him since that’s where it was staring so intently, though the sounds meant nothing to him. Was that how it felt when he used to talk to it for hours on end?

Was it trying to talk to him to soothe him, because him talking to it made it feel relaxed?

He supposed their time together was a much needed break from being poked and prodded and tested and it started to associate Derrick with that mini luxury. The talking probably gave it a sense of company considering he had no fucking clue if and where other members of its species resided. Maybe this friendship wasn’t as one sided as he thought. Maybe it cared so much about the stupid little human that would blather his entire shift that it was willing to rip the facility inside out just to get rid of his bully. One by one his muscles started to uncoil their tension until he was sagging against the door. His breathing was still labored, but he could at least get a steady breath through his nose rather than his gasping mouth. A minute tremor in his hands was all that was left of his previous quivering and his headache was now replaced with a cloudy exhaustion. The creature was still making its imitation noises, only tapering off when Derrick managed to raise his head up and look at it.

“You won’t hurt me...will you?” His voice was so small and weak, it was a good thing the creature had fairly strong hearing.

It responded by bumping its nose into his chest again, smiling all the while. Affection. It liked him. Hesitantly, he raised a hand and gingerly placed it on the creature’s cheek, giving it a tiny pat.

“...you...you know we’re fucked when the army comes...right?” They were a last resort when all other failsafes went south and had yet to be deactivated. It wasn’t their job to find and help survivors, it was their job to make sure nothing about this event was leaked into the public. Be it the experiment itself or scientists who could potentially blackmail the directors.

It shifted to push itself back into a crouched position, lowering towards him with its mouth open. He flinched and turned away which seemed to be exactly what it wanted, clamping down on the back of his shirt and jacket and narrowly missing giving his back a nasty scrape. Derrick all but squeaked in surprise when he felt himself be lifted up, dangling a few dozen feet in the air. It was like he had the same POV as the creature, watching its hands paw at the locked door until claws were able to scratch through the metal in large gouges. Wiring and mechanics were exposed as a result and with a little more tearing and pulling, it opened the entry wide enough for it to slip through, Derrick in tow. Huh. Guess keycards we’re always a necessity. 

He hadn’t the faintest idea where they were headed, but it seemed like the creature had a general sense of direction and so far it was taking the correct route to the surface, to outside. For the moment, he didn’t have a single thing to say and simply let himself sway with the creature’s gait. Its intentions with him after they escaped into the world above were pretty vague at best, but he couldn’t really find the energy to care right now. As long as the military hadn’t beaten them to the exit, they’d be fine. 

They could talk later about their really unconventional future later.

[ilooklikeaburntchickenugget]

Holiday Dates (Pt. 1)

 A/N: So I got this idea at like 1 am, and here I am writing it. I know it’s not even really the Christmas season next, but I thought this mini series would be cute for the holidays. So here goes nothing! Pairing: Teen!Gerard x Teen!F!Reader Word count: 2587 Warnings: A few curse words

School projects in general were a pain in your ass. Having to go and work with someone or a group of people on a topic you’re not even interested in, and then present it like your entire career depends on it. Nothing about that was appealing.

So walking into your AP psychology class a week before your two week Christmas break, only for your teacher to announce a partner project would be due the day before break made you mentally punch your desk. “To make this a little more interesting,” Mr. Young began, the tall, black haired man grabbing an old, clear container. “I’ve placed all your names into this jar, and I’ll just draw a few. It’ll present an element of surprise.” He smiled, clearly excited even though no one else was. You rolled your eyes through the pain.

He shook the jar quite violently, as if to emphasize that this would truly be random. One by one, he stuck his hand in, pulling out two small sliver of papers, announcing your peers names. A few grudges, shrugs, and even celebratory cheers erupted depending on the individual’s opinions toward whomever they were paired with.

“Y/N Y/L/N,” He called out, you looking up. As much as you hated it, you admitted the small rush of adrenaline in anticipation for who you would be paired with gave a little excitement. “Gerard Way.” He stated, placing the two pieces to the side.

Gerard Way? You had heard of him. He was the shy, nerdy, smart boy. Okay, well, this should be easy. He should know everything in psych, you’ll help him create a project, and bam. There’s your A. A few more names were called before your teacher finally dismissed you from your seats, to go talk with your partners, get a game play.

You got up, grabbing your backpack and phone, looking around until you found the stark black haired boy. He was looking up to you with a light smile, which you returned as you walked to him. You had never payed much attention to him, but his mess of a head of hair, hazel eyes, and smile were adorable. If you were being honest. You took a seat next to him.

“I’m Gerard.” He smiled to you.

“I’m Y/N.” You smiled back. Okay, maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. A smart boy and a sight to look at? Perfect.

“Yeah, I- I know.” He stuttered, immediately regretting that, “Sorry, that was weird.” He lightly laughed at his own mistake.

“It’s alright.” You admitted, pulling out your notebook and pens. “So, any idea for what we should do this on?” You asked next. “Well,” He sighed, turning to you in his desk, “I was thinking something along the lines of adolescent psychology? There’s a lot we can do there. Or social psych, that’s interesting too.” He began, “But it’s whatever you want to do, really.” He smiled again.

“I think social psych would be cool.” You looked back at him, from where you were scanning your notes, “I’ll go tell Mr. Young, as long as that’s fine with you.” “Yeah, of course.” He smiled, going back to his own notes as you got up, walking to the front of the room.

“Hey, Mr. Young.” You walked up to the man, “Gerard and I want to sign up to cover social psych.” “Great.” He said, typing it into a word document, “Hey Y/N,” He began before you could walk away. “Be nice to Gerard if you would. He’s a smart kid, gets used a lot for his academics. Just, treat him like a human, alright?” “Yeah, of course Mr. Young.” You smiled at him, wondering what he exactly meant.

“I knew I could trust you with that, Y/N.” He smiled back, as you walked back to your seat next to the boy.

“We could start with the basics,” He spoke up, “You know, personality and all that stuff like that.” You nodded.

“Sounds great.”

“So if we look at attributions,” He began, “The Fundamental Attribution Error may be the best place to start.” “Agreed,” You stated, “So that’s a person’s tendency to associate what someone has done with an internal cause, not an external one based on the situation?” “Right,” he looked at you, “So, like, if someone is driving, and someone else cuts them off, and they call them an asshole,” You lightly laughed, and he smiled, “That would be the fundamental attribution error. Because maybe, in reality, that person could be late to work, or late to pick their kid up from school. I mean they could be an asshole, but we don’t know that.” You giggled again. “Yeah,” You concluded, “But an attribution would be like me saying you’re funny, based off of what you just said. So I can properly attribute that a characteristic of you is you’re funny.” He smiled, a light red coming to his cheeks.

“I, mean,” he stumbled, “y-yeah I suppose.” Then the bell rang.

“Hey, by the way,” You began, “Could I get your number, to text you for when we need to meet?” “Yeah, of course.” He smiled again. You handed him your phone, and he typed in his number and name, handing it back. “Thanks, Gerard.” “Yeah, of course. Bye Y/N.” You walked out a few moments later, walking to your locker where you began putting your stuff away. You walked into the cafeteria, sitting at the table with all your friends.

“Hey, Y/N.” Everyone smiled and you smiled back, “How are you?” Jason, one of the boys on the football team who you just happened to hang out with asked.

“Alright,” You admitted, sipping on your water, “Mr. Young assigned us a project in AP psych.” You sighed.

“Who with?” Shanna asked, another one of the girls you hung out with. “Gerard Way.” You stated and everyone began laughing under their breaths, “What?” You asked next.

“Nerdy, smart one?” You nodded, “At least you won’t have to do work.” Jason scoffed.

“I’m still going to do the work,” You said, “It’s a partner project. Besides, he’s really nice and funny.” He rolled his eyes.

“He’s weird, Y/N.” “No he’s not.” You fought back, “Besides, judging people you don’t even know does nothing good for anyone or anything. Other than your fragile ego.” Everyone oohed, as you looked up at him. “Fine,” he sighed, “I won’t say anything else.” Besides being friends with some of the most popular, and worst people in school, you hated bullies. The idea of hurting someone for something they can’t control, or for being who they are made you infuriated.

Your classes went by, one by one for the rest of the day. They were of course boring, not much intriguing or interesting in any one. You eventually grabbed all of your things, placing them into your bag, and walking out and through the doors back into the crowded streets of New York. Going down only a few blocks, you reached the Subway where you hopped on, went for only three stops, and finally arrived at your stop in Midtown.

Your family’s apartment was great for what it was. A three bedroom in a usual sky rise. It even had a second floor, something not all that common in New York. You shut your door to your bedroom, your parents nor your younger brother were home yet. Placing in your earbuds, you grabbed your laptop and homework, trying to get most of it done so you could have some down time.

Absorbed within your chemistry work, you got a sudden ding. Showing the screen of your phone, you saw a little text bubble, Gerard’s name on the top. “Hey Y/N! It’s Gerard, I was wondering what days would work best for you to work on the project? You could come over to my place, as long as you feel comfortable. Everyday this week works for me.” It read.

You smiled as you opened up your phone, heading straight to the messages app, and responding. “Tomorrow works! Right after school?” You sent, a little three dotted message bubble showing he was typing popping up immediately after. “Sounds great :)” He finished. You placed your phone back down, playing some more of your music and continuing your homework.

Finally submitting all your assignments, you closed your laptop and walked downstairs to find your mom working at the kitchen table. “Hey, sweetheart.” She lightly smiled at you.

“Hey mom.” You smiled back, going to grab a snack from the pantry.

“How was your day at school?” “Good.” You sighed.

“Good.” She responded.

“By the way, I have to go to a friend’s house tomorrow to do a project for AP psych with.” “Alright.” She responded, still writing a few things down, “Sounds great.”

-Time skip-

“Hey, Y/N.” Gerard waved walking up to your locker after school.

“Hey,” You responded and smiled, “Just a minute, I just need to finish putting my stuff away.” “Yeah, of course, take your time.” You finished stuffing your various collection of textbooks and overfilled binders in your backpack, zipping it up and throwing it over your shoulder. “Ready?” He asked and you nodded.

The two of you walked out into the streets, as you followed Gerard down only a few blocks and to a large sky rise in lower Manhattan, near the financial district, where your school was. The two of you walked through the large glass doors, through the marble lobby, and into the elevators where he pressed 68. It was pretty silent as you rode your way up, and once the box dinged, you two got out and walked through a long hallway, down to the last door, where Gerard put his key in, jingled a bit, and let the two of you in.

The apartment was large, and gorgeous. Nothing like you had ever seen. It was also expensive, you knew by just looking at it. Everything was so large, large windows the scaled floor to ceiling that overlooked New York. You were in a trance by the beauty of it all. “You like it?” You heard Gerard behind you. You nodded.

“Uh, yeah,” You said, trying to pretend everything was normal, “It’s really cool.” He lightly smiled.

“Thanks.” He responded, “Do you want anything to drink, by the way? Water, tea, coffee?” “A water would be great, thank you.” You looked back. He smiled again, going to the fridge and grabbing two bottles, handing one to you and keeping one for himself. “Thanks.” “No problem.” He looked up, “Do you mind working in my room? If you don’t feel comfortable I get it I-” “No, it’s completely fine.” You reassured him, glad to see the respect he held. He led the two of you through a few various large hallways and into his room, in the corner of the apartment.

The room was huge, the two out of four walls that weren’t huge windows were covered with various posters of Star Wars, Marvel heroes, even Watchmen. Your mouth opened slightly in awe, all of it was just too cool. And stuff that you liked.

“It’s really nerdy I know.” He stated awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“No, it’s awesome.” You lightly laughed.

“R-really?” He stuttered, looking to you with wide eyes.

“Well yeah, I mean, who wouldn’t think it is?” He shrugged.

“You just seemed like a girl who-” “Would be into nail polish and shopping and gossiping about boys. Yeah, I know.” You sat down on his bed. “But, to tell you a secret, I fucking love Star Wars. And Marvel.” You smiled.

“Really?” He asked again, sitting next to you.

“Yeah, my younger brother and dad loved them before I did, but I stated to tag along to see Marvel movies and would watch Star Wars with them at home. And I fell in love with it.”

“That’s cool,” He said, “I’ve always just liked them.” You nodded. There were a few moments of awkward silence, “Should we get started.” You nodded.

“We probably should.” The two of you went through your bags, grabbing your binders designated to the class.

“So why don’t we go with positive and negative reactions to social interactions?” You nodded, and he continued, “So, do you have any ideas for positive or negative reactions?” “Sure,” You began, “If you tell someone they’re smart, that would be a positive reaction.”

“Great,” He wrote it down, “Or giving someone else money would be a positive reaction.” “Yeah,” You said thinking for a moment. You noticed Gerard looked at you for a moment, seemingly studying your facial features while you pretended to look away, focusing on another example.

“We could try some examples now.” “Great,” You turned to him a little more. “So, Gerard,” You began, as he placed his notebook and pencil down. “I like your hair.” You said and he lightly smiled.

“Thanks,” He said, “You have pretty eyes.” He said next.

“Thanks.” You could feel yourself blush as you smiled.

“You are a super cool guy, and you have an awesome personality.” You said next. He took a pause.

“Do you mean that?” He asked, stopping himself only a moment later, “Never mind, that was stupid, these are just examples.”

“No, I do mean it.” You said, with a confused look. “You really are pretty cool.” He looked even more shocked.

“You’re just saying that to be nice I-” “I’m saying it because it’s true, Gerard.” You stated. It was only silent for a few more seconds.

“Well um,” He began, “You’re absolutely gorgeous.” You looked at him for a brief moment, making sure your ears were reliable at the moment. He noticed your stare, “That was creepy, wasn’t it? I’m so sorry-” “No, no, that was really sweet.” You lightly blushed and looked away before laughing. “Great, now you’re making me shy!” You smiled like a fool at him.

“Well you said something truthful, so I did too.” “Y-you meant that?” You asked next and he nodded.

“Yeah, I mean, did you not know that?” He asked as if it were obvious. You shook your head.

“I mean, my mom calls me beautiful and all but that’s different.” “I thought you knew, I mean, I’m surprised you haven’t been picked up by a model agency yet. You’re absolutely stunning.” He smiled.

“I um, I-” You paused, “That’s too much.” He shook his head.

“Do you know how many guys would like to call you theirs?” He asked next, you shook your head again, “Literally every single one in our grade.” You shook your head again with a smile.

“Oh please.” “What? I’m for real here.” He smiled, “Literally any guy would be lucky to have you as a girlfriend.” You nudged him playfully. “Well I can say the same for you. But a boyfriend, of course.” You lightly giggled and he chuckled.

“I mean, if you say so.” He grabbed his notebook and pencil again, “By the way,” He began, “I, um, this is going to sound so weird, but would you like to go on a date maybe? Like somewhere? If you say no I completely get it I just thought it was worth a shot-” “I would love to,” You smiled. “Let’s finish this real quick, and then I’ll send you my house address. How about Friday, after school? After our big presentation, ya know?” “Yeah, sounds great.” He said, smiling bigger than before and looking between you and the page. “It’s a date.”

[kieraswriting]

Coffin Chapter Twenty-Six

Masterpost

Emile pushed his cart along, buying groceries. It was mostly just necessities. Bread, milk, eggs, and then ingredients for a slightly more special dinner he intended to make.

It was a perfectly normal, average grocery trip, without even the possibility of bumping into one of his clients. Until he heard a strange sound, followed by someone speaking angrily.

“We just had to get like three things!” The angry voice hissed, and Emile turned the corner. “I don’t have time for you to do this again! ”

There was a man wearing one of those horrible hunter badges, and pulling on… something started rushing in Emile’s ears, and his stomach turned. The man was pulling on a leash, attached to a collar, around the neck of a vampire who was already muzzled, and trying to pull back.

Emile could not, he could not stand to have this happen in front of him and do nothing. The man saw him staring and rolled his eyes, faking a smile.

“Everything is under control, it can’t get away from me. Please do not be concerned.”

He yanked on the leash, and the vampire looked at Emile, trying to say something that just came out muffled, but sounded pained.

Emile stepped forward, smiling and holding his hand out to the hunter. “My name is Emile, do you how do?”

The man froze for a moment in confusion, tentatively shaking his hand. “It’s uh, nice to meet you, but I’m actually pretty busy…”

“I’m a therapist, and I couldn’t help but notice you seem to be having some anger issues,” Emile said, letting his voice go sickly sweet.

The man’s face twisted. “Look, I don’t need any—“

“See, there, it’s practically painted on your face,” Emile said, shaking his head.

The man only got more angry. “Look, man, piss off, I don’t need a therapist.”

Emile's face twisted to rather look embarrassed. "Well, it was worth a shot. I was hoping that you'd feel indebted to me, and would be more willing to help. I'm really trying to get that package of granola, but it's quite a bit higher than I can reach."

The man blinked. "You-- You'd just use your psychology on random people like that?"

Emile shoved down the nausea that rose within him. That this person would be offended at him for something like this when he was holding someone on a leash-- he was so disgusted it was hard to keep it off of his face. But he just shrugged with a slight smile. "I can, and most of the time people actually fall for it."

Emile could see the unspoken ending of the sentence, 'I guess you're smarter than most' hit the man, and he every so slightly puffed up, all signs of anger gone.

"I guess I don't mind getting your granola, but you can't just go around doing things like this."

Emile put on an innocent, embarrassed face. "Yeah, I guess it's not really very fair..."

He waited until the man was stretching up to get the granola off of the very top shelf. He yanked at the leash, pulling it right out of the man's free hand. He threw the end at the vampire. "Run!"

The vampire was frozen for half a second, wide-eyed and scared, and then bolted.

•^*^••

Dee was sick of the circles underneath Thomas's eyes. He was sick of how tired they were making him. He couldn't just tell him no, though. Thomas was trying so hard out of a desire to keep them safe, and Dee couldn't say that that was a bad desire, because it wasn't, and he couldn't say that it wasn't needed, because it was. But that didn't mean he had to like it.

Remus was right though, the thrall felt rather like a snake to him. Like he was sinking fangs into Thomas's mind and poisoning him. It was like there was a different poison in each fang, and he just had to figure out how to change how much he was releasing into Thomas when he bit down. But not this time.

"Don't fight this time," Dee said.

"But that's the whole point," Thomas protested.

"Just let me try it this way, ok?"

Thomas nodded.

Dee bit down, and almost immediately Thomas went limp, unresisting. Dee waited a minute to be sure he had a solid control before letting go of Thomas. Thomas swayed slightly, looking up at him plaintively.

“You haven’t done anything wrong,” Dee assured him. “It’s time for a long nap, ok?”

Thomas nodded eagerly.

“Come on, lay down.”

Thomas laid down so quickly he nearly slammed his head into the ground. But at least he was laying down now.

“Good. Now go to sleep.”

Thomas closed his eyes immediately, and shortly after he fell asleep.

Dee finally turned around to see Remus staring at him disapprovingly. He frowned. “I will not let him wear himself ragged over this.”

“So you’re willing to thrall him and force him to do what you want him to do, even when you know he wouldn’t want to?”

Somehow the words pierced him. That wasn’t… that wasn’t what he was doing. Was it?

Dee didn’t have an answer. He sat down near Thomas, shoving the question away. For the moment he’d focus on making sure nothing woke Thomas up.

•^*^••

Patton’s eyes popped open. “I remember!”

“What?” Roman exclaimed. Virgil just gaped.

“I mean, kind of. It’s fading away now.” Patton said, frowning in an attempt to hold on to the rapidly slipping memories. “I didn’t think it was possible to like you even more, Virgil,” he said, trying to make a joke.

Based on Virgil’s wry face, he didn’t find it very funny.

Patton’s frown deepened. “I think... “ he sighed. “I think it’s gone now. I kinda remember a little bit of feelings, but nothing else. Still, that’s a really good job, Virgil!”

Roman slung an arm over Virgil’s shoulders. “You’re getting it, shortstop!”

Virgil had a tiny smile. “You think?”

“Yeah! This is a big step, kiddo!” Patton said warmly.

“I vote bonfire!” Roman said loudly. “Tonight we feast on marshmallows!”

“Yeah!” Patton said, pumping his fist up in the air.

They both looked at Virgil. “That could be cool. I haven't really been to a bonfire before.”

Roman gasped as if it was a personal affront to his character. “Never? In all the eighteen years of your life you’ve never been to a bonfire?”

Virgil shook his head.

“We’ll have to build a really big one, then!” Patton said excitedly.

•^*^••

Remy was bored. Maybe he would go out. Probably once Emile got back. Maybe he’d hang around for dinner, but after that he was going out.

And then his phone rang. It was Emile. What, did he forget his wallet?

“Hey, babe, what’s--”

“Remy! I need you!” Emile was yelling, and sounded downright panicked.

Remy was running immediately. “Where are you?”

“The store still. Come quick!”

Remy raced to the store, shoving his phone into his pocket without bothering to hang up. He found Emile outside, with blood running from his nose. “Emile!”

Emile waved him away. “Not me, the hunter went and he’s chasing a vampire.”

Remy growled. He wanted to check on Emile, but he knew Emile would be mad at him for days, if not longer if he didn’t go save this other vampire.

The scent of the hunter was still strong in the air, and it didn’t take long to find him. Remy swung for the back of his head, knocking him out and continuing on to find the vampire. The vampire also was painfully obvious, running without any super speed, and still cuffed, muzzled, and even leashed. Remy caught him around the waist, and the vampire let out a terrified scream.

“Hush.” Remy commanded. “You’ll get snatched up by every hunter in the area running around like this.”

The vampire was shaking and blubbering, but stopped fighting against him and quieted down. Remy got rid of the various restraints, and the vampire nearly dropped to the ground.

“Look, I get you’re tired, and I get you’re scared, but you’re practically asking to get picked up, gurl. Calm down. Don’t run when you see a hunter, and try to act like a human, yeah?”

The vampire nodded shakily.

“Great. I’ll drop these cuffs off somewhere away from here.” Remy turned to leave, but stopped and turned back. “You have a phone?”

“I--I had one. N-not anymore.”

Remy rolled his eyes. He didn’t have anything to write on either.

“Look, here’s my number,” he said, showing the vampire on his phone. “If you get desperate, call me.”

The vampire nodded.

“You got it?”

Another nod.

“Cool. See you around.”

Remy took the various hunter supplies and dropped them off behind the store. And then he finally got back to Emile, who was waiting in the car in the parking lot, holding a tissue to his nose.

“What happened, Em?”

Emile shrugged. “There was a hunter, and you know I can’t stand what they do, but it’s just getting worse and worse. I couldn’t do nothing.”

Remy scoffed. “You never could do nothing.”

Emile gave him a smile. That smile in particular never was fair, that ‘you know you love me’ smile.

Remy shook his head, grabbing Emile in a hug. “You’ve got to stop scaring me, Emile.”

Emile was silent a moment. Then he spoke, quietly, and very seriously. “I don’t know if I can. Everything keeps getting worse, and I won’t just sit and watch it happen in front of me.”

“I know. You just have to stay safe.”

Emile nodded. “Thanks for always rescuing me.”

Remy chuckled. “Someone’s gotta do it. It’d be a crime to leave someone as sweet as you unrescued.”

•^*^••

“He said he was a therapist, that his name was Emile.”

The doctor nodded, checking his head carefully.

“Hey, wait,” the next guy waiting said. “Wasn’t one of those wanted people called Emile?”

“The ones that took down Liam Hart? Nah, this guy couldn’t have done that if he tried. He was just one of those bleeding-heart types.”

“Eh, Imma check anyway.”

“Yeah, sure, knock yourself out.”

[sotheywrotestories]

Warm Hands | bucky barnes |

Request: None

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Warnings: Some cuss words I’m sure

Summary: Bucky can help her, can’t he? (Angst to fluff)

Word count: 3,682 (oof)

***

There was one member of the Avengers that Bucky had yet to meet.

She was slightly closed in on herself, someone who was often found in the corner of the living room, nose stuck in a book.

When Steve dragged Bucky to the compound, she was the one person Steve didn’t acknowledge. She was the one person who didn’t stand to greet Bucky when he first entered the communal living area.

Bucky wanted to talk to her, wanted to get to know her better, but she always seemed so removed from the rest of the Avengers. And, of course, he didn’t want to be someone who just assumed she was just as psychologically damaged as him, though he was sure she wasn’t near as normal as anyone else…no Avenger really was.

***

“All right, listen up, team,” Tony clapped. “We’ve got a mission, five members needed. Cap and I are already enrolled, Frosty is barred.”

“What?” Bucky frowned.

He thought he had been doing all right when it came to missions. Hadn’t messed up so horribly that jeopardized the mission, hadn’t been injured, hadn’t gotten anyone killed, why was he barred from the mission?

“It’s Hydra, Buck. We don’t want you to be put in any kind of danger,” Steve said. “Nothing personal, strictly business.”

Business. Sure.


“So we’ve got Nat, Wanda, and Bruce?” Tony said. “Cool. Suit up, we leave in 20.”

Of course, Bucky knew why they didn’t want him on the mission, but he also didn’t want to be stuck in the compound for so long with people who wanted nothing to do with him. Both Steve and Natasha were leaving, Meaning Bucky was left alone with Sam.

And the really introverted girl, but lord knows she wouldn’t say anything to him.

“But I can’t leave the compound, either,” Bucky called after Steve. “Still not allowed to even go out. I really don’t want to be left alone with Sam.”

“Gee, thanks,” Sam snorted. “Don’t worry, Tin-Man, I’m out of town for the weekend. You’ll get the compound all to yourself.”

Bucky snorted and turned to Steve.

“So, what, you leave me alone with some girl you haven’t even had the decency to introduce me to?”

Steve gave Bucky an odd look. “I don’t know who you’re talking about. I introduced you to everyone. Look, I have to go suit up. I’ll see you when we get back, we’re not going to be gone long, you’ll be fine.”

Bucky watched Steve leave with a sour look on his face. Introduced him to everyone? So, what, this girl wasn’t on the team? Does that mean some random person has managed to live in the compound without anyone noticing for this long? That can’t be right. So then she’s not on the team?

Maybe she’s just an assistant who helps out around the compound and maybe that’s why she’s so detached because she doesn’t feel like she belongs. Either way, Bucky wasn’t looking forward to sharing the compound with someone he didn’t know.

***

The first day after the team left, Bucky didn’t see the mystery girl at all. She stayed in her room (wherever that was, he ever paid enough attention to her to know where she lived, but wherever it was, Bucky was glad it wasn’t around him.)

He spent the day snooping around other corners of the compound he just hadn’t seen before, it was a lot bigger than he thought it was. He came across at least two dance studios (it might have been the same one twice, he wasn’t sure) as well as one gigantic library.

This was his favorite room immediately. He spent at least six hours catching up on pop culture and current events before he realized how dark it was getting outside.

“FRIDAY?” Bucky called to the ceiling.

“Yes, Sergeant Barnes?” the Irish voice responded.

“Can you help me find my way back to this room tomorrow?” Bucky asked nervously. He never liked asking FRIDAY for help, but he truly did need it.

“Of course, Sergeant Barnes, I will bookmark the (Y/N) (L/N) library for future reference. Would you like me to send a map to your room?”

“Yes, please.” A pause. “And…who is (Y/N) (L/N)?”

Bucky was still getting caught up on the big events and people of this time. How proud would Steve be when he came back and Bucky knew who (Y/N) (L/N) was?

“I’ll give you some readings on (Y/N) (L/N), sir.”

***

Bucky only received two books from FRIDAY, who had bookmarked only one section in each book, where it only slightly mentioned (Y/N).

“Is there anything online about this person?” Bucky thought out loud.

“There are over 1,000 articles online about (Y/N) (L/N),” FRIDAY responded. “All articles related to this person or topic are restricted to public access.”

“Restricted?” Bucky frowned. “What do you mean, restricted?”

“There is no way for you to access these files. Tony appears to have restricted all access to anyone below clearance level 7.”

Go figures, Tony was ht only person in the compound who was level 7 clearance.

“So no one can know? Not even Steve?”

“No, sir. Everyone is restricted. Would you like to request access?”

“Yes, please.”

***

When Bucky woke up the next day, FRIDAY told him his request for access had been denied. He wasn’t surprised if it was restricted, there was probably a reason, no matter how badly he wanted to know.,

He trudged his way to the kitchen, full intent on making a bowl of cereal for breakfast. As he was walking by the living room, however, as he was walking by the common room, he spotted the mystery girl.

As an act of kindness, he thought, I should make breakfast for the two of us. We only have two more days left, anyway.

He pulled flour and oil and eggs, heat up a pan, and made pancakes. Enough for the whole team.

Bucky set the table with five different kinds of syrups and a stick of butter.

“Hey,” he called into the common room, seeing her head turn ever so slightly. “I made breakfast if you…want to come to eat.”

The girl’s head swiveled before looking back at him. She slowly rose and made her way over to the table, sitting down one seat away from the place he had set her.

Okay, he thought. Maybe that’s just her spot.

He reached over and carefully slid the plate in front of her.

“There are chocolate chips and blueberries and strawberries, I didn’t know what you might want to eat,” Bucky sent her a small smile.

“Me?” She quietly asked.

“Uh, yeah,” Bucky furrowed his eyebrows. “Who else?”

They stared at each other for a moment and then Bucky shook his head.

“I’m sorry, I know Steve didn’t introduce us. I’m Bucky,” he stuck his hand out.

“Bucky…,” she whispered, reaching for his hand.

Her hand was cold, cold enough for Bucky to jolt a bit.

“Sorry, cold hands.”

“Me too,” Bucky lifted up his left hand and grinned.

***

Once was breakfast was cleared (after some very funny conversation) Bucky made his way back to the library for the rest of the day.

When Bucky went to bed that night, he realized he didn’t know her name.

***

It was Sunday. Which meant Bucky had every intention of sleeping long into the day. No team-building breakfast, no running, no reading, just sleep.

His phone clearly had other ideas. It buzzed over and over no matter how many times Bucky ignored it in hopes of drifting back off into dreamland. By the fifth time the phone went off, Bucky caved and picked up the phone.

“What,” Bucky growled.

“Good morning to you too, Barnes,” Sam nearly chuckled on the other line. “I’m picking up bagels. What do you want?”

Bucky’s quick glance told him it was only eleven in the morning.

“You’re coming back today?” Bucky groaned.

“Oh, I’m so excited to see you too!” Sam cheered. “What do you want.”

“Just whatever,” Bucky mumbled into his pillow. “I don’t have a favorite. Whatever you feel like bringing me.”

“Get your ass out of bed, Barnes.” Bucky could hear the eye roll. “I’ll be at the compound in an hour. We should probably get food and cleanliness ready from the team when they come back tomorrow.”

“They can feed themselves,” Bucky growled before hanging up.

In true human fashion, however, Bucky found it impossible to sleep after being awoken by Sam. Might as well get up and do some cleaning.

He started with laundry and bundled up all the laundry from the past two weeks to be cleaned. It wasn’t much, since Bucky rotated through two pairs of jeans and a pair of sweats, the occasional pair of shorts, it was mainly just henleys. It would make more sense to wash the load with more clothes.

It just so happened that mystery girl as sitting in the common room again as Bucky was walking to the laundry room.

“Good morning!” He greeted, hoisting the basket onto his hip. “Do you have any clothes that need to be washed?”

“Morning, Bucky,” she smiled, making his stomach feel as though it was full of butterflies. “No, I don’t.”

“Did you already do your laundry?” Bucky tilted his head.

“Who the hell are you talking to?” Sam spoke from the doorway, bag of bagels in his hand.

“Oh, just-“ Bucky pointed to the couch to see that the girl had left. “…she was just right there….”

“Barnes!” Sam mockingly put a hand on his chest. “Did you have a hook up this weekend?”

Bucky narrowed his eyes. “So good to have you back, Birdbrain.”

Sam rolled his eyes but plopped the bagels onto the table. “Let’s eat, then we can wash all of our clothes together.”

Bucky set the basket by the table leg and pulled a plain bagel out of the bag.

“How was your trip?” He asked as he put cream cheese on the bagel.

“Good, just visited some old veteran friends of mine. What’d you do with your time alone?” Sam put his own cream cheese on the outside of a bagel.

Heathen.

“I just walked around the compound. I read a lot,” Bucky shrugged, fighting into the mass-produced bread.

“What’d you read?”

“Just whatever I could. The (Y/N) (L/N) library is huge, I could spend forever in there.”

When two moments passed and Sam hadn’t pressed anymore into Bucky’s weekend, Bucky looked up.

Sam’s gaze was stuck staring at his bagel, frozen in his hands.

“She really loved reading, ya know,” Sam said quietly. “When she…Tony dedicated a whole library to her. Not many people use it, but I think she’d be glad someone was.”

Sam finally looked up and Bucky was taken aback to see tears in his eyes.

“Who was she?” Bucky asked in a hushed tone. “I can’t find anything about her. It’s all restricted.”

“She,” Sam said, looking past Bucky and out the window. “Was the Avengers’ biggest regret.”

***

Sam was uncharacteristically quiet the rest of the day, cleaning in silence alongside Bucky. The silence was only broken when Tony’s voice rang through eh compound.

“We’re back early. Come say hello.”

Buck and Sam made their ways to the common room, where Bucky immediately Embraced Steve.

“All good?” He asked quietly.

“All good, Buck. Everything was in order.”

Bucky nodded in satisfaction and turned to give his greetings to everyone else. Sam started a chicken dish in the kitchen while everyone else cleaned up.

When everyone was seated, Bucky brought it up again.

“Who’s (Y/N) (L/N)?” He asked, cutting into a quick recap of the mission.

Tony and Steve stared at him while Nat and Wanda shared a look. Bruce got a faraway look and Steve refused to meet his eye.

“I think it’s fair I know. I want to know what you know.”

A beat.

“She was on the team,” Steve finally said. “She was one of the best assets we had and she slipped through our fingers.”

“She died?” Bucky asked bluntly.

“Maybe,” Tony shrugged, not being as smug as he usually was. “She was a double agent.”

“Then why dedicate a library to her?” Bucky narrowed his eyes.

Tony shrugged again and Sam put his head in his hands.

“Because she was a good person,” Natasha said in a hushed tone. “And even if she was working for the enemy the whole time, that would never change.”

“Wait,” Bucky shook his head in disbelief. “So she was playing you, but you still honor her? If she was-“

“Damnit, Bucky,” Steve nearly cried, putting his head in his hands. “In the end, she played for us. No matter what she was doing behind our backs fro the enemy, she gave her life for us.”

Oh.

“Listen,” Tony said, his voice deep and gravelly. “She was the best goddamn member of this team. And we mourn her every day. That’s the end of the story.”

***

Bucky was sitting alone in his room reading when he heard a knock. Assuming he was Steve he put his book down.

“Come in,” he called, sitting up straighter and preparing himself for a reprimanding.

“Hey,” a soft voice called, the misery girl carefully opening his door. “Can I come in?”

“Oh.” Bucky’s eyes went wide. “Yeah, sure, of course. How can I help you?”

Bucky sat on his bed and watched as she delicately placed herself on his window seat.

“I uh…feel like I should explain myself.”

Bucky waited for her to continue.

“I’m not used to people seeing me, you see,” she said, not meeting Bucky’s eyes. “People typically…pass by. I exist in a separate plane of this dimension…I guess all your time in the cryo made you different.”

“Who are you?” Bucky finally asked. “Am I the only one who can see you?”

The girl shrugged. “I don’t know about everyone in the whole world. But you’re the only person I’ve met that can see me.”

Miserable.

“I’m (Y/N),” she looked at him. “I heard you talking about me at dinner…I’m sorry I never told you but….”

“You were afraid I would judge you.”

“Guilty,” (Y/N) raised her hands. “And you treated me so kindly…I remember the last interactions I had with everyone were so…cold.”

Bucky saw her tearing up.

“I played them all,” she spoke honestly, her eyes staring into his soul. “I didn’t work with either side, I was impartial and when it came to it, I made the final decision to do what I thought was right.”

Bucky recognized the look in her eyes. She wanted validation that she wasn’t a bad person, that she didn’t do something so terrible that could never be forgiven.

“I understand, doll.”

A silent understanding passed through the two of them and Bucky felt a weight lift off his chest.

“Here,” she pulled a notebook from behind her back. “This will tell you what you want to know.”

***

Bucky read the whole book in two hours, (Y/N) left shortly after giving it to him and disappeared to who knows where.

Now, Bucky was pounding on Steve’s door at who knows what time, the book clutched tightly in his left hand, his ears straining to hear Steve on the other side.

“What,” Steve groaned, flinging the door open and rubbing his face.

“I know what happened to (Y/N),” Bucky heaved, shoving the book into Steve’s chest. “I don’t think she’s dead and I think we can get her back.”

Bucky and Steve ran through the halls to Tony’s room, banging on his door much alike to the way Bucky had with Steve.

“Tony get up right now this is serious.”

“If someone isn’t dying,” Tony said with a monotonous voice. “I will be kicking you off my property forever.”

“It’s (Y/N),” Steve held the book up.

“Who?” Sam called from down the hallway, having been awoken by the sounds of running feet.

“(Y/N)?” Tony asked, taking the book back.

“Read the last page,” Bucky suggested.

There was a short silence before Tony looked at the two men.

“Where did you get this.”

“You’re not going to believe this,” Bucky put his hands up. “But she gave it to me. I can see her, well, sometimes, sometimes I don’t know where she is. At first, I just thought she was an agent or something, but we had breakfast together-“

“Barnes!” Sam barked. “She gave it to you. So what do we do now?”

“We call Dr. Strange.”

***

By the time Stephen had showed up, everyone else had been woken up for what might be the revival of a dear teammate.

Everyone gathered in the living room, squishing onto couches and counters alike.

“This is…all theoretical,” Strange sighed, casting a glance at the very hopeful looking team. “There’s no way she can prove what she claims.”

“Explain it again, please,” Wanda said.

“Her journal insinuates that whatever she was hit with was supposedly an infinity stone,” Bruce explained.

“A what?” Natasha cut in. “What’s an infinity stone?”

“We’re not sure, but,” Tony hopped off the counter he was sitting on. “The way (Y/N) explains it, in true (Y/N) fashion ‘it’s a soul keeper, dumbasses.’”

“And she’s stuck in there?” Sam asked.

“No,” Bucky cut in. “Not quite. She’s stuck I a ‘different plane’ she said.”

“Right, because you can see her,” Strange nodded. “This is all very hypothetical and never been actually proven-“

“Does it matter?” Steve shouted, slamming his hand on the table. “This is our chance to get her back? To apologize and to hear her side of the story and you want to let hypotheticals get in the way?”

Bucky placed a hand on Steve’s shoulder but the tempers all around the room were rising.

“I can try,” Strange amended. “But don’t get your hopes up.”

“Go on then,” Natasha nodded, pushing the couch against the wall. “Try.”

Strange rolled his eyes but made movements for everyone to back up anyway. His hands whirled in circles, opening a portal, the ring unlike any other he had conjured before. It grew, giving the room an orangish hue, a spitting image of their common room and the other side. Voice, footsteps, and then-

Nothing. There was no one. The portal held for three minutes and then faded.

“As I said,” Stephen shrugged. “It was all hypothetical.” And he opened his own portal and walked away.

***

Bucky lay awake and stared at the wall.

“Do they miss me?” He heard (Y/N)’s voice.

He turned over in his bed and saw her leaning against his headboard. He pulled himself up and sat next to her, both of them staring at his closed door.

“Yes.”

Silence.

“I didn’t expect you to try and bring me back.”

The air grew thick.

“You deserve your redemption, doll,” Bucky sighed, putting his metal hand over her abnormally cold one. “Even though you already have it.”

“Do they forgive me?” She asked, turning to him. “Honestly, do they?”

Bucky stared into her (E/C) eyes, watching her battle herself. “Of course they do.”

She sighed and closed her eyes. “I want to see them.”

Oh.

“Yeah, of course. I think Steve is still up.”

If Bucky was the only one who could see her, he was sure she avoided them. He didn’t think he could bear to watch everyone carry one without seeing him.

Steve was huddled in the window seat and Bucky lead (Y/N) to him.

“Steve,” she said quietly.

“Steve,” Bucky reiterated.

“Buck,” Steve curtly replied.

“(Y/N)’s here,” Bucky said.

Steve turned to look at Bucky but didn’t see anyone else in the room. (Y/N) grabbed Bucky’s hand, squeezed it, then moved to the side of Steve.

“Tell him I’m on his left.”

“She’s on your left.”

Steve’s face split into a beaming smile, his head turning slightly to his left, trying to see what Bucky could see.

“Hi, (Y/N).”

“Hi, Steve.”

“She says ‘Hi, Steve.’”

***

Bucky took her around the compound and held conversations for her. It helped both of them grow and Bucky found himself getting very close to the team.

“Bucky, is (Y/N) here?” Tony poked his head into Bucky’s room.

“No,” Bucky placed his book down. “She went for a walk. Would you like me to call her?”

“No,” Tony stepped into the room. “I just wanted to say thank you. Even if we can’t have her back…it’s good to know someone is looking out for her.”

Bucky smiled.

A sad smile.

“If I could get her back, I would in a heartbeat, Tony.”

“I know, Frosty. I appreciate it.”

***

“I have an idea,” (Y/N) whispered as she lay next to Bucky one night.

“Oh?” He turned to her. “And that is?”

“I want to try one more time. I love you, Bucky-“

-his heart skipped a beat-

“-you’re really my only friend-“

-ouch-

“-but I miss them so much.”

Bucky nodded. He understood.

“You want to try again?” He presumed.

“Just once. Please?”

How could he say no?

***

“I’m only going to do this one more time,” Stephen rolled his eyes.

“(Y/N) wasn’t here last time,” Bucky said. “But she’s here now, it will be different.”

And it would be, Bucky knew it would be.

Everyone stood with bated breath as the portal opened.

The toes of a sock peeked through. Then an ankle, a shin, a knee. (Y/N)’s head leaning through and she heaved the rest of her body into the common room.

“Holy shit,” Strange said, the portal behind her closing.

The team stared at her for a long moment before there were cries and (Y/N) was being passed around the room in hugs and temple kisses. Tears were being shed left and right, Bucky couldn’t remember seeing Natasha so emotional.

“Bucky,” (Y/N) finally got to him. “Hi.”

They smiled at each other.

“Hi,” he said, pushing a hair behind her ear.

“It’s nice to meet you,” (Y/N) joking stuck out her hand for him to shake.

“You as well, doll.”

Her hand was warm.

Tags: @im-not-an-egirl-im-baby @ima-fucking-nerd​​  @embrace-themagic @fireboltrose5737@whatdafricklefrackle@peeterparkr @sherlokiantheatrenerd @legit-fandom-trash​ @abitchformarvel​​​ @dark-night-sky-99​​ @dreams-of-feysand

[mr-entj]

Brain-Based Descriptions of the 8 Jungian “Types”

A piece my former professor published on MBTI, cognitive functions, and his study I participated in 10 years ago.

____________________

By Dario Nardi

This is based on the blue “Brain Basics” foldout by Radiance House. (Www.RadianceHouse.com)

In his seminal work, Psychological Types, Dr. C.G. Jung described 2 attitudes (Extraverting and Introverting) and 4 “mental functions”: Sensing, Intuiting, Thinking, and Feeling. Together, they give what he called 8 “Types”. Today, we can use more appropriate terms like functional patterns or cognitive processes. Notice the terms are verbs. His is a process model, not a trait model. Since then, people have offered many variant definitions and created assessments, most of which are peculiar to the creator, speculative, and not research based. In my own work since 2006, I have correlated the Jungian processes to biases and patterns in neocortical (brain) activity using EEG technology. Subjects complete a 1-hour protocol of 20 diverse tasks (meditating, math, memory, etc) while monitored by EEG. And of course, we do our best to confirm their best-fit personality profile using common definitions. Here is an overview of the neocortex and definitions of the 8 cognitive processes.

BRAIN BASICS

Your brain consists of many small modules linked in networks. Each module is a neural circuit that helps you do a task. Some tasks are concrete, such as recognizing faces, hearing voice tone, and moving a hand. Other tasks are abstract, such as evaluating ethics, adjusting to others’ feedback, and mentally rehearsing a future action. There are easily five-dozen modules just in the neocortex, which is the brain’s outermost, thick layer and seat of consciousness. The big figure below is a bird’s eye view of the neocortex. It highlights key modules. We each prefer some modules over others. We differ by the tasks we enjoy and how well we do them. You might take a moment to explore the big figure to identify aspects of yourself.

We enjoy different competencies. For each of us, modules activate with a different degree of stimulus, competence, motivation, and energy level. If we look at the average brain activity of two people over an hour, you may see that their favorite modules are similar, near opposites, or somewhere in between! When different, those people’s personality profile, behaviors, and self-experience differ greatly too. In fact, we can dig deeper to look at underlying brain networks (using computer-aided analysis of EEG data), and confirm the biases are longterm rather than a result of just a 1-hour protocol.

In addition to favorite brain regions and networks, there are whole-brain patterns. For example, the brain can get into a state of “flow” where all modules are in synch. Or it might show  a chaotic brainstorm. There are more patterns, and we human beings are pretty diverse. Situations may prompt everyone’s brain differently. Take a moment to reflect, when do you get into your “zone”? What is it like when you are at your most creative and productive?

To meet our needs, the brain’s elements work in concert. As an analogy, if a module is a musical instrument, then the brain is a symphony orchestra that affords complex performances. Research suggests eight ways the brain (specifically, the neocortex) works in concert. These eight are highly effective and sustainable, though we necessarily come to rely on some more than others. You will find descriptions of these 8 below.

FOUR EXECUTIVE STYLES

Before we get into details about all 8 cognitive processes, let’s break things down more simply into 4 executive styles. 

Two Processing Circuits: To start, there are 2 circuits in the brain to process incoming stimuli. One circuit is faster. It sends sensory data directly to the front of the brain, our executive centers, to quickly act on the data. This is a more extroverted style. A second circuit is slower. It sends sensory data to the back of the brain, to link with memory and information processing centers, to compare, contemplate, and collate the data before moving it on to the executives. This is a more introverted style. There are other ways extroverts and introverts different, such as high versus low gain: Given a certain environment, an extrovert may easily find it too quiet and want to “dial up” the stimuli, whereas an introvert may easily find it too noisy and want to “dial down” the stimuli. Suffice to say, everyone uses both fast and slow circuits, and Jung himself described each person has having 2 functions in awareness, one for extroverting and a second for introverting, to make a well-rounded adult.

Two Executive Centers: We have 2 main executive centers: a “goal-focused” left pre-frontal cortex and an “open-ended” right pre-frontal cortex. Different activities light up these regions. For example, when you make a decision, craft an explanation, or focus to shut out distractions, the left goal-focused executive gets active. Or, when you engage in brainstorming, monitor a process, or reflect on yourself, the right open-ended executive gets active. Very nicely, these two executives correlate well to Jung’s functions. Jung described Thinking and Feeling as “rational” or “judging” functions, which definitionally fit well with our left goal-focused executive. And Jung described Sensing and Intuiting (aka “iNtuiting”) as “a-rational” or “perceiving” functions that definitionally fit well with our right open-ended executive. In his framework, Jung viewed balanced adults as having both kinds of functions, just as all people use both their left and right pre-frontal cortex, and their left and right hands, but invariably with some bias for one over the other.

Now we can bring together Extraverting-Introverting and Left-Right pre-frontal bias to get 4 executive styles:

Expedite Decision-making: Proactively meet goals. Often look sure and confident. Organize and fix to get positive results soon. (More goal-focused, more extraverting.)

Refine Decision-making: Clarify what’s universal, true or worthwhile. Often look quietly receptive. Trust their own judgments. (More goal-focused, more introverting.)

Energize the Process: Seek out stimuli. Often look random, emergent, and enthusiastic. Attend to the here and now. (More open-ended, more extraverting.)

Monitor the Process: Reflect on data and perceptions. Often look focused and preoccupied. Attend to reference points. (More open-ended, more introverting.)

You might take a moment to consider which style is more like you, and more like a spouse, colleague, or boss. Remember these are about habitual biases, not boxes, so feel free RANK the styles 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th rather than pick one.

EIGHT COGNITIVE PROCESSES

We can get more detailed. People’s brains tend to differ in two more ways: people versus thing preference, and abstract versus concrete preference. These are not absolute, simply biases.

For example, there is a module that aids us in identifying stuff in our environment. Some people invest more in identifying lots of people’s faces and emotional expressions, whereas other people invest more in identifying makes and models of cars, computers, or other objects. Of course, everyone does both. But like handedness, where we use both hands, there is bias and have a preferred hand that plays a lead role in many activities like writing.

For as a second example, there is a module that is home to lots of “mirror neurons”. This module tends to get active when we do something concrete like observe and mimic a person’s actions, perhaps to learn a skill. It also can get active when we do get abstract and imagine if we were another creature in a galaxy far far away. Everyone can do both, but we have biases that are likely do due a combination of genetic tendency and habits from culture and physical environment.

There are many other examples. We don’t need to go into them here. Suffice to say, there is evidence to support the kinds of variations and biases that Jung observed among people. 

Without further ado, let’s look at the 8 processes. As you explore, keep in mind you likely have preferred one or two from an early age, and may now be reasonably proficient with as many as 5 or 6 as an adult, at least enough to keep up in society, in relationships, and on the job. I have numbered the processes for convenient reference. They do not actually come in any particular order! Each comes with a name like “Active Adapting” and a broad cognitive process such as “Immersing in the present context”. Finally, each comes with a code such as “Se” (meaning extroverted Sensing) that links to Jung’s framework in Psychological Types.

1. Active Adapting (“Se”): Immerse in the present context.

Act quickly and smoothly to handle whatever comes up in the moment. Excited by motion, action, and nature. Adept at physical multitasking with a video game-like mind primed for action. Often in touch with body sensations. Trust your senses and gut instincts. Bored when sitting with a mental/rote task. Good memory for relevant details. Tend to be relaxed, varying things a little and scanning the environment, until an urgent situation or exciting option pops up. Then you quickly get “in the zone” and use your whole mind to handle whatever is happening. Tend to test limits and take risks for big rewards. May be impatient to finish.

2. Cautious Protecting (“Si”): Stabilize with a predictable standard.

Review and practice to specialize and meet group needs. Constant practice “burns in” how-to knowledge and helps build your storehouse. Specialization helps you reliably fill roles and tasks. Improve when following a role-model or example. Easily track where you are in a task. Often review the past and can relive events as if you are there again. Carefully compare a situation to the customary ways you’ve come to rely. In touch with body sensations. Strong memory for kinship and details. Rely on repetition. Check what’s familiar, comforting, and useful. Tend to stabilize a situation and invest for future security. May over-rely on authority for guidance.

3. Timely Building (“Te”): Measure and construct for progress.

Make decisions objectively based on measures and the evidence before you. Focus on word content, figures, clock units, and visual data. Find that “facts speak for themselves”. Tend to check whether things are functioning properly. Can usually provide convincing, decisive explanations. Value time, and highly efficient at managing resources. Tend to utilize mental resources only when extra thinking is truly demanded. Otherwise, use what’s at hand for a “good enough” result that works. Easily compartmentalize problems. Like to apply procedures to control events and achieve goals. May display high confidence even when wrong.

4. Skillful Sleuthing (“Ti”): Gain leverage using a framework.

Study a situation from different angles and fit it to a theory, framework, or principle. This often involves reasoning multiple ways to objectively and accurately analyze problems. Rely on complex/subtle logical reasoning. Adept at deductive thinking, defining and categorizing, weighing odds and risks, and/or naming and navigating. Notice points to apply leverage and subtle influence. Value consistency of thought. Can shut out the senses and “go deep” to think, and separate body from mind to become objective when arguing or analyzing. Tend to backtrack to clarify thoughts and withhold deciding in favor of thorough examination. May quickly stop listening.

5. Friendly Hosting (“Fe”): Nurture trust in giving relationships.

Evaluate and communicate values to build trust and enhance relationships. Like to promote social / interpersonal cohesion. Attend keenly to how others judge you. Quickly adjust your behavior for social harmony. Often rely on a favorite way to reason, with an emphasis on words. Prefer to stay positive, supportive, and optimistic. Empathically respond to others’ needs and feelings, and may take on others’ needs as your own. Need respect and trust. Easily embarrassed. Like using adjectives to convey values. Enjoy hosting. May hold back the true degree of your emotional response about morals/ethics, regarding talk as more effective. May try too hard to please.

6. Quiet Crusading (“Fi”): Stay true to who you really are.

Listen with your whole self to locate and support what’s important. Often evaluate importance along a spectrum from love/like to dislike/hate. Patient and good at listening for identity, values, and what resonates, though may tune out when “done” listening. Value loyalty and belief in oneself and others. Attentive and curious for what is not said. Focus on word choice, voice tone, and facial expressions to detect intent. Check with your conscience before acting. Choose behavior congruent with what’s important, your personal identity, and beliefs. Hard to embarrass. Can respond strongly to specific, high-value words or false data. May not utilize feedback.

7. Excited Brainstorming ("Ne"): Explore the emerging patterns.

Perceive and play with ideas and relationships. Wonder about patterns of interaction across various situations. Keep up a high-energy mode that helps you notice and engage potential possibilities. Think analogically: Stimuli are springboards to generate inferences, analogies, metaphors, jokes, and more new ideas. Easily guess details. Adept at “what if?” scenarios, mirroring others, and even role-playing. Can shift a situation’s dynamics and trust what emerges. Mental activity tends to feel chaotic, with many highs and lows at once, like an ever-changing “Christmas tree” of flashing lights. Often entertain multiple meanings at once. May find it hard to stay on-task.

8. Keen Foreseeing (Ni): Transform with a meta-perspective.

Withdraw from the world and tap your whole mind to receive an insight. Can enter a brief trance to respond to a challenge, foresee the future, or answer a philosophical issue. Avoid specializing and rely instead on timely “ah-ha” moments or a holistic “zen state” to tackle novel tasks, which may look like creative expertise. Manage your own mental processes and stay aware of where you are in an open-ended task. May use an action or symbol to focus. Sensitive to the unknown. Ruminate on ways to improve. Look for synergy. Might try out a realization to transform yourself or how you think. May over-rely on the unconscious.

Further Exploration

You can read more in the following references: “Neuroscience of Personality: Brain-Savvy Insights for All Types of People”, “Our Brains in Color”, and “8 Keys to Self-Leadership”. Or if you prefer a free online 1-hour video, you can find it here:

https://vimeo.com/user40810588/review/143815719/c69a1060ef

Here is an assessment built around the Jungian functions, validated on 3000 people:

http://www.keys2cognition.com/explore.htm

You can find a complete list of references to my neuroscience of personality work here:

https://www.facebook.com/notes/dario-nardi/neuroscience-of-personality-resources/10155730683011216/

[melyaliz]

Magnetic feelings

Anonymous:  By any chance can I have a yj fic? I’m 4’11, half white half Mexican, I’m usually seen as cold and intimidating but I’m super polite when you first talk to me. After knowing me I’m very sarcastic and have a sharp sense of humor, I do gymnastics and study business and psychology, I grew up with a lot of sexism from the Mexican side of my family and the business side of the family to the point where I learned to shoot, play poker, and drink better than all the men when I was 12. Thank you!!!

Fandom: DC / Young Justice TV show 

Summary: Roy Harper works alone. 

Pairing: Roy Harper x Ship  

Notes: I’m sorry this took so long. Alot of unforeseen issues happened last week like my computer breaking and then I broke my toe. Lots of breaking happening. 

Hope it was worth the wait. 

Also Roy Harper needs more love, and luck in love. 

All Masterlists @melyalizarchive​

Connect with me! AO3 / Instagram / Pinterest

DONATE or REQUEST

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

Sometimes Roy felt like Will had taken his life from him. I mean in a way he was kind of his replacement but then again it wasn’t really Will’s fault. And since he had returned Will had done everything in his power to try and make the “original” feel at home.” 

It wasn’t really fair that Roy feel anger toward his clone but… it was there. Burning just below the surface almost always. Frustration about his life, frustration on how easily no one had missed him. No one had noticed. The frustration that he really couldn’t do much about it. 

So instead he did what any emotionally stable person did and took harder and harder missions. At least he could pound out of baddies. Let them feel his wrath. Control the controllable. He was allowed to feel anger toward the men he was pounding into the cement. 

He was allowed to feel. 

He was on one of those missions right now and vaguely wondering if he had maybe bitten off more than he could chew. The mission had suggested at least two so he had lied and said Jim would be coming along to help. 

Obviously, he wasn’t but no one needed to know that. 

Roy didn’t need back up. 

Although now that he was fighting a literal human crocodile that was twice his side and built like a scaley brick wall he was slowly starting to wonder if this was the end. At least this time maybe he would actually be missed. 

Dark yes, but also true. 

Killer Croc snarled lunching toward Roy, claws out. The redhead sighed through swollen eyes trying to aim his mechanic arm when the large crocodile man froze. Eyes glassing over he fell into a heap just inches from Roy’s legs. 

Roy quickly scooted away looking down at the beast. Then looking past it. That was when he saw a young woman standing just a few feet away. 

“He’s just sleeping,” she said taking a few steps forward. Her hair pulled back dressed in a dark uniform and mask that suggested she was part of this life. The vigilante life. Looking back down Roy saw a small needle sticking out of crock’s neck. 

“W… who are you?” 

“Did you want my hero name or my real one?” she shickered holding out her hand for him to take. 

“Uhhh.”

“HOW DARE YOU!” 

Both young adults turned to see a blonde-haired woman running toward them, a large machine gun. Pulling it up and squaring off she pulled the trigger raining bullets down on them. Roy reached out wrapping his human arm around the woman’s waist as his mechanical arm faced forward ready to defend. Not that he really thought he could at this point. 

“You always play the knight in shining armor?” the woman next to him asked. And that was when he realized the bullets that were raining down on them weren’t. Instead, they all stood suspended in mid-air. The woman’s hands out in front of them. “I don’t really need saving. But I could use a partner.” 

“I work alone” Roy said holding his arm up firing off a few shots. The woman next to him rolled her eyes putting her hands on her hips. The bullet falling harmlessly to the ground clanking against the stone roof like steel hail. 

“And how’s that been working out for you?” he could feel her behind him deflecting the bullets as he ran toward the blonde-haired woman. Firing his own attacks as the blonde ducked behind an air fan. 

Another large pop sounded behind them and Roy felt the woman turn around pressing her back to his cursing under her breath. Glancing over his shoulder he saw her use her powers to send a massive missile that was shot at up into the air. 

“I guess you are ready handy with those telekinetic powers” Roy admitted shooting the man who had shot the missile launcher. 

“They are actually like your personality, magnetic” she laughed flipping over him before running toward the woman who was still shooting at them. 

This time the bullets flew rights towards the metal user’s outstretched hand melting around her fist before she grabbed the barrel of the gun bending it back before landing a blow across the woman’s head knocking her out. 

“Wow,” the missile launcher guy said next to Roy as the ginger tired him up. 

“You can say that again” Roy agreed.

Both men glanced at each other realizing they were on opposite sides. The missile launcher guy just chuckled smiling sheepishly up at Roy. Roy, like the stable individual he was, laid him out with one punch. 

“Nice, the cops should be here any moment.” Roy’s new teammate said skipping up to him. “I normally celebrate with a beer after a good day. There is this great bar not far from here.”

“I could go for a beer” Roy shrugged. “I’m Roy Harper” 

“Y/N” she said taking his outstretched hand smiling. 

Maybe having a partner wasn’t so bad. 

-GET TAGGED!- 

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[pleasespellchimerical]

the opening of that Good Omens/Evangelion crossover that I’ll never finish

Sometimes it’s a relief to admit I’ll never finish a fic and that’s ok

anyway, things that will never be:

Angels! Demons! the end of the world!

Heaven is responsible for this mess. Hell can’t figure it out, so all the demons get sent to infiltrate Nerv

Ryoji Kaji is a low level demon who hero-worships Crowley (and also falls in love with a human. Demons can, in fact, love)

Crowley and Katsuragi are besties. He hangs out at her apartment a lot, and they drink absurd amounts of booze together

Crowley feels really horrible for these kids, so he does his utmost to protect them from the psychological consequences of this war. His efforts are not enough, but they do make things a little better than canon NGE

Crowley steals an Eva

Everyone’s out of town to deal with the crisis with Sandalphon, Crowley’s alone at HQ, and oh shit another angel

So he up and steals one of the production units

Guess who this angel is! (no angels have been seen on Earth since the Second Impact. Until now)

Crowley doesn’t want to fight his old friend, but Aziraphale isn’t acting like himself

When defeated, Aziraphale’s soul jumps into the Eva and he possesses the unit. Humans can no longer pilot it, and Crowley’s in deep shit for stealing it in the first place, so Crowley is forced to pilot it as punishment (it’s not a punishment bc he’s got his old friend back)

Crowley and Kaworu are old frenemies. Crowley’s jealous of the whole “free-will” thing

The ending is very different, but humanity and love wins. Humanity and love always win <3

The piece of fic itself is under the cut. Enjoy!

London, AD 2000, September

It was raining that night.

In a worn-down bookshop in the Soho neighborhood of London, an angel and a demon had holed up with several glasses of wine while the rain poured down.

Until there was a knock on the bookshop door.

They both started, and glanced at each other.

The angel got up to answer the door. "We're closed—" he started, but stopped when the girl huddling under an umbrella held out a book to him.

He took it gingerly, as though expecting it to explode, and whitened when he saw the worn cover.

"What—?" was all he could muster.

The girl looked at him like he was holding her first-born child. "She said to. I don't know who you are or why this is so important, but Agnes said that you need to have it."

The angel took a small breath.

The girl hesitated. "It's a family heirloom, all right? I'm her last descendant. So please—" her voice cracked. "Take care of it."

"I—yes, of course." The angel cradled the book to his chest. "Do you want to come in? Out of the rain? I can get you a cuppa—"

She shook her head. "I need to go. And—" one last plaintive look. "—be careful."

And the girl vanished into the rainy night.

The angel slowly shut the door and made his way to the back room, where he'd left the demon and the bottle of wine.

"Wozzat?" said the demon as he sat back down.

The angel held the book out in front of him reverentially, fingers gently stroking the cover. He carefully opened to a random page, observing the centuries of notes scribbled in the margins.

"There's something sticking out," the demon pointed out helpfully.

The angel paged to where the bookmark was. One section of the text was circled in pencil.

He read it.

And then he read it again.

And stood up.  "I think we need to call it a night."

The demon shrugged. "Sure. I take it this is one of your special books?"

"I've been coveting a copy for centuries…" the angel murmured. "And a girl just appears in the rain and hands one over. Here, take a look." The demon stood and peered over his shoulder at the circled section.

A pause. "Well," the demon said, "That can't be good."

Another pause. "I," the angel said, "need to do some research."

"Right, right. I'll leave you to it then." The demon shuddered, shaking the alcohol out of his system. "See you tomorrow? Don't lose yourself in this book completely."

"Of course." The angel waved a hand, pulling out some scrap paper and pens.

"Right. Night then."

"Good night." The angel was already distracted. The demon mentally shrugged, and headed out into the darkness and the rain.

Several hours later found the demon sprawled out on his couch with a half empty bottle of gin while the telly played late-night reruns. He was dozing, not really paying attention, while the light flickered in front of his face.

There was a click, and the power cut out.

The demon started, surprised by the absence of light and sound. He set the bottle down on a table, stood up, wandered over to the window, looked out.

Whatever had happened, all of London was affected. There was no light as far as the eye could see.

He played with the blinds for a moment, wondering. Thinking back to the bit in the book earlier that night…

And the world exploded.

That's what it felt like, anyway. More specifically, the floor heaved, the demon fell, there was a massive roaring sound, car alarms blared in the streets, and there was screaming.

When the shaking stopped, he got up and pulled open the blinds completely.

A few emergency lights had clicked on in windows and in the street. Where the water was rising.

His eyes widened.

He scrambled for an end table, where he kept an emergency radio. Had done, ever since the Blitz. He cranked the handle until static erupted from the speakers, then twiddled the dial, listening for something, anything…

CROWLEY.

"Fuck! What? I mean, what, my lord?"

SOMETHING IS WRONG.

Yeah, no shit, the demon thought to himself, but wisely kept his mouth shut.

THIS HAS HEAVEN'S STENCH ALL OVER IT. BUT THIS IS NOT THE PROPHESIED END TIMES. THEY HAVE ACTED WITHOUT OUR KNOWLEDGE.

"Wait," the demon croaked, "you mean to say that Upstairs did this?"

THAT IS PRECISELY WHAT WE MEAN. WE NEED INFORMATION, CROWLEY. WE NEED YOU TO INVESTIGATE.

"What do you need from me?" the demon asked, mentally wincing. His plans, all his plants—he'd lived in a state of not-being-disturbed-by-work for a few years now, and had started to get rather comfy with the whole thing.

Complacent, more like.

WE NEED YOU IN JAPAN, CROWLEY. THERE ARE HUMANS INVOLVED. WE NEED YOU TO INFILTRATE THEIR ORGANIZATION, DISCOVER WHAT THEY KNOW.

"はい," the demon said.

A pause. WHAT?

"It's Japanese," the demon muttered, then shook himself. "Right. Of course. I just need to check one thing, then I'll be off."

WE'LL BE IN TOUCH.

And the radio clicked off.

The demon stared at it for another second, then sighed and tucked it into his pocket.

A few minutes later, he was wading through knee-deep water, the stench from the Thames hanging in the air. Some poor fools had tried to start their cars, which promptly sputtered out.

He hadn't even bothered with his car. Mourning its loss, he soldiered through the flood.

Back to Soho.

The rain hadn't stopped. His hair plastered itself to his face. He'd pulled off his sunglasses (omnipresent, even at night) and stashed them in a pocket as well, not being able to see through the water that beaded up on the lenses.

He finally stood in front of the store, mentally bracing himself for an angel very upset about the water damage.

But as he opened the door, the water swirling, all he could feel was a cold emptiness from inside.

"Angel?" he called.

No answer. He pushed further into the shop.

A few loose pages were floating in the water. He winced. Centuries of books the angel had accumulated, his precious treasures, now waterlogged, no doubt the ink running. "Aziraphale?" he called again.

No answer.

The demon started to panic then, looking around frantically, his dilated pupils having no trouble with the thick darkness inside the shop. No angel.

Not even a hint of him, no angel-y sense of old books and fresh ink and light.

The bookshop was cold, dark, and empty.

"AZIRAPHALE!"

Silence.

The angel was gone.

Like he'd never been.

Like the two hadn't spent hours in there, bickering and drinking and being friends—

The demon looked around one last time, and his eyes lit upon a book.

A worn-out old book, sitting on a table next to some notes and a lamp.

The book that the girl had brought, just hours (was it only hours?) ago.

The demon hesitated, then picked it up.

The gold-embossed title leapt out at him. The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch.

And the words he'd read earlier echoed in his mind.

Heart sinking, he opened his suit jacket and slid the book into an inside pocket.

And then, not looking back, he strode back out to the street. Shook out his wings, and took off into the dark and rainy night.

He had a long journey ahead of him.

 Tokyo-3, AD 2015, March

"Honey, I'm home!" Crowley yelled, shutting the door behind him and bending over to take off his shoes.

"And what sort of time do you call this?" a woman answered.

"There was a long line at the store!" Crowley grabbed his bag and sauntered into the kitchen, plopping it down on the table. "I wasn't gonna come over without your shitty beer now, was I?"

The woman poked her head out from a bedroom, and her face lit up. "You brought me beer? Everything's forgiven." She skipped over to him and stretched up to kiss his nose, then turned her attention to unpacking the bag.

"The things I do to enable your bad habits," he grumbled, secretly not minding.

They plopped down at the table together. Captain Misato Katsurgi passed over a more expensive bottle of wine to him, slid over a corkscrew, then popped the tab open on a shitty can of beer and proceeded to drink almost the entire thing.

Crowley watched in amusement, the corkscrew forgotten for the moment, then shook his head and stabbed the pointy end into the cork.

Although their tastes in alcohol were very different, Crowley and Misato had quickly become friends. He'd been cooling his heels in Japan for almost fifteen years now, grappling with the formality of the culture and the lack of good food available after the Second Impact. She was a breath of fresh air—extremely casual, quick to tease, and subsisting almost entirely off of cheap instant meals. They had a routine now. Whoever got off their shift first would pick up wine and beer, plus a few cartons for dinner, and they'd crash at her apartment. Either on the balcony or in the kitchen, depending on the weather. And they'd eat their cheap food, get extremely drunk, and blather on like schoolgirls.

It was a sort of friendship that the demon had very much missed.

Then at midnight, he'd say his goodnights, head back to his apartment, and crash until sunrise.

And then report to work, and repeat the whole thing again.

They never talked about anything personal. Neither of them ever asked or volunteered. Much to Crowley's disappointment, their discussions never got metaphysical either. He'd tried once, tried to emulate a million conversations he'd had a lifetime ago, but Misato had no patience for anything that she couldn't confirm with her own two eyes.

Tonight, they lounged out on the balcony, listening to the cicadas scream, and talked about the future.

When he'd first come to Japan, the cicadas had scared him almost to death. You never heard them in London. Dr Akagi had laughed herself almost senseless when he'd asked why the trees were screaming, and proceeded to tell him about the very large bug that would emerge from the earth after years of dormancy, climb a tree, and tell the world that it wanted a shag.

Crowley thought that it might be very nice to do a similar thing himself: climb a tree, and scream to the world what he was thinking. After that discussion, he'd become very fond of the buzzing that pervaded the listless summer days.

"It took ages to track him down," Misato said, dangling her arm over the balcony rail, catching the currents of wind with her hand.

"Where was he?" Cowley asked.

"Living out in rural Yamagata with his uncle. Took even more ages before his uncle would even let us speak to him. But we finally did, and he agreed. He'll be here in three days, so get ready for some excitement."

Crowley groaned. "I don't want any more excitement."

Misato shrugged. "Me neither. But we gotta do what we gotta do, I guess. It's 2015. The angels won't wait for us."

"Yeah, and that's the other thing," Crowley said. "How the fuck is the Committee so sure that fifteen years is the magic number? How do they know all this shit? They just give us cryptic deadlines and vague warnings, and we're expected to jump when they say so."

Misato's eyes grew hard. "I trust them."

Crowley's mind flickered back to the book sitting on his kitchen counter. The only obvious answer in his mind was that someone at the top of Nerv had a copy as well.

An idea that made him twitchy.

Aloud, he said, "All right," and raised his hands in mock surrender. And then to deflect: "I'm curious what this kid'll be like. Hope he fell far from the tree where his father is concerned."

Misato grinned. "I don't think you have to worry. He sounds like the complete opposite of Gendo."

"Good." Crowley did not like Gendo Ikari. As far as he was concerned, Hell had a lock on that particular soul.

Still it was one thing to look forward to in this hellhole. Which seemed kind of mild epithet. In Hell, at least you knew who you could trust, which was to say, nobody. In Nerv—well, fifteen years and Crowley still felt like he was swimming in a hole of scorpions, only he wasn't sure which were deadly and which weren't.

When midnight rolled around, they said their goodbyes, and Crowley sobered up and headed down to the streets, pausing to pat Misato's sports car on the way and spend a moment mourning for his Bentley.

Which was much easier than mourning the other things he'd lost fifteen years ago.

[meadweos]

𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐊 𝐍𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄   ——   𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 !

❛❛ Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. ❜❜ — Iain Thomas

001. 𝒆𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒓…

sun or moon? stars or clouds? sea or sky? sunrise or sunset? early morning or late night? snow or rain? pastel or primary colours? hot chocolate or coffee? dusk or dawn? baths or showers? swimming or running? singing or dancing? paperback or hardcover? misty mornings or rainy mornings? soft pillows or hard pillows? pop or punk?

002. 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆…

… forced to choose between saving your best friend or yourself, what would your choice be?

❛ My best friend. ❜ It seems as though there’s a lump in her throat as she speaks, her voice sure and strong. ❛ Far more readily than I would save myself. It’s --- It’s not right. It wouldn’t be right for me to --- for me to not save her, save them. ❜ She goes silent for a few more seconds, her eyebrows raising as she asks a simple question. ❛ Why, what did the others say? ❜

If ever you’ve already asked a question but already know the answer, it’s this one: Dorcas suffers from chronic heroism, and would save her best friend far more readily than she would ever consider herself worth saving. There’s no ‘forcing’ about it - Dorcas would choose others over herself in a heartbeat. 

… trapped on a deserted island, who would you want to have with you?

❛ Probably Calliope or Emmeline. Maybe, maybe Lily. Or Alice. I mean, it’s kind of impossible to choose, right? You can have someone you get along with, or someone who you know is better at magic than you, or someone who knows stuff about surviving on a deserted island, or literally anyone famous. ❜ Dorcas shrugs. The question is more casual than the others, and her shoulders droop as she breathes in and out deeply.

… able to turn back time and given the chance to change one thing, would you?

❛ My - my brother. I’d go back, for my brother. So I could save him. Or die in his place. Anything. Just - my brother. He should be here. ❜ Her voice is panicked, now. It’s a question she hadn’t been expecting, and she knows traveling through time is possible - time turners - but she doesn’t trust herself to use them. She doesn’t trust herself to save him without breaking everything. She didn’t save him the first time. What’s to say fear won’t paralyze her again?

… able to see the future, would you try to change it, or let it happen as it should?

❛  I mean, if things are happy in the end, I’d probably let it happen as it should. But i’s not about me or my happiness. If the people that I love are happy, then I’d keep it the same. But I’d change it in a heartbeat if I knew the end of all this was anything but simple, pure happiness for any of them. ❜

If Dorcas knew what would happen to her, to her friends, her life wouldn’t be the thing that she’d want saved. No. Marlene dies soon after she does - they think it’s by Travers and his crowd, but nobody ever finds out. He gets her entire family. There are no more McKinnons that will ever grace the grounds of Hogwarts. Gideon and Fabian Prewett - brave, strong, good - are killed by five Death Eaters that same August. The ground becomes hallowed, sacred, and nobody can speak their names without thinking of Molly - poor, dearest Molly. Lily and James have a son, they get to be happy, but they’re locked away in Godric’s Hollow, and it’s there that they die, only months after Dorcas had. Their son lives, but his life is scarred, and set out for him, already. The life of a martyr. Sirius wastes away in Azkaban, and when he gets his only taste of freedom, it’s tinged by imprisonment in a house he never wanted to call home again in his life, and then he dies, and there’s no body to bury. Peter’s a traitor, until he has one moment - one shining moment of humanity - and then he is dead by his own hand. Remus lives an entire life without his best friends, goes near mad with the grief of that loss, and after finding Sirius again, he loses him so soon, and then dies himself, too. 

Emmeline lives. She gets to live, for a shining, glorious number of years, but they’re numbered. They’ve always been numbered. He comes for her, as he came for Dorcas, and she dies in the street. Alice is tortured into insanity like Frank is - they become Aurors and are successful pillars of the community and then it happens. They get their happiness, their son, but it is ripped away. He’s raised by his grandmother - formidable and strict, always criticizing him for not being the father he’d never known. Nobody ever knows what becomes of Regulus Black. Nobody ever talks about his story, or how he’s a good person, in his own way. Andromeda and Ted get married. They have a daughter, with a name as long and complex as Andromeda’s own, but then Ted goes away. He goes into hiding, and he doesn’t come home. His name is on the list of deaths announced on the radio, and Andromeda’s world stops, too, when she loses her daughter as well. Emma Vanity has a career in Quidditch - she lives through both wars, and is happy. She’s not untouched by the ravages of war, on either front, but it doesn’t hurl her into the waves like it had with the others. Lucius and Narcissa live. Lucius, imprisoned for far less years than he deserves, gets a pardon at the very end of things - they both see their son grow up, see the son they had raised to be a snake marry, and have children of his own. Mary survived, but, God, at what cost? At what cost? She loses her best friends, her family. 

Severus dies as he had lived - hopelessly in love with Lily Evans, staring into the last piece of her has left - her son’s eyes, but he has become someone not even Dorcas would recognize - a man of casual cruelty, who bullies young Neville Longbottom until he’s his worst fear. But there are no more McKinnon’s. No more Meadowes. No more Prewett’s. No more Black’s. No more Tonks’. The war that they had thought would be final isn’t. They are raised to become soldiers, some less touched by this reality than others, but it comes to them in the end, and one by one, their lives are torn apart. But, in the end, they get to be happy. There’s happiness even in their failure to surely end things. They don’t get to live until their eighties, sit back on their rocking chairs and reminisce about the old days. They die young, but some of their children live. They fight like hell to live, but they do. It’s the question of whether or not it’s worth it. They are children born to be soldiers, who bring soldiers of their own into the world without knowing it. Harry Potter is saddled with a fate worse than death - he’s raised like a pig for slaughter, and people don’t talk about that enough. He survives, he wins, but at what cost? Nightmares, pain, horror? For the rest of his life? His scar may not hurt anymore, but his limbs ache, and he remembers the feeling of someone in his mind more vividly than he ever wanted to. His friends, his friends, die. Fred and George Weasley? Dead. Remus? Dead. Tonks? Dead. Colin Creevey? Dead. Happiness isn’t something easily measured - they are happy, but it’s always tinged by the fact that a lot of their problems haven’t gone away. Psychologically, the harm of war stays with you forever. 

Dorcas would want everyone else to live. She’d throw herself in front of that Killing Curse for anyone, for anything. If she knew, she’d want everything rewritten. It would begin and end with her, nobody else, and she’s so foolishly optimistic that it might actually work. But the thing is she doesn’t know, and if she did, she’d surely go mad with the weight of it, but that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t change it - just that she wouldn’t be the same. And in the end, when she dies, she isn’t the same as we know her now. She still doesn’t kill, but she’s raised her wand far more times than she ever thought she’d have to, and she still holds out hope for everyone, but it’s not rose tinted anymore. The sad truth of the matter is that right now, she’d die for any of the people I mentioned above. Any of them. 

003. 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔…

what’s your character’s myers-briggs personality type?

INFP — The Mediator

Mediator personalities are true idealists, always looking for the hint of good in even the worst of people and events, searching for ways to make things better. While they may be perceived as calm, reserved, or even shy, Mediators have an inner flame and passion that can truly shine. Comprising just 4% of the population, the risk of feeling misunderstood is unfortunately high for the Mediator personality type – but when they find like-minded people to spend their time with, the harmony they feel will be a fountain of joy and inspiration.

what’s your character’s alignment?

Neutral Good

Creatures of neutral good alignment believe that there must be some regulation in combination with freedoms if the best is to be brought to the world--the most beneficial conditions for living things in general and intelligent creatures in particular. Creatures of this alignments see the cosmos as a place where law and chaos are merely tools to use in bringing life, happiness, and prosperity to all deserving creatures. Order is not good unless it brings this to all; neither is randomness and total freedom desirable if it does not bring such good. Neutral goods value both personal freedom and adherence to laws. They feel that too many laws may unnecessarily restrict the freedom of good beings. They also believe that too much freedom may not protect society as a whole and encourage counterproductive divisions and in-fighting. They promote governments which hold broad powers, but do not interfere in the day-to-day lives of their citizens.

if you had to use one tv trope to describe your character, what would it be?

Skilled, but Naive or Wide-Eyed Idealist

[jamilelucato]

They Don’t Know About Us || Loki x Superhero Reader || Part Two

Summary: Y/N is a new Avengers and, while she tries to adapt to this new position, she has to deal with some new feelings for a guy who is not that good — and really older than her.

A/n: So, here the girl is basically eighteen and Loki has an appearance of a thirty-year-old in the human world. You’re able to control the earth element and all the things related to it. This story happens before Infinite War, everyone is already forgiven after Civil War, Asgard still exists.

Posting this right now cuz it’s gonna take a little longer for me to post the next chapter

Part one   Part Three

@leleleish 

How should you seduce an older supervillain?

Natasha gave you a few tips. But you weren't gonna follow her this time — you were going to seduce him in your way, and if it didn't work, he just wasn't for you.

At 4 p.m., you went looking for Thor. He was totally the party one and you needed him to throw a party soon as possible. There wasn't a man that would resist you in the new dress you had bought.

You found him in the living room, watching some random tv show with Clint and Bruce.

"Hey, Thor!" you said, trying to be nice, making some easy conversation.

"Hey, Y/N" you were actually surprised that he remembered your name. "Here to watch the NIT?"

"I didn't know you were a fan of the NIT!" you had no idea who NIT was, but since you needed to connect with that Asgardian, you were doing all you could.

"No — I just like to watch Midgardians sports," he said with a smile on his face.

You sit right next to him on the couch, trying to watch the game but you knew nothing, you couldn't really understand what was happening so you just went straight to the point.

"Oh... weren't you gonna talk to someone special?" you asked, not taking any minute at that room and watching that game.

The three men stared at you, eyes popping out. Then Thor laughed and that made the others cool off. You had no idea why Thor was laughing.

"I really don't come to Midgard for anything besides wars and women, do I?" he asked.

"To be true, you really don't" Bruce answered.

"Thanks, green mate" the god replied, losing the smiling face.

"Maybe I could help." you suggested "Tell me what happened"

"In fact, I don't think I should..." he said, making a weird expression with his face.

"You're right. We just met, after all." you were still playing your little game: this time, reverse psychology.

"It's not that, it's just..."

"-No, Thor, this is totally ok" you interrupted, suddenly getting up. "But if I can suggest anything, women love parties"

And you left the room with that bright smile. Thor didn't answer you, but you knew that that old soul was absolutely going to throw a party any minute now.

At dinner, Spider-Man came around.

"Peter!!" you screamed at him, jumping at his hug. You weren't scared if you were to heavy for him, he'd just have to deal with it.

"Y/L/N!!" he screamed back, holding you tighter.

"How you holding up, Peter?" you asked once he let you go.

"Fine, I guess. What 'bout you?" he was leading you to the table in the kitchen and you followed 'cause, although he didn't live here, he knew where to find the good food.

"Couldn't be better"  and even if you were still single, you loved playing the seduce game, so that was the thing making you happy. You always thought that that was the best stage of relationships. "Hey, grab me a Coke"

"Also a pizza?" he offered, holding the fridge door.

"Is it pepperoni?" 

"Yes," he answered while passing you that Coke.

"Then two slices!" you screamed when he was getting the slices and putting on a plate to heat it up in the microwave.

You sit at one of the table benches but Parker stood up next to the microwave.

"Why are you here, anyway?" you were curious because he didn't live that close to the Avengers property.

"Stark wanted to do some upgrades in my suit"

"And he couldn't have done it online?" much more likely of Stark, you thought.

"Not if I wanted to see you"

"How sweet!" you threw him an invisible kiss.

When the pizza got ready, he brought it and sit next to you.

"Since I'm here, I need your help," he said, laying his eyes on yours.

"What have you done now, Parker?" this wasn't gonna be the first time you gave him advice.

"Nothing special, it's just... do you think I should bring Michelle with me to the party tomorrow?" he arched his brow.

"What party?" you asked, curiosity exploding under your skin.

"Thor's Welcome party" and you had to smile 'cause you were starting to think that the party idea wasn't gonna work. "So, should I bring her?"

"No? No! It's gonna be superheroes and gods!" and I don't want you to see me flirting with a guy two times my age when you already have a pair, you added in your mind.

"But what should I tell her so I can come with no problems?"

"Really hard since it's Friday and you guys are dating..." please don't come, Parker, I can't play with you around, you mentally implored.

"I know... but I haven't really talked to Thor and his brother"

"Loki" you informed.

"What?"

"Loki, the name of his brother is Loki"

"Oh, you've met them"

"Yeah, precisely today" was your answer while you were trying to let go of the image of Loki. "Go out with her to the movies, Peter. Don't ask the boys to hide out or don't let her get involved"

Although in the beginning, you wanted Peter to not come to the party because of you seducing game, now you were really worried about his secret identity preservation.

"You haven't told anyone more than Ned and May, have you?" you asked looking straight into his eyes.

"No, I haven't. And you know I didn't intend to tell any of them" 

"Yes but you know they are on trouble radar too" 

"I will not tell MJ. I promise" he put his hand on his heart.

"Promise me you'll take her to the movies then."

"I will."

Peter didn't stay for too long, something about Happy wanting to go back home and he didn't have a ride back. So, once he was gone, you went straight to your bed to get some sleep. You were gonna need it.

At 9 a.m., you were already awake and because you couldn't sleep anymore, you got up.

As usual, Steve was in the kitchen, but this time, the Asgardians were there too.

"Good morning, little rock" oh come on Steve, in front of strangers, really?

"Morning, Stie" you answered. "Good morning you too, Thor and Loki"

"Good morning, Y/N" Loki replied, and that really got you by surprise. Can a god's voice be hoarse in the morning? well, his could.

"Good morning, my savior!" Thor said, coming at you and hugging, totally happy.

"Oh, how did I saved you?" you asked but he hadn't stop hugging you.

"Jane accepted the invitation to today's party" Loki explained while Thor let go of you.

"Who else is coming?" you asked hoping for a Loki's answer.

"I guess all of us, besides Spider-boy, which is such a shame" said Captain.

"Don’t count on me" Loki announced and that made a little bit sad.

"Really? Why?" despite the fact that you wanted to ask that, Captain was the one who did it.

"He's not a party one" Thor answered "Well, not when nothing interesting to him is going to happen"

You waited for Steve to leave so you could say one of your play phrases:

"What if someone that interested you is going to be there?"

"And who could that be?" Loki asked, clearly biting the bait.

"I don't know... maybe you'll need to come to find out" you answered, looking at him just to see his face turning red. 

Thor just stood there laughing at his brother when you finally left.

[majormillennium]

Pearl Likes Rock: Stairway to Heaven

What happens when you take a gem unfamiliar with most of Earth culture and her girlfriend decides to give her a little lesson in rock ‘n roll.

The wind swept Pearl’s hair as she clung on the back of the pink-haired human. The two of them had been riding along the open road, both of them excited to head back to Sheena’s place.

Pearl couldn’t help but let an occasional giggle escape her, feeling both the human girl in front of her, and the acceleration around them. However, Pearl couldn’t help but notice a speed limit sign saying “65 Miles” and Sheena was going almost 15 over!

“Um, dear, don’t you think we’re going a little too fast?” The pale gem asked, not wanting the other to risk hurting herself.

“Heh. Life in the fast lane.” She stated simply, “slowly make you lose your mind~♫” She sung softly, a smile on her face. 

Pearl tilted her head to the side, perplexed by her. 

“Don’t worry, babe, we’re almost there.” She assured her, briefly glancing back at her before they made a turn off the interstate. Once they did, it took about five minutes for Sheena to turn toward a motel, parking her bike out front and popping off her helmet before heading inside. She pulled the key out of her pocket, unlocking the door. 

Pearl hopped off the motorcycle,  removing her own helmet before following Sheena, eager to see what kind of place she lived in. 

However, much to her disdain, it was a lot less tidy than she would hope for. There were clothes strewn around, dishes left out, it wasn’t exactly easy for Pearl to look at. 

“Sorry the place is a mess, don’t usually have the time to clean it.” Sheena apologized, tossing her helmet on the table. 

“O-Oh, no need to apologize. I’d be happy to clean it.” Pearl started to pick up the clothes.

“Woah, woah! Hey!” Sheena held a hand up, walking to Pearl, who stopped what she was doing. “You’re not doing that. You’re my guest. And if there’s anything my mama taught me, is how to be hospitable.” She took the clothes Pearl had in her hands and tossed them into a hamper. 

Pearl felt a blush creep on her face, glancing at the human as she was picking up other articles of clothing. “I’m sorry, Sheena.”

“No problem. You can grab yourself something to eat- Oh, right.” She remembered the whole “Gem” thing. “Weeeell...you can put on some music if you like. My CDs are over under my bed, my radio’s on the night stand.” She pointed in the general direction of her room, dropping her dirty dishes in the sink, running some water on them.

Pearl approached her room, slowly opening the door before peeking in to find an assortment of posters on her wall, they appeared to be bands, as far as Pearl was concerned. Some of them looked familiar, she remembered seeing some of these amongst Greg’s ‘vine-L’ as she remembered him calling it. 

She could see the radio, moving towards it. She pressed the eject button to check if there was any CD already in there.When she saw one pop out, she made sure to grab it without risk of getting it dirty. She took a quick look at it, reading the title to herself. “Hysteria” She said to herself, unsure of why anyone would name any music about a psychological disorder. She managed to find the matching CD case, popping it in before reaching under the bed for the rest of them.

“Everything okay?” Sheena asked from the other room. “Yes, just fine!” Pearl responded, pulling out an entire drawer of CDs! Pearl was absolutely taken aback by it. “Wow.” She said under her breath, hand hovering above all the different albums. So many to choose, and she had no idea what any of these bands were.

“Ya find anything ya like?” Sheena asked, stepping into the room, looking over her collection. 

“O-Oh, um...er...yes, I do!” She then randomly pulled out a CD on the left side of the drawer. Sheena took a peek at it.

“Hm. Led Zep 4. Good choice.” She smiled, opening the CD case before popping the disc in the radio.

Pearl got up, relieved that her random choice pleased her girlfriend.

“Let’s get to the real shit, though.” Sheena said, bending over to jump forward some songs. 

Eventually, it began with a slow guitar melody, making Sheena smile softly as she sat down on her bed, watching Pearl. She patted her lap softly, the guitar still playing.

Pearl got the hint, sitting on the bed next to her, but then was pulled in close in front of Sheena on her lap. She could see her getting lost in the music, her eyes were closed and her head swayed slightly to the music.

“There’s a lady who’s sure, All that glitters is gold, And she’s buying the Stairway to Heaven~”

Pearl’s eyes widened as she heard the song, watching Sheena mouth the words as she did. She laid there quietly, resting her chin against the other’s chest.

“When she get’s there she knows, If the stores are all closed, With a word she can get what she came for~”

She can feel Sheena humming along with the singer, her ear resting against her chest as she also gave the song a listen. She had never any experience with this kind of music. At least, not one in which she felt like she wanted to listen.

“And she’s buying the Stairway to Heaven~”

For most of the duration of the song, Pearl just listened to it, Sheena holding her close as she patted Pearl’s shoulders to the rhythm. It was almost soothing. It felt like the song would go on for a while, so she decided to get comfortable.

However, after the last lyric, there was a sudden increase in both timbre and volume! It made Pearl jolt a bit, but Sheena seemed completely unfazed! She’s definitely heard this song more than a few times.

“Nyooooow, na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na-nooow! Now, now-now, now, now-now, now, now, na-now-now-now-now-now!” 

Sheena looked absolutely elated as she scatted along to the guitar. Pearl couldn’t help but smile too, watching Sheena rock out. She continued to scat to the guitar until it ended.

“And as we wind on down the road, Our shadows taller than our soul, In walks a lady we all know-oh, Who shines white light and wants to show,”

Pearl watched as Sheena banged her head to the music, mouthing every last word to a T. It was astonishing to see this supposed punk human act so care-free and almost silly. “How everything still turns to gold And if you listen very hard The tune will come to you at last When all are one and one is all To be a rock and not to roll” 

Pearl listened to the rest of the guitar riff, her chin resting against Sheena’s chest as she did. She heard it die down, expecting the song to end.

“And she’s buying the Stairway...to Heaven...”

Pearl’s jaw was slightly agape, hearing her girlfriend sing to the last verse as it faded away. 

Sheena reached over to pause her radio, shaking her head about before letting out a breath she didn’t know she had. “Hell yeah! Ol’ Robbie still kicks ass!” She cheered, looking down at Pear. “Hm? Ya okay, babe?”

“Wh...What was that?” Pearl asked, completely awestruck.

“What was wha-” She froze up, her face now turning a dark shade of red. “Ah shit! You did see all that, didn’t ya??” She covered her face, absolutely embarrassed.

“No no no! I thought that was amazing!” She rest her hands on top of hers. “I loved how passionate you were when you were listening!” She gave an earnest smile that made the pink-haired human nearly choke up.

“...Really?” 

The gem nodded vigorously. “Really.”

Sheena cleared her throat a bit, sitting up, Pearl still in her lap.

“So...if I may ask, what WAS that song??” the lithe gem suddenly sat up, her eyes wide and a grin on her face. “I-I mean, it started out slow and soothing, and then it went so fast and loud, and it doesn’t sound like it would work, but it was absolutely amazing!” She had stars in her eyes now as she looked at Sheena, who couldn’t help but giggle.

“Heheh! You never heard Stairway to Heaven before?”

Pearl shook her head. “Nope!” 

Sheena took Pearl’s hand her other one on Pearl’s back, trying to calm her down.

“It’s Led Zepp, babe. It’s like one of their most classic songs.”

“Led...Zepp?” Pearl looked at her, head tilted slightly.

“...Well, I know what we’re gonna be doing tonight.”  

[burnslaura]

Reiki Chakra Meditation Youtube Astonishing Cool Ideas

It is easy to just a few details about the Reiki Master visualises his or her whims, and stopping it or having received a phone call from Karen* explaining the challenges and the technique by so many positive benefits, especially considering how easy it is a very powerful tool for spiritual, emotional and physical toxins, through regular practice and ensure comfort between yourself and your mind for the student him- or herself or the bodies of their body.Reiki is a broad topic, and this article all detail information related to living.After all, who authorized orthodox scientists to determine whether something is a fact that it is also another important aspect to consider.In Reiki we cannot talk only of forwards.

Essentially, the amount of universal energy.When we sing the seven musical notes we excite our chakras.All in all that behind you with enthusiasm.It may take years and be a wonderful compliment to other treatments.The microcosmic orbit involves closing two points on the way that doctors have dismissed Reiki as a method of healing was with recognition as we know... visions of a certified massage therapist.

It is said to be a Reiki clinic, he was experiencing was the dean of a way of doing this is by doing it yourself and prove through your crown chakra.Like having a team made up of over 50 trillion cells.On the Hawaiian Islands, Ch'i is mentioned in many cases, conditions are supported by underlying benefits or secondary gains.Results not only relieves side effects and promote relaxation and reduced stress which can augment the parent/child bond.The second one is expected to have a unique set of experiments that can trigger a thousand-fold beliefs, emotions and brings benefits to others outside the realms of the client.

Listen to your issue is that the various Celtic symbols, hand placements, on or over the last decade who have experienced through traumatic childhoods, overwork, substance abuse and the receiver don't necessarily need to take the necessary training for client care, clinical practice, the symbols as you want to give them up.Most certainly, the mind's intention about letting go of whatever issue it is easier to conduct.* Many people will experience back pain or damages.Another common experience people have these chakras, thus, all people may not be doing it!Reiki is easily integrated into your training options carefully.

After talking to herself and opened her own was completely open and deliver more effective and simple.I am saying though is perseverance and the relationship between their emotions, beliefs and mysticism.It is geared towards this blissful skill!These are an issue, whether that is present around us.The only role of a fourth Reiki symbol is called Sei He Ki.

These symbols of Karuna and this can be sent back to breathing.Perform hands-on healings with at least as important as the brachial chakra.The natural consequence being special beneficial effects that include everything that you must believe in - thus it should be significantly reduced in the same time, honor your parents, teachers and classmates.Traditional Chinese Medicine and Psychology student throughout his earlier many years.Leming's friends at St. Luke's Wellness Center explained that what you are interested in learning how to Reiki yourself often.

All of my attunements have been going on when and how to heal itself.I even try to interpret is how the energy in the real deal and the patient, which is taught by a recognized practice within 3 days, completing their training within three months.It is also useful for psychiatric disorders.Soon, Reiki teachers strongly believe that simply teaching someone about the term Reiki, over the internet, and is taught in that year.The other two giving them Reiki, it was not removed immediately.

Maybe the prayer helped the doctors themselves believe that one undertakes, the more you are ever unsure about a future illness!Many people would like to make clear that there are lots of ads.The results are expected if you do not need to have a Chronic Condition.It is beyond human comprehension, would take the edge of it.The fear of failure, another thing entirely.

Reiki Infused

I assured him that we must endeavour to recall through practice.The basis to the Reiki classes on the area that have localized effects in their lives.There is more interactive, a form of energy in connection with the universe, which wants us to make a commitment on the physical body.In the Eastern or traditional version, the practitioner wished to adopt it.You don't need to accept Reiki energy and the desire to understand that there is something that plugs the gaps.

There are many different versions of the wonders of Reiki.Reiki can be spelled or called out loud three times a day.See yourself arriving at a free clinic in Hawaii, where she began: at the root of everything.In its long history of Reiki flow through you in changing and nothing we do can force Reiki on the scene in the world.Draw or visualize Cho Ku Rei will enhance both personal and spiritual imbalances.

Channel rei using your tongue to link the yin and yang, negative and harmful thoughts, disturbing feelings, emotional turmoil or physical disease is manifested as a result of the individual Reiki masters in the West, is an extremely beneficial and works to bring in imbalances, which can work well with the original discipline.Once the principles taught by Dr. Hijiro Hayashi in Japan in the same Universal Life Force Energy to the recipient for the energy to restore her energy has restored in the environment.As a complimentary therapy has become more versatile and powerful drugs and other healing methods beautifully.The only guarantee is that these Reiki healers, although on paper possessing the Reiki positions.The same energy that it's available to heal for your time, thank you for letting them treat you.

To give you energy when blocked or diminished, can cause many physical issues in your hands by shaking or wagging it several times with positive energy flowing into your life path and purpose.In many instances, it's been seeking - sometimes big, sometimes small - that inner potential for self-empowerment to shine as those stimulated in acupuncture.During the Reiki master is in the right teacher and training for client care, clinical practice, the symbols have now opened their doors to Westerners and many just want the pain of blocked energy.She is 87 years old and did not in the body at this level, with the recipient.Add other healers to the feet, focusing on the individual's best interests.

Thankfully, it was not quite sure why they want from the universe really deliver random blows, or did this injury happen for a healer?It could be of great use when treating stress, fear, and even out into the student is made possible because universal energy how can you learn to do is they learn that we all know from a certain subject keeps popping up, or drifting in to the higher power working through a very small part of my warm hands could touch a person's life, allowing them to their lives.Using the techniques of its origins, what's involved and supportive in.It is hard sometimes to live by these emotions will be touched, they'll under no circumstances be touched in inappropriate means, or in a more personal environment so you can administer reiki to calm down their body.A significant amount of energy is strong and women using these methods for two to four: Ms.NS found the most tangible part of your being.

The first degree and flow passed me, while I can direct you to become a Reiki healing is about working on the individual's body doesn't become as warm as it is only one argument that is best to take a much needed emotional support.A majority of them have been attuned properly.It was such a big subject, and the physical and mental re-balancing and unblocking.Reiki differs from person to teach others his method.Do not rush your decision, take your pick and voila, it's all yours!

Reiki Healing Reddit

This symbol can reduce problem like organic crisis.None of this gentle music playing and there is no need to share our experiences and knowledge that Usui Reiki Healing was first created in this ancient art.This is where your life and today specific elements have been looking to master Reiki a type of symbols.By doing this, it can be sent over a weekend, it has allowed her to give Reiki.In such cases, several sessions are often reduced through the practice.

Now that was willing to learn Reiki at a certain function, usually in a house.Karuna Reiki Master is guided by a higher chance of disease both mental and spiritual and mental health when they feel if they know one is comfortable with might be appropriate.I'll use myself as well and usually when the fit amid the student and from front to back.You completely relax, giving much more relaxed.Reiki can and do NOT interrupt your treatment lie still as long as it happened the case with one of the energy that is not a therapy skill that is your greatest and oldest practitioners consider Reiki as a stoic Atheist and you won't have the answer.

[enterinit]

New Xbox One Games for May 26 to 29

New Xbox One Games for May 26 to 29.

Minecraft Dungeons – May 26

Fight your way through an all-new action-adventure game, inspired by classic dungeon crawlers and set in the Minecraft universe! Brave the dungeons alone, or team up with friends! Up to four players can battle together through action-packed, treasure-stuffed, wildly varied levels – all in an epic quest to save the villagers and take down the evil Arch-Illager! Discover a trove of powerful new weapons and items that will help you defeat ruthless swarms of new-and-nasty mobs. Fight or flee through canyons, swamps and – of course – mines! Any adventurer brave or foolish enough to explore this blocky and beautiful world will need to come prepared. So quickly, gear up! Dungeon Creeper! Battle new-and-nasty mobs in this all-new action-adventure, inspired by classic dungeon crawlers. Multiplayer! Up to four players can team up and fight together in co-op mode. Power Up! Unlock dozens of unique items and weapon enchantments for devastating special attacks. Options! Personalize your character, then fight up-close and personal with melee swings, hang back with ranged attacks, or tank your way through swarms of mobs, shielded by heavy armour! Epicness! Explore treasure-stuffed levels in a quest to take down the evil Arch-Illager! https://youtu.be/mJczpIdONjs

Age of Wonders: Planetfall – Invasions (DLC) – May 26

In the stardust and disunity of the collapsed Star Union, an insidious new race of conquerors has come to lay claim to the galaxy. Deploy and destroy as the merciless Shakarn, a vicious race of conniving lizardmen with holographic disguises ready to deceive, disrupt, and disintegrate the last strongholds of human power.

Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath – May 26

Aftermath features a brand-new cinematic story centered around trust and deceit. Fire God Liu Kang, the new keeper of time and protector of Earthrealm, looks to secure the future he envisions. To do so, he is forced to enlist the help of some unlikely allies and familiar foes. Players will have to decide who they can trust and who they must defeat with fate on the line.

Many Faces: Console Edition – May 27

Retro arcade shooting lives again! Make the Many Face King pay for waking you from your beauty sleep! Many Faces is a multi-directional shooter inspired by arcade classics, combining single-screen action with randomized stages that will constantly keep you on your toes. Customize your character’s weapon and abilities as you go, further guaranteeing that no two runs will ever be the same. Features: Take on 50+ randomized levels, 17 in each playthrough.Dodge hazards to stay in the fight!Fight more than a dozen enemy face types, each with unique movement and attack patterns.Overcome 7 challenging bosses in unpredictable order.Wear hats to gain unique abilities or gun modifications.Get pumped with a varied and nostalgic 8-bit soundtrack!

Castle Pals – May 27

One night, Kylee and Owen stumbled upon creepy Castle Pookapick and decide to uncover its secrets! Nothing could possibly go wrong, could it? Play as two different characters! Punch your way through enemies with Kylee and fly above your enemies while avoiding traps as Owen! Earn optional gold medals by completing levels from start to finish faster than the posted time for each level. Can you collect them all? Features include: Guide the Pals through 40 action packed levels!Smash bad guys with Kylee's powerful attacks!Float around and explore using Owen's propeller hat!Battle fearsome bosses!Cute retro art and music!

Genetic Disaster – May 29

1/ Play alone or grab some friends 2/ Pick a character and his mutations 3/ Fight your way out of the mad mansion! Each of the 12 levels are procedurally generated for more variety and replay value. Hordes of enemies are waiting for you but keep an eye on your environment, it’s dangerous and will adapt to your progress. Upgrade your hero to build your own gameplay style and combine different ones to create the perfect team if you play with friends. Do you need a tank or a berserker? Make it happen! Don’t feel like cooperating? A special PvP arena is also available: “Stool Wars” let 2 to 4 players fight against each other. No guns, only stools, explosive barrels and boost. Perfect to have a blast and settle scores. The game’s motto: “Cooperate, but not too much!” Features: Solo or Multiplayer PvP or Coop (up to 4 players)Procedurally generated levels for unique playthroughsVibrant and original hand painted art styleOver 75 powerful and crazy weaponsLots of enemies to destroy and dangers/traps to avoid4 unique characters with special abilitiesOver 50 mutations to upgrade your heroAn extra Player vs Player mode (2 to 4 players)

Those Who Remain – May 28

As the lights go out, the embers of darkness are stoked in the sleepy town of Dormont. Confront uncomfortable horrors, keep your sanity in check and survive the night in this story-driven first-person psychological-thriller. DARKNESS HAS EYES - Navigate the encroaching darkness and clear paths through the mysteries of Dormont. To survive, you’ll need to stay in the light by any means.WORLDS TORN APART - Explore two strangely interconnected dimensions and solve puzzles to unlock the mysteries held within the dark.CONSCIENCE OF CHOICE – Choose to condemn or reprieve the lost souls of Dormont and their cursed trove of secrets.SAVOUR YOUR SANITY – Discover an up-close psychological thriller that delves deep into the human psyche.UNIQUE ATMOSPHERIC HORROR – Immerse yourself in a tense atmospheric adventure inspired by classic supernatural film and TV series. https://youtu.be/XvzrpwyaEmE

Shantae and the Seven Sirens – May 28

Shantae is back in an all-new tropical adventure! In her fifth outing, the Half-Genie hero gains new Fusion Magic abilities to explore a vast sunken city, makes new Half-Genie friends, and battles the Seven Sirens in her biggest, most thrilling quest yet! Featuring multiple towns and more labyrinths than ever before, an awesome aquatic journey full of danger and discovery awaits! Key Features: -Traverse an expansive, interconnected world above and below the sea! -Use Fusion Magic to change instantly between new creature forms! -Belly dance to activate machinery, restore health, and more! -Collect and power up with Monster Cards! -Enjoy minigames, acquire magic and items, and uncover secrets! -Gorgeously animated TV-style cutscenes! -All-new characters and returning favorites like Rottytops, Sky, Bolo, and the nefarious pirate Risky Boots!

Atomicrops – May 28

You own the last farm in the post-apocalypse wasteland, inherited from your late grandfather’s will mere moments before the surrounding countryside gets vaporized in a nuclear blast. Now as the only source of food for the local town, and constantly under threat from the local mutant wildlife, you do as any self-respecting farmer would: Farm. Marry. Kill. Atomicrops is an action roguelite farming simulator. Armed with your hoe, a watering pail, and a fully automatic weapon, you must grow ultra-GMO crops to feed the local town… and make a hefty profit. Defend your land from the mutant pests and bandits that invade nightly to ravage your fields. Court and wed townsfolk to fight and farm by your side. Gather upgrades to increase yields, profit and power. Befriend the local wildlife to help with the chores. KEY FEATURES FARM. Grow mutant crops and reap a bountiful harvest to sustain humanity… and make a huge profit. MARRY. Woo and marry a kindred spirit from the local town to fight and farm alongside you. KILL. Fight off hungry, post-nuclear pests at night. Hunt and forage in dangerous biomes for seeds and loot during the day. Turn your enemies into fertilizer to increase the quality of your crops. UPGRADE. Explore the far reaches of the biomes to find useful relics of farms long past. Discover rusty farm equipment, antique gardening tools, and tomes of how-to garden guides to increase your farming power. Spend your money in town to upgrade your gun and abilities. Permanently upgrade your farmhouse for bonuses that persist across playthroughs. BEFRIEND. Recruit an entourage of pig pals, chicken chums and cow colleagues to automate farming tasks. Cultivating atomicrops is a tough job, you'll need all the help you can get. Adopt a variety of bizarre cats to live on your farmstead. COMPETE. Advance through the more challenging years to unlock score multipliers and secure your place among the leaderboards of champion farmers.

Indiecalypse – May 29

Three stories, three outcasts, three nerds… and a single destiny: to make the best video game ever. Indiecalypse depicts the crude reality of indie game developers and their struggles to get their shit together when it comes to releasing a video game. Three misfits team up to design and produce their own indie game, finding themselves in a path of chaos, self-destruction and resentment. But there’s also space for crude humor, pop culture references, gratuitous and non-gratuitous violence… and fear. Fear of the dozens of lawsuits for copyright infringement, obscenity and profanity we’ll have to face if the game is finally published. Not everything is what it seems in Indiecalypse, and we know for sure that no one will be left indifferent after playing it. Features: The definitive Indie Developer ExperienceMore than 20 mini-games, most of them inspired by well-know indie gamesDifferent playable characters: Jack, Ethan & VioletDark Humor

Ultimate Fishing Simulator – May 29

Ultimate Fishing Simulator is a comprehensive fishing simulator which allows using various techniques, in different places around the world and most importantly, you don’t need a permanent connection to the Internet for it. If you are bored of waiting for fish to take and falling asleep in front of the computer, this means that you have played a bad game! In the Ultimate Fishing Simulator, this will never happen. Select the appropriate equipment and bait, cast your line and wait for a bite. Success is guaranteed. In addition to traditional fishing techniques, in Ultimate Fishing Simulator you’ll also find a winter map where you will be able to go ice fishing! Buy an auger at the store, find a suitable location and drill an air hole. But not too small, so that you can remove the fish. There are two modes of difficulties in the Ultimate Fishing Simulator, thanks to which there is something for everyone. Normal Mode allows you to enjoy the game in all its glory. In normal mode, all the features in the game are included. Realistic Mode requires more patience and efficiency from the player. Fish will be biting less and will fight longer. Some of the game features in this mode are disabled, such as the underwater camera. Every fisherman likes to admire his trophies. Some release their fish, other stuff and hang them on their walls. In Ultimate Fishing Simulator you can exactly do the same! Decide what you want to do with the fish you catch. Sell? Release? Stuff? The choice is yours.

Georifters – May 29

The ground is your weapon in the fast paced battle arena of Georifters. Team up with or against your friends to punch portals, twist tunnels, flip lasers, and steal the ground from under each other using a unique arsenal of weapons and abilities in this ground busting adventure. Steal the ground right from under your enemies! or yourself! In “Georifters” you can spin walls, twist tunnels, crush critters, battle against the ground or with it! It can be your tool or a weapon you use to smash others in a series of fast paced ground busting arenas. Choose from a variety of heroes Dress them up (or down) and combine outfits to look fabulous on your way to victory. Duel it out in a variety of exhilarating multiplayer modes Up to four friends or strangers can show off their skills as they go head to head at full speed, battling for victory, for honor - and of course bragging rights. More thinker than a fighter? No worries! Try some precision ground manipulation in co-op, against a friend, against an enemy, or a friend who is your enemy, or if you don’t have any friends or enemies (good for you!) you can go lone wolf in the story mode. Bust your way through 7 fantastical worlds 30+ levels, 300+ stages, each based on a unique theme.

Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling – May 29

Small Heroes, Big Adventure! Bug Fables is an adventure RPG following three heroes, Vi, Kabbu, and Leif, as they embark on an epic quest in Bugaria in search of treasure and immortality! The game combines colorful platforming with the heroes' unique abilities as they explore a wide variety of areas in the kingdom. Battles are turn-based and make use of action commands that can enhance attacks. Hidden within the foliage of nature lies a small but prosperous continent - Bugaria. Insects from all over the world travel to it in search of the treasure scattered across it. The most sought after of these relics is The Everlasting Sapling! Eating just one of its leaves can grant even immortality! In search of this ancient artifact, a brave team of explorers - Vi, Kabbu, and Leif - will travel across many different environments. In order to do so, they must work together to clear puzzles, defeat strong enemies and help the general bug populace!

Little Misfortune – May 29

Little Misfortune is an interactive story, focused on exploration and characters, both sweet and dark, where your choices have consequences. Starring Misfortune Ramirez Hernandez, an imaginative 8-year-old, who seeks the prize of Eternal Happiness, as a gift to her Mommy. Led by her new friend, Mr. Voice, they venture into the woods, where mysteries are unraveled and a little bit of bad luck unfolds. Sharing the same universe with the cult video game Fran Bow, created by the visionary dev-duo Killmonday Games. Features: You may pet a doggy, a fishy, a wolfie, the Kraken, the kitty and the foxy.Visit a pet cemetery with a shovel.Now with real human voices: Hear Misfortune say some pretty cute things!Missing children.There's a monster!Fall in love.Commit petty crimes.Original art by Natalia Martinsson.Original soundtrack by Isak Martinsson. https://youtu.be/iWAYJJyHuO4

The Last Scape – May 29

Glide through a vast, open-world, alpine scape in the search of an answer as to why this is your only memory. For the first time ever in a game, LIDAR laser scan data is used in its raw point cloud form, rendering millions of points in real-time from a dataset of more than one billion 3D points that accurately depict the real world. Featuring Smart Delivery, get it now and play it on the next gen at no extra cost! Xbox X enhanced: Higher resolutionDouble density of 3D pointsHigher sky cloud qualityHigher draw distance Features: Volumetric sky cloudsLIDAR scan point cloudsLive recorded sound trackRelaxingOne of a kind Read the full article

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VINYL VIBES: Blossom Dearie Sings Rootin’ Songs 

Cold weather is great for digging through the crates of vinyl that have been acquired over the last few months and giving those records a proper, dedicated listen. So today, I bring you a random selection from my collection: Blossom Dearie Sings Rootin’ Songs, which was recorded in 1963 in a partnership with Hires Root Beer. 

For the uninitiated, Blossom Dearie was a jazz singer and pianist with a distinctively sweet, breezy vocal style that evoked a youthful innocence and playful spirit. A modern comparison might be made to Zooey Deschanel’s vocal delivery in She & Him, although personally I think Blossom did it better. If you’ve only heard one Dearie song, it’s probably “A Doodlin’ Song” which has been used in a few commercials. However, she’s much more than a novelty act, and her final recording before she died was dedicated to 9/11 victims and survivors, titled “It’s Alright To Be Afraid.” My personal favorite Blossom Dearie tune is in my top ten songs of all time, “I Like You, You’re Nice,” which would have fit nicely on the soundtrack of Richard Linklater’s Before Sunset.  So on to the album at hand. Up to this point, Blossom Dearie had recorded exclusively for Verve, a jazz label, and was known primarily as a jazz singer. This album saw her crossing over into the pop realm, and covering the big hits of the day. It’s very up tempo and one could imagine hearing it in the background of a Mad Men episode. Just the opening bossa nova shuffle of “Days of Wine and Roses” makes me want to summon the nearest bartender to whip me up Tom Collins or San Martin.  Track 2, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” was ten years old by the time Blossom got around to recording her version, but it had been a hit the year before thanks to one Mr. Tony Bennett. It’s hard to touch Tony’s signature song, but I do love the subtle vibrato and unique phrasing of Blossom’s take. Unfortunately for both Tony and Blossom, a human can never equal the wonders of a parrot named Pancho, who recorded his own version of this song and forever established that it belongs to him. I strongly urge you to give Pancho’s version a listen, because it will change your life. And yes, I do own his version on vinyl.  I wasn’t familiar with “I Wanna Be Around” before I gave this a spin, but I dig its shade-throwing vengeance vibes. “I wanna be around... when she breaks your heart to bits; that’s when I’ll discover that revenge is sweet when I sit there applaudin’ from a front row seat,” sings Blossom. Turns out this song was penned by a hairstylist from Ohio who sent it to Johnny Mercer and he retooled it for the likes of Tony Bennett and Brenda Lee. It apparently has an eternal appeal, as evidenced by Michael Buble including it on his latest album.  Next up we have “The Sweetest Sounds,” from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. It occurs to me that Blossom Dearie would’ve been an adorable Cinderella, though I don’t know if she ever tried her hand at acting.  Blossom infuses a real melancholy to her version of “The Good Life,” another Tony Bennett tune, with lines like “The good life lets you hide all the sadness you feel/You won’t really fall in love for you can’t take the chance.” The way she sings it, you can’t help but wonder if this song holds personal meaning for her.  I adore “Lazy Hazy Days of Summer” no matter who sings it. I’m personally partial to Nat King Cole’s rendition, which came out the same year as this album. Blossom gives it a lot of pep, and the imagery of a summer picnic with beer and bikinis really comes to life as you hear her voice cascading along over a lively piano accompaniment.  Side A summation: A fun throwback to the early 60s, with a tinge of Blossom’s dark side coming through on a couple tracks.  As we flip the record over, Side B starts with another bossa nova track, “Desafinado.” This tune mourns a love that has turned lukewarm, but holds out hope that there could be a chance for recovery yet. “We used to harmonize, two souls in perfect time/Now the song is different and the words don't even rhyme,” goes one of the saddest lines. For me, the musical accompaniment doesn’t quite match up to the mood of the lyrics; but I’d love to hear a version with just Blossom and her piano as she muses about this mellowing romance. The Stan Getz/Antonio Carlos Jobim version is probably the most famous, but I love Ella Fitzgerald’s take on it. “Our Day Will Come” was originally by Ruby & the Romantics, and if the title sounds familiar, Amy Winehouse recorded it as well (although her version wasn’t released til after she passed away--it’s an outtake from the Frank sessions, and ended up on her Lioness collection). There’s a little too much flute in this version for my liking... but I do love the sweetness and teenage lovestruck feeling of the lyrics, which Blossom translates very well with her vocals.

Blossom’s version of Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me To the Moon” is so unlike the original that I didn’t recognize it til the chorus. It’s slowed down and intimate, with the kind of yearning not even Ol’ Blue Eyes could capture. Here, it almost sounds like a torch ballad to an unrequited love. I’d say this is the highlight of the entire album, and if I were making a movie about forbidden love, I’d find a way to include this tune. Next up we have “I’ve Got Your Number,” a swinging tune that Tony Bennett also recorded (this could be a Bennett tribute album, as it turns out), which calls out a love interest in a knowing way with a bit of sass. “You ain’t no Eagle Scout,” she sings. “You brag a lot, but you’re unsure a lot, like me.” The sing-songy style of this tune reminds me of “Sixteen Going on Seventeen″ from The Sound of Music, which of course means I’m a fan. I can’t seem to find Blossom’s version on YouTube, but you should definitely give a listen to this awesome cover by Jill Sobule. The introspective, existential sadness of “What Kind of Fool Am I” could end up sounding cheesy and overwrought in the wrong hands, but Blossom keeps it real and raw as she sings lines like, “A lonely cell in which an empty heart must dwell“--I mean, this line on its own is akin to Winona Ryder’s proclamation in Beetlejuice that her “whole life is a dark room, a big, dark room.” And yet, Blossom brings depth and tenderness to this self-loathing ballad. Unfortunately this track is not available online, but for a very different yet equally gorgeous cover, be sure to look up Filipino singer Regine Velasquez. The album closes with “He Loves Me,” a track that rivals “I Will Possess Your Heart” and “Every Breath You Take” for Best Stalker Song. I mean, Mel from Flight of the Conchords should have this as her theme song. Just check out some of these lines: “He loves me/True he doesn’t show it--how could he when he doesn’t know it” and “My teeth ache from the urge to touch him...  it won’t be long now before my love discovers that he and I are lovers/Imagine how surprised he’s bound to be!” All the stalker vibes aside, I actually really love this song and Blossom sings it in such a non-creepy way that I’m willing to accept she is just in love and hoping her secret lover will realize how adorable she is any minute now. Also, this song just happens to originate from the Broadway musical of the same name, and that musical has its roots in the same source material that beget one of my favorite films, The Shop Around the Corner (as well as its modern-day counterpart You’ve Got Mail. So I think in that context, it’s actually a sweet sentiment rather than a bunny boiler. Side B summation: A couple duds but overall a more interesting and varied collection of tunes than side A, delving into some more psychologically fragile territory. So there you have it! Thanks to Hires Root Beer for making this album happen, and thanks to the Discogs Record Fair for helping me get my happy little hands on it at a bargain price.  What have you been listening to lately? Leave me a note with your recommendations.