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theartofdreaming1 · 3 years

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Catching Fire! Let’s go! As usual, my thoughts regarding this week’s prompts and random thoughts on chapters 1-3 are below the cut.

heart

I think Katniss spending time with Hazelle and the rest of the Hawthornes (minus Gale) and spending time at the Hob (the exchange with Greasy Sae and Darius) are good examples of her being truthful to herself. These are environments where she doesn’t feel like anyone is expecting anything from her (same goes to hanging out with Cinna, as I’ll go into more detail about in “soul”). At home, she probably feels like she has to “prove” that she’s okay - at least that’s what Katniss thinks her role as the protector and caregiver of the family entails - with Gale (and Peeta) there is this implicit expectation that she should make clear what she wants from each, but she simply doesn’t know yet and constantly feels like she should (and it doesn’t help that she doesn’t really have anyone to use as a sounding board to work out her feelings - I don’t mind that she and Madge aren’t the gossipy types of girls, but I think that Katniss really missed an opportunity here to talk with a girl her age about the conflicting feelings she’s been having). And boy trouble aside, there is still the fact that she doesn’t receive the proper professional support to deal with her trauma (and PTSD symptoms), nor having any more clarity regarding her identity issues, now that scavenging for the bare essentials is unnecessary (she even circumnavigated that when picking her “talent” by choosing the one thing where she didn’t have to do any exploration of skills or interests - aside from hanging out with someone who let’s her be herself, which, of course, is important in its own right)

mind

Strangely, I do think that Snow was genuine in his worries about what an uprising would mean for the inhabitants of Panem. In his eyes, Panem has been in balance up to this point, with the least amount of loss of life as it is (a couple of children lost to the Games, a few people dying of starvation, or being killed/executed to make an example out of them, is regrettable, but necessary from his POV), but a rebellion? It’s an abrupt, drastic disruption, there is going to be bloodshed and with the way the districts have been pitted against each other, with little communication between them, it’s not like there is going to be one swift and clear movement to change the government either; there are going to be sub-groups with different goals, who’ll have different ideas about how to approach whatever it is they want to achieve - it will end up in chaos and who knows how long that is going to last? I think he truly considers his style of politics as the “carrot and stick” type (or as we call it in German: “sugar bread and whip”; to stick with the bread metaphors ;) and he doesn’t want to be “forced” to use more violence against the population than he deems neccessary.

soul

Katniss and Cinna’s friendship just has this refreshing quality to it where there is absolutely no expectation/judgement from the other end of the relationship, you know? With friendships that have been around for a really long time and/or are very deep and important, there sometimes creeps in that fear of screwing it up or disappointing your friend, which can lead to insecurity or pressure/tension (something we also see in Katniss’s relationship with Gale - because he is her best friend, she’s terrified of upsetting him and losing him). But Katniss’s relationship with Cinna is a lot less high-stakes in that regard - they don’t have to be friends, nor do they have to be best friends; they just happened to actually, genuinely like each other. And that’s the end of that. It’s a kind of friendship that is often underappreciated due to its simplicity, but can be so important in keeping you calm and just, making you feel good (definitely something Katniss could use more of).

Chapter 1

And here I am with buckets of money, far more than enough to feed both our families now, and he [Gale] won’t take a single coin. - Makes me think of Katniss and Peeta’s conversation in their cave about “owing” and her dismissive remark that Peeta wouldn’t understand because he’s not from the Seam - in a strange reversal, Katniss now experiences how frustrating it can be when you have something to give (and want to share it) and the would-be-recipient won’t accept it; being able and allowed to give/share something with someone can be it’s own reward, with no sense of “debt” involved at all (if anything, the deprivation of feeling happiness/joy from sharing by not accepting a gift genuinely offered is much bigger than the cost of the material good given away)

The only time I really get to see Gale now is on Sundays, when we meet up in the woods to hunt together. It’s still the best day of the week, but it’s not like it used to be before, when we could tell each other anything. The Games have spoiled even that. - Oof. Katniss has been through hell and she doesn’t really have anyone to talk about the horrors she experienced 😢 We know she won’t talk about it with her mom and Prim because she sees herself as their protector and therefore doesn’t think she can burden them with her problems while occupying that role; her friendship with Madge is not deep enough for this kind of stuff yet (Katniss only realized they were truly friends when Madge gave her the pin before she set off for the Games); and while we’ll learn that she continues her friendship with Cinna, they only communicate over the phone and cannot speak completely openly because it’s probably tapped... and she and Peeta barely talk at this moment😞

He [Gale]’s something of a whiz with snares - Katniss uses the same phrasing when she talks about Peeta in THG: Peeta’s a whiz with fires (Ch.24); perfect foreshadowing what these boys will end up doing by the end of Mockingjay - Gale will (unwillingly, in a way) be involved with the ‘snare’/bombing of the civilians in the Capitol and Peeta will be the one putting out the flames engulfing the Girl on Fire following that moment.

I’m sure plenty of people assumed that we’d eventually get married even if I never gave it any thought. - Yeah, and now people aready have forgotten that you two guys are, in fact, not cousins; people are stupid🙄🤦🏼‍♀️ but also: another example of Katniss just not being romantically interested in Gale and also, also: a different relationship being pushed onto/expected from Katniss - the only difference here is, that there is no real pressure to go through with it; no death threats, no nothing; just some random people’s expectations and Katniss can handle that

But that was before the Games. Before my fellow tribute, Peeta Mellark, announced he was madly in love with me. Our romance became a key strategy for our survival in the arena. Only it wasn’t just a strategy for Peeta. I’m not sure what it was for me. - So, we are back to the conflation of romance and survival from Katniss’s perspective, and she hasn’t made any progress in untangling that mess so far (I’m not judging - it’s not like she has really had anyone to talk about it); if anything, the whole ordeal has become more complicated for Katniss to figure out: - But I know now that it was nothing but painful for Gale. - Honestly, Gale’s (romantic) feelings should have nothing to do with Katniss figuring out how she feels about Peeta; but now that she does know, it has become infintely more complicated - not being to able to say that she returns his romantic feelings has hurt Peeta already, someone Katniss definitely cares about (although in what way is still unclear to her), maybe returning Peeta’s romantic feelings would definitely hurt Gale, who is also someone Katniss cares about - a classic lose-lose-situation here; by caring so much for both boys, she’s backed herself into a corner and is unable to consider her feelings, independent of Peeta and Gale; it sucks :(

Although they never mention it, I owe the people who frequent the Hob. Gale told me that Greasy Sae, the old woman who serves up soup, started a collection to sponsor Peeta and me during the Games. It was supposed to be just a Hob thing, but a lot of other people heard about it and chipped in. - Interesting. Greasy Sae started a collection to sponsor Katniss - sure - and Peeta (?) Just in general, to collect money for the D12 tributes or is there some connection between Peeta and the Hob people? Katniss thinks of Peeta and the Hob as very separate things (we will see later when she freezes Peeta out after being confronted with Darius’s avox-status), so we only get her subjective perspective on that; considering that Peeta’s a pretty sociable and friendly guy and his dad might also trade with other people besides Katniss for things, there might be some Hob people that know and like him to some degree; even if not, it’s interesting how Peeta and Katniss seem to have brought together the Hob and non-Hob people of D12 during their Games

I buy three bottles of white liquor from a one-armed woman named Ripper [...] - okay, we will learn later that Peeta also buys liquor from Ripper, to make sure that Haymitch doesn’t have to go through a withdrawal cold turkey, so we know that Peeta knows Ripper - do you guys think he ever talked with her, amputee-to-amputee? Like, how to deal with phantom pain or stuff like that? I’ve had this thought a couple of weeks ago and haven’t been able to shake it since... - the liquor isn’t for my family. It’s for Haymitch - same difference, Katniss, and you know it - [...] I’m getting the white liquor because a few weeks ago he ran out and there was none for sale and he had a withdrawal, shaking and screaming at terrifying things only he could see. He scared Prim to death and, frankly, it wasn’t much fun for me to see him like that, either. - poor Haymitch! Is liquor only sold through Ripper or does Haymitch normally get some “officially”, as a victor (like Peeta with his paints)? If so, what district is responsible for liquor production and was the liquor shortage due to a strike/revolt?

When Peeta and I made it into the final eight in the Hunger Games, they sent reporters to do personal stories about us. When they asked about my friends, everyone directed them to Gale. But it wouldn’t do, what with the romance I was playing out in the arena, to have my best friend be Gale. - Reassuring to know that even that far into the future, people are still stupid about girls and guys being friends🙄

bunches of brightly colored corn affixed to the front doors as decoration for the upcoming Harvest Festival - When does the Victory Tour take place and when is Harvest Festival?! We already have snow lying about and Victory Tour is almost 6 months after the Games, which take place in summer - shouldn’t it be winter now? If so, shouldn’t Harvest Festival be over already? I dunno, as a German, I associate Harvest Festival with early October, so I’m just a little confused (I know that Thanksgiving is celebrated later, but it feels too late to be a Harvest Festival, if there’s already snow to consider)

“Look, if you wanted to be babied, you should have asked Peeta.” “Asked me what?” Just the sound of his voice twists my stomach into a knot of unpleasant emotions like guilt, sadness, and fear. And longing. I might as well admit there’s some of that, too. - Peeta has the best timing for dramatic entrances, I swear 😉Yeah, you better admit to that longing, Katniss! I wonder what exactly she fears, though - that Peeta is going to throw her (and their romance) under the bus? (unlikely) That she ruined her chances of building a genuine relationship with Peeta after being unable ro return his feelings as such on their way back from the Games?

“Brrr. You two have got a lot of warming up to do before showtime.” He [Haymitch]’s right, of course. The audience will be expecting the pair of lovebirds who won the Hunger Games. Not two people who can barely look each other in the eye. But all I say is, “Take a bath, Haymitch.” Then I swing out the window, drop to the ground, and head across the green to my house. - Katniss leaves through the window!!! If Peeta is the master of dramatic entrances, Katniss is the master of dramatic exits - a match made in heaven! 😂

The snow has begun to stick and I leave a trail of footprints behind me. At the front door, I pause to knock the wet stuff from my shoes before I go in. - It’s brilliant how Katniss tries to make sure she doesn’t track any snow inside - when Snow is already in her house (it has something of a classic horror film motif here)!

My mother gives an odd, breathy laugh and removes the game bag loaded with supplies from my shoulder. “It’s just snow. Did you have a nice walk?” “Walk?” [...] Then I see the man standing behind her in the kitchen doorway. One look at his tailored suit and surgically perfected features and I know he’s from the Capitol. Something is wrong. “It was more like skating. It’s getting slippery out there.” - Brilliant! Love how Mrs. Everdeen managed to subtly warn Katniss about them not being alone and how smoothly Katniss covers up her “walk?” into a comment on the weather -> the whole scene is a bit of foretaste of the scene when Katniss returns from her trip to the woods, after meeting Bonnie and Twill - even the slippery remark fits perfectly, as she will pretend that she slipped on some ice to cover up her injury from jumping out of that tree to cross the electrified fence!

Chapter 2

If he [Snow]’s made the journey all the way from his city, it can only mean one thing. I’m in serious trouble. And if I am, so is my family. A shiver goes through me when I think of the proximity of my mother and sister to this man who despises me. - Protective Katniss; also, how terrifying to know that there is this man who could have all the people you hold dear killed, just like that... *shiver*- [...] All I was doing was trying to keep Peeta and myself alive. Any act of rebellion was purely coincidental. - I’ve mentioned it in my previous musings, and I’ll say it again: in such a toxic, cruel and apathetic environment as Panem, any small act of compassion and kindness is an act of rebellion, it’s wild

“There have been uprisings?” I ask, both chilled and somewhat elated by the possibility. “Not yet. But they’ll follow if the course of things doesn’t change.” - Hmm, so maybe no revolts are responsible for the previous liquor shortage (Maybe the Capitol likes to withhold Haymitch’s liquor “rations” every once in a while, to drive home their message of the control they have over him? 🤔)

My mother sets the tray on the desk. It holds a china teapot and cups, cream and sugar, and a plate of cookies. They are beautifully iced with softly colored flowers. The frosting work can only be Peeta’s. - It’s kind of sweet how Katniss can immediately pick out Peeta’s work; also, considering that Katniss and Peeta have barely interacted since the cameras left, it’s interesting how the Everdeen house still is well-stocked with Peeta’s cookies and bread (also mentioned in chapter 1: Peeta keeps all of us in fresh baked goods)... When and how did this start? Does he try to time his trips over to Katniss’s house so that he won’t have to meet her? If so, I’m curious to know what his interactions with Mrs. Everdeen and Prim have been like...

I reach for my tea but set it back down when I hear the cup rattling against the saucer. To cover I quickly take a cookie. - It’s kind of beautiful how Katniss is literally holding on to a piece of/made by Peeta, while steeling herself enough to get through this conversation with Snow

“I don’t know... I don’t ...” My revulsion at this conversation, at discussing my feelings for two of the people I care most about with President Snow, chokes me off. - Yikes. Talking about “boy troubles” with creepy Snow, probably even the first time for Katniss to actually vocalize what is going inside her head? No thanks! On a different note - “two of the people I care most about” - dang, that acutally means a lot, coming from Katniss! Her and Peeta’s relationship is super rocky at the moment, but she still considers him as dear to her as her best friend of years!!! Too bad Peeta doesn’t know that...

First there were obligatory celebrations. [...] Parcel Day, the first of twelve, in which food packages were delivered to every person in the district. That was my favorite. To see all those hungry kids in the Seam running around, waving cans of applesauce, tins of meat, even candy. [...] That was one of the few times I actually felt good about winning the Games. - Katniss is such a kind person💗

So between the ceremonies and events and the reporters documenting my every move as I presided and thanked and kissed Peeta for the audience, I had no privacy at all. After a few weeks, things finally died down. - No privacy for weeks! And having to keep up the romance angle the entire time, too! Those weeks must have been awful, for both Katniss and Peeta! (Every time he touched/kissed her, he must have been thinking how she didn’t want that and he’d feel so shitty for having put her in this situation... whenever the reporters coo over the “cute couple”, he must have been thinking what fools they are - what a fool he had been to think it was real... ouch😢)

I’d begun to think that he [Gale]’d given up on me in the weeks that had passed. Or that he no longer cared about me. Hated me even. And the idea of losing him forever, my best friend, the only person I’d ever trusted with my secrets, was so painful I couldn’t stand it. Not on top of everything else that had happened. - Just because you have decided not to enter into a romantic relationship with anyone ever, doesn’t mean you aren’t dependent on others, and that the potential loss of a platonic relationship can’t hurt you, Katniss, don’t you see? In a way, especially because she is so precious regarding whom she opens up to, Katniss makes herself actually even more vulnerable to any potential loss of any person she cares about... But also, how sad is it that she feared the loss of her best friend, after everything that already had transpired?!? Poor girl just can’t catch a break!

I tried to decide how I felt about the kiss, if I had liked it or resented it, but all I really remembered was the pressure of Gale’s lips and the scent of the oranges that still lingered on his skin. - It probably didn’t help that this kiss followed the fear of having lost her best friend forever... It is noteworthy that resentment is an actual possible reaction that comes to Katniss’s mind, though... but you can’t blame her for not being able to figure how she felt about the whole ordeal (scent of oranges sounds pretty nice tho, ngl ;)

Chapter 3

The other [hand] still holds Peeta’s beautiful cookie. I think it had a tiger lily on it, but now it’s been reduced to crumbs in my fist. I didn’t even know I was crushing it, but I guess I had to hold on to something while my world veered out of control. - So, a quick look at the Farmer’s Almanac tells us that tiger lilies represent wealth and pride (very fitting for what Snow and the Capitol represent) and it’s - quite literally - crumbled. But also, it’s Peeta’s (beautiful! Katniss is again showcasing her appreaciation for beautiful things) cookie that Katniss was holding on to - and it was crushed under the pressure of talking to Snow. Very fitting illustration of how Katniss’s feelings for Peeta are not doing so well with all that pressure that’s being applied to her.

Unless I turn things around on this tour. And how? By proving to the country beyond any shadow of a doubt that I love Peeta Mellark. I can’t do it, I think. I’m not that good. Peeta’s the good one, the likable one. - Again, she’s clearly showing signs that she cares for Peeta and likes him (in some capacity), but the looming threat and pressure of having to be desperately in love with him (NOW!) forces any natural development of romantic feelings she’d have for Peeta to come to an immediate halt.

I hear my mother’s light, quick tread in the hall. She can’t know, I think. Not about any of this. [...] “Is everything all right, Katniss?” she asks. “It’s fine. [...]” I say brightly. My mother’s face floods with relief. “Oh. I thought there was some kind of trouble.” “No, not at all,” I say.” The trouble will start when my prep team sees how I’ve let my eyebrows grow back in.” My mother laughs, and I think about how there was no going back after I took over caring for the family when I was eleven. How I will always have to protect her. - Although we know that she misses being “mothered”/ cared for (as she mentioned in Ch. 22 in THG), Katniss knows she will never be able to have this kind of relationship with her mom anymore... Which really is a shame, because after everything she has gone through in the arena, Katniss could really need a mom right now 😢

Since I’ve been home I’ve been trying hard to mend my relationship with my mother. Asking her to do things for me instead of brushing aside any offer of help, as I did years out of anger. [...] My time in the arena made me realize how I needed to stop punishing her for something she couldn’t help, specifically the crushing depression she fell into after my father’s death. - I’m so glad Katniss and her mom get to improve their relationship! It can never be the same it used to be (as Katniss mentioned earlier) but it’s nice to see them (both!) working on having a better relationship. It can be very hard to recognize the struggle that may have driven a loved one to neglect their family members and to be forgiving enough to give them another chance - it shows a lot of character growth on Katniss’s part

Besides, there’s one wonderful thing she did when I arrived back in the district. [...] Someone asked my mother what she thought of my new boyfriend, and she replied that, while Peeta was the very model of what a young man should be, I wasn’t old enough to have boyfriend at all. - It’s also very nice to see Mrs. Everdeen being a lot more proactive and protective when it comes to Katniss now :)

Oof, the mention of the luxury of having warm running water... I feel so spoilt (I always feel so bewildered when my mom tells me about her childhood and how she sometimes still had to use outhouses and bathrooms for everyone with apartments on the same floor, depending on when/where she lived with her family or when visiting her grandmother)

The first question is who to tell, if anyone. Not my mother or Prim, obviously; - (not in her role as their protector, at least) - they’d only become sick with worry. Not Gale. [...] Besides, Gale’s already so angry and frustrated with the Capitol that I sometimes think he’s going to arrange his own uprising. The last thing he needs is an incentive. - It’s really sad how Katniss just knows that she can’t tell her best friend of this huge thing (after her family, he really should be the next obvious choice); because he’s so angry and can be impulsive, Katniss decides that it’s better to not let him know - it just adds another item to their list of things they can’t talk about (aside from their kiss); it’s not a good sign for their friendship that this list keeps on growing

There are still three people I might confide in, starting with Cinna, my stylist. But my guess is Cinna might already be at risk, and I don’t want to pull him into any more trouble by closer association with me. Then there’s Peeta, who will be my partner in this deception, but how do I begin that conversation? [...] I can’t do it. Besides, Peeta will perform well whether he knows what’s at stake or not. - Never assume, Katniss!!! It makes an ASS out of U and ME! - That leaves Haymitch. - It’s very telling that the three people Katniss actually considers telling about Snow’s visit are the three people she has grown close to during the Games; this traumatic event has changed her and only the people who have been involved in that (to some degree) can understand her situation now

At night, when we got home, my mother would pretend not to recognize me because I was so clean. Then she’d cook up an amazing dinner of roasted duck and baked katniss tubers with gravy. - This is one of these precious childhood memories you don’t realize how wholesome they are while you are experiencing them, but then hold so dear when you are older 😊

In a normal year, being a mentor to the tributes is the stuff of nightmares. I can’t walk by the school now without wondering what kid I’ll have to coach. - Ugh, what a terrifying thought! All the horrors Katniss will have to endure during the Quarter Quell aside, at least she didn’t have to mentor any kiddos - I think that maybe would have broken her heart

In the mirror, I can see their [the prep team’s] earnest faces following her [Mrs. E.’s] every move, their eagerness when it is their turn to try a step. In fact, all three are so readily respectful and nice to my mother that I feel bad about how I go around feeling so superior to them. Who knows who I would be or what I would talk about if I’d been raised in the Capitol? - I really appreciate how Katniss is not above considering other people’s perspectives; it’s not necessarily something she is quick to do (just think of how she never really thought about Finnick’s situation - about being forced into prostitution - until he revealed it in his interview in MJ), but she generally does never straight out negate other people’s humanity (like when she thought about Marvel and his loved ones after she shot him dead); Katniss’s mindset is not so rigidly stuck in the “us vs. them”-mindset as Gale’s is, just to name an example

My mother tried to interest me in a variety of suitable [talent] alternatives from a list Effie Trinket sent her. Cooking, flower arranging, playing the flute. None of them took, although Prim had a knack for all three. - I’m picturing a kind of miserable, but hilarious montage here 😂 They really should have considered playing the piano, if they wanted to give music - aside from singing - a shot. Personally, I think that playing the piano has to be the easiest instrument to learn, with the quickest passable results - you don’t have to produce the sounds, you just press a couple of keys - you can learn how to play a nice sounding melody using only one hand in very little time; the only obstacle is procuring the instrument itself and that shouldn’t pose a difficulty for someone from Victor’s Village (I might be biased, as someone who has been playing the piano for ~16/17 years now... but I also have always had terrible fine motor skills and still managed to get to a decent level, so... I rest my case ;)

I pick up one of the sketchbooks and examine a dress I supposedly created. “You know, I think I show a lot of promise,” I say. “Get dressed, you worthless thing,” he says, tossing a bundle of clothes at me. - God, I love this interaction!😄

She [Prim]’s leaning a bit forward on the toes of her shiny white boots like she’s about to take flight, like - Bam! It’s like someone actually hits me in the chest. - Oof, and then Katniss experiences a flashback, remembering Rue 😢

As badly as I have hurt him [Peeta], he won’t expose me in front of the cameras. Won’t condemn me with a halfhearted kiss. He’s still looking out for me. Just as he did in the arena. Somehow the thought makes me want to cry. - Same here, Katniss. Sometimes I, too, feel like wanting to cry over Peeta Mellark’s goodness 😭

“The train’s so stuffy,” I say. It’s a harmless phrase, but I see Haymitch’s eyes narrow in understanding. - These two. Still excellent at communicating with each other nonverbally 👌

“You’ll never, ever be able to do anything but live happily ever after with that boy.” The full impact of what he’s saying hits me. I will never have a life with Gale, even if I want to. I will never be allowed to live alone. I will have to be forever in love with Peeta. The Capitol will insist on it. [...] “Do you understand what I mean?” he presses me. I nod. He means there’s only one future, if I want to keep those I love alive and stay alive myself. I’ll have to marry Peeta. - Gah! The lack of choice and agency makes you (and Katniss) feel so claustrophobic, I can’t- 😩 And you can tell that her issue really isn’t with Peeta, but that the choice is taken out of her hands... Awful. Just... awful.

#thgagain #thg #hunger games #everlark #katniss everdeen #peeta mellark #my sketches and drawings #thg meta

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konfuse · 2 years

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May 10: Day 9: Favorite Episode(s)

Again, very tough. I'm glad I'm allowed to name multiple episodes and it will still be super hard. So, I managed to reduce it to 42 episodes. Which is the only correct answer a guess. Also by pure chance.

S.2. E. 1 – The Belchies

I just really enjoy the Movie "The Goonies" and even though the episode is very different to the movie after all I still like it. It's a good episode and one of my favorite earlier ones.

S. 3. E. 5 – An Indecent Thanksgiving Proposal

Love the episode. The Schlongs make me laugh every single time.

S. 3. E. – 16 Topsy

The whole episode is amazing. Love it. The music is great. Mr. Fishoeder and Gale kiss. Hilarious.

S. 3. E. – 20 The Kids Run the Restaurant

Pure love. All of it. Pity that we didn't see Darryl as one of the Math-Club people but I guess it wasn't canon that he is visiting the same school as the Belcher kids back then. "The Meatgrinder" is an amazing name for a Casino too.

S. 3. E. 22 – Carpe Museum

We get Henry and Rudy. Love the episode and how we learn that Louise actually respects her dad. Great episode!

S. 4. E. 7 – Bob and Deliver

Bob as a Home Ec teacher is a great idea and the pupils just love him. Also we learn more about Zeke and that he is not your typical idek... jock bully? The whole episode would be a fun analysis. But I also cringed at the end when they reinacted the scene from "Dead Poets Society". But then the ending with Bob and Tina having lunch together? *Chefs kiss*

S.4 E. 12 – The Frond Files

Yes, all of them. Good stuff. Love it. Plus the brownie surprise.

S. 4 E. 14 – Uncle Teddy

My heart! Teddy is part of the family and I miss those times when he really was like the weird uncle while nowadays it's most of the time about his obsession with Bob. I still like Teddy but that episode was probably his best.

S. 4. E. 15 – The Kids Rob a Train

I want to go on a wine-train with a steam engine. That sounds like a nice day. Also Rudy having his first adventure with all the Belcher siblings. Loved it.

S.4. E. 17 – The Equestranauts

Bob's Burgers "My Fair Lady". I could write essays about this episode. Fandom at is finest and with that I mean worst.

S. 4. E. 21 & 22 – Wharf Horse & World Wharf II: the Wharfening

I don't have to explain that one, do I?

S. 5. E. 1 – Work hard or Die Trying, Girl

Crossover of Die Hard and Working Girl in musical form? Hell yeah! Also this episode is the reason I watched "Working Girl" which was an experience by itself. Love the music too.

S. 5. E. 4 – Dawn of the Peck

One amazing joke after the other and the whole episode is also thrilling. And I love the animation. Just a great episode.

S. 5. E. 8 – Midday Run

Of course I have a very clear reason why I like this one but I also love that we learn that Tina is a hall monitor, that Rudy is one too and sees Tina as a role model. We learn more about Zeke. Also the subplot with the art-wall and Bob having to draw naked Edith? Amazing.

S. 5. E. 16 – The Runway Club

Always gives me an ear-wig. But I also love the idea and how (almost) everyone is working together in the end. Also Mr. Branca is the MVP in that episode. He would have let the kids win either way because he is always on their side. After all, Tina is his best friend.

S.5. E. 17 – Itty Bitty Ditty Committee

Good music, good story. I do think Gene has to learn a bit more music theory but he is already extremely good so I'm sure he'll make his way.

S.5. E. 21 – The Oeder Games

If you want to get someone into Bob's Burgers, show them this episode. There is nothing wrong with it.

S.6. E. 11 – House of 1000 Bounces

This episode established Rudy as an equal to Louise not one who is willing to follow her, no matter what and I really enjoy that fact.

S.6. E. 12 – Stand by Gene

I really enjoyed the sub-plot with Bob and Linda becoming really competitive and in the end Bob remembers why he loves his wife so much. But I also like the fact that the kids just go on an adventure and kudos to Gene for carrying his siblings and friends the last part of the way.

S. 6. E. 18 – Secret Admiral-irer

It's just cute. Also the subplot is hilarious.

S. 6. E. 19 – Glued, Where’s My Bob?

Love the music and love how Louise came around in the end.

S. 7. E. 6 – The Quirkducers

I love the songs. Even though I'm a tad annoyed with Louise and Gene that they pull Tina in their little scheme without telling her - because they know she wouldn't agree - in the end they come around. Best thing though, while everone regrets Tina gets inspired by the gore. And that is hilarious. Also the message is good. You need guts to be yourself.

S. 7. E. 7 – The Last Gingerbread House on the Left

Just hilarious. I love these old men who meet once a year and are all nuts. The whole concept is just extremely funny.

S. 7. E. 9 – Bob Actually

Is there anyone who does not like this episode? Best is probably Ms. LaBonz.

S. 7. E. 14 – Aquaticism

It's just so cute. I love me a good romance story.

S. 7 E. 15 – Ain’t Miss Debatin’

I can't even pin down what I like about this episode exactly. But I really enjoy it every single time I watch it. It's another one I could write a long essay about... like no one can tell me that Tina does not recognize Sarcasm. She lives with Louise, master of sarcasm.

S.8 E. 7-8 – The Bleakening I & II

No need to explain this one, do I?

S.8 E. 18 – As I Walk Through the Alley of the Shadow of Ramps

One of the things I love about Bob's Burgers is that the characters grow and learn. And Louise learns how to ride a bike and to face her fear. And I also love how Tina steps up to make Louise understand exactly that.

Bob’s Burgers Season 9 Episode 2 – The Taking of Funtime One Two Three

I just love a good heist story. And this one is really enjoyable.

Bob’s Burgers Season 9 Episode 6 – Bobby Driver

We learn more about Edith. And I just love that. That woman is hardcore.

Season 9 Episode 9 – UFO No You Didn’t

New friend for Tina? Hell yeah! Even though I'm irritated by the many mentions of Tom Hanks movies but it's fine. I also think it's hilarious that Henry is asking the siblings to help him and how these two get a bad conscience and spill everything to Tina. I really want Tina, Susmita and Henry to become friends.

Season 9 Episode 15 – The Fresh Princ-ipal

Louise showing off her skills as a leader? Heck yeah!

Season 9 Episode 22 – Yes Without My Zeke

Again, a heist story. And I just love how the kids work together to help Zeke.

Season 10 Episode 11 – Drumforgiven

It's a very good episode that shows us that Gene can stand up for himself and we get to see a softer side of Louise. It's a great Episode with good music.

Season 10 Episode 12 – A Fish Called Tina

It's so awful to watch Tina, trying so hard... but Louise saves the day in the end and that saves the episode.

Season 10 Episode 22 – Prank You for Being a Friend

Overall a hilarious episode. It's nice to see how everything is working together and in the end Louise figures out that the reason Kaylee want's to get home schooled is the wrong one. Also I have to agree the Thinkgineers seem really fun. Also I hope we get to see more of Kaylee.

Season 11 Episode 3 – Copa-Bob-bana

Again both plots perfect. the kids trying to install a pool in their basement while Bob and Linda become night-club people. The Fishoeders being themselves. Every joke perfect.

Season 11 Episode 17 – Fingers-loose

Me: I want to write a crime noir fanfiction. This episode: *happens* Me: Well... that is awesome. But I still need to write that fanfiction. Now more than ever.

Season 11 Episode 19 – Bridge Over Troubled Rud

I just have a soft spot for Louise and Rudy friendship.

Season 12 Episode 6 – Beach, Please

Again, Louise showing her leader skills but pushing too hard... and whos fault is it? Tammys, lol. The subplot with Teddy growing a moustache is weird but overall a great episode.

Season 12 Episode 7 – Loft in Bedslation

This episode is on the list because I really liked the DnD aspect. I was hoping that the kids play a game but I liked this one too and I love the idea of the Characters being changed and having to fight their way to their true self again. That is A+ DMing. Also Linda trying to inspire her kids to be crafty, I appreciate that. Also bunkbeds are awesome. Then again it's not like Tina or Louise couldn't have worked on the kitchen table...

Season 12 Episode 11 – Touch of Eval(uations)

Louise inspiring the whole school was sure something. xD And then we learn that Ms. LeBonz really cares and knows how to bring out the best in kids. Well, some adults just get more awesome.

#25DaysToMovieChallenge #favorite episodes #Bob's Burgers #long post #meme by yahoo201027 #I wrote two days on this #I might be a tad obsessed

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medea10 · 4 years

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My Review of Love Live Nijigasaki School Idol Club

AAAAAAAAAAAAH!

I’M BACK IN IDOL HELL!

Another damn Love Live! Seriously? Another damn one!?

Actually, I knew this was going to happen from like almost two years ago. Back when I was an active player with the rhythm game app LLSIF, we’d get these special characters popping in every now and then, usually as SSR, SR, or N scouts. Then in 2019, they put out singles for each girl to play and I knew then and there that a new Love Live was already in the works and were going to feature these girls.

THIS STORY: First of all, the characters of this story are not becoming idols because the school is in danger of closing down. I know that was like a big thing in the original Love Live and in Sunshine, but that’s not the case this time. This school looks very well populated and well-established. So let’s just squash that trope.

Ayumu and Yuu got bit by the idol bug leaving school one day when they came across a solo performance out in the open. The girl performing is named Setsuna Yuki and she’s part of the Idol Club at Nijigasaki (the school Ayumu and Yuu attend). The next day, they learned from the student council that the club has been disbanded at the request of Setsuna. So what do Ayumu and Yuu do now? They’re going to try and revive it!

But what about the girl who started the idol club in the first place, Setsuna?! The reason for Setsuna disbanding the club was because she felt that she and the rest of the girls in the group were on a different wavelength. So she decided to disban the club, leaving the other girls, Emma, Kanata, Shizuku, and Kasumi to go their separate ways. But that wasn’t the only thing on Setsuna’s plate. Setsuna kinda lives a double life on campus. She’s Setsuna in the school idol club, but she’s also the student council president, Nana. So Ayumu, Yuu, and Setsuna end up reviving the idol club. Emma, Kasumi, Shizuku, and Kanata end up joining again. And eventually, we get other members Ai, Rina, and Karin to join in. And since there’s quite a long list of characters, let’s talk about them.

Ayumu is one of the first girls to revive the idol club. Unlike the main girls from the other series like Honoka and Chika, she’s not as crazy-energetic and idol-crazy. She’s more of the lover of cute things. She was sparked by idols when she saw Setsuna perform.

Speaking of cute things, Kasumi is the idol-loving crazy girl that loves all things cute and wants all of her performances to be cute.

Emma is the first Love Live character originally from a place that’s not Japan. This Swiss-miss came to Japan to become an idol.

Setsuna lives the double life. At school, she’s the disciplinarian student council president, Nana. But when she’s in idol form, she’s Setsuna Yuki ready to shine on stage.

Shizuku got interested in becoming an idol to help with her acting aspirations.

Rina got curious and ended up joining the idol club despite having problems showcasing her emotions. That’s why you see the computerized monitor on her face.

Ai joined alongside with Rina and with her Sporty Spice persona, she’ll get the club on their feet.

Karin is already well-established in the modeling world, but ended up getting into the idol world after hanging with Emma.

Kanata…likes to sleep. Oh, and she has a younger sister in an idol group at her school.

Then there’s Yuu! She isn’t the kind of idol member that sings and performs like the other girls, but works to support each girl in their goals.

Oh and all of these idols are SOLO ARTISTS!

BETWEEN THE SUB AND THE DUB: As usual with the Love Live franchise (and most other idol animes), these voice actors are brand-spankin’ new. These girls are usually only known for their work as actual idols and only a few of them really go on to do a full-length voice actor career. Then I get, SURPRISE! Akari Kitou is in this too! This girl was in EVERYTHING these past two years! Everything! Every-damn-thing! Now she’s a Love Live waifu! Actually, several of the seiyuus here I’ve seen in a few things here and there and that’s pretty rare since I’m not hip to all the idol groups in Japan.

Now for the dub, because we all know FUNimation! Yeah, they licensed this just like the previous Love Live series. However, they really kept this series all to themselves where not even Hulu could air it. At the moment, no dub has been announced or planned. I’m assuming it’ll happen one day. I only say this because of all the other Love Live series. Here’s what you might recognize these folks from.

*Ayumu is played by Aguri Oonishi

*Setsuna is played by Tomori Kusunoki (known for LLENN on SAO: Gun Gale Online)

*Kasumi is played by Mayu Sagara

*Ai is played by Natsumi Murakami

*Emma is played by Maria Sashide

*Rina is played by Chiemi Tanaka (known for Ririko on Sakura Quest)

*Kanata is played by Akari Kitou (known for Nezuko on Demon Slayer, Yashiro on Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun, Iwanaga on In/Spectre, Tsukasa on Tonikawa, Aru on Hitoribocchi, and Kaho on Blend-S)

*Shizuku is played by Kaori Maeda (known for Selka on SAO: Alicization)

*Karin is played by Miyu Kubota (known for Sister Lily on Black Clover)

*Yuu is played by Hinaki Yano

NEW BEST GIRL: As you may know, I have picked my favorite girls from the Love Live fandom. Nozomi is best girl in the original and when it comes to Sunshine, Ruby is tops!

When I saw the new girls back when the app LLSIF released all the single songs for the Nijigasaki club, I was curious about one particular girl. I had a feeling Rina was going to be a special kind of interesting. Why was she wearing a special mask on stage? Is she an introvert who hates to be seen up-close? I had to learn more about her! Turns out Rina had a lot of trouble expressing her feelings. When she’s excited, sad, irritated, or satisfied, it’s just the same expression. I love Rina. She’s my precious cinnamon roll and if anyone talks smack about her is gonna get a bop in the face.

ABOUT YUU: I know what you’re thinking, what the hell is going on with Love Live giving us 10 girls instead of 9? And I would agree! LLSIF game gave us 9 solo albums and Yuu is not among any of them. But then I recently downloaded LLSIF All Stars and discovered the interactive portion with all of the girls and how your character is the unspoken 10th member of the group. Yeah, Yuu is pretty much that character.

SHIPPING: In the original series, I was a bit of a multi-shipper that was open to any hookups if I can see it. When Sunshine came along, I was still a multi-shipper, but heavily Kanan x Mari to a point where I’m imagining their wedding. This time around…yeah, once again I found myself shipping the fuck out of third-years.

This is Karin x Emma. I support the fuck out of this. Never forget that!

And while I’m at it, let’s add Ai x Rina. Ai was literally Rina’s first friend. She will go anywhere for this girl and do anything for her.

I should probably add Ayumu x Yuu too. But then again, this is Love Live. No matter what ship we all choose, it’s all for naught as no one really confesses their feelings for each other. Right?

Hahaha…Foreshadowing!

THE SAME, BUT…: Yeah, you know how this goes. Since this is an idol anime and the third one from the same franchise, I’m gonna squawk about the similarities this series has with the first two Love Lives. Yes, we’ve got the cutesy, annoying idol with Kasumi. Yes, we have the token class president with Setsuna. Yes, the animation for all the dance scenes is wonky CGI. And yes, we have a center second year with a red-ish hue to her hair with Ayumu. But there’s just so many glaring differences compared to the other two series.

*First of all, the school is not in any danger of closing down. The original Love Live had Honoka and her friends starting a school idol club to drum up attention for their school so it wouldn’t have to shut down. Love Live Sunshine also had that with sadder outcomes for the school. This school is huge, has many different clubs and activities. This school is safe! But if they pull some shit out in season two saying it has to close down, I call bullshit.

*Nijigasaki High School Idol Club mostly has solos. One of the reasons for the falling out at the beginning between Setsuna, Kasumi, Emma, Kanata, and Shizuku was differences. Every girl has their own thing and they respect that. Even in the app, there are a lot of solo songs and only a few where two or more of the girls are singing together.

*Add to that, this group doesn’t really have a “group name”. I mean Nijigasaki School Idol Club doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue like μ's or Aqours.

*The big, scary student council president is a second year. Unlike Eli and Dia from the previous series, Setsuna (a second year student) is really the scary one with power. But much like Dia, she does have a passion for idols. It’s just that Setsuna goes above and beyond to hide that along with her true self. I bring this up because when the second season comes (AND IT WILL), I have a feeling they’ll introduce this one character that’s in the game and that’s going to be quite the game changer.

FAVORITE SONG: Chase by Setsuna.

I think all of us were blown away by that song in episode one.

ENDING: After Diver Fes and Karin’s solo performance, the girls decide to hold a training camp at their school. During the camp, Yuu was still awe-struck by everyone’s dedication to the club and the performances in the previous episode. And by the end of the camp, Yuu says there should be a school idol festival to show everyone that school idols are awesome. Much to my dismay, I doubt that this anime will follow the game route and have μ's and Aqours perform. Actually, the groups seen throughout the series are characters I would run across in one of the other Love Live apps, including Kanata’s little sister. Moving on!

Everything was going along swimmingly with this School Idol Festival. The student council (or Setsuna as her alter ego Nana) agreed to it, the students of Nijigasaki are excited for what’s to come, and other schools including Kanata’s sister Haruka’s school are willing to participate. However, the big friction that sparked came from Ayumu. As we all know, she and Yuu are close as can be. Ever since the resurrection of the School Idol Club, Yuu has been there to realize the dreams of everyone. Ayumu got jealous, especially seeing Yuu with Setsuna. So she corners her and wants Yuu all to herself and…

Whoa. Confirmed lesbianism!

Let’s just say Ayumu’s jealousy came and went as she realized she can’t stop Yuu’s dreams and that Ayumu’s gonna have plenty of devoted fans besides Yuu. So thankfully that was resolved quicker than I thought and now we can focus on the School Idol Festival. The festival was actually going really well. There were separate stages for all of the solo idols and there were sample songs from all the Nijigasaki girls heard throughout the finale, and only a few hiccups during the day. But nothing Rina couldn’t fix. So much for the rainstorm!

Oh come on guys, plenty of idols from this franchise and other shows performed in the rain and they all turned out just fi…

Oh, I forgot about Honoka.

Oof. Zombieland Saga did her wrong. Never mind what I said!

Unfortunately, the rain didn’t clear up until 7:05 (five minutes after the time allowed for this festival). But all of these idol fans waited and they wanted a show. And so, that’s what they got. Nijigasaki and all the other participating schools performed together. So the festival was a big hit. People who watched it sent a request for another festival to happen. So there’s definitely going to be another School Idol Festival in their future. But what about a season two?

Pfft. COME ON! You know there’s going to be a season two. The girls haven’t experienced heartache of the upperclassmen graduating. Shioriko hasn’t been introduced yet. Tokimeki Runners hasn’t been sung yet. An actual Love Live hasn’t happened yet. That is the whole point of this franchise, right? To have idols participate in the famous Love Live School Idol Festival? So yeah, I know no one has greenlit the Nijigasaki series or announced anything, but I know it’s gonna happen. I can smell it. Love Live will never die. Why else is there going to be a Love Live Superstar series coming out in July?

I gotta say I enjoyed this series. It’s nice to see the struggle of creative differences with the club members. I mean in the past two series, the girls would all agree to something or eventually get to a happy conclusion and sing together in perfect harmony. Cute, but not realistic! And these girls are all very different so it’s good to see a lot more solo performances. Both μ's and Aqours have members with solo songs. It’s just that if you’re an anime only person, you probably wouldn’t know that. Otherwise you would know that Riko and Maki are superior in the singing department.

Prove me otherwise!

Recommendations are always tricky in this area. Idol shows are either loved or hated by the anime community. And I unfortunately can only recommend this to idol show watchers. I’ve already stuck my neck out to recommend Zombieland Saga to everyone.

If you would like to watch Love Live Nijigasaki High School Idol Club (fuck that’s a mouth-full), it is available for streaming only on FUNimation.

#anime review #love live #love live nijigasaki high school idol club #setsuna yuki #ayumu uehara #kanata konoe #rina tennoji #kasumi nakasu #emma verde #shizuku osaka #ai miyashita #karin asaka #yuu takasaki

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elsanna-shenanigans · 4 years

Text

February Contest Submission #8: The Treasure Of Doggerland

words: ca. 5000 setting: Modern AU lemon: No cw: None

The Ocean held so many wonders and mysteries. While mankind had chartered the stars and heavens above, so little was known about what lay underneath the oceans and seas of the world. And for Anna and her colleague Kristoff, their life’s work had been to discover the mystery of one of the most fascinating underwater locations on earth.

Thousands of years ago, around the time of the last ice age, there was a large mass of land that connected the United Kingdom to the rest of Europe. Modern-day scientists had termed it Doggerland and there had been several expeditions to the area over the years that had dredged up all sorts of things, from bones to primitive tools used by early man.

For Anna and Kristoff though, they hoped to be the first explorers to make a complete survey of the whole area and finally make a map of every notable point of interest. Their work would hopefully be the backbone for all future research and exploration in the area for years to come.

Sadly, their work had hit a slight snag. They had been unable to fully acquire funding for such an expedition and so, had to go about it themselves. They’d flown to Denmark, hired a submarine, a ship and a captain who would take them out to sea.

It wasn’t much, but Anna hoped that at least part of the survey would allow them to convince investors to further support their efforts. But of course, that all did indeed depend on this whole endeavour being successful.

After being out at sea for over a day, Anna and Kristoff were ready to begin, starting with Anna going down in the submarine to make a survey of the area near their ship, before moving onwards to another area the next day. Anna had hoped that everything would go smoothly.

However, the weather had certainly gotten worse. As Anna stood on the deck of the ship, she felt torrential rain batter the deck of the old rackety vessel. The storm was one of the worst she’d ever seen. A wind that howled and threatened to carry Anna off the deck of the ship at any moment, to the waves the size of small houses, battering the sides of the ship every once in a while, drenching the deck in brine.

But Anna wasn’t scared. If anything, the storm was actually motivational for her, triggering some primal instinct to push onwards no matter what the weather was like. And besides, it wasn’t like she’d be above the water when she’d be doing her survey.

“Hell of a storm out here!” A voice called to her.

Anna turned, seeing the captain of the ship, Eric, walk over to her. “Yeah, not it’s a real tempest out here.”

Eric chuckled. “Not scared of a bit of thunder and lightning, are you?”

The redhead scoffed. “Hell no. Besides, where I grew up, we used to get storms like this every day.”

“Heh, you seem like a born sailor,” Eric remarked.

“Actually, my dad was a fisherman,” Anna explained. “I guess I got my love of the ocean from him.”

Kristoff soon joined them on deck, almost slipping over as another massive wave rocked the boat. He clung onto the railing, sighing in relief that he hadn’t been thrown overboard into the sea. As he stumbled back onto his feet, he walked over to Anna, clutching his coat as it was blown about in the gale.

“Did we have to do this in the middle of a storm?” Kristoff asked, his tone reflecting how unsure he felt.

Anna walked over to her partner. “Hey, when life gives you lemons.”

Her friend shot Anna a rather serious look. Kristoff had always been the cautious of the two, as far back as when they had met in college. He’d always had to be the one to keep Anna out of trouble and from the looks of this storm, it was probably suicide for Anna to go out in that.

“Anna, this storm is battering the ship!” Kristoff cried in alarm. “Are you sure you wanna go down in the sub now and not wait until the storm passes?”

“Yes, I’m sure!” Anna called back. “Besides, I’m going under the water, not across it.”

Kristoff folded his arms. “I don’t like it at all, feisty pants. With this storm, the sub might get caught in the currents and you could be dragged away. Or maybe smashed against some rocks and sink.”

“I’m a good swimmer,” Anna argued.

“Yeah, but you’re going thousands of feet down to the seafloor,” Kristoff reminded her. “You really think you can swim that far?”

“Kristoff, we spent five years planning this,” Anna argued. “I don’t intend to stop now just because of a bit of bad weather.”

Kristoff sighed, giving in. “Alright, I know never to argue with you when you’re stubborn like this. But I’m gonna keep in constant radio contact. The first sign of trouble, you hit those ballast tanks and come straight back up, right?”

“Sure thing,” Anna stated, putting a hand on her shoulder. “And Kristoff? Thanks for being here with me.”

Kristoff smiled. “Well… we are in this together after all.”

“Good” Anna stated. “You and Eric prepping the sub. I’m gonna get changed into my wetsuit and remind myself of the area we’re surveying today.”

As Anna went below decks to get changed, Eric chuckled.

“And what’s so funny?” Kristoff wondered.

“Oh, nothing. Just your girlfriend here reminds me a lot of my wife. Stubborn, very confident in herself… and a redhead too.”

Kristoff blushed. “Uh… she’s not my girlfriend.”

“Oh I apologise,” Eric said. “It’s just I thought that maybe…”

“Yeah, you aren’t the first but… I’m not exactly Anna’s preference if you get what I mean,” Kristoff said.

“Ah,” Eric nodded in understanding. “Duly noted.”

Down below, Anna was getting changed into her wetsuit. As she looked at herself in the mirror after tying her hair up in a bun, she felt a sense of butterflies in her chest. Finally, today was the day when five years of hard work were going to pay off once and for all.

As she went to a nearby table to look over the map of the region, the area she was going to survey, she looked at an old family photograph she’d brought with her. It was of her mother and father from when she was a little girl. Anna thought of how innocent she looked then, with her twin braids. These days, she felt much more mature about herself, wearing her hair longer.

“Well dad, I promised you I’d go see the sea for myself,” Anna whispered. “I bet you’d be proud of me.”

Tragically, Anna’s father had actually died at sea. His ship had been caught in a massive storm and capsized. The coast guard sadly never found his body, but the tragedy hadn’t stopped Anna from wanting to unlock the mysteries of the ocean itself. If anything, it had influenced her.

Anna smiled. “Maybe if I find anything down there, I’ll show it to you next time I’m home.” She sighed, remembering the coastal town in Maine where she grew up and spent her weekends on the beach, gazing out at the sea. It had been years since she visited her father’s grave, though she wasn’t exactly keen on seeing her mother again anytime.

But Anna didn’t have time to be dwelling on all that now, she had a route to memorise. She looked at the map again, making a mental note of the area once more. She wanted to survey the entire site, right down the last detail, leaving no stone unturned as it were.

When she was done, Anna headed out on deck, ready to begin her adventure.

xXx

Sometime later, Anna was on board the submarine as Eric lowered it into the water with the large crane on the back of his ship. As the crane let go, the yellow and black vessel plummeted down into the water, making an almighty splash as it hit the waves below.

Kristoff looked over the side of the ship, still concerned about the weather. He took out his pocket radio and spoke into it. “You all set down there, Anna?”

“Yeah, I’m about to fill my tanks now,” Anna replied.

The ballast tanks on the submarine soon filled with water and Kristoff watched as the sub dove under the waves. Anna sat at the controls of the craft, looking out of the glass cockpit at the ocean that surrounded her, watching the bubbles of air float to the surface as she descended.

As the sub sunk deeper and deeper, Anna switched on the submarine’s massive spotlights, illuminating the darkness surrounding her. She also switched on her sonar, the familiar echoing sound filling the canopy. On a nearby radar screen, Anna saw a monochromatic map of her surroundings appear next to her.

When she reached the ocean bed, Anna started up the sub’s engines. The small propellors on the craft pushed it forward, Anna driving across the sea bed. As she followed the route she mesmerised in her head, she looked around at the wonders that surrounded her.

Coral reefs, schools of fish, even a shark in the distance. But so far, there didn’t seem to be anything of much note. Though Anna wasn’t expecting to find much on her first trip. This was mainly so she could make a map of the actual area.

it would others later on that would likely be doing the real archaeological work.

Anna peered into the inky blackness as the submarine cruised across the sea bed. As she stared out of the window, seeing schools of fish swim through the glow of the submarine’s spotlights, she took a moment to enjoy the wonders.

But she thought about what this sea bed would have been like thousands of years ago when it was a vast grassy plain, where early mankind had once lived.

As she scanned across the seabed, Anna looked at the sonar screen to her left, seeing how it was picking up the nearby school of fish to her left and large rock formation to her right. It seemed like she had been coasting along the vast seabed for hours and covered some vast distance, but she had only gone a few miles away from the ship.

“How’re things going down there?” Kristoff asked.

“Kinda boring so far,” Anna admitted. “I’ve only covered about thirteen per cent of the area and I haven’t seen anything of much value besides some fish.”

“Well, we’re not likely to strike gold on our first day doing this, fiesty pants,” Kristoff replied. “How’s your oxygen meter doing?”

“I’ve got plenty of time,” Anna stated. “How’s the weather up there like?”

“Still not great, ” Kristoff stated. “Be careful down there.”

“I will,” Anna promised.

Over the next few hours, Anna’s submarine cruised across the seabed along the route, the oceanographer taking note of anything of interest. As time ticked by though, Anna started to become a bit bored. She partly wished she’d brought her phone down here with her to listen to some music, but she remembered why she hadn’t.

If she had to go out in her scuba gear, the canopy would be flooded and last time she checked, phones weren’t waterproof. But Anna knew she needed to do something to pass the time. So she started to sing a merry tune to herself, something from her dad’s old record collection.

“We all live in a yellow submarine,” Anna sang to herself. “Yellow submarine, yellow submarine.”

“Is that the Beatles you’re signing there?” Eric’s voice chimed in.

“Oh uh,” Anna stuttered, blushing bright red in embarrassment. “Yeah, yellow submarine was my favourite as a kid.”

“You’ve certainly got a lovely singing voice,” Eric complimented.

“Hey uh, captain, mind staying off the radio?” Kristoff said. “Anna’s doing important survey work down there.”

“No, it’s fine, Kristoff,” Anna replied. “Still pretty dull down here.”

However, just then, Anna heard a very loud ping from the submarine’s sonar. Anna’s eyes widened, looking at the monitor to her left. Though she couldn’t tell what it was, the sonar had detected something massive near Anna’s location.

“Woah, what the heck is that?” Anna wondered.

“Coral reef maybe?” Kristoff suggested.

“I’m gonna check it out,” Anna stated.

Turning her submarine to the left, Anna headed in the direction of the mysterious sonar signal. Though she hadn’t expected to find anything on the first day, she wasn’t exactly complaining now. The thought of whatever she was about to find filled her with passion for her adventure.

Eventually, after cruising for a while, Anna noticed something out of the cockpit of the sub. The ocean around her was starting to grow… lighter. There was something in the distance illuminating the surrounding ocean, just beyond a nearby rock formation.

Switching off the sub’s spotlights, Anna radioed Kristoff. “Kristoff, whatever I’ve found, it’s lighting the ocean up like a Christmas tree.”

“That’s odd. The storm is still raging up here, so it can’t be the sun.”

“No, it’s something here at the bottom of the sea,” Anna stated. “I’m going in a closer look.”

As Anna’s craft flew over the rock formation, her eyes widened as she looked upon what she had discovered. Just in front of Anna was a giant scaly, ring-like structure that encircled a large area of the ocean bed. It was at least the size of a football pitch, the structure of the ring made of a sparkling mineral that gave them the appearance of ice. One part of the ring seemed to resemble a dragon’s head.

But what intrigued Anna the most was what was at the centre of the ring. On some sort of strange stone plinth, there stood what appeared to be a statue. The statue was made of the same mineral as the giant ring, sparkling and glowing with unnatural light.

Taking the sub in closer, Anna gazed at the statue. It seemed to be around seven or eight feet in height, in the shape of what appeared to be a humanoid woman with pointed ears and long hair, wearing a flowing dress of some kind.

Her heart pulsing in her chest, Anna felt a strange sensation when looking at the statue. She was mesmerised by how beautiful it appeared to be, She almost could have sworn it was smiling… at her. She couldn’t take her eyes off it, no matter how hard she tried.

“Uh, Anna?” Kristoff spoke into the radio. “You okay?”

Anna didn’t respond.

“YO FEISTY PANTS!”

Gasping, Anna shook her head. “Uh, yeah big guy?”

“Are you alright ?” Kristoff wondered. “You went quiet for a moment there.”

“I… I think so,” Anna stated. “I’ve found the source of the signal. It’s some sort of massive underwater crystalline structure. No idea how old it is, but there seems to be some kind of statue here made of the same mineral.”

“What? How is that possible?”

“I know right! This changes everything we knew about this area,” Anna remarked. “Maybe those old rumours of Doggerland being the British Atlantis weren’t far off after all.”

“Maybe,” Kristoff stated. “But you should really finish up your survey. Come back to this area later, Anna.”

“No,” Anna insisted. “I… I think we should bring that statue back to the ship for further study. I’ll finish the survey tomorrow.”

“What?” Kristoff wondered. “Anna, I thought we were supposed to be only surveying the area.”

“Change of plans,” Anna said. “We’re bringing this statue up.”

She wasn’t sure what was happening, but some sort of strange influence was compelling her to protect this statue. She… She didn’t want to just leave it down here. Something so beautiful didn’t deserve to be hidden away from the world, in the depths of the ocean.

Kristoff sighed. “Alright, I’ll have Eric bring the ship over to your location. Hang tight there.”

“Thanks, Kristoff,” Anna replied.“

Taking the sub in closer, Anna activated its large, robotic grappling arms. The two massive claws extended from the craft as Anna positioned her vessel in just the right position in front of the statue. She had to be gentle though. The last thing she wanted was to damage the beautiful figure of ice before her.

Carefully, Anna manipulated the arms, their mechanical fingers gently clutching onto the statue. With a little tug, the statue was pulled free from the stone base it was attached to, now being held in the arms of Anna’s vessel, thankfully without a scratch or being chipped.

"Yes!” Anna cheered.

As the submarine floated upwards, Anna reached forward, her hand touching the glass of the canopy. She stared into the statue’s icy eyes, feeling that somehow, they were staring back at her. Anna smiled, feeling that she had done the right thing.

This was certainly something her father would have been proud of her for.

xXx

Once Anna was back on the surface and aboard the ship, the strange statue she’d recovered was brought down the cargo hold. Over the next few hours, Anna and Kristoff studied the mysterious sculpture, Anna in particular still mesmerised by its gorgeous features.

And she wasn’t alone in thinking that. Eric had complimented on how beautiful the statue was, which had made Anna feel unusually jealous. But right now, she and Kristoff were looking over the statue, trying to figure out what it was, what it was made of, and more importantly… who could have carved it.

But Anna wasn’t entirely focused on her work. Now that she had the statue with her and nothing was between them, she felt she could spend forever just staring at the gorgeous woman. She reached out, caressing the cold, icy surface of the statue in her hands.

For a moment, she felt as though her hands were meeting cold skin instead of rock and ice. Soft, smooth skin that belonged to whatever being the statue was in the image of. As she stroked the statue’s head. she imagined her fingers threading themselves through locks of soft hair.

It was quite an unusual sensation, the feeling as though this statue was, in fact, a living being and that Anna felt as though she and it were… connected somehow. Nothing in her life had made Anna feel quite like this before.

“So who do you think made it?” Kristoff wondered.

“I… I don’t know,” Anna admitted. “My guess is there was some sort of civilisation in this part of the world thousands of years ago that were wiped out when Doggerland fell under the sea.”

“You think so? This thing would predate the Egyptians if it did and I find that hard to believe,” Kristoff stated. “My guess is maybe it fell off a Viking ship or something during the middle ages, that it was carved around that time.”

“That doesn’t line up,” Anna admitted. “I didn’t see any shipwrecks in the area where I found her, or that stone plinth, or that weird ring structure that surrounded her. She’s quite a mystery.”

“That it is,” Kristoff admitted, though he was a little confused by Anna referring to the statue as a woman, despite it not being alive. But he brushed it off for the moment and looked at the statue. “It’s remarkably well preserved. Whatever this stuff it’s made of, it’s lasted for centuries.”

“She’s certainly unique,” Anna remarked, staring at the statue. “I doubt there’s anything else in the world quite like her.” She found herself gazing at the statue again, being lost in its features.

Kristoff gave her a look. He couldn’t ignore this now, especially now that Anna seemed to be consistently calling the statue a woman. “Uh, Anna… you know this statue isn’t a living being right?”

“Oh yeah?”

“Then why are you calling it a she?” Kristoff asked. “I mean, yeah it’s depicting a female figure, but she’s not exactly… alive. Are you sure you weren’t down there in the ocean too long and you’ve caught the bends?”

“W-What?!” Anna exclaimed, blushing bright red. “I’m fine, really! But… I hadn’t realised I was calling her a she. I… I can’t help it. It’s like she’s really here with us and she’s more than just some statue I found at the bottom of the sea. She’s… She’s completely perfect.” She looked away. “Don’t judge me, okay?”

“I won’t, don’t worry,” Kristoff chuckled. “Now I realise why you wanted to bring it up so badly. She is rather pretty and hey, wouldn’t be the first fictional person you’ve fallen for.”

Anna blushed redder, remembering how Kristoff used to tease her for her crushes on various fictional women when they first met. Lara Croft, Wonder Woman, Jasmine from Aladdin, Anna clearly had a type and this statue fitted it. She just hoped Kristoff wasn’t going to tease her too badly over it.

“But this is the first time I’ve seen you fall for a statue,” Kristoff remarked.

“Oh I can’t help it,” Anna sighed dreamily.

Her partner just smirked. “Even after all these years, you’re still a useless lesbian. I swear Honeymaren had no right to dump a cutie like you.”

Anna groaned. “Please don’t bring that up again… and for the record, this statue is still important regardless if I’m in love with her. If we show her to people, we’ll definitely get more funding to continue our research here and who knows what else we’ll find. Maybe some idea as to what the people who carved her were like.”

“Yeah and you get to look at a pretty girl,” Kristoff teased.

“Ugh, I hate you,” Anna groaned.

But Kristoff wasn’t wrong though. The statue was indeed gorgeous and… in a way, Anna wished she could keep it for herself. It didn’t deserve to be in some museum, with so many people staring at it. She wanted the statue to be hers, all hers. Part of her wanted to lean in and kiss the gorgeous statue… though that was a little weird even by her standards.

As she stared intently at the statue, she reached forward, caressing its crystalline surface. As she did so, she noticed that the dress of the statue seemed to be lined with strange runes, symbols that weren’t familiar to Anna at all. She thought about what they could possibly mean.

“Uh, Anna?” Kristoff then spoke to her.

Anna shook her head, drawn out of her daze again. “Uh yes?”

“I’m gonna go get something to eat. All this exploring has worked up an appetite. You coming?”

“Uh sure,” Anna replied flatly, still gazing at the statue.

She then left the room with Kristoff, going to get dinner with him. After leaving the room, however, Anna never saw the runes she’d been looking at on the statue were now glowing a mysterious white aura, as were the statue’s eyes. Clearly, there was definitely more to it than either of them could have imagined.

xXx

Anna was standing on a strange rocky beach in the middle of a storm, thunder and lightning crashing around her. She wasn’t sure what was happening or where this beach was. She walked around, feeling the freezing cold all around her. She desperately sought out shelter as rain pelted down from the sky.

But before Anna could reach a nearby cave, she looked out at the ocean as a massive wave rose above her. She screamed, trying to outrun it before she was drenched in the water. As she was dragged along the beach, Anna coughed and spluttered, seawater having jumped down her throat.

As she got to her feet, she looked around, seeing the storm only growing in intensity. At that moment, the howling wind was interrupted by a strange voice calling out to Anna in a melodic tone.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

“Who… Who said that?” Anna asked. “Where are you?”

Aaaaaaaa, the voice called out again.

As the howling wind resumed, Anna looked out at the stormy sea Was the voice… coming from the ocean? Anna wanted to know and suddenly, she sprinted into the ocean and to her amazement… she was somehow walking on the surface of the water itself, the waves turning slowly to ice beneath her feet.

“What the heck?” Anna asked, but then heard a loud rumbling as a massive sea serpent burst out of the water, flying over Anna’s head. The creature let out a deafening, hissing roar before it dove back into the water. For a few moments, Anna saw that it had scales made of the same crystal as the statue.

Then, she heard the sound of galloping, as a strange, horse-like creature galloped along the waves beside Anna, before also dipping under the waves. Anna blinked, confused as to what exactly was going on. But before she could think about that, she felt the wind pick up again.

Looking up, Anna saw a figure floating above her, flying on the wind itself. She couldn’t make out what the figure looked like, but it clearly had long flowing hair and was wearing a dress with a cape of some kind. Was this… was this the statue come to life?

Glowing blue eyes gazed upon Anna and the redhead felt… strangely comforted by them. They seemed so warm and inviting. And yet, Anna still had no clue what was actually going on here? Where was she? What were those creatures? What was this strange woman?

There has been an awakening, a voice then spoke. You have been chosen.

“What?” Anna asked. “I don’t understand.”

You are the one who will awaken us.

“Me? What are you-”

And then, Anna woke up.

The redhead panted as she shot out of bed, wiping her brow of sweat. She was glad that it had all just been some sort of crazy dream, yet she found herself filled with more thoughts about the statue. She… she felt that it was in danger somehow, that she had to be near it.

Quickly getting dressed Anna tried to make it out of her bedroom, only to trip up and fall over, banging her head on a wall. “Ow!”

She groaned, realising the storm outside the ship hadn’t calmed down at all. After rubbing her head, Anna made her way down to the cargo hold, wanting to check on her mysterious statue. Something about it was drawing to her, something she knew was connected to her dream.

Fortunately for Anna, the statue was safe. It hadn’t moved an inch, much to her relief. After going over to the statue, Anna let herself become lost in its beauty once more. She was glad to be alone with the mysterious statue, entranced by its wonders and secrets.

It sounded crazy to her now though, that she had indeed fallen for the statue. She felt guilty though, seeing as it was just a statue and not a real human being. No matter how much she wished the statue could come to life right before her eyes, Anna knew magic was only a thing that existed in fairytales.

It also seemed pathetic that the only woman she would love was a strange crystal figure she found at the bottom of the sea. Her love life hadn’t exactly been great. Most of her time she’d been focused on her work, but the few times she had tried dating it hadn’t gone well.

Honeymaren was the one that had stuck with her longest, but she had to leave her when her family had to move to the other side of the country. Anna understood why she left, even if Kristoff still insisted that she should have tried to make it still work between them.

Still, Anna knew that a statue wasn’t going to truly give her the connection and love she had truly wanted. It just wasn’t meant to be.

“I’m sorry,” Anna whispered. “You’re so beautiful, but I guess I should look somewhere else for love.” She caressed the being. “You can’t hear me, but I just want you to know that… I’m glad I found you and I know you’re going to help my research so, so very much.”

But the statue indeed didn’t respond and Anna felt guilty again, that the statue was heartbroken that Anna had to end it between them. And Anna realised she couldn’t do that. She couldn’t let go of her icy love, no matter how badly she knew it couldn’t work.

“Oh damn it,” Anna swore. “I’m sorry… I won’t leave you. I… I’ll make sure you’re safe, and where we can be together for as long as I live.” She caressed the statue. “I… I love you so much… my goddess.” And then at that moment, Anna kissed the statue’s lips.

As Anna kissed the statue deeply, pouring all of her love into it, the crystal figure started to glow an eerie blue. Unbeknownst to Anna, the icy crystal that the statue was made from started to melt like liquid, forming a puddle on the floor beneath her, flowing like water.

Anna felt the watery feeling against her lips, suddenly pulling away in shock. Her eyes widened as the glowing blue fluid melted away from the statue, giving way to skin and hair. The redhead covered her mouth in shock as the runes on the statue glowed again.

With the crystal having melted, the figure stood before Anna, a seemingly human woman with long blonde, almost white hair and sparkling blue eyes. She was dressed in a flowing, sparkling white dress, seemingly made of the same crystal that she had once been entombed in.

“What… What the?” Anna spoke, lost for words.

The blonde woman looked at her hands, feeling rather confused.

“Who… Who are you?” she asked her, and then looked around in wonder and puzzlement. “Where… where am I?”

#elsanna #submission #february 2021 contest #prompt: ancient worlds

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lebromaah · 4 years

Text

“Is There a Reason Why You’re Gawking?”

Pairing: Zoe and Kayn (Zoyn)

Rating: PG/PG-13

A/N: This is a one shot I’ve had in my head for awhile, so I decided to put it into words! It’s not perfect, but I had fun writing it and I hope you enjoy it too!

The sun was setting now; its bright yellow hues grow dim with a mix of oranges and pinks. High up the plateaus that litter Ionia, wind currents weave through each of the structures’ large frames. Howls hum through the heights as the gales mix with each other, like a pack of wolves storming through its rocky edges. Sitting on top of the large formations, amber grass along the small pastures bend to and fro, as if dancing in tune to the wind’s tide.

His skin welcomes the cool air onto its sweating surface, causing a ripple of goosebumps to erect along his tiring muscles. He couldn’t tell if it was relieving, or troubling, considering the sudden change of temperature tempts his muscles to tremble.

A single quake of his bicep, a small hitch of his breath, a quick lapse of will could ruin his one-armed scale form, especially after maintaining it for two hours straight.

Training during the day was never a hobby of his. In fact, he loathed it. He could always feel his prowess for shadow magic weaken while dwelling in direct sunlight. That weakness made him sick. For the longest time, he thought the only solution was to avoid the light to remain strong.

But he was wrong. Though balance in the art of peacekeeping during war is foolish, it’s practicality in fighting and nurturing oneself was always essential. His master taught him this, despite the contempt towards such teachings. There has to be balance in all things. Where there is a light, there is a shadow.

‘The stronger and brighter a light faces you, the more grandiose and abyssal your shadow will become.’

He’s relying on this philosophy now. If he is to hone his shadow magic to a tee, he would have to learn to find his balance, even in unfavorable conditions. The young acolyte couldn’t be more proud of this new found teaching, having already written it down as a core teaching for shadow acolytes that will call him ‘Master’ some day. They will indeed become strong.

Suddenly, his ear catches wind of what sounded like chimes behind him. He curses to himself, disappointed that he couldn’t ignore her presence longer than two minutes.

His companion has been staring at him for a solid thirty minutes. He feels it; her eyes scratch the edge of his skin like tiny blades of grass on a windy day. Though he has adjusted to her now constant residence in his training, taking a drawn out stare from her made him uneasy.

Not so much because of her critical eye, as if she was judging his form; his form was perfect. But because of that eye; the one soaked in rich-purple twilight.

He now understands why Rhaast always chastises her for looking into his fiendish eye; it felt like it was boring into his very being, his very soul, even to the point where she could see the brevity of his life compared to her’s.

That eye, is the one that makes him precarious.

He is nearing the end of his training, where his muscles are at their most tested, ready to give way at any moment. He couldn’t afford anymore distractions. It’s time to say something.

“Is there a reason why you’re gawking?” He hisses between fixed and calculated breathes.

His words causes the floating girl behind him to jump, despite her advantage over gravity. Her reaction told him two things; she didn’t mean to be caught, or she didn’t mean to stare. Judging from how obvious she makes her gaping, it’s probably the latter.

“W-what are you talking about!” she blurts out clumsily as she turns herself right side up in the air. Was she looking at him… upside down?

“Nice try, Zoe,” he responds, not bothering to turn his head to verify his suspicion, “,but you make it obvious.

“Make what obvious!” Zoe exclaims, unnecessarily resonant. “The fact I wasn’t looking? Cause then, you’d be right!” She straightens herself out, placing her hands on her hips confidently, as if she thought she outsmarted him. “Sharp as always, Kayn. Very sharp.”

Kayn rolls his eyes. Usually, he would ride her case in an attempt to assert himself over her. But through trial and error, he’s learned that such a tactic doesn’t work on her naive disposition. She likes to brag, rather than try to affirm her strengths over his.

Participating in such useless banter wasn’t his usual preference, so there was no need to try to outsmart her. He knows who’s better, so he decides not to waste his breath.

He pauses before speaking up again. “Why are you still here anyway? I thought you hated waiting around while I train.”

“Well, I-I’ve never been here before,” she explains, a hint of fluster still present in her chirpy voice. “I already checked out the field of flowers down there; even tried talking to the farmers,” she sighs. “But they ran away.”

Kayn’s throat emits a short hum. “That’s no surprise. If an annoying girl came flying up to me wanting to share her non-existent message, I would run too,” He asserts with an edgy tongue.

Zoe doesn’t bother giving attention to his remark. Instead, her head perks up, causing her free flowing hair to flutter after it. “But you didn’t.”

Kayn’s arm nearly gives way in response to his heart skipping a beat. What a lousy time for her to be saying such things...

She continues before he could defend himself. “To be fair, you weren’t nice to me either. You wanted to kill me!” She cheeps with a giggle. “But I got slick moves and an endless mass of stars on my side!” She slings her right arm, and after, her left, to simulate her Paddle Star as she rambles. “Too bad.”

Kayn’s scowl only grew as she kept bragging. Not only because she was annoying him with her ranting, but because he knows there’s truth to her swagger. She was slick, quick, and unpredictable. Fighting her only spelled a humiliating defeat by her leaving him in the wilds to dream her magic-filled dreams…and the flower crown… the flower crown.

Kayn exhales, as if expelling the creeping lapse of concentration from his very being. “You lose if your magic is silenced for a split second, you know. Don’t talk like you’re invincible.”

“Oh I know; Too bad you don’t have that ability,” she sasses, smiling confidently with a thumbs up.

There’s that look again. Her eyes were wide, radiant, and colorful; as if twilight itself was nestled in her irises. That cheeky grin she flashes annoys Kayn - while also making him a little nervous.

He was aware of that feeling, bringing it up to himself in his meditations. Unfortunately, his sub-conscience has yet to reveal why that inclination rears its head when she looks at him so... boldly? What was the word?

Before he could be troubled any further, the sun finally disappears behind the hills; his training is officially over.

Zoe’s eyes light up when she sees Kayn lower himself to the ground. “Are you finally done!”

Kayn sighs as he opens and closes his human hand, relieving it of its stiffness. “Yes. Training is over.”

“Woo hoo!” Zoe shrieks as she rolls her body in the air and into his personal space. “I’ll make a portal and we ca-“

“I’m afraid not,” Kayn interrupts as he quickly places his Darken finger on her lips. Zoe cheeks puff as his gesture before she furrows her eyes at him. The way her large oracles glower at his gaze brings the most modest bit of warmth to his cheeks.

“How did I get up here?”

She blinks as Kayn softens the pressure from his finger on her lips, allowing her to speak. “You… climbed?” she answers sheepishly, as if he was asking her a trick question.

“Ok,” he smirks. “So how am I getting down?”

Zoe blinks twice as her brain processes and accesses his answer hidden in the question. Then it hit her; her body gives into gravity and her curious expression switches to one of disappointment. “You’re not… climbing… down?” Her voice trails off sheepishly.

Kayn’s finger releases her lips. His eyes never leave her pleading gaze as he loosens up his arms, then his legs, smirking as she pouts her little lip.

One of his guilty pleasures was always to deliberately tease his impatient partner. Sometimes, completely unaware of this, he goes out of his way to bedevil her just to see her little scowl. She gets her way most of the time they’re together anyway, so Kayn never sees any harm in trying her patience.

Zoe groans, her eyes not leaving his teasing stare, that is until he flexes his arms and chest during his warm up. For a split second, her eyes dart across his torso and arms before starting back to his eyes.

He catches on to her look-see. “Pervert.”

Zoe gasps, her eyes growing wide once again while her cheeks flush bright red. “NO I’M NOT!” she screeches. Kayn chuckles before starting his descent, completely unaware of how charming her blushing face is to him.

#Zoyn #Zoyn Oneshot #The-aspect-of-zaun #my writing #zoe x kayn #zoe and kayn

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pluckyredhead · 6 years

Text

Daredevil 101: Playing to the Camera, Part 1

Let’s pick up where we left off, with Daredevil was being sued by a philanthropist for property damage which Matt insists he never committed.

Now it’s time for jury selection, which means that both Matt and Daredevil have to be in court. How’s this going to work?

Foggy’s face is so good.

Griggs is in the middle of reading Foggy the riot act for Matt’s absence when:

Wait, what? How can Matt and Daredevil both be in the courtroom? Who is that in the costume? Why is the woman behind Daredevil wearing a cocktail dress?

Kate isn’t asking for Daredevil’s secret identity in that last panel, but she knows that the person standing next to her is not the person she’s been working with all this time. Substitute Daredevil assures that he’s there at the real DD’s wishes. Kate’s not satisfied:

I can’t believe that Matt either gave Kate his actual phone number or decided to bring his Daredevil burner to court. What a dingbat.

Unfortunately no one notices that of the two people in the courtroom with their phones out, one is clearly calling the other; also nothing comes of Kate basically having all the evidence she needs that Matt is Daredevil? So that’s a bummer.

Jury selection proceeds without further mishap. Some time passes, and the trial itself begins. Matt is late again. Foggy calls Daredevil to the stand:

The angle that Kate and DD (now Sub DD - just kidding, they’re all sub DDs!) have come up with is that by virtue of Daredevil being a costumed hero, there’s no way to prove that any damage committed by someone in a Daredevil costume was committed by the real Daredevil. Which seems kind of weaselly, but hey, the law is weaselly.

Suddenly, Matt bursts into the courtroom, because it’s literally the only way he knows how to lawyer:

I just. I need to transcribe this dialogue because it is the MURDOCKEST:

Matt: Your Honor, excuse my tardiness - but startling information has come to our attention that may affect the outcome of these proceedings! Judge: Mister Murdock, I am not impressed by theatrics - Matt: Your Honor, I stake my reputation on this. If, afterward, you still wish to accuse me of theatrics - with God as my witness, I will go before the New York Bar and surrender my license to practice.

MATT. OH MY GOD. Judge: “No theatrics.” Matt: *FULL ON SCARLETT O’HARA*

Anyway, the "mysterious phone call” that Matt definitely made up sent Elaine to Times Square, where she saw...Daredevil. Doing all sorts of sick flips. During the time that someone in a Daredevil costume was in the courtroom. HMMMM:

Okay, the Daredevil in court can also do sick flips. Is he the real Daredevil, or is it the one in Times Square?

Or...IS IT THIS OTHER DAREDEVIL WHO JUST BURST THROUGH THE COURTROOM WINDOWS???

Yeah, this is just some random stuntman named Terrence Hillman who showed up and claimed that he’s the real Daredevil and the Daredevil who was spotted in Times Square (he wasn’t, that was Matt), and that the still-masked Substitute Daredevil on the stand is the new Daredevil, who Terrence is training. Matt and Foggy are as confused as anyone else but willing to go with it.

Anyway, since the trial has clearly dissolved into utter nonsense, the judge throws it all out of court and Matt’s off the hook for the lawsuit. And we, the reader, finally see who this Substitute Daredevil Matt recruited is:

It was Peter! What a good buddy.

Meanwhile, Kate knows Matt pulled the Times Square + Spider-Devil stunt - even if he had nothing to do with Terrence showing up, and she’s pissed:

It hardly needs saying that Matt’s "solution” was wildly unethical, but I’ll get to that in a minute. First, there’s some loose ends that need wrapping up. Like Terrence “Daredevil” Hillman:

Matt’s basically like 1. you’re a moron, 2. you just told the world you’re Daredevil, good luck with that. (Luckily for Terrence, everyone promptly forgets his “confession” the instant this storyline is over and he doesn’t get murdered by, like, Mister Fear or someone.

But why did Griggs think Daredevil destroyed his greenhouse in the first place? Well, Matt finally manages to track down Griggs’ therapist, “Arnold Quaid”:

I’m not sure why Matt needed the Ringmaster to take his wig off to be able to smell who it was or whatever but okay.

Anyway the Ringmaster is basically just practicing fucking with people’s brains for fun and eventual profit by implanting memories via suggestion. It’s not actually illegal, so there’s nothing Matt can do but frown at him and leave.

*deflating balloon noise*

Yeah, so this is a story that starts with a great, hilarious premise - Matt Murdock must sue Daredevil! - and gets progressively more convoluted and zany, but either Gale didn’t have a solution in mind when he started the story or Editorial made him change his original plan, because this last issue smacks of “Uh...this was the best solution we could think of?” We haven’t seen the Ringmaster since the Silver Age, “implanting memories just because” is a dumb motivation, and throwing Terrence into the mix, while hilarious, goes nowhere. (Better idea: a BUNCH of Matt’s flippiest friends show up in costume to I Am Spartacus it up.)

Also, Foggy points out at the beginning of the story that Matt suing himself is fraud and Matt argues somewhat convincingly that he needs to do it anyway. I’ll allow that. But getting a friend to pose as him under oath and tricking his employee into filming him elsewhere, using outright deception to foster “reasonable doubt,” makes a complete mockery of the justice system. And though I don’t think Matt’s above making a mockery of the justice system, I feel like he’d at least angst about it a little.

Looks like Kate agrees with me:

Sadly, we never see Kate again, although it’s probably for the best for her legal career/life expectancy. (Honestly, the next plotline probably didn’t do her career any more favors than it did Matt’s or Foggy’s.)

Oh well, at least Matt always has Foggy:

1. What a pair of dorks.

2. “She’ll rationalize and get over it. Lawyers always do.” Listen to him, Matt, he’s speaking with the voice of experience.

Next up: Bendis returns, the Kingpin dies, and Daredevil is exposed. Dun dun dun!

#daredevil #daredevil 101

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responsable-pour-toujours · 6 years

Text

A different Oliver Hayden gets an apology gift from the universe.

[AU. 2.8k words. Fluff.]

Of all the places she could have gone, she can’t imagine her father will be happy about the whole doomed timeline thing.

But, she had to try. Oliver Hayden, the Man in the Hat, had given her a gift. It seemed time to return the favor --- preferably before the thing in the sea rose to unleash chaos all over again.

Signing on hadn’t been hard. She’d lied about her age, made a brief showing of her psionics, and scribbled “Sarah Gale” on an enlistment form. Bradford both was and wasn’t John, but she’d gotten used to that particular oddity in her travels.

The strangest thing was Oliver himself, free the eye patch and more often than not in pajama bottoms. It was strange to look at him and think that this was the man who would unleash so much ruin. This man looked like he was in desperate need of comfort, of a hug or a few kind words.

But no one seemed to notice.

When she’d started bringing him coffee it had been in an attempt to get him to drink something, anything, other than the alcohol. Her reaction to it wasn’t as bad as her father’s, no, but it still bothered her to see Hayden drink; it was like watching Central all over again.

Commander Hayden didn’t see her, not really. He looked at her the way he looked at everyone else, like they weren’t really there. She didn’t take any offense --- just pushed the cup into his hands.

No one commented.

In truth, she was baffled. Sure, there was always stress, and sure, everyone got caught up in their own worlds, but this was something in the extreme. Looking at Hayden should have been enough to alert his crew to the fact that something was very wrong. If Dad had been in that state, John would have noticed. Doc would have noticed. Someone would have noticed. Ignoring it was like ignoring a man standing in the middle of a room, screaming at the top of his lungs.

But they did.

“Why?” The Commander asked her when she brought him the carrots, bartered off a haven farmer in exchange for her spare pair of socks.

“Permission to speak freely, sir?”

He shrugged his assent.

“Because you look like you could use a friend.”

Neglect is a theme. She is among the youngest on Hayden’s Avenger, if not the youngest. The Commander still doesn’t see her and Bradford doesn’t seem concerned. The rest of the crew doesn’t ask questions; she still throws the best null lances and, for them, that’s enough.

To be honest, as deeply as it frustrates her on Hayden’s behalf, it works like a charm for her purposes.

Harper, Wesley, Mason, Leah: four names she’s scrawled on a piece of paper shoved into the bottom of her bag. She takes to asking about them, listening on haven grapevines for descriptions of people who might match.

She gets a match on Mason first, an artist staging his own underground gallery shows. She realizes she’s seen his work before, back in her own dimension. She’s simply never made the connection --- never had a need to, really.

The Commander at least accepts her presence. She can’t tell if she’s really welcome or not, but she’s not impinging, as far as she can tell.

Or, maybe she is. In any case, the Commander needs the impingement.

She slides into the seat next to him at the bar. “Is that water or vodka?”

“Paint thinner.”

She wrinkles her nose, and hopes he’s joking. “You should probably switch to water. You have exciting plans tonight.”

He cocks his head at her. “What?”

She nods. “There’s an art show. Very hip. Very exclusive. You’ll want to go.”

“Gale, I don’t---”

“Artist by the name of Mason Hayden.”

That gets his attention.

“I can’t go,” he insists.

“Sure you can.” She counters. “Just sneak out.”

“I’m the Commander. I can’t just ---”

“You have snuck out before, right?”

“Gale.”

“I’m just checking, sir.”

“How would I even explain it?”

“Are you planning on getting caught?”

“I’m not planning on anything.”

“Then you’ll be fine.”

And if they catch you, then maybe they’ll finally pay attention, she adds silently.

“I can’t. I---”

“I’ll go with you,” she offers. “I’m the best psi op you’ve got. You’re going on a scouting mission. Under guard. And that’s only if we get caught!”

She can see a spark of life behind his eyes. “We’ll see.”

“Aft storage, sub-level B, 1900 hours.”

“We’ll see.”

She slides off the stool, and offers him a salute. “Drink some water, Commander!”

To say she is concerned is an understatement.

“Sir, weren’t you in … the military? Don’t you have to … you know … shoot things?”

The bullet had missed the target entirely, barely clipping the plank.

She’d wanted to make sure he could defend himself. Sure, he had his own Ethereal and yeah, she’d been fairly certain of her own ability to handle whatever came their way, but a pistol was never a bad insurance policy.

She regrets that decision now.

Commander Hayden almost looks sheepish. “I bribed my way into passing my pistol proficiency test.”

She gapes at him for a moment, and then breaks into laughter. “Oh my god.”

“Are you kidding me?” She hisses. “That’s your son. And you’re not gonna go talk to him? Don’t you think he’d like to know his dad is alive? I know I would.”

Suddenly, she understands how the other Hayden must have felt that afternoon in the abandoned cul de sac.

Oliver wrings his hands.

“Commander, I swear, I mean no insubordination, but I will pick you up and carry you over, if I have to.”

“You couldn’t pick me up.”

“Oh yes, I could.”

“Gale.”

“Commander.” “Don’t even think about it.”

He sounds downright parental.

“Then, go talk to your son, and I won’t have to.”

She hadn’t accounted for this possibility.

She’d been prepared to sneak Oliver and Mason back onto the ship.

She is not prepared to sneak Oliver, Mason, and as many of Mason’s paintings back onto the ship, as Oliver and his son continue to have tears run out of their eyes every time they try to talk.

She wants to be frustrated, she really does. Exasperated, even.

But she gets it. She’d clung to her father like a little girl when she’d finally gone home, and that hadn’t been a long separation.

Well. Really, it had been, but not like the one Oliver and his children had endured.

So, Oliver and his son had clung to each other, sobbing, in the middle of a public gallery. It happens. So, they’d wrestled paintings down from the walls and run with them. It happens. So, they’re about to be caught by the Avenger’s senior staff.

It happens.

Bradford is waiting for them when they clamber onto the deck, face set in something that she thinks might be worry. She’d applaud him for at least noticing the Commander’s absence, but something tells her it might be taken too harshly.

“Bradford!” The Commander calls with more enthusiasm than she’s ever heard from him. “This is my son, Mason!”

“Gale?” Bradford asks, turning his attention to her. “Are you responsible for this?”

She sets the paintings in her arms down gently, leaning them against her legs. She offers him her best attempt at an unrepentant shrug. “In my defense, I hadn’t planned for you to find out.”

Having Mason around seems to perk the Commander up. He eats more, and drinks less. He seems more engaged with the world around him.

This has its downsides.

“Twenty?” He asks her. “Aren’t you a little young for twenty?”

“I’m just babyfaced, sir.”

She has the distinct sense Hayden doesn’t believe her.

It dawns on her that Oliver Hayden has memories of life before the war, of things from before the war, and she has the unfortunate habit of humming herself over the rainbow, as it were. Her predilection had made Gale a natural choice for a fake last name, a kind of funny joke.

She realizes she may not have been so clever after all.

Mason takes over the propaganda studio. It’s not his first choice of work, but he brings a kind of flare to propaganda like she’s never seen. With his eye for lighting and poses, and well, drama, it’s plain to see he really is his father’s son.

Something twinges in her chest at the sight of them together. She thinks of the Man in the Hat, of his sad warning: You’re one of the few who can go home. Don’t squander the apology gift the universe gave you. Not all of us are so lucky.

She couldn’t have helped him. By the time it was all said and done, it had been too late. Much, much too late. But this man, this Oliver Hayden might be different.

She has to try.

She has to pay it forward somehow.

She thinks, too, of her own father, of the fact that she’s ready to go home --- more than ready, if she’s honest. Dad and John and Jane are waiting for her. Edgar has, in all likelihood, stolen her bed. She’ll be in trouble, yes, but she’s sure Dad will understand.

She’s definitely going to be grounded, though.

She hears the Commander singing one rainy morning, and almost drops her coffee.

She’s grateful that, when it comes down to it, Dad and Oliver aren’t entirely dissimilar in how they run things behind the scenes. It’s a slight adjustment to the new system, but she manages just fine. She keeps busy, and keeps an eye on the Commander.

He drinks less, and seems a little more grounded in the world. He still doesn’t eat enough, to her great frustration. Even the bomber jacket doesn’t fully hide how frail he looks.

She hopes Mason’s lead on his sister pans out. Maybe that will finally be enough to get the Commander to put on some real pants.

“Aren’t your parents worried?”

She wonders if Oliver sees her as something more than a fleeting ghost these days.

“Well, mom’s not in the picture. Dad does what he can to push back ADVENT in his own way,” she says. Technically, it’s not a lie.

“And you’re here. On the front.”

“Oh, come on, Commander. I don’t think administrative duties really count as the front.”

Oliver doesn’t look convinced.

“Does he know you’re here?”

The question gives her pause. Every now and then, there are flashes of the man this Hayden might become. Or, maybe, what she had seen that afternoon was a flash of who the Man in the Hat had once been. She tries not to think about it too much; it gives her a headache.

“It … wasn’t really a conversation we had. But. I wouldn’t be surprised.”

They don’t find Harper and Wesley.

Wesley and Harper find them.

She watches as three of the siblings and their father reunite, a mass of limbs and hugs and happy tears. There is such relief on Oliver’s face, such joy. She sees a little of the man he might once have been, before ADVENT and before the war. He seems like he might have been happy, like he might once be again.

She isn’t prepared for the upswell of homesickness in her chest, of the empty pit it leaves her with.

She could go home. It would be easy. She’s fairly certain Oliver’s in better hands, in hands that will see and notice and do. She’s fairly certain the worst will be avoided, that he will heal. She’s not sure he will ever be whole, but he will not shatter. Not now. She could go home and hug her father and apologize, try to explain that she couldn’t let it rest, not when she could try to make it right.

But they are still down Leah, and until such time as that changes, it’s here she will remain.

A battered Transformer toy missing a leg and most of its paint sits on Harper’s bunk

Finally, she has sufficient allies. With the addition of two more of his children, Oliver seems to have accepted the idea that vodka is not a replacement for a meal.

If Harper keeps it up, soon, it might not even be a menu item.

Even with Mason’s leads, Leah is elusive.

Wesley seems unimpressed. “Of course. The one time she could be running the show, she disappears. Nice, Leah.”

“Be nice,” Oliver says, almost reflexively as if addressing a little kid.

She hides her smile behind a datapad.

Oliver is not her father, and she is not Harper, but she has to wonder if they aren’t meant to be some variation on a theme. Oliver’s crew talks about Harper the way her father’s crew talks about her; the phrase “just like her dad” gets thrown around with such frequency that it has become a superfluous observation.

She’d really like to go home.

She watches Bradford mix his messages and trip over his words, falling over the basics of human relationships like a drunk stumbling home.

She realizes belatedly that the comparison is particularly unflattering.

Oliver doesn’t seem to take it as badly now, at least. Yes, she can see the sting it inflicts on him, but Bradford’s seeming inability to perceive the blindingly obvious is somewhat easier to bear when he is surrounded by three of children, with assurances that the fourth will join them soon.

“He better figure his shit out before Leah shows up,” Harper mentions one night over dinner. “She’s not going to like this.”

“You think she’ll do something?”

Harper just laughs. “Just wait.”

They still do not have Leah, but, even so, home comes to her.

She spies the name Jack Fisher on a list of new enlistees. It notes old world military experience as a sniper, as well as a talent for psionics.

Maintaining her cover is the farthest thing from her mind when she flings herself into her father’s arms.

“I’m grounded when we get home, aren’t I?”

“Big time.”

He hugs her tight.

“I knew you weren’t twenty,” Oliver says to her over paperwork the next afternoon.

“I’m an old soul.”

“You’re eighteen.”

She shrugs. “I’m ageless.”

Oliver looks flatly unamused.

“Hey, it’s not like you fielded me.”

“I knew you couldn’t have been twenty.”

They finally track Leah down, but getting to her isn’t as easy as they’d hoped.

“I don’t want you anywhere near this,” her father says, shrugging on armor. “Not if it plays like I think it’s going to.”

“So, that’s why Oliver wouldn’t let me go the meeting.”

“You’re not missing anything,” he says. “Unless you want to see a cult, in which case, I’d advise you to re-think that decision.”

She shakes her head. “No, thank you.”

“That’s about what I thought.”

It’s tricky, but they manage. Leah Hayden is more than capable of holding her own, and more than ready to be reunited with her father. Oliver keeps Ververs distracted while the team makes their move.

The sight of the four siblings is enough to make her eyes water with happy tears, leaving her quietly grateful her own father is there to share the moment.

“I think he might be okay,” she manages.

He nods. “We’re not finished yet, though.”

“It’s Kelly’s birthday next week,” Oliver says.

He has changed so much in the time she has known him. His children have made him an entirely different person --- or, perhaps, have restored him to the person he once was.

“I thought you didn’t pay attention to things like that?”

He shrugs, and sips at his coffee, untouched by whiskey. “Everyone likes to feel remembered.”

Intellectually, she knows that, at some point, Oliver had to have been married in order to have gotten divorced. She’s heard all four of his children mention their mother, always in the present tense; obviously, she is not dead. It’s just that Sally has never considered the woman as anything beyond an idea.

The former Mrs. Hayden seems like she doesn’t quite know what to do, escorted by the team who had retrieved her, and greeted by her children and ex-husband.

Oliver hugs her all the same.

They linger through Leviathan, long enough to make sure the glue holds. They can’t stop what’s coming for him, any more than they can stop it for themselves. The thing beneath the waves will stir, and they will all be thrust back into battle.

“Do you think it’s enough?”

It’s two questions, really, and they both know it. She wants reassurance, both that this Hayden will hold and that they have all they can to lay the jagged fragments that called themselves the Oliver Hayden of their reality to rest.

Her father can’t offer it to her, not definitively at least. There is still so much that could go wrong, so many things that could shatter and break. No one knows what’s to come, not in any concrete sense. They have only their hopes, only their fears.

He nods. “I think so.”

#dad #unauthorized field trip #the man in the hat

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everlarkrealornot · 7 years

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The PANEM Initiative, Chapter 13

Emotions Count Too

Its really late for me so I’m not sure why I’m posing this now, but I hope you enjoy because I liked it

Katniss blinked several times as Mrs. Mellark’s words sunk in…boy toy? Cheating? “Mrs. Mellark, this is Gale – he’s my best friend.”

“I know who he is,” she spat. “I also know that everyone in town thinks you two have been sleeping together!”

Everyone? “Well, we’re not.” Katniss shifted uncomfortable on the bench.

“Maybe this time that stupid little Match Coordinator will do something.” Mrs. Mellark held up the phone in her right hand and snapped a picture. “Hell will freeze over before my son marries you.”

When Ryen walked into work on Tuesday, he couldn’t even get the words ‘how was’ before he started cracking up.

“How was my day off?!” Katniss snapped at him as she whipped her apron against the counter. “Fucking fantastic!” Her words were dripping with sarcasm as she glared at Ryen who was still laughing his ass off. “Your mother is psycho!”

“Oh! I know!” He said between the deep breaths he took trying to calm himself down.

“What does she think texting Peeta a picture of Gale and I sitting on a bench eating food will do?” Katniss grabbed a rag and started cleaning off the counters. “I mean, honestly! Gale is my friend – nothing else!” She threw her hands in the air and groaned. Ryen just snickered to himself and started rearranging the display case from the morning rush. “I still can’t believe that she thinks everyone in town thinks we are sleeping together!” Ryen just shrugged and continued shifting the muffins and coffee cakes. “She’s crazy, right?” She watched as he just nodded again. “Rye, she’s just crazy right? No one thinks we’re sleeping together, right?”

Ryen sighed and dropped his head. “Listen Kat,” he stood up and looked at her, “You and Gale have been close for a long time and most people around here just assumed you two were hooking up.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me! Just because two people of the opposite sex are close means they are sleeping together!?” She yelled louder that she had meant to. “Rye – ” One of their regulars walked in and they were interrupted.

“Good afternoon, Ryen!” The little old lady sang when she saw him.

“Afternoon – what can I get you?” Ryen smiled brightly at the woman.

Katniss inhaled deeply through her nose as she walked to the back to start a batch of cinnamon rolls. She probably thinks I’m a hussy too!

The rest of Katniss’s shift went quickly and by the time she was clocking out she had almost forgotten she was supposed to be mad at Ryen and the rest of their town.

“Kat, wait!” Ryen ran to the back door of the bakery and grabbed her arm before she could escape. “I just want you to know that I don’t believe my mom when she says that you are cheating on Peeta.” Katniss set her jaw and folded her arms across her chest, glaring at his hand that was still gripping her forearm. “Sorry.” He let her go, holding up both hands in mock surrender.

“Did you ever think that Gale and I were hooking up?”

“Yes,” he said without missing a beat.

“OH MY GOS – ”

“But!” His voice rose over hers. “Once I got to know you, I realized that you really did care about Peeta and that you would never cheat on him…at least not intentionally.” She scoffed at how ridiculous he sounded to her. “Sex is not the only way to cheat on a person, Katniss.”

Katniss dropped her arms as the implications of his words were starting to set in. “Rye, what…”

“Just, be careful. My brother is the type of guy who has the potential to get hurt worse by an emotional affair than a physical one.” Ryen ran back up front as the front door sounded and left Katniss standing alone at the back of the store, her head spinning with his words.

“What’s wrong?” Madge’s voice sounded tense.

“Hello to you too.” Katniss had dialed Madge as soon as she was home – she needed advice and the only ‘girlfriend’ she had was a billion miles away at college.

“Sorry, but you only call me when it’s emergency.” Katniss winced at the truth in Madge’s words. “Let’s try again….Hi! How are you?”

“I need help!” Katniss croaked out.

“Aww, there it is,” Madge said in mock surprise. “What’s going on?”

“Can someone actually have an emotional affair?”

“Of course, my dad had one with his driver.”

“Peter?! Madge, I didn’t know your dad was gay – you’re parents are still married.”

“He’s not. He and Peter just spent so much time together talking while in the car that an emotional bond was built…anyways it took my parents a year of counseling to fix things. It was really hard on my mom.” Madge sighed and went quiet. “So yeah, emotional affairs are real,” she finally finished.

“Oh,” Katniss’s voice was soft.

“Why are you asking?”

“Just something Rye said.”

“Why would he bring something like that up?”

Katniss launched into her story about Mrs. Mellark and then the conversation that Ryen and she had had before she left work that afternoon.

Madge was quiet again.

“Well??”

“Kat, I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Do you think I’m having an emotional affair with Gale?”

“My absolute, completely honest opinion?” Madge asked.

“Yes.”

“I think you and Gale have been friends for a very long time. But I think you are lying to yourself if you continue to turn a blind eye to his feelings for you. And those feelings, the ones you claim to not reciprocate, can make if very easy for you to give more of yourself to Gale than you think you are.”

Henry was going to get Peeta Friday afternoon after his shift so they would be back home by the time Katniss was getting off work. She had been beyond excited to see him but after her conversations with Ryen and Madge, she was worried. She had talked with Peeta after Mrs. Mellark had sent him the picture of her and Gale having dinner…he told her that any words from his mother’s lips were lies and he no longer believed anything she said.

But was she right?

It didn’t matter at the moment because it was Thursday morning, Henry had sent Ryen to get supplies, and the bakery was busy. Henry and Katniss seemed to be in an endless loop: get the customer their fresh baked good (or seven), wrap it, bag it, check them out. Repeat. Katniss was grateful when late morning hit and business slowed down.

“That was a busy morning.” Katniss tucked her rag into her back pocket, admiring the counters she had just cleaned.

“That’s what we like to see!” Henry smiled as he wrapped up some muffins. Katniss smiled in return and nodded her head.

“Would you like some help?” She pointed to the unwrapped pile.

“Thant would be great.” Henry handed her the plastic and she started adding to his pile of wrapped.

“Shouldn’t Rye be getting back by now?” Katniss asked, a little worried at the length of time he has been gone.

“Oh, looks like he is,” Henry said as he looked out the window.

“Took him long enough.” Katniss finished wrapping the muffin she was working with and looked out to the car that was sitting in the Mellark’s driveway. “Did he pick up a hitch hiker?” She asked jokingly, noticing the second figure in the car. Henry chuckled softly as leaned on the counter.

“Why don’t you see if he needs help bring anything in?” He nodded towards the car.

“Sure.” Katniss untied her apron and dropped it on the counter. “Be back,” she sang as she headed towards the entrance. The door had barely closed behind her when she finally realized why it had taken Rye so long to get the supplies they needed.

“Peeta!” She whispered to herself before running towards him and throwing her arms around his neck, almost knocking him over. “Peeta!” She tightened her grip on him as he spun her around.

“I missed you too.” He laughed as he set her back down. She loosened her grip on him enough to pull back and looked him in the eyes. “Hi,” he said rubbing his nose against hers.

“Hi.” She closed her eyes, resting her forehead against his, and inhaled deeply. He smelled like paint and his deodorant. “You smell wrong,” she said frowning.

“I smell wrong?” Peeta asked as he yanked his face away from hers, his brows furrowed in confusion.

“Yes. There’s no bakery smell.” She smiled before leaning in and kissing him. She felt him smile against her lips.

“Alright you two, get a room.” Ryen was still standing on the other side of the car, resting his chin on the roof, watching them intently.

Katniss stepped away from Peeta enough to turn towards Ryen and then stuck her tongue out at him.

“I’m not the Mellark that wants that.” He pushed off the car and headed over to the bakery.

“Oh, shut up!” Katniss called after him. When she turned back to Peeta she was surprised to see that a blush had spread across his cheeks. “I’m pretty sure he was trying to embarrass me…not you.” Peeta nodded and slide his hand down her arm till his fingers were linked with hers. “Big brothers,” she shrugged.

“Yeah,” Peeta laughed. He placed another quick kiss on her lips before letting her hand go and stepping around her so he could get into the back seat. He pulled out a large art portfolio and a small bag, about the size of an old school boom box. “Come on.” He closed the door and nodded toward the Bakery. She smiled and followed him back inside.

“Peeta!” Henry rushed around the counter and gathered Peeta up in a quick bear hug. “You look good!”

“Thanks dad.”

“How are things in the big city?”

“I am really enjoying – ”

“You know what Pete! That’s great!” Ryen slapped him on the back. “But dad and I have to get back to work, right dad?”

“Yes, sir!” Henry nodded his head in agreement. “Katniss why don’t you go help Peeta with his stuff –” He made a half-hearted gesture to Peeta’s portfolio and small bag, which he was clearly capable of managing – “we’ve got the afternoon covered.”

“Thanks, Dad.” Peeta smiled at his dad and shook his head a little before motioning for Katniss to follow him.

“I can’t tell if they were trying to get rid of me or not.” Katniss joked once they were outside. “Here let me get that.” She hurried around him and held the back door open.

“Yeah, subtle is never a word I will use for my family.” Peeta led the way up the stairs and to his room. He dropped his bag on his dresser and sat the portfolio on his art easel. Katniss was still standing in the doorway when he turned around. “What?”

“It’s just…I was expecting something to have changed since the last time I was in here.”

“I’ve been gone, remember?” He asked lightheartedly.

“Like I could forget.” She rolled her eyes and finally sat down on the bed. She watched Peeta out of the corner of her eye as he nervously rearranged the few small canisters of paint on the table that he had left at home. “Are you okay?”

“It’s silly, isn’t it?” He shoved his hands in his pockets as he talked. “Being nervous.”

“Nervous about what?” She asked as she kicked off her shoes and folded her feet under herself.

“Being alone with you…it’s not the first time we’ve made out.” Peeta rubbed the back of his neck, not meeting her eyes.

“Come here.” She motioned for him to come sit next to her on the bed. He moved quickly across the room and sat down. “If it’s okay, I’d really like to kiss you right now.” Peeta smiled broadly as he remembered saying those same words to her.

“Okay.” The tension in his body vanished as he leaned down and captured her lips before she could move. He spent a moment getting reacquainted with her mouth. First his sucked her upper lip between his lips, sliding his tongue along it before gently biting down. He repeated the process with her lower lip as he laced his one hand into her braid. He released her bottom lip with a ‘pop’ and ran his thumb along her chin. He kissed her again, this time pressing his tongue into her mouth, running it along her top front teeth before sweeping it across her tongue. Katniss inhaled sharply and pulled Peeta’s chest tight against hers.

He pulled his fingers out of her hair and rested both of his hands on her waist. He pushed gently on her, breaking her hold on his lips. She leaned back slowly onto the bed and tugged on his shirt when he did not immediately follow her. He smirked and braced himself above her, doing his best not to crush her ribcage. She reached up and peppered his jaw with kisses. He smiled as she ran her hands down to the bottom of his shirt and tugged it up. He briefly sat up and tugged the shirt over his head. Katniss hummed in satisfaction as she ran her fingers over his bare chest.

Slowly leaning back down, he kissed her forehead, nose, chin, and kissed his way up her jaw, quietly whispering, “I really missed you.”

#everlark #kate writes #au #arranged marriage #tpi #thg

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lunar-vape · 7 years

Text

Stoptober or Swaptober? Can switching to vaping help you quit smoking?

New Post has been published on https://www.lunar-vape.com/stoptober-swaptober-can-switching-vaping-help-quit-smoking/

Stoptober or Swaptober? Can switching to vaping help you quit smoking?

It’s that time of year again already, Stoptober is upon us once more. Intended to trigger a nationwide mass quit smoking event the point of Stoptober is to quit smoking ciggies for 28 days straight.

Statistics suggest if you can stay off tobacco for 28 days, you have a far greater chance at quitting for good. Stoptober is also a month of the media promoting ways to help smokers quit while simultaneously making them feel like deviants with leprosy.

This is my second Stoptober as a vaping non-smoker, so I don’t have to pretend not to see the anti-smoking onslaught in the media as I did in the past. HOWEVER, this year there’s something new! For the first time ever Public Health England and the National Health Service are encouraging smokers to try e-cigarettes/vaping devices as a way to help them quit successfully.

This appears to fly in the face of TPD regulations that forbid the advertisement of e-cigarettes, and any recognition of such devices as a smoking cessation aid.

Watch the promotional TV ad here:

youtube

Common sense however can only applaud the…well, the common sense behind this move. The use of e-cigarettes has helped millions of people escape slavery to cigarettes despite the best efforts of Big Tobacco and Big Pharma to choke the vaping industry in its infancy by the spreading of misinformation and alarmist reporting.

Why is vaping an effective means to quit smoking?

One of the advantages an e-cigarette has over other quitting methods is that it not only provides a dose of nicotine to stave off cravings but it also closely mimics the act of smoking. For many smokers the addiction to smoking is not simply physiological (i.e. the physical addiction to a stimulant such as nicotine) it is also psychological. The act of raising a hand to mouth and inhaling from a cigarette is as much part of the habit as the nicotine itself is. This is the reason that many official smoking cessation products do not work for a large number of people. They satisfy the body’s need for nicotine but do not adequately replicate the act of smoking. Vaping using an e-cigarette device satisfies both needs at the same time, which probably accounts for the increasing number of people who have quit smoking successfully using a modern e-cigarette device where all previous attempts at quitting failed.

Another reason for the success of vaping versus other quitting methods is that it is enjoyable! Many smokers might say that they ‘enjoy’ smoking; I said it myself many times before I quit the ciggies and having been a vaper for over a year now, it sounds crazy when I think back to it. Vaping gives you all of the satisfaction of smoking but rather than inhaling and exhaling smoke, you are inhaling and exhaling vapour. There is no combustion involved, no smoke, no tar, no carbon monoxide or any of the hundreds of chemicals produced when you light a traditional tobacco cigarette. Best of all this vapour tastes GOOD! It can be of almost any flavour you wish. E-juice is available in thousands of flavours and in varying nicotine strengths, meaning that not only do you have a lot of control over how it tastes, you also have control over how much nicotine you are absorbing.

How safe is vaping?

Numerous studies have now conclusively demonstrated that vaping is far less harmful than smoking. The figure most often quoted is that vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking. No one is claiming that vaping is good for you, or is 100% safe. However, what is known is that smoking kills, that is absolute 100% unarguable FACT. There is a lot of evidence, both scientific and anecdotal, that ex-smokers who choose to vape instead experience a marked improvement in respiratory function in comparison to when they smoked.

So you want to try an e-cigarette – where to start?

The best way to do this is to go into a vape store and ask advice. That’s what I did. I had walked past Lunar Vape every week for months and one day on impulse, I just walked in and asked if they could help me quit my smoking habit. They could…and I did, it was as simple as that.

Well, not quite – not everyone has the same expectations or needs when it comes to switching from cigarettes to e-cigarettes. A good vape store will ask you loads of questions about what you want to get out of vaping. This will help them to identify what device, tank and e-juice is going to suit your needs. A good vape store will not simply point you towards the most expensive device, the highest-powered device, or the device with the most flashing lights on it. Most people are looking to emulate the experience of smoking a cigarette.

More often than not a petite starter device with a built in USB chargeable battery, teamed with a tank with restricted airflow and e-juice with a high nicotine content (6mg and above) will be fit for this purpose. These types of AIO (all in one) devices and small compact starter devices are designed to power atomisers (tanks) that provide what is known as a mouth to lung (MTL) inhale. This is the way in which most people inhale cigarette smoke so these types of e-cig devices are perfect for someone trying to quit and are very pocket friendly…in terms of both size and price.

My experience was a little different.

The starter tanks and MTL style of vaping never worked for me and this is where the staff at Lunar Vape shine at what they do. After weeks of going back and pestering them with my whiny complaints that ‘things weren’t right’ and ‘this is nothing like smoking’ blah blah, one of the guys there let me try a sub ohm tank on a higher powered mod and everything just slipped into place and within a fortnight I was 100% cig free. Sub ohm tanks with low resistance coils that require a ton of power to heat and gale force airflow to cool things down are not ideal for new vapers.

As a new vaper if a shop tries to push these sorts of products on you the minute you walk through the door, then you have every right to be suspicious. However, low power starter devices and MTL inhales do not necessarily suit every new vaper as my own experience shows, so don’t be afraid to ask questions and try out tanks and devices if the opportunity is there to do so. Same with e-juices, try before you buy whenever possible. Finding the right type of juice is as important as finding the right device and can make that transition from cigarettes to e-cigs as painless as possible.

Is it easy to quit smoking by using e-cigarettes?

Everyone will have a different experience so the answer to this has to be yes, maybe, but not necessarily! From a personal point of view, I found it relatively easy to quit by vaping instead. E-cigarettes are not a magic bullet by any means. You still need to exercise some will power to ditch old habits completely. That first cigarette in the morning was the toughest for me but the first day that I consciously decided NOT to cheat and have a morning ciggy was my first day of being 100% smoke free.

What can I expect when I start vaping?

You might slip and have a sneaky ciggy. Stuff happens; don’t beat yourself up about it. Think about how many cigarettes you have NOT smoked rather than the few lapses you may have.

Remember why you want to quit…and think about the positive aspects of not smoking. Health benefits aside, you and your surroundings will smell better, no nicotine stained fingers, your mouth and teeth will feel cleaner, slowly but surely, your sense of taste and smell will return.

At first you might worry you are vaping too much because your device is never out of your hand. Don’t worry, this is normal too. Cigarette manufacturers have had a long time to perfect their nicotine delivery system…another reason why tobacco contains thousands of ingredients. E-liquid, on the other hand, comprises four main ingredients: vegetable glycerine, propylene glycol, flavouring, nicotine. This means that vaping is not as efficient at delivering nicotine to your system as smoking is. Therefore, at first you may find you have to vape a lot to avoid cravings. Vape as much as you need to avoid smoking. Worry about cutting down on nicotine strengths and e-cigarette usage at a later date when you are sure that you have beaten the need for tobacco once and for all.

What are the ‘side-effects’ of vaping?

There are no real adverse side effects to vaping. You may notice some changes that feel like side effects but these are caused by the act of stopping smoking, rather than because of vaping. You would experience the same issues if you were trying to quit by using nicotine patches, or even by going ‘cold turkey’.

Cough

You may find that you cough a lot at first, this is simply a sign that your lungs are no longer anaesthetised by the chemicals found in tobacco which are designed to suppress the cough reflex. Consider this – why can you inhale smoke directly from a cigarette with choking and yet if you attempted to inhale smoke from a bonfire you would cough your guts up? Yep…once the cilia in your lungs get the chance to wake up and actually do their job they will start by trying to clean up the mess you made in there…you might cough up some nasty stuff – this is very normal.

Sore mouth

Mouth issues are common in new quitters. Smoking tobacco restricts blood flow especially in the mouth. This means that some people suffer mouth ulcers, or some bleeding from the gums when they first quit as the blood vessels in the gums and mouth start to relax and repair.

Thirst and dehydration

This does seem to be a common issue among new e-cig users. The most probable reason for this is that vegetable glycerine (or VG – one of the ingredients found in e-juice) is highly hygroscopic which means it attracts water to itself, which can cause your body to feel dehydrated. Try to drink plenty of fluids, preferably water, I bet you don’t drink enough water anyway…so you will feel better for it anyway.

Seek support

People who turn to e-cigarettes to quit AND seek support from local stop smoking services, or even from other vapers, have one of the highest successful quit rates. If you don’t know anyone else who vapes and feel like you need advice or support then pop into your local vape store and just chat to people there. There are many online vaping communities teeming with people who are very happy to share their experiences and offer advice. Planet of the Vapes is such a community where the members have years of experience, and are very accepting of newcomers. Alternatively, check out the blog posts at Lunar Vape to find out more about e-cigarettes and vaping.

However you choose to take the plunge and quit smoking for good this Stoptober I wish you all the very best and urge you to stick with it, it’s worth it I promise!

If you decide to quit by using e-cigs then get yourself along to Lunar Vape and get stuck in. Talk, ask questions, find out more, and take the first steps on the road to a healthier you.

And as always…vape on!

More info:

https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/resources/campaigns/6-stoptober/overview

https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/stoptober/home#tpG4Vtdcs4fTRjrp.97

https://www.planetofthevapes.co.uk/news/politics-campaigns/2017-09-26_putting-vaping-first-for-stoptober.html

#e-cigarette #e-liquid ingredients #harm reduction #health #nicotine #politics #quit smoking #quitting smoking #Stoptober #vaping help #vaping regulation #vapour

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