#my commencement is next week and i don't know if this is the last time i'll be in school

[ttyls]

very big large feelings and emotioning... blech!

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

I'm watching too much stuff. And things are not slowing down with all the things coming in September. So I'm gonna try and keep this short. As much as that's possible given the amount of shows.

QL - Currently Watching

🇹🇭 4 Minutes [6/8] - Finally some answers. I haven't read all the theories floating around about this last episode and what it means, but I'm firmly on the side of, there is another alternative timeline, probably from when Tyme is dying at the start of the show, and also very much in agreement with everything @lurkingshan wrote here that these are just imagined do-overs and nothing will actually change in the real world. Which would be my preferred way.

🇹🇭 Addicted Heroin [2/10] - Haven't watched this weeks episode yet. My review for the first two is here.

🇹🇼 First Note of Love [4/12] - I like them a lot. And I like the pacing of this. I love the intro song. But with a second couple being introduced I think I'm gonna get frustrated having to wait a week for a 20 minute episode. I felt that way a lot during Kiseki.

🇯🇵 I Hear the Sunspot [10/12] - I am annoyed.

🇹🇭 I Saw You In My Dream [7/12] - May the boyfriend era commence. I am enjoying this one. I'm guessing we still have a bit of angst coming and I'm hoping for a good explanation for the dreams.

🇯🇵 Mitsuya Sensei no Keikakutekina Ezuke [6/7] - Just such an incredible show. This week brought the pain and I'm still unwell. As if Frito getting sick wasn't heart breaking enough, that ending left me in tears. I cannot believe we only have one episode left. I am not ready to say goodbye to the three of them.

🇹🇭 Monster Next Door [6/12] - My favourite thing about this is definitely Big. His presence on screen is great. But I'm not fully connecting yet for some reason.

🇹🇭 Peaceful Property [1/10] - It's a lot of fun. Yeah, I know it's not a bl. But it's bl adjacent so it goes here. Also in my head it's gonna be a bl no matter what. Possibly even with a gl side couple. The mind is a powerful thing.

🇯🇵Sugar Dog Life [4/10] - I love Isumi. I really liked that they didn't drag the girl storyline and it served it's purpose. Isumi is now very much aware of it's feelings. I'm looking forward to the date episode.

🇯🇵 Takara No Vidro [9/11] - Takara, my love. This boy has my whole heart. I can't believe I'll have to say goodbye to then tomorrow. I'm bracing for part pain, part happy. Please Japan don't let me down.

🇹🇭 The Loyal Pin [1/16] - I'm waiting to binge.

🇹🇼 The On1y One [4/10] - This show will hurt and I will love every second of it. I really like the look of this show and how we get those little insights into Jiang at the end of the episode. The actors are doing great and I specially love Benjamin Tsang facial expressions. I'm curious to see these two together and how their dynamic will work considering their circumstances. Also, always happy to see the revolving door of cameos Taiwan always grace us with.

🇯🇵Twilight Out of Focus - It's so beautiful. I'm enjoying that we get different couples even if sometimes it feels like we could have more time with them. I like Rei/Shion a lot, but I do miss Mao and Hisashi. 🇹🇭 The Trainee [10/12] - Just to get it out if the way, the Bamhee/Judy storyline was definitely the right call and @lurkingshan was right all along. Also the way the office came together was delightful and it's great to see Pah getting everyone together and once again being the best friend ever. Now. THE OFFICE FLIRTING!!! I was losing my mind giggling like an idiot. I love them. It's pretty obvious at this point that it's mutual and of course Ryan will need to actually be told that, but I still think Jane will wait until the internship is over before confessing or starting anything official. I can't wait to watch all the interns reaction next week. I love it here.

QL - Finished

🇯🇵 Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko! - I'm disappointed in this one. It started off so strong but by the end it lost me. I love Hiroko but I feel like they betrayed the character. And that ending with the kiss in the office was ridiculous. Actually most of the end was weird in the way that it seemed to contradict what came before. I like that they finally got together but it didn't feel as good as it could've.

🇹🇭 Century of Love - Started of great and imo fell apart by the end. I don't think it was consistent all the way through and the mythology was all over the place. Daou did an amazing job though. Also Ju is one of the greatest female characters of the year.

🇯🇵 Cosmetic Playlover - Pretty show. Final thoughts here.

🇹🇭 Knock Knock, Boys! - Probably the biggest surprise of the year for me. It's great. I like the development of both couples. Even if near the end I got a tiny bit annoyed with Peak, I really liked the conclusion of it all. Latte is a great character and the very rare slut unjudged by the narrative.

🇹🇭🇨🇳 Meet You At the Blossom - Look it's great that we got a chinese bl, but this was not it for me. Let's hope this one helps get others made though.

🇹🇭Love Sea - It was fine. I enjoyed Mut but in general I just never connected to this show. And Muk annoyed me to no end. I was so happy to see Aya again and now I just wanna forget that she was ever in this and simply remember her as Yiwa.

🇹🇭 SunsetxVibes - I don't even have words. I don't know if it was my lack of attention or if it never actually made sense but I never really got what the mythology was all about apart from inspiring a truly horrendous looking necklace. I was slogging though this one and I guess the finale was fine.

🇹🇭 This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans - The sides were great, their chemistry was on point. I really wanna see them again. The mains were my favourite thing about Pit Babe but I just didn't like them here.

🇹🇭 The Rebound - I just have to accept that MeenPing will always have bad scripts. They are pretty together but this was a mess.

Dropped

🇹🇭My Love Mix-Up!

Rose Watches OJBL

Pornographer: Spring Life | Playback | Continued Spring Life Finally finished the novelist. Final thoughts.

A LOT of stuff coming this month so if you haven't checked it out, here is the post with all announced upcoming qls for September with a couple of updates that I made today.

As usual my ask box is open. Have a wonderful week💜

[ak319]

Yan G!P Princess x fem reader

(Your name is Deniz in the story)

PART V ➺ PART IV

(YOUR POV)

"Princess here!"

"Princess Kade , here!"

"Where did you both first meet?!"

"Is our new princess in the castle?!"

"How long I’ve waited to hear these questions, to see the desperate anticipation in every man, woman, and child’s eyes about my marriage with you. The day they would be dying to know about you, about us."

That’s what she said. She released the article, just as I expected. So, I lost. I finally lost. And I would have lost no matter what.

It’s been two weeks since... I can’t even bear to say or think about what happened. But yes, two weeks, and I’m still stuck in this damn room, watching her answer questions with such delight. The lies she’s telling, as if she’s trying to craft a fairy tale. And she’s done it. She told them how she first saw me playing and was captivated by everything—my sportsmanship, my personality, my beauty. Then, when someone asked about her previous failed engagement with Juniper, she outright denied even knowing her and excused herself, slamming the car door. That means she’s coming back to the palace—probably to spend more time with me here.

I would just sit in the corner, ignoring her as best I could while she tried to talk to me. But she still remained, informing me about the commencement of the arrangement and how she had spoken to her assistant to arrange some classes for me—ranging from media etiquette to royal protocol. At first, I cursed at the mere idea of it, but when she said I wouldn’t be allowed to use my phone, I had no choice but to comply. But I’ll make sure to make those classes as miserable as possible. Let’s see how long the teachers last.

My parents went back home and will be invited back for the wedding. I video-call them daily now that I have the strength to. Ever since the incident, I had been blaming them, even though I knew it wasn’t their fault. I just needed time. Clara and Leo finally picked up my calls, but not from my phone--from the palace’s telephone. Yes, apparently, Kade ordered this too, and I had no choice since the calls from my phone are still blocked. It’s just another way of monitoring me because Kade knows Clara could help me somehow. But I also know that if I tried to ask for help, it would only create problems for Clara. So, in the end, I could only cry during the calls while she cursed Kade and her family non-stop.

The door opened after a subtle knock, one I knew all too well. Why is she even bothering to knock? It’s locked from the outside. Kade entered the room with her usual air of authority, her tall, statuesque figure clad in a form-fitting black turtleneck that highlighted her regal bearing. Her hazel eyes, sharp and observant, flickered with a mixture of contentment, control and...concern?

"Good morning, love. Hazel informed me you skipped breakfast again. You shouldn't skip meals like this. I don't want you to faint when you're walking down the aisle. I care for you, alright? For your health. And I know you definitely don't want me to force feed you." Yep. I'd rather kill myself.

"Well forgive me Your Grace, for not eating due to getting literally , kidnapped."

"I am not having this conversation again." She slumped against the couch.

"Ever thought about how I don’t want any of this either?" I watched her jaw tighten as she turned on her laptop and started working on her project, as if my words meant nothing. She always sits in this room to study, turning it into her own workspace. She even had the nerve to ‘introduce’ me to her friends on a Zoom call once, pretending everything was perfectly fine.

Ignoring my complaint entirely, she announced, "The wedding is in August, so you’ve got one month to adjust. Your classes start next Monday."

I decided to play her game and ignore her right back.

"Kade, what will happen if I kill you right now?"

"Death sentence, love." She responded nonchalantly, flashing me a quick, almost amused smile. I scoffed and leaned back into the sofa, staring out the window. "In a way, we’d be reunited," she added with an unsettling calm. God, this woman is next-level delusional.

"If you could be even a tiny bit positive about this, I might consider taking you outside."

"I’m perfectly fine here," she sighed, her eyes still glued to the screen. "Are you sure, love?"

"Yes. Very." I stood up and headed to the bathroom, seeking a brief escape from her presence. When I returned, she was still there, now on a group call with her legs propped up on the table. She gave me a quick wink before turning her attention back to her work.

I decided to use my phone while she was occupied. When she finally left, I knew she'd be back for supper and then dinner. I groaned into the pillow. The door couldn’t be locked from the inside, there was no LOCK! It was clear she’d planned this meticulously, which only made it even more stomach-turning.

As I settled in with a book, a knock at the door interrupted me, distinctly different from Kade’s.

"Can I come in?"

Who the hell--wait a minute. Is that... Princess Romana?! My future sister-in-law. NO! EW! Stop thinking that way! How did I even think of that-?!. I quickly shook off the unsettling thought and answered with a hurried "yes." I had no idea if she’d be as crazy as the rest of this family, but something in my gut told me she was different. I only knew a little about her from the media, she lived in Windsor with her own family, not here in Buckingham.

The door clicked open, and she walked in, looking just as confused as I was.

"Seriously? Whose idea was this?" Before I could even register her question, she muttered to herself, "Who am I kidding—of course it was that sister of mine." She turned to me, her expression softening. "Anyway, um, Deniz. Nice to meet you. I’m Romana, if you-"

"I know, Princess Romana... hi." Damn it, why did I interrupt her? Forget it. Why does it even matter?

"Can we have a talk, if you’re comfortable with that?" She folded her arms and gave me a polite smile, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, I felt a sense of warmth. She felt like... home. Maybe because she was the first person I’d interacted with besides Kade.

"I-y-yes." I cleared my throat , trying my best to hold back my tears.

"Thank you. Please, have a seat." I moved to the edge of the bed, facing her, still wary of her unexpected appearance.

"I'll be honest with you, okay? And don’t be scared of me. Be as open as you want to be." She paused, her gaze fixed on her folded hands in her lap. "I read the article and was shocked at first, but then I was happy and decided to call Father about this sudden news because my dear sister wasn’t picking up. Then I got a call from someone here, someone loyal to me, who filled me in on the whole-" She licked her lips, searching for the right word-"situation."

That was the final trigger for me, and I let my tears flow.

"God, I am so sorry for what they did to you. What my sister did. I just can’t wrap my head around all of this. It’s bloody diabolical." She gave me a moment to collect myself, her eyes brimming with sympathy and regret.

"Look, Deniz, the situation between Kade and me has been complicated. We started off with a strained relationship, but as we grew older, things improved significantly. We eventually became quite close. I am thoroughly aware that she has a tendency for being stubborn. My father, as you might expect, has always had a special fondness for Kade, which has influenced many of his decisions. I wish I had known about this earlier, I would have done everything I could to intervene. Though, given his position as King, it might not have made a difference."

"It’s not your fault... it was mine."

"No. Don’t blame yourself. This is what I’m trying to explain. Kade has a habit of getting what she wants, and this time she’s gone too far. I had a huge argument with her when I arrived. She shouldn’t have done any of this. But now-" She sighed, her expression heavy with regret. "The articles are out, the press is all over it, the situation has spiraled out of control. As much as it pains me to say this, the marriage is going to happen."

It felt as though my heart was being slashed once again, and all I could do was absorb her words, powerless and numb.

"I wish I could make this better for you. Right now, all I can offer is the small comfort that Kade has failed as a person, but there’s a slim chance she might be a good partner." I shook my head violently and stood up, pacing in front of the window.

"God, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. The reality is, you will have to leave this room eventually and confront the world she’s created outside. I’m not trying to manipulate you or play some sort of Stockholm syndrome game, I’m just stating the facts."

"You don’t have to keep reminding me," I snapped, frustration seeping into my voice. "She comes here every day to make sure I know just how much she’s made my life a nightmare!"

She ran a hand through her sleek black hair and nodded. "I understand. But Deniz, I’m here for you. My wife, Adelyn, is too. We’re both with you. You can call on us anytime, we’re staying here for the time being." She approached me with a somber look. "I’m like your sister, okay? You can trust me. Now, come on. Let’s go outside."

Her words sounded reassuring, so I nodded in agreement.

"Can you gimme a few minutes?"

"Of course. I’ll wait outside." She offered a comforting smile before stepping out. I sighed and wiped away my tears as I sat down to gather my emotions. I felt a bit better than before. The fact that I cried not only from my own situation but also because her presence reminded me of my family touched me deeply. She seemed genuinely honest, a stark contrast to the insufferable Kade. God, why did my stalker have to be a fucking princess? At least a normal person might have faced arrest.

(Kade's POV)

"So, you met my sister?" I was relieved to see you finally eating. It pained me to think of you outside walking with Romana and my sister-in-law as I came back from the gym, but at least you had opened up to someone here. Still, I hated it that it wasn't me.

"What did you two talk about, love?"

"Nothing. Nothing that concerns you." It should fucking concern me. But I’ll let it slide for now, I don’t want you to go silent again. I need to keep you talking. I trust Romana to some extent, but I hope she didn’t poison your mind against me. My fists clenched under the table as I thought about how Romana seemed to have it so easy. She married the love of her life without the struggles I had to endure to be with you. But then again, what kind of love is it if you didn’t have to fight for it? It was such a bittersweet feeling.

"Look, it’s not like I’m keeping you a prisoner here. You could have gone out into the gardens any time."

"Well, I don’t think the lock on my door agrees with that statement." You slammed your spoon down on your plate, your frustration evident.

"Deniz, love, that lock isn’t meant to imprison you. You’re volatile, okay? I can’t have you breaking everything in the palace like—like you did in our room."

"Oh, how marvelous," you retorted, sarcasm dripping from every word. "Are you still not over that? Must be so, so hurtful, right? Even more painful than being forced into a marriage? Tsk. God, one can never fathom the daily struggles of Princess Kade."

I couldn’t help but chortle at your biting sarcasm. "God, Deniz. You’re still the same."

"And you’re even worse," you shot back, your voice laden with exasperation

"I wonder what or who made me like this, hm~..."

"Yourself, Kade." I shook my head, catching a glimpse of Julian returning from his jog over Deniz’s shoulder.

"Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that you’re free to do whatever you want here, except vandalism. Also, I need to discuss our honeymoon trip-"

"Fuck no, Kade." I grabbed your wrist as you tried to head back inside, my frustration evident.

"No, Deniz, we are having this conversation. It’s important."

"NO! EW! How can you even suggest I go with YOU—"

"DENIZ!" I sighed in exasperation, seeing you flinch. God, this is tougher than I thought it would be. "Deniz, love, I just want you to read the schedule. Nothing more, nothing less. You can make changes if you want. I won’t say a word. I promise."

"Well, then cancel it altogether! That is what I WANT!"

"You know that’s not possible. Now please—" You swatted my hand away from your wrist and flopped back down into the chair. "Thank you. Richard." I grabbed the file from him and slid it towards you, which you snatched with your usual resentment. "Don’t ever touch me like that."

I swallowed another wave of pain and annoyance. 'No, no, no. Kade, you have to endure this. I know it’s painful, but it will get better over time. Just focus on how cute she looks reading it and how you can’t wait to take her as your wife'.

(YOUR POV)

The days began to blend into one another, thanks to the interminable classes I was subjected to. I did my best to irritate the teachers, but they remained astonishingly patient. I had never encountered such patience before. Clearly, Kade had trained them well.

Gradually, and unfortunately, I was also taken by Kade to spend time with her family. Thankfully, Romana and her wife, Adelyn, provided a calming presence, along with their adorable 4-year-old son, Idris. I knew I was, in a sense, surrendering, but what choice did I have? I was still aware, as evidenced by my panic attacks. I would never forget what Kade had done to me, no matter how loving she appeared now. I only wished she could understand that.

As my headache returned, I stumbled to the bed, desperately hoping to awaken from this nightmare the next morning. Instead, my mind replayed memories of my previous life, Kade's conversations, Romana’s reassuring words, the King's disapproving glances, and the Queen’s pitying looks. The upcoming interviews and the wedding itself loomed over me. I turned the pillow to the dry side, though it was already damp with tears.

"Just rest, Deniz. Close your eyes. It will be okay. Shhh...just call your parents first thing in the morning."

The earlier walk with Romana replayed in my mind.

"Can you get me divorced from her in the future, then?"

Romana stopped and turned to face me. "That would be possible when I become Queen. I could grant you permission. But that time seems far off, and..." She sighed. "There are other factors to consider, including Kade’s own consent."

"Fuck everything."

"Indeed." Adelyn gently patted my back in sympathy.

Part VI

(AN: Kade be like - but still loving it.)

(Meanwhile the reader)

[totesnothere04]

Day to Day Norm Pt.5

Norm x F!Quaritch!Reader

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the fanart, screenshots, or gifs used with my stories.

Warnings: Smut, fluff, and violence.

A/n: I will be posting for one of my stories on here every other week. I'm trying to keep my cool and not burn myself out again.

Pt.4 here. Part 6.

You were at a loss for words as you stared at your dad through the video call. Everyone else had cleared out of the room to allow you privacy. It was so silent you could hear a pin drop.

"Y-you want to help them keep their home?" You ask him and he nods slowly.

"I know I've been a jackass-" He starts and you scoffed.

"At your command, the oldest daughter of the Tsahík and Olo'eyktan was executed and you nearly had their future Olo'eyktan and second daughter killed too. Jackass is putting it lightly dad." You tell him and he sighs and looks away from you.

"I've been a dick head. Better?" He asks and rubs his forehead. "But how the hell am I supposed to go against the entire RDA on my own?" He asks noone in particular.

"Noone ever said you'd be alone Daddy. Everyone in the science division sort of despises what the RDA is doing here. Not to mention the Na'vi people themselves. As long as we all stick together we can make a difference." You tell him and he nods.

"I think I can handle that. While you're up in them mountains... Just make sure you don't make me a grandpa early." Your Dad moved the conversation toward a close. You chuckled along with him and he stopped laughing to stare at you for a moment. "You're the best thing to happen to me. I hope you know that. I love you sweet pea."

"I love you too Dad. I'll talk to you later?" You ask him and he nods.

"Yeah. I'll call ya when I've got the time." He says and you end the call. You sigh and sit back in your chair trying to grasp what you just talked about with your Dad. Maybe everything would be easier with him on your side.

2 Months Later

Neytiri was helping you and Jake get ready for your ceremony. As you were letting your paint dry you watched Jake make goo goo eyes at Neytiri. You started to feel a little antsy since she's promised to Tsu'tey and Jake is just a base-level hunter. It remained silent between the three of you, but the two of them continued to stare sensually into eachothers eyes. You cleared your throat and they broke their gaze. Neytiri got up and the two of you followed her out and to the open area. After completing the last step to becoming a part of the people the two of you emerged as Omatikaya. You felt pride swell in your chest as the Olo'eyktan welcomed you and Jake as part of the people. As the celebration started to commence Neytiri nudged your side and you looked at her in question.

"You remember what I told you about the Tree of Voices?" She asks and you nod. "Why don't you take Norm?" She asks and your cheeks feel as though they spontaneously caught fire.

"But isn't that associated with mating?" You ask her and she smiles.

"Yes, it is. You have been courting long enough." She says and you gape at her. She stands up and hauls you up with her pushing you toward Norm. "Go."

"But his iknimaya-" You try to argue but she huffs and crosses her arms.

"I approve. Go." She shoos you away and you tentatively make your way to him. When you sit down next to him Jake raises an eyebrow in question at your nervous behavior.

"You alright (Y/n)?" Jake asks and you nod.

"Yes. I was wondering if I could steal Norm from you?" You ask him and he looks quickly between the two of you and smirks.

"I don't mind at all. You, crazy kids, have fun." Jake says and walks away, probably in search of Neytiri.

"What's going on (Y/n)?" Norm asks and you fiddle with your fingers for a moment.

"I want to show you something." You finally spit out and Norm looks at you quizzically but gets up and follows you out anyways. Norm's avatar looked near godly in the Na'vi tweng he wore for the celebration. You started nearing your destination and Norms hand slid from yours. You turned to see what was wrong but he was staring that the trees infront of him.

"The tree of voices... It's beautiful." He says and you nod.

"Neytiri brought me here a few weeks ago and let me in on the secret of it and the rituals associated with it as well." You tell him and he looks intrigued. You grab your tswin and his breath hitches as he grabs his as well. You connect yours to the tree and he does the same. "They're like memory banks. We can upload and download memories through our tswin." You tell him and he smiles as he listens to the voices. When you disconnect from the tree he does the same.

"And what ritual are they associated with?" Norm asks and you smirk when you think about his blush.

"When someone chooses a mate they come here to mate. Unless you are the future Tsahík and Olo'eyktan then you go to the Tree of Souls." You tell him and his cheeks dust indigo.

"Does that mean you've chosen me as your mate?" He asks you and you smile.

"Yeah I have, but I want you to choose me too. If you don't that's okay. It's a big commitment." You tell him and he exhales a breathy chuckle.

"You're kidding right?" He asks as he brings his tswin back around and presents the pink nerve endings to you. You pull your tswin around as well and hold his free hand as the two of you bring them together to meet. As they meet you can feel his thoughts and feelings and you see him in a new light.

"Oel ngati kameie, Norm." You whisper breathlessly and rests his forehead against yours.

"Oel ngati kameie, (Y/n)." He responds and captures your lips with his. The kiss is gentle and loving and it felt as though no one else existed in the world, but the two of you. There's no space between the two of you as you remain intertwined. He pulls away with a quiet moan and you feel him poking you just below your belly button. You reach down and start to remove your tweng and Norm starts to do the same. He starts to lower himself to the ground while guiding you with him. You allow one leg to rest on each side of his thighs and sigh contentedly when you feel the head of his cock push against your entrance. One of his hands holds his length in place as you lower yourself onto him. His head falls back and his mouth opens to release a groan. You both still, to allow the moment to engrain in your memories forever. Him feeling you squeeze the living daylights out of him, and you feeling him stretch your gummy walls.

You lift your hips and bring them down as you start to feel the heat building up. Norm feels it too and starts meeting your ministrations halfway by thrusting up into you. He moves to kiss your neck and you lean away to give him better access. Suddenly his cock hits a part inside of you that makes you see stars and he starts abusing that spot. Hitting it over and over again to push you closer to your release. You finally cum when he delivers one final rough thrust and feel his cum spurt inside of you. You moan at the feeling of his release and he hid his moans by biting your neck.

"I'm going to have to go back you know?" He asks and you nod lazily.

"I know. I just want to lay here with you for a bit longer." You tell him and he nods while pecking your forehead.

"Do you think we could lead normal lives as a part of the people when I pass my iknimaya?" Norm asks out of the blue and you smile lovingly up at him.

"I think we would beable to. I mean Neytiri has made it very known to any possible suitor that I have a mate. I think she wants us here." You tell him and he sighs happily.

"I wouldn't mind that." He admits and his ears droop. "We should head back. I have to go back with Grace and you need to be in the village." He says and you nod.

"Alright." You say and then stand up grabbing your tweng and handing him his. Once you're both fully dressed you hold hands and make way for Hometree. Norm stops when you start to break the treeline and you look at him in question. He motions to your still-conjoined queues and you nod. You grab yours and he grabs his and you gently separate them. You resume the walk back and Norm huffs.

"What do you mean other suitors?" He asks and you chuckle.

"Some of the men in the Omatikaya took an interest in me but Neytiri was always quick to shoo them away. I'm grateful she did because I feel like tonight would've been more of a hassle than it was fun." You tell him and he nods.

"Even with all of your possible suitors you still chose me?" Norm asks and you turn to look into his eyes. They're slightly glossy, showing that what you said meant alot to him.

"Norm in my opinion there were never any other suitors. I choose you because you're brave, smart, kind, and very handsome. I love you in every definition of the word." You tell him and he pulls you into a hug.

"I love you too (Y/n)." He whispers and lets you go so you can both make your way back. Grace is just making her way to Trudy's Samson as the two of you walk up and she smirks at your connected hands.

"So I'm guessing the two of you mated?" Grace asks and you nod happily.

"Yeah. Best mate I could've asked for." Norm says as he nuzzles his nose into the side of your head. Grace chuckles and gently shoves your shoulder.

"Alright Romeo, we have to go." She says and Norm sighs and kisses you.

"I'll see you back at the shack." He says and you nod.

"Alright I'll see you there." You say and enter Hometree to go to your hammock. You almost run into Mo'at and let out a gasp because you were startled. "Tsahík... You startled me." She chuckles at your admission and gestures for you to follow her.

"You have chosen your mate well. He will make a good addition to the people." She says calmly. "But as your Tsahík I must warn you. Your destiny is unclear. I cannot see it." You stop and she stops a few feet infront of you.

"What does that mean?" You ask her and she frowns looking away.

"I do not know. Proceed with caution child." With that, Mo'at departed and you went to your hammock. When you arrived you noted that Jake and Neytiri hadn't returned to bed yet, but you shrugged it off and laid down to go to sleep. You woke up in your pod and got up and went to the small kitchen area to make you, Norm, Grace, and Jake some food. Not long after Norm's arms snaked around your waist and he set his cheek on top of your head.

"Ugh get a room!" Grace jokes as she walks by.

"We would, but there isn't another room." You joke with her and she laughs as she sits down. You finish cooking and set food infront of the two of them and sit in Norm's lap. He drapes his arm around your back and the three of you start eating.

"So where did you go to mate?" Grace asks and Norm hid his face in your arm.

"The tree of voices. Neytiri told me about it weeks ago, but I thought she was just teaching me more of their culture. Until she basically pushed me to Norm to go mate." You set your fork down and lean closer to Grace. "And oh my God Grace... The feeling that the Na'vi have when they mate is amazing. Human sex could NEVER compare."

"You're making me curious kid." Grace looked over at the time and got up taking her empty plate. "Make sure to get some decent sleep tonight kids." She goes to her bunk and lays down for a well-deserved rest. You take your and Norm's dishes and clean up. You put Jake's food in the microwave and you turned back to Norm. He sauntered over to you and cupped your cheeks as he looked down into your eyes.

"I meant what I said earlier..." He whispers and you look at him confused. "When I told you I love you. I didn't say that just because we mated as Na'vi. I said it because you are all I've ever wanted and needed and I can't picture myself with anyone else." You become bashful and try to hide your blush by looking away.

"I meant it too. I really love you, Norm. I'm so happy my dad was able to get me out here when he did." You said quietly and he smiled and captured your lips in a sweet gentle kiss. "Come on. Let's go get some sleep. You really tuckered me out babe." His cheeks flush bright red and he plants one more kiss on your lips. As you approach your bunk he pulls you in beside him in his bunk and wraps himself around you.

"Goodnight baby. I love you." He says as he tucks into you and you mirror his actions.

"Goodnight babe. I love you." You reply and allow blissful sleep to take hold.

Later Jake climbs out of his pod and wheels himself to the kitchen area and sees the note on the microwave.

Jake,

You were taking forever to get out of the link so I left your food in the microwave.

-(Y/n)

Jake sighed in relief and took the plate of food from the microwave. Beans, sausage, and a cornbread substitute that Jake had caught you talking heavy shit about on multiple occasions. Saying things along the lines of 'Meemaw would never serve this shit' or 'This tastes like the first batch I ever made... It was God awful'. Jake chuckled at the memories and ate the food made for him. As he finished and passed by Norm's bunk he notices the blanket had fallen a bit so he pulls it up to cover your shoulders. He shakes his head at how disgustingly adorable you and Norm are and moves to climb into bed.

You wake up before anyone else the next day and are sleepily staring at the coffee machine as it makes your life juice.

"You know staring at it won't make it brew faster." You hear Grace joke with you and you groan. "Ah, still not a part of the land of the living yet. I'm making breakfast."

"I'll just take some eggs. I'm not too hungry right now." You tell her and she nods. You make you and her a cup of coffee and she hands you a plate of eggs.

"So what are your plans for today?" She asks.

"Tsu'tey said he wanted to go hunting." You told her and she looked up with surprise clearly written across her features. "What?" You ask her.

"Tsu'tey doesn't accept humans. He must really like you." She says and you shrug.

"Neytiri and I hangout alot and she said something about wanting Tsu'tey to get to know me. I think she hopes that I will become as good of a friend to him as she is." You told her and she makes an impressed face. You look at the time and clean up your dishes. "Village life starts early." You quote her to herself.

"I'll let lover boy know you linked." Grace says and you go to your pod. You lay down and connect to your avatar. When you sit up neither Neytiri nor Jake are in their hammocks. You become confused since you know Jake is still asleep. You set out in search of Neytiri to see if she knew where Jake's avatar was. When you reached the communal first meal you sat in your usual spot but only Tsu'tey joins you.

"Are you ready to hunt?" He asks and you nod.

"Yes! It'll be a welcome change to hunt with someone other than Jake. He knows to be quiet while we hunt, but he flaunts his stuff all the time." You tell Tsu'tey and he gains a curious look on his face. "Like he's showing off, but honestly Neytiri isn't impressed this is how she was raised. I'm not impressed because I used to go hunting with my uncle when I was a kid." Tsu'tey looks impressed.

"So you have been hunting since you were on your world?" He asks and you nod.

"Yeah but we couldn't hunt to feed too many people. Wildlife is becoming scarce there." You admit to him. "I don't think I even want to go back."

"Why would you when you're one of the people? And you have chosen a mate, so why would either of you go back?" He asks and you contemplate his words for a moment.

"I'm not sure they'd let me stay until I die. They'd probably try to send me back when I reach the age that they consider "unuseful"." You tell him and he scrunched his nose.

"Sky demons. Wisdom in age is necessary to lead the young. It is no wonder your leaders create chaos and war." Tsu'tey says and you deflate.

"Sad thing is our leader is young, but our military leader is old. He's my dad." You tell him and he gains a sad look.

"But... He killed children and you've shown a gentle soul." Tsu'tey says and you swipe away a stray tear.

"My dad hasn't always been like this. My mother bled him for every bit of money that she could because she had me. My grandmother actually raised me since my mother was always busy. It's hard to explain because here there is no currency and the things considered normal on Earth don't even exist here." You tell him but he doubles down and invested in listening to you. "On Earth there are places where people go to get their nails done and buy expensive clothing. She was always off getting her hair done or her nails sometimes getting waxed or simply spending all the money meant to buy me life necessities. So I came out here early and this is my home now." You tell him and he seems upset.

"So she was trading your life materials for her own selfish reasons?" He asks and you nod. "A true sky demon. Your grandmother treated you fairly?" Once again you nod and he seems satisfied.

"Uh are you ready to go hunt?" You ask him and he nods. You both get up and meet his hunting party outside of Hometree. They greet you formally and you do the same for them and you all mount your pali and head off in search of your hunt. As your group makes their way through the foliage you hear the tell-tale signs of excavators. Tsu'tey hears them too and you follow the noise until you find them bulldozing the tree of voices. You climb off your pali about to run and tell them to stop, but Tsu'tey grabs your arm. He shakes his head and you watch sadly as they trample through the trees. You collapse to your knees while your tears stream down your cheeks. Peyral and Tsu'tey help you calm down enough to ride your pali back to Hometree. You start pacing as you panic over the situation.

"(Y/n) you must calm down." Ninat and Peyral try to calm you but you are still panicking.

"But my dad would've warned me if they were planning something like this. I haven't heard from him for about a week and I'm starting to worry that something happened to him." You tell them and they continue rubbing your arms in soothing circles. Jake and Neytiri run in and you run to meet them in the center. Jake tries to convince them that war isn't a good idea and finally seems to deflate. Suddenly Grace collapses and you turn to Jake in horror. He turns to Neytiri quickly and tries to explain something to her, but then he collapses as well. Everyone turns to you and you feel lightheaded and know you're being pulled back. You collapse as you feel your consciousness being pulled back, but you start to convulse instead. Mo'at and Neytiri rush over to you and you look at Mo'at with panicked eyes. She lets her hands hover over you and she finally settles on comforting you.

"My child, you must stop panicking. You must breathe." She says and you try to calm down.

"Mother, what is wrong with her?" Neytiri asks her mom.

"The Great Mother is refusing to allow her consciousness to return to her human body." Mo'at says and you still can't bring yourself to calm down and breathe.

"She still isn't calming." Neytiri says and Mo'at sighs. She pulls down your bottom lip and spreads something over your gums.

"That should help her rest." Mo'at says and as you start to fall asleep you see Tsu'tey pick you up.

When you wake up you expect to see the lid of your pod, but you find you're looking directly at the cover of your hammock. You groan as you get up and you hear a sigh from behind you. When you get up and out of your hammock a hand is gently placed on your shoulder.

"You are alright." Neytiri says and you nod still dazed and confused. She sat you down and explained everything to you and you ran a hand over your face. "You are the first to wake up."

"My head hurts." You admit and she frowns.

"My mother should beable to help. Go speak with her." Neytiri requests and you relent and go to find Mo'at. You find her speaking quietly with Eytukan and let them know you are approaching. They stop talking when you get closer and you greet them both.

"It is comforting to see you are alright." Mo'at says and you wince.

"My head hurts Tsahík." You tell her and she guides you to sit and enjoy some food and water. She allows you to sit in comfortable silence as you eat. The silence, however, is short-lived as the crowd grows loud and you follow Mo'at to investigate. Jake and Grace have woken up and everyone seems on edge. The moment Jake and Geace see you they exhale in relief and jog up to you.

"Thank God you're okay. When you wouldn't wake up Norm thought you had died!" Jake says and you shrug.

"I'm really confused and really tired." You tell him and he nods. When he moves away to address the people, Grace checks you over and nods when she's happy you're unharmed.

"A great evil is upon us!" Jake tells Eytukan. "The sky people are coming to destroy Hometree. Tell 'em they'll be here soon." Jake says and Neytiri translates.

"Are you certain of this?" Mo'at asks and Jake hesitates to answer.

"They sent me here to learn your ways so one day I could bring this message and that you will believe it." Jake admits and you wipe your eyes. Everytime you get close to a happy home someone does some stupid shit and you lose it.

"What are you saying Jake?" Neytiri asks him and you growl low in your throat. "That you knew this would happen?"

"Yes." Jake finally tells her after hesitating. "Look at first I was just following orders, and then everything changed. I fell in love. I fell in love with the forest, with the Omatikaya people... With you."

"I trusted you." Neytiri says and before it can escalate you push Jake away.

"Who?" You ask him with venom dripping from your voice and he alerts his eyes. "Who fucking sent you Sully?!" You repeat angrier.

"Y... Your dad." He finally tells you and you feel like you've been punched in the gut. All the air had been knocked from your lungs and you felt like you couldn't breathe again.

"I never should've believed him... Or you. Marines only bring bad luck." You finally say and shake your head disappointedly. "You're no different."

"But he hasn't been involved in weeks okay? He stopped asking for reports and started refusing to come to the meetings." Jake tries to defend your dad but you rear your arm back a deliver a punch to his nose.

"I never should've trained you. I shouldn't have taught you, but I did. Because Norm was so close with your brother. I wish he would've been here instead." You say with finality and you feel hands on your arms holding you back from attacking Jake further. "I have faced so many disappointments in my life, but none as great as you Jake Sully. Atleast my mother never wore a mask." The hands on your arms finally pulled you away from him and toward the Olo'eyktan and Tsahík. You allow it and discover that it was Tsu'tey that was pulling you away.

"This woman was not involved?" Tsu'tey asked Jake who immediately shook his head no.

"No, no! She would never. She hates what the humans are doing here. Even our leader knew not to involve her." Jake told Tsu'tey and Neytiri pulled you into a hug.

"Please you have to leave or you're going to die!" Jake exclaims and Eytukan looks at him with disgust.

"Bind them." He says and his warriors subdued them and the two of you started to steel your nerves.

Had your dad truly stopped destroying this planet and its people?

Taglist: @nisaoneil810, @drinking-tea-and-be-obsessed , @ducks118, @avatarlover67, @kenzi-woycehoski, @isimpforfictionalppl, @belos-simp69, @vivangothic, @dyingofcookies , @levilovely1, @perseny, @criticalroleobssedperson.

[ahordeofwasps]

15 Questions Tag

I've been tagged by the spectacular @talesofsorrowandofruin! Thanks for the tag! The purpose of the tag game is to answer 15 questions, either as your OC or as yourself. I'll do this tag for an OC from To Not Falling Off Cliffs! As I already did this tag for Tiffany, I'll do this for either Erika or Steve, as determined by dice roll.

And the dice has decided on... Steve!

But first, the no pressure tags! I'll be tagging @space-writes, @kaiusvnoir, @red-pen-ally, @sam-glade, and open tag!

Now, onto an interview with Steve!

It's Thursday at the Seventh Eye, which means only one thing: Pub Quiz Night. During quiz night, teams ruthlessly compete for the ultimate prize: some tacky t-shirts, a round of drinks on the house, and a plastic trophy.

You're part of the trivia team known as the Knowledge Sniffers. It is your first time competing in trivia night and you have won 5th place. Buzzed on both alcohol and of getting half the questions right, you've gotten the idea to interview one person from each of the teams. You jokingly said it was to "get to know the enemy" but you honestly just want to have fun and this is one way to do it.

You're now approaching the table for the Immortal Kittens team. Nearly all of its members seem to be locked in a debate on whether or not fish can fly. All except a reaper in a Hawaiian t-shirt, who instead is leaning back and listening to the conversation. You think he's happy, but it's hard to tell; reapers don't have facial expressions.

You manage to get the reaper's attention and introduce yourself, along with an overly dramatic speech about your "evil plan" complete with a maniacal laugh. This earns a chuckle from the reaper. He introduces himself as Steve and agrees to be interviewed.

You pull out your pre-prepared questions written on three different bar napkins. You commence the interview.

Are you named after anyone?

He shrugs, taking a sip of his drink. You notice his relaxed composure stiffen a little. "Nah. The man doesn't work like that."

When was the last time you cried?

He relaxes again and points to his empty eye sockets. "Never. Don't have the right equipment."

Do you have kids?

Steve laughs. "Don't have the right equipment for that either. Not allowed to adopt too. Not even baby goats."

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

He looks at you, silent for a moment. He has no lips, just a skull, but you get the distinct impression he's grinning. "What do you think?"

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

"How they're wearing their mug. 'Suppose it's 'cause I don't have one myself."

What’s your eye colour?

"The same colour as my ferrari."

Scary movies or happy endings?

He thinks for a moment. "Happy endings. Though I suppose a scary movie can have a happy ending. That'd be cool too."

Any special talents?

"Yeah, this!" Steve proceeds to do that hand trick where you pretend you're removing half your thumb from your hand. It's not very impressive and although he's not lying, you get the distinct impression he's holding something back.

Where were you born?

"I was spawned in Byzantion. I think it's called Constantinople now?"

You tell him it's now Istanbul.

"Snaps. That's why we shot in the brown last week. My bad."

What are your hobbies?

He pulls a small digital camera from his pocket. "Shooting people."

You ask him to shoot you and strike the campiest villain pose you can think of. Steve chuckles and takes your photo. "I'll bring a copy next week."

Have you any pets?

"Nah. The man doesn't allow that either."

What sports do you play/have played?

"Got in a duel once. Made a real mess with it. Not a ball at all."

How tall are you?

"Five foot five inches."

Favourite subject in school?

Steve laughs again. "Been playing court-ordered hookey. But, if the man allowed it, it'd probably be art."

Dream job?

He stiffens, but not in the same way as he did when you asked him about his name. You didn't touch a nerve exactly, but you did catch him off guard. Steve leans back and takes a sip from his drink, thinking for a moment.

"Depends on the dream," he murmurs, "In a happy dream, I'd be a photographer, an artist, or even a sculptur. But in a bad dream..." he pauses, "... a lawyer."

With that, you've reached the end of your questions. You thank him for his time and then add a quick quip about how the "Immortal Kittens will meet their match" next week followed by another evil laugh. Steve chuckles again and gives you a polite wave goodbye.

***

Here are the questions for anyone that needs it!

Are you named after anyone?

When was the last time you cried?

Do you have kids?

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

What’s your eye colour?

Scary movies or happy endings?

Any special talents?

Where were you born?

What are your hobbies?

Have you any pets?

What sports do you play/have played?

How tall are you?

Favourite subject in school?

Dream job?

[phosphophy11ite]

Neon Genesis Evangelion Ep 6 "Rei II" -> Review/analysis ^_^

this is one of my favorite episodes! i know i keep saying this... but this time it's because it's the first time we get to hear more about rei. the episode starts with ramiel attacking unit 1. the angel sends some sort of laser blast thing and it hits unit 1, putting shinji in critical condition. shinji's evacuated and sent to the hospital, and then ramiel releases a drill, and starts drilling down to the geofront. nerv estimates that it'll take 10 hours for the drill to break through the last barrier, and so they'll have to figure out something fast. the situation is looking dire.

the fact that ramiel is even doing this is interesting. this angel somehow knows something about nerv, and knows that destroying nerv will pretty much wipe out humanity's last chance of survival, if that's what the angels are about anyway. it brings to question the angels' intelligence and motives. whats it trying to do?

ramiel is a formidable angel, and has an extremely tough AT field. if AT fields represent the walls we put around ourselves for protection, you know who else has a pretty strong AT field, an AT field that it seems nobody has been able to crack.... rei ayanami, the focus of this and the previous episode.

this episode is also the first example of misato's genius. she comes up with a ballsy plan to station the evas outside of ramiel's automatic shooting range and give them a giant rifle prototype that will be powered by all of japan. her plan has a success rate of 8.7%, which is significantly higher than some of her later ideas.

in the next scene, we see shinji in the hospital recovering from his injuries. he is visited by rei, who brings him food and tells him about misato's plan. shinji's is not too excited about any of this, and asks himself why he should even bother getting in the eva again. rei tells him that if won't it's fine, because ritsuko's prepared to sync unit 1 to rei instead in case shinji does leave. shinji tells rei that she doesn't understand what's he been through this last couple weeks, which is pretty ignorant on his part. i think he knows pretty well that if anyone could understand what he's going through it would be rei, but he's just saying that because shinji finds comfort in self-pity. rei doesn't debunk his statement, but simply says 'farewell' and leaves shinji's room. because it's a translation, it's unclear if this 'farewell' is meant to be read as a final goodbye, which would hint that rei doesn't expect shinji to pilot the eva again, or if she's just saying 'see ya.'

shinji decides not to run away, but i don't think he was ever seriously considering it in this episode. he and rei meet ritsuko and misato at the mountain where they're going to be firing their rifles. ritsuko and misato explain the plan. because shinji has a higher sync rate, he'll be in charge of shooting ramiel while rei and unit 0 will protect him with a shield if the need arises. the mission will commence at midnight.

shinji and rei wait for the mission to begin, and shinji notices rei appears very calm. he asks her how she can be, and she doesn't give much of an answer. then, shinji asks why it is that rei pilots the eva.

rei says that it's her "link." shinji asks if she means her link to gendo, and rei says to everyone. the purpose of her entire life has been to pilot the eva, and she says she has nothing else. this is a deep conversation for the two of them. it's not improbable to assume that this is the first time rei has opened up this much to anyone. she's broken down her wall, just a bit, and let shinji see her true motivations. a crack in her impenetrable AT field.

the clock strikes midnight. it's time for the mission to start, and both of them are aware they could die. rei tells shinji farewell, and here it feels much more like a final goodbye, and shinji seems to see it that way as well, and he makes a concerned face after rei says this.

the two of them get in their evas and shinji prepares to shoot ramiel. just as he presses the trigger, ramiel shoots its own laser blast towards unit 1. because of some physics stuff or whatever the blasts warp once they pass by each other, causing neither blast to hit their target.

this could 10000% me reading too much into it but this shot could represent how sometimes people make efforts to connect with others, but they miss. either because the other person dodges them, or because they get miscommunicated/misinterpreted and become 'warped', like shinji's efforts to connect with rei in episode 5.

ramiel shoots again, and shinji can't immediately fire back because he has to reload the rifle. rei stands in front of him with her shield and takes ramiel's laser blast head on. shinji manages to shoot ramiel just in the nick of time, and immediately after rushes to save rei. her entry plug is extremely hot, and just like his father shinji wastes no time in opening it with his (ok not so bare this time) bare hands.

once he opens it and finds rei safe, he starts crying. rei is confused about shinji's display of emotions, and says she doesn't know how to respond in situations like this. both of them are a bit emotionally unaware and awkward, or as ritsuko elegantly put it, "all thumbs when it comes to living". shinji tells her that smiling is a good start, and rei remembers gendo smiling at her.

yay!!! connection. just as shinji has broke down ramiel's super strong AT field, he has made connection with the isolated and quiet rei. i love this episode so much!!!!

[libraryofalexianne-jia]

My first adulting rodeo maybe?

I have been a fresh graduate for a few months now — three and a half months to be exact. Maybe it's not even considered "fresh" anymore since a new batch of graduates will be having their commencement exercise in a few weeks' time. Although sue me if I still feel like I graduated just last week, what with all the things that happened to me in those three months that I didn't really get to experience "the bum life" that all newly-graduates deserve. And yet... I feel like three months is already a long time to be resting and I feel like I should have already moved on to the next stage of my life: the adulting life.

Don't get me wrong, it's not that I've been taking things for granted. Sure, I had my baking class. Add to the mix my non-stop daughter duties, especially just recently when my dad was confined to a hospital for ear surgery and I had to also do some guardian duties. But when I had the time, which I rarely did, I applied to various companies through a couple of online job portals. And when I got invited for an assessment, I take a leave from my baking class or reschedule whatever it is that I have on that coinciding day.

And the prayers. All those nights that I knelt down, praying — no, begging — for Him to give me a job. All those tears that came with the prayers. And all I am asking was simple: a job that no matter how much the salary is, as long as it could cover the tithes, my savings, the entire bills, my daily expenses e.g. my food and transportation allowances, would be okay with me. And most importantly, a job wherein I'd get to be a salt and light to those I'd be working with, a job that would bring glory to Him.

And at first, it was amazing, like I said in one of my previous posts. And I know I said that all I would do was to be patient with His plans. But a lot has happened around and within me, that is making it hard for me to keep up my efforts of being patient.

My downward ride was that my heart got settled on this one company that I applied for. The recruiter got so transparent with me, disclosing every important thing and more which, to make the long story short, really really enticed me and made me hope that I get the job. I was hoping that this is already my God-given job. I have peace in my heart, and I couldn't ask for anything else in terms of the work environment and the salary. So when I got the text message which was the harbinger of the murky days, I did not feel anything at first other than the blinding shock. I was so shocked that I was dumbfounded. I tried to feel something and be able to think of something, even to mentally acknowledge the disappointment that I know I should be feeling, but it was really nada.

Until the following day, or maybe it was the following week: I did not know because the change was really gradual. I first noticed that I was mentally whining about getting up. I felt like I have the right to, and should be staying in bed instead of doing anything. Next thing I noticed was the constant rapid heartbeat. The moment I noticed these physical signs was the only time that I realized the mental signs: that I apparently have started mentally beating myself up; I was attacking my own self-esteem for not being good enough.

As a Psychology graduate, and also as a Christian, I know that these thoughts should not have its own room in my mind. As a Psychology graduate, I know that the mental and physical "symptoms" I experienced may lead to something else. As a Christian, I know that just by fully embracing the sovereignty and the promises of God — especially the promise of Him having something great in store for each of us —I know that the God-given work I've prayed for and have been seeking will eventually come to me. That all it would take from me is my patience and perseverance. In consequence, I busied myself with my favorite past times: reading the Bible and watching tv shows. And praise God, they worked. I was back up in quite a short time, and I have enough courage to resume applying again.

And look where it got me: I finally have a work! It has a good salary, it's just a ride away, despite it being project-based. Hey, I'm not complaining about it being contractual (my mom does though) because I might take the Psychometrician Board Exam this coming October so I will need the early out to review.

This stage in my life was truly like a rodeo ride for me. I had my high points and had one of the lowest points in my life. I feel like everything happened in their due timing, yet some happened too fast and some too slow. This point in my life may be confusing and dizzying, and maybe even tiring, but in the end, I went through all of it and ended up happy and victorious. Of course, the credit is not mine but His up high, for guiding me, comforting me, and helping me out when I felt lost. Also, if it really wasn't for His promise of giving us great things - all in His time, I may already have given up a long time ago. This ride is definitely one for the books.

[paulisded]

The Ledge #597: More Replacements Tributes

Two weeks ago, I put together a show centered around seven different tribute records celebrating The Replacements. A couple of days after that episode was released I was contacted by a fan who noted that I had missed a couple of these sorts of records. After a bit of scrambing, I discovered that indeed I forgot all about some great fan-based compilatons.

Yes, that's the beauty of tonight's selections. These three records were unofficial collections of musicians that had come together via online fan boards. The first such set, Cover Me Impressed - Alt.Music.Replacements Tribute, is pretty self-explanatory collection of tunes compiled by a popular usenet group in 2002. The other two tributes, Bring Your Own Lampshade (2005) and Dead Man Fake: Bring Your Own Lampshade 2 (2009), came together through contributors on the wonderful Man Without Ties message board, and include both solo and band tracks written by Paul Westerberg. Highlighting both of those compilatons are tracks by our old friend Jeremy Porter. 

Besides a handful of recently acquired tunes, the rest of tonight's show features tracks from two fabulous new Cherry Red Records box sets, Looking For The Magic: American Power Pop In The Seventies and Into Tomorrow: The Spirit Of Mod 1983-2000. Cherry Red always excels at these types of compilations, and these two are no exception.

As for this week's "52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks", I've again opened and closed my show with entries. The show commences with a version by the veteran Irish band The Frank and Walters, and closes with UK pop-punkers Busted. 

Like I do every week, however, I must again plead with y'all for more versions of "Teenage Kicks". If you are a musician, or have any contact with artists that could record their own take on the classic, please contact me!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. The Frank And Walters - Teenage Kicks

2. Ex-Supermodels - I'm In Trouble

3. The Blahs - Shutup

4. 3 Musky Tears - Little Mascara

5. The Regulars - Nowhere Is My Home

6. Kansas City Stars - One Wink At A Time

7. Jeremy Porter - Within Your Reach

8. SwingingParty & the Pain Makers - It's a Wonderful Lie

9. Nudge - Attitude

10. big swede and the swingset pol - Somethin' To Du

11. Elliot Hilton - Down Love

12. Wolfdog - Wild and Lethal

13. Jeremy Porter - Favorite Thing

14. Michael LuBrant - My Daydream

15. Jegtar - Lookin' up in Heaven

16. John Kloberdanz - I Will Dare

17. FreeRider - Merry Go Round/Someone Take the Wheel

18. Brendan Casey - Darling One

19. The DangerMen - Chips And Gravy

20. Stupidity feat. KeithStreng - A Monkey In A Suit (Is still a monkey)

21. Graham Parker & The Goldtops - That's Life (Live)

22. Girl With A Hawk - The Romantic

23. The Dahlmanns - Dancing With Joey Ramone

24. Big Star - When My Baby's Beside Me (Alternate Mix)

25. Television - See No Evil

26. Tuff Darts - All For The Love of Rock N'Roll

27. The Last - She Don't Know Why I'm Here

28. Sneakers - Decline And Fall

29. Milk 'n Cookies - Little, Lost And Innocent

30. The Untouchables - I Spy For The F.B.I.

31. James Taylor Quartet - The Money Spyder

32. The Barracudas - Next Time Around

33. The Milkshakes - I'm Talking About You

34. Ride - How Does It Feel To Feel?

35. Busted - Teenage Kicks

[millingroundireland]

A family history database and Irish ancestry

Medieval map of Ireland, showing Irish tribes, courtesy of an article in SOTT titled "DNA shows Irish people have more complex origins than previously thought"

A family history database is the topic that Pat Richley-Erickson touched on in a recent post, talking about how to use RootsMagic desktop software, "one of two desktop computer programs that can download to your computer everything from your Ancestry Member Tree including attached photos and documents," and even had a video explaining "how to download all data and attached images from an Ancestry Member Tree to a new RootsMagic database." Pat also writes that Ancestry won't get rid of your tree, you just can't "get to the database images you’ve attached to each ancestor until you reactivate your Ancestry account." It is also noted that for " free genealogy websites, a good place to begin is with a free account at FamilySearch.org," with 70% of the digital images not yet browsable or indexed, some of which "must be viewed at your local Family History Center, owing to stipulations by the church, courthouse, archive or library that holds the original documents."

That brings us to a host of other articles. There are some about old Irish phrases, a new Cambridge History of Ireland, zebra mussels arriving in Ireland, and the effect of the Potato Famine in Ireland. One article noted that

The Irish, those born in Ireland and those who claim Irish descent, are to be found in history as well as the present on every continent, from Europe to Asia, from the Americas to Australasia.

That is true of the Mills family, which has ancestors from Ireland who settled in the U.S.!

This post was originally published on WordPress in June 2018.

Most interesting was the story of Bridget O’Donnel, a "poor famine victim from County Clare whose harrowing story appeared in The Illustrated London News on December 22, 1849." Irish Central quoted the interview in which she told this story:

“I lived,” she said, “on the lands of Gurranenatuoha. My husband held four acres and a half of land, and three acres of bog land; our yearly rent was £7 4s.; we were put out last November; he owed some rent. We got thirty stone of oats from Mr. Marcus Keane, for seed. My husband gave some writing for it: he was paid for it. He paid ten shillings for reaping the corn. As soon as it was stacked, one ‘Blake’ on the farm, who was put to watch it, took it away to his own haggard and kept it there for a fortnight by Dan Sheedey’s orders. They then thrashed it in Frank Lellis’s barn. I was at this time lying in fever. Dan Sheedey and five or six men came to tumble my house; they wanted me to give possession. I said that I would not; I had fever, and was within two months of my down-lying (confinement); they commenced knocking down the house, and had half of it knocked down when two neighbours, women, Nell Spellesley and Kate How, carried me out. I had the priest and doctor to attend me shortly after. Father Meehan anointed me. I was carried into a cabin, and lay there for eight days, when I had the creature (the child) born dead. I lay for three weeks after that. The whole of my family got the fever, and one boy thirteen years old died with want and with hunger while we were lying sick. Dan Sheedey and Blake took the corn into Kilrush, and sold it. I don’t know what they got for it. I had not a bit for my children to eat when they took it from me.”

Sadly, for our purposes, John Mills came before the famine, so all the resources about the famine don't particularly apply to the Mills family. Perhaps sites like IrelandXO can help there, but not the recent Cambridge edition, as it covers a period far too early.

That's all for today. For next time!

© 2018-2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

[ratralsis]

3. The Web

Table of Contents

"Wait, in five weeks? The middle of May?" Kevin asked around a mouthful of diced chicken and onion. He coughed, then took a drink of water to wash it down. "I graduate then. I invited you to the commencement and everything. My parents are going to be there."

"I know, I know," Marigold countered, poking at the last bit of a green pepper on her plate. She was always a faster eater than he was. Or maybe he spent too much time talking between bites. "But we wouldn't have to leave until a few days after that, right? So it should be fine. You can do both things!" She lowered her chin and looked up at him, her eyes wide in a puppy-dog stare.

"Hrm," Kevin shoveled the last of his own food into his mouth. He didn't feel much like trying to savor it any more. He stood and held out a hand, and she dutifully passed him her plate and silverware, which he took to the sink.

Marigold, he had learned since his first visit, did not cook for herself, and lived mostly on takeout and frozen meals that she heated up in her microwave. That was a travesty, as far as Kevin was concerned, and so he had taken it upon himself to come to her place at least twice a week with ingredients for them to have a home-cooked meal together. This evening, it had been a traditional Mexican stir-fry recipe that his grandmother had taught him. It was one of his favorites, but now his stomach was trying to tie itself into a knot as he contemplated Marigold's request.

"Even if you say we can do both," he said to her over his shoulder as he loaded up her dishwasher, "I was going to go home over that weekend with my parents, spend a few days visiting old friends. Not to mention that I have to focus on my job search. What if somebody asks me to start the next week?" Marigold was still pouting at him. He averted his gaze. Prolonged exposure to that was lethal to his willpower, and she knew it. If he looked at her for too long, she could get him to agree to anything.

Some distance might help him to stay strong. He walked past her to the loveseat in front of her television, settling himself into its soft, worn cushions. Marigold joined him and leaned into him, her smaller frame nestled under his raised arm. "Then you tell them that you need three weeks, what's the big deal?" she pleaded with him. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me, and it's not like I know anybody else who can do it."

He groaned. "Did you ask?" When Marigold reacted with silence, he continued. "Anybody else, I mean. Did you ask anyone before you came to me with this big of a favor?"

"Yes," she said simply. "I did."

"Who else did you ask to drive you two thousand miles and back?" he said, feeling an edge creep into his voice and trying to stop it.

"Nobody you know," she said. "It doesn't matter. I have other friends, Kevin." He turned his head and looked directly into her eyes, his annoyance at the obvious lie allowing him to endure the power of her eye contact. Her gaze flicked to one side, then to him.

"Okay, fine, yes," she admitted, lifting her hands a few inches from her thighs and letting them drop. "You were the first person I asked. Can you blame me for that? You're the one guy I know with a big enough car, and you're obsessed with working on it, so I know it can handle the trip. And, I don't know, I thought it might be fun to spend two and a half weeks together, the two of us, doing something important to me."

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "This is important to me. I wanted it to be important to you, too."

He sighed and leaned back on the sofa, pulling Marigold with him, and they sank into its many cheap cushions. He turned and put his other arm around her, hugging her. "Of course you're important to me. But this is the first step of my career, and I have to be careful of any missteps. Gaps in my resume from when I graduate to when I start my first job are going to look bad, and I have to start repaying my loans as soon as possible."

"It's three weeks! You're gonna be an accountant for the next, what, fifty years?"

"Okay, I know you think you're kidding, but that hits pretty close to home," he said. He closed his eyes and gathered his thoughts. "Look. Maybe, I don't know, I'll bring my laptop, keep sending out resumes as much as I can and checking my email when we stop somewhere at night. I can do interviews over the phone, I guess. Lots of people take some time off after graduation. Nobody I know, but probably some people do."

Marigold craned her neck to lightly brush her lips against his cheek. "Yes, exactly!" she said. "See? There's no downside. It's not like anybody's gonna ask you to start working the day after Memorial Day, right? There's gotta be a little flexibility there."

"Considering how many people graduate compared to how many entry-level jobs open up every year, not really," he said, feeling his stir-fry turn into a heavy lump in his stomach as he resigned himself to this new fate. "Still, if this really is once-in-a-lifetime for you, I'll figure something out. I can't exactly force my girlfriend into using a less reliable car to get all the way out there and back while I sit at home pretending everything's fine."

"You will not regret it, I promise," she said, and gave him another kiss. He felt himself smile automatically, and he reminded himself that he was supposed to be angry. "It's gonna be so much fun. I planned everything out. You can drive for ten hours a day if we take breaks every few hours, right?"

"Maybe?" he said, unsure himself. "I've never done it. Can't we take turns?"

Marigold stared blankly at him, the confusion on her face obvious even to him.

"Like, I can drive in the mornings. Then you can, um, drive after lunch?" He trailed off as Marigold kept staring at him.

"Kevin, I don't drive. You know that." She said it as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"What I know is that you don't have a car," he said. "Your driver's license is valid, though, right? I've seen you show ID before."

"Legally, I can drive," she said. "But I haven't done it in a few years. And I've certainly never driven a van."

"It's not that hard, especially once you're on the freeway." The look on her face made it clear to him that that wasn't the point, and his plan involving teaching her how to drive a van died before he'd had a chance to finish figuring it out.

"I don't drive," she said again. "It's not up for discussion."

"I don't get it, though. Why not?"

Letting out a weary sigh, Marigold distanced herself from him, his arms falling limply away from her. Her gaze drifted away. "It's a long story. I don't really like talking about it."

He inched closer to her, partly closing the gap she'd made between them, but he didn't try to hug her again. He felt like he towered over her even from a seated position, and he didn't want to seem intimidating. "At this point, I feel like I've known you long enough to deserve to know, don't I? You're asking me to spend, what, sixty, seventy hours driving you around without offering to help with it at all?"

She crossed her arms over her stomach and looked away from him. "Okay, fine," she said. "But you gotta keep this between us, okay?"

"Who would I even tell?"

She let out a frustrated sigh as she squeezed her eyes shut, her brow furrowed. "Humor me," she said, then looked at him again. When Kevin obediently stayed quiet for several seconds, she continued. "It was when I was seventeen. Christmas break of my Senior year. I was driving home. It was late, I was drunk, I hit some ice going way too fast and got into a really bad accident. Totaled the car. Lost my license for a while. First offense, I was a minor, it wasn't that long. But still, now I don't drive."

Marigold looked at Kevin, silently pleading for some kind of a response. "That's terrible," he finally said. "Were you okay?"

A bittersweet smile formed on her lips. "No, Kevin," she said. She shifted in her seat, bringing her legs up and under herself so that she was sitting on her knees. With a delicate movement, she lifted her shirt with her right hand to show her stomach. It was nothing he hadn't seen before. Radiating out from her navel was a black spiderweb tattoo, a solid pattern of shades and gradients that went from the bottom of her rib cage to the top of her hipbones. He'd been impressed the first time he'd seen it, but she'd never made a big deal about it. She took his right hand in her left and traced it along her skin.

"You feel that?" she asked. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to be feeling, exactly, but he was confident that he wasn't supposed to tell her that he enjoyed touching her. He nodded, instead. "I was pretty messed up in the accident. Critical condition for a while. I don't remember much of my time in the hospital, but it was pretty touch and go."

He bit his tongue. This was heavy stuff. He'd made the right choice in nodding, and continued to be silent as he processed this new information about the woman he cared for so much.

She took a long, shaky breath. "When I turned eighteen, I got this to cover up the scars. I didn't ever want to see them anymore. I wanted something that I put there on purpose. Something big enough to cover it all up. Something beautiful, that I could use to pretend it wasn't there."

"Jesus, Marigold, I had no idea," Kevin said, the words tumbling out of him. "But you're okay now, right?"

"No," she shook her head. "I told you, I'm not. Probably, if I hadn't chosen to get a tattoo, the scars would be hard to see by now. But that's only what's on the outside. The internal scars are still there." Her gaze flickered to his eyes before retreating again. "That's not a metaphor. There's a chance I'll never be able to have kids."

Kevin was at a loss for words, and the room fell silent. He wished there was music playing, at least, but all he heard was the sound of the city through the closed window. He looked down at her stomach, his fingertips still lightly brushing the scars below her navel. Scars that he hadn't known were there until a minute ago. He swallowed. "Ever?" he asked. The question hung heavily in the air.

"I don't know," she whispered.

He withdrew his hand and she lowered her shirt. "I'm sorry," he said.

She laughed once. "What are you sorry for?" she asked. "Nobody's fault but mine that I did what I did. I was a dumb kid and I did a dumb thing and now I get to carry it around with me forever."

He shook his head. "I mean I'm sorry I brought it up like this. That I forced you to tell the story. You said you didn't like to talk about it, but I insisted, and that wasn't right."

"No, you were right, you deserved to know."

"And you deserved your privacy," he interrupted. "And to tell me when you were ready, if ever. Not because you wanted me to do all of the driving to get you to a convention to sell merch and do a few live shows."

She sniffed and rubbed her nose. "So, about that." She looked into his eyes again, blinking away a few tears. "You'll do it?"

Whatever annoyance or frustration he'd been trying to conjure up earlier about the inconvenience of the favor vanished in an instant. "Yeah," he said. "I will."

Her expression lit up, and she sprung forward from her kneeling position on the sofa, hugging him again. "I love you," she said, resting her chin on his shoulder, and he wondered, not for the first time, how caught up in her spiderweb he was.

He closed his eyes and returned the hug. "Love you, too," he said, and he did.

[the-firebird69]

And I have something to announce. The a****** Trump is going to go to court and this coming week for three things and three different sessions and three different courts and one of them is that he was late I'm paying his taxes no but we're going to charge it with that. And we're going to charge him for what he's saying all the time here and make it stick some sick of him he's a f****** loser. The first court case is going to be Georgia for election fraud and the other one is the mayor of New York and I mentioned it and remembered it the lawsuit for slander a lot of people have been suing him for slander he just doesn't pay or doesn't show up for court and the judge dismisses it because he's paid off so go after those judges too I'm assigning to the whole teams to this idiot this guy has to go. There's also going to court for not paying people who won a lawsuit against them and it's out west no it's right here in town but it's not as Trump and if he doesn't go to court he's going to prison the court case was submitted this week and here he goes this week and it will commence next week and if the fact doesn't go to court you need to false loses and has to pay you don't have a court case without someone there this this rape things stupid but since he went and and they didn't know Jackson going without him but they didn't he's going to go to criminal Court that's actually the third as Trump and they are finally criminal charges on him today and he's ruined the second of those criminal charges hit the courts because they can get there he's ruined the GOP and other races will not vote for him at all and he'll be stricken from the voting records no matter what anyone does and it should be is it huge a****** and loser you sitting there thinking that I'm your buddy after all this stupid s*** that you're doing yeah moron and her son says that last sentence you due to your family too and they tell you no then you don't get it but I'm not your family I'm a grandson of the president you know the guy that beat you out of the office and you're right here in the drywall is soft and I'm very strong but resistant knife resistant you got a huge cucca out mouth little f** one of these days... My son says that too that last part you're saying it on purpose because the guy is such a huge a****** I say it like this you find you trying to get over there a hundred times a day and we sit here kill you and taking all your forces down cuz you insist on bothering him next door and what kind of leader is that huh what kind of f****** what a piece of s*** say goodbye to the presidency or is there buddy like really you have a chance to get back in anyways you don't have a chance to get back in nobody wants you in there they can't be seeing and supporting some a****** who folded covid-19 and they don't even tell you and sit there and wrecking yourself for no reason at all you're just a f****** huge douchebag I'd rather have you spend yourself than put up with you and you're a f****** moron man I mean a loser it's not easy to get all your guys that's a lot easier than most people and I mean it do stopping regular people from doing things is difficult they see you doing it and then try and counting you immediately without blabbing to everyone what's going on I mean that's hilarious and stuff but my clan was difficult to live with and to do things with you people are stupid I get away with guns and tons of stuff is not nothing to do with you except that you're easy now you're a danger to me that was our son again he said he wants to move on with what we're doing I got to respect that cuz this hassle next door make some very angry he's a he's a human piece of s*** that guy he goes off all the time saying the stupid s*** about people two people since back and says you're the one doing it I mean he is a massive massive instigator

Look we've been saying this for a year on my son and I and we never do that about anybody I don't know why Olympus is slow in this we're telling you we found it he's wrong and he's a terrorist we don't have a parallel for him anymore he's got to be out and we're not sure exactly what to say the Maximus when he was younger and they're going to keep him there they say and stupid s*** like that so we're going to have to take it up a notch if we can't get them out and we're all listening and want them out and we heard it and the sun said he is the headless horseman we have to check and see how many times the max identify him as such weather things that could indicate that's why and I believe it is why and if it is I'm in a lot of trouble and we went over it and it is why it says so he says good this is more of them and they were going after other races and you have the same problem I do and we have the same problem with that and it's going to ruin them because for what they're having them do and we are going to build up the same time but we are going to stop them from being so abusive and that cost them a lot of stuff and it doesn't naturally I'm glad we talked about this because we started that program and people who are doing that are going to pay dearly and they're going to ruin their race of Satanist and thank heavens get up in the right side of the bed

Thor Freya

Olympus

Hera