#of pitfalls attendant on it.

[soapyghostie]

Cipher from fogposting here, I have been thinking about the reader living in the slasher / dbd killer house idea!

And what I would be interested in is how chores would be distributed 😂 who does what? Do they let Bubba cook?

(not sure if this counts as request, but feel free to ignore it if you don't want to write anything about this!)

Horror House

Since there is a big group of them that live together, the slashers have a humongous house so it’s right that everyone has to pitch in (at Norman’s demand).

Jason handles the house’s exterior maintenance, ensuring the walls and gates are secure, and also takes care of the yard work. He’s actually really good at gardening if you mean by growing a never-ending supply of deadly traps and pitfalls.

Michael is in charge of plumbing, but his fixes often lead to eerie, dripping sounds, and he also handles the house’s lighting, but only installs dim, flickering bulbs that cast ominous shadows (he purposely does that to scare the shit out of Danny, Billy, and Stu). His cooking skills are limited to boiling water, but he insists on making everyone eat his infamous Michael’s Mac ‘n Cheese of Doom. 

Freddy manages the house’s electrical system, but loves to play tricks with the lighting to try and scare the others (it doesn’t work). He also helps with running the house’s music and entertainment with his razor-sharp glove-uitar (Freddy named it that). It’s just him running his glove blades over the strings of an actual guitar and it doesn’t sound that great.

Bubba cooks meals for everyone alongside Hannibal and it’s some of the most fine homemade cooking you will ever taste. He also helps Norman with the house’s cleaning. He is actually very good at doing laundry. He makes sure each piece of clothing is neatly folded and put in the right person’s pile.

Nubbins assists Bubba in the kitchen, but mostly makes ruckus and gets in the way. He does actual gardening, but is not very good at it. The plants usually die within 3-4 days and maybe a week if he’s lucky.  

ChopTop does a lot of carpentry and woodworking, but his creations end up looking sinister and unuseful. He ends up antagonizing Bubba With his creations by chasing him and waving them around in his face. He also helps Drayton with finances, but only embezzles funds to make more of those twisted projects of his.

Drayton oversees the house’s finances and handles the house’s decorating using human skulls and bones (Norman and Hannibal had to take them down because it was making some of the other residents sick to their stomachs and relieved Drayton from decorating duty). He tries to help out with gardening, but it always ends with him chasing Nubbins around with a broom, leaving the garden unattended for hours (maybe that’s why the plants die so fast). 

Thomas takes care of the house’s leatherwork and upholstery, but uses human skin, and also handles the house’s security, but only installs traps and alarms that have led to endangering some of the residents. He’s actually a pretty good cook, but prefers to let Bubba and Hannibal do the cooking so he can keep his eye out for danger. 

Bo manages any machine or car maintenance. Since the slashers have to use reusable stuff, Bo is there to make sure that everything is intact and working. He tends to be out in the huge garage-like barn in the back of the house for hours, with Amanda, always fixing something.

Vincent oversees the house’s art and decor with the help of Brahms. He’ll spend hours down in the basement (his art studio) creating pieces to hang up around the house. He also handles the music being played around the house with his radio. He finds Freddy’s attempt at making music annoying. He’ll help out with the laundry sometimes too. He treats laundry like he treats his artwork.

Lester doesn’t stick around the house; he’s out of the house early to attend his roadkill pile. However, whenever he is home, Lester will assist Norman with taxidermy and chores. He’s only tried helping cook dinner once and almost burnt the whole house down. Let’s just say he was never let back into the kitchen again.

Norman takes care of a lot of the house’s cleaning and keeps the house pretty tidy for an extremely worn down house. In his free time, he does a lot of taxidermy to put up for display around the house to give it more personality. He can cook, but no one likes house cleaning so that takes up a lot of his time. 

Hannibal is the main chief of the house. He prepares exquisite, gourmet meals. He’ll prepare separate meals for anyone who is no in favor for his special ingredient, *cough* human *cough*. He also runs therapy sessions for anyone who needs it. He’s a great listener and gives great advice. He also helps with gardening every once and awhile if he’s not busy with other things. Nubbins is trying to find Hannibal’s secret to growing a successful garden because his plants last for years. 

Amanda spends her time designing and building traps for pests and rodents that are crawling around in the house. She’ll help Bo out with his projects if he gets stuck on something because she gets tired of hearing him groan and complain. Listen, the girl needs her concentration okay? 

Billy Loomis refuses to do almost anything that requires him to be responsible: Norman was lucky enough to even get him to clean his room. However, he does like to pull pranks on the other slashers and make mischief. He may or may not have gotten his throat slit open by Michael once for it though…

Stu works with the technology and gadgets of the house. However, he only uses them to play pranks on the other residents of the house and nothing really useful. Hannibal and Norman had to provoke his technology privileges quite a few times because the others were complaining. 

Chucky only exists to insult and annoy the hell out of everyone. What is he gonna do? He’s literally a doll. Actually, he does help with organizing stuff. If he sees something misplaced or moved, he’ll put it back into its original spot. He also helps his wife Tiffany out with her fashion work. 

Tiffany handles a lot of the house’s fashion and style. She designs and creates outfits for everyone so no one has to go clothes shopping. She is also another one who is a really good cook and helps out sometimes. Her specialty is baked goods and always makes the best desserts for after dinner.

Brahms helps with decorating. He’s very picky with how the house is decorated and wants the house to be decorated with only the finest things. Most of the stuff he hangs up is Vincent’s art pieces that range from canvas art to sculptures.

Billy Lenz looks after the ‘household’ cat (it’s actually his cat) Claude. He feeds,waters, grooms, and plays with the cat. He makes sure that no one has to think twice about taking care of Claude. He likes to keep Claude with him at all times because Michael tried to kill and eat him a few times.

Pyramid Head is the guard dog of the house. He makes sure the younger slashers aren’t getting too out of hand and staying out of trouble. The slashers are really trying not to draw too much attention to themselves.

Carrie helps out with chores and does most of the laundry. She uses her powers to make the clothes spontaneously combust and move things around to dust the spaces underneath objects. 

Jennifer takes care of the house’s beauty and makeup. She critiques the other slashers on their work ethic and tightness around the house (It’s much appreciated by Norman). She’ll make sure that everything is put in its proper place and looks presentable. She does Bubba and Carrie’s makeup a lot and is your go to girl for when prom rolls around. 

Danny surprisingly is a very efficient cleaner and will get random bursts of energy that has him deep cleaning the entire house. He will disinfect the entire house in an hour and a half, insisting that Norman takes a break for the day since that’s literally all he does everyday 24/7 3/65. He also cares for the firearms and weaponry.

[bejeweledblondie]

You Don’t Send A Man To Do A Woman’s Job

Johnny “Soap” MacTavish x F! Reader

Summary: Heavily Inspired by the Fast Furious scene with Gal Gadot. While trying to figure out how to get intel on Makarov Y/N’s quick thinking & feminine ways help gain that intel much to surprise to Soap

Warnings: Sexual themes, seduction, mentions of female body parts

Being in the military definitely had it pitfalls sometimes it could mean sitting in a remote shack for days or even not having running water. But it definitely did have its perks. This was one of them. Drinking frozen Margaritas in the Bahamas Y/N, Soap, & Gaz all stood around a high top table staring at a group of Russians. They were given a tip that some of Makarov’s men were on vacation here. Soap & Gaz were bickering over what was the best way to gain intel off of them. Ghost & Captain Price were planted on the roof of the resort god forbid things went south.

“And how do you propose we do that? We can’t exactly just plant a device wherever we wanted to.” Soap replied with attitude. Gaz rolled his eyes & before he could even respond Price came over the radio.

“Oi knock it off you two!” He shouted. “Figure a plan out and let us know.” He sounded beyond frustrated & rightfully so. Y/N kept staring at them brainstorming ways she herself could be of assistance. Then she saw a very attractive blonde woman flirt with the armed guards outside of the cabana. It clearly drew attention to her & the the Russians invited her in. She plopped herself down onto one of their laps & accepted one of their drinks. A light bulb went off in her head.

“Guys.” She said trying to gain their attention. They started to bicker again & completely ignored her. “Soap? Gaz?” She tried again to no avail. “Fuck it, I’m going in Captain. Just make sure you’re recording their conversations.” She said into her hidden ear piece & whipped off her leopard coverup to reveal a cheeky red bikini. As she started to walk away both Soap & Gaz stopped talking.

“Steamin’ Jesus.” Soap said. Ghost & Price both chucked at the expense of his reaction. Everyone knew Soap had a thing for you it was so incredibly painfully obvious to everyone except you. He couldn’t help but admire the way your bikini bottoms hugged your ass or the fact your toned legs stretched on for miles. He licked his lips at the sight.

As she walked towards the cabana she gained some unwanted attention from men scattered all over the pool, but it didn’t phase her. She was on a mission & was determined. Once she made it to the cabana she started to flirt with the armed guards. With her breasts pushed up in her bikini top & her famous smile she had gained the attention of one of the Russians.

“It’s fine Ivan, let the beautiful American woman in.” One of the men said. “Come sit.” He beckoned her to come in & sit down. She sat on the arm of his chair & he immediately grabbed a handful of her ass. Then he said made a remark to his friend in Russian about how good your ass felt. To his knowledge you had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. But after being part of the US Army’s psychological warfare division Russian was one of five language you knew.

Back at the high top, Soap was ready to fight the man who grabbed you. Gaz almost had to physically restrain him.

“Think of the mission, Soap.” He reminded him. Soap grumbled to himself & started to mope into his drink. Over the next hour she had gained some of the most important intel about weapons, imports, exports, hell the whole operation. Soon the Russians started to get up to excuse themselves for dinner.

The man she had been sitting with, whom she come to know as Andrei invited her to dinner. She accepted even though she wouldn’t be attending. A small piece of her felt bad for lying. But she quickly reminded herself these men were war criminals. They profited off of the murder of children, women, & families. Once all of them were gone she walked back over to the high top where Soap & Gaz were.

Soap took the time to take in the sight of her walking towards them. Her breasts bouncing with each step, & the way her hips swayed. He was undressing her with his eyes & imagined her without that damn red bikini. Once she reached the table she put the cover up back on covering her body.

“So how much intel did you gain?” Gaz asked.

“More then we needed.” She replied.

“I have to ask, how on the Earth did you accomplish that?” Soap asked. She turned to him & smirked.

“It’s easy MacTavish, you don’t send a man to do a woman’s job.” She replied.

[theineffablesociety]

I'd like to plan a Good Omens meetup for Saturday October 19th, 2024. Poll below!

Edit: If you're looking for the Discord link, please message me!

We're currently looking at a hotel in Langhorne, PA that has a good bit of space. Just need to see about availability and cost.

For our immunocompromised and vulnerable fellow fans who plan to attend, we're going to include a masking policy in our event spaces and hallway/foyer outside those rooms. We'll have extras available.

All ages welcome; under 18 must attend with a guardian.

-

Start original message:

The Ineffable Society Meetup is a thought that's brewed in my brain since June 2023 when a bunch of local GO fans chanced to meet for the first time at the King of Prussia PA screening of series 2 episode 1 and 2.

It is time to stop brewing and let others contribute.

Here's my initial thoughts:

I'm willing to organize but not alone. We'll need to work together.

I live near Philadelphia, PA so this is the area I'm willing to do what needs doing primarily in Eastern PA, Central NJ, surrounding areas therein.

I'd want everyone attending to be 18 or older, please. I encourage those 17 and under to organize something together!

Taking suggestions for type of venues to host, think like a family reunion or larger.

I'm not interested in handling money, so would seek at least 2 people to oversee financials if that comes into play. (Finances might be needed to cover renting a space, any printed materials, little swag gifts.)

As mentioned, Saturday October 19th. Because it's close to the Earth's Birthday. :3

Afternoon through evening could be good. Maybe a 3 hour window on the small end; most of the day on the larger end. Will depend on location and on how many helpers step up.

Good Omens related fun: encouraging cosplay, script book readings, discussions, games, swaps. Maybe screening an episode together (there's copyright law to contend with here though). Depending on how much time we have together and space. Simplest plan would be an informal Good Omens afternoon mixer type.

If fewer than 12 people are interested:

We could just meetup at a restaurant that has a function room! (Not super ideal for allergies, as there's probably nowhere that's good for everyone. But does it in a pinch. And would probably not be a big up-front cost. Often there's a small room fee and then the assumption everyone will eat.)

If more than 12 up to 40 people are interested:

We might consider renting some conference rooms at a small hotel. (That does make it easier for people to find accommodations: already there! At a hotel! Downside is this will require chipping in.)

Any more than 40 people and uhhh... We'll figure it out.

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW FROM YOU

There will be more questions to follow, but most important one is below.

Please answer YES if you are:

A Good Omens fan

18 or older

In the Eastern PA to Central NJ area

Or are otherwise willing, able, and interested to go there

For transparency. A little about me:

I'm North (SeedsOfWinter). They/he.

Over the past two and a half decades, I've organized or been a member of organizations that planned meetups, game nights, reunions, and nerd events for friends and strangers alike.

I've been a Good Omens fan since June 2019. I run @rareomens. I am a mod for @ineffableeraszine and @bildadzine. I was a mod for the Our Side Zines, Pin Me Up 2, and many more. I was a founding admin for the LGBTQIA+ Fans of Good Omens groups.

I've been part of convention presentations for Good Omens at The Ineffable Con (virtual) and DragonCon (in-person, Atlanta GA). I love to organize fan photoshoots and meetups.

I know that any attempt at gathering people requires a team to make it happen; and that there's pitfalls and perils to all of it, especially when you're dealing with a bunch of possible strangers meeting for the first time! But the end result (you all getting a chance to connect together as fans) is feeling pretty worth it.

[starryalpacasstuff]

Indian BL? FROM 2017????

There's an Indian BL from 2017 that I just watched. And I have incoherent thoughts

Before I continue, massive thanks to my bestie @anixknowsnothin for telling me about this show and proofreading the post for me. You don't even watch bl so I have no idea how you found this, but I'm incredibly grateful nonetheless

Here's the link to where I watched the show from, there's a glitch in the first episode subs where the subs seem to be from another show entirely, but it's only for the first ep and about 50% of the dialogue is in English anyways, so it shouldn't be hard to follow.(My ask box is also always open if there's a specific dialogue/scene in Hindi that you want the translation of)

Edit: The link seems to be region locked, so to watch it you can use a vpn and set your region to India, otherwise the episodes are available on youtube, albeit without subs

Note:- this post is going to have a few mild spoilers throughout, but I'll flag major spoilers in red

It's no secret that India is fairly behind when it comes to queer love shows if we compare it to other Asian countries. While it has a handful of great queer shows and movies, it's still quite a small quantity. Additionally, before this, I'd never watched an Indian show that felt like I was watching a bl (if you have recs, please send them my way!!). I'm not going to get into the technicalities of what feels like a bl and doesn't, because honestly, I'm not completely sure myself. For now, I'm just going based off of vibes and feelings, and this show felt like a bl through and through.

Titled 'Romil and Jugal' after its main characters, the story is a modern, desi, bl remake of the classic story...

Romeo and Juliet

Well, Bad Buddy was the first Thai bl I ever watched, so Romil and Jugal being the first Indian BL I watched just feels right, no?

I didn't actually know that the story was based off of Romeo and Juliet till the second episode, because I didn't bother looking for a synopsis, and jumped right in. However, it's links to Romeo and Juliet quickly became apparent, around the same time I started to see similarities between this show and Bad Buddy. I also did not know that this show came out in 2017 before I googled it, having already watched the entire thing, which was a pretty huge shock, because this BL is progressive by 2024 India standards.

Alright, enough of my rambling. Here's a synopsis of the show in case you haven't heard of it. (I couldn't find an official one, so I did my best to write a spoiler free synopsis)

Ramya happens to start talking to a slightly older woman at an airport, who believes that there is no romance in the younger generation. To prove her wrong, Ramya decides to tell the older woman her brother's love story. The story from the past is shown to us as Ramya narrates it to the woman in the present. Jugal is a closeted 19-year-old who lives with his parents. One day, a family moves into the house next door, and Jugal immediately falls for the son, Romil. The two of them attend the same college, and eventually become friends. The two of them eventually get together, but have to face the challenges of a homophobic society and having parents that hate each other.

I was a little skeptical of the show going in, but the show surpassed all of my expectations in the best way possible. It's no masterpiece, and it has its flaws, but it was far better than what I expected. It had both comical elements and darker themes, and it did not shy away from exploring the darker themes at all. Oh, and it has a few musical numbers. What did you expect? This is India after all.

The show is 10 episodes long, with 20 minutes per episode, and so it does unfortunately fall into some of the pitfalls that shorter shows tend to fall into, namely underdeveloped relationships and rushed endings. I did end up feeling a little bit like it didn't make sense for the pair to sacrifice and suffer as much as they did because they hadn't known each other for very long, and I felt like they should have been given more time to fall in love with each other. But it also could be argued that the show stays true to the play, and Romil and Jugal are dumb teenagers who make mistakes and stick with each other through them. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it.

One thing that I loved the show for was that it showed us that the relationship is not all sunshine and rainbows. They argue, they break up, they get back together, and they do argue even after that. But every time, they eventually work through the issue and reconcile. The show even depicts Romil dealing with internalized homophobia and struggling to reconcile with the fact that he will never be who his family wants him to be. Although I do wish they'd have had more time to explore this, I'd say it was decently depicted and handled. The show really delves into how children are forced to uphold their family's wishes and are constantly put under pressure to make them proud. Although it clearly affects both of them, it's more obvious with Romil, who is expected by his family to date and marry the daughter of his father's boss, whom they think he is dating. There's a metaphor along this theme too, where Romil pretends to like the mango shake that his mom has been making for him since he was a kid, even though he hates it, and when he tries to tell her, he has to act like it was a joke to spare her feelings. The show also goes into the communal mindset of basing your actions off "what will people think?", and you can see how a lot of the characters' actions throughout the show are haunted by this question. Some of Romil and Jugal's earlier disagreements are due to this very mindset.

The show also very candidly depicts the extreme homophobia of society in India. Romil and Jugal had to constantly hide who they were, always having to keep up a mask and I felt that reach somewhere deep inside me. When the pair come out, the show really shows how ugly homophobia can be in India. Their parents immediately disown them. They're mocked in college and wrongfully suspended for a fight that was provoked by other students. Very, very few people stand with them, and the pair very quickly realize that now that they are out, they simply cannot live in the city anymore. So with the help of Jugal's best friend and her mother, they flee to Mumbai, where they get jobs and live as paying guests with a friend of the aforementioned mother. But, even in Mumbai, the masks stay up. They have to act like cousins, for fear of being persecuted. The series depicted the worst-case scenario that so many of us live in fear of, so watching it was something of a cathartic experience for me.

Another thing that the show did quite well is showing how different people and their mindsets can be. Jugal's best friend, Ahalya, and her mom are very supportive, and they help the pair out quite a bit. Ahalya's mother provided a safe house for the pair and helped them find a fresh start. Meanwhile, Romil and Jugal's parents are incredibly homophobic. There was a scene that really stuck with me, (mild spoiler ahead, skip to the last sentence of the paragraph) where Ahalya's mother came across Jugal's mother, who prided herself on being educated and well-read, searching up how to cure homosexuality. Ahalya's mother then tells her off for calling herself educated yet believing that homosexuality is an illness. It is so important to me that the show depicted both the violent homophobia that permeates Indian society and the surprising, warm acceptance that one can find.

One final thing that I loved about this show so, so much is just how authentically Indian it feels. Asian cultures share a lot in common, but they also have their differences, so seeing a show where I can imagine encountering the characters in real life is really amazing. Rather than something big, it was little things sprinkled throughout the story that warmed my heart. The story felt like something I could hear the local aunties gossiping about. The way it depicts queerness in India hits incredibly close to home.

One thing I've learned watching Asian bls is that the ending of a show can make it or break it, but with this one, I'm stuck. The best way I can describe the ending is absolutely insane and incredibly Bollywood.

I believe this show was supposed to get a second season because the last two minutes of the show leave us with a massive cliffhanger. Now, it's been 7 years, so a second season is unlikely, so I'm simply pretending that the last two minutes of the show never happened. But the ending has so much more to it than just this (Major spoilers for the ending up ahead. I mean it when I say major, this is like going into Bad Buddy knowing that they're going to trick their parents in the end).

About halfway through the show, I remembered what play it was based upon and realized that there was a very real possibility that Romil and Jugal would die. The first half of the last episode leads up to this, telling us that they died when reconciling after an argument in the middle of the road when they were hit by a truck. We get a super emotional scene (yes, I cried) where the two families somewhat reconcile in their grief as they go to the police station to identify the bodies. Except... they're not dead, which is revealed when Romil's father hugs Romil's (not) dead body. They reveal that they planned this to show their family that they still loved their sons. I did say it was like PatPran tricking their parents in the end, didn't I? So the families reunite, Romil and Jugal get jobs in New Zealand and get married, and return to India for a wedding celebration (yes, I cried. again). The ending does feel slightly rushed, but if I'm being honest, it wasn't as terrible as it could have been. Believing that your child is dead for a bit is a somewhat justifiable reason for a sudden change of heart. There's a part where Romil and Jugal tell their parents that if they choose acceptance, they can reconcile, but if they choose to remain prejudiced, Romil and Jugal can simply get back on the stretchers, because they'll be as good as dead to their families anyways and it is *chef's kiss*.

All in all, the show was surprisingly heartfelt and poignant. It had me laughing, kicking my feet and even crying. There's a lot more about this show that I could talk about, but I'm going to stop here for now, and I'll try to write more on it later. This show really does deserve more recognition than it has, and I'm almost mad at myself for not knowing about it before. Am I being really biased when talking about this show? Absolutely. But I do think that this show is a worthwhile watch, and I'd really like to see what other people on here think of the show, especially because I'm aware that I am biased towards this show.

I'm tagging a few people who I know might be interested/have some thoughts about the show because this is a show that I really want to hear other people's opinions on and have conversations about, so I hope you guys don't mind!

@waitmyturtles @lurkingshan @bengiyo @neuroticbookworm

[ad-hawkeye]

wow yeah, that newest artem ssr was definitely a return to form. it really felt like an older artem card, and it also averted like. several of the pitfalls of the newer cards.

artem wasn't just tossed a new skill, the first card art was mc's imagination. even the reality of the story just had artem as a random awkward customer.

there was an actual story with plot points that built on top of each other. one that actually made sense to the characters, their pasts (attending the same uni), and their personalities.

additionally, the "reveal" from the story ties into their older theme of the red string of fate. fate kept drawing them together, but it was up to them to act on it.

artem was in character! i cannot express this enough!! he's obviously comfortable in their relationship, but not at the cost of his characterization. he's still artem. a relationship wouldn't warp him into someone entirely different. i don't know why year three fumbled this concept so bad, but i'm thrilled to see it fixed in year four.

rosa had personality!! she joked around, reacted to plot points like a normal person, and was the catalyst for the majority of the plot.

they had cute interactions! they teased each other! artem is fascinated by rosa's nail polish and SUCKS at applying it for her at first! i didn't feel like i was reading a phone book with this card, and honestly? a major improvement over the previous ssrs.

no shoehorned fanservice! they just told a story from start to finish without having to fall back on the most abrupt, awkward, and convoluted fanservice.

i wouldn't even rank this card in my top five artem cards, but holy shit the experience of reading a classic feeling artem ssr is UNREAL. it makes me so excited for the upcoming ssrs i haven't managed to find a translation for.

[filmnoirsbian]

I think it really sucks that people let the pitfalls of capitalism take away from one of the great joys which is human interaction. When I worked retail/register jobs, chatting with customers was something I actively looked forward to and enjoyed. I still enjoy chatting with workers (who are receptive to it) as a customer. As a flight attendant now (which is also a customer service job), I still love talking to passengers about weather, travels, life, etc. I see a lot of people talk about how they hate being a customer because they "hate doing that to them," and I know at some level it might be a joke but I also know people who genuinely feel guilt for going to non-self checkout lines, which among other things is not really a healthy or sustainable mindset since at some point you are almost 100% guaranteed to be a customer. You might as well put your energy towards trying to be the kind of customer that brightens their day, instead of feeling unnecessarily guilty for being a human forced to exist in society.

[aineryeo]

Lookism, South Korea — 갱단의 삶. » "The Gangster Life"

J-High School, Central Seoul. In South Korea, offer more than your soul.

Main Masterlist ; The Macrocosm

Warnings: Heavy Spoilers, Violence, NSFW.

*Most of these are going to be short, either one-shots or very few chapters because I still prioritize Marry Me First above all else but I'd like to work on other things every other time too. :-)

௹ Jake Kim (No. 1 Boss of Big Deal from Gangseo)

10 Things I Hate About You (1999): "On the very first day in Jerry Kwon's new school, he instantly falls for Ryang Sang-min, the girl of his dreams. The issue is that Sang-min is forbidden to date until her ill-tempered, completely un-dateable older sister (You) goes and dates someone too. In an attempt to solve his problem, Jerry singles out the only guy who might potentially be a match for Ryang (Name): His Senior and the person he can always rely on, Jake Kim."

*Set in a school environment & an alternate universe where Jake now attends J-High School, this includes the rest of the crew heads & Big Deal. There are no four major crews and no significant gang activity, but Jake is still renowned as Gapryong Kim's son. Sinu Han is also present.

௹ Johan Seong (God Dog of North River Gangbuk)

He's Just Not That Into You (2009): "The lives of these South Koreans overlap as they navigate the complexities and pitfalls of modern relationships as both friends and lovers." — You are tangled in a midst of blind dates and relationships only to be given the best advice you have ever received by a certain man who saw you in your woe after being dumped.

*Set in an alternate universe where the original cast lead relatively normal lives away from the gang life. Johan is sort of a playboy here! His mom is not sick, and his dad is not a deadbeat who is "in America", he's now still friends with Zack Lee and Mira Kim.

௹ Samuel Seo (Workers, 3rd & 4th Affiliate President | Former Big Deal)

W — Two Worlds Apart: In real life, Samuel Seo was just a drawing. You were one of the main artists in the team creating the webtoon alongside Taejun Pak, but after being pulled into the world of Lookism, you get entangled in the gang activity according to the plot... Which means you know exactly what will happen. Which also means... You are the most valuable person that Samuel can get a hold of. Or anyone, for that fact. But no one else has to know that but him.

௹ Kim Joon Goo (Goo Kim)

Bad and Crazy: The duo since the beginning was given a new team member to look after them after a certain circumstance. Two bads, and one crazy... Crazy because you think you could actually hold them both down.

௹ Park Jong Gun / Yamazaki Yuzuru (Gun Park)

Bad and Crazy: The duo since the beginning was given a new team member to look after them after a certain circumstance. Two bads, and one crazy... Crazy because you think you could actually hold them both down.

௹ Kuroda Ryuhei (Workers, 2nd Affiliate Director - Circus | Nomen)

She's Dating the Kagiroi!: In a desperate and stupid attempt to make Mitsuki Soma jealous as well as like him back, Ryuhei forces you to help him after you unknowingly messed up his "ultimate chance" with Mitsuki.

௹ Jace Park (No. 2 of Burn Knuckles, Central Seoul)

Can't Help Falling in Love: You are about to tie the knot with your handsome boyfriend, Choi Jong-in, as set by both your powerful families, but apparently, you're already married to... A complete stranger!?

௹ Euntae Lee (Vasco - Hero of Burn Knuckles, Central Seoul)

Way of the Househusband: It has been years since Euntae Lee, previously known as Hero Man: Vasco in his prime years, was involved in any gang activity. But his fame as the No. 1 of Burn Knuckles... or Leader of the Homeless... or Brekdak's Successor is not so easy to shake off after all...

௹ Eli Jang (Big Daddy - Hostel of Gangdong)

How I Eli Met Your Mother (2014): After Yenna's mom has passed, Eli has put all brakes on his love life. But this is the story of how Eli Jang fell in love again, finding his own "Big Mommy" — Something Warren Chae and Sally Park calls you for fun.

௹ DG / Dagyum Kang (James Lee)

W — Two Worlds Apart (DG Edition): In real life, DG a.k.a. James Lee in the past was just a drawing. You were one of the main artists in the team creating the webtoon alongside Taejun Pak, but after being pulled into the world of Lookism, you get entangled in the gang activity according to the plot... Which means you know exactly what will happen. The catch? Well, let's just say DG already met you way before he changed identities. And he's been looking for you ever since you've disappeared that day; to him, years. To you? A couple of days.

*This is set in a universe where instead of meeting Samuel Seo first, you meet DG instead. [Requested 📌]

Original Art Gallery: What you are visualized as + Scenes from the series with multiple characters (mostly from the characters listed above) !

10 Things I Hate About Jake Kim - Jake's outfits!

[mxtxfanatic]

Any thoughts on what would have happened if the System didn’t demand SY throw LBH into the abyss, but LBH was still revealed to be a demon at the conference?

I’m inclined to believe things would not have gone well at all. CQM might have been willing to at least listen to SQQ’s insistence LBH wasn’t involved in the sabotage, but I expect the rest of the attendees would not be so kind.

You have a much better read on the characters than I, so I’d love to hear your thoughts!

If the system didn’t demand the Endless Abyss scenario to happen, Shen Qingqiu probably wouldn’t have let Luo Binghe attend that year’s conference at all to avoid hidden pitfalls lmao

But to answer your ask more closely, I think Shen Qingqiu would still protect Luo Binghe with the weight of the Cang Qiong Mountain sect behind him, just like the situation in the post-main story canon. They are, after all, strong enough to hold their own against the other sects and care more about their own people than their reputation amongst the other righteous sects. Add to this that Luo Binghe only has a good reputation at this point and the masters had actively watched him protect their disciples with his life during the whole conference, they would have way less leverage to demand that Luo Binghe be handed over for judgment. Leverage or no, though, Shen Qingqiu isn’t relinquishing his disciple, and his martial siblings are going to defend whatever he wants to do.

[apomaro-mellow]

Part 6

Things moved fast when you had money and power in the forest, apparently. It was how Steve found himself, dressed in drab gray clothes for his wedding quicker than you could say ‘I do’. The outfit reminded him of porcelain dolls and not in a good way. Their clothes always seemed so itchy and stiff which was exactly how he felt.

The music started and Steve looked around at all who were present. Rodents of all kinds, moles, voles, weasels, and rats, and others. None of which he knew besides Brenner, who was sitting amongst the audience. And of course, his husband to be, Henry.

Steve felt like he wasn’t even here; like this wasn’t happening to him. How could it? This couldn’t be his life! Marrying some random mole rat that he didn’t love?

He could still hear Eddie’s voice in his ear, whispering sweetly and promising to take him places he had never seen. Henry never left his tunnels. They were even getting married in one right now! It was a cavernous space, lit just enough for Steve to make out where he was and who was with him but it couldn’t compare to the warm light of the sun.

And Henry couldn’t compare to Eddie.

“And do you take Mr. Creel to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

Steve was still partially in his reverie when he answered, “No”, eliciting gasps from all in attendance.

“I beg your pardon?”, the officiant asked.

“Steve”, Brenner said through grit teeth.

“I don’t love him! I can’t marry him!” Steve turned away from the altar, only taking a few steps before someone burst through the ceiling of soil and landed right in front of him.

“You can marry me instead”, Tommy smirked, already reaching for him.

“No! I’m not marrying anybody else today. I’m going home!” Steve swiped the toad’s hands away from him and then shoved him out of the way, running down the aisle and into another part of the tunnel.

Just his luck, waiting right there was none of than Billy.

“Hey there, pretty boy~”

“I’m not your pretty boy!” Steve pushed him out of the way too, booking it down the tunnels. He could hear a commotion behind him as he ran. It sounded like the entire forest was on his tail.

What he didn’t know was the part of the noise came from Eddie, who fell down one of the tunnels right in front of Tommy.

“Looks like we meet again”, Eddie said as he brandished his sword.

“Outta my way, you gnat!”, Tommy shouted as he reached for a flaming torch.

Steve couldn’t pick out Eddie’s voice in the crowd, nor was he planning on turning back to see who exactly was chasing him when he already knew. Billy, Tommy, Henry, Brenner, the whole wedding party too probably. He just kept running, shuddering past spiderwebs and avoiding the great pitfalls of the tunnels.

He could feel a warm breeze and that was what made him pause. Just up ahead, he could see it. Light at the end of the tunnel. He just had to climb a little and he would be out. But he had stopped for too long and the mob was in view again.

“Come back here!”, Brenner shouted.

“Shit!”, Steve started clambering up to escape.

Eddie could hear him, even as he was fighting off Tommy and knew he was in trouble. Time to end this. He was able to knock the torch out of his hand but then Tommy disarmed him as well and they started trading blows with just their fists.

He didn’t have time for this, he had to get to Steve. Tommy grabbed at his shoulders and Eddie tried to lift up with his wings but the imbalance had them falling over the edge instead, into the darkness.

Steve got close to the mouth of the tunnel. He peered back and saw the rest of them beginning to climb too. With a powerful kick, he loosened the gravel and rock below him, causing a landslide. There were cries of shock as his pursuants tried to get away lest they be crushed.

Steve finished his ascent, letting out a great big sigh as he felt the sun on him. His retreat had cause his wedding clothes to be torn and ruined, but he couldn’t find himself to care. That was just more skin for the sun to warm. He hadn’t felt freedom like this in a long time.

A shadow flew overhead and he looked up, his smile widening even more.

“Look at you! You made it out!”

“I made it out!”, Steve celebrated. When Dustin landed, he hugged the bird, burying his face in his soft feathers.

“Well, you’ll never guess what I found. I found out where your prince lives”, Dustin said proudly.

Steve immediately felt his mood dropped. Maybe where his prince had lived, but now....

“Dustin, just...just fly me home, okay? I just want to be home.”

Steve got onto Dustin’s back and while it was a bit awkward, he did manage to fly. From up above, Steve was able to see the lay of the land and give Dustin a few directions once he recognized his town. But he was still a baby bird and had to stop on a tree right on the edge of Steve’s home. 

He really was here. He couldn’t believe it. All this time and it was right here now.

Dustin rolled his shoulders, a bit tired from the flight. “So are you just gonna wait for Eddie now?”

Steve hit his fist against the trunk. “Dustin.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Dustin, Eddie is dead. He froze and now he’s dead.”

“Wait! You think Eddie’s dead?!”, Dustin squawked.

“I know he is”, Steve said. “I barely survived in that snow. There’s no hope.” He sat down on the branch.”

“Steve, Eddie is-”, Dustin’s beak snapped shut when he saw Eddie himself, lurking in the branches above.

Eddie put a finger to his lips, a look of pure mischief on his face. Dustin cleared his throat.

“So, uh, if Eddie was here, what would you say to him?”

Steve gave Dustin a soft glare before it melted away. “I would tell him that I love him. And that I’m sorry my foolishness got him killed. And, instead of letting him leave and promising to meet again tomorrow, that he should stay. I could’ve met his uncle then. He could’ve met my mom. We probably would have spent the whole night just talking and those damn toads couldn’t have taken me.”

“Hey what about that damned beetle and damned rat?”, Eddie asked from above.

Steve’s head shot up and he got to his feet, feeling for a moment like he was floating. “Eddie...”, he breathed out. “You’re alive!”

Eddie flew down and put his arms around Steve lifting him up and spinning on the branch. “Alive and kickin’ and ready for love.”

Steve’s arms went around his shoulders and held him tight, not able to get close enough, even as their foreheads pressed against each other.

“Don’t ever leave me again”, he pleaded.

“Oh Stevie, I’m not letting you out of my sight ever.” One of Eddie’s hands stroked his hair and everything felt right in the world again. Steve watched as Eddie’s eyes flicked to his lips.

“Steve, can I-”

“Please.” Steve barely got the word out before Eddie was kissing him. 

A warmth spread from every point they touched and filled him until he felt an even stronger sensation of his back. When he pulled away, Steve looked behind himself to find fairy wings, bright and shimmering to match Eddie’s.

Later on, Steve would enjoy a wedding leagues better than the first. Instead of a cold dark cave, it would be in his own backyard. Instead of anonymous faces, he would be joined by his mother, Dustin his steadfast friend, and Eddie’s lovely uncle. The outfit he wore would be made with him in mind, fashioned by his mother’s experienced hand.

And instead of trudging down a walkway, he would happily float with his new husband, waving to all the well-wishers as they approached a carriage prepared for them. It was being drive by a very beautiful butterfly, but they bypassed it to ride Honey instead, ever faithful.

Steve wrapped his arms around Eddie’s waist as they took off. They had a list of destinations in mind for their honeymoon tour. But deep in his soul, Steve knew it didn’t matter exactly where they went. They could do anything and go anywhere, so long as they followed their hearts.

END

Tag Team

@telidina @novelnovella @ajeff855 @mars-the-witch @ceejay-955 @punctualhowell @child-of-cthulu @estrellami-1 @cupcakesnwhiskey @spectrum-spectre @just-a-tiny-void @breealtair

[georgiapeach30513]

Peach, you're the best! Thank you for posting that amazing pasta art! (And thank you to the lovely artist who made it =)) - Mrs Pasta.

That being said...I have a few things to say. No words of wisdom, just some thoughts. Some people will disagree with my takes but if you're here reading it, read it carefully and really consider what I said before you disregard.

Every time something happens that gets a certain portion of fans excited that "it's coming to an end," it is nearly always (99.9) followed by something that completely disputes that hope and gets everyone angry, upset, and riled up. It's time to pick up on the patterns, guys!

Ramen and Soba attended the GG afterparty for Soba's agency but didn't show up for the red carpet or awards show. It's got some people thinking Ramen fell off on the HW hierarchy food chain but people. Please. Let's be honest with ourselves here. Did they not attend because he couldn't get an invite since he's "so irrelevant" now or did they not attend because them trying to act like they know each other in real time, for the camera, would be a feat harder than climbing Mt. Everest? Why else do y'all think Soba attended the GQ event with Cup of Noodles instead? You know, the one where she actually did pose for photos and walk the red carpet? And flash her loaned jewelry and "wedding ring" but refused to speak to reporters because she had nothing to promote? It's giving "a...weird face wife that will never do an interview" XD

Every time something happens that gives another portion of fans the chance to "gloat," something else happens to throw a wrench into the mix. You don't question why only one "director" got a random picture of soba and ramen in the same bowl but nobody else saw them? And they can only be mentioned in a throwaway line by a Condé Nast publication (Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ) and neither Ramen nor Soba could spring for a stylist this time? Looks like somebody doesn't want to make that red carpet debut...but why not? Aren't y'all married for the 50th time in a year and also expecting for the 20th time in the past two years?

Lastly. Just because Ramen has had a few pitfalls this past year does not mean that suddenly he's dropped to C-D list and that he's completely irrelevant in the industry now. I understand having critical flops can hurt your career. Of course it can. And in fact, I'm sure these pitfalls have hurt him. But remember that just because someone is doing well now doesn't mean they'll always do well, and just because someone is having a rough few years doesn't mean they'll never get a comeback.

I'd also like to close with a reminder to those gloating on about how RDJ is doing better and Ramen is failing in life...RDJ was once a drug addict and ended up in jail. My parents still mention this about him every time they see him on TV....people do remember when the biggest news of his career was him getting arrested. Also, after Endgame? Does anyone remember Doolittle? 15% on rotten tomatoes had people thinking RDJ fell off. And then covid hit and he was just doing his own thing for a few years. Now look at him. Looks like that awards campaigning worked! Because no disrespect, Robert, but your Oppenheimer performance was lukewarm at best. IMO, You deserved it more for Tropic Thunder and I say that as someone who genuinely admires you.

I hope I didn't ruffle any feathers. It's just tiring to see people ignore certain things for the sake of running with a narrative.

Love ya, Peach!

Mrs. Pasta, thank you for gracing us with your presence twice today. I honestly, have nothing to add to this great observation. I was just talking about a lot of these points earlier with some mutual about a certain even with a super shiny watch 🤭 I honestly never thought about equating Katt’s words about weird faced wife that will never give an interview to this 😵‍💫 but your’e on to something there!

Looks like someone reached into the depths of their closet to try and scrounge up a look last week, but what do I know?

Mrs. Pasta, I always look forward to your takes and observations.

@inshelliesworld created some cute little Mrs. Pasta art 😊

[cthonic-bunny]

2. Pick a Card Reading: What Mask(s) Are They Showing You?

In honor of spooky season, of course.

This is definitely a reading more suited for a situationship, especially one where you don't exactly feel like you could trust them enough or don’t know where the relationship is headed. If your intuition has been yelling at you to hold back from this person, this reading can give you more insight on potential pitfalls of this interaction.

If it doesn't resonate with you, let it go.

Again, this is a collective reading that may not apply to you. Maybe the person you are thinking about during this reading is completely honest and you have nothing to worry about. I do not recommend starting a disagreement over the contents of this reading because it might not apply to you.

Take the collective readings you receive with a grain of salt to avoid confusing yourself, not living in the moment, and preventing things from happening organically. No one knows the definite future, and it might surpass your expectations if you let it. If you feel like you want a personal reading for your specific situation, you can always DM me. I can do an in-depth love reading tailored entirely to you and your person in question for $35 if you are interested.

Feel free to send me feedback! Also, let me know what other types of PAC readings you would like for me to do.

Now, close your eyes and pick the pile you gravitate to the most. Left pile is pile 1, middle pile is pile 2, and the pile on the right is pile 3.

Pile 1.

Cards pulled: Wheel of Fortune, 2 of Pentacles, Queen of Swords, Page of Swords, The Emperor, Ace of Swords, Death, King of Wands, The Magician.

This person comes off a bit flaky. I don't think they are as apt to commit as they may let on. I think they know they can't give you what you want, but want to have fun while it lasts. I feel like they may have been the class clown in school. They might come off a bit immature. They weren't ever the type to take school too seriously. School, to them, was this obligatory place you had to attend that conveniently let you make friends and hang out with them five days a week. I don't think they've had a serious relationship before. They definitely others might perceive as needing to “grow up” a bit, and that might be right. I feel like they grew up a little bit spoiled and were used to things just being handed to them, or not having to work super hard towards something. I think they might oftentimes just rely on luck to get by. They never really thought about their future, and now have to deal with the confusion of figuring it out. I feel like they might be a Sagittarius or have a lot of air in their chart. I don't see them as someone who is particularly strong/fit, maybe more on the slim side. I think they could have dirty blonde or lighter hair, or when you think of them, for some reason their hair looks lighter than it is in person. They may appear to be a little air-headed sometimes. They don't dress bad, but they don't put too much effort into what they wear. They are a bit detached, but still come across as friendly. You might be someone who is intelligent, and they may have told you how smart you are. You may have been in more advanced classes than they were, or went to college and they didn't (or didn't finish). If not, then I see there is definitely an inequality in how dedicated you two are to whatever goals and ambitions you might have individually. I picked up on the names "Sean" or "Sara/Sarah." I also picked up on the initials F, H, L, and N. They might not believe they are actually "your type," and that you might eventually gravitate to someone more refined, sharp, serious, and witty. They might feel like you'll meet someone more suited for you at school or work. You might dream of a life a lot bigger than you have now, which is admirable to them, but definitely gives them feelings of not being enough for you in the long-run. They might think you belong with someone more stereotypically masculine or feminine, depending on your preference(s). I think they believe you want someone who could be more dominant in nature, and not just occasionally in bed.

They can just be going with the flow, and can often tell "white lies" for no reason. They might appreciate you and think you're special, but they might sense a fundamental incompatibility that might not stand the test of time. I think you might have acknowledged that you two do not share the same maturity level, but you are trying to ignore the red flags and want them to surprise you. I think they get involved in drama more than you do. I think you both might secretly know that they cannot provide you with the depth you crave and will possibly demand. I don't see them being as emotionally in-tune as you are either. I think they haven't mastered connecting with anyone on an intimate level, even friends. I think things being too serious or demanding too much reflection makes them run.

Channeled rhyme that came to mind:

I feel like I don't know how to cry, I really tried, but it's just not my vibe

I don't know how serious of a relationship I could handle, too much and you might just burn the light out of my candle

I tend to attract scandals, I don't really mind though

I seriously don't know if I could be your man, but I don't want to make you mad!

I hope this doesn't make you sad because it may sound a little crass, I originally had just wanted to get some ass

That's not to say I haven't had a blast, I don't like when things move too fast because I tend to get whiplash

I don't know how to attach, too much contact feels like it gives me a rash

I know one day I'll be part of your past, I'm truly sorry if we don't last!

Pile 2.

Cards pulled: 4 of Wands, Page of Pentacles, The Lovers, The Empress, King of Cups, 2 of Wands, 3 of Cups, 2 of Swords, The Hierophant, and the 7 of Cups

Similar to pile 1, I feel like this person also has a bigger fear of committing to a relationship at this time than they are letting on. If you are involved with someone who got out of a long-term relationship relatively recently, it might be best to give them some time to process their grievances and solitude. I feel like they had previously been in a long-term relationship that was somewhat co-dependent. They didn't ever have alone time, and normalized constantly being around the same person. I feel like they may have neglected their close friendships because of this last relationship, and they are re-exploring what it's like to be close with their friends again. I think there might be some residual feelings for their ex that they don't want to admit, or are still spending time reflecting on that relationship. It may have been a significant part of their lives, and they may feel like they missed out on a lot of their youth because of it. I feel like they may have had to compromise with their ex a lot, and spent a lot of time with their ex's friends rather than their own. They were probably close with their ex's family while they were together because of all the time they spent together. They want to explore their sexualities more I feel like, and adjust to being attracted to other people and pursuing them. I think this might actually be a little important to the shift in their self-esteem at the moment. I think they are also super good with their words, and know exactly what sweet things to say to make the person they are attracted to melt in their hands. I don't think they are looking for something serious because of the exhaustion of being tied to someone else for so long, even if it didn't end on bad terms. I think they want to focus on themselves and are concerned primarily with their self-improvement. They might be using this alone time to workout a lot more, excel at work, and develop their own routines. I see this person more focused on the future they are building for themselves, and want to focus more on their professional life and ways of making money. They might just be looking for an exciting sneaky link that doesn't have an insane amount of depth or commitment to it. The idea of spending too much time with someone in a romantic context makes them want to hyperventilate or runaway. I think they are either a Taurus or Scorpio, maybe even a Gemini or Sagittarius. Initials involved in this connection could be A, C, F maybe, I, J, K, T. They might know that their words and actions can be leading you on, but don't have the guts to say that. They also don't like hurting people's feelings or coming off as rude. They are being revitalized by their isolation, and I would not put too much pressure on this person to act. They are looking forward to all the opportunities they can have now that they are free. They have a lot of ideas and things they want to do. I'd let them make it abundantly clear to you that they want something serious, because their words and feelings might not line up.

Channeled rhyme that came to mind:

Sweet words can pour out of me, it's like my tongue is made of honey, but all I really want is to make more money

This world is now big and I want my freedom, I want to finally build my own kingdom

I like my me-time, but I'll still give you some of my free time, just know that after a while I will make that bee line because I don't want anyone to say they're "mine"

I wanna party, I wanna drink, the thought of another relationship stinks

Are you okay with just being my sneaky link?

I had forgotten that I'm hot, another relationship would just be a lot

I need to water my own crops, this last person had made them drop

This world won't stop, so I might as well call my own shots

Please know that you're still in my thoughts!

I want to see where life takes me, being accompanied is just a "maybe"

Pile 3.

Cards pulled: 3 of Pentacles, 6 of Pentacles, The Sun, 9 of Cups, The Hanged Man, Queen of Cups, 3 of Wands, The High Priestess, 8 of Swords, 9 of Swords

This is easily the best pile. For some reason, I get the feeling this person is studying something related to computer science, engineering, or maybe math or physics. If not, their job or studies might be highly analytical. I think they might enjoy playing video games. I think they could have a mean-streak or a short fuse at times, but generally mean well. They might be a Capricorn, Aquarius, or a Scorpio. Their initials might start with B, D, I, N, or R (I especially feel R). I think these people are extremely consumed with their work, and spending time with you means a lot. Their analytical side or work-brain can be very technical, so they might not be as expressive as even they would like to be. The mask is not a mask, but just an inability to express themselves as ardently as they want, in order to have the relationship reflect as beautifully as it does in their head. They might have a tough exterior, but they are a romantic at heart. I think they might be a bit romantically inexperience or very picky with who they feel comfortable calling a partner. They always viewed love and partnership as something that compliments their life rather than it being a necessity. They appreciate your beauty and it adds a glimmer to their overly technical, maybe even cold day-to-day activities. You add warmth to their life, and might see you as someone they could have children with when the time is right. They might not want to scare you with that ideation, though. They can be generous and sentimental with those they love. I feel like they might enjoy being around older people. Your conversations might be soft and sweet, which adds much needed comfort to their life. They are extremely tired and may be experiencing severe burn-out. They think and ponder a lot, which could also exacerbate their exhaustion. They have an extremely heavy workload so they are constantly thinking about their subject matter, and go to bed thinking about all the things they have to do the next day. They wake up early and go to bed late. They are constantly on the go, and just waiting for the next day to come. It is a never ending cycle of pressing "stop" on their alarm and getting right back to their tasks. They are respected as someone capable and intelligent. They might work in a lab, or spend time in a lab. Maybe they have are in graduate school or are considering graduate school, despite their undeniable exhaustion. Their material is their life and personality, and it gives them purpose. Maybe they’re already employed in academia, or have a job that lets them collaborate with legitimate experts in their field. I think they'd appreciate if you show understanding on this part of them, and ask questions about their passion. Let them teach you when they seem enthusiastic about something new they learned. Give them time to rest or finish up their current projects to watch them come back to life.

Channeled rhyme that came to mind:

I try not to let off that I'm stressed, but I really need to be the best- I just feel like I don't get any rest. There's always some sort of test.

I'm smart, I'm capable, I know what I bring to the table

I only want something that is stable

I feel like you were taken right from a fable, I want to treat you right once I am able

I think in numbers, sorry if that makes me a bummer

I organize, I strategize, but I need to be energized, any more stress and I think I'll cry

You bring light to this maze, I always smile when I see your face, thanks for always putting me in a daze

For you, I'll always cave

I promise this is just a phase, and only has to do with my age

-D <3

[solitaire-sol]

Daily Prongsfoot Thought 15

As the son of two elderly parents who considered him their 'miracle baby,' I assume James was spoiled in the best possible way; as an active kid, he was splashing around in streams and wandering out chasing fireflies, so he got sick pretty often. Usually nothing major, but at the smallest sign of sniffles Effie and Monty would descend on him with warm quilts and ice packs, reading him his favorite stories ("Tell the one when Godric made friends with the griffins!") and spoon-feeding him broth. James loves being fussed over, but he feels better before he's actually better and gets restless, trying to sneak back outside or out of bed before he's fully recovered.

Sirius would, of course, have been tended to by house elves if he fell ill, with nothing left to chance, but it's hardly the warmest comfort and he starts getting annoyed by their cringing attitude early in life. Once, when Sirius was very young, he thinks he felt one of his parents' hand on his brow during a fever, but he doesn't remember much and they never checked on him during future illnesses, except to make sure Sirius isn't faking it. Sickness becomes a sign of weakness to Sirius, as it is with the rest of his immediate family, so he tries to ignore it when he feels a cold or something coming on, which usually results in it being worse than it would have. Sirius doesn't like being around people when he's sick because he doesn't want them seeing him vulnerable and prefers to be left alone.

Attending Hogwarts is a big change for both of them, particular for Sirius, who's not used to people hovering when he's ill. House elves, sure, but the first time he hides his cold until he almost collapses is both incredibly embarrassing and the first time he experiences anger born of worry, because James insists on taking care of him (mimicking what his parents would do for him, slightly hit or miss) while scolding Sirius for not being honest. Aren't they friends? Friends look out for each other, right? Stop being an idiot and drink this soup, it's good for you, apparently!

On James' part, he rapidly convinces Remus and Peter to tend to him while he's ill; they roll their eyes over his dramatics as they get older, especially Remus, but they're secretly happy to be able to help James, given how he's usually the one who lends them a helping hand. Remus manages to make his mother's special broth and Peter is always ready to sneak down into the kitchens or keep James updated on school gossip, but Sirius is initially at a loss: He's never taken care of anyone before, and all he has to go on is James' sincere but somewhat haphazard bedside manner. All that James wants, as it turns out, is for Sirius to stay with him, holding Sirius' hand as he falls asleep; Sirius could easily slip his hand free, but he doesn't want to.

sometimes they manage to get each other sick, too. such are the pitfalls of being inseparable! <3

[sunshinesmebdy]

Moon in Sagittarius: Unleashing Your Business’s Inner Explorer ♐️

Get ready to break free from conventional thinking and embrace bold opportunities, because the Moon in Sagittarius is here to stir things up in the business world! This fiery transit ignites our sense of adventure, optimism, and expansion, making it an ideal time to explore new markets, launch innovative projects, and tap into your entrepreneurial spirit.

Fueling the Fire of Innovation:

Think big: Moon in Sagittarius encourages dreaming big and setting ambitious goals. This is the perfect time to brainstorm disruptive ideas, explore uncharted territories, and identify untapped potential within your market.

Challenge the status quo: Don’t be afraid to question traditional methods and embrace innovative approaches. Experiment with new marketing strategies, explore diverse partnerships, and push the boundaries of your comfort zone.

Network like a pro: Sagittarius loves connection and exploration. Use this transit to network with diverse individuals, attend industry conferences, and participate in collaborative projects. You might just stumble upon unexpected opportunities.

Riding the Wave of Optimism:

Build brand enthusiasm: This transit breeds optimism and contagious energy. Infuse your brand messaging with positivity, showcase your company’s unique value proposition, and inspire customers with your vision for the future.

Invest in growth: Feeling confident and optimistic? Consider strategic investments, expand your product line, or launch new marketing campaigns. Remember, calculated risks can lead to significant rewards under this transit.

Turn challenges into opportunities: Optimism is key to navigating setbacks. Use the Sagittarian spirit to approach challenges with a creative mindset and turn them into stepping stones for future success.

Navigating the Potential Pitfalls:

Overpromising and underdelivering: Don’t get carried away by the Sagittarian enthusiasm. Ensure your ambitious plans are grounded in reality and backed by a solid strategy.

Ignoring the details: While dreaming big is important, neglecting the practical details can lead to failure. Balance big-picture thinking with meticulous planning and execution.

Impulsive decision-making: The fast-paced energy of this transit can tempt you to rush into decisions. Take a deep breath, analyze all aspects carefully, and avoid impulsive actions that could harm your business.

Extra Tips for Thriving Under the Moon in Sagittarius:

Ignite Innovation:

Brainstorming sessions: Gather your team for a session fueled by creative thinking games, mind maps, and outlandish ideas.

Industry research: Dive deep into emerging trends and technologies that could disrupt your market.

Collaborate with experts: Partner with individuals who bring diverse perspectives and innovative approaches to your field.

Embrace Optimism:

Celebrate wins, big and small: Boost team morale by acknowledging achievements and fostering a positive work environment.

Share customer success stories: Highlight how your product or service makes a positive impact on others.

Offer special promotions: Use the transit’s positive energy to attract new customers with limited-time offers and discounts.

Navigate Pitfalls:

Create a feasibility assessment checklist: Before embarking on ambitious projects, assess potential risks and ensure you have the resources to see them through.

Seek feedback from experienced mentors: Get reality checks and valuable insights from trusted advisors.

Implement a phased approach: Break down large projects into smaller, manageable steps to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Bonus Tip: Tap into the lucky energy of this transit by starting new ventures, launching marketing campaigns, or making important financial decisions during the Moon’s peak phase (usually the Full Moon).

Remember, the Moon in Sagittarius is a fleeting transit, but its impact can be long-lasting. By harnessing its adventurous spirit, optimistic outlook, and innovative energy, you can unlock new horizons for your business and set yourself on a path of sustainable growth. So, embrace the explorer within, challenge the status quo, and watch your business thrive under the lucky light of the Moon in Sagittarius!

Do you have any experiences with the Moon in Sagittarius affecting your business? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

[aquagirl1978]

SPENDING NEW YEAR'S DAY TOGETHER - IKEMEN PRINCE HEADCANONS

Happy New Year's to all my followers - this is a few days late, but better late than never, right? May 2023 be your best year yet!

Chevalier Michel

"I have your dress ready for you."

Freshly bathed and smelling faintly of roses, you turned to look at the bed and saw his mother's dress - the one he gave you at the Marquis' estate - spread out on the bed. Any hunch you previously had that Chevalier liked you in the dress was now confirmed.

Lying next to the dress was a small black box. "Open it," he urged.

The strand of creamy white pearls was nestled against the dark velvet, the stark contrast highlighting the sheen of the pearls.

Picking up the strand with his long, elegant fingers, Chevalier deftly fastened it around your neck. He smiled, and kissed your cheek.

You quickly slipped into the dress, knowing you didn't have much time left. Glancing in the mirror, you couldn't help but feel regal in the pearls and the former queen's gown.

"Let me do you hair today," Chevalier offered. Handing him your brush, you enjoyed his expert touch, albeit a bit rough and awkward at times.

He insisted on selecting a hairpin for you - of course, he choose one he had previously given you as a gift.

"Thank you," you said, admiring your updo, only now noticing how the gemstones complemented the sunset shade of the dress. In the mirror's reflection, you saw your love standing behind you, his gaze adoring.

"How long were you planning all this?" you asked, the pieces all coming together. He had been planning this day all year it felt.

He kissed the top of your head, careful not to muss your hair. "Not that long," he murmured, pleased you figured out his plan.

You stood there, enjoying the serenity his bedroom provided. "Are you ready?" you asked, tilting your face towards him. Today was the annual New Year's celebration, and this year, Chevalier would be presiding as King.

You gave his hand a tight squeeze. "I'll see you afterwards?"

The king shook his head and smiled at you. "No."

You looked at him confused - you had planned to attend in the audience with Rio and Sariel and had agreed that you would meet up after the ceremony.

"This is the year you become my wife. My queen. Rhodolite's queen." His gaze was gentle, his smile soft as he spoke to you. "By my side is where you belong. Today and all the days after."

Clavis Lelouch

You woke, the sun shining bright in the room, to the most delicious aromas - rose tea, apple pastries, and warm, buttery pancakes.

What you did not smell was the usual strange scents that came with the breakfasts Clavis normally prepared for you.

You opened your eyes to find him standing over you, as if he were waiting for you to wake.

"Happy New Year!" His golden eyes danced with joy as he greeted you, this first New Year's you celebrated together.

"What's all this?" You glanced around the room, searching for his usual strange creations.

It wasn't that you were ungrateful for the sweet treats - and normal ones, judging my their aroma and appearance. But you couldn't help but feel like you were being lured into a trap somehow.

Clavis rubbed his hands together, his golden eyes glimmering with excitement. "I'm so glad you asked. Since it's a new year, I thought, why only create amazing breakfasts for you when there's other meals out there."

Your stomach began to twist into knots as Clavis continued. "Why stop at breakfast, when I can make you lunch as well!"

Your eyes widened as your mind ran through the terrifying possibilities. "This year," Clavis proclaimed, "everything will be bigger! Grander! More meals. More traps. More pitfalls. We have a busy year ahead of us, starting now..."

Clavis took a seat as he prattled on with his master plan to catch each and every one of his brothers in a trap this year - even Chevalier. And he had extra special plans for Sariel involving rats.

You dug into breakfast, enjoying what you feared might be your last normal meal for some time.

"But don't you worry my dear, what's lunch without a little dessert? Every lunch will be complemented by one of my special creations. I like to call them clakes- a Clavis cake. And with this being the year of the rabbit, we have a very special treat for you after lunch!"

Your stomach might have had doubts, but your heart overflowed with love for this mischievous man you were lucky enough to call yours.

Nokto Klein

You woke early, this first day of the new year, the bright sunlight pouring into the room. Yawning, you rolled on your side, your lover still nestled under the covers, a sleepy smile on his lips.

Smiling, you reflected back on the past year you spent with Nokto, watching his blossom before your eyes. His confidence in himself once nearly non-existent, he was now a changed man, a strong man, a capable man. A loved man.

Unable to help yourself, you reached out to touch his face, your fingers ghosting his soft lips. Lips that so often kissed you. Sweetly. Passionately.

Stroking his cheek, you remembered all the nights you shared in each other's arms, telling the other how much they were loved. You planned on spending every day of this new year reminding Nokto of how much he was loved.

Taking his hand in yours, you laced your fingers loosely in his, remembering the times Nokto held your hand as he helped guide you through life in the palace. While the palace was now your home, there was still much for you to learn about living as a royal. Nokto was there, by your side, every step of the way. guiding you, Nudging you. Watching you grow.

You stilled as your beast started to stir; he cracked open an eye. smiling at you.

Without saying a word, he pulled you into his arms. Pressing a gentle kiss on your lips, he asked

Gilbert von Obsidian

"Where is the little rabbit running off to this morning?" Gilbert asked when he spotted you near the palace doors.

Cautious of the conquering prince, you kept your answer short but truthful. "Since it's New Year's, I was on my way to the local orphanage to deliver these baskets of freshly baked treats." Knowing Gilbert's appetite, you kept the basket an arm's length away from him.

Gilbert stared at you silently for a moment before regaining his composure. "An orphanage? You really do have such a pure heart."

You stood under his piercing gaze, eager to be on your way, but also mindful not to be discourteous to him.

"Are you going alone?"

"Yes, I am. The other princes are all busy with New Year's duties so I volunteered for this job."

"Can I accompany you?" he asked softly. This was not the response you had expected from him.

You agreed reluctantly - how could you say no to the visiting prince?

You were silently thankful that the trip was neither long nor eventful. Gilbert proved to be a polite escort while still remaining intimidating. When you reached the orphanage, you were thrilled you arrived in one piece.

What you hadn't expected was how Gilbert would act at the orphanage.

You were initially afraid he would simply scare all the children by his mere presence, but you were shocked when he smiled brightly at the children.

Taking the basket of sweets from you, he soon had a crowd of hungry children surrounding him.

"There's enough for everyone," he said, his laughter sparkling and bright in the dim room.

After each child received a treat, Gilbert performed magic tricks -pulling coins from behind children's ears and making roses appear out of thin air.

The children were in awe of Gilbert, and soon you were too. Part of his now captive audience, you watched as the children laughed at the stories Gilbert told, unable to stop your own laughter.

After many promises to return to the orphanage soon, you returned to the palace, the fear you once had for Gilbert melting into something softer.

[miseries-mistress]

FIDELITY | ARAGON

Synopsis: The burden of sleep weighs heavily on your body and consciousness while you and Aragorn are forced to attend a banquet after a long day of riding. The only thing that makes any of this bearable is the company of each other, lost in your moment of careless whispers. 

Warnings: gender-neutral reader, kinda angst ig, but also fluff???, i know this didn't actually happen before the battle in rohan, but this is fanfiction, so who cares, no spoilers. W/C: 872

Notes: This is just a little drabble while i work on actual oneshots. also, i do plan on getting to my requests; it's just taking me a lot longer than i imagined. (thank you guys so much for 200 followers, ily)

lotr masterlist

The smoke of pipeweed drifted from the slight draft, curling upwards before dissipating into the stale air. Laughter rang out; chatter boomed as the distant language of lovers remained a faint whisper, hidden behind the shadow of feelings. As each moment passed and the night grew bitter, the people grew weary, their bellies full of brew and rich food. However, you and Aragorn remained silently seated, your plates barely touched while others danced and sang with fat smiles blistering their faces. 

He inhaled and exhaled, the pipe loosely caught between his forefinger and thumb, his fitted shirt clinging to his biceps while he rolled up the rest of the sleeves to his elbows, exposing the artwork of veins spiraling down his arm. His posture is loose, an arm lazily propped up while the other is slung over the polished wood, an almost foreign demeanor from the battle-hardened man you are used to witnessing.

Words evade you as you admire the details of his figure, watching his face for any hint of emotion to pick at and dissect, knowing far too well his reluctance to share his woes with you. 

It's not only him that is dispirited but you as well, for you are too weary to care about much else. The two of you had battled orcs and traveled across roves of land to scout, all while you prepared Rohan for something much more fierce than anything they had ever encountered. 

Both of you are beyond drained, reduced to silently basking in the presence of one another for the brief time you get to indulge in the simplicity of understanding before you must part ways. Secrecy is of the highest importance, for rumors would drag a freshly sharpened blade through your bond, which runs more profound than any mere friendship. He's a future king, and you are a hopeless romantic with a dream. 

Your head comes to rest on his shoulder, and the heaviness in your eyes, threatening to pull you under is like fighting an uphill battle. Each moment you strain to stay awake, but the pressure that settles over you is too great to ignore. As each moment passes into eternity, and you fall further into the creamy fabric of his freshly washed clothes, the smell of musk integrated with the woodlands wafts to your nose, and with each breath fall, you can't help but inhale more of his homely aroma. 

Aragorn moves his arm to settle around your waist, simultaneously pulling you into a more comfortable position by his side. Your eyes betray you by fluttering closed as you melt into the tenderness in which he holds you. 

The chatter is white noise, and his chest's steady rise and decline is your guide to the pitfalls of sleep that claim your dreary form. 

Aragorn cannot help but let his eyes wander to your stature as he grimaces. In the next hour, he would have to sneak away from the festivities with you in his arms, tucking you into your makeshift bed, only to mesmerize your face as if it would be the last time he would ever see it before leaving. Aragorn would then carry on with the charade that every waking moment he didn't spend at your side was not pure agony, ripping his soul into bloody, gruesome shreds over his yearning to be near you once more. He was resigned to being a mere bystander as you unwittingly devastate his stone heart over the laughter you share with other men- men who could provide you with the life you merit. 

It's a cruel game that fate is playing with his heart, and he tries to remain impassive to his internal struggle every time he can whisk you away from prying eyes, but he's cracking under the weight of his own facade. He can tell by the way your eyes carry a concern for his sake that you know of something of that which troubles him, but he can't bear to place that burden onto you. After all, there's nothing either of you could do to ease the pain. 

Aragorn brushes the hair straying into your eyes, letting his irises wander a moment longer before tearing them away. His heart longs to keep you for a moment longer, but his mind insists he takes his leave and ends your moment of tranquility, but by fault, he is a selfish man. Despite all of the caution both of you heed, his worries seem to fall away like rainwater off a building, and the consequences of indulgence become too enticing to ignore. His rational mind, just for a second, gives way to senseless logic. 

Aragorn's hand stutters for a moment before falling to your head, stroking down your hair in the cover of the shadows far from the senses of anyone who might bear witness to his devotion to someone who deserves more than he could ever offer, no matter what his blood might claim. His hand pulls your hair back, only to place the barest of kisses upon the crown of your head, not enough to disturb you but enough to offer him a second of solace before your inevitable separation.

"Losto mae, meleth nin."

(translates: sleep well, my love.)

[comfy-whumpee]

Flightless 1

The people voted for Boo! Thank you voters!!

@neuro-whump​, @rosesareviolentlyread​, @whumper-in-training​, @mylifeisonthebookshelf, @pumpkin-spice-whump, @whumpsday, @firewheeesky, @why-not-ask-me-a-better-question, @highwaywhump, @noirineverysense (sorry, I forgot to add you way back when! let me know if you're not interested anymore)

CN: injury/hospital mention, BBU, dehumanisation.

“Hello?”

 “Hi, I’m calling about the ad you placed about refurbishing pets?”

 “Ah, hello. Yes, I can take them off your hands, no charge.”

 “Amazing. Can you collect? We’re at Warrington Drive.”

 “One moment please. I’ll just look you up… Yes, I can collect. What’s the designation and company of origin?”

 “Security designation, from Euroboxies. HXUF8.”

 “And your reason for having them moved on?”

 “It failed. The primary is injured in hospital.”

 “I’m sorry to hear that. I can collect as soon as tomorrow, if you need.”

 “God, yes. As soon as possible, please. Every time I look at them…”

 “I understand. I’ll fully wipe and retrain them. You’ll never have to see them again.”

 “Thank you. Thank you so much. Let me give you the proper address…”

Kacie was standing with her arms tightly folded as she spoke into the phone resting on the dresser. She was framed in the bay window over the coastal view, sun pouring in from all sides to light her in a dazzling silhouette. Her hair crested her head like a wave, her mouth moved quickly, and she kept her gaze outward, eyes flicking across the scenery as she thought and responded.

 She was beautiful even now, fierce and bold with her head held high. Her father’s injuries meant nothing to her in this moment but another task to organise, analyse and overcome. The treatment was one stage. The payment was another. The legal proceedings, a third. Finally, a distant fourth, was dealing with the sorry creature who had failed them.

 HXUF8 sat with their knees pulled to their chest and their arms around their ankles. They were used to the cage by now, after so many nights with Kacie since the incident, but being in it during the day always made them restless. She wasn’t supposed to lock them up. They were meant to be out and active, patrolling her grounds or shadowing her around. She didn’t have any security of her own within her property. Everyone was at the gates. One person slipping by would be all it took, but her guard was locked up because…

 The yawning abyss of grief never opened slowly. It was like a pitfall. The ground fell out from under them suddenly and violently.

 Kacie thought it was their failure, their fault, because it went against everything they were. But HXUF8 knew there was nothing they could have done. A pet, no matter how well they were trained, couldn’t stop a bullet. Not even with their body. It had torn straight through them and nearly killed the primary anyway. Still could.

 It was as if they weren’t there. It was luck that kept them from bleeding out before someone attended to them. But they’d lain on the grass, body flooded with adrenaline that made everything magnified a thousand times, and they’d remembered that they weren’t meant to be like this. They’d once had a name, a family and a life. They’d once had dreams.

 Everything had vanished after, in a haze of bloody red and empty, empty white. But the feeling had remained. They had done everything right. They’d taken the bullet, but the bullet hadn’t cared. They were nothing.

 So they didn’t mind the cage, except for the instincts. They had to patrol. They had to protect. But most importantly, they had to remember why they were grieving.

 Not for the primary, the rich man who’d never once looked at them directly, much less spoken to them. They grieved for that moment where they’d been whole again. Just about to die, just about to remember, but it was forever out of their grasp.

 And now Kacie was going to resell them, and they’d never remember again.

 HXUF8 closed their eyes and rested their head on their still-bloodied knees. They would never be whole. They could never, ever be whole again.

 -

Tara had once been someone who went on missions. She had worked doing the hunting and the retrievals. But even though she had excelled, there were always losses. There were always runaways she couldn't catch, simply because of who she was. She was tall, powerful and in control. She had to be. But some pets, especially the kind that had absconded, would see her and run.

 That was why she had developed the plan for a new operative. She already worked with Refurbs. Why not use one herself? She needed defective pets to fix to keep her business going, and owners needed their losses recouped. She could purchase one and repurpose it, and it would be more flexible than she was capable of, because it would be a traitor to its kind.

 The perfect candidate fell into her lap. The company of origin was dubious quality: Euroboxies were often poorly trained, as the market wasn't well-established and remained unofficial in many places, downright illegal in others. But fiddling with legal loopholes and border crossings allowed her to operate wherever her services were needed. Her hunter would be the same.

 It would have to be disciplined and obedient, and trained for pressure and pain to a high degree. It needed perfect recall and flawless dedication. The guard pet that came onto her radar was a sorry sight, by the time she was arrived to collect, but the potential was there.

 It had been trained for a guard, but not a guard dog, thankfully. It had restraint and could pass as a normal human, with training. The original principal had been failed, but such things happened and it was less of a disaster in her work. A dead pet was cheaper than a missing one.

 She had memorised its designation before arriving. When the seller unlocked the cage, it didn't emerge. It was filthy, a miserable ball of hunched back and bunched limbs, with dirty, mousy hair and sunken eyes. There was intelligence in there, she could see at a glance. It knew its fate would be unpleasant.

 "Out," she told it.

 It barely had the room to push itself forward by the heels, scraping out of the wires. She watched its muscular body move with a critical eye. It should have had no difficulty in escaping from a dog cage. It showed a promising disposition that it hadn't.

 "Stand," she ordered next.

 This took an extra moment, the pet's face tight with pain, but it unbent its folded legs one at a time, and then came onto its heels to rise. The seller scoffed quietly and turned away. Tara ignored her.

 "Follow," she said finally to HXUF8. She watched it glance to the seller, who turned her head away. When Tara walked to the door, it looked back, and moved in small, wincing steps to shadow her.

 She had to let it sit in the car instead of putting it in the boot. She didn't want to risk pet cruelty crusaders snapping her licence plate. She strapped it in and drove, with the windows cracked open to dissipate the smell of the thing.

 It was silent and stock-still for the entire drive, but for restless eyes that swept back and forth over their surroundings, assuming the role of bodyguard even without instruction.

 Initiative. Another good sign.

 The first order of business on their arrival was a cold shower. She worked from an old animal shelter, so it was well equipped to dispense a blast of freezing water. She didn't bother removing the clothes. It would stay in them until she had need to it dress differently.

 It entered the wet room without hesitation. Perhaps it knew this part. She blasted it with the jet, and it held still, braced against the pressure. The only sign it recognised what was happening was that it closed its eyes. No cringing, begging or fawning strategies were deployed. Perhaps Euroboxies and their inadequate training would work in her favour on this blank slate of a creature.

 One question did need answering, though, so after she was satisfied the thing was clean, she turned off the tap and said, "Do you speak?"

 It answered readily enough, voice quiet and hoarse. "If required, ma'am."

 "Mistress Tara," she corrected it sharply.

 That, and that alone, prompted a wince. It didn't look genuine, more of a nonverbal show of regret. "My apologies, Mistress Tara."

 "The first mistake will be corrected. Further mistakes are not tolerated. You are to be retrained and deployed. You will be of use or you will be wiped in your entirety and returned to your company."

 She laid out each law with conviction. This part was the same process as always. New pet, new world, and she wanted it firmly controlled without ambiguity. Too many pets thought a new owner meant they could show their personality. She would have no such thing.

 "Unless told to stay, you follow. Unless told to speak, you are silent. You follow every order you are given by me, and ignore the rest. You are my property."

 It nodded once. No attempt to speak. It was listening.

 "I will now test the quality of your training. This begins immediately."

 It barely had time to process warning before she was running for it, fist clenched and ready to break it in two. It was fast enough to twist out of the way, but did not return blows. Extremely interesting, and not what a guard should be trained to do.

 For a moment they were evenly matched, but the pet was tired and sore, and before long one of her blows caught it in the gut, after which it was child's play to have it winded on the floor. She continued the beating for half a minute after her victory, and then stepped back.

 It rose to its knees immediately, face red with exertion. Tentatively, it set its hands atop its thighs neatly. Again, there was no wince of pain, only its slow movements giving away the bruises she had given it.

 "Tell me why you did not fight back."

 "I was not ordered to."

 She turned and crossed the room. There were clothes here, but they could stay in their wet rags for now. It needed to be tougher than just one beating. Cold conditions, discomfort and exhaustion would be added on top. She would put them through the worst she could before allowing them the luxury of a mission.

 Instead, she selected a new collar. Returning to her purchase with it in hand, she again noted its lack of expression. The presence of a collar should be reassuring to almost any pet, especially after its last one had been removed, presumably due to their failure. The collar was a conditioned reassurance of ownership and belonging. It should want the collar.

 Instead, she saw nothing on its bland features. It waited placidly. She was going to have to hurt it badly, perhaps with the whip. She relished the challenge.

 When she leaned down, its only movement was a slight, instinctual lift of the chin, so that she could easily secure the metal band around its neck. This close, she could see the slight tension of its neck and back. Was it simply from her proximity, or was there an old injury there? She would test that too.

 She had a lot of work to do. But the early signs were promising, and she was confident she could turn it into something of use.