#she's 22 and coming into herself and realizing she is going against the grain of her culture

[bhaalsdeepbat]

Lae'zel is like a play on the "I'm not other girls" thing, except she's trying SO hard to be like other Gith girls. She's trying to steel her heart and be a perfect soldier in the collective army serving beneath Vlaakith. No will of her own. Just blind servitude alongside the other Gith who are also denying their own individualism.

Rather than gutting the companions right then and there - as any other Githyanki would do - she joins them AND promises them a cure. A cure that was meant to be ONLY for Githyanki warriors. And she doesn't know about the lies or the fact that he cure is a death sentence, but she still extends that olive branch to the group. She'll speak up when she's grouchy and try to project a hard exterior, but she's SO secretly soft.

When you approach Rosymorn, she'll stay on that part of the map if you try to leave. Upon returning, you can make her admit she missed you.

You can make the strong Gith who was raised to pillage, kill, and conquer admit that she missed the player character.

Lae'zel isn't like other Gith Girls.

Her act two scene is trying to progress the romance as though it were between two Gith raised within that culture. It's a fight to prove your worth through your battle prowess, which makes only the best *warriors* worthy of companionship. However, it becomes clear that isn't want Lae'zel wants. If the player loses, and Bae'zel beats the fuck out of them, she becomes distraught because she doesn't WANT to fight her romantic partner.

She wants to mutually protect one another. She wants companionship with her partner. She wants to enjoy the sunrise with them, feel the tickle of the night breeze, see the Tears of Selune chase after the moon across the night sky, she wants to live and she wants to share those experiences with her love. She doesn't WANT to be the stone cold Gith that she was raised to be.

Lae'zel wasn't given any role to do with the eggs, but once the egg is in the party's possession, she's instantly drawn to it. When Xan hatches, she gives him a name to represent that he'll be raised to be free to be himself. He'll have the freedom to choose his own path, whatever that maybe. Xan DOESN'T have to be like the other Gith. He could be a scholar, an artist, a warrior, anything he wishes to be. It's his life and Lae'zel is just happy to see her little Xan be raised with the freedom she didn't realize she craved until she arrived on that silly little planet.

Lae'zel isn't like other Gith girls because no two people are the same, even if raised in the same circumstances and culture. Everyone is an individual, even when they serve a collective or are fighting alongside Allies with the same main goal.

Lae'zel isn't just a nameless, faceless soldier. She isn't interchangeable with other Gith. She isn't like the other Gith girlies.

[shemakesmusic-uk]

This segment features artists who have submitted their tracks/videos to She Makes Music. If you would like to be featured here then please send an e-mail to shemakesmusic@hotmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

ROJAZ

ROJAZ is a Spanish flavoured artist currently based in London. She sees herself as a mix of artists like BANKS, Sabrina Claudio, and Rendez-Vous at Two. Soothing and sensual vocals paired with conversational lyrics, her new single ‘Gravitating’ is out now. "’Gravitating’ is about the push and pull dynamic of two people who don’t want to say goodbye, despite knowing they should”, she says. Strong synths and raw vocals create an impactful track, whilst layers of harmonies carefully guide you through the narrative. Listen below.

VERAH

VERAH is a 20 year old singer-songwriter from New York. Having sung and studied Jazz since she was 14, her music is heavily influenced by the smooth vocals of Nina Simone and the rhythmic genius of Herbie Hancock. Some of her current influences include Amy Winehouse, H.E.R. and Snoh Aalegra. Lastest single ‘Too Late (It's Not Easy)’ features the smooth R&B vocals of VERAH as she sings about love gone wrong over a deep, groovin' beat. Her sixth single to date, the song explores the duality of knowing you deserve better but hurting at the same time. Listen below.

Blakkheart

Blakkheart is a music producer, engineer and vocalist based in Cork. Everything you see and hear from the artist is done in its entirety by her (right down to the artwork) from her plant emporium home studio. After touring as a session musician and vocalist she began to hone her production skills. Luxuriously dreamy, electronic glitter disco, inspired by Prince and Kylie Minogue - ‘Not To Your Taste’ was composed on a Roland Juno DI hardware synthesizer in Blakkheart’s plant emporium/home studio. “Gave my life to you/ Pipe dreams can be cruel/ Was it hard to watch/ As I lost and lost”  - a lament to the life you envisioned inside your head; and the unwelcome realization that this may never materialize,” says Blakkheart. Listen below.

BLAKKHEART · Not To Your Taste

MBG

MBG is an alt-rock artist and multi-instrumentalist based in Brampton, ON. Behind the scenes she writes, records and produces her own music but brings it out in its purest form on stage with her band of talented friends. She goes against the grain with her own loud, edgy and unique sound. She has this to say about her new single ‘This Time’: "In the chorus, my friends tell me it's not my fault, to stop blaming myself. I've recently gone through a relationship that was unfortunately cut short and has left me with the idea of what could've been and for someone with anxiety, always pondering on the what if is a very hard itch to scratch. In the heat of the moment, you look back and think "wow, I've done something wrong that ended this thing," but later come to understand that it's totally valid that they don't want to be with you, for whatever the reason is. Whether you're falling in love or losing someone in your life, there can be this sense that you're spiraling out of control. Every now and then, you kind of just have to let it hit you like a ton of bricks. So if you want to mosh to this song with your roommate, or have a good cry alone in your bedroom, that's okay." Listen below.

MBG · This Time

GLOCHELR

GLOCHELR is an R&B singer-songwriter from London, and her latest single ‘Closure’ wass perfect for Valentine’s Day. “The song focuses on the search for ‘closure’ and explores all the pain and uncertainty that comes with giving your all to someone who may not even want it,” she explains. “In all, sometimes the feelings go, but the trauma stays indefinitely and it’s up to you to deal with that.” Listen below.

Lemon Lord

Lemon Lord is a pop music artist based in Los Angeles. She released her first album Be Blonde in November last year. Her mantra, "To Infinity and Be Blonde," is a reminder to us all that we can do anything we dream of and we can be any version of ourselves that we choose along the way. This mantra is echoed in her song ‘Queen’ in the lyrics of the chorus, which say, "You just gotta live life like a Queen/ Ooh you can do it/ Baby it's done/ If you put your mind to it." Listen below.

Serena Sophia

Serena Sophia has been in the music, theatre, acting industry for a number of years. She studied music at the University of Glasgow and then went on to study a Masters in Musical Theatre at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She has always written lyrics and music, but it was throughout 2019 and 2020 she finally found her sound and discovered who she was an artist and was finally ready for her first release. 'Diary of Thoughts' is a song about heartbreak, loss, love and also strength. The lyrics were derived from sections of diary entries from 2018 which was an especially difficult year for Serena due to a toxic relationship and break up. “The song is so personal to me as it describes the emptiness, pain and heartbreak I felt throughout that time but also the moment I decided to finally take care of myself and control of my life and my own happiness,” she explains.

Serena Sophia · Serena Sophia - Diary Of Thoughts

imojen

imojen (she/they) is a 22 year old non-binary, feminist, singer-songwriter. Raised in Switzerland and now based in Brighton, UK, imojen has been musical for the most of their life. Inspired to write her first song after hearing Florence + the Machine’s ‘Shake It Out’, imojen’s lyrics seek to expose the awkward and spectacular details of a queer femme existence. Relationships, sex, the body and identity are all key themes in their music. Through rich vocal harmonies, strong melodies and captivating language, imojen weaves a truly unique sound and experience. ‘Angus’ is an open letter. An unapologetic, feminist ballad, that accuses men of passing down their misogyny to their sons. Inspired by artists such as Lucius and k.d. lang, imojen’s vocals and tangled harmonies are positioned as the focus of the piece as she depicts woodlands, country clubs, wildfires and graveyards in a haunting protest. Tracing a map of her emotional journey, imojen reveals cynicism, rage, malice and contempt, but shows no signs of weakness. Indulgent and imaginative, ‘Angus’ creates a space for fantastical vengeance, empowerment and escape. Listen below.

Amy Ellen

Amy Ellen is part of the emerging Irish indie-folk scene. Hailing from Dublin, her music is inspired indie-folk artists such as Laura Marling and Fleetwood Mac.  Her new single 'This Life' is a coming of age pop-rock tune which conveys a sense of maturity and realisation that nothing good will last forever. In Amy's words: "The song is inspired by true-life events, it touches on losing and gaining people in your life and outlines that some moments become memories we cherish and reflect on. I feel that it's a subject that everyone can relate to, sometimes we fail to see the impact others have on us until they are no longer present and vice versa". Instrumentally, the song features punchy 90’s rock elements, a contrast from Amy’s latest acoustic driven songs. Listen below.

[aeon-wolf]

Legends of Tomorrow | 4x05 Thoughts and Feelings

Probably one of my favorite Legends episodes this season!!!

Loved this episode so much to be honest. I think, for me, who usually watches shows for ships that’s a testament to the awesomeness that is Legends that Sara and Ava can have literally no scenes together in an episode and that episode can be amazing. And in fact, one of my favorite of the season so far. 

So much happened in one episode, probably due largely to the fact the season only has 16 episodes, so they have to cram a bunch of story into single episodes, which I have mixed feelings about. Obviously I wish there were like 21-22 episodes in the season like other Arrowverse shows, but I also like stuff happening each episode to make the character development and plot move forward and not have filler episodes. 

So I guess we’ll start off with my favorite part. NORA FUCKING DARHK. I’ve made it quite apparent in my previous recaps that Nora is one of, if not my absolute, favorite villain(ish) character of any Legends season. And I’m glad it's her that’s getting the full redemption arc. I’m glad they’re still having her grapple with her father’s death because although Damien was an awful, awful person, she still loved him in her own way and for her to still be grieving, especially because she recognizes that despite everything, he loved her enough to sacrifice himself to give her a second chance. And that staying out of trouble and taking the second chance he (and Ray to some extent) gave her, she’s respecting his memory and grieving her loss. 

Then to have Ray basically beg her to save Constantine and her being really not into the idea in the beginning, not because she didn’t necessarily want to, but because she thought she was cursed to only have dark magic and that it couldn’t be used to help anyone. And if she used it, that she would be tempted back to the darkness. But both Ray and Constantine helped her realize that her magic is what she wants it to be, she’s not controlled by it. And in the end, Ray offering her the chance to run away (again) and instead, she turned herself in because in realizing that she’s not cursed to forever be a villain, she realized that she does have to atone for the wrongs she committed. Like Constantine said, she had to do that for herself. Not for Ray. Not for Constantine. For her. And that’s why I think this arc will go well. She’s not doing this because she’s in love with Ray. She’s not doing this because she’s selfish (as far as we know) and wanting to lay low, get free and then do evil things again. She truly knows that this is the only way for her to be free of her past. Other shows *cough* Supergirl *cough* can’t relate to a redemption arc written this well, even within the first episode of said arc. (We obviously don’t know if there will be betrayal or anything down the road, but so far, I can’t really see a justifiable reason for it. Though bear in mind, it’s early. Plus the writers and actors have never even hinted at that idea. It seems to be Charlie’s arc, not Nora’s). This is everything I want in a redemption arc. Recognition that past actions were wrong, full stop. Wanting to change and be better for themselves, not for anyone else. And doing the right thing without prompting from other characters (bonus points for going against said other character’s urgings to save themselves). I very much wanted her to stay on the Waverider and join the Legends, but seeing her turn herself into the Bureau and tell Ray that she needs to stop running and face judgment and repent for her past sins, I’m very much okay with this plotline and can’t wait for it to continue. I just hope there comes a point where she is released into the custody of the Legends or something similar and we get to see her more often. I even find myself interested in Ray/Nora ship, even though Ray is my least favorite Legend. 

Ahhhh, Nora is probably going to join my regular blog content. 

Ok, so let’s talk about the magical aspect of the episode. It was good. I think it was one of the better ones actually. It got a little bit away from the fugitive storyline and set precedent that not all magical encounters the Legends face will be fugitives that broke free from prison. Which I think is good. It gives them more freedom to play with magical artifacts and things like that. It also gave us some gems of Sara and Charlie bonding, as well as Zari and Mick. 

Sara and Charlie was one of the dynamics I was most interested in. Obviously, Charlie is sort of a rebel character while Sara, despite being the coolest captain in the Arrowverse, does want her people to listen to her (rightly so). But I think she’s hasn’t really added true new members (I don’t really count Constantine as a new member. He’s a Legend, but he and Sara have a different understanding than the others) in a while and Sara has been used to her team listening to her without any real question. And here comes Charlie, kind of similar to Zari in S3 who doesn’t have that same respect for Sara’s leadership and Sara has to learn how to work with Charlie and integrate her into the team. Sharing a drink at the end of the episode and Charlie seeming to start warming up to Sara was an encouraging sign. And if we end up with a betrayal somewhere down the line, I’m going to be so sad. 

Then Zari and Mick. I’m glad there’s a callback to the time loop episode where Zari finds out Mick is a talented writer and that, ultimately, is what saves the day. There’s not a whole bunch to say about it, beyond in true Legends fashion, they’re really leaning into being absolutely weird as fuck and having it completely work. 

Note, Zari and Charlie’s sexual tension in this episode was off the charts. 

I also appreciate that they, briefly, talked about Hiroshima and the atomic bombs. I think in history, we talk about that, largely in America, with such a detachment because America was the one to drop the bomb that we often neglect how the Japanese felt during that period of time. And for Legends to take a serious moment to talk about it and give the other side a real examination, as brief as it was, is important. Legends is largely silly, but they definitely can have their serious moments and pull them off well. 

Then Ava and Nate and the Time Bureau piece. Ava, my child. I am glad that, even though it's a short time period (probably), Ava is in a headspace where she can crack jokes about her parents and being a clone. It’s kind of a coping thing I’ve found when things are kind of traumatic. There are times where it really overwhelms you, like in the last episode. And there are times where you joke about it, like this episode. And those things can exist at the same time. 

So it seems we’ll be seeing more of Mona now that she’ll probably become a part of the Time Bureau considering she has such an intricate knowledge of magical creatures. I’m curious to where that will lead. And although I ship Constantine and Gary, I think Gary and Mona is equally as cute. 

And then we start getting a glimpse of the (likely) overarching point of conflict that will be a theme throughout the season. Project Hades. It seems, from the very brief conversation we saw between Hank and, likely, another government official, the Department of Defense has a secret project that involves utilizing magical creatures as weapons or something similar. He wants them controlled and used. And as these storylines go in other shows, it’s the evil government agency exploiting the supernatural to bolster their firepower in some way. And I think in coming episodes, that’s going to throw in a direct deviation between Hank and the government and the Time Bureau itself, probably specifically Nate, Gary, and Ava, (very likely Mona as well). I think the one that will probably grapple with it the most is Ava, followed closely by Nate. Ava is and always has been a stickler for rules and protocol and likely going against the government will be difficult for her and may even lose her the Director position. Though I think when push came to shove and she was faced with that choice, she would leave the Bureau of her own free will and join the Legends to stop whatever Project Hades is. And then Nate who very much wants to have a better relationship with his father but when his father is the antagonist, that’s going to full at him. Again, I’d fully expect him to side with the Legends (if indeed that’s where this plotline is going. It’s early). But it will be a struggle I’m sure. This is all speculation on literally a 30 second conversation so take it with a grain of salt, but that’s my prediction at this point. Will definitely be revised as we get more information in future episodes. 

All in all, amazing episode. I’m super hyped that we’re bringing in Mona and Nora to have more appearances, seeing a bit more of Charlie’s interactions with the Legends, and getting more context to the Bureau and the stuff that goes on there. They were always sort of, again, this largely antagonistic entity for a lot of season 3. And seeing more of the inner workings and politics of it, I think gives a lot more context to it and helps humanize the agency to the audience. 

I know the next episode is Hank basically coming on the Waverider and observing the Legends in action because apparently, the Department of Defense is questioning their efficiency? Which, I’m not pretending to know, but doesn’t the Legends basically do this freelance? Like they aren’t funded by the government/Bureau. As far as I’m aware, they don’t really get paid at all. Oh well, I’m sure that question will be answered in the next episode, which I’m looking forward to. 

[unchartedterritoria]

Dangerous (Sam Drake x OC) - Chapter 22

All of the previous chapters can be found on A03 or on FF.net. 

If you don’t want to read this on here, below is the link to the chapter on A03:

Chapter 22 A03 Link

A quick summary: Faith takes a day off and celebrates a holiday Sam had forgotten all about. The duo also satusify a curiosity they’ve had about the other.

A big thank you to all of the comments, kudos and reblogs. They really mean the world to me and give me the confidence to keep posting this story. It’s nice to know when people are enjoying it.

Days had passed since the close call at the cemetery with Nox's men. After seeing the Third Artillery inscription on the tombstones, full on research mode was on. Faith and Sam both knew that they were in a race with Jasper Nox for information, for treasure, and that, one way or another, the end was near. The days of the week followed one another quickly, one rolling into the next, a giant snowball of days and data that was proving to be empty. Of the three forts in the Florida Keys they had scoured, they were 0 for three on leads for where they were garrisoned.

The next day brought a late and hazy Sunday morning. Faith had woken up later than Sam, something that wasn't entirely out of the ordinary, except instead of the typical twenty minutes, it took Faith an extra two hours to get out of bed.

As Sam came in from his smoke, Faith emerged from the bathroom, dressed in a black tank top and army green shorts. Her hair hung in frizzy clumps around the glasses on her face and the almost vacant, tired look she had solidified her lack of enthusiasm for the day ahead.

“Morning,” Sam greeted her, putting his smokes down on the table.

“Hey.”

“I didn't think you were gonna wake up today.”

Faith offered Sam a half-hearted shrug of her shoulders, causing a feather of concern to blow into his brain. Something seemed a little off. Noticing the uneasiness in his eyes, Faith scratched her scalp vigorously and quickly threw her hair up into a sloppy ponytail. Roughly rubbing her face to get the blood running, she stood in front of the notebooks and textbooks in front of them.

“Alright, where did we leave off?”

"We got nothin' out of the names from the gravestones. I say we go back to Fort Taylor-"

“We've been there,” Faith said flatly, cutting him off.

“We go back to Fort Taylor and see if there is anything we missed. Officer names, other regiments.” “We've been there, twice. We got all we could. We followed up on every bit of it. Nothing.” Faith replied, her arms crossed in front of her chest as she leaned back against the wall.

Sam offered a deep sigh. He didn't want to admit it, but he was starting to run out of ideas.

“Cemetery then. Go back through,-”

"Sam," Faith interrupted, then offered up an annoyed sigh.

“We go back through and look for more members of the Third Artillery,” Sam said, talking over Faith's groans of protest.

“We've already been through there already! Multiple times! Every one that we found, nothing. Not a single fucking thing!” Faith waved her arms in frustration as she started to pace.

Sam leaned on the table. He cocked his head to the side and stared at Faith, his own frustration starting to percolate as well. "I'm starting to run dry on ideas here sister; you got any more you want to throw out there?"

“You're supposed to be the famous treasure hunter, think of more treasure hiding places!” She said, her voice raised to a frustrated peak.

“Hey!” Sam said defensively.

Faith closed her eyes and massaged the tender spots above her eyebrows.

“Nope, I can't do this today. Can't do it,” She said, shaking her head slowly, the tips of her fingers still pressing against her forehead.

"What?" Sam questioned as he watched Faith stalk across the room towards their duffels.

“I can't do this today Samuel. Not today,” She said as she grabbed a handful of crumpled bills. Folding them hastily, she stood up and stuffed them in the front pocket of her shorts.

“I need a break,” Faith declared and headed to the room door, sliding on her sneakers.

"If you come up with any great ideas, beautiful. In the meantime, I'll be at the bar."

Faith shut the door behind her with a resounding slam. Sam glanced at the time on the small microwave of their kitchenette.

11:02 AM.

What the hell was that? Sam thought to himself.

Sam knew better than to follow her. They had been in close quarters with each other for the last three weeks, and the pressure to find what Dr. Mudd had hidden before Jasper compounded with each passing day. With no real time to recharge, it was just a matter of time before one of them snapped; therefore Sam had no qualms about amusing himself for a couple of hours and letting Faith have some space.

Sam sat at the small table in the hotel room, half-heartedly flipping through an oversized glossy book about Key West Marinas. As the time passed, the cigarette breaks became more and more frequent. After two hours, Sam pushed the books away, a sour lemon look of disgust on his face. He was getting nowhere.

Defeated for the day, Sam grabbed a fresh, cold six pack out of the mini fridge and plopped down on the bouncy hotel bed. Flipping the TV on to a local channel, he opened himself a beer. As the TV played a program on the dangers of invasive species of fish to the Keys ecosystem, Sam let his mind wander back to Mary Todd Lincoln, Samuel Mudd, and their surprising friendship. Taking the pirate coin out of his front pocket, he began to dance it over his fingers, flipping it expertly end over end as it passed each knuckle. The familiar motion calmed the unintentional nicotine surge he had caused with his frequent smoke breaks.

I still don't get it. How do you forgive anybody after they've killed someone, especially someone you love? Alright, he didn't pull the trigger, but that's beside the point. He helped out the bad guy. Mudd was right, she musta been an angel or somethin' cause I sure as shit don't think I could.

Lost in thought, the minutes flipped by, turning into hours. Sam was oblivious to the time that had passed. He had mastered the art of amusing himself, having spent a good chunk of his adult life learning to ignore the passage of time or he would have been apt to lose his mind in that 9x9 cell.

It wasn't until he reached for a beer from his second six-pack and found the cardboard container empty that he finally noticed the time on the microwave.

4:52 PM

Sam grabbed his cellphone. No messages.

Shit, I better go and make sure she's still alright.

Slipping the room key, the coin, and his smokes into his shirt pocket, he stepped out into the muggy afternoon and headed towards their bar.

With 52 bars on the tiny island, Faith and Sam had designated The Green Parrot their bar. It was situated a block away from their hotel, had stiff drinks, decent food and was never crammed with tourists. With an atmosphere that seemed to cater more towards the less rowdy crowd, it was the perfect place for them to drink and talk about research without having to yell over a woo-hooing bachelor party of twenty-somethings.

Sam rounded the edge of the block and under the green awnings that lined the corner of the building. A wall of cold air hit him in the face as he walked through the doorway, causing goosebumps to appear on his forearms.

After their third visit, Faith had nicknamed the decor Taxidermist Goes Tropical. The upper walls were lined with mounted tropical birds while intricate mobiles of seashells hung from the ceiling. Random animal mosaics of beer bottle caps decorated the walls and strands of clear rope lights edged the bar and which gave off a comfortable glow after the sun had set.

Sam looked toward the square bar situated in the middle of the room and caught the eye of Ronni, the young female bartender who worked most of the nights Sam and Faith had stopped in. Ronni set down the tray of clean glasses she carried in front of her and gave a quick wave to Sam before she pointed to the side of the bar behind her. Sam offered her a toothless grin as a thank you and headed to the back side of the bar.

Faith sat by herself on her bar stool, eyes closed, happily bouncing along with the Kinks song that was playing over the bar speakers. The remains of her latest drink was pushed to the far edge of the bar where it eagerly awaited its replacement. Sam slid a bar stool next to Faith, the scraping sound from the metal legs on the dull hardwood pulling her out of the happiness of the song.

“This alright?” Sam asked.

Faith nodded.

Sam sat down next to her while Ronni set a fresh drink in front of Faith.

"Ah! Thank you, dear," Faith said, gratefully taking a long sip from the straw with a content smile on her face.

“No problem. Usual for you?” Ronni asked, more for verification than permission, her hands already pouring Sam three fingers worth of scotch on the rocks and setting the drink down in front of him.

Sam nodded and muttered thanks, not taking his attention away from Faith.

“So,” Faith said, letting the straw drop from her lips back into her drink, “Any major discoveries?”

Sam shook his head.

“Didn't think so.”

Sam took a sip of his drink, the liquid flooding his belly with a dull fire.

“I don't know how you can drink that stuff,” Faith said, pointing to his glass with a disgusted look on her face.

"You do realize that scotch and whiskey are the same things, just mine's Scottish?" He asked her.

"Yours is Scottish, but it's also made from a different grain mash. See, my bourbon here is mostly corn mash while yours is made with mostly barley," She said with a know-it-all smirk.

Sam's raised his eyebrows and gave a nod of approval.

“You know your whiskey,” He said.

“You bet your sweet bippy I do,” She said, raising the straw to her lips, “You know what else I know about it?”

“What?”

"Yours is disgusting while mine is delicious," She gave him a broad smile and went back to sipping her drink quickly through her straw.

Sam chuckled, sipping his own. He loved seeing her this relaxed, her personality that she liked to keep so guarded and downplayed on full display. Every time Sam got to see it, he managed to learn something new about her. Tonight, he discovered that she knew about whiskey. He liked drunk Faith and was relieved that whatever had troubled her this morning seemed to be gone.

“So, I was thinkin' Mudd-”

Faith held her hand up and shushed him.

“No, shhhhh. Just no. No work.”

“What?” He questioned.

“Shhhh,” Faith said, drawing it out long and holding her index finger against his mouth. It reminded Sam of a little kid shushing another in a library; He pursed his lips together behind her finger to stop himself from laughing.

"No work today. It's a holiday, and there is no work on holidays, by decree of the United States Post Office post office. There is no mail. Therefore there shall be no work," She prattled dramatically, taking her finger away and using it to emphasize her point instead.

“I don't think there's a holiday today sweetheart,” Sam said, taking another sip.

"There is, it may not be a holiday for everyone, but it's a holiday for me!”

Sam wracked his brain, trying to think of what holiday she could be talking about. Yom Kippur? Roshashana? Easter?

Faith held her glass up to Sam, the melting ice cubes rattling against each other.

“Happy Mother's Day Sam,”

Sam's heart dropped into his stomach. He hadn't thought about Mother's Day in over thirty years. He could remember that it was on a Sunday, but not what month it was. It had been a very long time since he had last celebrated a Mother's Day. He had Nathan to keep him preoccupied, and it wasn't a holiday that was talked about, let alone celebrated at an orphanage. Sam assumed this had to be the first one for Faith since her mother had died six months ago.

Sam offered up his glass in return.

“Happy Mother's Day Faith,” He replied.

He clinked his glass against hers and the sadness that lurked underneath the drunken glassiness in Faith's eyes as their glasses touched made his heart break for her. Sam tipped his drink back, draining the rest of it before setting it down on the far edge of the bar.

Faith pushed the sadness she was feeling away. She refused to be a crying, depressed drunk. Not today. Today was going to be a good day, no matter how much she had to drink to make it that way.

“Ronni! Can I ask you a favor?” Faith said in a sweet sing-song voice.

“What's up dear?” Ronni asked, her hands already working at fresh drinks for the both of them.

“Can you please play some Depeche Mode?” Faith asked.

Ronni set the drinks down in front of them as a groan escaped Sam. “I think I can do that. Any particular one?”

“Dealer's choice,” Faith answered.

Ronni laughed and returned to the other side of the bar where the sound system was kept.

"You're doing this to bug me, aren't you?" Sam asked.

"Maybe just a little bit," Faith said with a wink getting up from her barstool. Feeling just a little bit wobbly, grabbed Sam's shoulder to steady herself.

"Alright. Be right back. I have to pee! Don't go anywhere!" She said as she stalked towards the bathroom, her voice getting louder as she approached the whitewashed door of the ladies room.

Sam chuckled and shook his head a bit.

“You're girlfriend's a trip,” Ronni said to Sam, putting three shot glasses on the bar in front of him.

“That she is,” He replied, not bothering to correct her.

A Depeche Mode song began to play loudly over the speakers called 'Personal Jesus.' Although he wasn't a fan of the band, he knew the song very well.

"Ha ha! Perfect Ronni!" Faith called from the bathroom door with a laugh. She closed her eyes and let the music move through her as she made her way to the bar, singing to herself and dancing as she went.

Sam swiveled around on his bar stool and watched as Faith danced heedlessly towards the bar. Her hips rolled and dipped provocatively to the steady beat of the song while she ran her fingers through her hair.

Holy shit, Sam thought as a throbbing heat radiated throughout his body, his cheeks turning flush like an embarrassed teen. He watched her ass as it turned and swayed towards him, her bare shoulders in her tank top as they rolled with the beat and the content smile on her face as she moved like no one was watching her.

“Reach out and touch Faith. Your own...personal...Jesus,” She sang to Sam who she had caught staring at her. After her quick impromptu serenade, Faith laughed and continued dancing with herself back to her spot at the bar.

He bit down on his bottom lip with a hunger that had continued to grow within him over the past three weeks.

When she finally made it back, Sam cleared his throat and turned back towards Ronni behind the bar while Faith used his shoulder again to steady herself onto her seat.

C'mon Samuel, get it together. She's just a little drunk; it's not like she was puttin' on a show for you, he thought as Ronni filled the shot glasses with a good whiskey.

“On the house guys. You're good people,” She said before drinking one of the shots herself and heading back to refill some drinks on the other side of the bar.

"Thanks, Roni!" Faith said happily before taking one of the small glasses in her hand. Noticing the song had changed, Faith turned towards Sam.

“Now admit it, Depeche Mode songs aren't that bad,” Faith said staring him down with a smile.

I know that look. She's given me that look before, Sam thought before the moment clicked into place.

"I don't mind that one," Sam admitted as they both took their shots at the same time and set the empty glasses down on the bar top. Faith grabbed them and pushed them away from the two of them and bounced in place merrily to the new song playing over the speakers.

“So uh, I gotta ask,” Sam said.

“What?”

“Actually, it's more like satisfying a curiosity.” He revised.

“And what's that?”

Sam stretched to his right towards the plastic container on the inner lip of the bar that held the napkins and fruity garnishes. He grabbed a bright red maraschino cherry and held them in front of Faith by its stem.

“I believe you said something about cherry stems,” Sam said suggestively.

Faith put her head down on the bar, hiding her face in her arms while her body shook with a drunken, embarrassed laughter. It was an off-handed flirt she had said to him weeks ago. She never thought he would remember her saying it, let alone ask her to prove it. She chanced a look at Sam, peering her right eye sheepishly over the crook of her elbow. He tilted his head with a suggestive smile which just caused her to hide her face and her laughter to turn to giggles. It had been a while since she had been this drunk, feeling this free, this flirty, and this sexy and confident and she was enjoying it entirely too much.

After a moment, she lifted her head and took a couple of deep breaths to compose herself, wiping away the tears that had accompanied her laughter. She cleared her throat and swiveled to face Sam who still held the cherry out in front of him.

“Well?” He asked expectantly.

Faith took the cherry out of his hand and put it stem and all in her mouth. He watched with rapt attention as her tongue poked against the inside of her cheek and her jaw shifted around randomly, her eye contact with him breaking only for a few random seconds to glance up as her brain worked in time with her tongue. A sheen of sweat formed across Sam's brow in spite of the icy cold air that was being pumped through the room.

After less than thirty seconds, Faith's mouth stilled as she smiled. She reached between her lips and removed the cherry stem, perfectly knotted in the middle.

"That's...that's an impressive skill," Sam said coolly. He let his eyes drop to the floor as his lip twitched along with some of his other parts, causing him to shift in his seat.

“I think so,” She said thoughtfully, dropping the knotted red stem on a nearby cocktail napkin.

Sam ran a hand through his hair and let out a heavy breath.

"Alright," She announced, "Now, I'd also like to satisfy a curiosity that I have," She said, resting her elbow on the bar, leaning towards him inquisitively.

"And what would that be?" He said in a slight drunken slur as the booze took hold. Sam, planted his own elbow on the bar, mockingly mimicking her actions, and brought his face near hers.

I can't wait to hear this. It's gotta be somethin' ridiculous, like if I've ever eaten flan or rode a goat.

The thought started to bring a chuckle to his lips until Faith suddenly leaned in and pressed her mouth against his.

[chiildishhopes]

ffxiv au   //    the story so far. 

note.   this is constantly developing as I am rereading lore && doing side quests. Currently I am all the way caught up to 5.5 in the MSQ. If any of this interests you where you would like to throw your muse into the fray with Kaida, or plot anything along side this, please slap that like button. It lets me know people are interested. at the start of ARR, Kaida would be around 14 - 16. At the end of SHB, Kaida is 20 - 22 

                                                                                                                               main post. 

THE BEGINNING of her life was one she barely remembers. All the same, she was raised by her grandfather in some off shoot, deep in the woods in the south side of Gridania. It was a nice little nook, hidden away from most folks. She ran free, with childish wonder keeping her asking every little question she could to her guardian. Yet, that was stolen from her the day a Garlean scientist with a grudge had snagged her right from underneath the nose of her care giver. 

The nights that followed were the loneliest. 

The long nights in the cold dark room of a laboratory. Locked up like a lab rat and fed nothing but poisoned scraps. She had been manipulated before she could realize it. Tested and toyed with, her thoughts and memories scattered and yet one day... 

She finally took her chance, after hearing all the suffering. All of the torment. She slipped out the bars with her tiny form and ran for her life. Only turning back to gaze down the hall with wide eyes when a red soul stone slid across the floor and the scream of agony kept her on her toes. 

She got out. Holding that soul stone and what was left of her belongings. And in a moment of instinct, did a burst of magic come over the small au ra. Wrecking the small facility in a blaze. 

Then. She was on the run. Through the cold icy snows. Where the dragons threw their rage and men soaked the white with red. She slipped into city after city. Hood over her horns. Snagging a stolen meal and running before she could be noticed. 

But luck came and went. From town to town she may go, but eventually she’d find herself stuffed into a barrel and thrown to Ul’dah. Where she thought she could get away with sticky fingers, she was sent running with her tail between her legs for the seas. 

All the while, a curse was laid bare. Memories slipped from her like grains of sand between fingers. Washed up on shore in Limsa ... The Rogue guild at least felt like home. Even if she hadn’t remembered what home was like. Every day she’d follow orders, only to find herself hiding atop of supply boxes within the small hold. Writing down whatever she could remember before it slipped away. 

When she had returned injured, she had finally crossed paths with an ally she’d be lost without - a younger scholar by the name of Ryder. Together, they watched over each other. Together, they tried finding a way to solve her memories slipping pass her. 

Yet, more important things came up. Some idiot causing chaos. A man that Kaida would soon find herself relating to. Doing everything in her power to stop him from continuing the chaos of summoning primal after primal all while the soft whispers of a voice brushed across her mind but she didn’t dare to think about it. 

And when she finally made him realize his mistakes, he had repaid the favor in freeing her from her curse. She continued to play hero with joining the scions, unbeknownst to her that she was a warrior of light. 

BACK TO THE ICEY LANDS to fight in a war against men and beast. She had picked up the lance while she was at it. A new skill set to help even as fear ate at her gut. Many of times had she seemingly vanished from her party. Leaving her newly found allies confused, concerned. Upset. At her running away from her fears instead of facing them. Instead, she’d launch herself into other people’s problems. Selflessly bleeding her heart out for them to try and solve the issues that weren’t hers to solve. 

It cause problems. With her not thinking herself worthy of hearing the voice of Hydaelyn, She was a coward and nearly put down her weapon several times during the war. Only to be talked out of it by friends. Those friends she had done anything she could for. Those who tried to keep her on the straight and narrow. 

It only got worse when another war came around the corner with Garleans being the cause. For a while, the teenager had to fight with herself to keep steady. To keep telling herself that to fight was to help her friends stay alive. But the horrors she saw reopened wounds. Reopened memories that she didn’t even know were hers anymore. 

SOME TIME PASSED after Ala Mhigo was free. Where she burred herself away, trying to get some sort of grip. A simple breath was all she asked for but even that seemed to slip away from her hold as the fight continued. A call for action had been had and she would put aside her fear to try and help. 

If only a certain somone was better at transporting others to another shard. 

She was one of the first to go amongst her friends, finding herself clueless and lost in the First, surrounded by dwarves and ... 

Frankly, maybe that was for the better. She had time, away from the chaos to finally put in a bit of work on herself. To pick up the rapier and finally use the soul crystal that had found her at the start of her journey to use. She slayed sin eaters for the dwarven cities, always twitching at the sound of clankers coming closer. 

But eventually, she’d once again find reason, to come fight along side friends again, and find her way home to the source no matter what it took. 

[elhassanlove]

60 Ways of a chic Woman .

Here are 60 ways in which can assist you to become the elegant woman that you’ve always wanted to be. Living elegantly isn’t complicated, but rather being intentional and empathetic.

1. She thinks of others and their feelings before her own. People would talk about her as a lady willing to offer her the shirt off her back.

2. She never judges others for love or money. It’s not her place because she understands that she’s not any better. 

3. If she has nothing good to mention, she won’t say anything in the least. Nothing is more unflattering than someone who gossips.

4. Always waits for everybody to start eating. Once she features a few bites she genuinely finds something to go with the chef.

5. Keeps up the curb appeal of her house because she appreciates that her neighbors do an equivalent also.

6. Never talks about anything personal regarding sizes or amounts. No bra size, weight, age, money, how big her home is, nothing.

7. She thinks if her Grandma wouldn’t be pleased with her, then she reconsiders her actions.

8. Knows that a restful night's sleep and a glass of water are best than any makeup.

9. Never litters. She waits for the rubbish regardless of how long.

10. Acts as if someone is watching, albeit nobody is.

A sophisticated woman is one that's organized and since of that, calm and on top of things

11. Keeps her keys always within the same place when not using them. She knows life is just too short to be dalliance trying to find anything.

12. She isn't late. She is typically five minutes early. By doing so, she reserves the table, or pre-orders drinks, or simply sits patiently waiting company. She respects other people’s time.

13. Appreciates an intellectual debate.

14. Doesn’t got to always be right – albeit she is.

15. She maintains mystery.

16. Doesn’t even consider going into consumer debt, for love or money.

17. She isn’t scared of getting dirty helping her husband do outside chores and add the garden.

18. If anything, she appreciates diligence and therefore the fruits of her labor.

19. She admires a child’s curiosity and doesn’t speak right down to them. She engages them with all her genuine attention.

20. Knows life is about the very small and straightforward pleasures – like watching birds pick at crumbs, smelling the spring rain, ironing the wrinkles out of a shirt.

21. Realizes that fairy tales don’t exist and are realistic when life gets tough. She persists and never gives up since she doesn’t consider it an option.

A classy woman doesn’t obsess on the “what-if’s” of her life

22. She knows the grass isn’t greener on the opposite side.

23. Doesn’t wish to sleep in – unless it’s cuddling someone special.

24. Isn’t afraid to face up for what she believes, but does so ever gently.

25. Doesn’t walk around with chipped nails or chipped nail enamel.

26. She features a little phone book with everyone’s numbers, address, birthday, and the other important dates. She is usually maintaining so far with the people around her.

27. Sends thoughtful cards on special occasions or sometimes of need.

28. Carries around a little tube of moisturizer for her hands, because let’s face it, it's not very elegant to possess scaly hands.

29. Thinks good thoughts of everyone because she knows that’s the key to being beautiful. a sort face is more beautiful than what any skilled doctor can do.

30. Practices patience with everything in her life. She takes all the opportunities she gets to master it elegantly.

Living elegantly isn't about being perfect

31. Rarely forgets a reputation because she finds a way that works best for her. But if nothing works, then after the meet, she writes down the name and a couple of important things about them. That way she won’t forget.

32. She doesn’t get to yell to urge her point across. a relaxed voice is the best tool.

33. Looks to other women for inspiration. She doesn’t get to compete.

34. Doesn’t procrastinate, ever.

35. Wears makeup sparingly, especially during the day.

36. Enjoys learning new things because you'll never know enough, and dumbing down isn't an option.

37. Understands her weaknesses and tries to form her strengths.

38. She doesn’t waste time on social media or looking up pointless things. Her time is far more valuable.

39. Finds herself true hobbies that she enjoys. She isn’t afraid to require up new ones either.

The elegant lady loves herself that she is in a position to like others

40. Doesn’t take people or other opportunities without any consideration. She understands that everybody has something to supply.

41. Can control herself when it involves impulse spending. Instant gratification is tough to resist, but the results are enough to steer beyond it.

42. She saves up for some time.

43. she will put things into perspective when she’s having a nasty day. She counts her blessings and changes her negative attitude into a gracious mindset. She knows how blessed she is. Sadly, there are tons of individuals who have it worse out there.

44. Writes many thanks notes even for the littlest of gestures. She also tries to form it very personally.

45. Goes very gracefully against the grain.

46. Seeks out good books to read, and doesn’t determine them with what movies are out.

47. Finds the colors that are most flattering for her. She doesn’t allow trendsetters to work out her clothes. She understands that it's never a hard and fast thing, rather it's very fluid. She sees how her fashion evolves as she ages.

48. Embraces her face and everyone it comes with. This is the face she deserves.

49. Wears an apron, even when just doing laundry.

50. Lives by the Golden Rule – she knows what goes around, comes around.

51. Doesn’t wear herself thin, because that isn’t good for her or anyone else around her.

Dress elegantly and see how people will treat you differently

52. Washes her face nightly, she knows that consistency is key!

53. Doesn’t fall for the schemes of anti-aging cream. albeit she has her weak moments, at the top of the day, she knows she can’t run from Father Time.

54. Doesn’t waste a thing. Some folks could only dream to possess what she has.

55. She doesn’t obsess over anybody little thing. Being a perfectionist is nearly a curse, so she tries to not take anything too seriously without looking sort of a joke. Through time she has mastered that fine line.

56. Takes pride in everything she does. It is often something as little as cleaning out her cat’s litter to her career, it doesn’t matter.

57. She isn’t a martyr, if there's an easier route, she is going to take that. No need for unnecessary suffering.

58. If someone were to mention something bad or unbecoming of her, nobody would believe them.

59. She keeps to herself and may keep every secret.

60. If she makes mistakes, she is that the first one to admit it then immediately rights her wrongs.

How to be elegant today and forever

Take these few tips and check out to adopt a couple of them a day. It doesn’t get to be stressful or something to obsess over, but rather study the way to be elegant with watching other classy women and the way they move so elegantly. It isn’t only about the elegant outfits or elegant style, but preferably be loving.

Embrace your life, add elegance, and spread the love by treating others with respect.

[imjustthemechanic]

The Stone Knight

Part 1/? - Two Statues Part 2/? - A Curious Interview Part 3/? - John Doe Part 4/? - Escape Attempt Part 5/? - Making the News Part 6/? - Fallout Part 7/? - More Impossible Part 8/? - The Shield Thieves Part 9/? - Reality Sinks In Part 10/? - Preparing a Quest Part 11/? - The Marvelous History of Sir Stephen Part 12/? - Uninvited Guests Part 13/? - So That’s What It Does Part 14/? - The What and the Where Part 15/? - Gearing Up Part 16/? - Just Passing Through Part 17/? - Dinner with Druids Part 18/? - Kracness Henge Part 19/? - A Task Interrupted Part 20/? - The Red Death Part 21/? - Aphelion Part 22/? - The Stone Giants Part 23/? - Nat the Giant Killer

I don’t think I need to elaborate on the chapter title.

           As the alarm rang, people came running out of buildings all around, some of them carrying firefighting equipment, to react to the emergency – then stopped and looked around in puzzlement when they couldn’t see anything on fire.  There were no golems visible, either, and for what felt like several minutes, though it was probably only a few seconds, people just milled around, confused and asking each other hushed questions.

           Then there was a tremendous groan and crash, and one of the big holding tanks at the east end of the complex collapsed.  From where Natasha was standing it was only possible to see that it had fallen, not why or whether there’d been anything in it, and she was able to hope for a split second that it had been empty. Unfortunately, it had not, and the thousands of gallons of refined oil spilling out of it didn’t take long to find a spark.  It went up with a woosh, pouring black smoke into the air.

           A moment later, the party responsible appeared. There were three golems, and the collapsed tank had coated them all in burning oil, meaning they weren’t just inhuman lumbering figures three times the size of a man – they were also on fire in the late evening dark as they stumped up the road between the buildings looking for humans to crush. No wonder most of the employees simply turned and fled, running indoors to hide or down to the docks in the hopes of escape.

           Natasha did not move.  Her training had taught her that the moments when she most wanted to panic were the times she most needed to stay calm and think.  How did you fight something like this?  The stones had stood on that headland for millennia, all but indestructible.  Sir Stephen seemed to have some theoretical knowledge of magic, but if he’d known how to counter this surely he wouldn’t have been trying to defend himself with a sword and shield.  Or would he? Maybe he just hadn’t had the time or materials to break the spell.  It didn’t matter anyway, because he was lying half-conscious in the infirmary.  His healing might be quick but it took place over hours, not minutes.  Sir Stephen could not help.

           “Natalie!”  Rushman, still cowering in the back of the jeep, reached out the window to tug on her jacket.  “We have to run!  Natalie!”

           “Let go of me!” she snapped, jerking away. Nat had no time for this man or his cowardice right now.  She had to save not only his life but that of every other person on this island, if she could only figure out how. Maybe the refinery would have some explosives… maybe somewhere on the island there was some leftover ordinance from the abandoned military base…

           Then she had an inspiration – and its source, oddly enough, was not training or weaponry.  It was archaeology.

           The prehistoric people of the Orkneys had merely found slabs of stone broken along their natural grain and set them upright, but there were other stone circles in the British Isles whose creators had gone to a little more trouble.  Stonehenge, for example, was made not of shards but of tidy blocks, which had to be quarried.  Before they’d had steel tools to cut through the rock, the ancient Britons had used heat. They would build a fire against a piece of stone to heat it up, and then splash cold water on it, forcing it to contract and split.  The golems were already on fire.  She needed water.

           Sharon had gone to take shelter in the infirmary building.  She was yelling and gesturing for Rushman and Natasha to join her.  Rushman was still in the jeep, as if it could somehow protect him.  Nat climbed into the driver’s seat.

           “I think there’s a boat waiting,” Rushman said, putting his seat belt on.  “Everybody’s gone down that way.  I think there’s a boat.”

           “Shut up,” said Natasha, starting the engine. Anywhere else on earth, she would be able to get water from a fire hose, but they wouldn’t have those here because water was no good for putting out the kind of fires an oil refinery worried about. She would have to look elsewhere. She made a sharp u-turn, and drove towards the golems.

           “The other way!  The other way!” said Rushman, hanging on to the back of the seat in front of him as if for dear life.

           Nat ignored him.  She headed for the nearest golem and stopped about twenty feet shy of it. It stepped towards her, and she drove off again, slowly enough this time that it could follow her.  Sir Stephen had said these were like machines, only following their programming.  In this case they seemed to be programmed to go after the nearest humans.  Hopefully they weren’t smart enough to realize that the human wanted to be followed.

           A second golem joined in the chase.  On the edge of the facility there was another woosh as another tank collapsed and the oil it spilled met the burning residue of the first.  With flaming golems plodding along behind her, she turned onto the ring road, and from there she spotted what she needed – a big onion-shaped tank with the Roxxon logo painted on it, held up on a high tower and lit from below by two floodlights.  She accelerated towards it.

           “Get out,” she told Rushman.

           “What?” he asked.

           “Get out of the car,” she clarified.

           “We’re still moving!” he protested.  “I’ll get hurt!”

           “Either jump out and get hurt or stay in and get killed, it’s up to you!” said Nat.

           He took a deep breath, opened the door, and more fell than jumped, landing in a heap and rolling away to land in the roadside ditch.  Nat revved the jeep up as fast as she could, then kicked the door open and somersaulted out while the jeep kept going.

           She didn’t dare look back.  She just grabbed Rushman and forced him ahead of her up a metal ladder that led to an overhead inspection platform.  They had climbed only a few rungs before the jeep impacted with the base of the water tower.

           The structure creaked, then toppled over. The tank at the top ruptured under the stress, and gallons upon gallons of cold water poured came pouring out.  There were three golems in the immediate area, and none of them made any effort to avoid it – indeed, their attention was focused either on Nat and Rushman or on other humans, and they didn’t appear to be aware of it at all.  The water splashed over them, vaporizing in clouds of white steam that mixed with the black smoke of the burning oil – and with a series of rather musical ping sounds, the stone shattered.  Flakes and fragments crumbled to the ground, some still glowing dull red from the heat of the fire, followed by larger slabs.  They rolled and bounced to a stop, and while some of them seemed to twitch a couple of times it was apparently an illusion. The stones lay still, all animation extinguished with the flames.

           Natasha had been worried that the water would carry a skin of burning oil, but it seemed that the ground in this area sloped in the wrong direction for that.  She began to climb down, then realized Rushman hadn’t moved.

           “Come down,” she told him.  “There’s still more of those things.”

           He whimpered, but didn’t move.

           “Fine, just stay there.  They can reach you,” Nat told him.  She didn’t care – he hadn’t lifted a finger to save her from the Red Death’s henchmen, why should she save him from the golems?

           That scared him into motion and he began to climb down, although he was shaking so badly that he nearly slipped and fell on top of her.  Nat set off across the muddy, boulder-strewn ground as if she fully intended to leave him behind, and he jogged, panting, after her.  There were three golems down, but more were already arriving at the complex.

           People had stopped running away now, though. Natasha’s stunt had gotten attention, and the refinery employees had realized the monsters were vulnerable to heat and cold.  Blowtorches and buckets of burning kitchen grease came out to set them on fire, and dry ice fire extinguishers to put them out again.  The coup de gras was administered when the boat anchored at the refinery docks, a ferry to take workers to and from the island, pulled out its own firefighting apparatus: a hose that pumped water directly out of the icy North Sea.

           Within ten or fifteen minutes, it was all over. Half of the refinery complex was a smoking wreck, and parts of the eastern end were still on fire, but the golems had been destroyed and people were fighting the flames and evacuating the buildings in a far more orderly fashion.

           The single ferry at the docks couldn’t take everybody away, so priority was given to the ill, the injured, and those who had families in the south end village that they wanted to take with them.  With all this going on, nobody seemed too interested in the group of fugitives who’d been brought in with the golems behind them. With Rushman stumbling along behind her, Natasha headed back to the infirmary to find the others.

           It was a very busy place.  Workers who’d already been too ill or injured to move were being put on stretchers to head down to the ferry, while those who’d been hurt or burned in the golem fight were getting first aid, with the promise of more thorough care on the boat.  Seeing all the injuries made Natasha remember Sir Stephen’s words – you cannot mean to lead the beasts to more men and women! – but she shrugged off her guilt as best she could by telling herself that it wouldn’t have mattered.  The golems had been programmed to kill people.  If her companions had escaped the island, or if they’d been killed, the golems would have simply moved on to the next available target and that was the refinery.

           Right?

           She eventually found Sharon, Sam, and Sir Stephen in a little curtained-off area.  Sir Stephen was lying on a cot and Sharon was holding his hand, while Sam finished splinting his bruised and lacerated legs.  There was an awful lot of blood on the sheets, and Sir Stephen’s eyes were closed now, as if he were unconscious or sleeping.  That immediately worried Nat.  Sir Stephen’s stories had suggested he remained awake no matter how much pain he was in.  Could it be the golem had actually finished him.

           Sam gave her a reassuring smile.  “I told them not to mess with him,” he said.  “He’s getting better already – I just had them give him some morphine so he won’t suffer quite so much.”

           Nat nodded, relieved.

           “All right everybody!” called a voice outside in the hall.  “Captain Ibrahim says we’ve got room for a few more!  There’ll be another boat coming for the rest of you in a few hours. For now it’s just the sick, the injured, and children!”

           The curtain opened, and a nurse looked in.  “Are you sure you don’t want to send this guy back to the mainland?” she asked, eyeing Sir Stephen uncertainly.

           “No,” said Sam firmly.  “He can’t be moved just yet.  I’m his doctor, I’ll look after him.”  

           Nat looked at Rushman, who had sat down in a chair in the corner and was now just staring at infinity, as if he still couldn’t quite take in everything that had happened that day.  She went and put a hand on his shoulder.  “Take this guy,” she told the nurse.  “He’s not well.”  She didn’t know about the man in the jeep from earlier, but Rushman was definitely in shock, light-headed and possibly dissociating.

           The nurse nodded and extended a hand to Rushman as Nat helped him up.  “Come with me, Sir,” she said gently.  “What’s your name?”

           “Huh?” he asked.

           “Your name,” the nurse prompted again.  She put an arm around his shoulders to escort him out.

           “Oh.  Allen. Allen Rushman,” he said.  “I wasn’t supposed to… that is… I don’t know what happened.  I just came up here to see my daughter.  I’m missing my car club meeting.”

           “It’s going to be fine,” the nurse assured him. “I’m sure your daughter will be delighted to see you.”

           Little did she know, Natasha thought.

           With Rushman gone, and Sam needed to look after Sir Stephen, that just left Natasha and Sharon to take care of one last important task. They needed to go back to the henge to retrieve the rest of their things – and to look for anything the Red Death’s men might have left behind.

           “Now that the map’s proved useless we have no idea what they might do next,” said Nat.  “I doubt they’re going to give up, so we need to figure it out.”

           “Does it have to be tonight?” asked Sharon, but she stood up and stretched all the same. “I should be used to this,” she said. “When you’re trying to solve a case you don’t get breaks.  Even when you’re sleeping, you’re still thinking about it.  I’ve come up with ideas in my dreams, and had to make myself wake up so I could write them down.”

           “Sam,” Nat agreed.  “It doesn’t sound very different from spying, actually.  Maybe I should have been a detective instead of an archaeologist.”

           They found a couple of utility flashlights in a closet, and headed for the infirmary entrance.  “Why archaeology, of all things?” Sharon asked.

           “Because when I was a kid I liked Indiana Jones movies,” Natasha replied, smiling.

           Sharon smiled back.  “Is it everything you hoped for?” she asked.

           “It’s getting there,” said Nat.

[haiky-u-lously]

Haikyuu:R/FY/N

Chapter 20             Chapter 21: Nekoma Practice Part 3          Chapter 22

You stood on the upper level, watching the boys below run practice drills.

On both sides of the net were mixed six-member teams. One side had Daichi, Kageyama, Hinata, Nobuyuki, Asahi, and Yaku. The other had Kuroo, Kenma, Tsukishima, Tanaka, Yamamoto, and Nishinoya. Behind both teams stood three players.

*Note: I put the names in order that they would be read in an official American volleyball match. Starting with the serving position, front left, front middle, front right, back right, back middle. If you are still confused let me know and I can draw a quick floor sketch.*

This drill was supposed to combine everyone’s focus skill. The three servers would do what their position entailed, the opposing side would practice a set, and then when and/or if it come over the net, the other six would have to catch it before it hit the floor. The coaches explained that it would help not only focus their practice, but would force the team members who were just catching the balls to practice their foot work.

Behind Hinata’s team stood Yamaguchi, Lev, and Shibayama. The other three practicing servers were Hinnoshita, Fukunaga, and Kinoshita.

The rest of the team members had been sent on a conditioning drill around your campus. You really wished you’d been purvey to the details of their conditioning drill, but were glad the Nekoma Coach didn’t kick you out from the gym.

He had seemed surprised when your team’s Coach Ukai explained that they’d be having a ‘shadow’ for the weekend. And, the expression he turned on you made you believe just existing in the gym was a considered a terrible sin. However, as you were grateful, he just said to make sure you didn’t get in the way and wouldn’t obscure the practice.

Hence the reason why you were on the upper level.

After watching the practice drill for a few moments, you wondered what it was you should be paying attention to. This wasn’t a normal practice so it did not give any real insight into how the team worked together. It was also hard to make out what individual people were saying since so much was going on, and the team coaches would shout over plays didn’t help very much either.

You had been taking note of the smirks that the younger and older coaches sent back and forth, the teasing facials, and what you assumed were growls of annoyance while they watched their players. But, that could only be so useful.

Sitting behind the rails, you let your forehead lean against the bars. You started flipping through your notebook pages, re-reading the comments you had written about your teammates the night before.

The sudden loud whistling cut your train of thought.

“Come on, come on. Bring it in already.” Looking up you saw eighteen volleyball players head towards the Karasuno Coach. “Once Coach Nekomata comes in with the others, we are going to switch up the drills. So, take a little break.”

You smiled as you stood, finally having a chance to go to the same level as you school mates.

“Come-on Kageyama-kun!” You watched as Hinata pulled on the setter’s arm. “Come toss for me!”

You smiled at how the taller first year just glared down at the middle blocker.

“No. Coach Ukai told us to take a break.” He said bluntly.

“But I want to practice more hitting!” When the ginger-child realized his partner wouldn’t assist him, he pulled his hands away and you assumed he went to go find someone else.

However, as soon as he looked up after turning away from Kageyama, Hinata’s gaze caught yours and he sent you a blinding smile.

“(F/N)-san!! You’re still here!” He yelled, grabbing onto your hands.

Your first reaction was that of surprise. He is very friendly, you found yourself thinking as your features returned to a more natural state. “Yea, I had to go to the upper level to make sure I didn’t get in y’alls way.” You explained pointing over to the stairway.

“That’s fun! Was it awesome, watching the practice from above? I bet everyone looked so cool! Weren’t Kenma’s tosses just great? He always knows exactly what to do!” You laughed as the other first year continued bragging about his friend. “So much better than Kageyama’s. I mean if Stingyshima and Roster head had actually tried, we would have gotten blocked.”

You let out a loud laugh as the boy sent a quick glare to his friend before smiling back at you.

“Wai-wait.” You laughed out, clutching your side. “Who?” You had a pretty good idea who the boy was talking about, what you wanted to make sure.

Hinata’s expression shifted as he realized he had used his own nicknames for the two players. “Oh, Tsukishima-san and Kuroo-san.”

“Got it.” You smiled at the boy. “So, Kageyama, if they could’ve blocked the spikes, right that’s what you said they were called?” Hinata nodded at you and you returned to look at the setter, “Why didn’t you change tactics?”

Kageyama’s expression didn’t change much. He still held a scowl, but his eyes blew back a tad bit. “They weren’t trying to block and I wanted to see how slow I could make this baka go.”

Laughing, you threw your head back. “There you go Hinata-kun. He was…wait what?” You abruptly asked, jerking your head back to the blue-eyed individual.

“His thing is speed, right? So, if we get people to expect that and then slow it down, we have another weapon at our disposal.”

You were amazed at how Kageyama thought through his actions. And made a mental note to write this down when you went back up to your notebook.

“BAKAYAMA! YOU COULD HAVE TOLD ME THAT!!!” Hinata screeched from next to you, suddenly facing the setter directly.

“If I did you would have over thought things and screwed it up.”

The next thing you knew, Kageyama was walking away. Hinata quickly followed after him, sending an apology over his shoulder. Claiming he’d come find you later to talk more.

“Well that was unexpected.” You said to yourself.

Then looked to either side of you, letting out a sigh of relief when you realized you were actually alone.

“So, let me get this straight.” Kuroo whispered, leaning in closer to the group he was talking with. “You all like her? Like, you all want to get with the same girl? And, you just met her yesterday??”

The Nekoma captain threw his hands up in astonishment and began falling back when Daichi, Suga, and Yamaguchi nodded. At Tsukishima’s ‘tsk’, the captain completely lost his top.

“How? Why?” He looked between the boys and the girl they were currently discussing. “Sure she has something about her, but like you can’t all like the same thing can you?”

Suga shook his head in disappointment, “Don’t refer to girl’s as things Kuroo-san. It’s degrading.”

The jet-black-haired captain just looked like he was fed up with Karasuno’s co-captain’s shit. “I wasn’t calling her a thing. I would never be so rude about a precious kitten, even if she is a crow for whatever reason…but no, I was saying you can’t all like the same THING about her. Unless, you do..?” He drawled.

Now it was Daichi’s turn to shake his head, “I don’t think so. I mean sure, maybe a couple guys overlap reasons, but we are our own people.”

“Not like it’s any of your business.” Tsukishima interjected.

Yamaguchi nodded in agreement with his friend, while the third years just hoped Kuroo wouldn’t be too offended by their kouhai’s comment.

Kuroo was too busy laughing to notice their worry. “Is that right? And what if I were to try and claim her as my own.” He held a hand up to silence Suga before adding, “As my girlfriend.”

The glares the cat-boy got in answer could have killed a raging bull with a grain of sand they were so intense.

Holding his hands up in surrender, his hazel-orbs contrasted. “Kidding, kidding. But I’m not going to lie. Might start a betting pool about who will win her favor between your teammates.” Kuroo winked at the opposing team members, before sauntering off towards his team’s vice-captain and Kenma. Smirking the entire way.

“Well, at least he’s not going to go after her?” Yamaguchi offered, trying to help his friend calm down a little.

The blonde simply tsk’d in response before heading out of the gym. Thinking, why do I even want to get closer to her? Like that baka just said, we just met yesterday. He shook his head before stepping through the door frame and taking a deep breath of fresh air.

“Just give him some space Yamaguchi-kun.” Daichi said, making the boy stop his process of standing. “He’s probably thinking through some things now.”

The first year just nodded at his captain’s words and made his way over to where Kageyama and Hinata had just left you.

“Daichi,” Suga began. “What do you like about (F/N)-sama?”

The captain smiled at his friend’s question, “I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours?” At the silver-haired boy’s assenting, Daichi closed his eyes. A fond smile overtaking his features. “Remember when she first came yesterday, and I had asked her to introduce herself a little more before getting started.” After Suga hummed in response, the short-dark-haired boy continued. “Well she did this thing where she tried hiding her smile behind her hand and tried to play it off as thought she was reaching for her pencil.” The boy opened his eyes, and sent a blinding smile to his partner. “Her eyes shown with humor, but she since she was there for her club she kept a professional manner. I think I just really appreciated how willing she was to accommodate to us, and how expressive her actions are.”

Nodding, Suga pulled his gaze from his best friend. “Those are pretty good reasons, Daichi.”

The captain just nodded, his silence telling the other to give his own reasons.

Sighing, the boy let a hand trail through his silver locks. “So, you should remember after your question last night, Hinata-kun just bombarded her with questions. She seemed to take it in stride for a bit, but I thought it’d become troublesome for her so I interjected, right?” The movement of dark hair in his peripherals told Suga his friend remembered. “Well, she the little nod she gave me, the slight half-smile that seemed to send a silent thank you, combined with the fact that she was so enthusiastic about learning about us? I thought we had just met a lost angel.”

Daichi stood up and smiled down at Suga. “Guess this really is going to be a thing. Huh? Us, fighting over a girl. Who would have guessed.”

When his friend laughed, and followed suit by taking his own stance, Daichi’s smile turned into a smirk. “Well, we do have so many other things in common, I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later.”

“But, we’ll be fine no matter what. I’m just worried for some of the other guys on the team.” Suga expressed, his smile faltering.

Daichi dropped his expression of mirth. “They’ll have to just accept her feelings for what they are. I wasn’t kidding last night when I said we were not going to make uncomfortable. Her feelings are just not, no actually they are more important than ours. If anyone cannot accept that, they don’t need to be here.” He brought his smile back to his face, “But I don’t think any of our boys are that stupid.”

Suga laughed at his captain’s final statement, silently agreeing to the sentiment.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Apologies for it being two days late.

But like let me tell you why because holy crapanoli. I'm now a volleyball coach. So for the next couple months with everything going on this will probably be pushed to being updated weekly instead of daily and I just wanted to give all of you avid readers an update.

Additionally, I have finally decided I'm going to write endings for every boy. But, I'm going to keep these types of chapters going until through the "practice match day" that I've already planned out. From that point the chapters will be crazy long because it'll be the endings. I digress. In summary though, I really do feel bad for suddenly cutting this from almost daily updates to weekly. But I hope you all understand because volleyball is such a huge part of my life and I'm so excited to take this new journey.

Thanks for reading!

[readingraebow]

Outlander Section Four

Chapters 17-22

1. Who is Hugh Munro? Hugh Munro is one of Jamie's friends who happens upon them out in the woods one day. He's a mute because his tongue was cut out. And a lot of other things were done to him as well. Because of that, he's allowed to legally beg on the one day a week when begging is legal. He also just got married not long ago to a widow who has six kids.

2. What happens as Rupert is telling stories by the campfire one night? One of the nearby clans shows up to raid them. Dougal and Jamie stand back to back, fighting them. And before the fighting started, Jamie told Claire to hide between two rocks and gave her a dirk in case she should need it. She didn't but she had a front row seat to the entire fight. Dougal ends up being stabbed in the shoulder pretty bad and Jamie's wounds are minor. But Jamie ends up scaring them all off and they only leave with a few bags of grain and a few other things. They do kidnap one of the men though. But they showed up to steal horses and that's what they didn't get so that's good.

3. What is the story behind the gunshot wound that Jamie had on the night when he and Claire met? Sooo they were running from the English but they were close enough to Frasers lands that Jamie just decided to make a run for it. And, well, the MacKenzies aren't keen to let Jamie go so Dougal shot Jamie. Or Jamie said it could've been Rupert. Someone shot him to keep him from going back to the Fraser lands and then Claire dressed the wound when they found her.

4. Why does Jamie say he presents a problem for Colum and Dougal? So on the one hand because he's their nephew, he could be an heir to the MacKenzie clan and he could challenge Colum's son Hamish. But, on the other, he owns part of the Fraser lands and he can't do anything with his land while he's outlawed. But if he should die before he marries, that land reverts to the Fraser clan, which the MacKenzies don't want. But now that Jamie has married Claire, that land is hers if he dies.

5. What does Claire decide to do while Jamie’s at his meeting with Horrocks? What happens? Claire is so busy being upset that Jamie left her alone that she's doesn't realize that that's exactly what she wanted to be since the Scots found her: alone. And for once, she actually knows where she is. She's only about seven(?) miles from the Craigh na Dun so she decides to see if she can find it and go back home. But on her way, there's this huuuuuge river in the way and she's jumping rocks, trying to cross it but she slips and falls in. And, well, she's wearing a massive dress with huge petticoats and even though the water isn't that deep, all of the weight of the dress drag her under and she almost drowns. But she's working on pushing herself up to the surface when a hand reaches out to help her up. It turns out it belongs to Corporal Hawkins. Who happens to be one of Jonathan Randall's men. Whoops.

6. What happens during Claire’s meeting with Randall? So Claire, uh, tries to make Randall as angry as possible. She tries to make him think that she works for one of his bosses and he doesn't ~really believe her but is angry enough about it that he's going to try to make her talk. And he decides to do this by raping her. Well just as he's lifting her skirts, Jamie appears at the window, pointing a gun at him. It turns out its not loaded and Randall takes it, tries to use it on Jamie but Jamie jumps in the room and punches him and saves Claire, getting her back out of the fort and to both his waiting horse and the rest of the MacKenzies.

7. What unpleasant surprise does Jamie have for Claire when they stop at the inn? Why does he feel this is necessary? What are your thoughts about it? When they get back to their room after a super awkward dinner, Claire is all ready for bed but Jamie says things aren't yet solved. Soooo. Jamie says that since Claire ran off after he specifically told her not to and basically endangered the lives of all of the men and literally all of them could've died, it's his job to punish her because he's her husband. He says if he'd been the only one in danger, he would've just let it go. But because she doesn't really seem to get the kind of danger they're in, he's going to have to show her a different way since talking hasn't worked thus far. So he beats her with his belt. And, honestly, it reminded me a lot of when I was spanked as a child??? I mean, my parents weren't quite so barbaric but if you listen to the stories from their childhoods, their parents apparently were. So in that sense, it kind of makes sense??? Because Claire herself says that she hasn't really wrapped her head around where she is and it feels more like a dream. And Jamie is bringing home that lesson. Not that I agree with him beating her so badly with a belt. But I also kind of get it. And I think it's also pretty fitting for the time period and this is definitely where the idea of spanking children comes from.

8. What is the root of the animosity between Jamie and Jack Randall? Besides Randall raping Jamie's sister, when Jamie was up for his second set of lashings, Jamie's father came to see if there was anything he could do to save him. There wasn't and, unbeknownst to Jamie, his dad stayed at the fort, still trying to save his son. Anyway, so after that, when Jamie met with Randall again, he gave him a choice: either Jamie could take the second set of lashings (which very likely could've killed him) or Randall could have... him. And Jamie honestly considered it because the first set of lashings was healing so badly. But Randall had already raped his sisters, Jamie didn't want to let Randall rape him as well. So he took the lashings and didn't know that his dad was waiting in the crowd. Well, when Jamie fell during the lashings and they all thought he was dead, his dad had a stroke and fell and died. So Jamie thinks watching his lashing is what killed his dad and he often wonders that if he'd taken the other option, maybe his dad wouldn't have died.

  Section Four Reading Journal

So I don’t really know what to say about this section? Except that I was so tired every time I tried to finish it that I fell asleep several times while reading it? Oops.

But, honestly, a good chunk of it felt mostly like it was filler?? A lot of it felt like stuff we’d already covered before. Especially with Jamie’s place in the MacKenzie clan and Dougal’s attack against Jamie and even Jamie’s past with Randall. It was all stuff that we’d already talked about before??

It didn’t feel like a lot really happened in this section. Except Claire’s terrible escape attempt. Which honestly annoyed me a lot??? If they were attacked by redcoats the day before in the same territory, WHY WOULDN’T THERE BE MORE??? How on EARTH does wandering off by yourself not raise a huge danger sign???? I was not at all surprised that she was captured.

So. I’m hoping stuff actually happens in the next section?? Because so far this book feels like a loooot of filler with bits of actual story just randomly thrown in. And while I am liking parts of it, it still feels wildly too long and like we could’ve already gotten to the point long ago.

[midnightfloats]

- Batty’s Headcanons - 

Batty’s Headcanons

 Batty:

Headcanon #1

          Batty is afraid of clowns. Ever since Batty got bitten and attacked by Pennywise, even happy clowns cause her to feel fear. Batty gets really nervous around them and faints when she’s near them. Batty hates the circus and makes sure to never go because that’s how scared she is. Batty knows they aren’t Pennywise but she deludes herself into thinking all clowns are Pennywise in disguise. Pennywise knows Batty is afraid of clowns and appears to her in this form constantly. The child has frequent nightmares about clowns and is unable to sleep most nights because of it. Batty has also been known to attack clowns with a bat and this has gotten her in big trouble numerous times. 

Headcanon #2

Batty has fake teeth. Batty has been losing teeth regularly, but her agent doesn’t want her to have teeth gaps in her movies. Her agent claims teeth gaps aren’t cute nor will people want to see any imperfections when it comes to their favorite child actress. Batty sometimes removes them as a prank towards people that have no idea she has them.

Headcanon #3

Teen Batty: Batty will legally change her name to Batty when she’s old enough. Batty hates her real name because that’s who her fans know her as. ‘Dana’ has become an identity or a role to play while ‘Batty’ is the real her. Batty separates the two names and one day she will give up being Dana to be Batty forever. 

Headcanon #4

Teen Batty:  Batty will quit being an actress when she is in her 20’s. Batty by that time will have made enough money to live comfortably and she would get tired of being an actress. Giving up fame would make Batty happy, though Batty is happy being an actress sometimes, she just hates the fame that comes with it. Batty will give it up one day and she will live in the country somewhere where nobody from Hollywood can find her to pester her. 

Headcanon #5

Batty doesn’t know the difference between salt and sugar. Batty only knows that they are both white grain substances and she mixes the two up all the time. Batty has been known to put salt in coffee and sugar in soup. Because she can’t tell the difference between the two, people should be wary of what Batty uses to season her food.

Headcanon #6

Batty looks to the left when she lies.

Headcanon #7 

Batty doesn’t get much sleep.

Headcanon #8

Batty has Aspergers and a learning disability. 

Headcanon #9

Batty isn’t very good at math, but she’s pretty good at English

Headcanon #10

Batty’s reading has the reading level of a Middle Schooler.

Headcanon #11

Batty plays the ukulele and the guitar. Batty has been playing both since she was five years old and she can play songs like House of the Rising Sun and I Wanna Hold Your Hand. Other songs are Purple Haze and Wish You Were Here. But she is very self-conscious about her guitar/ukulele playing. Batty doesn’t think she’s any good, so she practises by herself and away from other people. She also doesn’t like singing in front of people, but will sing in front of a camera.

Headcanon #12

Batty can remember her dreams

Headcanon#13

Batty wears her portal ring on her left middle finger. The ring feels more comfortable on Batty’s middle finger than on her ring finger. This is because the ring is too big for her ring finger. 

Headcanon #14

Batty has a deep fear of being abandoned. Batty’s birth parents were mostly absent when she was younger and they are still absent now. Batty didn’t have many friends before coming to Derry, and even then she is picked on by her classmates. Thankfully, Batty made friends in Derry, but they are older than she is. The child is always afraid these friends will leave her. Every time she makes a mistake, Batty freaks out and apologizes because she doesn’t want people to hate her. Loneliness is an emotion felt frequently by Batty. At all times, Batty is afraid of waking up and finding that nobody wants her around anymore and the thoughts have been getting worse and worse. It is a huge source of stress for Batty, but people have been helping her with it. 

Headcanon #15

Batty has acted in six movies and she is currently filming one. The movies she has acted in are: Lawless Katherine, Good Ship Lollipop, Curly, Family Times, Cinder Ella, and Dynasty. The one she is acting in at the moment is Little Princess

Update: Batty has completed the filming for the movie and will act in one in February 1991.

Headcanon #16

Batty can cook a few things because her parents are never around. Batty can cook macaroni n cheese, ramen, rice, eggs, and bacon. The child is teaching herself how to make pancakes and is saving up for a waffle iron. Batty often cooks for herself, but the maids make things for her. Some of Batty’s recipes have something added to them. Batty can also make omurice and macaroni with scrambled eggs in it. Sometimes Batty adds steak and garlic powder to her macaroni and cheese.

Headcanon #17

Batty has separation anxiety. Batty has been abandoned by people/friends numerous times, causing the child to develop a fear of being alone or of being separated from somebody. Batty will frequently beg people not to leave her even if they’re not going anywhere, and she has also been known to cling onto people if they have to leave. Some people don’t know how to deal with this and they get concerned for her well being. Batty also clings to her real parents when they have to leave her and she has mental breakdowns when they forget her during a holiday. Their neglect has contributed to her feelings of loneliness and anxiety. 

Headcanon #18

Batty’s texting style is informal and she uses emojis when she texts.

Headcanon #19

Batty has a bodyguard, a stylist, and an agent. The agent’s name is Mike Miland, the bodyguard’s name is Griff Garland, and the stylist’s name is Darla Kirk. 

Headcanon #20

Batty has a smartphone and two flip phones and a new home phone: Batty has a Samsung Galaxy, a DoCoMo SH-11C (pastel pink), a MOTOROLA MICROTAC 9800X, and a pager. As for the home phone, it is a wired home phone with caller i.d. It is relatively new. 

Headcanon #21

Batty carries a bag around with her. Inside, she carries: A lighter, two cell phones, a pager, a pack of pens, a laser pen, bag of cheerios, container of macaroni, her cassette player, cassette tapes, headphones, a change of clothes, a flashlight, and a first aid kit.

 Headcanon #22

Batty drinks energy drinks before bed so she can’t fall asleep because she has horribly vivid nightmares.

 Headcanon #23

Batty has the ‘power’ of transparency. Ever since Batty entered a portal shot out of her broken ring, she has been able to turn transparent. It is a very bad thing and that means she is slowly disappearing, but it will kill her when she is 12 years old.

Headcanon #24

Batty has eleven pets: a frog named Freddie Mercury, three cats named Bats, Mango, and Jester, two rats named Rattimus and Cheese, two hermit crabs named Xerxes and Iago, a male rabbit named Strawberry, a dog named Skittles, and a chipmunk named Nibbles. 

 Headcanon #25

Batty’s ninth birthday was on 7/19/90. For her birthday, she got: a rabbit, a Tamagotchi, a 3DS, the Hobbit book, two teddy bears, a Polaroid camera, lipstick, a backpack with bat wings, coloring books, a pocket knife, a doll, a Care Bear, two bikes, a painting, Power Rangers, a train set, a plush cat, dino plush, a toy truck, a rubber duck, a watch, a blanket, a wind up car, a Neopet. A bat plush. 

Headcanon #26

Batty’s injury history: Batty has been bitten in the shoulder and she has had a chunk of flesh ripped out. Batty has had a rock bashed against her head. Batty has had her legs bitten up and burned. Batty has had her arm and hand broken. She’s been stabbed twice. She has been shot at. Batty has been smacked. She has been Force choked. Batty has been kicked in the stomach and face, she’s been drowned in a special circumstance, she saw four people die. Shards of glass have been lodged in her arm. She has had Its claws dug into her sides until she bleeds. Her head has been smashed against the floor. Batty’s hands have been burned. Batty has been attacked (but not hurt) with an ax. She has also been hit in the head and legs with a metal bat. Batty was kicked in the chest and had her throat cut open. 

 Headcanon #27

Batty runs away when she can’t deal with her problems.

 Headcanon #28

Batty tells people she loves them frequently because she’s afraid the universe will kill her and cause her to fade away. Batty knows that at any time, the universe can detect her presence. Before she goes to bed, she texts people she loves them before going to bed in case she doesn’t wake up.

 Headcanon #29

Batty’s Fears: Clowns. Large dogs. Heights. Drowning. Nightmares. Not waking up. Being abandoned. Making mistakes. Being yelled at. Dying. Being a nuisance. Being hated. Getting hurt. Needles. Sid The Bully (no longer a fear). Not being able to control her power/ring. Fading away. 

Headcanon #30

Batty thinks she’s a burden to her friends and family. Ever since Batty realized she made her real parents unhappy, she has been very insecure and believes she lacks the ability to make anybody happy.

Headcanon #30

Batty has a beach house in Weston-super-Mare in Britain. It is located in North Somerset. Batty sometimes goes there during the summer and once a week at least once a month. It is more like a cottage, but Batty really enjoys going there. Her parents have a boat too they take out on the ocean or a nearby lake such as the Marine Lake.

Headcanon #31 

For the Christmas of 1990, Batty received: stickers, a yellow flower, and many other things. She spent the day with her friends and family.   

Headcanon #32

For Christmas, Batty handed out rocks. She has handed out: 19

Headcanon #33

There are some foods Batty likes. Batty likes: brownies, strawberry shortcake, strawberry and vanilla ice cream, root beer, cheese, and peanuts. 

Headcanon #34

There are some foods Batty dislikes. Batty dislikes: beans, caramel, and tea. 

Headcanon #35

Batty has a few legal guardians in North Park. Those legal guardians are Stan Marsh, Clyde Donovan, Kyle Broflovski, and Kenny McCormick 

Headcanon #36

Batty went to Japan in 1987 in April. During her month long trip to Japan, Batty went to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Kamakura, and Nagoya. Batty spent the most time in Kyoto at a film location. During her trip, Batty got many souvenirs including a few kimono, a couple of dolls, and a fan. While there, Batty met a lot of other Japanese film stars and some animators. While there, Batty fell in love with the food and culture, but she still doesn’t like tea despite trying macha.