#soul caliber 6

[c-atm]

So I was reading @invaderakirasu dj au..and remember her description if Connie's outfit..so..

[420thewritersroom]

so not only do I have my job getting in the way of me wrting, but I've been under the weather for the past 5 days now

[prettykikimora]

Soul caliber 6

[workersolidarity]

🇮🇱⚔️🇵🇸 ☠️ 🚨

FOOTAGE FROM ON THE SCENE WHERE THE 6 YEAR-OLD HIND AND HER FAMILY WERE KILLED ALONG WITH TWO PARAMEDICS

📹 The first footage from on the scene where the 6 year-old Hind Rajab, along with her family members, and two Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) personnel were all killed by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in Khan Yunis, in the south of Gaza.

For 12 days, PRCS headquarters and Hind's mother, who was not in the car when Israeli forces fired on it, searched for the girl and called on the International community for assistance to no avail.

Finally, Israeli tanks and armored vehicles, which had surrounded the girl and the ambulance that came to rescue her, withdrew from the area, revealing a horrid scene of death and destruction.

As seen in the footage, Hind's family's civilian vehicle was repeatedly shot at with small caliber gunfire, with bullet holes evident in the headrests and doors of the vehicle, indicating IOF soldiers fired at the heads of the civilians in the car.

Several meters away, the PRCS ambulance can be seen destroyed, likely by Israeli tanks, whose tracks remain in the dirt nearby.

The two PRCS paramedic heroes who rushed to save the young Hind and died for their efforts were Yousef Zaino and Ahmad al-Madhoun.

The 6 year-old Hind was accompanied by her sister, and several other relatives, including an uncle, who were all killed by the Israeli occupation army.

May God rest their souls, and may we all be forgiven for letting this atrocity happen 🙏

#source

@WorkerSolidarityNews

[cannibal-nightmares]

Trick of the Light

Stein navigates coping with a personal loss. Post-anime canon.

Not sure how many chapters this will have yet. Maybe 4 or 5 or so; possibly just 3, potentially 6.

Soul Eater - Stein, Spirit, & Marie (ships are up to interpretation, SFW) // blind!Stein, ships up to interpretation, friendly banter, hurt+comfort, acceptance, coping, learning to live again, recovery Chapters 1/? Current word count - 1,879 -- [AO3 link]

"So, we're not going to the cabaret club after all?"

"No, Stein." Spirit chuffed with a playful shove.

"But I could twist your leg."

"Very funny."

Stein brushed his hand to Spirit’s knuckles and readjusted to meet their palms in interlocked fingers. It was a comfortably tempered day as the setting sun blistered through the breeze, the two taking in faint music from the passing buildings and the smell of food and autumn on the wind. While the cobbled brick walkways were ever-familiar to the professor, that evening he allowed his weapon to surprise him on their catch-up reunion with their colleagues.

Alright, he would admit to himself, he wasn’t exactly interested in the decision-making of the like.

“It’s here,” Spirit slowed and gestured to move in front of his partner, reaching out and holding the door open for him.

A nod, and they were quick to notice the restaurant was characteristically empty for an awkwardly-timed Tuesday night, perfect for more open conversation and intimate focus undistracted by bustle; along the front wall, a few tables down from the entrance, three kindred souls were already chatting patiently.

“Did Naigus not make it?” Franken couldn’t help a grin, touching the edge of the table on his approach.

“Stein! Death Scythe!” Exclaimed Sid from the corner of the booth. “No, Naigus is attending an emergency operation tonight, something came up after a recent mission.”

“I hope everything’s alright,” Spirit worried aloud, gently patting Stein’s back before he scooted into the seat behind him; across from the knife meister and now next to Albarn sat a still-studious woman who rustled papers out of the way to make space at the table.

“We were actually just discussing it,” Azusa remarked. “The kids are sure to make a full recovery, but the fight they had to put up wasn’t anticipated to be at that caliber.”

“On a leisure trip away from home and yet you all still find work. It’s something to be remarked.” Stein made effort in slight jest to face the remaining guest, soft and anticipatory.

“Tell me about it…” Marie sighed, but her wavelength readjusted to ensure a sort of calm resolve.

“I can’t pretend I didn’t bring it up,” Sid chuffed. “You know the kind of man I am, I can’t help but keep my head in the game.”

“And I can’t help but entertain him.” Azusa straightened the files with two taps to the table.

Stein instinctively rolled his eyes with a balancing polite chuckle. “Of course.”

"It's been so long since we've seen you,” said Marie in ordered relay.

"I would say the same." Stein held back an amused sprawl making his place next to his weapon until Spirit pushed him in the shoulder.

"Shut up, Stein." He laughed.

“If I don’t laugh, I’ll cry.” Franken snapped sarcastically.

“It’s a relief to have you in good spirits.” Sid chimed, sitting back, the leather squeaking out from behind him.

Stein gestured outward generally with a lighthearted shrug. “There’s too much work to be done to maintain anything different.”

“And that’s where he got his praise to give to us.” Yumi dared to joke, her words muffled in her cup.

Too caught up in the group’s banter, the waitress managed to startle the professor at his side.

“Welcome in, gentlemen. Could I get you something to drink?”

“Ah, just water,” Franken answered for them both. He slapped a firm hand onto Spirit’s shoulder and playfully wobbled him. “He’s my designated driver, you see.”

“Cut it out.” Spirit half-huffed.

“I gotcha…” She humored him. “Did anyone need any more time deciding?”

“Oh, Stein, are you familiar with the menu?” Marie asked, worry crossing her tone. “I just realized we forgot to ask.”

He smirked. “Spirit said he’d surprise me. That was apart of our deal tonight, that he’d take the lead.”

“And <i>fortunately for you,”</i> on cue, his weapon teased, “I also know what you like.”

“There’s that, too.”

One by one, the server took everyone’s dinner requests, navigating the occasional rhythmic raillery between the familiars. The dinner was a celebration of returns and recovery from their last group-assigned collaboration from almost a year ago to the date; Sid, of course, continued to be a local character who kept up his presence, but the likes of Azusa remained steadfast in her duties. Marie, despite her begged insistence against it, had been quickly swept back to Oceania after their last mission together.

She wrote to Stein, and she did receive letters back in his voice, but not in his handwriting.

Over their glasses, Barrett and Albarn got wrapped up in a usual back-and-forth about Shibusen on new students and policy and technique, Yumi occasionally dropping in to make note of history and comparison and statistics. Marie and Franken quietly listened to themselves, one of which was slightly uncharacteristic. In noticing her undoubtedly unintentional silence, Stein reached out an open palm with his elbow on the table, a gentle though disarming smile washed his countenance to assure the gesture. She shortly exhaled with the same reflection and accepted his fingertips, her thumb rubbing under his knuckles. There was a small lull in the partnering conversation upon noticing the exchange, but it naturally continued on after only a pause, laughter of the friends once again brightening the atmosphere.

In a moment, they were interrupted with their meals brought to them, dishes distributed noisily among the guests. Naturally, they all settled again, the warmth of their souls matching with each other in the warmth of the food.

Stein traced his plate and met a sushi roll with his chopsticks. “Which one is this one again?”

“Futomaki.” Spirit commented. “And then the one above it is the unagi.”

“Right.”

He bit a section of the roll with sincere thought.

“Hmm.” He pretended he didn’t want to smile. “Eel. You do know me.”

“Yeah, and you should know me, too—” Spirit moved to steal a bite from Franken’s plate, but was timely defended with a sturdy arm.

“Too well.” In the deflection, he reached over and jabbed his chopsticks into his partner's dish, popping a piece into his mouth without even acknowledging what it was.

“Oh,” Stein murmured with a revolted grin. “Cucumber, how typical of you.”

For once it was Spirit to wield a malicious giggle. “Checkmate!”

Something in Azusa’s wavelength shifted that brought Stein to refocus in front of him, Marie excusing herself abruptly from the table.

“I’ll be right back…” She tried for manners, but turned away too quickly before expressing her apologies.

“Marie…” Yumi moved to comfort her out of instinct, but could not make any sort of gesture fast enough out from behind both Death Scythe and the professor.

“I noticed she was quiet, but I must admit I figured you had it covered.” Sid remarked in reference to the doctor. “Do you know what’s going on, Stein?”

Azumi answered for him. “She’s still upset about the outcome of the battle with The Gale from last year.” She must have glanced to Stein after readjusting her glasses, but he was too focused on Marie’s departure. “She said she didn’t think she’d be ready to see you again, but I told her I thought she never would be.”

“Any time sooner is better than later. It doesn’t make it any more easy.” Spirit rubbed Stein’s back, to which he didn’t seem to react to in his thoughts.

“I wish I had known.” Barrett sighed. "I'll check on her." Stein had long-concluded the second Marie had gotten up to step away. "Oh-- Did you want me to go with you?" Albarn’s attention honed.

“No, I’ll find my way.”

“Ah, alright.”

Stein took balance from the booth and wandered away from the group, tracing the trail of the distressed soul to the rear of the restaurant; he tapped along the edge of the beverage bar for a sort of self-reassurance to meet a push door at the back wall.

“Marie?”

Quick to withhold a surprised gasp, the weapon paused to hold her breath. She let it go in mere seconds in its futility.

“I’m here, Stein.” She said forlorn.

He let the door close behind him, stepping to the bathroom counter next to her. Because he knew she wouldn’t do it, herself, he released a forced sigh.

“I don’t have to ask about the elephant in the room.”

Marie reflected his breath and brought a soft hand to his shoulder.

“I’m—”

“Don’t apologize.” He warned. Stein intended genuine cordiality, but if there was one thing he wasn’t going to accept, it was an apology for the wrong reasons.

He corrected his tone in an earnest questioning. “Why are you actually upset?”

Mjolnir had to return her hand to wipe away silent tears. “It’s just… You’re still you. I’m happy for you.”

Stein bit his tongue and held the pause. So, then, why are you still emotional about it? He desperately wanted to snap. He wasn’t mad at her, but he wanted to be. He knew the answers to his own question, it was just frustrating to him that she hadn’t actualized or accepted them for herself yet.

In their momentary interlude, the bathroom door swung open and halted with a start, surely at the sight of Stein.

"Oh!” A woman nervously chirped from behind him. “Uh, sir? You're in the women's room..."

"You don’t think I know that?" He barked, whipping around with unintended aggravation, the loop of the tall white cane in his hand slipping over his wrist in the jerk and clattering to the floor. He didn’t care that the stranger yelped and scurried away.

Marie picked up the stick and returned it to his fingertips, more shaken than she was before.

Stein sighed, re-centering himself, recollecting, and only hoped the death weapon would do the same. “I took my time to grieve. Have you?” He waved his hand in correction. “Don’t answer that, just think about it.” He took his orientation away from the counter top as he rubbed calloused fingers between his brow; Franken knew he had to steady her wavelength if he wanted her to listen to anything he had to say, and it surely wasn’t his intention to scare her into focus. The professor finally held out his hand and she took it after a sniffle.

“I don’t like thinking that a lot better could have happened for us. It’s counterproductive when the opposite is true, too.” He squeezed her grip. “I resent losing my sight, I don’t resent you.”

Eventually, she nodded in pair with a small handshake and an audibly trembling breath to confirm her crying, returning the squeeze. Stein moved to hug her and she hid her face in the smell of his cologne.

With the timing, he considered to joke. "Spirit asked if he could come with me to comfort you, but I think too many women's rooms have seen enough of Spirit Albarn." Marie instantaneously broke her tears with a huffed laugh.

“Oh, Stein…” She pulled away with a relaxed smile, the shattered pieces reforming within their resonance, looking up to his misplaced gaze.

“Come over to our place tonight after dinner and we can make sure everything gets put back in the right order.”

She hugged him once more.

“I would love that.”

[gale-gentlepenguin]

How would you rank the main 6 villains of the first arc of ML (Gabriel, Nathalie, Lila, Chloe, Felix and Tomoe) based on their writing ?

Based on writing? Well damn. (Twist my arm)

Okay so let’s start

But just know I will be discussing spoilers

6th Tomoe

I put Tomoe last not because she’s written badly but because she’s really written with the least amount of time as one and isn’t given much to work with. Tomoe isn’t a good mother, but her actions are more about a deal she made rather than an ambition. She cares about Kagami to a degree where she doesn’t want her involved in Gabriel’s akuma attacks. Tomoe is doing what she thinks is in the best interest of her family name, but she really doesn’t see the consequences of those actions. She also just gave Gabriel the tech rather than do it herself. So number 6.

5th Chloé

Now we get into bad writing territory, in season 1 she was the typical bully character. In season 2 and 3 she was the sympathetic mean girl who wanted to change. Season 4 she was back to square one after all of her redeeming qualities were stolen by Zoe. Then season 5 she was just a dictator puppet. So really it’s tragic how poorly written she is. Because this descent into evil could have worked if written better. But it isn’t.

4th Lila/Cerise/ Whatever her real name is

You can tell the writers tried to write a competent, manipulator that always gets what she wants because of the way she twists her words and her plans are clever. But the problem is… the level of skill needed for the execution was lacking. Now she has 3 moms, multiple identities and a secret lair in the catacombs. The main problem though isn’t that Lila is written smart, it’s that everyone not named Marinette or Adrien is written stupid when she’s around. Lila could easily be the best villain if she had some better writing but… it’s just so dumb at times.

3rd Gabriel Agreste

The writers wanted to portray a desperate man that would do anything for the family he loved that became blinded by his obsession. They made a selfish bastard that used his family to justify evil actions and bend the world to his whim. Now to be fair there were times where you could see the former, but Gabriel’s writing is so… All over the place.

I still can’t believe they let the guy win. Like what the fuck was even the point of the 5 seasons of fighting him.

2. Felix

Felix is technically more of an antihero, but he is likely the most calculating and ACTUALLY manipulative of the series. He outsmarted Ladybug and Monarch. His reveal as a sentimonster and his reasoning for his actions is the only positive thing I enjoyed regarding the sentimonster shenanigans. Now he is no longer a villain but his actions propelled the season 4 and 5 plots and should be considered someone on his own caliber. But he’s not number one because there is someone better

1. Nathalie

The arguably best written villain in all of Miraculous. She works to help Gabriel achieve his goal and is the main reason he got as far as he did, by her sacrifices and pushing her mind body and soul to the limits. She believed Gabriel was noble for his goal and was the one that saw first hand his descent into madness. And that’s when she had enough. Her change against him was because she knew the truth and wanted to stop the madness. If she was the one in charge it’s far more likely she would have gotten the miraculous without falling into such a state. She is one of the few people whose redemption I genuinely believe in this show

[rarepears]

Thoughts on possibly Isshin Kurosaki X Endeavor? The reason i am asking this is because Ishin had to raise all 3 kids alone when his wife died and they grew up kinda ok for the most part(although they do need some therapy regarding the mourning of their mum) so like maybe it could be interesting to see?

Okay, let's do some math to figure out how this AU works.

Ichigo is like... 9 when his mother dies. He's 15 when he becomes a Shinigami in canon. Isshin needs a few years of mourning to get over the lost of his wife (and we all know he never really does in canon, but he's going to develop a Single Father Bond with Endeavor and that's how their relationship starts.)

Shouto will have had to been born and Touya is like 10 years older than Shouto. Let's say Rei die in childbirth since we need Enji to FLOUNDER with 4 kids and a Very Busy hero career to juggle. He would love to get more help around the house, but the first few nannies he's hired has gone horrible wrong: nannies getting kidnapped and tortured by villains who would LOVE to get some revenge on the Flame Hero via his kids, nannies selling out private Todoroki information to the press, etc.

He needs something more permanent. Someone who's got their horse permanently hitched to him that they are paddling up the creek with no oar and will suffer any and all consequences togehter.

In other words, I'm talking marriage. Enji is getting remarried.

Then when Enji makes this decision... he gets severely hurt on a mission in the middle of no where. Aka Karakura Town. The nearest doctor is one Dr. Isshin Kurosaki who performs first aid.

Enji doesn't deal well with small talk (aka he doesn't talk), so it's just Isshin rambling on and on and on about his favorite topics: dead wife and his cute kids! Enji's interest in finally perked when he hears that Isshin is also a Single Dad with a Very Busy Career (because doctors and surgeons of Isshin's caliber are busy in Enji's mind and why would he ever assume that Isshin is a runaway rich scion that isn't human at all???) and is still somehow managing to juggle 3 kids.

So. Single Father Bonding Time.

Ichigo is 13 when his father (finally) informs him that he's dating someone is it's Serious.

Touya is 11 when his father informs him that he's getting remarried- and oh, it's a guy. With 3 kids.

Touya: NANI??!!!

13 year old Touya goes to fake his death in winter - Ichigo is 15 years old and his first sibling has passed away. It's what pushes him to accept Shinigami powers 6 months later when Ruukia intrudes into his bedroom because he's hoping to find his little brother's soul in the afterlife.

But instead what happens is that Ichigo hunts down his Very Alive runaway brother after the whole Soul Society arc, so that's nice.

[More in #isshin kurosaki x endeavor aka ichigo gets the todoroki shouto as his stepbrother AU]

[alias-sam]

Pierced by a Golden Soul JJBA x reader fic Masterlist

Finally decided to crosspost a fic on here, we'll see how it goes!

The full fic is already finished and posted to Wattpad

Summary: Fate is a bizarre concept with countless more bizarre implications. In life sometimes such extraordinary events happen that the only reasoning left must be fate. The tragedies that constantly befall the Joestar bloodline for example may be the unluckiest series of cards drawn in human history, or perhaps the work of a greater power. There is no way to tell for sure. Had Dio Brando or Jonathan Joestar moved slightly on a divergent path the world itself would be left very different. The fate or luck of the noble Joestar bloodline has led to destruction of evil likes of the Pillar Men and DIO. This story is of a similar caliber to that of the other Joestars (as I am sure you are familiar with them). This is a story of lost souls, compassion, hope, and above all fate.

A Normal Day in a Normal Life

2. A Less than Normal Day in the Life of a Stand User

3. High School Never Ends

4. Know Your Enemy Part 1

5. Know Your Enemy Part 2

6. Close Call

7. Getting Patched Up

8. Familiar Figure

9. Punching Can't Solve Every Problem

10. Elecrifying

11. Fiesta Time...?

12. Picture This

13. Video Killed the Radio Star

14. J-Jesus?

15. Jigsaw

16. Blueberry Blast

17. Alfred Hitchcock Can Bite Me

18. Sleepless Nights and Suspicious Minds

19. Bug Boy

20. Cum On

21. Feel the Noize

22. Quiet Riot Part 1

23. Quiet Riot Part 2

24. The Crushing Weight of Guilt

25. Under the Radar

26. Late Night People

27. Unexpected Accomplice

28. Close Encounter

29. Welcome to the Jungle

30. An Enemy's Offer

31. Cutthroat Company

32. Wide Awake

33. Pompous Pricks and Portals

34. Eavesdropping

35. Enemy Encounter

36. Mother Knows Best

37. Dodgeball is a Cruel and Unusual Punishment

38. Spot

39. (Don't Fear) the Reaper Part 1

40. (Don't Fear) the Reaper Part 2

41. (Don't Fear) the Reaper Part 3

42. Sleepover

43. Little High, Little Low

44. Stand Users Assemble

45. Blueberry Blast Strikes Again

46. Coming Through, Coming Through, Coming Through Now

47. Sethan

48. Coral Pink

49. Foggy

50. Bubblegum Bitch Part 1

51. Bubblegum Bitch Part 2

52. Bubblegum Bitch Part 3

53. Bubblegum Bitch Part 4

54. SPW Snooping

55. Enemy Ally

56. Child of Divorce

57. Mannesh Vita

58. Loli ho~ Part 1

59. Loli ho~ Part 2

60. Loli ho~ Part 3

61. Brioche

62. By No Means an Artist

63. Early Morning Excursion

64. Bite the Bullet

65. Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)

66. Whipping Post

67. Julius Rossi is a Protective Brother

68. The First Cut is the Deepest

69. Put Out the Lights

70. Mourning

71. All Apologies

72. The Noiz Returns

73. Punching Can Solve Certain Problems

74. House of Memories

75. The Last Place Anybody Would Look

76. We Didn't Start the Fire

77. Seeing Double

78. Oblivion

79. Who Lives Who Dies

80. Justice

81. A Normal Day in the Life of a Stand User

<- To Be Continued

[yellowkitkieran]

What the Heart Wants (Part 6)

Read part 5 here

Masterlist

Word Count: 3.3k

Summary: Kieran is your best friend’s older brother. Your best friend’s fit older brother that you definitely haven’t had a crush on for years. Not at all. And he certainly doesn’t like you back, that would be absurd...

Kieran's shout of pain pierces your soul. One hand immediately flies to your mouth, the other latches onto the person closest to you- one of the boy's girlfriend if you're remembering correctly. 

"Get up," you murmur to no one. "Kieran, get up." 

He doesn't. He stays down, his agony obvious even from across the pitch. You don't think you breathe once for the entire time he's down, only gasping for air once he's on his feet. Your heart pounds as you watch Martin escort him to the touchline, ignoring the shouts from the away fans screaming about time wasting. 

You expect him to look for you. You were at the match when he broke his jaw- the first thing he did when he realized what happened was to look up at you, horrified that he'd gotten hurt. Today, he doesn't so much as lift his head. 

Is he in that much pain? What's happened that's been this bad? You don't pay a lick of attention to what's happening on the pitch- your eyes are glued on Kieran as he heads for the tunnel, moving achingly slow. 

"Kieran!"

You swear his shoulders stiffen in response to your shout, though he doesn't turn. Stones fill your stomach. Kieran needs someone right now. Someone who understands him. Someone like you- but you can't.

You spend the rest of the match on the edge of your seat, alternating between absently watching Aaron in goal and checking Twitter for updates. How Twitter normally finds things out so quickly you have no idea- but tonight there's nothing about your injured fullback. 

No, not your fullback. Arsenal's fullback, their number three. You have no claim over Kieran; never have and never will. 

The game ends with Arsenal on top, a fact that you find bittersweet. Kieran's teammates are clearly worried about him, with Martin going as far as holding up three fingers toward the camera at the end of the match before clapping the fans. 

Aaron picks you out in the crowd easily thanks to the minty kit you're wearing. He holds up his gloved hands in the shape of a heart before joining in with the muted celebrations of his teammates. You don't have it in you to echo his excitement.

Pulling your phone out, you quickly draft a message to Kieran. You tell yourself you're only trying to be friendly, because once Bella finds out she'll want all the details and you'd like to tell her that her brother is doing fine. Beneath that excuse lies the true reason; you're worried. The way Kieran limped off indicates this isn't the sort of thing to be overcome with a few therapy sessions. This is serious, possibly more serious of an injury that he's ever faced. 

You aren't stupid. You know how often brilliant, talented players have their careers cut short by a high caliber knee injury. Right now, all you can do is pray that Kieran pulls through. 

You erase your message, locking your phone and tucking it away as Aaron makes his way over. With a cursory glance to double check no cameras are pointed in your direction, he stands up on one of the seats and kisses you over the barricade. The whole thing leaves your skin tingling in a way you aren't quite sure you enjoy. 

"Cheeky- Aaron you shouldn't have done that!" Your cheeks burn with embarrassment, ducking your head to hide from anyone that might recognize you. 

"Just couldn't help myself love," he explains, "that kit I got you fits perfectly. And with my name on your back…" he shrugs, as if that explains the thoughts in his head. You shake your head, smiling ruefully at him. 

"Do you think Kieran is alright?" The words tumble from your mouth before you can stop them. Aaron frowns, clearly thrown off by the blunt question, and you can't blame him. 

"I can't say that's the first thing I expected you to ask but uh, I can message him once I get my phone." Aaron fiddles with his gloves, frowning at his boots. "They've probably taken him to a proper office for scans and whatnot- we can't do that at the stadium."

You nod, tucking your hands in the pockets of your jeans. You're not sure what to say now. Your mind is filled with the realization that Kieran is suffering somewhere alone, with no one there to support him. Something in you urges you to ask Aaron if he knows where they've taken him so you can be at his side. 

Your mouth remains glued shut because you're dating Aaron, not Kieran. You aren't even sure Kieran would allow you to sit with him right now, given everything that's happened. 

"Martin is having some of the boys over in a few hours. There's enough time for us to stop at mine and get changed… If you want to go?"

"What? Oh-" you shake your head, clearing the thoughts of a certain brunette crowding it. "Yeah, of course Aaron, I'll come with you. Like you said I'll need to stop at yours, at least just to grab a jacket. It's cooler than I thought it would be." You run your hands up and down your arms in an attempt to stave off your goosebumps, which are more likely from nerves than the chill in the air.

Aaron waves a hand, "if that's all you need then I have one you can borrow. Right then- I just need a quick shower and then I'll drive us, if you wait here I'll grab you my keys and a pass that will get you outside to our lot. I'll meet you there?" 

Your stiff nod brings a smile to Aaron's face that almost makes you feel bad for him. The man is far too sweet for you, almost the exact opposite of your awkward, stinted ability to love. 

Twitter still fails to provide you any sort of update while you wait for Aaron in his posh car. You scroll for hours, or what feels like it, until he finally knocks softly on your window in a silent request. You unlock the door and let him in, watching him hopefully. 

"Nothing," Aaron says, picking up on the question in your gaze. Your shoulders slump in response, and whatever flashes across your face must concern Aaron because he leans across and wraps you in a hug. 

The first thing you notice is that he smells wrong. He doesn't smell like forest, he smells like sea- something about that doesn't sit right with you. Shaking it off, you grip Aaron's shoulders and tuck your head into his neck, soaking in all the comfort he can offer you. 

He rubs circles on your back, "It's not unusual for him to not have access to his phone though. I wouldn't worry, I'm sure he's fine, he likely hasn't checked it yet. As soon as I hear something I'll let you know, I promise."

"Thank you," you say softly and finally let him go. You offer him a thin smile, trying your best to be convincing. "Off to this party then- I do remember you telling me that Martin throws the best parties out of anyone on the team, so it better live up to the hype!"

And by that, you mean you hope there's plenty of alcohol so you can drown your growing feeling of unease. 

*********

By your second drink, you've handed your phone to Aaron for safekeeping, not trusting yourself to keep from messaging someone you shouldn't. His friends welcomed you easily, engulfing you in their conversations from the moment the pair of you arrived hand in hand.

"I don't know how we didn't win by a bigger margin." Martin sips his drink, something fruity and delicious that he let you try earlier and subsequently made you one of your own when you drank half of his. "That ref missed at least two clear penalties we should've gotten."

Perched on Aaron's lap with his hand on your waist for stability, you lean forward and clink your glass to Martin's. "Amen! Honestly, there should've been so many more cards handed to Chelsea tonight- I mean Kieran was getting fouled left and right before he went down! I'm sure that contributed to what happened, I've seen him play for years, he doesn't slip like that. Not ever!"

"Shh, inside voice darlin." Aaron's rough voice in your ear forces you to listen. You bite your lip, stopping the retort on your tongue before it has the chance to slip out. He's not spoken to you like that before. Either it's the alcohol or the emotions of the night, but that's the first real bit of spark you've felt since arriving a few days ago.

"Sorry," you murmur and twist in his lap to meet his eyes. "I can be quiet, promise."

Martin stands abruptly, phone in one hand and drink in the other. "Lads- lads! Hey, turn it down- Kieran update!"

The sound of your thumping heart fills your ears when the music is paused. Aaron's chin on your shoulder and the hand he keeps on your waist are the only things keeping you from leaping up to shake Martin and demanding answers. 

"It's from Mikel. I'll read it out- 'Kieran's ACL is at least partially torn. He'll be out minimum of six weeks, best case scenario. More likely to be at least two months. Longer depending on the severity of the tear.'" 

Martin glances at the faces in the room. His eyes crinkle with a sympathetic wince when he notes the defeat on your face. 

Six weeks or two months. Either way, Kieran isn't going to take the news well. This sort of thing is a footballer's worst nightmare. 

You lean into Aaron without realizing. His arms wind around your middle, lips meeting your jaw as he attempts to comfort you. You crane your neck away from him, trying to process what you've been told. 

"He'll be alright." Aaron's murmured reassurances do little to touch the pit of despair you're quickly hurtling towards. The alcohol doesn't help, only dampening your ability to think rationally. Suddenly you feel sick, overwhelmed by everything and needing to be free. 

You claw at Aaron's hands until he gets the hint and releases you. You stumble towards the balcony doors and throw them open to gulp down deep lungfuls of chilled air. Cast iron bites into your forearms as you lean on the railing, head hung as you try to reign in your thoughts. 

One thing is for certain: you need to see Kieran. 

**********

Suitcase in hand, you shift on your feet outside Kieran's flat. You lift a fist to knock, hesitating before rapping your knuckles on the wood.

"Kieran? It's- it's me. It's Bug."

"Bug?" There's a crash followed by a yelp and your heart stutters, fearing the worst. 

"Are you okay?" You try the doorknob, finding it locked. "Kieran, are you-"

The door is yanked open and you're face to face with the man who you haven't been able to stop thinking about. His chest heaves from the exhaustive task of dragging himself from the sofa to the door whilst keeping his weight off his knee. 

"Hey," he murmurs, brows knit together. "What are you doing here?" 

You swap your suitcase between hands. Now that you're here and Kieran is standing in front of you shirtless, you feel foolish. 

You take a healthy step back, shaking your head. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come. I didn't mean to bother you."

"No don't-" Kieran lunges for you, managing to grab your wrist but stepping with his left foot as he does. Your eyes go wide when his face scrunches as he tries to conceal his pain. 

"Fuck Kieran, you know better than that!" You abandon your suitcase in the hall, ducking under Kieran's arm to help him inside. "Don't you have crutches or something, even just a brace that you're supposed to wear?" 

"I'm supposed to take it off when I'm sitting- which I was until you knocked, so don't yell at me."

Your voice shakes despite your efforts to contain your lingering fear, "Well I'm still going to yell at you Tierney! You shouldn't be up and about, I know where you keep the key and I could've let myself in!"

Kieran's laugh holds no humor. "I just wanted to get the door. I thought if you saw me sprawled out on the sofa, you'd turn around and leave right away." 

Once Kieran is sat on said sofa, you allow yourself to take in the scene. Empty takeout containers litter the ground at your feet, as do empty energy drink bottles. You bend down to pick one up, holding the can out, "I didn't think you were supposed to have so many of these during the season."

"Well Bug, my season is kinda fucked now so I said fuck it. Can't really get much worse than it is now, can it?" 

Your heart sinks when Kieran slides a hand under his calf to help bring his injured leg onto the sofa. Seeing him hurting like this both mentally and physically is already taking a toll on your spirit, and you aren't even the one living through it.

"I'm sorry, Kieran. You didn't deserve this." 

"That's what you think, maybe I do- what are you doing?" 

You glance up at him from where you've crouched on the floor. "Cleaning? Helping you out? Is that alright?"

Kieran's cheeks flush, "n-no, you don't need to do that. Honestly Bug, you don't have to!" Kieran pauses, then sighs. "You won't take no for an answer… I know you better than that."

You nod firmly, "yep! I'm gonna clean this all up for you and then I'll do a little cooking, okay? So you have some leftovers in the fridge and you don't have to eat from paper boxes for the next week."

Kieran lets you work for a few minutes. He hates asking for help, you know that much from when you were both young. Lucky for Kieran, you don't need to be asked, you simply act. 

It takes all of five minutes to get the trash bagged up and set by the door. "I'll take that out when I leave, what do you have here to eat?"

"Uh, not much. I'm not even sure I have eggs. But you don't have to cook," he adds quickly. "Really. You've already done enough. And don't you have a flight you need to catch?"

You glance at your watch. "I had a flight to catch, yeah. I won't make it now, so I might as well stay and help you."

"What? No, you should go!" Kieran hauls his body upward so he can look at you properly. "Bug you don't need to stay, I can look after myself, I'm fine I swear." 

"Would you stop saying that?" You press two fingers to your temples. "For once in your life, just accept help when I offer it to you, Kieran. Let me help you so I can ease my conscience about how shite I've been towards you lately. So will you please, shut up and let me work Key?"

Kieran's mouth drops open, his face softening. You mentally replay everything you've said, trying to figure out what might have upset him- 

Oh shit. I just called him Key.

Kieran's voice is thick as syrup. "You haven't called me that since I was fifteen." 

You haven't called him by that nickname for good reason; his eyes lit up whenever you called him by the simple name, and each time it made you fuzzy. This time, that feeling is compounded tenfold until you feel like your chest might explode. 

"I did," you say after an eternity. "Sorry, I won't let it happen again. I just got caught up-"

"Could you come here?" Kieran's voice is so soft, so tentative, that it stops you in your tracks. Your body obeys on instinct, your legs carrying you to the sofa to sit on the arm next to Kieran. His lips become your focus- slightly chapped but still as kissable as you remember them looking when you were younger. 

"I said come here."

"I am here. I'm right next to you."

"No, here." Kieran pats his good leg, an action that lights a fire in you. He can't be serious. He wants you in his lap? That doesn't make any sense, unless-

"Do I have to do everything myself?" With a sigh, Kieran grabs your hips and uses his considerable strength to pull you into his lap. Despite your shock you manage to keep from jostling him too much, even as you gape at him, your hands on his chest to steady you.

You have never been this close to Kieran, not ever. But… who knows if you ever will be again?

Swallowing your pride, you allow yourself to explore. Eyes glued on your own hands, you skate them down Kieran's firm chest to trace the lines of hard muscle. You allow yourself to indulge in fantasy, imagining that this is an everyday occurance instead of a once in a lifetime opportunity. 

Kieran's breath shudders when your fingers drift lower over the ridges of his abdomen. You tell yourself it's his fault for not wearing a shirt. Besides, he insisted you sit in his lap, didn't he? So if anything, you share the blame for the way his heart seems set on beating out of his chest. 

"I broke up with Aaron." Now seems like the right time for that fact to be brought to light. 

"What? Seriously? Why?"

When you lift your eyes to meet Kieran's, you immediately know you're lost. "Because… he doesn't feel like you."

Before you can process Kieran's gasp, he's surging forward. Sparks zing across your skin when his lips meet yours, instantly drawing a moan from your throat. Kieran takes advantage, slipping his tongue into your mouth for an exploration of his own. 

Finally. Finally, finally, finally. 

Your body sings in response to Kieran's kiss, chest pressed to his. Your arms wind around his neck, refusing to let him break the kiss before you're ready for it to end. You aren't sure you'll ever be ready for this to be over, honestly- everything about it feels right.

Kieran's needy whine is music to your ears when your hips lightly move over his.  The sound curls upward at the end in a desperate plea for more. You'd give it to him, you would, if he asked for it. He doesn't ask, not with words at least, and only then do you force yourself to pull away and breathe. 

Kieran swallows hard, his Adam's apple bobbing beneath your fingers. When did your hand find his throat? And when did his hand find its way under your shirt to rest on your lower back? 

"If you broke up with him… does that mean I can ask you to be mine?"

Yes. No. You don't know. What do you want? Are you ready for that sort of commitment? Have you forgiven Kieran for the way he's treated you?

After a moment, you shake your head. Kieran's face falls and you hate yourself, immediately brushing your thumbs over his cheeks. 

"Not yet Key. You have to earn that okay? I'm not… I can't forgive you just yet. I'll need time, and you'll have to do a lot of groveling but… maybe one day you can."

Kieran fights to put a smile on his face. It's plastic and an imitation of the real one you love so much but at least it's something. 

"Well then I guess it's a good thing I've got months of free time coming up, isn't it?"

[ynx1]

Ten Types of Modesty حیا

Ibn-ul Qayyim (raḥimahullāh) mentioned in his book Madarij us Saalikeen Vol. 2 Pg. 267 “Al Hayaa’ (i.e. modesty) is categorized into ten types:

1. The modesty of Shame: This is similar to the modesty of Adam (Alaihis salam) when he fled in paradise after eating from the forbidden tree. Allah asked him “Are you fleeing form me O Adam because of your sin?” He said: “No my lord! Rather it is out of shame that I flee from you!”

2. The modesty that results in you realizing your shortcomings such as; the modesty of the angels, those who praise Allah day and night and never enervate. On the Day of Judgment they will say Subhanaka! (i.e. Glory be to You!) we did not worship You as You deserved to be worshiped.”

3. The modesty of Magnification: This modesty is a result of knowledge. The extent of knowledge the slave has of his Lord, will determine how modest or shy of Him he/she is.

4. The modesty of Generosity: This is similar to the modesty of the Prophet (Sallahu alaihi wa salam) with those people he invited to the walimah (i.e. marriage banquet) of Zaynab Bint Jahsh (Radiyallahu anha)and they stayed with him longer than necessary, so he stood up and walked away without saying to them “Leave!”.

5. The modesty of Embarrassment: This is similar to the modesty of Ali Ibn Talib (Radiyallahu anhu)when he was too embarrassed to ask the Prophet himself about the pre-seminal discharge he was experiencing, because he was married to his daughter.

6. The modesty of Low self-worth: This is similar to the modesty of the slave in front of his lord when he asks Him for his needs, knowing that he doesn’t deserve it. In a narration of Bani Israel Musa (Alaihis salam) said: “O lord, a need or desire of this life arises and I am too modest to ask You for it O lord!” So Allah responded to him by saying: “Ask me for what whatever you like, whether it is the salt for your dough or the fodder for your herd!” And it is possible that this is because of two things:

7. The modesty of Love: This is the modesty of the one who loves another, and when he thinks in his heart of the one he loves during his absence, his modesty for him is greater than what he feels for him in his presence and he doesn’t even know why. There is no doubt that the love of a person has a stronger and more magnificent authority over the individual than the authority of the one who conquers the body physically. And because of this, kings and elite authority wonder in amazement about creation and how they are conquered because of the love they have for someone greater than they are conquered by power and physical authority. We asked Sheikh ul Islam Ibn Taymiyah (Rahimahullah) about this issue, and I mentioned this to him and he just smiled and didn’t say anything.

8. The modesty of Servitude: This is the type of modesty that is mixed with love and fear while witnessing that there is no perfection in his worship or servitude to the One he worships. And the slave acknowledges that his Lord is greater and more opulent than what he is offering of worship, so his servitude to Allah causes him to be modest of Him, and there is no way around this.

9. The modesty of honor and dignity: The modesty of the noble and prestigious soul. if he does something that is beneath his caliber, either by exerting himself or doing some random act of good, he is modest despite what he has exerted of himself with a type of modesty that is honorable and dignified, and there are two reasons for this:

10. The modesty of an individual regarding himself: This is the modesty of the noble, honorable and dignified individual due to him being pleased with the fact that he has some shortcomings. He prostrates himself out of modesty as if he has two personalities. He is modest with one regarding the other and this is the most complete form of modesty. If the slave is modest regarding himself then he is more likely to be modest in front of others

[mclannok]

With the new Blade announced, I decided to take a trip down nostalgia lane and binge watch the original trilogy. They’re fun, they’re stupid, they’re cheesy as hell, but I thought I’d share some thoughts I had during the run

Things I learned about the Blade universe:

1. physics is optional, i.e. light can travel around corners much the same way a fireball can

2. Logic is optional, i.e. hospital security can and does show up in a hospital in force, including being fully armed with a high caliber assault rifle roughly 30 seconds after a fight breaks out

3. Everyone is either a vampire or familiar unless the plot needs them to be otherwise, and even then they’re often converted before the runtime is halfway through

4. Ryan Reynolds is way hotter than any man has a right to be

5. Vampires have awful fashion sense

6. Blood is not thicker than water, in fact, given that several people end up in pools of it, it’s possibly even less viscous than water

7. Redheads do not exist in vampire culture, possibly because it’s impossible to turn something into a vampire that doesn’t have a soul to begin with

8. Sunglasses are a must have accessory when fighting the undead, regardless of environment

9. It exists in a sort of Logan’s Run universe and Whistler is a runner because he might be the only noticeably old guy in the entire series that isn’t a vampire

10. If something is impossible, it can and will be not only proven possible, but remarkably easy, such as translating a dead language prophecy, which even Whistler takes one look at a scrap of an can immediately read

[paladin-of-nerd-fandom65]

Pretty good answers :) spoiler alert: Mario wonder didn’t win lol

1: does the duo like to make gingerbread houses?

2: are they fans of the YouTube series Death Battle?

3: if they were in death battle; separately of course, who would you choose to go against them?

4: imagine this scenario: Kon-El is a fan of the hip-hop group insane clown posses, & decides to paint his, & when they were little, Chris’s & Jon’s faces like juggalos, what would be Clark’s & Lois’s reaction be?

5: between the duo, who’s the better gamer? Or are they both equally good?

6: if the answer above is equally: the duo play five rounds of any fighting game, the loser gets stinkfaced by the winner, or since they both “dislike” gross out humor, I say Jon or Kon does it instead.

7: not a question but new powers for the duo:

Chris: I saw a ghost au from you earlier & think that’s pretty cool; he’s able to become intangible by sending his real body like kamui from naruto. He also has a transformation Similar to Naruto’s nine-tails charka mode, but blue.

Jake: At full power, he creates a massive tamaran warrior made of out starbolt energy that surrounds his body like how Superman did a few action comics books ago

Oh…ah well at least it was a nominee which is what truly matter lol @gothicghost2000

But anywho, onto our main program….

1) Oh yes they will but each with unique twists to them. Chris for instance based his on the Fortress of Solitude while Jake makes a gingerbread Titans Tower. And they’re big ones too, easily covering about half the dinner table in terms of how big they are. They thankfully take pictures of them before they gobbled up entirely by the end of the week.

2) I say the Duo will be fans of that show ever since way back when it used to be under the Screwattack under website. Their favorite matches from have been Guts (from Berserk) vs Nightmare (from Soul Caliber), The MegaMan Battle Royale, and Mario vs Sonic II.

3) Hmmm…..

Nightwing Phantom (Chris Kent) vs Son Gohan (Cell Games Saga, Dragon Ball)

Three Way Match: Skybird (Jake Grayson) vs Sarutobi Konohamaru (Shippuden Era, Naruto) vs Dai (Post Second Battle with Baran, Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai)

4) Lois would be rather intrigued and genuinely curious about this trend going on. A tad bit of concern once the boys are into it but not on the same level as Clark is.

Speaking of whom and putting it a bit mildly, he’d be very concerned. He’d use his super speed to quickly wash that paint off the boys’ faces and then fly over as Superman to ICP’s place for some questioning. Don’t worry he doesn’t use the red eyes as he’s not entirely there to intimidate them. But that doesn’t mean he’s not exactly in the best mood when asking.

5) Chris and Jake are just about equal in their gaming prowess on many fields and types. The only game genre that Jake beats Chris in will City Building simulators including but not limited Tropico, Surviving Mars and Cities Skylines. In turn, Chris usually tops out between them when it comes to JRPGs as evidence by the fact while Jake had so far made it halfway into his play through of Dragon Quest 9, Chris had already beaten it three times over.

6) Well and I dearly have to apologize to you friend but there’s no way any of them are doing Rikishi’s finisher as the loser’s prize for losing some video games. For me I see more likely that if the Duo were streaming on their Twitch channel like say a Five Round Match on say Mortal Kombat (Each Round has Three Matches, best out of three), it’s more the case that the loser will instead serve the winner a parfait both in the stream itself and for the next few days of the week.

7) Now having Chris create an aura shaped like that Nightwing entity itself with him at the center of it is such an amazing visual to put into comic book artwork, let alone maybe even a full animated series. A display of dark blue, black and sapphire that can potentially be on par with the awe inspiring visuals of a Super Saiyan transformation

As for Jake’s Starbolt construct that surrounds him, I say for bonus points, his eyes can be glowing very tightly (Either Blue or Green or even, pink, depending on how you views his Starbolt colors) to further to the fact he’s no longer playing around. I like it. I like it A Lot XD

[ysolt]

Ysolt you seem have good opinions on fighting games. Its been a while since I've played one seriously, and Soul Caliber 6 kinda broke my spirit. Are there any modern titles worth getting back into it for?

okay well if you've come from a background of soul calibur then the closest current thing would be tekken 8, which ive heard good things of. guilty gear strive is pretty good, current patch nonwithstanding. sf6 is in a really good state and just got akuma as dlc. granblue versus rising is pretty awesome.

for less modern titles but still active scenes i highly recommend gg xrd and gg +r

[frogg-er]

still thinking about when soul caliber 6 came out, everyone was making ppl out of their awesome chararcter creator. you could basically recreate any look

look at the Rosemon i made????

[the-technicolor-whiscash]

I bought soul caliber 6

[warningsine]

favourite succession episodes?

My favorite episodes are—naturally—the ones that cause me the most pain. Either they tear me apart emotionally or they terrify me with their spot on sociopolitical commentary.

It's hard to watch a democracy crumbling in such plausible ways when you take a look at what's happening around the globe, you know?

Anyway, my top 10+1 episodes are:

All the Bells Say (Season 3, Episode 9). The back-to-back epic betrayals and tragedy (Shakespearean, Greek, Roman, Jacobean — you name it) have bewitched me body and soul and I love them. And the cinematography? Some frames look like Renaissance paintings.

Connor's Wedding (Season 4, Episode 3). Honestly, this episode is why I watch television. Now excuse me while I sob.

America Decides (Season 4, Episode 8). Give Kieran all the trophy awards for managing to make Roman so loathsome and disgusting when 5 episodes earlier he had me crying like a baby because of how pitiable his character was. "Succession" had always made it clear that these characters are awful yet human. That being said, I love how this particular episode focuses on how complicit they all are (Jess, Greg, Hugo, Gerri, Karl, Frank, the dude that takes the "pending call" decision) and how it makes you hate the Roy siblings for damning an entire nation. Kendall? Unlike Roman, he knows right from wrong and how terrible of a father he is, but when it comes down to it, he's a spineless coward. Shiv? Believes that she cares for the world (democracy, misogyny, racism), but is actually a huge hypocrite. When her country is about to succumb to fascism, the first thing she can think of is to double down on her deal with another amoral and abusive billionaire. She cares more about sticking it to her brothers more than anything else.

This Is Not for Tears (Season 2, Episode 10). Everything about this episode is perfect: the music, the script,the direction, the acting. I'm a Shiv stan, but Tom's "I wonder if the sad I’d be without you, would be less than the sad I get from being with you" absolutely breaks me. Logan mentioning the Incas and Kendall Judas kissing him before fucking him over? [chef's kiss]

With Open eyes (Season 4, Episode 10). Sad to see you go, happy that you chose to keep your legacy and not drag, beloved show.

Church and State (Season 4, Episode 9). Please respect my privacy while I cry. There was Roman's heartbreaking breakdown of course, but what really got to me was Marcia touching Kerry's hand and then telling Shiv that Logan hurt all of them. Hiam Abbass is there for 5 mins and unsurprisingly manages to steal the show.

Nobody Is Ever Missing (Season 1, Episode 10). When the series turned from capitalist satirical drama to tragedy of the highest caliber was when it really won me over. "You're my number one boy" indeed.

What It Takes (Season 3, Episode 6). Like Shiv said about Jordan-Peterson-meets-Trump Mencken, it's terrifying to watch a “YouTube provocateur” whose vibes are “aristo-populism … ‘rape is natural, it’s all red pill, baby'" gain power.

Chiantishire (Season 3, Episode 8). Dickpicgate, comedy gold. Hearing your mother tell you that it'd have been better if she had had dogs instead of you and that you'd make a terrible mother too? Harriet Walter, the actress that you are.

Tern Haven (Season 2, Episode 5). I love season 2. I love the Pierces. I love Rhea. I love Nan. Holly Hunter and Cherry Jones should have been regulars is all I'm saying.

Dundee (Season 2, Episode 8). "L to the OG" way before "R to the IP" took place.

--

Honorable mentions:

Tailgate Party (S4E7). That Tom/Shiv balcony scene... Give Snook all the awards.

DC (S2E9). When Shiv manipulated and silenced that victim of sexual harassment and abuse, showing us her true colors. When Rhea proved that she had something resembling a moral backbone after all. “This doesn’t feel right" indeed.

Rehearsal (S4E2). Because the last thing that Logan said to his children was, "I love you, but you are not serious people."

Honeymoon States (S4E4). Had not expected this episode to be so funny and yet.

Too Much Birthday (S3E7). Always a pleasure to watch Kendall fall apart and the 3 siblings backstab and be awful to each other.

Which Side Are You On? (S1E6).

Safe Room (S2E4).

The Disruption (S3E3). For Snook's acting after Kendall interrupts Shiv with Nirvana's "Rape Me" and Kendall's cowering in the server room after Shiv published that letter about him. Jeremy Strong's acting says so much even when his character doesn't utter a word.

The Munsters (S4E1). Greg's "Where are your kids?" was pure savagery. Logan should have been given some aloe vera for that burn. No, but how dare Brian Cox make me feel bad for the fallen king? It's "Breaking Bad" all over again.