#the first instance of it playing is when the freezer door gets stuck

[mortellanarts]

🎶Now Playing: 7. Tinderbox

tinder (n.) :

Dry, flammable material, such as wood or paper; used for lighting a fire

box (n.) :

A predicament or trap

@999week

[bnhabadass]

Pairing: Tsukishima x Reader Genre: Fluff Word Count:1100 Synopsis: Studying was never your strong suit. So instead of hitting the books, you urge your boyfriend to take you out for a midnight drive.

The text in front of you was unbearable. Of all the books you had to read for class, this was by far the worst. You felt yourself dozing off and time and time again would rest your head on the dining room table you were sitting at.

“Stop that,” Tsukishima said, not looking up at you from his own homework. He had meant to invite you over for a study date in hopes that you would get your homework done and, you know, pass high school. But if you were just going to fall asleep then there wasn’t any point in having you over.

“I can’t, Tsukki,” you whined. “You have no idea how boring this textbook is. It’s like the words are trying to torture me.”

He scoffed and grabbed the book from in front of you. “You’re just as bad as the freak duo,” he mumbled.

“Oi,” you scoffed. “I’m just tired and bored.” You watched as he grabbed a yellow highlighter and began marking up the text for you. “How long have we been studying?”

He shrugged. “A couple hours maybe.”

“See, that’s the thing.” You shot up from the table and walked around so you were behind him. “I can’t study for this long. I need a break, Tsukkiiiiiiiii.”

He didn’t move as you draped your arms over his shoulders. He just continued highlighting passages and writing out definitions he was sure you wouldn’t know. “You know, you can give yourself a break. You don’t need my permission. Go take a walk or get a snack or something.”

You huffed. “Yeah but it’s not as fun alone.”

He stuck his pen between the pages of your book and closed it. “Then what do you propose we do?”

You looked down at him with pleading eyes. “Wanna go for a drive?”

“It’s eleven at night,” he deadpanned.

“So?” You grabbed your keys from the table and slid the key ring down your pointer finger. “I’ll buy you something to eat.”

Sighing, he stood up, his figure towering over you. “I don’t trust you to drive at night.” He delicately slid the key ring off your finger and twirled it on his own. “But this food you buy me better be worth it.”

Excited, you threw on your jacket and raced out the front door, tugging on the handle to the passenger side much like an impatient child. “Tsukki!! Hurry up!”

Tsukishima, being the asshole that he is, was taking his sweet time slipping on his shoes and zipping up his jacket. You swear you saw him pause while walking towards your car, untie his shoe and retie it. “I don’t want to trip,” he chidded.

You rolled your eyes but when the sound of the car being unlocked went off, you jumped up out of fear.

“Don’t fall.”

You stuck your tongue out at him before going into your car and settling into the passenger seat.

Tsukki adjusted the driver’s seat for his long legs and put the key in the ignition. “So where do you want to go?”

“Hmm,” you thought for a moment. “Well if I’m buying you food why don’t you decide.”

He nodded and pulled out of his driveway. Tsukishima is a good driver. He’s steady on the road, doesn’t swerve or really yell at passing cars. No, he doesn’t have any road rage. “What music do you want to play?”

“Doesn’t the driver usually pick the music,” you asked, taking the aux cord.

“Well I can’t really choose when I’m driving. Besides, it’s your car.”

“Good point,” you said, plugging your phone in and putting your favorite Spotify playlist on shuffle. “So where are we going?”

His blank face turned upwards into a smirk. “It’s a surprise.”

You gasped in a mocking tone. “What’s this? The great Tsukishima Kei who hates fun is giving his significant other a what? A surprise?”

“Shut the fuck up,” he laughed, turning on his signal and switching lanes.

And you couldn’t help but laugh along with him. You missed nights like this, nights where it was just the two of you and you didn’t have exams to worry about. Nights where you would walk home with him after his practice and he would eventually have to give you a piggyback ride because you hate walking so much.

It wasn’t long before he pulled into a large, half empty parking lot. “We’re here.”

You looked out the window. “At the supermarket?”

“Don’t forget your wallet,” he remarked and you let out a huff.

The supermarket wasn’t too busy, as it was nearly midnight. A few people lurked around trying to buy late night snacks and other goodies. Tsukki kept his hand on your lower back as he walked you through the isles. He paused in front of one of the giant freezers.

“Seriously?” you asked. “Dino nuggies?”

“You said you’d buy me food.” A devilish smirk graced his face. “Now come on, let’s check out and go back to my place. We still have some studying to do.”

You grumbled and he bopped you on the head with the frozen cardboard packaging. Taking the package to self check out, you scanned it and paid.

Tsukki drove you guys back to his house. The cardboard was beginning to thaw in your lap.

“Did we seriously go to the grocery store just to buy dino shaped chicken nuggets?” you asked.

“That and one other thing.”

“Huh?” What other thing could there be? You had only bought the nuggets, nothing else.

“You know, that’s the first place we met.”

“No?” There was a question to your voice. “We met in class.”

“Officially, yeah.” He never took his eyes off the road. “But a few weeks before class started I saw you drop a carton of eggs at the store and slip in them.”

“You’re kidding, right?” You could feel yourself blushing. What's worse is that you remember the exact instance where you dropped the eggs and slipped in them trying to find someone to clean them up.

“Nope. I saw you and thought you were an absolute idiot.”

You giggled a bit. “You still think I’m an idiot.”

“I do.” He pulled off to the side of the road and put your hazards on. Turning towards you, he cupped your chip between his fingers. “But you’re my idiot.” He leaned in to press a kiss to your delicate lips.

You stayed there for a minute, just kissing at the side of the road, hearing the cars brush by.

“Now come on,” he said, breaking away. “Let’s get back to work.”

[eyrieofsynapses]

so today I just watched the first episode of Almost Paradise! And I’ve gotta say, I am impressed. I already had it on my watchlist but I was planning to wait to watch it for a while until I could let Eliot fade a bit from memory, just so I wouldn’t automatically think of him while watching Kane. But I ran into an article this weekend about how it was filmed in the Philippines and the details of that, and my curiosity was piqued considerably more, so I figured... why not? 

(I also started White Collar this weekend and that was very enjoyable, but that’s a post for another day.) 

Anyway, my brain’s buzzing now, so have some first impressions and reactions, plus initial meta-analysis because I am intrigued. In hindsight I probably should have recorded first impressions while I was watching, but I’ll do my best to remember the bits that stuck out. Warning for... exceedingly long post.

ooo, okay, so he’s got a medical condition. I faaaaintly remember reading about this in the summary but I didn’t pay much attention to that, oops.

telling a guy played by Chris Kane not to get his heartrate up! that’s definitely gonna happen. definitely. one hundred percent. not like this guy loves fighting or anything

(also tbh the joke about, ah, sexual dysfunction admittedly left a sour taste in my mouth, because I do not go for that kind of thing, but... this is Devlin and Kane, so I’m trusting, based off Leverage experience, that they aren’t gonna be too inappropriate. [In hindsight there are actually interesting meta reasons for this so the sour taste has dissipated somewhat.])

this poor doctor. she’s so done with him. 

...he’s definitely not gonna pay attention to the monitor is he

that journal’s gonna get zero use oop

(I was duly impressed when he actually did use it later)

huh, liking how we immediately dive into the effect tourism has had on the Philippines. so we’re getting some commentary here too? I can deal with that

...wow. bad shop. eek

I’m sorry but I am loving the touch with the floorboards and such breaking beneath Alex. the look on his face is just perfect

and the monitor goes off! for tbh the last reason I expected it to first go off for, excellent 

MOTORCYLE? did they give him a motorcycle?!

awww no it’s the baddies who have the motorcycle :(

hmm this should be interesting. loving the look of this leader guy tho

--aaaand good asthetic guy is dead! with an ice pick! creepy and creative! 

bar. no way this could go wrong

internal battle! understandable that Alex wants out, buuuuuuut if he’s anything like I suspect he is--

--yup, picking a fight, with a damn pool cue--

--not picking a fight?

...picking a fight. by being friendly. *sigh*

yuuuuuuuup. that’s definitely good for your heart

badass fighting scene! with a pool cue, that’s a new one! love seeing Kane take ordinary objects and turn them into fighting tools

(ngl this had Eliot vibes. that said I am thrilled to see how damn good these fight scenes are and this is making me even more excited for Redemption)

aaaaaaaaaand oh fuck this was a police setup. which. I actually did not see coming, huh

ahahah they’re pissed! because he messed up their bust? or because he just saved their asses? 

...probably technically the former but I suspect the latter is also true

refusing to get Involved being foreshadowed by his indecision earlier! of course he’s going to get Involved anyway, only question is how

“hitter” I SEE YOU. I SEE YOU AND YOUR REFERENCES. I SEE YOU DEVLIN AND KANE

pfffffffffffFFFFFT the meditation, oh gods

that voice. oh Alex. 

I genuinely cannot tell if this is him actually trying or if this is him begrudgingly making an attempt because he has to

lacquering(?) the doors, which, hey, actually look pretty nice--this place is gonna look good when it’s done isn’t iii--

oh fuck Alex is being attacked

(this is definitely something to be concerned about. yes. totally. not like we haven’t already seen him take down a bunch of guys.)

with a garrot! this is definitely totally not how he’s gonna get Involved

oh my gods the detail with the paint. nothing says Competent like getting irritated at how the baddie interrupted your house restoration

hehehehe Involved

oooh, hmm, he thinks they sent the guy after him? what kind of corruption has Alex faced? I mean it’s not an unreasonable fear, but jeez, it sounds like this has happened to him before. doesn’t say much good about the DEA...

huh, this is a level of disturbed I haven’t seen from Kane before. which, granted, I have only seen him in Leverage, but I’ve never seen him pull this out before. the voice crack is an excellent touch

also, worth noting, Alex is definitely a notable level of... hmm, paranoid? this is just a tad bit frantic, though that’s understandable from a guy who almost got killed while in the middle of an attempted meditation

oh god being cocky in the middle of a briefing. poor Kai 

--being cocky and competence porn! of course he takes the watch and turns it into a lesson

...he must be a hell of a teacher

(also, bonus points for actually using the journal. maybe he’s taking this health thing more seriously than I thought he would?)

may I repeat: COMPETENCE PORN

uh-huh, you’re so not involved, definitely, Alex, not like you’re gonna get pulled straight into this or anything

Ernesto is just watching to see how things play out, Kai is... trying to do things the right way, and Alex...

...Alex gives precisely zero fucks. buddy you are so not subtle

right, walking straight into the lion’s den! radiating confidence! terrifying

this is a disturbing level of truth he’s sharing for this lie. I mean, best lies are crafted from truth, but... jeez

hm. so is Alex also a “I don’t like guns” type guy? 

(probably not for the same reasons as Eliot doesn’t [his is definitely more in the “they make it too easy to kill” department whereas I would guess Alex has either more tactical or PTSD reasons], but, hmm. this is something to watch for)

(did they know they were bringing back Leverage when they set up Almost Paradise? I’m genuinely wondering if they didn’t write some Eliot traits into Alex specifically bc they knew Kane missed playing him)

this is a fantastically confident level of grifting--what exactly did he do in the DEA, precisely?

...ah. cool asthetic guy. stuffed in the freezer. gotta admit, I definitely didn’t see that one coming. creepy! 

(and it looks like you actually managed to shake Alex a little, hah)

aaaaaand in the meantime we have Kai following his advice! in an... interesting way. hm. 

(surprisingly this does not annoy me that much in hindsight. not sure why)

and understandably, this does not go over well! except, oh, fuck, DEA guy. this ain’t gonna be good

...worse. worse than I thought. what happened to you, Alex? former partner? whaaat

“attacks”? 

this gonna be the typical “traumatized white dude has Anger Attacks” type thing? 

honestly I immediately went “probably not” given how it was handled in Leverage. wasn’t sure though. but that does leave the question of what sort of attacks? it doesn’t seem like it’d be meltdowns, so what does that leave? 

hmmm. DEA guy is an Ass. we Do Not Like him. I’ve known Alex for less than half an hour but you do not do that to him. you do not use trauma against your guy, Jerkface. 

cutting a deal? this should be interesting

...well shit. I. am sincerely hoping Kai isn’t about to walk in on anything too bad

this definitely isn’t gonna be a fight though, that I called right off the bat

--bottles. dammit

oh, Christ. attempted OD or just drunk?

just drunk! good! well, very Not Good, but better than the other thing

pffffft dunking him in the water and then him going straight back to the water when he sees her, that is both absolutely hilarious and deeply concerning

aaand I’m agreeing with Kai but also, poor guy just got confronted with a hell of a lot of things that would raise his trau--

...mm. yeah. that’d be it. 

...I. was. not expecting that much backstory info straight off. holy cow, Alex. that is. messed up. someone get this man a hug

“one of the guys that cared too much”

(...like you?)

(or is that why you won’t let yourself care now?)

fuck, there was a lot more to that boat scene than I thought. ow

partner who betrayed him like that? I’m just. gods. 

Trust Issues is definitely gonna be a Thing isn’t it

can we just take a second to appreciate how Christian Kane is playing the absolute hell out of this character

aaaand Kai brings him back to the city for a Heartwarming Reminder of why he was in the game! this is very tropey but it is, as John Rogers has pointed out, an instance of the “well-worn writing tool” rather than feeling cheesy! 

holy crap Kai has lost. a lot of people. oh man

ahahahaha classic “why did you bring me here?” line! you know why, Alex. you know why

oh, and Ernesto gets a chance to help him out! I’m already enjoying this so much

awww and Kai shows up to help encourage him! with coffee! supportive friend and very obvious but honestly okay love interest! good!!!

(what the heck is with Devlin and his crew and sticking Kane with two besties? based on Ernesto’s dynamic with him I’m guessing this isn’t gonna be an OT3 but. I am loving the trend)

“I’m gonna regret this in the morning” pfft

huh, working with the DEA agents. not like he’s gonna go off script or anything. that’s totally not gonna happen is it

hehe irritated look while they’re putting on the mic. he is so very unimpressed

--”little episodes”--episodes? 

moment of appreciation for the un-forced-feeling diversity in these police squads

“how’s the anxiety?” I’m sorry what

hold up, when we say “episodes”--are we talking panic attacks? does Alex have actual goddamn anxiety? 

...actually with PTSD? that would make complete sense. I am... intrigued. I am really hoping that that’s the case, actually, because having seen how well they handled Parker and her PTSD in Leverage (as well as Nate’s and Eliot’s) I have a lot of faith that they could pull that off really well, actually. That would be good. 

ppFFFT TAKING OFF THE WIRES RIGHT OFF THE BAT

wait what. you’re telling them everything? what’s your game here? 

“get that frikkin gun outta my face!” yup, not a fan of guns! no disarming though? huh

(also can we just. appreciate how Kane manages to make “frikkin” sound just as much like the cuss it’s replacing?)

(LET ALEX SAY FUCK)

oh. OH

hi Ernesto! hi Kai! I see what y’all doing

ohhhhhhhhhh Alex you goddamn genius. Getting rid of all of the drugs so there’s no way the precise thing he was claiming to be doing can happen. I like this

THE MEDITATION COMING ON ON THE RECORDING I CAN’T--OH MY GODS

Alex please tell me you know how to disarm a gun. please. guns are not effective at that distance

OH. OH I DID NOT SEE KAI COMING. 

got ‘em! murder confession, how did I not see that coming? good stuff

Kai can fight! 

KAI CAN FUCKING FIGHT WOW

I am very much appreciating Kai right now

also is that a FLYING KICK from Ernesto?

they better give these people more fight scenes

aaaaand straight into the water, oh god. I’m assuming this was a choice made because Alex is familiar with this territory? ...I do not think I want to know where Alex learned to fight underwater.

(I really really really want to know.) 

how the fuck has your monitor not gone off by now Alex

choking him out underwater, okay, wow 

what size are your lungs? this is long

extra kudos for excellent underwater filming and wow I am hoping the actors actually came up for air

(this is also unreasonably beautiful for a scene where you’re choking out a drug lord. the water is so pretty)

Evil DEA guy (no I am not going to learn his name, he doesn’t deserve it) is gonna be Alex’s Agent Sterling, isn’t he? this should be interesting

heh, police chief is taking his side! good stuff, good stuff

(it is very nice to see Alex getting some people in his corner after knowing what hell the DEA put him through)

Alex has fallen so damn hard for Kai. this is very very adorable actually

awww he’s really getting into fixing up the shop, isn’t he? I’m sincerely looking forward to seeing how he gets this up and going, it really looks like he’s enjoying himself

somehow I am starting to wonder if the cocky “oh yeah I’m opening up a gift shop how exciting huh” thing at the start wasn’t... actually genuine. he... is enjoying this, isn’t he? good. very good

I am unreasonably invested in this man’s wellbeing for one episode in

!!!!!!!!! HE GETS HIS PARADE

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

giving him his reason to keep going! yes! yessss

oh Alex you are attached now. you are very attached. good luck my dude and don’t let the trust issues get in the way

this is a good show. this is a heckin awesome show. 

also, side note, it is SO PRETTY

I am just loving loving loving all of the scenery. competence porn AND landscape and city porn. beautiful. perfection. excellent

...that was. much longer than I anticipated oops 

anyway, conclusion: hot damn this is a fun show! I am very excited to keep watching this. Alex officially has my heart, even if he’s a bit of a cocky bastard sometimes. Kane is fucking hilarious. (More reasons to be excited for Redemption!) Kai and Ernesto also have my heart, and I am extremely interested to see their character development. 

Honestly, the beauty is surprising. I didn’t expect to just enjoy how pretty it is. The blues of the ocean, the intense tropical colors, even the run-down gift shop--there’s such a gorgeous aesthetic to it all. If I wasn’t already invested in the characters and plot, I’d be invested for that alone. 

So... I have some thoughts on Alex and the show structure.

He’s obviously very disillusioned. There’s a lot of nods to the idea of war--he’s commonly referring to himself as a soldier, as a veteran, maybe as a casualty. I’m gonna take a totally wild guess here and say this show is going to be focused on the drug issues in the Philippines. (Wow, Synapse, how the heck’d you guess that?) I do find describing the war on drugs as a war, and going into the terminology that comes with it, very appropriate, and I like how this show is actively calling this to attention rather than using it as a convenient plot. They’re actually addressing the issue and discussing its impact. And given how overlooked certain aspects of the impact of the drug war on the Philippines is, this is a good choice, especially in order to alert American viewers to the issue. I’m curious to see how they handle that.

Again, interesting drawing parallels to war, too, and comparing it against the likes of WWI and Vietnam. It really gives that sense of weight to the issue and defines a vital aspect of it: the impact of the war on drugs on the people involved. It emphasizes that the people who are fighting it suffer consequences and PTSD just as a soldier in the field does, and it also emphasizes, with Kai, that it isn’t just the people actively fighting who bear the consequences. It’s also the people on the sidelines--it’s the families, the people on the streets by the gunfights, the economical impact, etcetera. 

But there’s also an element to Alex’s character that automatically makes him relatable to a lot of people... and it has nothing to do with the PTSD, nothing to do with the war on drugs, nothing really to do with the main issues. It is, simply, the intense hopelessness and depression that comes with trying to make a difference. In his case it’s making a difference on a severe worldwide issue. But the vast majority, if not all, of Almost Paradise’s audience should be able to relate to a feeling of never doing enough. And there’s certainly a large section of that group who can relate to being part of a fight that never seems to end. Doesn’t matter what you’re doing--if it’s driven at helping, it rarely ever feels like you ever do enough. But the advice given is excellent. One of the best things to do, when you’re feeling hopeless over this, is to focus on and take deep joy in the impact you do make. 

Alex is an expression of a frustration that a lot of people deal with. This, I think, is one of the reasons why he instantly drew me--and presumably the rest of the audience--in (outside of a fantastic actor and great humor). He’s relatable. He’s something that most people can see a part of themselves in. 

Anyway, symbolism and real-world talk aside, this is just... fun. It’s genuine fun. We’re covering rough issues, but there’s a lot of well-written tropes in here too that are written in that way that makes them enjoyable to relive rather than painful. The humor is delightful and plentiful. There’s a lot of beautiful feel-good moments. I’m suspecting this’ll be a comfort show, and I am perfectly all right with that. 

Onto the next episode!

[onthevirgeofdestruction]

Painful Death for the Lactose Intolerant - BCE (Before Cult Events) -

Words: 2,553 Warnings: Depression, Child abandonment, Food Characters: Virgil  Universe: Painful Death for the Lactose Intolerant Genre: Angst

Sanders Sides Teenager AU - Friendship - Humor - Angst

Virgil and Remus and Remy have been drunk idiots who are barely coping for a long time. Do you want more Teenage Debauchery? Because you’re getting teenage debauchery and a little angst, as a treat.

Please read Painful Death for the Lactose Intolerant First if you haven’t already- there are minor spoilers for it!

Chapter 7: That’s the Dream

   Virgil hated the days Remus didn’t stay over. This stupid house was too empty without Remus’s loud presence. Virgil shouted out in anger as he tossed his backpack on the ottoman just to listen to the echo. Virgil picked up the remote and turned on the TV, picking the first thing on his recently played to listen to while he nuked himself lunch. Well, if you could consider anything eaten after 3 PM lunch.

   He liked the noise, just leaving the TV on. It was a habit now, anyway. He wouldn’t even consider playing a game on the TV without Remus, honestly. It felt wrong. But having the TV on seemed right. Virgil sat on the kitchen counter and watched TV through the pass-through while he ate ‘lunch’, which was a microwave meal of biryani chicken. He finished and leaned over to rinse the container and the fork in the sink and left them to dry and climbed up the small backsplash over the sink to jump down into the living room.

   Leaving the door wide open to listen to the TV, he went into the small office just off the living room. His parents used the desktop in here. A long time ago. Virgil had just taken over the computer. It was clear they didn’t care about this workstation, just as much as they didn’t care about Virgil. He kicked off his shoes near the door and sat down at the desk, using his toe to turn on the desktop while he leaned back. He waited for it to boot. It was an older computer and took a bit. He chewed on his lip nervously.

   The TV wasn’t enough today, it seemed. It was still just so… empty. Virgil was freezing and lonely and sad. Sadder then he had any right to be. Nothing was really wrong. It’s not like his parents were hitting or yelling at him anymore. There was food in the fridge and alcohol on the shelf. They paid for the water and electricity. Nothing was actually a problem in his life. He had no right to feel this way.

   People always mentioned how they were jealous of him if he complained to anyone. They wished they were home alone. They wished they had the run of the house. They wished they got to pick the groceries. So Virgil knew he was wrong to hate it desperately. Everyone always told him that he was living the dream. It was stupid to hate it, right? It was stupid to be sad about it. His feelings about it were stupid. The empty house was the dream.

   It was so killer his parents bought him alcohol. He was so lucky that they didn’t care what he did or watch his grades or have discussions with him. How cool was it that no matter what Virgil did they’d never bother to reprimand him? He was just a whiner. He didn’t understand how good he had it. He didn’t understand how bad it was for other kids. Virgil groaned and dropped his head hard on the oak desk and the monitor creaked in protest. He tiredly reached up without looking and entered the password to log in.

   Time to pretend he wasn’t here all alone all evening! Virgil loaded up his favourite websites. Some art ones, YouTube, a crypid blog, Reddit, general places he could interact with people. Nothing really. Very few notifications. No new comments on his art. The Reddit didn’t have much to comment on. The blog hadn’t updated, even his discord was dead. Remus was busy, probably, and Remy’s dad was maybe home, so Remy had to pretend to do his homework. And actually do homework. Virgil gave up on homework ages ago, though. He wrote it down. He had the pages right there. He never did it. There was no point.

   Trying an MMO could help. Hop in on some raids and chat with them. It didn’t happen every time, but sometimes spamming an instance with the same group would cause a little bit of temporary bonding, and he did really want a rare weapon drop from a raid instance he just leveled into. The damn game needed updating, so Virgil took a piece of paper and just mindlessly sketched the character on the loading splash in a new pose. He kind of liked her dress and thought her hair was pretty. Virgil glanced at his phone’s lack of notifications with a sigh and kept drawing during this stupid long update.

   It was so painfully quiet in here it hurt, even with the TV on. There was still at least another half hour on the downloader and Virgil abandoned the sketch, completely unable to focus. He wandered the house pointlessly. He checked all the locks on the windows again, except his parent’s room since he couldn’t stomach going in there. Nothing had changed. Nothing had a reason to. It was just him and this stupid giant silent house. He couldn’t take the silence ringing in his hears. He groaned and started singing loudly, listening to it echo off the walls as he walked through the house.

   ‘Friends on the Other Side’ might not have been the best choice, because now the shadows in his house were getting suspicious. He flipped on all the house just to get rid of them. Virgil couldn’t stop pacing madly and gripping himself, so he went into the kitchen to nuke a mug of milk to make some shit hot cocoa from powder. He needed something. Virgil climbed up on the counter and just listened to the microwave’s hum while some terrible sitcom played in the background. He rubbed his face in frustration. It was dumb! It was dumb! He was lucky! Virgil yelled in frustration again. The microwave finally beeped and Virgil mixed in his cocoa packet.

   Virgil dropped off his mug in the living room and grabbed his sketchbook and a CD from his bedroom. He loaded a CD into the stereo and set it low, then picked a TV show he actually liked on the TV. He sketched one of his OCs while the TV and stereo played. It almost wasn’t so empty in here with the stereo going. Virgil sketched himself playing cheese with another character next.

   He had to get up and change the CDs twice until he was finally hungry enough to consider dinner. Virgil got up and dug around in the freezer for another microwave dinner, chucking a random one in the microwave without really looking at what it was. He didn’t really care. Virgil ate it while leaned against the kitchen counter and watching the TV. It was still ice cold in the center, but it wasn’t inedible. He just had to chew harder. Virgil rinsed stuff and returned went to go finally play his damn game. It finished loading ages ago, but it took so long he got distracted trying to distract himself.

   Grinding the raid wasn’t the worst thing. Virgil was getting good levels and caught on quick, guiding people who didn’t run to the first task right away as he played. He did eventually find a group that was grinding it as he was randomly placed with groups. It took 6 instances for them to start jumping in boredom while they waiting for the boss to spawn. It took another 4 and they were finally chatting in the 2 or 3 minutes of downtime each raid. He even already got the sword he wanted and kept playing. They were nice enough and the levels were good. It was almost like being with other people. They were talking about books, even.

   Remus finally messaged the group chat with one of his gore-or memes, and Virgil sighed in relief. It was stupid, but it felt like Remus forgot about him for a bit. Virgil pestered Remus to come online and play with him, but Remus said he was stuck at one of his parent’s stupid events where he had to pretend he wasn’t hallucinating and stay quiet. Remus technically wasn’t even supposed to be texting, but he had been sneaking it under the table when he had a chance. Virgil didn’t know why they forced Remus to be at these things if they barely tolerated him in the first place. Appearances were just too important to them, and that included pretending they didn’t openly hate Remus maybe. Virgil wished he could light one of his mom’s stupid gauzy dresses on fire with her in it. He grumbled, but the new raid had loaded and he continued grinding with his group.

   The others seemed to enjoy talking too since all the items they were all trying to grind for were achieved and they kept playing. Virgil had a nearly complete set of the rare armor drop from this raid. He didn’t even care for it, it wasn’t worth much to sell and was barely better than his current gear, but they had gotten into a debate on the motivations behind the events of the Divergent series and Virgil wasn’t going to stop.

   Eventually, everyone else had to leave. Virgil put up all the spare armor up for bid and equip everything. The set bonus was admittedly nice. He quested alone for a bit, now that he was significantly over-leveled for many of them he breezed through the quests in the area and moved on. But that tingling started back up in the back of his head eventually. The one that let him know he was alone and that none of the conversations was real. They didn’t even friend request him at the end. It was late enough that most of his guild wasn’t online. The hardcore players were doing PVP and not talking. Virgil sighed and found an inn to get a resting bonus at to sign out. It was already past midnight and he couldn’t even pretend he was tired.

   Virgil knew this was dumb. He knew it was dangerous. He knew he shouldn’t do this. But he slipped back on his shoes and grabbed his keys, heading out the front door. The evening air was warm and nice, outside. It was a little overcast, but he could make out a few stars in the night sky. He wished he could see more. He loved the stars. Looking at them always made him feel better. The stars were always there, they could never leave him.

   He slid his hands in his pockets and kicked a rock along with him as he headed down the street until it jumped off the curb. He watched it for a moment and moved on. Not being in the house anymore, where he was stuck all the time, helped. He hated being there. He hated the sound of the A/C and the smell of the couch. It was dumb. He was supposed to appreciate this. Why couldn’t he appreciate this? Virgil flipped up his hood and headed towards the park. He didn’t really have anywhere else to go.

   He kicked his legs under him and swung higher on the swing set. The set creaked slightly in the night, but otherwise, it wasn’t obvious anyone was out here. Virgil watched the stars close in and recede as he swung. Staring at him gave his head a fuzzy feeling he could describe, but it was both uncomfortable and comforting. He couldn’t think about how bad he was at appreciating things or how much he missed Remus and Remy. The fuzzy feeling just overtook his brain and he embraced it. Virgil gripped the chain and swung as high as he could without the chain clattering loudly, enjoying the fresh smell and the different sights for once.

   Virgil must have stopped paying attention at one point because when he realized what was happening he was sitting on the swing completely still while he watched the scattered clouds pass overhead. Virgil rubbed his face and pulled out his phone. The light on his screen blinded him momentarily and he hissed at it, rubbing his eyes. When he reopened them the screen had dimmed down. Shit, he had been out here for ages. Virgil slid his phone back into his pocket and hopped off the swing to head back home. He shouldn’t be out this late.

   “I’m home,” Virgil called pointlessly to the empty house as he entered and locked up, sliding the bar under the door handle. Virgil picked up his mug from the living room to rinse out as he got a glass of water. Virgil sighed as he leaned against the fridge and sipped his cup of water, staring at the clock. He should probably get to bed sometime soon. Virgil went to go shower and change for bed.

   He left his clothes for tomorrow folded on the bathroom counter to change into quickly and headed into his bedroom after turning off all the lights he left on in the house. There was no point in closing his bedroom door, but the dark hall always scared him, even though he never admitted it to anybody. His brain played tricks on him with the shadows in the hall and he saw things. It was easier to close the door.

   Virgil crawled up into bed and laid down, pulling out his phone. It was time to space out to social media. His brain was still kind of fuzzy from earlier and the walk must have helped tire him because he was exhausted even though he barely did anything once he got home from school. Not that he did much at school either. Remus wasn’t here last night either and he had trouble sleeping, so he was too tired today for much. Virgil glanced around his dark bedroom, making sure everything was in place.

   His eyes caught on the small locked box on his desk and sighed. Remus would kill him if he found out he did it again and Virgil was bad at keeping on his hoodie when he got drunk. He had grown out of it, he told himself. He wasn’t that weak anymore. He didn’t have to depend on it anymore. Remus came over often now and it made all the empty, silent nights easier. But Virgil still couldn’t throw out the box. And on nights like this sometimes it played at him. Just in passing. He didn’t think he would. He wouldn’t even touch the box tonight, though sometimes he did. Sometimes just holding the box was enough. He didn’t need to tonight. But it was still there. It was an option he kept open.

   Virgil pulled his eyes back to his phone and appreciated the fact that the cyptid and conspiracy theory boards were finally alive and he talked with them, sending interesting theories to the group chat. Remy always claimed he hated getting them and that Virgil sent them too late, but Remy was the one reading and responding to them. Remy always called them dumb, but Virgil appreciated that even if he really thought they were dumb he took the time to read things Virgil was interested in. It made him feel better, and he needed that tonight. Because tonight the silent house and the lack of a single soul nearby that cared if he lived or died were both too loud to deal with. 

Tags: @elizabutgayer​​ @ollyollyoxinfree

[kelyon]

I have a question about how the curse in Golden Rings works. Feel free to hold onto this until TMI Tuesday, but I know I'll forget if I try to wait 'til then. 28 years is a LONG time to keep people imprisoned in a state of perpetual misery. I'm curious: does the curse have any failsafes in place to keep its prisoners from doing permanent damage to one another or themselves? For instance, early on in the story, it was established that Gold would regularly starve his wife to exert power over her (to say nothing of the other abuse she suffered). Would the curse have somehow stopped him from taking things past the point of no return?

Technically, I answered this in the text of Chapter 20, but I like hearing myself talk, so I'm going to ramble.

Shortest answer possible: In Golden Rings, Rumple says he has no desire to fuck a corpse. Gold has a lot of problems, but at least he agrees with that. Mrs. Gold is more fun to play with if he keeps her moderately healthy.

Less short answer: Basically nobody dies in Storybrooke. Nobody's born either, time is a prison and nothing changes. I think cursed Storybrooke is a land of perpetuity. People have a role to play or a condition to be in, and they are just stuck like that for 28 years.

Now, there are contradictions in canon about that. Adam and Eddy have said that cursed Storybrooke isn't really a magical "Groundhog Day loop," but it's just an endless routine. (Like the lives of people in real-life Punxsutawney PA.)

So it's not that, say, every day Ruby drops the same tray of glasses while she's waiting tables. But it is the idea that Ruby is always messing something up at the diner--she burns the food, floods the dishwasher, leaves the freezer door open overnight. Her perpetual state is one of failure and frustration. Every day she finds a new reason to hate her job but she never leaves or does anything different. (Is this too close to home for anyone else? Just me? Okay.)

The contradiction comes when people have specific conditions that don't change at all. The specific examples from the show would be Ashley being pregnant for 28 years, and David being in a coma with no change. This is where you lose the idea of people not being aware of how much time has gone by because they're so wound up in their routines.

Now, if you wanted to make it a story that a woman was always pregnant with a different baby and always had a brood of kids around her so yeah who's keeping count, that would track with the logic. (Let's call that poor woman the Storybrooke version of Old Mother Hubbard.)

Or if a sick person was always in the hospital again. If the same person was always sick with some new ailment, I don't think people would notice it as being that out of the ordinary. It's a thing that happens in real life. It could even be seen as normal, part of the routine. ("Oh, just as Prudence was feeling better after that heart attack, her gallbladder started acting up, so she's in the hospital again, bless her heart.")

I could buy Ashley and Sean breaking up and getting back together over and over as their backstory. Or an endless string of pregnancy scares. But Ashley being 9 months pregnant for the first time for 28 years? I mean, I guess you've got to say it's magic.

In Golden Rings, if the status quo was that Mrs. Gold was starving to death, she would be starving to death very slowly for 28 years. I guess it's just that there would never be consequences. As it is in the fic, that's not the status quo they always go back to. Under the curse, I imagine their routine would be different times of punishment and pampering. (Or what my old health teacher called "The Honeymoon-Abuse Cycle.")

[kashifqureshicom]

How to Keep Your Kitchen Appliances Clean

Appliances are an indispensable part of any functional kitchen. You can’t cook or manage chores in the kitchen without their help. From the kitchen stove, refrigerator to the microwave and air fryer – all play a pivotal role in bringing cooked food to the table. As these appliances bring so much convenience and comfort into your daily lives, it is important to maintain them in order to keep them running. In this blog, we will discuss some easy tips to clean kitchen appliances at home.  Let’s begin!

TIPS TO CLEAN KITCHEN APPLIANCES AT HOME

Managing a clean kitchen is no difficult task. Frowning over a dirty microwave oven, or an overloaded refrigerator is not going to help much. You have to deal with it one day or the other. The more you put off the task of cleaning kitchen appliances, the greater the chances are of breeding cockroaches inside your microwave, refrigerator or coffee maker. All you need is some will to carry out small cleaning jobs on a daily basis and you will be able to maintain a clean kitchen. These are some of the most common appliances used in a kitchen along with their cleaning tips. Microwave cleaning hacksCleaning the insides of a refrigeratorHow to clean a dishwasherKeeping your food processor cleanDeep cleaning tips for an air fryerHow to remove grime from the kitchen stove Let us discuss different hacks to clean kitchen appliances at home. MICROWAVE CLEANING HACKS Microwaves are one of the most convenient kitchen appliances at home. If you are looking for some tips to clean kitchen appliances like microwave then make sure you follow this step-by-step guide. Take a bowl with a cup of water and 4 tbsp of vinegar. In case you don’t have vinegar, you can also use lemon juice or a teaspoon of liquid dish soap.When you microwave the solution for about 2 minutes, it releases steam which lifts grime, grease and dirt from the microwave. It is important that you don’t boil the solution or spill it. Don’t open the microwave’s door as soon as you are done. Let the steam reach everywhere inside the microwave for maximum cleaning.Use a clean cloth to wipe off the insides of the microwave. If there are tough stains in the microwave oven, use an abrasive sponge to scrub off any stuck on food.Take out the rotating plate from the microwave and wash it with soap and water.Clean the microwave’s exterior, especially the buttons on the display panel with a cloth.Wipe the gasket and rubber seal around the microwave with a soapy solution. Then take a wet cloth to wipe down the gasket. CLEANING THE INSIDES OF A REFRIGERATOR

Cleaning guide for the refrigerator You won’t believe but an unclean refrigerator is a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. More often than not, a refrigerator needs to be cleaned and sanitised. You need to remove milk spills, residual food items, any stale bread that might develop moss and fungus or food items that have outlived their shelf life. Follow this step-by-step guide on how to clean a refrigerator. It is best to start cleaning the refrigerator when items inside the fridge are on the low side. For instance, when you plan to go for your weekly shopping, switch off the fridge for a few hours so that the ice melts and everything can be easily taken out, especially from the attached deep freezer. Now, take everything out on a clean surface. All shelves should be emptied.You have a limited time to clean the fridge, especially if the weather is hot outside as the number of items you take out from the fridge might reach their danger zone if left for a longer period of time.Now, sort through the items you have taken out from the refrigerator. Check out expiry dates and discard all items that are moldy or seem questionable in any way.Remove shelves and the egg crate from the fridge. Wash it with soap and water. If the stains are resistant, then use an ammonia solution with a 1 part ammonia and 5 parts water and soak the shelves in it before you start scrubbing.  Wipe it with a clean cloth to dry them out quickly. Air dry them first before putting the shelves back in the fridge.To clean the insides of a refrigerator, mix two tablespoons of baking soda in a 1 quart of hot water. Dip your cloth in the solution and wipe off stains.Clean the gasket or the rubber seal of the refrigerator with a half water and a half vinegar solution. Do not apply bleach or any other cleaning agent on the gasket.Now, store back the food items inside the fridge. Make sure to wipe everything down and keep a check on the expiry dates of the items you shove back into the fridge.Wipe down the exterior surface of the refrigerator with a dishwashing liquid soap and hot water. Also, clean the roof of the fridge to help it function properly.The condenser coils and fan are an important part of a fridge that release the heat back into the air. Clean the coils of the fridge which are otherwise covered with dust, debris and hair. If the heat isn’t properly released in the air, the compressor works hard to keep the fridge cool. Make sure that you have unplugged the kitchen appliance. After cleaning the coils with a brush, clean the blades of the fan as well. Remember not to use any cleaning solution on condenser coils and fan blades. Plug the refrigerator back into the electric power. It is also important to change the water filter in your fridge every six months.In order to have an odour free refrigerator, place a small jar of ground coffee at the back of the fridge. Some other hacks to keep refrigerator odour free are: Place a ball of crumpled brown paper bag amidst fruits and vegetables in the crisper box. A box of baking soda also helps keep bad smells away. HOW TO CLEAN A DISHWASHER Dishwashers are a blessing, especially if you have a large family and a never-ending pile of dishes. To maintain a clean dishwasher, it is important to get it cleaned on a routine basis. It is important to clean the dishwasher once a month at least to remove any stuck up food item from washed dishesClear the drain which is present at the end of the rack. Inspect the dishwasher drain to remove any gunk in thereTake a cup of white vinegar in the dishwasher-safe container present in the upper rack of the dishwasher. Now, run the hot-water cycle to remove any grime, grease or any bad odours from the machine.Sprinkle a cup of baking soda across the bottom of the dishwasher. Now, run a short hot water cycle. This will clean the dishwasher making the insides sparkling clean and odour-free. KEEPING YOUR FOOD PROCESSOR CLEAN

Follow these tips to clean the food processor at home There is no working kitchen without a food processor. You can shred, chop and blend with its help. But when it comes to cleaning a food processor it seems a lot of hassle. However, if you know the right steps, you can easily clean it in about 15 minutes and get back to making those amazing dishes with the help of your food processor. So, follow these tips to clean kitchen appliances like food processors at home. It is advised to clean the food processor after every use. Before cleaning the food processor, unplug the appliance and dismantle itDismantling means removing the lids, blades and the pusher unit. Set the blade aside and wash it with clean soapy water.In order for the food processor to function properly, remove the blade after use and wash it thoroughly with soapy water.All the pieces of the food processor that you have removed can be washed with soap and waterTo clean the base of the food processor i.e. the motor area, wipe it with a damp clothIf your food processor is smelly, mix some baking soda in water and let it sit in the bowl of the machine for about 15 minutes. The baking soda will absorb the bad odour, leaving your machine sparkling clean. Before reassembling the unit, dry out the food processor completely DEEP CLEANING TIPS FOR AN AIR FRYER

Here’s how you can keep the air fryer clean Airfryers are incredibly convenient kitchen appliances. Not only easy to use, they help reduce the oil intake which you inadvertently consume when having deep fried foods. If you go on with the traditional method of deep frying, you will end up with splattered oil on surfaces and greasy pots and pans. An airfryer has a cooking basket which is enclosed within. Therefore, there is no oily mess and any oil or grease that drips from the food item is collected in an oil pan. Although it is highly convenient and easy to use, you still have to clean it in order to keep it productive for more years to come. Follow these steps to deep clean an airfryer at home: Don’t start with its cleaning when the air fryer is still hot. Unplug the appliance and allow it to completely cool down before you start cleaning itWipe the outer surface with a clean damp clothWash the cooking basket, pan and tray with dish washing soap and hot water. You can also place all the components of an air fryer in a dishwasher instead of hand washing them.Take a sponge or a clean cloth, dip it in hot water having dish washing liquid and clean the insides of the air fryer with itUse a brush to scrape off any food items stuck in the air fryer. If the food has hardened in the heating pan of the air fryer, then soak it in hot water with some dish washing liquid soap overnight. This will loosen the food scraps and make it easier to clean the air fryer.Always use a non-abrasive sponge to clean the air fryer as all components within it are non-stick and if you use a hard sponge it can put scratch marks on the non-stick pan Once you are done cleaning the kitchen appliance, then make sure the tray, pan and basket are completely dry before you put them back into the air fryer There you have a clean kitchen appliance HOW TO REMOVE GRIME FROM THE KITCHEN STOVE

Cleaning tips for your kitchen stove An easy method of cleaning the kitchen stove is to use baking soda. Wash the burners with warm water and some soap. Now, make a thick paste of baking soda and vinegar. Apply the paste onto the burner and let it sit for 15 minutes to lift off the stains and any food residue. Scrub off the loosened gunk and wash it with soap and water again to thoroughly cleanse itAs a regular cleaning practice, take a spray bottle and fill it with white vinegar and water. Spray it on the stove and wipe it off clean. This will help remove any food residue or grease before everything gets baked inFor cleaning the stainless steel stove and to keep it completely grease-free, use baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Sprinkle lots of baking soda onto the surface. Drizzle some hydrogen peroxide and watch how it fizzes and lifts the gunk off the cook top. So, these were some of the best ways to clean kitchen appliances at home. You should also take a look at some easy ways to organise a messy kitchen. If you are worried about the hygiene standards in your kitchen, then do read our detailed blog on ways to maintain your kitchen hygiene. If you are looking for regular updates then stay tuned to the best lifestyle blog in Pakistan. Don’t forget to write to us at kashifabidqureshi@gmail.com and we will surely get back to you. Subscribe to My Newsletter appearing on the right-hand side of the page. Read the full article