❝I am unmoving, a stagnant being of power, a mountain. Wind cannot shake me, water cannot erode me, fire cannot burn me;
I am the very earth itself.❞
Show & Tell
One Nice Bug Per Day
Peter Solarz
h

Product Placement

@theartofmadeline
Cosimo Galluzzi
Keni
AnasAbdin

Origami Around
Three Goblin Art

❣ Chile in a Photography ❣
d e v o n

No title available
🪼

JVL
Stranger Things
"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"

Love Begins
No title available
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom

seen from Germany
seen from United States

seen from Türkiye

seen from Canada
seen from United States

seen from Finland
seen from United States

seen from Türkiye
seen from Maldives
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Türkiye
seen from Malaysia
@pugnaxus
❝I am unmoving, a stagnant being of power, a mountain. Wind cannot shake me, water cannot erode me, fire cannot burn me;
I am the very earth itself.❞
❛☢【ᴊᴏᴇy】His presence is a tension creator, an unwelcome addition to already dangerous streets. The turf wars are annoying enough, he doesn't need the cops sniffing around -- especially not this cop. ❝Can I help ya with somethin', sir? Ya look awful interested.❞ Venom seeps into his voice, an unspoken -- and, therefore, unusable -- threat beneath polite words. ❝Yer kind are always pokin' 'round here. There ain't shit to find.❞
╾╾╾╾╾╾╾{ ❅ ♕ ❅ }╾╾╾╾╾╾╾
╾ ❝ Jack. Just Jack. I’ve had my fair share, that goes without saying. Can’t survive without it and I’m sure you’ve been around the block and played this game before. And you are ? ❞
❛☢【ᴊᴏᴇy】❝Just Jack, eh? Easy enough. Name's Joey Wheeler. Pleasure to meet ya, man. Somethin' like that. I ain't a pro, but I've had my share of experiences.❞
There was something innately wrong with simply letting the subject slip by, as if it were water between his fingers. Surely, surely, if he were anyone else, he would press, prod, insist above all else that his questions be answered and not brushed aside with such a flippant excuse. Yet he was not anyone else. The only him was him, and it felt as if his mouth were full of cotton, halting any and all words which may or may not have slipped out either way. Insisting upon his best friend had never been a good idea; in spite of his worry, such a thing which saturated every single pore of his body, every last cell which lived in time with him, he could not take that step.
What, exactly, did that say about him? ( he didn’t like thinking about it. )
Following quietly, he stood within the open doorway which led into the small sitting room. He was neither in nor out, as if a bystander within his own home, in the rooms which he had run through for the entirety of his life. And it was as if he were detached from the moment, yet attuned to it as well. A paradox.
"I’d lose that bet, Jonouchi," uttered aloud, lips moving without much conscious thought behind them, automated reply delivered with little delay. If he were a post office and not a human, such a reaction would not sit so bitterly upon his tongue, within the cavity of his chest. Feeling being strangled upon every exhale and left to breathe upon every inhale, and he could only smile just slightly. Believing in Jonouchi was easy. Believing Jonouchi, especially in such a situation, was harder. "But we can play, yeah."
Socked feet led him further into the room, a seat beside his friend taken as he leaned towards the small coffee table, pulling open a drawer along its side, extracting a deck of playing cards. Nimble fingers gently tapped the cards out, and shuffled them easily, a blur of color and movement as his gaze returned to his friend, a vague attempt to blink the solemnity from his eyes given.
"You can stay as long as you need to, though. I don’t think my mom or grandpa would mind.”
❛☢【ᴊᴏᴇy】There's something discomforting in the way Yugi hovers just outside the room, a phantom of his usual shy, but cheerful self. Moments like these make it painfully obvious how much he relies on that temperament; it's one of many aspects of the shorter he admires. He's never been much of a thinker -- actions have always been his forte -- but he knows no one in their right mind would buy his story if they knew his history. It's a matter of waiting, of knowing any moment now unspoken questions will be asked and he has no clue what he'll do when it happens. His stomach knots, bile churning at the bottom of his throat. But, unbelievably, the interrogation doesn't come.
He doesn't understand why Yugi is so patient with him.
❝Dunno 'bout that. Yer no novice with card games. I know there's a difference here, but it ain't a huge one.❞ Not modesty, but pure fact. Yugi just wins most of the time. He watches the shuffling cards to avoid his friend's eyes. If he's watching, Jonouchi doesn't want to know. He wants to remain blissfully oblivious. This is just another night with the two of them playing games -- it's a regular weekend.
Then, in an act of kindness typical of the boy, Yugi shatters the whole thing. Hazel optics flicker to his face, almost perplexed by the suddenness of the offer to stay. He curses the reaction later. It's not odd for Yugi to ask in normal situations. The Muto Family has always been gracious toward him. ❝That's not--❞ Jonouchi chokes, biting his cheek and sucking in a breath. Damn. A second passes, then another, before he clears his throat. ❝Don't worry 'bout it. My ol' man's expectin' me home tonight.❞
Retrospectively speaking, his father wasn't the best excuse, but he'd do. ❝'Sides, didn't bring anythin' to change into. Dunno about you, but I don't wanna see what these clothes smell like in the mornin'.❞ It's not like he can wear Yugi's clothes to substitute.
『 °˖ ♪♫♬ 』
“That so? Damn.” Yuzuki murmured in response, unaware that she was in what some might consider “dangerous” company. “Gotta watch out next time.” In her mind, he didn’t register as a thug who had just got into a fight, but some grumpy dude who accidentally ran into a pipe a few moments ago. When he asked about aspirin, she unzipped her duffel bag, promptly plucking out a bottle and tossing it over to him.
”Here. I’ve got some other bandages and stuff if ya need ‘em, too.” Yuzuki had started carrying her huge first aid kit to practice for a while now. Not for herself, of course, but for the other poor teammates she relentlessly mowed down on her quest for victory. They bruised like peaches.
❛☢【ᴊᴏᴇy】❝No shit, Sherlock.❞ Tone biting, he snatched the bottle mid-air. Popping off the lid, he dropped two capsules into an open palm and gulped them down dry. His dry throat protested the sudden intrusion, though he only gave a split second wince before resuming his glaring. He threw the bottle back, uncaring if she paid enough mind to actually catch it instead of the alternative whack to the head it'd offer.
❝I don't need yer damn bandages. Why don't ya just scram already?❞ The bandages were a better than leaving the wound untended, but he'd shown enough weakness for one day. His reputation needed more mending than his head.
“Oh I know, somehow. You don’t really like him do you. I mean boss can be a bit stand offish. Oh of course. But I am so bad at drawing cards and boss, ehm I mean Kaiba is easier to reach.”
❛☢【ᴊᴏᴇy】❝It shows, eh? Guess I ain't doin' much to hide it. Standoffish doesn't begin to describe 'im. He's just a jerk. I get it. Pegasus ain't in the phone books. Er--I guess Kaiba ain't either, but ya know what I mean.❞
“Yes I work for Kaiba, people kind of get judgemental when I say that but it is a job nothing more. And it is also fun, maybe the main reason why I don’t play the game. I see almost all cards before hand.”
❛☢【ᴊᴏᴇy】❝Any judgment from me is for Kaiba. It's got nothin' to do with ya. Trust me. I'm kinda surprised though. I though Pegasus' company handled the cards and Kaiba's handled the technology.❞
I came to win,
to fight,
to conquer,
to t h r i v e I came to W I N,
to survive,
to prosper,
to r i s e
To fly To F L Y
"You give yourself too much credit. Talk about being a narcissist. You think that you’re the best thing ever since Duel Monsters." When he spoke about his Blue-Eyes, Kaiba thought about it for a moment. "I already built statues for Kaiba Land. Perhaps my next project could be a Blue-Eyes fashion line." He smirks at Jounouchi. "Interesting idea there. I’ll be sure to use it."
❛☢【ᴊᴏᴇy】❝I just say it. Yer the one who believes ya are.❞ A light brow raised at the conclusion, Joey raising his hands defensively as a nervous smile overtook his lips. ❝Ya ain't serious, right? Because there's obsession then there's compete nutcase and a fashion line's puttin' ya in the latter. Who'd wear somethin' based off a card?❞ Printed t-shirts and hoodies, sure, but an entire fashion line? He doubted it.
“Well I am translating them into different languages. Of course a computer could do that as well but there are always mistakes. I make sure they are not send out.”
❛☢【ᴊᴏᴇy】❝Oh, right. Ya work for moneybags. So, yer a translator? That's pretty cool. Sounds like a lot of work.❞
"If his lover is anything like you, I’d be damned to let them in my home, you brat." Folding his arms to his chest, he rolls his eyes and turns away. "Besides, once he reaches sixteen, he’ll have complete control of KaibaCorp’s main building. As for me, I’ll be able to travel and build Kaiba Lands in other countries as well as bring in cultural ideas into dueling, making it suitable for everyone by the time I reach around 30."
❛☢【ᴊᴏᴇy】❝You'd be lucky to have someone like me 'round. Too bad there's nobody like me 'sides me.❞ Smiling cheekily, the blonde pointed a proud thumb toward himself at his declaration. ❝That's mighty ambitious of ya. If ya do all that by thirty, what're ya gonna do when yer mid-life crisis hits? Start buildin' replicas of the Blue Eyes White Dragon? That's only if all the other stuff ya got themed around the card doesn't count, anyway. Yer obsessed.❞
“You do that and I am…trying to get my work done. I am kind of drowning in duel monster cards right now.”
❛☢【ᴊᴏᴇy】❝Drownin' in cards? Whaddya mean? Thought ya didn't play the game.❞
"Are you calling my brother immature? I will slap that smile off of you. Mokuba isn’t like the other children. He is well-mannered and intelligent, much like his amazing older brother. He will not disobey my rules. He cannot date until he is sixteen and he will date someone that’s not a slacker. Gender is not an issue, however. If he turns up gay, or dates a girl, or anyone for that matter, that person better treat him right or I’ll sick my Blue-Eyes on them. I don’t mean my cards either.”
❛☢【ᴊᴏᴇy】❝Wouldn't make 'im immature, ya narcissist. It'd make 'im normal. The kids who don't have that phase are the ones who end up repressed. Yeah, and he's got a mouth on 'im like his brother too.❞ Though tamer than the CEO, he'd known Mokuba to make snide remarks -- more so at the beginning of his relationship with the gang. ❝Heh, now who's gettin' protective, eh? He's too smart to land himself with a guy or gal who'll mistreat 'im and cares too much about yer approval to pick anyone ya won't like. Yer Blue Eyes ain't needed.❞
“I wish I had time for pranks but he didn’t seem like the prank kind of guy. Guess I was wrong after all, but I can deal with these kind of people.
❛☢【ᴊᴏᴇy】❝If yer sure. I'd keep an eye out for any wacko's talkin' about horror flicks, though.❞
• ❅ • —————
’ Watch ‘n’ learn, pal —— ‘
Fist met palm with an audible impact, the air misting around them from the sudden temperature change. Once pulled back, they revealed an icy replica of the gleaming pendent around his neck.
’ Better than this “video game” thing, huh? ‘
————— • ❅ •
❛☢【ᴊᴏᴇy】Hazel hues widen at the display, the chill causing minor tremors in his arms and legs. Warm settling in his bones again, the blonde waved a hand through the air -- as if expecting a trick wire or hidden machine.
❝How'd ya do that? It wasn't a hologram, right?❞ Holograms aren't meant to trigger anything other than visual input, but he's been in too many Shadow Games to note the difference.
“Same with yourself joey! And yeah! Come on we got a lot to do.” Orihime smiled helping him off the latter, after she did she ran into the house holding the door opened for the other.
❛☢【ᴊᴏᴇy】❝Alright, I'm comin'!❞ He hopped off the ladder, landing expertly with bent knees, before following her inside the house. ❝What're we makin' for this party, anyway? Pumpkin pie, cookies, cupcakes?❞ There's a silent plea for all of the above in his eyes.