#((they are so fascinating to me. strange creatures. your vibes are crazy))

[dcggersedge]

"Love doesn't save lives." Love didn't save Florra Port. Love didn't save Givre Port. Love didn't bring a king back from the cathedral. Love could do a lot of things, but it rarely stopped to save those who were powerless in war. "Love won't bring back the people who die for it either."

She's only ever seen that happen once, and it had been one of the most horrifying moments of her life.

She adds the charm onto her bracelet and gives it a little shake. They're loud and clunky as they bounce off each other. With a sigh, Yunaka straightens up and nods to Edelgard. "Sure have! Planning on taking a look at them with someone later, in fact."

Oh, she was a funny one to be talking about wishes. Yunaka giggles innocently. "Thanks for the advice! I hope one of us gets to see those wishes come true." They both knew who she meant.

She hasn't gone back to speak to Edelgard much after the attack. She isn't sure what to say. She isn't sure she wants to say anything at all. The blood of that incident hadn't fallen on Edelgard's hands, but that doesn't change the fact she's preparing to drench them either.

Wordlessly, she stops at Edelgard's side. The turtle charm is offered as she watches over the other party guests.

"...It's nice here." She finally says. "The land is rather beautiful. I see why you love Adrestia so much." She waits a moment to make sure that no one is close enough to hear before she continues. "I hope you won't regret it when you see what war does to the people here."

When she first sees Yunaka, she almost isn't sure where to begin. She can't help and replay their conversations some moons ago. It's odd, she thinks— She's never been one to dwell. She still isn't. No matter. The first word isn't hers.

Removing the anchor charm off her bracelet, she places it in Yunaka's palm quietly. Edelgard doesn't react visibly to what she's told. There are no widened pupils nor agape mouth, only tightly lined lips. There is dancing to their left and idle chatter at the right. Music plays and humming burrows in the strums of instruments. It's a pleasant night, all encompassing of this very love for Adrestia her professor acknowledges. Is she to succeed in the footsteps of nobles before her, turning a blind eye for the sake of saving face and preserving momentary bliss? She can't. Won't.

"...."

She takes the turtle charm and gently holds it between her fingertips while gazing into it. There is as much beauty as there is turmoil and pain. With the right words, she knows even her professor would see what she does.

"— I march forward because of my love for Adrestia. I always will." Heightening her voice, her hands fall to her sides: "Have you seen the lanterns, Professor? I would only heed caution with what you wish for."

[rayne-storm]

On A Hot Summer Night

AUgust 5. Were-Creature

Fandom: DC

Summary: SuperBat

Clark Kent has a secret. Well. He has a lot of secrets but this is the first that Bruce Wayne hasn't been able to deduce himself. It's definitely strange, the way the Kryptonian's moods ebb and flow, how he gets more irritable with the moon cycle. It could be the way that the Full Moon seems to bring out the crazies, but Clark seems to run opposite.

A/N: Nothing really happens in this one, but I'm decently satisfied for now.

****

Bruce Wayne knows ever single secret Clark Kent has ever tried to keep from him. Except for one.

Clark Kent's general vibe, as it were, was positive and loving and gentle. But even he, the sweetest human Bruce had literally ever met, had bad days, it seemed. When he got… surly. Agitated. He'd lock himself away for a day because of it, sometimes.

It was fascinating for Bruce to observe. Eventually he began to notice a pattern. It seemed to be about once a month, and for a brief time he wondered if the Kryptonian was… menstruating? Maybe? But no... it fluctuated when they went to space, or when they were in other regions. Bruce about kicked himself when he figured it out:

Clark's moods were based around the Moon.

Was Clark Kent…..?

The old, often supremely hyperbolic stories typically ran opposite to what he observed, where Clark became more agitated as the moon waned, not when it grew fuller. And he had seen Clark on evenings with New Moons (rare though they may have been). But those days (those nights, really) were the ones he'd most often lock himself away.

Superman hadn't said anything, of course, he was always private about the "alien" parts of himself (particularly those he was uncomfortable with), but the cunning Batman couldn't just let this go.

He knew all of Superman - Kal-El - Clark Kent's secrets. All of his likes, dislikes, political views, private indulgences… it was foreign, to have something so seemingly important, so huge, so… monstrous, perhaps, hidden from him, beyond his deductive powers.

A younger version of himself would have snuck into Clark's home during one of these self-imposed exiles. But older Bruce had some experience with why that was a horrible idea. He did, admittedly, briefly consider secret cameras. But that also felt simply too invasive.

He wondered if this was how Clark felt about him, but all the time? He didn't think he liked that. Why? Why did this bother him so much, and why did he hate the feeling that Clark likely only saw him as a quiet, stuffy rage-machine? Knew only the barest details of his life?

He had a lot of self-reflecting to do.

--

"Kent," he began one afternoon, towards a new moon, "Would you like to come by for dinner?"

Clark raised an eyebrow, glancing over incredulously.

"Is Alfred gone and you need a cook?" He asked dryly.

Bruce grumbled and shook his head.

"No. I'd just like to have dinner, with you. Is that so unbelievable?" He asked, shaking his head.

Clark snorted - snorted! - in what appeared to be indignation?

"Yes. It is. You never 'just like' to do anything. What do you actually want, Bruce?" He asked.

Snappish. Grumpy, even. Bruce expected this, of course, but it was still off-putting.

"Your company. Maybe a nice talk. A night with nothing do-or-die to worry about," he murmured, glancing over sidelong for a better look at the Man of Steel.

Clark was… blushing. Or the heat was picking up. Perhaps both. It was... Endearing.

"Talk about what?"

"You, me, us."

"US? What about us?" More incredulity.

"I'd like for there to be an us," Bruce confessed, heart hammering. He wondered if Supes could hear it. Probably. Thinking about it did nothing to slow that heart-rate down.

Superman sighed and shook his head, turning to fully look at him.

"And why on earth would you, of all people, want there to be an 'us?' What are you trying to get at, Bruce?"

"Okay, that's rude. Is it really that unbelievable? I don't want anything ulterior. This isn't a manipulation, not more than any interaction with anyone ever is. I would like you to come home, with me, and have dinner. I would like it to be a date. Cards well and fully on the table, I would like you to not go home after dinner, either."

It was about the most honest he'd ever been about pretty much anything.

"I don't know if tonight is a good night for me," Clark finally said.

"Because of whatever is going on with you and the moon?" Bruce asked, point blank.

Clark turned red, brows furrowing. "How do you-"

"I pay attention," Bruce interrupted, shrugging, "you get… moody, close to a new moon, and usually stay in the night of."

Clark sighed and shook his head.

"You pay far too much attention to these things."

"Only because I care."

It was true enough, though the way he cared about Clark, and how he observed him, did differ a bit from the way he cared to know what was going on with the other League members.

"I… it's complicated."

"Do you turn into a werewolf?"

"What??"

"Do you turn into a werewolf," Bruce repeated, slower.

"No! That's ridiculous!"

"Not necessarily. We've both seen too much to say things like that. Things like a giant crocodile man, a giant shark man, Santa Claus, Man-Bat…" Bruce trailed off with a wry grin. Sure, most of those lived in Gotham, but still…

"I… I never… thought of it like that. But no, not a wolf. I'm not sure… what I would call it. Kind of like a bear, but… not."

"A not-bear? So… big, hairy, sharp teeth, temper?"

Clark sighed and buried his forehead in his hands.

"When you say it like that it does sound like a werewolf. But it's not… wolfish. Really."

"Okay, so you're a were-bear, then? Man of Steel, Bear of Moon?"

It was awful even before it left his mouth, but it did make Clark burst out laughing, so that was something.

"Sure, Bruce."

"Good. Now, come to dinner with me. The mansion can handle a whatever you are. I mean it."

Clark looked over at him properly, tilting his head.

"You really aren't giving up on this. You really want to go on a date this badly?" He asked, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips.

"I do. Bear or no Bear. I want to know the real you. And… I want you to know about me, too."

"I saw you struggle with that last bit. I suppose I can trust it. Fine. I'll be there at 8. Lock up the liquor, make sure no one's home but us… and I'll try."

Bruce couldn't help his grin, and knew how strange it must look to the Kryptonian.

"Excellent. I'll be… Beary glad… to have you."

Clark groaned and laughed at the same time, and Bruce felt a twinge in his heart. If this was what love felt like… maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

[thepandapig]

When a song hits you

Passion is in every person. Passion is something that everyone can feel. But what if the passion becomes stronger ? The guys from Ateez had to ask themselves the same question when they faced one of their songs. Experience a short insight into the life with a work. -When a song hits you

A/N: Well I had the idea, what if the songs of individual kpop groups came to life and interacted with the members. I had to think of Thanxx from Ateez. This artwork is from a friend of mine that did draw this for the story. Check out her other drawings on her instagram her username is : dancing_._roses

Warning: a slight bit of violence

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Eight pairs of eyes were staring at it. Eight people who could not explain if this was a bad joke. Mingi.Seonghwa, Hongjoong,San,Yunho,Yeosang,Jongho and Wooyoung sat on the sofa of their dorms and looked at the girl in front of them. She had dark blue long hair, which was light in her face. She had a headband, a pile of jewelry and a black tank top. She also wore pants with the Ateez print of the Thanxx performances. Her black boots dangled over the edge of the armchair where she sat and looked cheekily around.                                                                                                              

 "So again you are THANXX?" Hongjoong asked for the third time and still couldn't believe the girl's crazy story. There was nothing in his head that fitted in with what the girl said. The blue-haired girl nodded again and put her head back into his neck.

"I have said so many times before " She stroked a loose strand of hair from her face and looked up at the ceiling. Hongjoong looked at Seonghwa who only pointed to his cell phone. Should you call your manager? Finally a stranger was sitting there. She might as well lie and be a crazy fan. The whole thing with her being Thanxx and managing to break out of the song world was probably made up. Seonghwa stood up and picked up his cell phone as Hongjoong nodded to him. He left the room and called her manager.Seonghwa entered the room again a little later and explained that the manager wanted to talk to the girl.

"So let's go then," Yunho asked when the blue-haired girl did not move. "Why? Don't you trust me? I'm telling the truth" she changed her position in the old brown armchair and looked at the boys.

"Well, it would be nice if you would just come with me." Yunho tried again and fell silent when he saw a big grin on the girl's face. " Shall I prove to you that I am real?" she asked and rose from the armchair.

"Go ahead," Yeosang said, rolling his eyes. If that psycho fan tried to hurt them, she would see what she got out of it.The girl stood in front of San and continued to grin. " I know you always waver between insecurity and confidence on stage. You admire your Hyungs and envy that they sometimes look so carefree while performing. You think that when Mingi and Hongjoong rap the parts of me, they have the best charisma and you would like to have that charisma too.” Everything she said was true.She continued with Seonghwa, Hongjoong, Wooyoung, Jongho, Mingi, Yunho, and then Yeosang, revealing the thoughts and feelings they had on stage. These were things that the boys never wanted to betray. They were embarrassed.

"So you are really our song ? You are real?" Hongjoog asked again and the girl nodded. " How many times?! YEEEES I have said it a thousand times " " We should go to the manager " And with this realization, the new people headed to the KQ Entertainment building. Your manager should take a look at this. Maybe they were all on drugs." And this is supposed to be real ?" asked her manager and the boys nodded slapped. After Thanxx had proven that she was real and not a crazy fan, they had to convince their manager that she was no longer a danger. While the boys talked to him, Thanxx walked around the room and checked everything out. She seemed to be especially interested in the pictures on the wall, which showed different musicians.

"I told you she was real. I don't know where she comes from, but she is our song and I think we have a responsibility for her. We can't just throw her out and ignore her," Hongjoong said, shrugging. He found the whole thing curious and fascinating at the same time. This creature in front of him was something he had done. Something he had created and formed. It was a strange feeling for him.

"And how do we know that she means you no harm? I mean, she could be faking it all and-""How do you pretend to perceive feelings, thoughts and impulses that only take place within yourself?" asked Seonghwa and looked at the manager in a challenging way. He put two fingers on the spot between his eyes and sighed, "Well, if you think it is harmless, it can stay with you. But I want you to get in touch with me if anything happens and I'll come and check on you in between," said the manager and a soft clapping was heard as Wooyoung and San high-fived and giggled. The two chaotic people had already taken Thanxx to their hearts and were looking forward to the coming time with the girl.

"Okay, I think it would be best if the three of us" Seonghwa pointed to himself, "Mingi and Hongjoong" would go out and buy food and Yunho Yeosang and Jongho would tidy up a bit. San and Wooyoung, can I trust you with Thanxx?" asked the elder and examined the two boys who seemed to be planning what to do with the girl. They all nodded and agreed with Seonghwa's plan.

"So let's go to the studio?" San asked and Wooyung nodded "Thanxx come on let's go dance" Thanxx turned around and her blue hair blew like a cape behind her. "Dancing ?" her eyes lit up and the two of them led her to the small dance studio in her basement. The one at KQ was of course bigger and professional, but here the guys could really relax. They had covered one of the walls with mirrors and the floor was taped in some places. In the corner was an old sofa, which had been lovingly furnished by Yeosang with some blankets and pillows. A few chairs stood next to the sofa. On a small cupboard in the corner was a music system with large speakers.

Thanxx liked the design down here. It looked slightly professional, but had something more relaxed than the studio they had seen when they left KQ Entertainment. "It's best to sit down while we warm up. We want to try something out" Wooyoung grinned at her and she did what they wanted. The two guys warmed up a bit and then played one of their songs. Thanxx smiled at them. They danced to her. But they broke out of the usual choreo and just let themselves fall.

Thanxx couldn't resist when she noticed how carefree they were, she had to join them and dance along. The songs kept changing and the three of them relaxed and let the music guide them. San was really surprised how well she could do it. Thanxx moved with an elegance that San would not have thought she could do. Because of the vibes she radiated, San didn't even notice that she had already stopped moving to the music.

"Earth to San" she said and turned around in front of his eyes. He jumped out of his rigidity and looked into her dark eyes. "Sorry, did you say something?" he said and she giggled.

" YES I said if we want to go slowly? Seonghwa makes dinner he said and I don't want to be late" San nodded and rose from his seat next to the door. She was right and they should really leave now. The three of them went back upstairs and the smell of food came up to them. Seonghwa, Mingi and Hongjoong must have been back again. The last one was preparing a room. He moved the beds in his and Seonghwa's room a little and set up a camp bed. Thanxx could sleep with them. Mingi had joined the others and talked to them while they did something. Seonghwa was standing in the kitchen doing something in a pot and Thanxx left the two boys and crept into the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" She asked Seonghwa and he winced briefly "I'm making the sauce for dinner" " And what exactly are you doing? "The boys wanted spaghetti," he said and she nodded. "Shall I help you?" He nodded and told her she could set the table. She asked him how exactly to do that and that made him smile. He explained it to her and she set about carrying out the task. The evening was very loud and fun. The boys showed Thanxx some games and made her feel good with them. When she lost she was quite angry and demanded a revenge. This made her laugh more than once. The boys' distrust of her became a little fainter, but it didn't go away. After many hours of playing everything was ready for bed and Thanxx borrowed some clothes from Yunho.

When Yunho asked her why, her answer was astonishing for him. "The clothes will be very big on me and therefore comfortable and I like the way you smell. You remind me of my home" He lay awake even longer and thought about what their home was like. He decided to ask her tomorrow. As Thanxx lay in Hongjoong's bed that evening, Seonghwa grinned from the cot he was lying on. "We have a fan meeting tomorrow... I bet she wants to come?" Seonghwa just nodded. Surely she would not be stopped. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

" Thanxx stop it!" Yeosang hissed and pressed her hand down again. She waved to the fans for the thousandth time. It had been a stupid idea to take her to the fan meeting. But they had no other choice, Thanxx refused to stay at home and threatened to burn the dorm down if they left her alone. They really couldn't use broken things anymore. He leaned back in his chair. In front of the glass door were a bunch of fans of the group waiting to take their places. Since Thanxx was sitting right behind them, she also attracted a lot of attention. Yeosang could not blame the fans for their curiosity. Even after the few weeks that Thanxx was with them, he still had a hard time processing that this was one of their songs. Now a being of flesh and blood.

"Okay, guys, as discussed. If anyone asks who she is, let's say she's my cousin," Hongjoong said and everyone nodded. The doors opened a moment later and the fans took their seats. Well, that could be cheerful. The first half hour of the fan meeting was relatively quiet. Thanxx sometimes talked to them and also to the fans and the fans asked her questions from time to time. The boys then told the story that Hongjoong had suggested. The fans seemed to be curious and some took a picture of her. Thanxx also posed with the boys once. After another half hour, some fans asked if it was possible to have the guys dance a little bit. Not averse to the request, Yunho, San and Mingi quickly stood in front and waited for music. The staff played a kind of random dance from Ateez songs and the boys had fun. When the song Thanxx was played, a girl called out to one of her friends that she didn't like the song and they talked a bit about why Inception is better than Thanxx. Thanxx just rolled her eyes. It was clear that there was still a fight about whether her brother or she was better. Inception was the quieter of the sibling couple and was also the one who was preferred more often. But that was only because he was older. At least Thanxx told himself that.

After the boys continued to interact with the fans, Thanxx realized that she urgently needed to use the toilet. She went to the back and did so too. As she washed her hands, she noticed that a girl was staring at her through the mirror the whole time, she didn't think anything of it. The girl had come after her and probably just wanted to use the sink. Thanxx was drying her hands and wanted to leave the bathroom when the girl grabbed her by the shoulder and punched her in the face. Surprised by the unexpected blow, the blue-haired girl staggered backwards and fell to the ground. She held her nose and looked up at the girl with the black hair and braid. What was that about? "I want you to stay away from the boys, whether you are Hongjoong's cousin or not. You have no business being with them, you're worthless anyway," she said and stepped into Thanxx. Slowly, Thanxx understood the situation and tried to sit up. Her side hurt and her nose was still bleeding. The girl wouldn't hurt her again, would she? Yeosang hadn't heard Thanxx say anything for quite a while. He turned around to check on her and realized that she had disappeared. He thought nothing of it and continued talking to the fans in front of him. When she was still gone after a good ten minutes, it seemed strange to him. He apologized briefly from his members and from the fan. He had such a queasy feeling and he should be right. He searched for Thanxx in different rooms and in the end only the toilet was left. Carefully he knocked on the door and entered the room. The door next to Thanxx was opened after a gentle knock. And just in time. The girl had intended. Cut her hair and dragged her across the sink. In her hand she held a pair of scissors that she had pulled out of her backpack. Yeosang could not believe his eyes as he looked into Thanxx's frightened face. Blood was on her face and she seemed to be in pain. "What are you doing?" he asked the girl who was holding Thanxx and she let go immediately. Silence followed his question and the girl seemed to not know what to say. "Thanxx come here," Yeosang said and reached out his hand. Thanxx followed his instruction and the girl looked distraught. Did Yeosang just call her Thanxx? Her head had to play a trick on her. Yeosang opened the door and called for a staff member. This staff member took care of the fan and also of Thanxx. Yeosang explained that he had to go back, but he would come to her immediately after the fan meeting was over. Thanxx nodded and was left in the care of the staff.

"The fan did something?!" Hongjoog asked beside himself. Thanxx and Yeosang had told them the story on the way home. The leader couldn't believe that Atiny would do such a thing. But when he looked at the girl's face and the bruises she had, he had to admit that Atiny would do something like that. Thanxx seemed to be unaffected by all this. Inside she was annoyed that she had not granted herself against the fan. She had just let this happen to her because she was too shocked.

The whole evening the boys took care of her and also the days after, more and more attention was paid to how strong her pain was. The boys did not want her to feel bad. She awakened in all of them an instinct of protection with which they were all a little overwhelmed.

So it dragged on for a couple of weeks. The relationship between Thanxx and the boys got better and better. But at some point, the boys hardly had any time for her, because they had to train. Thanxx did not hold it against them. After all they are idols and have to work. She tried to take care of the dorm and the boys as good as she could. When they were too exhausted after training, she brought them food and made sure that everyone was happy. Hongjoong often needed someone to talk to,Seonghwa loved to show her new things,Yunho often played basketball with her,Yeosang and they liked to gossip,San and Wooyung often fooled around with her,Mingi tried many crazy things with her and Jongho loved to impress her. Just like Atiny and his members, she loved to share fruit with his hands. While the boys trained and enjoyed their time with her, Hongjoong became more and more silent.

He had to tell her. Say that he was working on a new song and she would probably have to leave. Inside, he was sad and scared about it. He had just taken her into his heart and now he should let her go again. He lay awake half the night and didn't really know where to take her. If he would not tell her, it would be treason. If he told her, she might get angry or try to prevent the new song from coming out. He was in a dilemma and he really didn't know what to do.

At the next rehearsal he talked about it with the others. Thanxx was preparing some food upstairs and he really wanted to know what the others would do in his place. The majority of them decided to tell her in the weeks before the release of the Mv. It took him all the trouble not to tell her, but he did his best to hide it from her. She made the days of Ateez livelier and also made monotony disappear. She had become part of the team and was essential to Hongjoong.

"Thanxx can we talk?" Hongjoong looked firmly into her eyes and they nodded. Thanxx rose from her place between Jongho and Yunho and went into the next room with the leader. They had one more week until the new MV would be released. Only one more week with Thanxx. "Now will you tell me why you are so funny?" Thanxx asked and leaned against the wall. She buried her hands in the pockets of her pants and then looked at him expectantly. Hongjoong took a few deep breaths in and out. "Thanxx we will upload a new MV next week and release the new song" Silence. Nothing but silence struck Hongjoong after he said the words. The seconds dragged on endlessly until Thanxx began to speak, "That's good for you" She smiled. Smiled at him and he could not believe it. She would have to leave her and then she would be gone forever and she smiled about it. "Aren't you angry with me about this ?" he asked her and stroked through his hair. She shook her head and hugged him. "No, I am grateful to be with you, but it was clear that this day would come. Of course I would rather stay here, but that is not possible. Your career has to go on and if I stay here it won't work" Hongjoong put his head on hers and nodded slightly. She was right.

They returned to the others and talked for a while. For the next few days, Thanxx didn't let on and didn't let on as they sat together in the living room staring at the laptop with the new MV. Today was the day. They would have to say goodbye. "On the table in the kitchen there is a letter I brought up this morning." The boys nodded, they didn't care right now. They didn't know what it would be like if Thanxx had to leave.  

"Goodbye" she said and smiled slightly as Hongjoong pressed the button to publish the next MV. As she started to dissolve slowly, Hongjoong heard a faint sob and saw Jongho spilling his eyes over the top of her head. When he looked around, he saw all the boys fighting with themselves not to cry or something. Also it was not easy for him to let the whirlwind out of their lives. The last months had been just too beautiful with her. When she was gone, Hongjoong stood up without a word and left the room. He closed the door to his and Seonghwa's room and let himself slide down the door in the dark. He slapped his hands in front of his face and cried. He had really sent her away. Had placed his group above the girl. Over a living being with feelings and a heart. What had become of him? He cried and cried until he heard a melody. It came from his cell phone and he stared at it. It was over but the melody of Thanxx came out of his smartphone. He realized that it was a quiet version of the song. Was it still with him? Did she want to comfort him? He pressed the phone to himself and sobbed again. He was already missing her.

When the boys later opened the letter they had to pull themselves together not to cry again. The letter was from Thanxx and it said:

I enjoyed the time with you very much. I'm not good at expressing myself by speaking, so I'm doing it this way. I have you dear boys and I want to thank you for the nice time with you. These would be the best months of my life and sometime we will meet again. Stay as you are

In love

THANXX

[postmodernmulticoloredcloak]

About poison and love. Noah the Gorgon and Harper Sayles (and Dean, Cas, Jack, Michael)

Jack, I’m already writing. Isn’t that crazy? I’m not crazy. But our love is so vivid. I can’t wait to find you. You are the first man to ever get me to leave McCook. Now I’m in the world. I’m sorry I have to kill you for what you did to Vance but then I can bring you back so that we can be together again. It’s gonna be perfect. See you soon. Love, Harper

I have already talked about how Harper Sayles is a dark mirror for Dean: he thinks his love for people has the same effect on the people he loves as Harper does. Dean believes that his attachment to people in harmful to them, that he “kills” the people he loves in the sense that he destroys their chance to be their own selves and pursue their own paths, and that there’s something toxic in the way he clings to people instead of letting them go (remember when Sam explicitly directed these accusations to Dean after the Gadreel incident? That was the textualization of a long-living fear of Dean’s, that he destroys people because he cannot bear to be without them).

And now we have a new mirror for Dean that presents interesting parallels to Harper. Noah the Gorgon and Harper Sayles both play a sort of game where they flirt with a man, or let him flirt with them, and then they get the men killed. There’s emphasis on the fact that they kill men: “she's lost people--not people, men” the waitress says, then echoed by other patrons who also say “men”. The conversation between the Gorgon and his latest victim also emphasizes how Noah’s most recent victims are all men - in fact “a pretty biased sample at this point, really���.

They both rely on a cute attractiveness (Harper’s charming attitude, Noah’s campy appearance) to appear harmless, although not everyone falls for it - several women and one guy affirm that Harper is “bad luck”, and apparently Noah has been having a hard time getting close to women because they wouldn’t trust a stranger. Basically, they both have a specific kind of victim: men who are looking for romantic or sexual connections.

Obviously, Harper is living a typical heterosexual romance, while Noah’s field is queer, and this brings us to the next point. We have been talking about how Harper basically lives her life like it were a story from a book, but the wrong genre: she mistakes horror for romance. I’d say that the main difference between Harper and Noah is that Noah appears to be more aware than Harper of the genre he lives in, although he does seem to be trying to live in a different genre. I’d say that, while Harper acts like she’s in a typical romance novel, Noah acts like he’s in a NBC Hannibal-esque show, which is a fascinating choice from Steve Yockey and Amyn Kaderali. The initial scene of the episode is obviously filmed to be reminiscent of Hannibal, with just that more Supernatural-like flavor in the aesthetic - not the high-end classy style of Hannibal Lecter, but something campier. There are similarities between Hannibal and Noah, including their unconventional (feminine-coded) styles in physical fighting (see also the connotations of poison as a weapon) and a tendency to get into your head with speeches about metaphors...

But now let’s get back to Harper and Noah. As I was saying, unlike Harper, Noah is aware that the genre he’s living in is not a romance; and maybe there’s something here about the fact that straight people will interpret anything where there’s a man and a woman as a romance (including violence and abuse), while queer people will always find themselves in tragic narratives... Maybe Harper and Noah do represent the stereotypical genres women and queer men are stuck into - romance and tragic narratives of isolation and death. Obviously, they both bring twists to those roles, because Harper is a necromancer that killed and turned her boyfriend into a zombie, and Noah a demigod that eats human flesh and will snack on your eyes. Stereotypes are too narrow, Supernatural says, as it gleefully gets its little horror hands on everything.

Anyway, Noah does seem to be more aware of the reality of his existence: when hunters come, unlike Harper who just substitutes Jack as the hero of her romance novel, Noah warns Dean to stay away from him. And here we get to a very interesting point: Noah also writes a letter to Dean, like Harper did to Jack.

Dean, I see you standing alone by the truck reading this note. I see you and the tall man and the red-headed witch chasing me. I will always see you. Stop, or I will make you stop. Regards, Noah.

Noah’s message to Dean is coded as a love letter of sorts, too. Dean himself points out - a little awkwardly, kind of like he also gets the vibe - that there’s something strangely intimate in how the letter places them in a first-name basis towards each other (Sam and Rowena, on the other hand, are not mentioned by name - which is bizarre since Noah knows Dean’s name, but is less bizarre if you consider the subtext). When Cas wonders why the letter doesn’t mention him (in an exchange where neither Jack, Sam or Rowena are mentioned), Dean suggests that’s because he’s not Noah’s type - implying that Dean is.

Noah is doing what he’d rather do as “a lover, not a fighter”: send Dean away from him, rather than fight him. Noah is aware of what he does to people, unlike Harper who consider her zombie-ification of her boyfriend as an act of love.

Honestly, it’s not like I enjoy eating people. It’s a lonely way to live, and there’s only so many ways you can cook human. But sometimes fate is cruel and boring.

In his own twisted, murderous human-eating demigod way, the Gorgon laments his condition. It’s a lonely way to live, being unable to connect with people because you’ll poison them and will eat them... which brings us to the initial point of this post.

Come on, man. Can’t you see? I’m... I’m poison, Sam. People get close to me, they get killed... or worse. You know, I tell myself that I... I help more people than I hurt. And I tell myself that I’m... I’m doing it all for the right reasons, and I... I believe that. But I can’t – I won’t... drag anybody through the muck with me. Not anymore.

Dean believes he’s poison to the people around him, and while he obviously isn’t in the same mindset he was in 9x10 when he said the above line, he has always carried this fear within himself, that he drags people down. And that counts especially with Castiel, a literal angel that literally fell because of Dean. While Cas considers getting close to humanity (insert double meaning here) an act of elevation for a non-human creature, Dean - while he has no delusions about how bad heaven and angels can be - sees Cas’ descent into the pain and suffering that comes from getting close to humanity (to him, really) in negative terms. Awful, Jack calls the experience of loving something that will die. Living, Cas calls it. Remember his words when they gave the demon cure to Dean: only humans can feel real joy, but also such profound pain... Now we can add, a non-human creature can feel real joy and profound pain by loving humans. And while avoiding that is “easier”, it is no real living.

Cas’ speech is the opposite of the speech Michael gave Jack in the hotel in Kansas City:

My uncle's in the cage. And you -- you’re not family. Well, not literally, no. Our connection, our relation is more a matter of scale... of power. Haven’t you learned yet? In this reality, monsters, humans, even angels -- they are insects, atoms compared to us. But you -- you’re just a child, a mere infant. For you, the past two years -- the entirety of your existence -- feel like eons. You don’t even know what time is. But you will. Real time, the time that makes mountains, that wipes out species. You’ll see it all... with me. No. Year by year, century by century, and as your power returns and grows, we’ll only become more alike. Oh, I know. Your loyalty to Castiel, the Winchesters, the rest of humanity? It will fade. And so will the minor differences -- angel armies versus monster armies, this Kansas City or that Kansas City, one world from another -- they'll fade, too.

And that’s the deeper meaning of Jack yelling to Michael, before killing him, that he’s not a child. He reiterates his loyalty to humanity and to the Winchesters.

Michael is a parallel to Noah too - makes sense, both dark mirrors for Dean (plus Jack, of course). He also basically lamented an existence without connections, too powerful, too alien from everything else to be able to connect to them. Michael probably never enjoyed his version of “eating people” - cleansing the worlds, destroying everything - either, but he felt like it was his nature to do so, because he saw no meaning in getting attached to something ephemeral and fleeting.

As Noah says, it’s a cruel fate one that forces you to live a lonely life with no connections. And Cas tells Jack that, no matter how much it hurts, it’ll always be better to have loved a human and lost them, than not having gotten close to them at all.

Now, I sincerely doubt that Cas’ story will develop the way he expects it to - no one’s really living in the exact genre they act like they were in, are they? - so we’ll see who’s really going to lose whom now... and which kind of ending this genre entails.

[operationrainfall]

As both oprainfall’s resident indie nerd and Nintendo fanboy, it fell upon me to cover the Indie Direct. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, cause sometimes the cup runneth over for indie fans, and sometimes it doesn’t. Thankfully, it veritably overflowed today, with nearly 20 games announced for a variety of genres. It was both old games coming to the Nintendo Switch, as well as entirely new and exclusive games. There’s a lot to cover, and a lot of reasons to be excited. So I’ll give a brief snippet of each title covered, in the order they were revealed, as well as release info. Buckle up, boys and girls.

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First up was an announcement that made me smile and groan at the same time. Creepy milk commercial aside, Cuphead is officially heading to the Nintendo Switch on April 18th. The reason I’m groaning is cause I already bought this on Steam, but would much prefer it on Switch. So I guess Studio MDHR gets my money twice. You can pre-purchase the game as of today, though it officially launches on April 18th, bringing beautifully animated chaos to your system.

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Next up is Overland, a squad focused, turn-based apocalyptic strategy game. It looks like it has elements of tactical RPGs and a bit of Oregon Trail ethos, where you can’t save everyone. Since it’s set in such a dangerous climate, it shouldn’t surprise you that the farther west you go, the weirder things get. This randomly generated adventure is heading to the Switch this Fall.

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I’m very happy that My Friend Pedro is finally heading to the Switch this June. I’m even more surprised that they announced it was a console exclusive, since the last time I demoed it, I could have sworn it was also headed to PS4 and PC. Regardless, if you love frenetic, coordinated violence on a comical scale and talking bananas, you’ll love this one.

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I got to play Neo Cab at E3 last year, and I’m glad to hear it’s coming out soon. This visually distinct game involves trying to reunite with your best friend in a future ruled by a dystopian megacorporation. You’re the last human driver in city overrun by automation, and your job is to drive folks around while staying calm and unveiling the mysteries of the city. Neo Cab is out later this Summer.

When I heard this next game was about dog racing, I almost skipped it. But then I saw that The Red Lantern is narrative driven and has an interesting overall style. Developed by Timberline Studio, in the game you’ll engage in the Iditarod, fight the wilderness, tend your dogs, mend wounds and hunt to survive. Fend off bear attacks and get to your destination alive. Oh and if you like gyro controls, The Red Lantern has those as well. This unique adventure is out later this year.

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I don’t normally think of top down when I think of survival horror, but Darkwood looks to be a strange and eerie adventure. In this title you’ll craft weapons, explore hideouts and hunker down at night while praying for the sun as monsters hunt you. Darkwood is also procedurally generated, so every time will be different. If that sounds like your cup of tea, it’s out this May.

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Personally, I adore the style of Katana Zero. It has lush pixelated charm and lots of action. You play as Dragon the assassin. Armed with precognition, you will manipulate time and leave no witnesses. One hit and you’re dead though, but thankfully the game rewinds levels when you lose. And on the random side of things, in between missions you’ll talk with a therapist to get over your demons. Katana Zero is out April 18, though you can pre-purchase it today.

I admit I have yet to play any game published by Double Fine (though I do own a couple). But I’ve played many from Bandai Namco, and that’s relevant since this next game is by both. RAD is a top down adventure game where your primary power is the skill to mutate into horrid beasts to fight other horrid beasts. Sounds like my sort of game, so perhaps this will be the first Double Fine title I end up playing. RAD is out later this Summer.

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If you had told me earlier today a game with a mix of post apocalyptic mayhem and pinball was gonna intrigue me, I would have called you a filthy liar. Well, now I know better, as Creature in the Well seems to mix both effortlessly. It features 8 dungeons, top down action adventure, pinball ricochet mechanics and lots of crazy. A giant creature has trapped your town in a sandstorm, so you have to slay it with over 15 weapons, each with different quirks. This fascinating looking title is out later this Summer.

I’m super excited that they announced that Bloodroots is out this Summer. Not only was this game a blast at PAX West, but it’s really a one of a kind action game. Everything in the environment is your weapon, which is good since one hit and you’re a gonner. Play as anti-hero Mr. Wolf on his mysterious quest for revenge. Can’t wait til I get my hands on this.

Pine gave me all sorts of Redwall vibes. This open world, 3rd person action adventure game adapts to your choices and features lots of strange creatures. Explore miles of terrain and engage with 5 factions of anthropomorphic animal men, including Moose and Gator. Scavenge, barter, harvest and craft this August.

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Vlambeer got a lot of love, showing off 2 ports and one entirely new title. Super Crate Box is one of the ports out today. It features fast paced, multiplayer matches, which are exclusive to this version. Nuclear Throne is also out today, offering post apocalyptic fun solo or with a buddy. Lastly, the new title is Vlambeer Arcade, which features a growing catalog of bite sized games, including Ultra Bugs first. Think Space Invaders, except you use enemy DNA to customize your ship. Vlambeer Arcade is out later this year.

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If you like 2D fun in the ocean, you’ll love Swimsanity! It features 1-4 player bouts with humans or bots. This multiplayer underwater shooter has more than 150 challenges, 8 game modes and 5 worlds. Choose classic or motion control and enjoy matchmaking and in-game voice chat. Out later this Summer.

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When I think indie on Switch, I always think of Inti Creates. Today they announced the sequel to the wonderful Blaster Master Zero, Blaster Master Zero II. It features the Gaia-Sophia tank, a new blast counter mechanic, travelling across the galaxy to different planets and planetoids, new items and even a broad new cast of characters. Best of all, Blaster Master Zero II is out RIGHT NOW. I’ll wait while you go buy it.

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The strangest reveal today was Stranger Things 3: The Game. Not a lot of details were announced for this isometric adventure game, other than local co-op, puzzle solving, and 12 playable characters. What I can say definitively is it releases July 4th which is also the same day that the 3rd season hits Netflix. Count me excited.

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They saved the best for almost last. At first I thought it was just talking about new content for Crypt of the Necrodancer, but surprise! It’s actually a brand new game in that universe called Cadence of Hyrule. Team up with Link and Zelda and fight off the hordes of Gannon and friends. This wonderfully exuberant looking game (which I’m sure will be a console exclusive) is out Spring 2019.

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The last thing to cover today is that there will be a sale for other indies already on Switch later today. Whew, talk about a ton of new reasons to be excited. Thanks for joining oprainfall for your coverage and stay tuned for more info about these games in the near future!

Nintendo’s Indie Direct Recap, Including Cuphead and Cadence of Hyrule As both oprainfall's resident indie nerd and Nintendo fanboy, it fell upon me to cover the Indie Direct.

[f-724-morty-blog]

724 Journal Entry 001

724 Journal Entry 001

[A series of 724′s journal entries following his Rick’s death. Consider this a consolation prize until Im well enough to draw again. I hope you all enjoy!]

I feel numb. It’s been a few weeks since Rick...passed, and the whole world feels fake. Summer said I should try writing things out, to help process or whatever. I don’t know if it’ll actually work, but why the fuck not, right? It’s not like I can talk to anyone about it. Whenever I try my throat closes up and I feel like I’m drowning.

She bought me the journal, anyways, so I might as well use it. I’ll try and recount as much as I can as accurately as I can. This part isn’t just for me, this is for Rick, so someone will always remember what happened to him. That even after all the wrong he did, he died a hero.

Rick died saving my life.

___

“M-oUGHRty, g-get dressed, Morty, we gotta go to Pouirte N-683 th-they just opened the pl-AUGHnet again, we, we can finally get this crazy rare substance, Morty, a-and I can synthesize it into a serum that’ll let me, just, just rearrange genomes like nothing you’ve ever seen!”

Morty scrambled out of bed, glancing at his alarm clock as he frantically yanked on a pair of jeans. “B-but Rick, I-I-I’ve seen you m-mani-manip-mess with genomes before, s-so what makes this so special?”

Rick looked manic, pacing the room and throwing his arms about wildly as he spoke. “Th-this stuff makes it so much easier, Morty, wh-when I do it from scratch i-its just overly complicated and fr-uAGH-strating. A-and this, i-it creates new stem cells, Morty, y-you know the kind that can become a-anything, the ones that b-become your whole body when y-y-ou’re in the womb, and look, theres, there’s a lot of complicated science stuff, b-but basically I can reprogram y-your body as if it were still developing and change your appearance and all kinds of stuff Morty, all kinds of science!”

Morty’s shirt was half way on when Rick grabbed his elbow and yanked him out the door, the boy stumbling after him as he struggled with the fabric. “O-oh jeez, Rick, I-I-I dunno if I want y-you to mess with my, my appearance, I think I like-”

“M-oURty we all know y-you’re insecure as fuck, just, just get in the car, Morty, I-I can always reverse it i-if you don’t like it,” He plopped into the drivers seat, kicking a few empty bottles out onto the floor and fumbling with the seatbelt. Morty finally yanked his shirt on properly and went to his place in the passenger seat.

As apprehensive as Morty was to have his genome fiddled with, he hadn’t seen Rick this excited in a while, and the scientist’s mood was infectious. He was only about half as condescending as usual, more willing to pal around and joke as he explained some of the ins and outs of this ‘rare substance.’ Although he didn’t quite understand most of what Rick said, his enthusiasm was warming, and their flight through space was a pleasant one.

“A-alright Morty, Pouirte is, it’s probably one of the safer p-places we’ve visited, there’s no biological land-mines o-or governments who hate me,” Rick said, landing the ship in a vacant parking place.

“R-really, Rick? You mean you haven’t p-pissed off their government yet?”

“Nope,” Rick replied, exiting the vehicle. “W-well, I did, but then the wh-OAUle planet had a Civil war, a-a-and all the old governments were dismantled. So I haven’t pissed off the new government yet.”

Morty chuckled nervously, following Rick out of the car and down the alien streets. The sky here was a light, dusky purple, only a few shades darker than Earth’s blue, and currently dusted with wispy clouds. The city around them was reminiscent of one on the east coast, parts of it clearly unplanned and much older than the more modern landing pads and sky scrapers. Its buildings were made of some sort of shimmering, cobalt material, reflecting the sunlight and neon signs subtly.

Rick, as usual, was unphased by the stunning visuals, and kept up a brisk pace through the winding city streets. “S-so, Rick, where are we going, t-to find this stuff?”

“W-we’re taking this planet’s equivalent to a, a bu-URRP-llet train t-to a nature preserve,” Rick replied, taking a swig from his flask and glancing at a few street signs. The language was unintelligible to Morty, but he’d seen Rick read so much alien nonsense that he figured he had some sort of translator like, built into his eyes or something.

“R-rick! W-w-what the hell, we, we can’t do that! N-n-nature preserves, they, they preserve nature, Rick! W-we might seriously screw things up!” Morty yelped, tugging at Rick’s sleeve.

“Sh-shut up, Morty,” Rick hissed, elbowing his grandson in the ribs as the mounted the stairs to what he presumed was the train station. “This stuff lit-literal-, it makes areas uninhabitable, Morty, i-it makes your biology unstable if you’re exposed to the unprocessed version. A-any animals near it b-basically get cancer, a-a-and any babies they have are born horribly mutated, Morty, we, we’re pretty much doing them a favor.” Rick passed an alien currency over the counter and retrieved two blue stickers, one of which he slapped onto Morty’s chest.

“O-oh jeez, Rick, are you sure?” Morty was apprehensive; this wouldn’t be the first time Rick had lied to make him go along with things.

“O-of course I am, when am I ever wrong?” Rick rolled his eyes.

“Lots of times, Rick! Y-you make mistakes, just-just like everyone else,” Morty retorted.

Rick just glared and proceeded to stride onto a large blue train, forcing Morty to either follow or be left behind. He followed.

When comparing the trains’ speed, ‘bullet’ was an understatement. Morty couldn’t look out the window for more than a few seconds before he became dizzy, the landscape flying by too fast to pick up any real details, only a blur of purples, blues, and oranges. Eventually he gave up trying to pick anything up, and turned his attention to the other train riders. Usually, the aliens he saw most often on a planet were the natives, and so far the planet was abundant with tall, centaur-esque creatures, their skin a golden brown and dusted with deep, sunset orange freckles. The upper torso supported a head resembling a giraffes, with two large black eyes and four curved horns sprouting from where the eyebrows would be. The ‘taur half had six spindly legs, jointed like a horses would be but evoking a more spider-y feeling. They wore long skirts, buttoned at the upper torso’s waist and laying across the back to drape around the rump and six limbs. Morty was fairly fascinated with alien life, and while he’d seen some much more bizzare and alarming creatures, this planet’s inhabitants were just as interesting, and their sunset colors struck a chord of beauty. When he had first started his adventures with Rick, they would’ve felt like monsters to him, but over the years he had ditched the ‘planetary mindset,’ as Rick put it, and was learning to appreciate all the variety in the endless multiverse presented to him.

After a moment he glanced away from the alien across from him; he didn’t know if they considered staring rude, but he didn’t want to risk it. Their pointed, spider-toe feet would probably slice open his flesh like a fillet knife if he upset them.

The train shuddered to a stop, and despite the obvious attempt at gradual braking, the riders almost all lurched forward. Morty had to scramble for purchase, and Rick, who had a firm hold on the railing overhead, grabbed him by the back of his shirt collar to stop him tumbling forward.

They exited at another station, this one surrounded by wilderness rather than city. Based on the nature-y vibes, one could assume this was the welcome center for the reserve, or park...whatever it was. Rick bypassed the gift shop and waltzed straight out the door, over the parking lot, and into the woods.

Morty scampered after him, chewing his lip nervously. They had forgone any pathways, instead descending directly into the mire. That was the closest thing he could approximate the ground here to; a mire. It was soft and spongy underfoot, sinking a good half-inch with each step and filling their footprints with greenish liquid. The reddish purple earth was host to a strange plant, one that grew like a net over the ground, thin orange vines interwoven loosely enough to show the soil beneath. The closest approximation to trees were huge pires of dirt, seemingly trained upward by a dark blue ropey plant, which grew around the pillars in a spiral and blossomed into long dangling ‘branches’ at the top with translucent ballon-esque flowers. Deeper in, creamy tan ‘ferns’ began to shoot up in spaces between the suffocating orange vines, soon joined by tall blue flowering plants. The further they went the more variety there was, until it was a dense jungle all around.

“S-so, uh, wh-what are we looking for here, Rick?” Morty stammered, trailing his fingers over a silky flower petal.

“D-don’t w-UURP-orry about it, Morty, we, we’re almost there, thi-is device,” he holds up a remote-sized device with a simple screen, “I-is leading us right to it.”

“O-oh, okay, th-that’s really cool, Rick,” Morty replied, jogging a bit to catch up. His shoes kept getting sucked into the earth, and his shorter strides caused him to fall behind. Rick mumbled something incoherent and took a swig from his flask.

Time passed, the jungle grew denser, and Morty sweatier. What had started as a leisurely walk was now a multi-mile hike that he was ill prepared for. The mire was becoming steep, craggy hills, and he could barely keep up. How Rick, his sixty year old grandpa, could do this so effortlessly was beyond him.

“Aw hell yes,” Rick stopped suddenly, and Morty stumbled over himself trying not to knock into his grandfather. “C-come on Morty quit fooling around, we, we’re here, we gotta drill down right here.”

“R-rick, shouldn’t we be wearing, like, hazmat suits or something? Y-you, you said this stuff b-basically gives you cancer!”

Rick rolled his eyes and rummaged through the seemingly endless pockets of his lab coat. “M-morty trust me, you, you’ve probably already got cancer, it’s fine. But!” He cut Morty off before he could panic. “I-Im already going to be messing with y-your genes, I can just repair any damage, easy.”

“O-oh, jeez, okay Rick, i-if you say so,” Morty stammered. Now he could be glad that the hike was over, and he quickly sat down on the rock to catch his breath.

Rick shoved his detection device into a pocket, and produced a small, black bullet, which he placed on the ground point-down. The black casing clicked open, revealing a sturdy metal interior, and a nozzle on the top. Rick attached a small hose, pressed a button, and it quickly whirred down into the earth, spitting up multicolored dirt in its wake.

After a moment, a black, murky liquid began to flow up the hose and into a canister Rick placed on the ground. “All that’s left to do now, Morty, i-is wait, a-and then we, we can do am-URP-amazing things with this stuff.” Rick grinned, reclining on the rock beside Morty.

It was rare for things to be so low-key; Rick was relaxed, like this couldn’t possibly go wrong, and that put Morty on edge. But then Rick’s hand found his, fingers intertwined. He looked up and Rick smiled, a rare, affectionate expression as he looked at Morty.  Morty blushed and smiled back shyly.

The old scientist kissed his forehead quickly, and then reclined again, gazing up at the alien sky while his companion blushed furiously beside him and the machine whirred away in the background. Morty bit his lip and grinned, tipping his head back to watch the sky with him.

___

Fuck. I’m crying again, I have to stop. I’ll try again tomorrow, I guess. I’m sorry Rick.