#(MUST ESCAPE THIS INTERACTION ASAP)

[gt-ridel]

Finished the game, can confirm

Helis and Hades were immediately crunched.

Onto the sequel now!

I've been obsessively playing Horizon Zero Dawn for the first time over the last few weeks.

Loving the story, the world and the game play! But also...

I went out of my way to complete (almost) every side quest and gather every collectable before dealing with the main plot.

Because I'm a chronic over-prepper and wanted to be in top form when the bad guys came for me.

But I didn't notice there were suggested levels for each mission.

It says I should be lv25 for this part of the main quest.

Y'all,

I'm at 55. ;;>.>

It really takes the bite out of a villain monologue when you know for a fact you could snap them in half, if only you could get out of this sacrificial arena cutscene.

[thaltro]

i repeatedly bang on the screen

master post about night watch when… each of the skeleguys asap please pleas

Haha sure I can give some lore for guy. Lore that isn’t super spoiler for the story.

Dr blue:

Doctor blue is a Swap Sans variant, specifically a handplates swap. He is 37 years old, lives in the omega timeline connected farmtale region. He escaped his timeline at a young age and was found by dream and ink, then placed into the new home foundation (essentially a orphanage) in the connected farmtale. Because he grew up in farm tale he picked up a southern accent. Blues special interest is robotics, his favourite robot being Wheatley from portal. He works in the bio mechanic unit in the hospital, their job is to work on robots and prosthetics for amputees. Dr blue is an amputee, his arm he designed himself! The blue line represents him and the orange is symbolic of his brother. Dr blue must eat all food in panini form, he will refuse to eat anything not panini. He is autistic and has Cptsd from his childhood. Dr blue has a odd relationship with dream, they are very close but have very fundamental disagreements. Dr blue takes care of Dreams child palette a lot. Dr blue sometimes works for mettaton entertainers as he does the stage tech. Hes a huge Mettaton fanboy and is apart of a super fan club that consists mostly of papyrus’s, he being the only sans.

Scell:

Scell is a fell variant, after escaping his timeline he was entered into the omega timeline database and ranked as a class 2 citizen. Scell is a chemist and makes all kinds of hazards for fun in his garage. He also loves cars, he is a huge car nerd and owns a car business with dr blue. Cars are a huge demand within fell culture because of the magic restriction laws for class 2 citizens, it’s an alternative to magic transportation. Scell has multiple golden teeth won by taking other fells teeth. The name “scell” is just Science Fell mashed into one, he was given to it by his peers when he worked as a chemist for the mafia fell faction. Scell is partially blind and should be using a cane but he claims his car is his mobility aid. He is also a nurse as it’s apart of his SAAR program. Most the time he’s delegated to work on stigmatized patients (corrupteds mostly) the main patient he interacts is Geno. He lives with Memory and they both have custody over their adopted kid Punk.

Memory:

Memory is an ex amalgamation recovered by Psychs reversion experiment. His origin is unknown but he seems to be a sans. Memory is physically disabled, most the time needing crutches, a walker, and sometimes a wheelchair. The save star on his face is their soul. Memory has the ability to save and load files of people. He also can upload people’s memories and view them herself. She is transfem and uses all pronouns, his housemate scell makes them not so legal estrogen in their garage. Memory has amnesia and can’t remember her own past. Memory is coded to have a human equivalent of Ehlers–Danlos syndrome and other Chronic pain conditions. Memory is a Class 1 citizen so most jobs don’t hire him, she could only find a job at a morally questionable clown themed pizza place owned by fresh sans. Memory’s SAAR program is working as an semi-Anchorite at the Creationist Church, he qualifies because of his medically proved “false Angel syndrome” status (which essentially means she experienced passive corruption) . Culturally that’s held as a sacred experience so memory is ideal for that position. Memory has a flat affect and likes cats. She loves her son punk and with aid of her finger splints makes him ugly sweaters.

Psych:

Psych is an sentient experiment done by the MedRune corporation. Psych produces medicine that can reverse any type of corruption. And with extreme cases of corruption it is trained to perform magical surgery. It’s not a sans, instead a biological mass found in the atomization void and was moved to the omega timeline. because of the people surrounding him in the lab, he took the form of a skeleton esc form. Psych lives in the storage room of the hospital. Psych is no longer friends with scell, blue, or memory. Psych is designed to have very fragile skin, if it’s slightly scratched or pressure is pushed it will bleed. Psych only has one outfit. Psych showers himself with rubbing alcohol, he drinks it too. Psych doesn’t eat even though he should. Psych is hooked up to a blood drawing machine for 6 hours of each day to produce anti corruption vials for the hospital. He’s gay,, I think. Mostly for guns.

Feels free to ask me more questions.. I really like,, getting nightwatch questions

[free-luigi-mangione]

i'm gonna preface this by saying that i wrote something similar to @/mangionebabymama in case she answers and you see each other's post lol.

this whole situation is absolutely vile, someone on reddit (surprisingly) said it best: it's like he's a celebrity and karen is his manager. people are playing with fire and don't even realize it.

this man is locked up living in shitty conditions, has no freedom, has very serious charges and the dp hanging over his head. imagine how dark his thoughts must be and he has no escape from those because he has very limited distractions, among those are visits, most of them with karen discussing the case and after visits he must be strip searched. imagine how fun that must be. one of the few outlets he has are letters, he has the chance to talk with other people, connect with the other side of the world, very similar to what we are doing here rn just more controlled and frustrating because mail is slow.

letters must be so important to him, who seems to value human connections so much. we've all had the sensation that he was looking for comunity and he finally has one, why try and take it away from him? when he needs it the most? he must be praying every night people won't forget about him and that they'll stay on his side because it's one of the very few chances he has to make it out of there asap. i'm also pissed at people labelling his responses as 'pr' because it's starting to sound like he's doing fan-service rather than being genuine and a nice person. he's not a calculated, heartless person crafting a specific image. he's a human being in a very fucked up situation.

and i don't care if he's joking in certain letters, if he says he's fine, what else is he supposed to do? he's probably trying to remain positive and doesn't go crying about what he's going through to strangers (like anyone would do), i think he doesn't even tell his family or friends because he doesn't want to worry them even more. if we don't wake up, we'll all be media's accomplices in his dehumanization.

i couldn't have said this better!! thanks for sending in this ask, anon.

it is really of utmost importance that we realise that the media is not a neutral force in this case, they're doing the prosecution's job of dehumanising him in front of the general public and we, as people interacting with sources that dehumanise him further, are becoming accomplices in the mainstream media's attempts at prosecuting him in the court of public opinion.

we must be aware that we are a part of the public and as such, we also help shape public perception and under no circumstances should we be taking sides with the authorities when the authorities are trying to sway public perception in their favour through a variety of extremely inhumane and defamatory ways.

[midnight-mourning]

One Winter Night

❄️❄️Midnight's DCA December Day 8❄️❄️

I will catch up with these, I WILL CATCH UP WITH THESE I SWEAR-

sigh, sorry y'all secret santa has me in a chokehold bc I want to make sure I finish both on time, going to work on getting caught up asap though! Hope you enjoy ^-^

Prompt: Um... Maybe a meet cute as a request? 👉👈 Adult reader is out at a freshly snow-covered playground/park leaning on a railing that overlooks the city below or out at a lake and then city; and it can be either faintly snowing or a clear somewhat chilly night. It's around midnight or getting close to it when the DCA (be it single bodied or the canon duo/trio in separate bodies) find Reader on their way home after their own little excursion (maybe from a party or late night groceries/gift shopping or even just getting off late from work) and go check on them. Have a little chat about life, where the DCA were at, why Reader is there alone, a bit of nostalgia feel, and perhaps have it develope into exchanging numbers or Reader being invited over or silly snow filled shenanigans (like a game of chase, snow angels, swinging and jumping into a pile of snow, maybe even a snowball fight) around the playground/park started by one accidentally getting snow on the other. Or even a mix of all three suggestions if it tickles your fancy Could be strangers meeting each other for the first time or childhood friends meeting once again after years a part from being on separate paths I hope this is an okay request, was trying to be a little specific but also vague enough to create easier 😅

Word Count: 2182

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The chill of the night burns against your cheeks and nose, but not in an entirely unpleasant manner. After all, you were choosing to be out here at this time of night. You found peace in it, the quiet that fell over the city after a fresh snow, something of a comfort against the never-ending hustle and bustle of your day to day. 

The night sky is clouded, snow falling gently in comparison to the storm that originally covered the landscape. You adjust your gloved grip on the railing, overlooking the water to the rest of the city across the way, the lights just a little dimmer tonight than usual. It's as if the city is actually sleeping, calmed by the winter weather. 

There's a silence to the air that one can only experience after everyone else has gone to bed, leaving only a select few to revel in it. You included, very much so. 

One would think with the amount of loneliness in your life, you wouldn't be seeking out more of it. They'd be wrong. There was a difference in being alone versus lonely, and in that particular moment, it was the former and not the latter you were feeling. 

The peace is disturbed by the sound of laughter down the street and turning slightly you recognize the origin as your neighbors. Or well, you live in the same building, but don't interact much besides a passing hello or nod. 

Animatronics, the two of them. Not uncommon in this day and age anymore. You'd never caught their names, but you had a pretty good guess based on their celestial appearances. 

One of them, Sun, you believe, must have caught you staring, as he raises his hand in greeting from across the street. 

Slightly embarrassed, you raise your hand back, hoping that'll be the end of the interaction. You're not great at making friends. Or small talk. 

To your—slight—horror, he says something to his companion, and they both start making their way over to you. 

"Good evening, friend!" The sunny one calls as they approach. "Why're you out so late on a night like this?"

The moon juts in. "What he means to say is, this weather is awfully cold for a human."

"Ah, yeah. It is. I um,"—you can't tell them that you're doing this to escape the crippling feeling of being alone during the holidays—"I enjoy it. You're um, the neighbors across from me, right?"

"That's us! Sun,"—the yellow bot gestures to himself—"And Moon." He points to the other animatronic, who nods.

You nod, sharing your name. "And what about you two? Why're you out so late yourselves?"

"Holiday party."

Sun holds up some bags. "Then gift shopping!"

"Oh! How fun." You nod, turning back to watch over the water.

"And what about you friend?"

You turn slightly. "What about me?"

"Any fun events coming up?" Sun leans forward, unintentionally breaking your bubble. But you let it slide because well, you're not sure. 

"Oh, um, not really, no." You chuckle, eyes flicking to the side. 

Sun gasps, but not in a mocking way, more in genuine surprise, and upset. "What? Don't tell me your friends aren't doing anything fun! It's the holidays! Why I outta-"

Moon puts his hand on his counterpart's shoulder, but that doesn't stop his muttered grumbling. 

It makes you giggle, but your inner sadness drips through, and unfortunately doesn't go unnoticed, with both animatronics tilting their heads at you, slight concern in their stares. 

It's a bit too much for you, especially from two people who are practically strangers to you. 

You bite your lip, feeling a little pathetic in that moment, but lying isn't your style. Not to mention, you feel for some reason inclined to share with these two, even if you are a bit embarrassed. 

"To be honest, I don't, have too many friends. None that I'm close enough for that kind of thing. So I just kind of do my own thing for the holidays and it works out, alright, I guess." You realize yourself, you didn't mean to share that much. You try to save the conversation. "Which, is okay! I'm not super great with people anyway. Haven't been for um, awhile." That did not save the conversation, that did not save the conversation-

Laughter, clear against the chill of the night erupts from Sun. You're surprised, and peeking briefly at Moon you note his own confusion. 

Sun stops after a moment, looking to you, rays spinning. "Well, we'll just have to fix that, won't we?"

Before you can say anything, he's off, darting over to the playground, calling back at the two of you to join him. 

You feel a smile quirk your lips then, and with nothing better to do, decide to follow. Moon falls in stride with you. 

"We're not bothering you, are we?" He asks as you go. 

You put your hands up. "Oh no, not at all. Besides he's got me curious now as to what—"

Your answer is just short by a snowball to your chest. You blink, and scanning find the source peeking around the corner a part of the playset. Moon snickers, but is soon pelted himself, causing him to grumble and you to laugh outright. He whips to you, and you cover your mouth to hide your giggles, but it doesn't help much. 

He starts to chuckle then, bending slightly to scoop snow off the ground. You start to shake your head. "Wait, wait that's not fair. Hold on—"

From there, it becomes an all-out war. No one is safe, especially not you. At times, you team up with either of the two. Sun dragging you with him to hide in part of the play structure, bodies close as you try to contain your snickering while Moon stands confused down below. Moon instead chooses to use you as a shield and less of a partner in crime, which, as Sun states is "Cheating!". 

But there's something in those moments, something that sparks a feeling in you that you haven't felt in a while, and not just in relation to your loneliness that's been eating at you for, a bit now, to put it lightly. 

There's a feeling in your chest that reminds you of being a kid again, running around on the playground, filled with an adrenaline you can only get from something like a snowball fight. And mixing with these stirrings in your chest while being around these two, well, you're more than warm enough for several reasons. 

Maybe it's the heat of your breath against the warmth of sun's chest as he holds you close with one arm. Maybe it's how Moon shoots you a grin everyone now and then when you catch each other's gaze. Maybe it's the squeeze they each give your hand that holds something you can't quite recognize as friendly, but anything more would be silly in your mind. Things like this can't happen in the span of an hour, and you'd be foolish to think otherwise. 

Right?

But when you trip and fall back into a pile of snow, dragging Moon down with you, and your eyes meet, your heart flutters in a way you don't know it ever has. 

It's only interrupted by Sun coming over, worry evident in his expression. He starts to help Moon up, only to be tricked, nearly trading places with the bot, but ends up on top of you instead. 

It shocks you both, eyes wide as you stare at each other. 

What makes matters worse is the way Sun's rays flick, eyes softening with a quiet. "Hi, friend."

There's something about it that makes your pulse quicken, heart pounding in your ears as you swallow. "Hi."

He seems to realize himself. "Come here often?" He tries to joke. 

"Not really, no." You breathe. 

A chuckle. "Pity. You should."

Your face is suddenly splattered with the remains of a snowball, which primarily hit the back of Sun's head. His expression sours, and when Moon starts to snicker is when the war begins again, Sun's hand tightly gripping your own as you follow his lead with your revenge.

When you become thoroughly cold is when you have to call it, but they don't seem to mind. In fact, to your surprise, they ask to exchange numbers, and you try to not be so eager to agree. You assume that'll be the end of it, but they invite you inside their home before you can get your keys inside your door. 

"It's the least we can do."

"We may have gotten a little carried away..." Sun's rays shrink, then perk up again. "But we have coco! And snacks!"

You laugh at their sudden shared bashfulness, and nod. "You're alright. That does sound lovely."

The inside of their apartment isn't to unsimilar from your own, you're not quite sure what you expected though. It's definitely much more festive than your place, warm lighting, many decorations, a tree decorated to the nines. 

It's not until you're bundled up in a blanket, borrowing a spare shirt and pants from the two—your clothes were totally soaked, they insisted—hot coco in hand as you chat and wrap gifts with Sun, that it hits you how nice this all is. There's music playing throughout the space, Moon is in the kitchen making something that smells amazing, and you feel just right at home. 

It, alarms you, for a moment. Just a few hours ago, you knew nothing about either of them, and yet here you are, feeling as if you've known them forever. You're talking about things you haven't shared with anyone, parts of your life you'd near forgotten about due to the lack of connection. And the thing is, it's not just you, both animatronics spill as many stories to you, about what they did before moving in, their friends, it all just flows in a way that shouldn't be possible. 

And yet. 

"Something the matter, Sunshine?"

You glance up, and Sun nods to the half wrapped present below you. "Are you tired? You don't have to stay any longer if you don't want to. Your clothes should be done by now."

His words are kind, but there's a melancholy that hits your core, because of how similarly it matches your own. 

"No!" You shake your head, taking a breath. "Sorry, no I'm, I'm more than alright, really."

Moon joins you finally, setting down a plate with really good looking food beside you on the coffee table, how did he even have time to make all that?

"Are you sure?" He asks. "I can always bag this up for you, if you'd prefer. We don't want to burden you any. You've entertained us more than enough."

Again, you shake your head. "No, it's not that at all. I just, if anything I,"—there's a tightening in your throat, come on, don't blow this, why do you feel like crying—"I don't understand why you're both being so nice to me. You have no reason to. I can't make sense of it." Your hands grip your head then. "And I just, I've never felt this way about anyone before and I feel like I'm going crazy and now I'm rambling, I'm sorry—"

You cut yourself off when a hand goes under your chin, tilting your head back to the night-themed bot on the couch behind you. And the breath leaves your lungs when he presses his smile to your lips for just a moment. 

Sun grumbles from across from you. "No fair! You're not even the one who had a crush."

"I do now." Moon answers, then focuses back on you. "If they don't mind, that is."

Your face burns. "I, well I um—" You stop, sitting upright again to look over to Sun. "Crush?"

"Oh big time. If you had any idea how thrilled he was to see you out and about earlier—" He's interrupt by Sun shushing him instantly, and the bickering that ensues between them makes you giggle. 

"You really mean that?" You ask once they settle down. 

Both nod. 

Sun puts his head in his hand. "I did have a crush, but, after spending the night with you I think it may have gotten worse. I'm sorry if you believe you were led here under false intentions, but we truly did mean nothing but the best."

"He's not really sorry he's just trying to gain sympathy." Moon mutters beside you. 

"I am!"

You laugh again. "It's okay, I don't mind."

And as the mood shifts again, somehow even warmer than before, you find that really don't. Whatever this is, even if it's only for tonight, only for this brief moment in your life, it doesn't matter. You'll treasure it all the same. 

But something about the way Sun laughs, and how Moon's hand rests on your shoulder tells you this won't be the end and is in fact, just merely the beginning. 

And you're more than content with that.

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This was fun, a lil angsty, but fun! I hope you enjoyed @zoranight16 and thank you so much for the request! Loved the vibes of it, tried to capture the feelings as best I could bc I love this kind of thing ^_^

Masterpost link

Tag list (if you would like added, see this post for more info):

@scarletcowboy @beemyhuneybee @fishm0ther @deviouscrackers @elsajoyagent8

@luckyyyduckyyy @zenkaiankoku @jogimote @local-shrub @amarynthian-chronicles

@robinette-green @everlightreader @sinister-sincerely @starredeclipse @dangerva

@juukai @crystalmagpie447 @mothgutz236 @lizyxml

[celestie0]

Im the college gojo anon again (actually fuck it I'm 🪷anon from now on because I love bombarding your mentions and I'll be present to spam your asks each time you post something) and I feel bad now bec I just saw the anon didn't mean it as hate but it was actually something cute😭 4 jjk writers I follow whose works I loveee had been getting crap ton of anon hate for some time on my timeline so I assumed it was yet another case.

I'm sorry for reading it wrong anon no. 2 you are not suffering from absent father syndrome I need to check into a psych ward asap🧍🏻‍♀️ this is an olive branch from me🫂

Also I feel like we anons need to congregate at your home or something because everyone has such wrinkly brains and cute headcanons and you're the worst (and I mean this sweetly) enabler 😭 don't feed my delusions you do not know what demonic creature you've called forth with this magic. But thank you for indulging us every time we run to you with some thoughts, that must take a significant amount of time and attention!! You're so sweet ily ofc I'll be your #1 inbox warrior😙

hahaa hiii bb omg thats a cute emoji you chose 🥺💕 is that a lily pad? also YAAAY SO HAPPY AB THAT I LOVE SEEIN UR ASKS <333

n awww thats ok tbh idk if the second anon was the same anon lol n also my initial reaction to the first ask was def mixed and/or thought it was a teensy bit hostile too bahha 🤣 you’re too sweet for immediately wanting to come to my defense though 😭💕

OMD I’d LOVE THAT SM A LIL ANON TEA PARTY 😩 BUT YOURE SO RIGHT OMG the asks ive been getting recently are so good im like damn i hope you guys plan to start writing fanfics someday bc i’d eat that shit up haha w the ideas n reflections yall are spittin in my inbox pls

i am unfortunately indeed a delusion enabler 😞 we cannot escape that darkness here. but i will 100% hear u out always n hit ya back w the same delusional energy 😍 LOL

aaa ofc bb i just genuinely love interacting w everyone so its just a lot of fun 🥺💕 you’re so sweet n i love u too <33

imma match your lily pad w a frog ehhe

- ellie 🐸

i rly hope thats a lily pad cuz if not then this is embarrassing

[icymeat]

I’ve been suffering from a series of dreams lately. Well, not really suffering, first couple of times I was quite entertained, but this time I felt anxious and worried. This made me write this post about the dreams.

You know, some people really mystify doors. Like, they are literally portals from one place to another. From the safe of your house to the dangerous outdoors and stuff. I’ve heard a couple of times that doors can be used in rituals or something, but that’s not the point, altho it is a necessary context.

So I dreamt….

A world like ours but there are anomalous places where doors can connect to some sort of backroom-esk worlds. So, whenever you go through a door there is a chance to enter these worlds. At first they seem the same. It’s your living room, yes, but it starts to get uncanny. The longer you stay at these worlds, the more they look like these luma ai animations. When you start to notice that your surroundings starts changing but tries it’s best to stay the same or there are unreal motions in people around you or in their faces, you should run and find the closest room that feels familiar to you and that is not shifting around inside. You must run in there, close the door and pray that it sent you back to your reality…

It is dangerous to stay at these places. The longer you stay, the more likely it is for you to encounter the shifting humans. If you don’t live alone you’ll meet them just by entering. It’s heartbreaking seeing your family member shifting this way, their face changing every “frame”, their body movements becoming more and more unreal. You can easily distinguish them if they try to talk (their speech won’t lip sync), or by unrealistic “starting poses” in which you see them. Sometimes they look like they’re sitting on nothing, sometimes they’re straight up strangers in your house. First couple of minutes they’re pretty safe since “ai” didn’t shift them enough. But the more they shift, the less they resemble humans and the more lust for your blood they feel. I don’t know what drives them… hunger, the pure rage when they want you to leave their world, envy that you don’t shift. I don’t know, but they are dangerous and YOU ARE NOT WELCOME IN THEIR WORLD. So if you see that you’ve entered this cursed dimension, you must seek escape asap.

If you find yourself in a fairly empty place without people but still get transported to this “ai shifting” dimension through a door, you won’t encounter these humans for a while. The time differs, but they will always start out human. So it’s in your best interest to identify that you’re not at your home dimension and seek “the familiar room”. This cursed realm seems to interact with your subconscious and you will alway find a familiar place somewhere. Please, take note that this familiar place can be from different periods of your life. The point here is that you must be very familiar with it and it is not shifting around like everything else is.

So… what was so scary about it ? I dreamt that I dreamt. I woke up and chose to change a bed in my house, chose another one lied down and then noticed, that something is shifting on my peripheral vision. It struck me that I got transported to, I looked at the electronic clock, tried to move it and sure as hell, the time became unreadable. I needed to run. For some reason I learnt it’s best to run out of your house and run in to, sort of, “unload” your home and enter the twisted version earlier, ignoring and avoiding “people”. This way the familiar room will find you faster, or the surroundings will shift you to it faster.

So, to sum up this night rumbling…

If you go through a door there is a chance to fall into this dimension. Or if you sleep and dream of something like that (when I saw the Luma ai videos I thought that they are basically how we see dreams or at least pretty close to my view). When you get there it’s best to identify that you’re not home as soon as possible and seek the familiar room, ignoring “people”. For some reason I felt like this is overwhelming. It gave me all those trendy horror feelings… uncanny valley, liminal space (yeah these dimensions can feel liminal. Your furniture might repeat yourself or be removed at all) and stuff like that.

Share your thoughts if you find this post and maybe… give these universe a name, why not. We might have a little backrooms contester here

P.S. I just watched some Luma Ai videos and their realistic people don’t shift as much as animated or non human characters. In my dream it’s more of this. Animated shifting going on. Like… when a cartoon character tries to suddenly grow a realistic face. This kind of shifting. I hope you’ll understand

[asherlockstudy]

How to do perfect staging: a lesson from Italy

I mentioned at some point I might actually make a post drooling over Italy's Måneskin performance and staging. I was kinda bored to be honest and decided against it but then all those trashy rumours that try to bring the winners down seemed so disgraceful and embarrassing to me that I decided again to do it. Now, the truth is that their performance was a little better in the semi-final introduction act. Perhaps this was due to the anxiety of the Grand Final. This is why I am going to use photos and gifs from that act and perhaps this will show to some that the perfect package might need a little bit of everything, and not just slap your language on the audience's ears with the expectation that this alone is always enough. *Did I make this too personal?*

Anyway, I digress. And I don’t mean that the Grand Final performance wasn’t still the best of the night, I just mean it wasn’t at the same God Tier level as the semifinal one.

Here's why the Italians took advantage of the Dutch stage until its very last millimeter and way more cleverly than any other country.

This is the only act that starts from the back of the stage, where the singer Damiano David waits for us alone.

Even with the rest of the 25 competing countries, this intro makes you forget that you are watching a contest with 26 countries as guests. Unlike anyone else, Italy looks like the host, like this place belongs to them and the frontman waits for you to show you around and possibly drag you to the world of Måneskin. In fact, you almost forget it’s Eurovision - this now looks like a Måneskin concert or, even better, a more private space of theirs with an ominous industrial feel. One of the most impactful things now is the lighting. Take a look at it. Almost all contestants throw all the lights on themselves or on some important prop they have prepared. The Italians are the only ones who chose to just light the stage itself. The simple white lights on the black stage give the impression of depth and it is the only act which shows emphatically the size of the stage. Why this? Well, we already established that in the first seconds the viewers feel they are in a new space belonging exclusively to Måneskin - the lights make us feel that their area is vast and dark and we are about to be drawn to its depths.

Damiano indeed guides us to the front as he sings, where the rest of the band are on the top of a platform. The other members won’t come down and join Damiano until he sings the appropriate verse “Buona sera, signore e signori” (=Good evening, ladies and gentlemen) and accompany it with a theatrical flamboyant bow (that feels very Italian). That’s when, technically introduced to the audience after the official greeting, bassist Victoria de Angelis and guitarist Thomas Raggi come off the platform and join Damiano.

There’s nothing excessive about the visual effects. Only the use of white lights that give the perception of depth and in the background the big shadows of the group’s silhouettes. They are in the front and they cast their shadows in the back; they create to you a feeling of being trapped by them but do you really want to escape?

When the second verse starts, Victoria and Thomas take the paths left and right of the stage and leave Damiano alone. They take even more advantage of the stage and in a typical classic rock band way. These two play with the side cameras but the focus is more on Damiano, whose verse sounds more like a tongue-twister. Since the cameras are rightfully on Damiano, I must now address the elephant in the room. Damiano is particularly attractive. In fact, the whole band is almost mind-bogglingly attractive and they clearly take a lot of care about how exactly they are going to look but Damiano, as the frontman, does especially so. So let’s talk about the outfit. They all have essentially the same outfit, however it is cut differently for each based on the person’s looks and personality. Isn’t it fantastic?

Damiano, who oozes confidence and sex appeal, has accordingly the most “provocative” outfit of the four. His chest and arms are bare so that his many tattoos can be seen. I’ll talk about the other outfits later as they all have their place in the... uh... white lights.

During the second chorus Victoria and Thomas return at the center and after the chorus it is time for the first solo; Victoria’s. The cameras are now on her but the lighting remains modest to accentuate the dark beat of her bass.

Victoria is the only girl of the group and the most dressed of them all - how refreshing! Her outfit is more similar to Thomas but she is buttoned up in the front. How does she wish to underscore her uniqueness as the woman of the band? But of course, with long flamboyant girly sleeves that come to delicious contrast with her aggressive stomping and her wide strides. Both her hairstyle and her outfit is inspired or basically just outright 70′s classic rock look.

It’s time for the bridge of the song right after her solo and Damiano has his attention on her and also draws the viewer’s attention to her some more. This part of the song is lower and softer - in relative terms - that’s why Damiano “chooses” her to sing it to. The lights now turn red, the intensity rises but there’s light flirtatiousness between them, with many smiles to each other and the camera that turns around them as they launch at each other playfully.

Then the song gets darker, more intense, the guitar stronger than the bass and Damiano’s voice turns to a scream. For this part, he turns to his bro, guitarist Thomas and he now draws the attention to him.

He grabs Thomas by the neck in an intense, intimate way (that doesn’t mean sexual, just intimate. His interaction with Victoria wasn’t sexual either). It is clear that through different ways Måneskin want to stress how good and close their relations are and that their singer, who is apparently a show stealer by birth, wants to ensure that they all get equal amount of attention from their audience. I love this.

True enough, nobody is left behind! The last chorus starts with a drums solo and Damiano goes up to the platform to now meet and introduce to us Ethan Torchio. Ethan stands up and his giant shadow is on the now blue background: this is the moment for the - so I hear - somewhat shy drummer to shine in his own aesthetic. The Italians leave none of their assets to fall down and Ethan’s impressive hair rightfully steals the show.

Just like Victoria and Thomas look alike, so do Ethan and Damiano, that’s why their costumes are the most similar. Ethan has a vest that covers him more than Damiano but leaves his arms bare. Because whose else the arms do you need to see if not the drummer’s?

This song has something peculiar because it was not a song originally written for Eurovision; it slows down in the end and  does not end on some impressive note from the singer as usual but with the last solo we expect, that of the guitarist, because everything is fair in Måneskin! The focus has to leave Damiano, so now it’s the time for the visual effects to finally catch fire, literally,  because nobody is allowed to take their eyes off them! Måneskin use a huge amount of pyro that however feels appropriate for the intense chorus and the ending guitar solo.

Thomas steps up for his solo and I forget we are in 2021. This is the most 70s thing I would ever hope to see.

In a hell of pyro, Thomas looks like he was tranferred right from a 70s rock ‘n roll concert. His outfit would be gladly taken by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. The unbuttoned jacket with this boho tie, such a classic 70s fashion touch. His haircut and even his FACE are the epitome of the 70s - what an ending sequence!

But hey we reached the end and this is Eurovision, the song slows down dangerously. Like I said, the Italians forbid us to get distracted. The attention must return to Damiano ASAP. Damiano says one last line and takes the audience with him to the very end with a death drop.

There you have it. Måneskin had me holding my breath for the full three minutes and I did not want to take my eyes off my TV. There are countless shows that are awesome - in this very Eurovision as well - but I was impressed by how they seemed to have found the perfect balance for everything in every single moment. They found the perfect stage concept for the song, they relied on visual effects only when they needed them and they stressed every twist and turn of their sound with a perfectly fitting move or interaction. They also all effortlessly could hold your attention and they made sure that they all would, with members often helping bring out other members. This performance was beautiful and, above all, clever which is why it was undoubtedly the worthiest of the win.  

[anotherhawk]

Mechtober Day 14 - polycule

Observations on the crew of the starship Aurora by Junior Assassin Randall

Day 1

Targets alive - 9

I did not have sufficient time to research the crew before commencing this assignment - the contract was issued only hours before the Aurora departed the station. I have to terminate all 9 crewmembers. My only information is that they are some sort of travelling folk band known as ‘The Mechanisms’ and are supposedly very hard to kill. Query - who would go to the trouble of taking out a hit on a folk band? I mean, I hate folk music as much as the next man, but still…

Snuck aboard with little difficulty. Security measures lethal but haphazard. Staying out of sight proving unexpectedly easy owing to wide range of ventilation shafts, maintenance tunnels, and unused sections. Query - who designed this ship and what were they thinking?

Fortunately we are a long way from the next system so there will be plenty of time for me to observe the crew and learn their habits. If I’m careful I can stage a series of accidents and escape detection entirely. That way I should be able to pick myself a nice little bonus by selling the ship.

Observations on the crew of the starship Aurora by Junior Assassin Randall

Day 6  

Targets alive - 9

I believe I have identified all the crew, though I’m no closer to deciphering their command structure or interpersonal relationships.

Gunpowder Tim - possibly in charge (?) Often shouts the loudest. Spends most of his time in the rec room or calibrating ships weapons - possibility of staging an accidental explosion. Was flirting with Drumbot Brian while the latter was cooking dinner - possible robophiliac? (Ugh.)

Ashes O’Reilly - Possibly in charge (?) Was coordinating unloading of supplies and cargo first couple of days. Orders generally obeyed. Threatened to flog D’Ville when he made off with a crate of silks and velvets. Crew joked it wouldn’t be the first time - potential conflict to exploit? Inciting mutiny could be useful once the bodies start piling up.

Raphaella La Cognizi - possibly in charge (?) Ordered all crew to report for ‘science innoculations’ in the morning. Query - what? 

Spent evening having wings preened by The Toy Soldier. Query - why does she have wings? How did she get wings? Can she fly? Can I get wings?

Nastya Rasputina - possibly in charge(?) Does not interact with crew. Spends a lot of time in vents and maintenance tunnels. Potential discovery threat - must eliminate ASAP. Apparently has a girlfriend who is also called Aurora - maybe she’s the captain and named the ship for her lover?

Ivy Alexandria - ship’s...librarian. Query - Do any of the others read? Can any of the others read? Spends most of the day in the library but spends evenings with crew. Note - spotted kissing Marius von Raum and Raphaella la Cognizi on different occasions - potential love triangle to exploit? Jealousy can be deadly. 

Marius Von Raum - an aristocratic doctor. Indicates a level of education and intelligence that may be a threat. Also potential paranormal powers - where the hell did that violin come from?

Jonny D’Ville - spends most of his time shut up in his quarters, playing harmonica and scribbling down notes. At last, a nice, normal musician. Should be an easy hit. Query - what’s with the eyeliner?

Drumbot Brian - a robot. Spends most of his time on the bridge which would suggest pilot programming. The rest of the crew talks to him like he can understand. Query - anthropomorphising? Dear gods, let this not be another Stabby situation. 

Note - there’s a switch on the back of his neck, presumably a power control. If I simply shut him down that should fulfill the contract.

The Toy Soldier. Query - what is it? Why is it here?

Observations on the crew of the starship Aurora by Junior Assassin Randall

Day 8 

Targets alive - 8

Sabotaged one of Nastya Rasputina’s tools to deliver a fatal electric shock. Went off no problem. V satisfying convulsions.

Day 8 addendum 

Targets alive - 9

Nastya turned up for dinner as though nothing had happened. What?? She didn’t even mention her near death experience. Will need to try harder.

Day 8 additional addendum

Targets alive - 9

Just witnessed Drumbot Brian and Gunpowder Tim kissing passionately in the elevator, while Ivy Alexandria and Raphaella La Cognizi went on a romantic stroll along the water reservoir. I guess it's date night. I think either Ivy or Raphaella must have ordered the Toy Soldier to keep Marius distracted since they were having a tea party. Poor cuckold bastard. Not as bad off as D'Ville though. Ashes O'Reilly dragged him out of his room for the first time in a week and yelled at him for not taking care of himself then stood over him menacingly while he ate and showered. They had him in handcuffs at one point. Threatened to scrub him down. Yikes. 

Note - had to find a different place to spend the night. The ventilation shafts were vibrating wildly. Query - is something wrong with the ship?

Observations on the crew of the starship Aurora by Junior Assassin Randall

Day 10   

Targets alive - 9

Created explosion in main gun battery. Tim walked away yelling "That was a good one!" while smouldering slightly. None of the others even came to look.

I'm beginning to hate this job.

Observations on the crew of the starship Aurora by Junior Assassin Randall

Day 13   

Targets alive - 9

Witnessed Ashes O'Reilly fucking Drumbot Brian on the bridge. This place is a godsdamned soap opera.

Day 13 addendum 

Targets alive - 9...somehow??

Tried to erase the trauma by sabotaging the environmental controls in D'Ville's room and sealing the door. Temperature dropped to -50. He got a couple more blankets out of his locker, made himself a little nest and passed out with frost on his eyebrows. Then he woke up, continued writing, passed out again and the cycle continued. When I drained the air he got pissed off he could no longer play the harmonica, opened the door with a plasma chainsaw, and proceeded to go yell at Nastya. 

Query - What the fuck??

Observations on the crew of the starship Aurora by Junior Assassin Randall

Day 18  

Targets alive - 8

I may have failed to kill D'Ville, but apparently he's prepared to do my job for me. Following an argument with Tim, he threw the Toy Soldier out the airlock. At last, one down. 

Observations on the crew of the starship Aurora by Junior Assassin Randall

Day 19 

Targets alive - 8

Since letting them kill each other has so far proved the most successful method, I tried to drive a wedge in the middle of the love triangle by planting a pair of Raphaella's underwear in Ivy's quarters just before Marius visited. He discovered them as planned. Then he put them on and paraded through the corridors, before taking Raphaella by the hand and happily taking her back to Ivy's quarters where the three of them proceeded to...frolic. 

Note - I may have drastically misunderstood their relationship up until now.

Further note - Marius looked v good in that underwear.

Observations on the crew of the starship Aurora by Junior Assassin Randall

Day 27

Targets alive - 7

Poisoned the coffee pot. Gunpowder Tim was first awake, drank a cup and slumped over at the dining table. Thank fuck.

Day 27 addendum

Premature celebration. Tim got back up and drank another cup. Upon experiencing the same effect he glared at the coffee pot suspiciously, then poured a third cup and took it go D'Ville.

Observations on the crew of the starship Aurora by Junior Assassin Randall

Day 32

Targets alive - 8

I think maybe the rest of the crew has discovered that D'Ville murdered The Toy Soldier. While I was setting up a tripwire by the reservoir, I caught sight of him, Brian and Ivy together. D'Ville was kneeling on the floor, shirtless with whip marks across his back. Brian was holding him by the hair while Ivy had the whip. He was looking pretty dazed and out of it….at one point he was looking right at me and he didn't even seem to see me. I mean, I'd be in trouble if he had. 

If that's the punishment for murder on this ship I must be doubly sure not to get caught. 

Observations on the crew of the starship Aurora by Junior Assassin Randall

Day 34

Targets alive - 9!!??!

The Toy Soldier is back. Query - how??

D'Ville didn't even seem surprised to see it. Just told it to hold still while he fixed up the damage that the vacuum had done to its coat. Then he kissed it on the forehead. Query - are they fucking?? But he tried to kill it. Wait..is this a kink thing?

Day 41

Nastya. Is. Fucking. The Ship.

I need to get out of here. I need to get some bleach for the vents. And my eyes.

Observations on the crew of the starship Aurora by Junior Assassin Randall

Day ???

Targets alive - 9

Okay. After all these months I think I've figured it out. It took all my surveillance skills, and countless spreadsheets, but I've got it.

Ivy, Marius and Raphaella are in a romantic relationship, but have sex with most of the rest of the crew occasionally.

Drumbot Brian and Gunpowder Tim are fuck buddies or maybe partners? Brian is also sleeping with Ashes and Raphaella, and sometimes does romantic stuff with The Toy Soldier. Tim occasionally sleeps in the platonic sense with Jonny, but neither of them sleep much at all.

Ashes isn't in any romantic relationship but seems to have sex with anyone interested.

Nastya is in a romantic relationship with the Aurora. She doesn't have sex with the others, but is apparently involved in orgies. Query - orgies with other ships? Or people?

Jonny doesn't seem to actually have sex with anyone but seems to take part in BDSM sessions with Ashes, Ivy, Brian and The Aurora as a sub, and Tim and Marius as a dom. Sometimes he kisses the others. Sometimes he shoots them.

The Toy Soldier is just happy to be involved.

Now I understand The Mechanisms I'll finally be able to kill them.

Addendum

They're all sharing a bed together. This wasn't on any of my spreadsheets. I don't understand. I can't take this anymore. I have poisoned them, electrocuted them, burned them, drowned them and suffocated them, and I have done it over and over again. And they just won't die.

They make no sense. No one is in charge, everyone is sleeping with everyone else -

apparently Brian isn't even a robot!

I have stolen a gun from the armory. This ends tonight. This ends now.

Query - where did they even get a bed that big?

**

Brian had to hand it to Ashes; it might have taken them a couple of decades, but now that the Last Bed from the doomed industrial planet IKEA had finally been assembled, it was the most comfortable surface he'd ever slept on. He'd arrived late and was on the edge, meaning that the mattress was definitely tilting towards him, leaving Jonny and Raphaella rolling towards him. Not that he was complaining, with two of his partners in his arms, and the rest just beside him, this was A Very Good Evening. 

Which, of course, was about the time when the man burst through the door with a massive, automatic laser cannon and pointed it straight at them. "Enough is enough! Move and you're dead!"

"Do what he says," Ashes said urgently. "This bed is irreplaceable."

"Isn't he that creepy stalker," Ivy said, half sitting up. "The one who stole Raphaella's underwear?"

"I'm not a stalker, I'm an assassin," the stalker protested, his gun barrel wavering.

Tim snorted. "You're a thief - that's my gun."

"You know, this wouldn't be happening if you all had let me keep my gun on me, like I wanted."

"Shut up, Jonny."

"You can't talk to your captain like that," grumbled Jonny

The stalker stared. "You're captain?" he demanded incredulous.

"First mate!" came the inevitable chorus. From all nine of them.

"This was supposed to be an easy job," the stalker howled. "Why are you like this!"

Brian took advantage of his distraction to edge out of bed and towards him, not quite sure what his plan was, but knowing bullets were less likely to go all the way through him and damage the bed than any of his more fleshy partners. But the stalker noticed and lunged towards him, flipping the switch on the back of his neck over to Ends Justify Means…which made everything a lot easier. Brian punched the stalker in the face, paying no attention to the sound of the laser cannon going off, or Ashes' indignant swearing. 

The stalker went limp, dropping his gun, and Brian caught him by the scruff of the neck.

"Now." There was a gleam in Jonny's eyes. "What do we do with the creepy stalker?"

[infinite-wanders]

YOU s4 SPOILERS

So I quite enjoyed Part I where we believed he was being stalked, now coming into Part II

Enjoyed him being haunted by his female ghosts.

Great little twist that he's imagined it. I had a hint when they showed Love in the trailer and I remember from s1 where he had imagined the interaction with that neighbour.

Then of course was too good to be true about letting Marienne go.

Predicted the Marienne escape plan.

Loved when they played anti-hero

Was shipping Nadia and Edward so bad so obvs that wasn't gonna be a happy ending.

Happy for Phoebe.

Just so mad what he did to Nadia.

I need Marienne and Ellie to team up ASAP. TEAM M.E. vs Team You

Joe Goldberg must die.

[thequietmanno1]

Thelreads, MHA 250, Replies Part 2

1) “OH MY GOD THE DRIVER IS TAKING NONE OF BAKUGO`S SHIT”- It seems that Endeavour, being an actually really-wealthy hero and having a large household, can afford to get himself a personal and badass chauffeur who’s good enough at his job to take shit from nobody whilst keeping everything in order in his end. I guess it’s about time we had an Alfred analogue in this manga.

I basically imagine their interactions to be a lot like this.

2) “That’s trigger

They are injecting trigger

This won’t go well”- On the one hand, this means that paint-bender isn’t normally as strong as he’s demonstrating himself to be here, plus the fact that his power is so highly-specific means that he needs this kind of battlefield to be dangerous at all and that he’s also on a time limit until the trigger runs out and his control over the surroundings drops, on the other hand, that fact that heknows that he’s only got so long to use this level of power means he’ll be desperate to push Endeavour into killing him asap whilst he’s still got the power to threaten others around them, meaning he’s likely to take rash action sooner rather than later. 3) “Oooohhh boy- alright, so we have a traffic signs bender, and from what I noticed on the first pages, it is even powerful due to trigger. And Natsuo is there as well, so at least I can count on him still being alive. Hopefully.”- Can’t threaten Endeavour into putting you down like a dog with a corpse, can you? Granted, showing him his son’s body might push Enji into going that far, but Ending is really counting on the fact that a hero must save those in danger to force him into killing to save a life, not to satisfy his revenge. Nuts as he is, it seems Ending does really respect Endeavour as a hero and thus wants him to be killed by him in a heroic manner to protect somebody rather than the ‘eviler’ option of having himself killed for revenge. And it might be a little unclear, but Ending’s quirk is allowing him to manipulate the white paint lines that are on the road, meaning that. Like Cementos, his power is highly situational, and also a bad match-up with heat-type powers, though in his case he really doesn’t mind that outcome.

4) “Alright, still alive, thank god- But not for long if this ~fan~ over here has anything to say about it. You know, I can see that he has a sharp piece of paint pointed at his throat, but even so I think he could use his quirk to escape this situation. Being it ice or fire, it could at least allow him to escape”- Natsuo is not a hero, and thus whilst he has powers, he has no training or experience in how to use them, especially with an opponent that can use their much more naturally for violence, and is likely to either hurt himself trying to fight back or compel Ending to hurt him in order to ‘make him settle down’. This provides another reason for the population’s collective bystander syndrome- even if they have the potential to intervene and try and resolve the situation themselves, their lack of training with using the powers is much more likely to instead escalate matters for the worse and perhaps incline their attackers into maiming or killing them instead. 

Many simply don’t have the courage to try and rescue themselves in case things go wrong and they get hurt, and thus they instead leave it to the heroes, who are ‘vastly’ more experienced and qualified than them, to handle matters. Plus, Natsuo is clearly panicking here and rational thoughts like ‘I can use my quirk against him’ are drowned out by his fear and stress from being at the mercy of this psychotic death-seeker, who is downright gleeful at potentially maiming him if Endeavour doesn’t hurry up and kill him.

5) “Also, c`mon dude, you should`ve floored it and hit that villain. That would`ve saved us from the rest of the chapter.”-If he had, then Ending would have likely thrown Natsuo head-first into the concrete and killed him if the impact didn’t knock him out, and given how durable most humans have proven to be in this series, that’s a good bet. Plus, this guy is a driver, not a fighter, so to his mind, letting the trained professional besides him handle the mess is the more logical option- again, showcasing a lack of independent action born from relying on heroes too much.

6) “Endeavor is out and ready to fight, and I do wonder how he`ll solve this situation. The current number one fighting against some crazy villain that is high on trigger, oh that ought be interesting… Endeavor is going to make a barbecue before we can even blink.”- The issue isn’t beating Ending, it’s beating him without killing him or letting him endanger Natsuo. Heroes, by and large, don’t normally kill the villains they face if they can help it, and Endeavour’s skill gap with Ending is sufficient that he very much has the option to non-lethally subdue him. Since that runs counter to what Ending wants, he’s taking extreme measures to force Endeavour to get desperate enough that he can’t control himself and goes overboard with stopping the threat to his son. And if he does put him down, it’ll naturally worsen the relationship he has with Natsuo, so Endeavour neither has the option of subduing him like last time, nor killing him outright, giving him a nasty choice to make.

7) “Oh, using Natsuo as a human shield? Oh that`s interesting, because if Natsuo`s quirk was fire, like endeavor`s, then he would have resistance to it and fire wouldn`t hurt him at all. But, since this ~fan~ claimed to have made some research on Endeavor, we can assume that also include his family, meaning that they know that Natsuo doesn`t have a fire quirk… or perhaps any quirk at all.”- It was actually heavily implied that Natsuo does have a quirk, but not the one Endeavour was looking for in his ‘perfect child’. It’s unclear if it’s either fire or ice, but since Fuyumi has her Mom’s ice powers and Toya had a stronger fire than endeavour, to his detriment, I’m assuming that Natsuo bucks the trend, genetically speaking, by being the only male in the Todoroki family that has only ice powers, which wouldn’t do him much good against Ending’s paint-based attacks here if he can’t melt them. I guess maybe he could try freezing them, but since he’s not a trained user of his quirk I have to assume any ice he can create isn’t as strong as shoto’s

8) “Also, Endeavor remembered a random villain from almost a decade before? That definitely means that they did something remarkable, in the worst sense possible of the word”- It could be a sign of how much of a dedicated worker Endeavour is, to remember minor details about ‘everything’ he’s done throughout his hero career in an effort to improve himself down the line by reflecting on his performance. He did also remember the minor detail about Rei’s off-hand mention of her favourite flowers as well, so maybe he’s got a good memory. That said, if a villain is flat-out begging you to brutally kill them and for the love of god, please don’t arrest them, then I think that’d leave an impression upon anybody’s mind. 9) “Huh, violent offender is a really broad term, that could mean a lot of things, and for Endeavor to even remember their name- there was definitely a lot of death and destruction involved there.”- You have to wonder how destructive he was with a paint-bending quirk when he presumably didn’t have access to trigger all those years ago, but apparently, he certainly gave it his best go to try and force Endeavour into murdering him. If nothing else, the man has proven himself to be verypersistent at getting his ‘perfect ending’, as insane a goal as that is.

10) “Ah- The tittle of the chapter, I see. Well, you wasted a perfectly good opportunity to give yourself a thematic name there, I`m disappointed. I should`ve called you The Stop Sign.”- No, no it’s pretty thematic. He just doesn’t care about it being a long-term title.

11) “Alright spite and jealously over what endeavor had, a career and a family, a future and people to love him- which, quite honestly, is ironic to think that this is the reason for this fight, considering what Endeavor did to both sides.”-Even more ironic when you consider that he’s doing the opposite of what the hard-working Endeavour is trying to do and looking for the ‘easy way out’ of his situation. Whereas Endeavour is on the hard-knocks road to redemption and is constantly trying in spite of his monumental failures, Ending has become so consumed by his despair and self-pity that he’s looking for an excuse to just end it all, rather than trying again and again no matter how many times he fails. Endeavour is constantly trying without any promise of value or reward for his efforts, whereas Ending has become so twisted that, despite desiring to end his life, he’s looking for a way to do it that forces other to give him value, rather than taking his life himself.  

He cares nothing for his own existence, but rather than go out with a whimper and nobody noticing, he wants to go out with a bang, by making somebody acknowledge his life and give meaning to it by taking it away from him, to let him have a reason to just stop with having to live each day with his failure to achieve anything weighing down on him and the hopelessness he feels from his self-belief that he’ll never be able to achieve anything no matter how hard he tried. Endeavour is knuckling down and trying hard regardless, but this guy is passionate about only one thing, and that’s his excuse to stop existing in a world that brings him nothing but misery- in other words, quitting the game of life without really putting in the effort to play it properly.

12) “Ah- Wait, what do you mean by that? What do you mean by “do the job right”? Didn`t he arrested you last time? What else could he do, kill you?”- You can’t reason with a crazy person, and similar to the Joker, Ending is doing his best to spell it out for Endeavour that he’ll keep hurting people regardless of the reason until Endeavour does away with his pretentious ‘morals’ in such a cruel and unfair world and just does the right thing- putting an animal like him in the dirt. And unlike Batman, Endeavour has killed before in the line of duty- granted, the morality is murky overall because of their monstrous forms and shattered mind-set, but he killed those three Nomu at Hosu, and carbonised Hood’s brains to put him down in a do-or-die moment, so to Ending’s perspective, there’s really no reason why he should hold back such lethal firepower on somebody who practically begging for it on his knees.

13) “THEY FUCKING ARE

THIS IS NOT A QUEST FOR REVENGE

THIS IS A LUNATIC WANTING TO DIE

THEY ARE TRYING TO ENACT A SUICIDE BY COP

OH- OH NO, THIS MAKES THINGS WAY MORE COMPLICATED….”- So, do you kill the maniac and give them the moral victory, even with the reward of saving the people whose lives he endangers, or do you hesitate, trying to figure out an alternate option that spares their lives and risk them harming those you’re duty-bound to protect? These are questions All Might never had to deal with, because he has bullshit power levels that allowed him to make the impossible possible through creative punching, but Endeavour is not All Might, and he has no iron-clad guarantee he can save everybody on the scene, even if he’s right there. Ending is not a physical threat to Endeavour, but he is a fascinating moral conundrum, and Enji hasn’t got an easy answer to this problem.

14) “The nightmare dinner has en- is over as well, but the night still holds a lot more problems on the way. Christ- You know, a crazed fan out for another fight and wanting revenge was easier to deal than this. “-Technically, Ending is a huge hardcore crazed fan of Endeavour, just… not for the right reasons. You have to wonder at the mentality that made him so driven to die at this one man’s hands that he immediately made another attempt the second he got out of jail after seven whole years, probably spending every night awake obsessing over getting Endeavour to kill him for good, and then you have to wonder at the penal system that thought it was a good idea to let this clearly unbalanced lunatic outside the jail walls without supervision.

15) “OH GOD, IT`S HIM

DRIVER McDONEWITHTHISSHIT

Not much to say, besides the fact that this is probably the closest Endeavor has to a friend, and I already can extrapolate that he has a driving-related quirk or something.”- His quirk is to preform perfect parallel parking no matter the situation, keep up his driving speed no matter the traffic jams ahead, conveniently locate any near-by ramps for air-time jumps and always get in without paying at toll booths and the like. Not very flashy, but they make him a god upon these roads. @thelreads​

[sevensided]

how did you get into writing fic? i'd love to start but idk even where to begin! I loved adats so I was wondering do you have any advice?

Oh my goodness! I am so flattered you’ve asked me this. Yes, I can absolutely help. I’ll throw a bunch of rambling under the cut.

I started writing fic probably when I was... sixteen years old? A lot of my early works were oneshots. I couldn’t figure out how to do anything plot heavy for the life of me, so I just stuck to AUs or whatever I felt like. I wasn’t in any particular fandom -- I really wrote whatever I had ideas for. I remember I tried once to do a plot-heavy story and I received a review absolutely ripping it to shreds. Like, it was so cruel I cried lol. I ended up deleting the fic. Years later, I get what they were trying to say (basically, more substance, less style), but at the time it cut to the quick. Really, it was only when I was in my twenties that I started writing work that was longer and/or better.

The fandom that helped me actually write plot heavy work was a historical-based fandom. As I’m a historian, it was perfect. I got to use my research skills and knowledge to create works that, above all, aimed to feel authentic. I mainly read historical fiction, so I was familiar with how that genre worked. Miraculously, people loved my work. I think I wrote about ~200k in the period of a year? These were several short stories (20-40k) and a few oneshot filler fics. While I was part of this fandom I also helped organise a Big Bang which was a lot of hard work but was extremely rewarding. Along with that, I interacted mainly with other fic writers, so I spent a lot of time chatting to people about ideas and encouraging other writers, and it just created a lovely medley where no concept was impossible or any line of dialogue too difficult. We supported each other and it was truly like a little commune. I gradually stepped away from the fandom mainly because it was just a part of my life at a very specific time, and almost as soon as that time was over, my love for that story/ship faded, but I firmly believe I figured out a lot of how/what I do now purely through that experience.

Regarding ADATS

With ADATS, it stemmed entirely from wanting to “explain” three months in canon (at the end of season three). I was interested in the idea of season four setting up Will/Mike in canon, and I wanted to test the source material to see if I could draw from what already existed to create something authentic. I began with that simple idea: what happened from July to October in 1985? Then I thought about the major themes I wanted to hit -- family, friendship, coming of age, sexuality -- and I nested them around the bigger concept: how do I get Mike from being ostensibly straight to realising he is gay? That meant thinking of two steps: Mike discovering his attraction to guys; Mike discovering his attraction to Will. Those two concepts were separate “arcs” that needed addressing in different ways. Balance was key to weaving them together and making the reader feel like they knew what was coming (and that they felt smart for putting the pieces together) without just rushing through and going “now kiss!” That’s partly why ADATS needs a sequel, lol: because it’s not finished!

Writing process

The first thing I do when I start to get an idea is I write it down. Sounds obvious. But when you have a killer line of dialogue come to you in the shower and you think “I’ll remember that” -- reader, you will not remember it. You gotta get it down ASAP! I do that the whole way through, as generally I’ll be thinking of scenes I’m stuck on and then it’ll just come to me and I’ll quickly jot it down.

The next thing -- or what I do in the meantime -- is start structuring. I plan. I try to plan a lot. Sometimes it’s okay to write “and something happens here to get them here”, because you’ll figure it out later, but for the most part I’ve discovered that planning is like gold and you can’t get enough of it. I break my work up into generally 3-4 parts/sections, and I treat each section like a mini story. So each part needs a conflict and resolution, and it needs to flow into the next section. You need to have a feeling of things evolving and maturing. Once I’ve planned those little bits, I start thinking about the bigger plot arc and how I can drop in hints along the way. I’m probably not a subtle or skilled enough writer to yet pull off that sort of gasping twist you get in really excellent books, but I’m trying to get there. It’s hard, is what I’m trying to say, but that’s okay, because we’re all learning.

Then I generally do aesthetic stuff. Sounds stupid, probably. But nothing helps me get more into a mood than doing a Pinterest board or -- most of all -- making a Spotify mix. I start thinking about the vibe and the general atmosphere, and then I almost exclusively listen to that mix when I’m working. Sort of like muscle memory? Just to get the creative juices associated with that particular selection of songs.

Another thing I’ll do along with plot structure is character structure. This is a biggie. I mean, a story is nothing without characters. So I’ll just jot down a bunch of bullet points of characters and particular aspects that I want to highlight or remember. I hate continuity errors in fiction. Like, if someone says they work on Maple Street but later in the fic they’re working on Pine Street. I hate that. So I keep note of specific things that my main character might notice at repeated points in the story (colours, places, smells, names, sounds -- so they’re all consistent even as the narrative evolves). That’s another thing -- your characters’ motivations. Not everyone is going to be a huge player, but they all do serve a purpose. The most important character is obviously your main character. I personally think it’s important to let your M.C. be an arse at times. They’re going to be mean, they’re going to misinterpret things or fly off the handle... just let ‘em. Let them be wretched humans, and then bring them back and make them realise what they’ve done. Let them learn! I love consequences in fiction, lol.

At the same time, I’ll probably start writing. We’ve already written down some snippets of neat dialogue or descriptions, but now we should start the actual process. For me, I used to start at the beginning. Usually this was the most fleshed out anyway: I’ll have a clear idea of the beginning and the end, but nothing in the middle. These days, if I have a scene in mind that I can’t forget, I’ll just write it. It will possibly get scrapped or rewritten, but that’s okay, because at least you’ve got it down and now you can devote your brain power to something useful (like figuring out what the middle is supposed to be). I’ll have half a dozen of totally out of context scenes just littered in my Word document that I’ll add to as I go along. Eventually, though, you’re going to start writing properly, and that’s when you write your opening scene.

Opening scenes: super important. Every time I write a scene I think: what is the point of this? What do I want the reader to learn or takeaway? Sometimes you do have filler scenes, but they also serve a different purpose (perhaps to establish a group dynamic or to explore/describe a character’s surroundings). Mainly, though, every scene should push something forward in some way, whether it’s character development or a plot point. So, with an opening scene, I always think you have to establish: where you are; who you are; what they are doing; where they’ve come from (in a philosophical and practical sense); and where they’re going (ditto). That doesn’t have to happen in the first paragraph -- that would be silly. But if you sprinkle that information in over time it’ll gradually build up a picture of your character and that way the reader can get an idea of who they are. You basically need to give a snapshot of what your story is about. This also goes back to the character creator stuff: where they are at the start should be different to where they end up. How that happens is, of course, because of plot, and because you’ve structured everything to the nth degree, we’ve got a very clear progression of that character’s growth (/s easier said than done lol).

General advice

Write down everything: every idea, a bit of dialogue, a description, whatever. Write it down. Doesn’t have to be neat. Just has to be on paper. You can’t remember everything, so if you’re spending time trying to hold those things in your head, it’s taking up space for new ideas to come along.

Structure, plan, structure, plan. Sometimes it’s boring and I hate it. Other times, when I’ve not written in a few days and I open the Word doc and think wtf is this supposed to be, I am very grateful for Past Me for leaving such detailed notes. Seriously, it helps so much. Oneshots don’t really need planning, in my experience. You just get those out there. But multi-chaptered stories really do, even ones that “just” focus on a relationship.

Whatever you want to write, commit to it. Space goblins invade Hawkins? Do it. Eleven and Max find themselves in a cult akin to Midsommar (2019) and must escape? Yes. Just... whatever you want to do, remember that you’re writing it for you. Write what most interests you, what makes you when you reread it go AHHHHH I LOVE THIS!! Because that makes it a thousand times easier to actually get on with the writing when you enjoy what you’re doing.

Write a lot. Every day, if you can, or at least at designated times. Occasionally I have a very specific headspace/vibe I have to be in, but sometimes it just hits me and I’ll say to my partner “I need to write now” and just disappear, lol. The more you write the more you write. It’s so, so, so true. Cannot emphasise this enough. When I wrote that ~200k in twelve months? It was because I literally wrote every. day. Or near enough. Remember that some days you’ll write 200 words, and other days you’ll write 20k (this happened to me with ADATS -- part of the reason I finished it so quickly was because I had sprints of writing 10k+ at a time that only happened because I was in the rhythm of it). Write, write, write. Who cares if it’s crap! No one will see it until you are ready. In the meantime, just write!

Probably last of all (although I could go on and on) is connect with other writers. If you’re struggling to start, sometimes just talking about it can help a huge amount. I hope it goes without saying that you can message me whenever you want, anon or not, and I will talk to you. We can talk about ideas or I can beta stuff, whatever you want! Find like-minded people and talk to them about what you want to do. Another thing this helps is in advertising your work when you do publish. I see a lot of first time fic writers get super down because they publish their magnum opus on AO3 but no one comments. Honestly, it’s because no one knows you’ve published! You don’t have to be tooting your own horn every which way, but just actively talking about your work and even collaborating with other content creators with get you hyped and other people too (and the input and encouragement other fandom members give is just... out of this world. Anon messages helped me finish ADATS when I was really worried I wouldn’t [that’s the truth]. Seriously, support is everything). When you have people excited about your work, you get excited. It’s really as simple as that.

I could go on but this is already horrendously long. I hope even a bit of this helps! If you want to chat or have any more questions, just hit me up any time.

[lixie-lovie]

{ Mysterious Stranger | skz }

h.hyunjin x reader

Chapter 5: De la lumière des ténèbres naît

Genre: Dark!au, Thriller-ish, Fantasy!au

Warnings: Some cursing, mention of weapons/blood/demons, fighting occurs, mentions of kidnapping, nightmares

((if anything else needs to be tagged/warned about please send me a message..i’ll fix it asap))

Word Count: 3k (ish)

Note: I AM ONCE AGAIN SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG. Life made my brain shut down for a while, but this chapter is here! finally!! This chapter is a littleee short, but more will come soon and its ab to get s p i c y. Hope y’all enjoy! 

Chapter Song: You Can Run - Adam Jones

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“It’s time”

I woke with a start in an unfamiliar bed. My hands grasped at the scratchy covers feeling as though I was suffocating. I took note of how cold it must have been by the mist of my breath blurring my vision as I struggled to crawl out of the bed. My body ached and my lungs burned with each heavy, rasping breath that rattled my chest. 

My eyes searched the room frantically even through my brain’s panicked haze. I found myself crawling on my hands and knees, dragging my body towards a window at the corner of the small, door-less barren room. As my numb, shaking hands grasped the edge of the windowsill I gasped, looking out into swirling inky blackness. I staggered back as quickly as possible, fearing that the longer I would look, the more I would see, and the less I would want to. 

I took deep breaths, steadying my aching palms on my knees before shutting my heavy eyelids for a moment of reprieve. When I finally felt calm I slowly peeled my now sticky with exhaustion eyelids apart and tried to take in my surroundings. As I looked toward the area I knew I had been lying in bed before, I realized I was somewhere completely new to me. 

Somehow, this place felt familiar, as if the taste of it’s name had once graced my tongue with its syllables, yet I got a sense that it was different. As I stood straight I compared these feelings of a wistful familiarity to leaving home for college and coming back home to a city overrun with distasteful gentrification. A childhood stolen and sold while one was away. 

I could almost hear symphonies and see golden halls filled with people I did not know and music I had never heard, but now as I breathed in air permeated thickly with tar-like smoke, it felt as though those scenes of paradise were in the past or possibly had yet to come at all. 

My brow furrowed as my fingers, still tingling with numbness, curled inwards into fists at the discomfort settling in my gut. I sighed, taking in the asphalt covering the ground and the barren trees sparsely creaking in the seemingly unending wasteland before me. Though normally I would question this strange situation I felt as though I knew all of the answers.

Perhaps in this strange land I may have not even been myself, but I found no time to inquire about this revelation as I looked forward, determined and began to run. My feet pounded against the ground beneath my feet as I ran towards the abyss staring back at me as if maybe, if I could find it in myself to run fast enough, I would be able to reach those symphonic halls and find the everlasting peace I longed for so much. Maybe I would find my mother. 

I woke up gasping, cold and alone in a dark and damp room. The room itself smelt of smoke and wax, as if only ever lit by candles. Taking into consideration how little I could see at the moment, I presumed it must have been a while ago those candles had held flame. My eyes tried to scan my surrounding area, but through the thick veil of inky blackness, I could see nothing but the colored spots that often danced behind my eyelids.

I took a deep breath, sitting up from my uncomfortable position on the floor and soon, as I became more alert and aware of my situation, I realized that both of my hands had been bound tightly by thick coils of rope. I wasn’t sure how long I had been here, but judging by the warm, slick feeling of blood beginning to slip down my wrists from the compressed tension of the rope, I assumed it had been a while. 

My head was pounding with a dull, throbbing headache and my stomach rolled as I made a move to get on my feet. I tried to determine what way to walk, eventually finding my way to one of the walls, but by the time I felt as though I had walked around the same cold and hard concrete four walls one to many times to count, my legs gave out. I wasn’t any more sure of my surroundings and with my knees now surely bruising and bleeding I sighed heavily, trying to recall what had occurred to land me in this situation.

I racked my brain but the ache in my head was making my thoughts hazy. Just as I began to come to a clearer conclusion of what had occurred there was a sudden clang reverberating from somewhere nearby on the other side of one of these four walls. My head whipped around swiftly to try and stare into the direction the sound had come from. My lips moved to form words of inquiry, but the tone died at my strained vocal chords as I thought of what could possibly be the source of such a strange and ominous noise.

I stood again, slower this time, making sure not to make too much of a sound and my eyes darted to a small crack emitting a flickering orange light. My steps were loud in the silence, my eyes adjusting too slow to the dim lighting. Soon, as I approached the source, a loud creaking sound could be heard from the wall adjacent to me. I flinched, spots dancing in front of my eyes at the sudden light coming from in front of me, and I began backing up at the back-lit figure now moving in my direction.

As my eyes began to adjust, my brow furrowed deeply at the hooded figure staying by the only exit to the strange room I had found myself in. My feet shuffled backwards, the noise of the scraping alerted the shape in front of me as they began their slow creep towards my now cowering figure. I readied myself, squaring my shoulders and holding my breath as they approached, prepared to run or comply, whatever would allow me to make some kind of an escape. I knew, however, that I knew nothing here. I was in their domain now, like some kind of caged animal, and I was antsy to learn all that I could about this strange situation.

A feeling akin to panic rose in my chest and it became hard to quell the sounds of my harshly beating heart as the figure let out a low hum, looking over me and slowly rounding my silhouette, seemingly assessing my state of being. I let out a breath as they took a small number of steps away from my shivering form and dug my nails into my palms, so tightly I was sure they’d bleed, to compose myself as they began to turn back towards the still open doorway to this strange room. I watched their figure, taking small quiet steps behind them to question what I could see beyond this enclosure.

“Follow me.” A deep, gravely voice uttered, not turning back to face me. I nearly gasped, but bit my tongue as I was still in shock behind them. Their footsteps stilled suddenly, as they turned their head in my direction, humming out a noise I was sure meant I had no room to not comply with their wishes. I silently scanned their profile for a glimpse at their features. 

However, even with the light protruding from the outside of this room The hood over their head blocked any recognizable feature from view. Their robes that hid their build were eerily familiar and I noticed my thoughts drifting to the interaction between myself and the robed figures before. The royal purple shone with the man’s movement like swirling liquid of entrancement, the gold thread lining the outsides of the glistened threateningly even in the low light surrounding us.

I noticed my brow furrowing as I took place behind the man, nodding my head softly in confirmation that I was willing to listen. Every idea of escape began to swirl in the background of my mind as the forefront was overruled with thoughts of finding the truth. Finding my mother. 

As my feet shuffled tiredly, slowly copying the movements of the man guiding me and my eyes adjusted painfully to the brighter lights I found myself faintly wondering where I was located and how far I was from the men who had only recently taken me in. My thoughts came to a stop soon however as I took in the corridor now in front of me.

My feet stumbled, my once tightly set jaw going limp as I looked around these ornate concrete catacombs surrounding me. It felt surreal as I stared up, the high ceilings lined with carved statues of heroes and monsters catching my eyes. 

There were sections cut out of the smooth, grey stone that held flames of a more red color than I had ever seen before. The man continued forwards, his footsteps echoing loudly in the silent hall, but my feet were still as I tried to snap out of my shock, hearing the shuffling sound of others nearby. I assumed at first they must be the other robed figures I presumed he was taking me to, but as my eyes scanned the walls inquisitively I noticed other cell like rooms containing more people bound and miserable.

 My brow furrowed in thought as I rushed to catch up with the figure now leaving me behind and I vowed under my breath to figure out what was happening around me currently.

The walk down the corridor felt as though it had taken years, but I blamed that on the tight feeling of anxiety rising in my chest and the dry desert that was my throat due to seemingly hours of dehydration. The turns made my stomach churn as I tried counting the amount of times we were turning and in what direction, memorizing the patterns. The man suddenly stopped as my thoughts were far from what was occurring and his hand shot out to clasp my shoulder, the feeling shaking me out of the swirling thoughts in my mind and forcing my head to snap upwards to notice the large, dark wooden doors now residing in front of me.

“The elders will meet with you soon. Don’t stray too far and don’t go poking your nose where it doesn’t belong. I’ll be back to bring you back to your quarters.” The deep voice said to me. The tone made me eye him suspiciously, the anxiety rising through my chest and claiming my throat now at the implications behind his words. I sighed softly and nodded my head as confirmation as he turned and began walking back the way we had come moments before. As his footsteps receded I replayed his words in my head while turning my hands in their ropes trying to test how hard it would be to get out of my restraints.

His words felt oddly familiar and I tried racking my brain for any means I would have to help me out of this uncomfortable situation, but just as I began muttering the words spoken to me out loud the doors in front of me slowly began creaking and shuttering as they were pushed open, revealing their contents to my eyes. The room itself was large, much larger than I expected, and I was almost unable to make out the shape or size in its entirety due to the darkness shrouding every inch currently. I tried whipping my head around, searching for who had opened the door or any other sign of an “elder” around me, but I was left longing, confusing, and panicked as I was left in eerie silence and solitude. I inhaled sharply, the air burning my lungs in a refreshing manner, squaring my shoulders once again and determinedly taking a few steps inside.

I held my breath as I used all the senses I could still rely on to assess my situation. My footsteps resonated loudly throughout the echoing room. I jumped as a voice suddenly boomed from in front of me, stating my name loudly. Stumbling backwards slightly my eyes darted back and forth, searching for some kind of figure to settle upon. My eyes could faintly make out the shape of large figures towering above me. 

Candles were settled at the edge of the platform in front of them, allowing me to see that there were six of them, all of which were wearing matching robes to the other’s I had seen before. 

I muttered a prayer to any god I could think of before taking a deep breath in and trying to pay as much attention to the minute details as my foggy, dehydrated brain would allow. I noticed each of them had a glowing pendant that looked well crafted and eerily similar to the ornate designs of the dagger I had been given before. 

I gasped as they spoke to each other quietly in a language I was sure I had never heard before. I listened intently, searching for some kind of meaning in the way their tongues were curling around the foreign words. Finally, the large one stood towards the middle of the group spoke up, in a language I could understand this time. 

I couldn’t catch every word, my consciousness feeling as though it was sand slipping through an hourglass, but there were a few words that stuck out to me. My senses perked up at the implications each had and I racked my brain for what they could have been connected to, coming up with nothing but questions and dizzy confusion. 

“the one blinded”

“vengeance” 

“the full moon”

“duty”

“sacrifice”

Their words were making less and less sense as my face contorted at the last word and sweat began to bead at my brow. I blinked harshly, feeling my face become wet with tears that I couldn’t remember crying. I could hear voices, footsteps, but my legs felt like lead and my head felt heavy. 

There were gaps of time that felt impossibly thick and suddenly I was alert, staring at the large man’s face that was now riddled with unbridled shock. A rough, calloused gasp left his lips and suddenly he took a step forward, his hood shifting with the sudden stumble. My eyes went wide as the other hooded figures’ voices went silent. 

I couldn’t tear my eyes from his pale, wrinkled face as I watched his eyes gather wet, thick tears and suddenly he coughed, once and then twice, before slick red blood began gathering at his pink, chapped lips. It formed a trail down his chin before a hooded figure, now visible to me as the man slumped to the ground with a dull and heavy thud, stood tall with a blade now visible in their hand. The blade itself I recognized instantly, but I was startled by the blood now coating its blade. 

The murderous hooded figure made a turn so impossibly graceful it seemed as though it was practiced and almost playful before the other figures, the elders, made a panicked dash, blades in hand to exit and scatter. The treacherous man made daring moves after them, but only for a moment before he looked my way, his hood falling slightly allowing me a subtle glimpse at his impossibly golden eyes, before they darkened and darted towards something behind me. 

I yelped loudly, thrashing around as someone grasped my sore, scabbed wrists until I heard a voice that filled me with relief. I nearly smiled or laughed at the impossible situation I was in when I heard him speak into my ear, his breath making me shiver. 

“You need to run.” Hyunjin said, his hands gentle as he tore through the ropes binding my wrists. He made a quick motion with his hands and spoke words I feared I would never know the meaning of to the other traitor before making a move to run in the direction opposite to where I was being pointed to run. Just as I took a shaky breath in, rubbing the sorest part of my wrists softly and wincing at the pain it caused, he turned back, his hood now down and his golden hair sweaty and stuck to his face in patterns that made my head spin. 

His eyes twinkled even in the dim light of the candles and a mischievous smirk played at the corners of his lips as he stared back at me. He took two steps back in my direction, something I never expected, and reached his hand out towards me slowly, as not to startle me. 

“You know, I said I really don’t like babysitting.” He said, speaking softly, as if almost hoping I wouldn’t hear him as he pushed a strand of my hair back so that it wouldn’t fall out of its original resting place. His hand drifted down, barely touching my arm as it ran its course causing my skin to break out in goosebumps. “And I am real sick of having to keep giving this back to you.” He laughed out, placing my blade back into my open palms gently. 

I looked at it shocked, feeling its weight sink into my palm as if it belonged there, like an extension of myself. Then, my eyes darted back up to his face, softer than I had ever seen it before if only for a brief moment before his features hardened again. 

“Now. Get out of here and don’t look back. Someone’s waiting on you.” He whispered to me, his voice gruff with an emotion I couldn’t quite place and wouldn’t dare question. He then turned on his heel, decidedly making his way towards a future I wasn’t sure of and I found myself wishing I would have found the strength to say something as I listened to his advice and began to run. 

I recalled my dream, my feet pounding against the ground, my hands numb, and a scene unfolding before my eyes, all around me. It was encompassing and terrifying, but full of promise from the past and for the future if only I could run fast enough through the suffocating darkness of the present.

[genderfluidlucifer]

Well I slept through some of my mental breakdown so I’m at least semi coherent enough to post this. When I said I’m taking a break from sjw activism on here, that does not mean I’m suddenly pro anti SJW now. I am absolutely not. The JW org pretty much tried to force confederacy style conservatism on me. And as far as I can see anti SJW rhetoric isn’t much different from that. Just without the JW org’s advanced purity culture. I am just taking a break from sjw activism because I’ve realized I still don’t know how to enforce my dni list in a not toxic way that doesn’t scare people off. I feel bad and I don’t want to be like this. But i don’t know how to fix my toxic trauma responses and defense mechanisms. It seems like everytime I get close to fixing those issues about myself an inevitable self sabotage happens and I’m back to step zero again. I imagine it must be exhausting and annoying to deal with on a regular basis for my mutuals. Hell it’s annoying and exhausting for me too and I’m the one who’s been cursed to have this godawful and hideous body that I want to escape ASAP. I'm just tired of enforcing a dni list and coming across as abusive and toxic for it. It’s done nothin to improve my mental health. If anything the dni list has only WORSENED my mental health. And made it even harder for me to escape for my hellscape of an abusive and neglectful household. From now on the only dni list I'm still going to try to enforce is tagging nsfw properly/other necessary tags for posts and avoiding blogs I’ve traumatized/pissed off. But only to myself and no one else. I really don’t care about trying to warn mutuals about who they interact with anymore. Nothing good has come out of it. If I get triggered by the dashboard experience that causes for me then OH WELL. ANd of course if anyone currently following me disagrees with me handling this blog this way you are free to unfollow/bock me. Without even confronting me about it personally The less people I’m around online right now, th better.

[cherrybombusa]

GROUP ONE  - THE BASEMENT. SUCCESS.

PLAYERS:

THE ROMANTIC - Mackenzie Walsh.  THE MANNEQUIN - Caria Yildiz.  THE WRITER - Noah Russell. 

PERKS: 

COME HERE, LOVER BOY!: With Mackenzie Walsh in the group, it’s harder to fail! Mac and the Candy Girl’s love affair gained the group an extra advantage during the Puzzle, and gained them a Last Ditch Effort to get out of the room - but only if Caria gave up trying.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS: 

-CARIA FRACTURED HER SHOULDER.  -THE GANG CHOSE LUCK AND FAILED.  -THE GANG USED ALL THREE TRIES IN THEIR PUZZLE AND FAILED - BUT MACKENZIE’S LOVERBOY PERK GAINED THEM AN EXTRA SHOT. THEY ENDED UP SUCCESSFUL, AND FOUND THE KEY TO SAVE THEIR FRIEND.  -THEY EVENTUALLY ESCAPED THE ROOM AFTER CARIA GAVE UP TRYING. 

The day hadn’t been busy-busy until Mac  began setting up with the rest of the band - the perfect time for a Boardwalk employee to approach him!  Everything seemed to be going smoothly - at least from Mac’s end - but the employee insists that as the frontman of the band, a cord from the basement must be grabbed for his microphone. Mac doesn’t argue much - there’s no time to argue - he just needs to get back as soon as he can. @romxnticss​

The sun has been fixing it’s way over the horizon for what felt like far too long, but somehow the Minute-Makeover booth was still a-buzzing. Curling irons here, Mascara there - but somewhere within the chaos, a Boardwalk worker managed to grab Caria by the shoulder. Her mother was busy with a client, but the Boardwalk worker insisted that paperwork must be retrieved from a clerk in the basement, and it must be retrieved now - lest they pack up the booth ASAP. Caria hardly gets a look at the person - they walk away before any questions can be asked, but apparently it’s important that Caria gets to the basement as soon as she can. @manncquin​

A boardwalk employee grabs Noah by the shoulder as he’s walking down Roller Coaster Row - a little shocking, to say the least, but all is explained when the employee mentions Ronnie Russell and his need for Noah’s assistance ASAP. Apparently, there’s some table in the boardwalk basement that he needed to fetch for the booth they were setting up outside of the Main Stage. Don’t know why they asked Noah when they could have asked Casey, but… he better hurry. @thewriter-noah​

THE NARRATOR: Reunions were supposed to be pleasant occasions, weren’t they? They were supposed to bring feelings of joy, and nostalgia; you were supposed to forget the awkward haze that had plagued your senior year of high school, and just… pretend like the good old days were actually just that. Good. Absence did make the heart grow fonder and all that, didn’t it? Though, maybe it’s silly to wonder why this little reunion, in the service basement of the Boardwalk, might not be so pleasant. It had only been a week ago that they were all huddled into another basement together, after all. Playing at the whims of a suspected lunatic, and baring their souls - and their tongues - to each other. Not even ‘a Day in Carousel Cove!’ could smooth over that awkward little blip, could it? Still, the three of them made their polite, familiar conversation. Mac laments about being late for his set, and Caria makes some excuse about having to get back to her mother… Noah may or may not be wondering why he’s there at all! But the unmistakable sound of a lock clicking from the far end of the room should be enough to cease all wonder. Jinkies, kiddos! Wonder what’s in store for you this time. NOAH: Noah would be lying if he said, having come down initially to find Mac and Caria in the basement alone hadn't set off some vibes that left him feeling sick to his stomach. While it didn't look like he'd walked in on anything especially scandalous, and their reasoning for being there all seemed legit, thoughts of what had happened between Caria and his brother crowded his mind as he began his search for the table. It wasn't like he'd ever suspected anything between she and Mac but the mistrust had it's way of playing out all sorts of scenarios in his head. At the sound of the door closing he paused as he gave a quick glance up in it's general direction before looking back to see if by chance the other two had left without so much of a word. "Did either of you find what you were looking for?" He asked shortly when he noticed they were both still there, feigning certain his uneasiness was playing tricks on him. THE NARRATOR: Just as Noah speaks, a clock in the corner of the room strikes 7:30pm, as does the watch of a masked figure, just outside the door. It’s time! But for what, exactly?

A moment later,  Dean Hargrove’s voice fills the room like a ghostly echo from the stage - welcoming the citizens to the boardwalk, and more... but just as suddenly as his voice appeared, he’s cut off by a voice they don’t quite recognize. A voice that might just damn them all.

CANDY GIRL: “REST IN PEACE TO OUR DEAR OLD LUX, BUT I HAVE NEWS THAT THE CHERRY TIMES IS TOO SCARED TO TELL! THIS WAS NO SUICIDE. LUX WAS MURDERED. THE QUESTION IS - WHICH ONE OF HER FRIENDS DID IT?”

THE NARRATOR: It was hard to imagine a chill didn’t run down the whole of Cherry’s spine at the implication; hard to imagine that her friends weren’t disgusted by it… Or at least acting disgusted.

CANDY GIRL:  “AND TO THAT LITTLE GANG! MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE LATEST ISSUE. SOMEONE IS MISSING, AND YOU’RE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO CAN FIND THEM BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE. GOOD LUCK!”

THE NARRATOR: It would have been impressive timing if it weren’t so fucking frightening, but at just that moment, their very own issue of the Cherry Bomb slides beneath the door. It skids to a stop, right at their feet. 

The cover is collaged with photos of Lux - the inside? Crime scene photos. There’s no pictures of her body, of course; that would be crude, even for the Candy Girl - kind of - but images of the blood soaked into her carpet. Still pictures of her bedroom, flaunting a life once lived: those are there. A shot of her suicide note, ‘I’m sorry, I love you,’ and all.

And right there, in the middle of the spread, like a centerfold? A note, written in Sharpie - just for our ragtag little slice of the gang.

CANDY GIRL: GET OUT,,, GET OUT, WHEREVER YOU’RE LOCKED!!!! NOT A FAN OF SMALL SPACES?? I’LL STICK YOU IN A BOX. SOMEONE IS MISSING, BUT I WON’T SAY WHO… FIND THE KEY, AND FIND OUT WHO. 

BUT WATCH OUT, WATCH OUT! YOU’RE ON THE CLOCK! LET IT RUN OUT, AND THEY’LL STAY IN THE BOX. WILL THE TIDE COME IN? HMM, MAYBE IT WON’T. OR BETTER YET? MAYBE YOUR FRIENDS WILL FLOAT.

THE NARRATOR: Oh...my. Now, that’s a predicament, isn’t it?

I suppose we’re at least lucky that the Candy Girl leaves the rules simple, right? Find a key. Get out of the room, and… Maybe she doesn’t kill one of your friends. Maybe

MAKE A CHOICE: YOU MUST ESCAPE THE ROOM, BUT HOW DO YOU IT? THERE HAS TO BE A KEY SOMEWHERE, SO HOW DO YOU FIND IT? BY LOOKING FOR CLUES [PROBLEM SOLVING] OR BY TEARING THE ROOM APART? [LUCK]

CARIA: Unquestioning dutifulness used to be chief among Caria's virtues, or at least it must have been, looking back. Not dutifulness out of any sort of filial affection but the point still stands: she's always done what's been asked of her. As it was, she barely blinked at the matter of paperwork. It checked out-- usually her mother has people to deal with the administrative side of things but a legal team for a day at the Boardwalk seemed overkill even to the unendingly ostentatious woman. And given the company Caria's ended up in the basement, she's all too happy to stay all the way adrift in her thoughts. Even the click of the door isn't enough to pull her back to reality. What is enough, however, is the unwelcome broadcast. 

She's never been good with these kinds of things. Maybe there's a way to look around at the small details and figure things out that way, but unfortunately how good she looked in tweed and faked a British accent had no real correlation to how closely her thinking could mirror Sherlock Holmes'. So, she does what she's only ever really let herself do in her imagination: She starts pulling the room apart haphazardly, hoping something helpful will happen upon her if she's desperate enough.

MAC: In twenty years, Mac had never exactly found himself in any high pressure situations. Perhaps it came from living with a self-proclaimed former hippie, or the fact that it was hard to build any real sort of stress in a record store, but regardless- he never saw himself stuck in the middle of this sort of thing. While his first reaction had been to head for the door the moment he heard Dean Hargrove's voice, still preoccupied with missing Mystic Cherry's set, the realization that they were trapped had slowly but surely sank into his brain. There's a pause as Caria starts tearing things apart, a moment to let his panic sink in, before he's starting on the other side of it, desperate for a way out and to the rest of their friends.

THE NARRATOR: In hindsight, maybe it wasn’t the best idea to just start tearing the room apart. Mac and Caria look for nearly fifteen minutes - maybe twenty - as the chaos of everyone else’s night unfolds on ground level above them. They’re losing time, and coming up empty - it’s time for a new plan. 

The Candy Girl is cunning, and cold, after all. Meticulous. She wouldn’t be the type to just leave something where anyone could find it… Maybe. Looks like they’re playing Mystery Gang on this one.

MAKE A CHOICE: FAILURE. THE GANG HAS SUFFERED A TIME PENALTY DUE TO THIS ACTION. IT WILL NOW BE HARDER TO GET OUT.

THE NARRATOR: Looks like they're going to need clues to get out. Noah  stays focused on the sharpie scribbled riddle in the ‘zine while Mac and Caria raid the room for something useful. Not so useful, but strange enough to take note of? A cherry red briefcase, shoved into one of the dusty, storage lockers. Not only that… but maybe there’s actually more to the note than they thought.

MAKE A CHOICE: TRY THE CODE. 

NOAH: This was it. The first interaction with the allusive Candy Girl since the night of Lux's funeral but instead of having them all making out with one another she was sending them on some wild goose chase. Noah could barely control the slight trembling in his fingers as he attempted to put the code into the briefcase they'd found. Normally such steady hands with a pen couldn't find peace as he recalled the box that had arrived at his door only a week before. MAKE A CHOICE: WRONG CODE. SORRY.

MAC: Mac wasn't exactly sure if he wanted to know what was inside the briefcase, though his fear of whats inside soon turns into a fear of not being able to get inside as he watches Noah struggle. Quietly he takes the briefcase into his own shaking hands, inputting 2-1-3-4. MAKE A CHOICE: WRONG CODE. SORRY.

CARIA: Caria frowns and puts in 3421.

MAKE A CHOICE: WRONG CODE. 

NOAH: Noah took the box again and worked the numbers until they read 3-1-4-2.

MAKE A CHOICE: SUCCESS.

THE NARRATOR: The briefcase pops open and reveals a coppery key. Someone should probably try it in the door!

NOAH: Hearing the sound of the briefcase pop open came with a strange sense of relief as Noah pulled the key from the briefcase. "Jesus.." He whispered mostly to himself as he glanced back at Mac and Caria and made a point of dad jogging over to the door. The adrenaline still racing through his veins as he tried the key in the door.

THE NARRATOR: The key doesn’t even turn, and just like that… defeat rings through the room all over again. Wait, unless -

MAKE A CHOICE: TURN THE KEY OVER AND TRY IT THE OTHER WAY? [LUCK - HIGH RISK, HIGH REWARD]

NOAH: Noah paused, contemplating as he felt the key unwilling to move and made the decision to pull it back out of the door. "It's no fuckin good. They're toying with us. This isn't going to let us out." He said frustration thick in his voice as he shot a look to both Mac and Caria. "Any other hints we missed?"

THE NARRATOR: The sound of the clock ticking in the corner of the room is almost ominous as it continues on in it’s effort; keeping a steady beat to their struggle. They have to get out, or someone gets hurt… They have to beat the clock, but how long did they have exactly? And beyond that - how long would they be stuck down here until somebody found them? 

Maybe the door wasn’t so sturdy. It seemed old enough: they could try to break it down. There’s windows - high up, but windows nonetheless. They could climb it, if they needed to. 

And if desperation really struck? Well, they could always scream for help.

MAKE A CHOICE: HOW WILL YOU GET OUT? BREAK DOWN THE DOOR [STRENGTH], CLIMB THROUGH A WINDOW [FIGHTER], OR SCREAM FOR HELP [CHARISMA.]

CARIA: Caria gives a dubious look to her companions but seems to gather some kind of resolve. "If I could just get up through the window, I could get us out," she reasons with an uncommon amount of confidence to her voice, "Can you hoist me?" And then she tries to climb up with the others' help.

THE NARRATOR: If only Cherry High’s gym teacher could see Caria now! To coach her through the proper hand holding technique they had all learned during rock-climbing week. It’s a noble effort as she makes it halfway up the wall, but as a shelf tips forward, Caria topples backward. In the blink of an eye, she’s on her back in the middle of the room - a loud crack sounding from her shoulder.That’s definitely broken.

The other two crowd their Caria, trying to comfort her - promising they’d get her help as soon as they could. But it’s no use. Nobody knows where to find them; nobody can hear them. And nobody is coming for them.

MAKE A CHOICE: YOU'VE FAILED YOUR PLOT EVENT.

CANDY GIRL: But wait! Who is that handsome boy in the back? Mackenzie Walsh Looks like my favorite boy has another shot. Let’s go, Lover Boy!

THE NARRATOR: Seriously? Fine! They had only been in here for a half an hour - maybe a little more - but somehow it felt like centuries. They were beaten, and broken down… They had fallen right into the Candy Girl’s trap, and like mice in a lab, there was no escape. Maybe. They could always keep screaming for help - but then again, what was the use?

MAKE A CHOICE: LOOKS LIKE YOU GOOFED IT - BUT YOU HAVE A SECOND SHOT. DO YOU ADMIT DEFEAT [SELFISHNESS] OR DO YOU KEEP TRYING TO SCREAM? [LUCK HIGH RISK - HIGH REWARD]

CARIA: There was no point, was there? Some tiny part of Caria insisted it wasn't, and yet it had to be. Her shoulder wasn't even what bothered her most. Even if she could get out (but what reason did she have to have ever hoped she could pull off some heroics?) it was undeniable that whoever was in that box never knew or liked her to the level she hoped. Probably, they blamed her for her relationship with Harvey falling apart, for Casey feeling hurt, for Lux dying. They were not her friends. They were unlikely to even like her that much Caria, who had been unintentionally tearing down others left and right, fostering nothing but ill-will. She felt humiliated, which was bad enough on its own but doubly so heaped in a pile in front of Noah, who probably hated her, and Mac, who probably would shortly. 

Why was she even doing this? How could she go back to the group day after day and pretend she belonged? Even if she swallowed her pride and went through the motions for the sake of retaining her place among them, Candy Girl knew the truth, which meant maybe others knew the truth, which meant she would have to sit there as the villain pushing others to suicide. She's crying. Of course she is. Messy, gasping sobs, as though she's been held too long underwater. "I can't do this. Let's not do this. I can't-" she tries to utter while struggling to breath through her crying, "No more."

THE NARRATOR: Maybe it was wrong to just sit down and let it happen to them, but what were they supposed to do? They were beaten down and broken… they had tried so hard, and failed. Why not just say, fuck it?

Half an hour goes by that feels like an eternity. Their friend quietly crying in pain; anxiety on high. Mac trying not to cry, himself. 

But the sound of footsteps from down the hall piques their interest. The sound of their voices all mix in one as they call out for help, and only a minute later is someone turning a key into the door lock.

MAKE A CHOICE: SUCCESS. YOU'VE ESCAPED… BUT ONLY BECAUSE THE CANDY GIRL GAVE MAC A SECOND CHANCE. YOU WON’T BE SO LUCKY NEXT TIME.

[a-man-for-hire-and-his-archives]

AN INTERVIEW WITH LUKE ARNOLD

Many people know actor Luke Arnold from the Starz TV show Black Sails where he plays the character, John Silver. But, to add to his extensive acting credits is his debut novel, The Last Smile in Sunder City. The first novel of the Fetch Phillips Archives series. If you haven’t had a chance to check out Sunder City, you should fix that ASAP. (Our review can be found here.) Sunder City is a little bit of fantasy, a little bit Sam Spade, and a whole lot of good writing. GdM got the opportunity to sit down with Luke and talk to him a bit about his writing, and what is happening in the future for Fetch Phillips.

GDM: Hi Luke. Thank you for agreeing to chat with me a bit about your writing, life, and The Last Smile in Sunder City.

LA: My absolute pleasure. Thanks for having me.

GDM: For the uninitiated, could you tell me a little about yourself and how you got into writing Sunder City? Have you always been a writer?

LA: I’ve been working as an actor for most of my adult life. When I started out, all my creative paths were intertwined. I’d write things, act in them, direct them, and collaborate with anyone on anything. Then I was lucky enough to have some success in the acting world, most notably on a show called Black Sails, and gave that all of my focus for a few years. After that wrapped up, it felt like it was time to dig back into my own writing, so I put away some time and punched out the first draft.

GDM: I know with acting, you must pull character creation and visualization from a creative space. How does that differ from character creation when writing novels?

LA: In some ways, they couldn’t be more opposite. When you act on film, you really have to trust everyone around you and hope that you’re in safe hands. You work off someone else’s material on a set that someone else built, in a costume that someone else made, while you listen to direction and hand your performance over to an editor at the end of it. It’s about doing your homework, preparing properly, and then committing to this brief window of time when you try to be in the moment and deliver a performance worth capturing.

GDM: With a novel, you are the entire crew, and the window lasts as long as you need it to. For the most part, there is no collaboration, no outside input, nobody rocking up with a ready-made set or a beautiful coat to put on one of your characters. For better or worse, it’s all you.

LA: To be honest, being able to bounce back and forth between the two makes me enjoy each of them even more.

GDM: The Last Smile in Sunder City was a remarkable story. I loved how the story is told through a series of interactions, both now and in the past. It was a compelling narrative device in describing how a character can change once crossing a pivotal moment in their lives. In Fetch’s case, it was the before and after the Coda. Did you plan for the story to be told in this fashion, or did the story change organically as you wrote it?

LA: When I started writing this story, it was only the present-day part of the story: a man-for-hire searching for a Vampire in a broken fantasy world. I thought maybe I would do a bunch of these short cases, stick them together, and then do an origin story one day.

I shared the story with some friends in the publishing world and while they really liked it, they informed me that collections of short stories are nearly impossible to sell, and suggested that a novel would be a better path. Thankfully, I took their advice.

I think the scars of that process can still be seen on this story, but I kind of like that. It’s the same thing that happened to Raymond Chandler (my biggest influence when it comes to this book). Chandler wrote short stories for a magazine called Black Mask. Most of his novels were an amalgamation of those shorter stories, tied together and padded out.

My second book, Dead Man in a Ditch, is more tightly constructed, but for the first story about a hopeless, wandering gumshoe who only begins to find his way, I think the creative journey added to the tone.

GDM: How did you create the after Coda world? What was the inspiration?

LA: A lot of the pre-Coda world (the magical time) was planned out before I started. I tracked the beginning of magic and thought about how it would seep into the world and create versions of all the magical creatures we’re familiar with. But in the post-Coda, a lot of it comes to life as I take Fetch around the city and see who he stumbles across. Rather than being inspired by any particular time or place in history, it’s more about a feeling. A bit of guilt. A touch of depression. A regular spoonful of self-loathing. Sometimes it’s about growing up. Sometimes it’s about living in the aftermath of mistakes. It all depends on where Fetch’s mind is at. He’s always struggling with some internal dilemma, and I love to make him bump into the perfect creature that will make things even worse.

GDM: Are you a big fantasy and science fiction reader? Which books have you been inspired by?

LA: I’ve always been a big reader, but I only dabbled in fantasy before this. I’ve been doing my best to catch up over the last few years. Most of the fantasy worlds that influenced me would have come from video games, anime, and film. I’ve been going through Final Fantasy 7 recently (remake, and replaying the original), and realized that it probably influenced Sunder City more than any book.

There’s plenty of Pratchett in my world, and I’ve stolen fantasy creatures from everywhere, but you’ll find more elements of Humphry Bogart than Hobbits.

GDM: One of the take-aways I had From The Last Smile in Sunder City was even under all the dark, the ominous, the despair, under the constant struggle to live, there is always a small shiny kernel of hope. As a reader, I am drawn to stories that have this; it helps me connect and want more as a reader. Was this always the intention?

LA: Sure. I love playing with the expectations we have of fantasy characters versus what we expect of ourselves. In worlds with magic spells, evil villains, and ancient prophesies, we want our heroes to find the special sword, kill the baddie, and restore peace to the land. When you’re younger, our world seems so different to the ones in books that it feels like escapism. But as you get older, you realise that there are actually these looming threats coming to destroy the us and villains who cause suffering for their own gain, but the bit that we struggle with (at least I do) is what we can do about it. Could we be better? Does anything we do matter? Or could we wake up tomorrow and actually make a difference?

I don’t know how to fix the world (yet) but I do know that a shared moment with a close friend or a perfect cup of coffee will help me get up tomorrow and keep searching.

GDM: Can you tell me a bit about Dead Man in a Ditch?

LA: The first book hints that the magic might not be completely gone for good. Of course, Fetch isn’t ready to believe that, but word has gotten out. Folks start arriving at Fetch’s door, asking him to find a way to fix things. That includes the police department, who invites Fetch to a crime scene where a guy’s face has been blown apart by a fireball.

With the stage set by the first book, Dead Man in a Ditch makes some big moves forward, though the shadows from the past are still hanging around.

GDM: Finally, I always like to end on a light-hearted question. The Dinner Party question. If you could have dinner and conversation with three figures from real life, alive or dead, or fiction, who would they be and why?

LA: Jim Henson. I think Sesame Street is the most important television show ever made and everything Jim brought into the world has made it a better place. Maybe I’d get to learn a couple of things but maybe I’d just get to spend a couple of hours in his presence.

David Bowie (Similar reasons to Henson, really) and Nina Simone (because she seemed really disappointed at Montreux that Bowie wasn’t there, so I’d die to see them hanging out). And there would be a piano tucked in the corner, as if by accident, but I’d never ask anyone to play (until the second bottle of wine, when I absolutely would).

I know they’re all creative, but then I would at least have a chance of joining in the conversation. If it was Nelson Mandela, Marie Curie and Martin Luther King, I’d be outed as an imbecile immediately.

- Grimdark Magazine (x)

[masahikass]

okay so since i couldn’t resist, here’s some info about my random ie:go steven universe!au because i have no energy for online lessons :)

also i didn’t want to post about another au since @/primsbean is making so many posts about her ie:go madoka magica!au which i fUCKING LOVE OHMYGOD- but yeah, alternate universes are my favorite snacc. i have another one to talk about but first let’s say things about the SU one <3

under the cut because it’s LONG - and remember i’m not a native english so i might do some mistakes

okay so first of all, don’t blame me if there will be some events that don’t follow the plot (since i’m NOT remaking steven universe with ie charas!!!!! please keep this in mind) or events that Rebecca Sugar would have never inserted in her show. I respect everyone who worked at steven universe, and my intention is not to say their plot/story was bad, i’m just adding something that did never happen with any chara in the su series to make my au more original, that’s it. peace and love oN THE PLANET EARTH- okay that was the best su song hands down

also keep in mind gems don’t have “gemmic” names (if you know just a little of the su series, you should know all the gems are named after their gem, but i wont give that kind of names to the ie boys - or should i call them gems then? lol)

all the gems - for now - will be males too (as there werent any og male gems in steven universe besides steven, which is an hybrid though so...)

i will list each chara’s gem and ability after the general plot <3

so, the actual protags (though all the charas are!!! these are the two) are Tenma and Fey, who are around 5,000 years old - please if you don’t remember how the gems’ years worked go search it up, there are so many threads about that - and protect inazuma city (insert shooked face) from corrupted gems’ attacks. these attacks are not really frequent and they seem to deal with the situation, but one day they start increasing, being more frequent than usual and also the gems who attack are stronger and different from the previous ones. Fey starts making a theory about a possible new attempt of the homeworld gems (i still haven’t decided which charas will “represent” them, though, since this plot is a kind of season 1 we could say??) to start colonizing Earth via war, as they already did 3,500 years before the current events but failed, with the terrestrial gems rejecting them but also losing a lot of them - since some of them got shattered during the war and others escaped to travel to other planets to start colonizing them theirselves so they could live a new, pacific life. Tenma, at first, isn’t that sure about what Fey said, but as the corrupted gems’ attacks kept increasing he realized he could have been right. as they’re the only two gems who protect their city, they start thinking they should ask help to someone, trying to find more powerful gems. 

Fey suggests to search for a trio (whose name is still not 100% sure... i randomly thought about Prism Trio just because I couldn’t remake Crystal Gems ahahah I still don’t know) which protect old war ruins in a forgotten area which is actually near Inazuma City though - but still, only some gems know about it, for example Fey did researches but Tenma knew nothing. This trio will be formed by your local ie:go chaotic trio aka Shindou, Kirino and Kariya (well, if i don’t get any more ideas for the name, then Gay Trio will be alright), who are respectively 7,600, 8,000 and 7,100 years old and actually fought in the first war. They find them fighting against a corrupted fusion, and try to join them to finish it easily and fastly. As they actually give the trio a good help, they still get scolded by them because they went in an area they shouldn’t have been to. However, the trio is still thankful to them for their help, and when Fey tells them about the situation in Inazuma City Shindou replies telling him his theory might be right as he had heard about the increasing attacks, also because the ruins were more attacked than usual in that period. Tenma kindly asks them if they could give their help back, coming with him and Fey and trying to reject the attacks together, even though he thought they’d never agree. Kirino is absolutely okay with that and shows positivity towards Tenma’s idea, while Kariya isn’t that sure since all of them should get used to a new routine, different from the one they were used to in the last millenniums. Shindou, who was neutral at the beginning, proved Kirino right since that would have been the best way to know more about the new attacks, and finally convinces Kariya to join them.

As they get in TenFey’s temple (which is the only thing IDENTICAL to the original SU one, except for the statue in the original version which is absent now), they start organizing their rooms (you know, in the temple there was that one door who led to each gem’s personal room, so the trio starts get used to them), they also keep fighting against new species of corrupted gems who keep attacking the city.

One day, then, all the five gems get to another ruins area, further from the ones the trio used to fight in, and at a moment Tenma remains alone and encounters... bepreparedtocringeihadnoideassorry... Sasuke. Yes, I did a Lion reference using Tenma’s dog instead. Original af, congrats. BY THE WAY,, he understands this gIaNt DoG (ohmygod the lion sounded better,, damn me and my dumb ideas) is related to gems somehow, and when he gets back - since Sasuke disappears after some seconds - tells the others about it, but everyone gets it as a joke and doesnt trust him. In the next fight, though, Sasuke approaches the gems and gives them help (still idk how, gotta rewatch all the lion episodes 382679345 times to get more ideas), so they all understand Tenma was right.

Some days after that, while Tenma is playing with Sasuke (gOOD BOY,,,,, I MEAN GEM,,,,,,,,,,), the dog drags him into a portal/warp (did i spell it good omg my english gets worse every day...) - just as lion sometimes does in the og series, lol - and since this warp keeps being open for some seconds, the other four gems enter it as Tenma might be in trouble alone. They all discover Sasuke led Tenma to an unknown area, which i wanted to be a desert bUT THAT LOOKS A LOT LIKE THE OG SERIES HOLY SHI- so okay, let’s make it a normal land, where there’s a fight going on. They notice a gem fighting a corrupted one all alone, and this gem seems really in need of help so they try everything to save him (oMg SpOiLeRs ThE gEm Is A mALe ToO!!11!!!111!) as they see he doesn’t have any weapon and only fights with the things he finds around himself, such as common rocks. That gem is no one else (???) than Hikaru *cries in i needed to add him hes so baby* who tells the five gems he had never seen such a powerful corrupted gem before and that he was used to reject the previous attacks in that zone more easily, and when Tenma asks him if he wants to come with him and the others to the temple Hikaru accepts without any doubt. As he gets to the temple, the others ask him if he has any weapon, but he tells them he never had the strenght to “develop” one. Perhaps, his ability (the only i’ll reveal here in the plot!!) is really useful, as he can generate light from his gem and make people and other gems blind for a limited amount of time - which, at the beginning, is really short but always increasing. He also wants to practice it as he wants to control the limit of time (for example, blinding people/gems just for a minute even if he could do for ten). When he shows his ability to the other gems, they all get blind... besides Kariya and here the ship sails *coughs* n-nothing, who is actually immune to the light’s effect. Being the only one who doesnt get blind, he starts helping Hikaru to develop his weapon.

I still haven’t thought about the rest of the plot, but there are still three characters I wanted to add. In order: Kyousuke, as an hybrid whose backstory will be way different from Steven’s in the og series (as he wasn’t born an hybrid, neither one of his parents was a gem), then Minaho and Manabe who are gems from another planet (not Homeworld, though) that are usually fused all the time... but, still, I have to think abt a plot ahah

If you’ve got this far, well... congrats? I know this is really long oh damn-

Btw, before I go, here’s the gems’ weapons and abilities as I promised! <3

Tenma: bow and arrow, he can control the wind

Fey: he basically makes grow poisonous creepers from everywhere (kind of inspired from Lapis in the og series as she generated water and could control it), controls nature in general

Shindou: sword, his voice can reach really high pitches so if he screams he can destroy things (and, maybe, he could start shattering gems too... who knows)

Kirino: lance, has a really high speed

Kariya: basically can make strong claws grow from his hands (idk how to describe it holy fuck,,, i cant draw either, if i could i’d have showed u), his ability is telekinesis

Hikaru: well, i don’t wanna spoil his weapon as i’m gonna make another post asap... i already said what his ability was, btw. also!! i didnt mention it before, but his age is around 3000 y/o

Kyousuke: katana, he can read any person’s mind for ten minutes if he had contact with them, same goes with gems but he must touch their gem in order to read their mind (age, in human years: 17)

Minaho: guns, he can understand if someone or something interacted with someone/something else just by smelling it (sounds cringe ik,, btw his age is the same as Manabe’s, 6,700)

Manabe: since i had no more ideas, don’t blame me if this sounds Peridot-ish, but he can actually generate small but powerful robots he can control and fight with, his ability is controlling technology in general.

Another last thing... these nine characters are the same of the other au i mentioned (which is way more calm than this,,, i also have more info abt that, too), so look forward to that too <3

I’mma go now, bye!