#...or actually bite the bullet and post monster in the forest

[smallchaoscryptid]

maybe i should post a little snippet of my current wips for yall to nibble on

[ladydorian05]

Fluff 4 and Angst 8 for Whiskey? From the sentence starters post?💓

Angst 8. “Is that blood?” “…No?”

Fluff 4. “Have you always been this beautiful?”

DArling!!! This became a monster of a fic, hope you like it, I struggled a bit with Whiskey, the mother fucker refused to do and say what I wanted him to, but at the end I got him to do it. (I’s probably a mess, but I’m proud of this mess)

The angst well there’s a bit of it but the fluff won over it. Tried to make it gender neutral AND THEN I failed so it’s F! Reader,there’s no Y/n (that I remember).

Give me something to write about from this list

Alright so here it is (excuse the title all my creativity went to the story):

Whiskey x f!reader

Warnings: Guns, mentions of death, some specific stuff but not really detailed or extremely gore like.

Word count: 2K and something

I apologise for any typo, I was too excited to post it to make any kind of proof read.

Small Edit: Okay I think a I fixed all the typos and filled in some things my tired brain thought it wrote but it actually didn’t. Plus Oloreaa’s suggestions.

His huntress 

It was supposed to be an easy mission, the easiest assignment the both of you had been send to complete ever since you were paired up with agent Whiskey. Get inside the base of a small terrorist group, terminate their operations, call for clean up and go back to HQ. Easy. Until it wasn’t.

The base wasn’t that big, but it was well hidden underground inside an old nuclear bunker, surrounded by a thick forest, they counted seven men patrolling the perimeter and only two guarding the entrance, no cameras according to the new Ginger. The men were silently taken care of with the modified glove-crossbow on your right wrist and Whiskey’s electric lasso. 9 down, 5 to go.

“Ginger, I’m moving in,” you said.

“Copy that, you’re going underground, there’s a chance we’ll lose contact once inside.” His voice came through your earpiece.

“Got it. Whiskey, cover me.” Out of the two, you were better at being stealthy.

“You got it sweetheart.” With him at the entrance, you proceeded to go down a flight of stairs to get inside the base. You found yourself in a long corridor, three doorways ahead, two on each side of the hall and a bigger one at the end, you went inside the closest one to your right.

The small room was used to store wooden crates, inspecting an open one you found it was full of assault rifles of an impressive variety, another box held some bullet proof vests, it seemed like you stumbled upon their armoury. Idiots, who leaves all of their resources right at the entrance.

You go back to the corridor to check the second room, this one slightly bigger than the first. Inside you found at least 6 cots arranged to leave just enough room to walk around. Two of them were currently being in use.

Checking that your crossbow was loaded and with the safety off you slowly made your way to the man closest to the door, while you prefer to operate with your, according to the man that carries a whip and a lasso at all times,  ‘weird’ choice of a weapon for it’s quiet characteristics, you can admit some times it wasn’t the most accurate choice, unless you were the one using it of course; still you couldn’t take any chances of missing.

Once you were happy with the distance, with a well-controlled move of a finger the metal arrow went flying, puncturing a hole into the side your target’s skull killing him instantly, you made quick work of the second one in much the same way.

You were about to retrace your steps when you heard the small noise of dirt scraping against the sole of shoes behind you. Discreetly grabbing one of the throwing knifes strapped to your torso in your hand, you waited for your would-be attacker to make their move.

Then you felt someone’s breath over your shoulder. Turning around you made an arc with your knife aiming to lodge it in the throat of whoever dared to sneak up on you.

However, your hand was stopped by a bigger hand wrapping round your wrist.

“How we doin’ darling?”

Oh, you’d recognise that accent anywhere.

“Whiskey! What the fuck are you doing here!?” You exclaimed in a hushed tone. The asshole had the nerve to throw a smug smirk at you, making his stupid dimple appear.

“Got bored waiting outside,” he said shrugging “besides I wanted to show you that I can actually be quiet.”

“Yeah, right I heard you coming. Come on, only three left and one more area to check.”

“Ladies first.”

Rolling your eyes, you made your way back to the hall. The last room seemed to be the biggest judging by the double doors keeping you out from it. Guns in hand, you flanked the left side while Whiskey took the right.

“So how do you want to do it? My way or your way?” You asked him.

“What’s the difference?”

“For starters, I don’t have much of a flare for dramatic entrances.”

“It was ONE time.” There was a moment of silence as you stared at each other. “Fine, your way.” He grumbled.

You slightly pushed your door to take a peek inside the room.

“Shit.”

All of the intel given to the both of you before leaving HQ was on point, the location of the base, the number of people guarding the entrance, their lack of actual surveillance equipment, even the fact that they had a big arsenal. Everything was just as they were told it would be, all except that their base was bigger than they thought and they had more people than anticipated.

Either these guys were smarter than you gave them credit for keeping most of their members inside their base or the Statesman intelligence department needed an upgrade. Probably both. This just complicated your ‘easy’ mission.

But you can’t blame the new Ginger Ale, even if he was a genius, he was still pretty young and had to step in to fill some big shoes when their dear former Ginger made the jump to field agent.

In any case, the lack of that particular bit of information got you and your partner into quite the sticky situation.

“What?” Whiskey’s attention focused on your troubled expression. “Jäger, what’s wrong?” The use of your code name snapped you out of your inner turmoil.

Slowly you closed the door, returned your gun to its holster and took a step back from it.

“Ginger, do you copy?” Nothing.” Ginger?” Fuck, no signal.

“Sweetheart, you okay there?”

“Maybe we should go back to their armoury and check if they have some grenades we can use” You muttered biting your thumb.

“Hey, sugar, talk to me, please.” Whiskey said grabbing your shoulders with his hands, you could see the worry in his eyes. “What did you see in there?”

“There are more than 3 people inside that place, and it’s way bigger than the other rooms.” You answered with a sight.

“Fuck, how many?” He took off his black Stetson and ran a hand through his hair.

“I don’t know, I counted at least ten moving around that side of the room. They were going over some board with a map.”

“Ten, okay, we can work with ten, we’ve taken more than ten before. Piece of cake.”

“Whiskey, that was just one side, there’s probably more of them.”

“Hey, calm down sugar. I know you don’t like it when surprises like this happen, I don’t like it either. But we’ve been through worse with less.”

“You’re right. You’re right.” You said nodding you head slowly, a plan already forming in your head. “Okay, we’ll go back to the first room and see what we can find.” He gives you a quick nod before leading the way to the room.

You were in luck, you actually found a couple of smoke grenades inside a smaller crate along with gas masks, they would work just fine. Taking one of the grenades and an assault riffle for each of you, together you walked towards the door.

“Hey, Whiskey, ready for the rodeo? In the end we’re actually going to do it your way.”

“Only if you’re ready for the hunt, Jäger.” He answered with a dashing smile.

“Always.”

“Alright, put your mask on.” You nodded; mask already secure on your face “On three. One. Two.”  You pulled the pin of the smoke grenade.

“Three.” Whiskey kicked the doors open, giving you the chance to confirm that there were definitely more than ten people inside; and you threw the grenade inside. In seconds the whole place was filled with smoke, alarmed screams and the sound of people coughing.

“Hey sweetheart! Bet I can take more than you!”

“You wish”

At first it was fairly easy to pick on the men in the confusion of the surprise attack with the cover of the smoke. But it seemed the place had a better ventilation system than you thought. The smoke began to clear from the space and with the renewed visibility came the actual fight.

“Eight!” You heard Whiskey shout over all the noise

Shit.

You ripped the mask from your face. Bullets began to fly, both from their guns and yours. You were lucky to find that they only had handguns on them, their heavy so all weapons were back at the first room. Discarding your now empty rifle you grabbed your handgun from its holster. One by one the men began to fall, some with bullets others with crossbow bolts. The ones that didn’t have guns had knifes on them, you made sure to take care of the ones with guns first, and the ones with knifes, well none could get close enough to actually make use of them.

“Twenty-five! How you doing over there, cowboy!” You shouted over your shoulder after falling another knife guy.

You turned completely when you got no answer from the boisterous man.

“Whiskey?” You called, only now noticing that you were the only one still standing inside the room. “Fuck.”

You swept the room with your eyes in search of your partner, finding only the dead bodies of your attackers. He wasn’t there.

“Whiskey! I swear if this is a fucking joke, I’m going to kill you myself!”

How was that possible? Only seconds ago, you could hear the distinct noise of his custom-made guns. Was he taken? Where you so engrossed on your stupid bet that you didn’t even notice if your partner needed help?

FUCK.

Fear began to creep up on you, you were about to retrace your steps back to the way you came. Then you felt slight breeze coming from the back of the room, soon after you heard the crack of a whip.

Without thinking you ran in that direction finding a short corridor with a single turn to the right, it led to a flight of stairs and an open door. Taking two steps at a time you soon found yourself outside surrounded by tall trees.

Scanning the place, you finally found what you were looking for. A good 6 feet away from you, leaning his back on a tree, right hand still holding his whip while the other was holding his side.

You made your way to him, breathing heavily, you don’t know if it was because of the fight or the near panic state the disappearance of your partner left in its wake. And you certainly didn’t care.

“There you are sugar. Was beginning to wonder if you’d find the little back door in there.” Taking notice of you, he slid to ground with a grunt. “You seemed be having too much fun back there.” He looked at you with a smirk on his face once you were almost at his side. “So, how many did you take down?”

“Is that blood?” Was the only answer he got.

“…No?”

“Really, then what is that red liquid stuff coming out from your side?”

“Would you believe me if I told you it’s ketchup?”

“Seriously Whiskey!?”

“It’s nothing, just a scratch. One of the assholes got lucky that’s all, but hey, I got him back for it.” He said nodding to his left were a few feet away laid the beheaded body of a man. Some times you forget that his whip is also electrified.

“Whiskey? Jägermaister? Do you copy?” Ginger’s voice in your ear interrupted the reprimand that was about to come out of your mouth.

“Jäger here, good to have you back, mission completed, call in the cleaning team. And send case evac, Whiskey got hit.” You said as you took out a small emergency kit from a bag strapped to your thigh, removing Whiskey’s hand from his wound to take a look at it.

“You got it. ETA to your location 5 min, I had them on hold when I lost communication with you guys.”

“Thank you Ginger, Jäger out.”

“Have you always been this beautiful? How lucky am I to have such a vision taking care of me?” Whiskey said letting his body relax a bit more against the tree. “Mmmm, getting’ handsy already I see.” You felt more than heard the way his already deep and rich voice turned husky when you tried to get his clothes out of the way to press some gauze pre prepared with some antibiotic liquid.

“Really Whiskey?” You let out a sigh, exasperated with the man you were trying to help so that he wouldn’t bleed out before actual help arrived.

“What? The mission’s over, we got them and we’re both alive.”

“We’re still out in the open on enemy territory, what if there’s more of them?”

“Don’t think so. And back up is on the way.”

“So, this time is going to be you, huh? You’re breaking character already? Not even going to wait until we’re on the road.”

After becoming a couple, the both of you figured out that this was only going to work if you separated, even if only in a small way, your work from your private life and so you agreed that on any kind of mission you were first and fore most partners covering each other’s back, keeping the easy friendship and banter from the first year of your partnership. Even if that meant having to put up with his old douchebag personality.

It wasn’t always easy, especially when one of you got hurt, it was mainly in those circumstances when the charade fell apart and both of you behaved like the couple you actually were behind closed doors. Champ didn’t mind as much, bless you boss for putting up with both yours and Jack’s shit, as long as it didn’t affect your jobs.

It even became a game between you, on who would break character first.

“Nope.” He chuckled for a bit before his face turned into a grimace. “Fuck that hurts. Besides, it’s probably because of the blood loss.”

“Dammit Jack, even more reason for you to let me check that wound.”

“Alright, you win. With one condition.”

“What.”

“Let me use your lap as a pillow when you’re done.”

“If with that you’re going to let me work, then yes.” After that he stayed silent letting you work on his wound in peace. Once you finished applying a dry piece of gauze to help stop the bleeding, you patted his arm,” Come on hot stuff, get over here.” You watched as a big smile appeared on his handsome face.

Slowly you helped him get comfortable taking off his Stetson from his head, how he always manages to keep it on it’s beyond you, leaving it on your other side. “Hmmm yes. I’m feeling so much better already.”

“Just don’t get too comfy. We’re getting out of here soon.”

“Mmmhmm” You began to run your hands through his hair. “ ’M gonna fall asleep if you keep doing that.”

“Don’t you dare.”

“Then stop.” There was a moment of peace between you two, just enjoying the fact that both of you made it out of another dangerous situation. “So, how many?”

“Hmm?”

“How many did you get?”

“Oh, 25.”

“Really!?” His eyes opened up in surprise.

“Yup.”

“Damn baby. That’s my girl!” You could hear the smile in his voice.

“You?”

“20. Got distracted running after the asshole that poked me. Can you believe it? He actually tried to run away! No sir, not after poking my gut with a knife.”

“You call that poking!? God, I don’t want to know what you consider an actual stab.”

“Oh, you really don’t want to know! So, you won, my gorgeous huntress, what shall you ask for as a prize?”

“First, I want you to get patched up, then I want to take a shower, after that I was thinking about going back home and sleep for the rest of the day. The mission report can wait.”

“Hmm that sounds nice love. How about you wait for them to release me and we change that shower for a bath with me once we’re back home.” He said wiggling his eyebrows at you.

“But I still want to sleep the rest of the day after that, so don’t get any ideas.”

“We’ll see.”

The sound of a bunch of trucks closing in on your location brought you out of your small moment with the man you love.

“Well, looks like we’re going home sweetheart.”

[buttersoftheshea]

Catalfa [Grass type] Species: Calf Pokemon Height: 1.1 m (3′07’’) Weight: 30.0 kg (66.1 lbs) Ability: No Guard, Run Away Hidden Ability: Guts

Catalfa stats HP- 45 ATK- 65 DEF- 40 SP ATK- 34 SP DEF- 34 SPD- 45 Total: 263

Catalfa dex entry These young Pokemon are often seen stumbling about forested areas and open fields, as it is a bit difficult for them to walk. They will wade in shallow ponds to play, but will grow panicked and flee if the water reaches up to their bellies. Catalfa are rarely seen alone, and they typically hover around other Catalfa or their mothers.

Shroob [Grass type] Species: Marsh Pokemon Height: 1.5 m (4′11’’) Weight: 54.0 kg (119.0 lbs) Ability: No Guard, Fur Coat Hidden Ability: Guts

Shroob stats HP- 60 ATK- 85 DEF- 60 SP ATK- 49 SP DEF- 60 SPD- 49 Total: 363

Shroob dex entry Mellowed out from their curious and energetic pre-evolutions, Shroob tend to enjoy swimming more and dislike frolicking about like they used to. They have small antlers, but they can always grow back should they break them in a fight. At this age they begin sparring with one another to prepare for evolution.

Conalces [Grass/Water type] Species: Swamp Pokemon Height: 2.5 m (8′02’’) Weight: 150.2 kg (330.7 lbs) Ability: Rivalry, Fur Coat Hidden Ability: Guts

Conalces stats HP- 100 ATK- 125 DEF- 100 SP ATK- 79 SP DEF- 79 SPD- 40 Total: 523

Conalces dex entry In the past, when these Pokemon surfaced from their lake dives, they’d be mistaken for horrific creatures. They still need to be treated with caution, as their benign appearance as slow, peaceful Pokemon tend to fool many inexperienced trainers. Conalces are very aggressive, and have been recorded to attack should they be trifled with.

Oh my god I’m tired-

Catalfa is a combination of ‘catalpa’ and ‘calf’.

Shroob is ‘shrub’ and ‘moose’.

Conalces is ‘conifer’ with ‘Alces’, the genus and species name for moose, and Vale actually helped with this one!

I kinda based this line off of swamp monsters and kelpies, plus the fact that moose can dive underwater up to nearly 20 feet and can close their nostrils for diving purposes like more mainstream aquatic animals, such as seals and hippos.

That and most people make moose Fakemon Grass/Ice type and as a Grass/Water type it takes neutral damage to Ice type moves so uh yeah-

I don’t really have much else to say so I’m just gonna bite the bullet and post now.

[autistic-girl-academic]

Cookie Run OCs

gdi apparently one of the cookies in cr kingdom is named licorice cookie so screw it i’m biting the bullet and posting my half-baked (ha) oc ideas now even if some of them have already been taken anyway. sorry there’s no art bc i’m terrible with digital stuff and can’t access a scanner to upload my drawings. there are almost certainly going to be more to come later because this game refuses to leave my brain.

Black Licorice Cookie: The powerfully astringent flavor of black licorice certainly isn’t to everyone’s taste - and that’s just the way Black Licorice Cookie likes it! This daredevil of a Cookie loves nothing more than testing her limits, so she’s always on the lookout for something to get her adrenaline pumping. That doesn’t mean she isn’t without her sweet side, however, which comes out most strongly when protecting her precious little sister. Get between them at your own risk!

Red Licorice Cookie (Sibling): Don’t mess with my little sis if you know what’s good for you!

Mustard Cookie (Trust): Nobody else gets me like Mustard Cookie does!

Kiwi Cookie (Friendly): Hey, I’ve got an idea for some cool bike tricks!

Roll Cake Cookie (Friendly): Going for a ride in that road roller and smashing things is such a rush! WHOO!

Initially I had the mental image of her as a Cookie with a web design and a spider pet, but then Truffle Cookie came out, so now I pretty much picture her skill being that she runs a Ninja-Warrior-style obstacle course or something. Maybe her pet could be a black cat instead?

Red Licorice Cookie: Between the fruity fragrance of her signature red hair and her sweet, outgoing personality, it’s no surprise that this Cookie is so popular! Red Licorice Cookie is a champion at gymnastics with plenty of fans, and performing with the ribbon is where she shines the most. She and her older twin sister might be as different as night and day, but their bond is as strong as a thousand strands of licorice twisted together!

Black Licorice Cookie (Sibling): I’ve got the coolest big sis in the world!

Cheerleader Cookie (Trust): Cheerleader Cooke is my BFF!

Yoga Cookie (Friendly): She’s helped me train to be much more flexible for my routines.

Skating Queen Cookie (Admiration): I can’t believe I actually got her autograph!

At first I imagined her as being a sort of epic version of Cheerleader Cookie, performing double dutch with a few friends much like the cheer team. Her pet would be a charm bracelet.

Oatmeal Cookie: Every day at the crack of dawn, this dutiful cowgirl is already hard at work, keeping a watchful eye over her herd with the help of her trusty steed, Raisin. If even a single cow goes missing, Oatmeal Cookie won’t rest until she’s got them home safe and sound. The tricks she can perform with a lasso will certainly knock your socks off! And when the sun starts to set, you can hear the sound of her yodeling from far across the plains.

Peanut Butter Cookie (Family): I’m the luckiest Cookie alive to have such a beautiful gal as you...

Knight Cookie (Friendly): You sure know how to burn the breeze!

Adventurer Cookie (Friendly): Nice hat ya got there, pardner!

Space Doughnut (Tension): Hey, stop spookin’ my herd!

Her skill would probably involve dodging obstacles on her horse while catching some runaway cows, and her pet would be a cowbell.

Peanut Butter Cookie: There’s nothing better for a boost of energy than some delicious, nutritious peanut butter! And forest ranger Peanut Butter Cookie definitely needs that energy, as she spends every day traversing the woods to keep them safe. Whether she’s helping Cookies who have gotten lost find their way home or rescuing woodland critters from danger, you can always depend on Peanut Butter Cookie. She’s especially fond of younger Cookies and enjoys teaching them wilderness survival skills.

Oatmeal Cookie (Family): She and I pack each others’ lunches every day.

Pancake Cookie (Friendly): Be careful climbing trees for those Acorn Jellies, dear!

Cream Puff Cookie (Friendly): I’m sure you’ll get that spell right next time, hun.

Fig Cookie (Trust): They’re always eager for me to tell them stories.

Fire Spirit Cookie (Tension): You keep those flames away from the forest, you hear?

You can probably tell by now that I’ve put like 0 thought into any of my Cookie OC’s skills. Anyway, her pet would be a bear that she helped when it was a cub, who shows up to help her by smashing obstacles.

Coconut Cookie: The Tropical Soda Archipelago has a long history of telling stories through traditional dance. Coconut Cookie comes from a long line of those dancers, and Cookies will flock from every island to watch her perform. Crowned with a garland of bright yellow coconut blossoms, she moves with the utmost rhythm and grace. It’s said that she practices every day so that she can bring peace and good fortune to the islands.

Mango Cookie (Trust): My best friend since we were little - I remember his very first boat!

Ananas Dragon Cookie (Admiration): The Dragon honored my ancestors by praising their dances.

Soda Cookie (Friendly): Going for a ride on the waves is the best, isn’t it?

Squid Ink Cookie (Friendly): Poor little thing, there’s no need to be shy.

My first thought was for her to make a sort of bubble shield out of coconut oil, like Lemonade Cookie but without the magnetic effect (maybe slower energy drain instead?) - I’m still undecided about it though. Her pet would be a bunch of coconuts who make coconut milk potions. Also, I picture her being related to Artichoke Cookie, but he’s not in Ovenbreak...YET? (pls devsis)

Honeycomb Cookie: Out in a charming little cottage atop a hill lives Honeycomb Cookie - and her many hives of Jelly Bees. Years upon years of working with the bees has allowed her to understand them so well, it’s almost as if she talks to them! If you happen to arrive on her doorstep, you can be sure that she’ll treat you to some delicious tea sweetened with honey and send you on your way with a basket of homemade treats.

Herb Cookie (Family): My cute little grandson certainly inherited the family green thumb.

Spinach Cookie (Trust): Oh, how sweet of you to bring me a basket of vegetables, dearie!

Fairy Cookie (Friendly): Ah, you’re so small I mistook you for another bee.

Matcha Cookie (Friendly): A bit of a strange one, but it’s nice to have some laughter over tea.

Not sure what her skill would be, but I think her pet would be a queen Jelly Bee that grows from a baby to an adult as you collect more jellies.

Souffle Cookie: A chef famous for turning simple Jellies into extravagant and delicious meals. Though he can come off as strict and a bit intimidating, he truly does care about creating good food for every Cookie who comes to his restaurant. Souffle Cookie is quite the perfectionist, so if a recipe doesn’t come out as planned, he tends to sulk so badly that even his fluffy chef’s hat deflates! But it never lasts long before he throws himself back into his work with renewed passion.

Sparkling Cookie (Trust): My cooking and your juice is the ultimate combination!

Sandwich Cookie (Admiration): To create such simple but delicious meals...C’est magnifique!

Mala Sauce Cookie (Friendly): Just watch, I’ll create a meal more than spicy enough to satisfy you!

Dr. Wasabi Cookie (Tension): I am NEVER using your syrup as a ‘secret ingredient’ EVER again!

Again, not sure what his skill would be, but maybe his pet could be a spoon. Sous-chef Spoon?

Rainbow Sugar Cookie: Sugar Cookie was always painfully shy and never considered herself all that important. However, everything changed when she met Rainbow Puff, a creature who begged for her help in protecting the happiness of Cookies everywhere from the wicked Dark Puffs. Bestowed with a magical wand, she becomes Rainbow Sugar Cookie, chasing away darkness with prisms of joyous light! RAINBOW...BEAM!

Pink Choco Cookie (Trust): The two of us would make a perfect team!

Wind Archer Cookie (Admiration): Wow...what an amazing warrior...

Sandwich Cookie (Friendly): She makes the best toast as a snack on the way to school!

Dark Enchantress Cookie (Rival): I won’t let a villain like you make other Cookies suffer!

Pomegranate Cookie (Tension): Why are you helping the Darkness?

Originally her name was Glitter Cookie, but then Shining Glitter Cookie got announced. In any case, she’d pretty much be an epic version of Wind Archer Cookie, fighting a big ‘boss’ monster once enough little ones were defeated with her magic.

Jack-o-Lantern Cookie: Trick or treat! Wait, is it Halloween already? The answer doesn’t really matter to this young Cookie, who loves trick-or-treating so much that they never take their costume off! If you don’t have Jellies to give, then get ready for a mischievous trick! But if there’s one thing they love more than getting treats, it’s sharing them with friends, so don’t be shy and join in the fun!

Candy Corn Cookie (Trust): My bestest trick-or-treating buddy!

Devil Cookie (Admiration): WOW! What a great costume!

Apple Cookie (Friendly): Here, candy apples!

Onion Cookie (Friendly): Trick o- um, please don’t cry...

Vampire Cookie (Tension): Hey, don’t fall asleep when I’m trying to trick you!

I thought I was in the clear with this OC when we got Truffle Cookie for Halloween...but then Pumpkin Cookie was an NPC later, lol. At least the name was an easy change. Their skill would basically be like a slower version of Chestnut’s, where you go up to houses and trick-or-treat.

Candy Corn Cookie: This Cookie used to be a scarecrow who stood in the middle of a big field of candy corn. However, they wanted to travel the world, so one night they wished upon a star...and miraculously, their wish was granted! Bursting with curiosity, Candy Corn Cookie is full of questions about everything they see. They still have a habit of chasing birds wherever they go, though.

Jack-o-Lantern Cookie (Trust): This ‘trick-or-treat’ thing is really fun!

Alchemist Cookie (Admiration): Wow, this Cookie knows lots of things!

Blueberry Pie Cookie (Friendly): Ooh, what’s in all these ‘book’ things?

Mocha Ray Cookie (Friendly): Cookies can really live under the sea? WOW!

Carrot Cookie (Tension): Aw, I don’t wanna go back to the farm yet!

Candy corn apparently used to be called ‘chicken feed’, so their pet would probably be a chicken. Again, not sure about the skill.

[stevebillyrecs]

Halloween Fic Recs

+ 1k Followers! Thank you guys so much. I love sharing my fave fics with you here, so I’m really happy that you’re having as much fun as i do!

Now, this is a bit last minute, but it’s definitely still October in some parts of the world, so let’s go! Here’s an incomplete collection of Halloween-themed fics full of parties, costumes, magic, creatures, horror, gore, and pumpkins. 

Included: Halloween, horror, or monster themed fics. Not included: The usual canon-typical Upside Down shenanigans, unless there’s a special spooky twist to it, or that one very particular Halloween ‘84.

31 fics under the cut  – Happy Halloween!

Heaven is a Place on Earth by CeruleanHeart / @highon85 (3k, T, Winged!Billy)

One late summer night Steve finds an angel crash-landed in a dirty alleyway. Or so Steve thinks, until the guy opens his mouth. Billy is a mess, drunk and mean and not angelic in the least. But he’s also hurt and beautiful so Steve stays to help despite better judgement.

taste you on my tongue by callunavulgari / @callunavulgari (2k, E, Vampire!Billy)

“You’ve never felt pleasure like it, Steve,” an old girlfriend had told him once, her eyes bright with memory. She’d been from the big city, where the vampires had their pick of willing donors, where all they had to do to get a meal was walk into a club. Some of them, the older, better known vamps wouldn’t even have to do that. They could pull someone straight off the street, roll down their windows and beckon. Steve shrugged. “No vampires here, though.” They’d broken up a few days later, and he hadn’t given it much thought. After all, what were the chances that a vampire would end up in boring, small town Hawkins, Indiana?

Gee My Life’s a Funny Thing by moonflowers / @eatingmoonflowers (7k, T, Mermaid!Billy)

Steve finds a boy in the water.

867-5309 (billy) by reject_mikeyy / @reject-mikeyy (14k, NR, Halloween)

Once he is done vomiting, Steve takes a second to rest his head on the cool toilet seat before realizing that. Wow. Ew. Not in the boys’ bathroom, thanks. Not in a homophobic way, don’t get him wrong, he’s eaten his fair share of ass but just. Germs and shit. Anyway. When he looks up from the bowl for the first time, he notices something scrawled on the wall at eye level. For a good time, text: 221-867-5309 Eyeroll. Or: In which Billy is the unlucky sucker with his number written on a bathroom stall, and Steve is the oblivious fool who actually texts him.

the wild hunt by celoica / @celoica​ (3k, E, Witch!Steve, Werewolf!Billy)

It had been his idea. Everything had been his idea. From the day Billy Hargrove had rolled up in his vintage car to the day Steve had walked into school with a fresh bite on his neck, proudly scabbed over and on display for his entire class to see, it had been all Steve’s idea. Billy did something witchy to his blood, thickening it under his skin and making it hard for him to think about anything else. At first, he’d thought maybe an incubus, something demonic and lust-driven and so out of place in tiny Hawkins, Indiana, until Laurie had leaned over and whispered about the new kid being a werewolf. The last time they’d had one of those in Roane County had been before Steve had been born. Even without the full moon to influence him, Billy was everything Steve had imagined a werewolf to be; aggressive and larger than life, in tune with the people who watched him with curious eyes, charming until it made Steve’s stomach clench in jealousy when his attention was on anyone but him. Witchy. To him. The witch.

bury a friend (try to wake up) by callunavulgari / @callunavulgari (1k, M, Witch!Steve)

Steve digs up Billy’s body on a Tuesday.

been crawling by kate_button / @un-buttoned (3k, E, Halloween)

The crop top was right there on the main aisle in the women’s section. Steve’s not entirely sure, like, why it exists, but he’s not disappointed about it. The rest of it came together pretty quickly (and cheaply) after that. So anyway, that’s how he finds himself drinking jungle juice out of a red solo cup looking like the twenty-two-year-old-man version of Karen Smith, animal ears and too much skin, bada boom, costume. I’m a dog. Duh.

journeys end by gothyringwald / @gothyringwald  (11k, M, Ghosts)

When Billy convinces Steve to spend Halloween at the Vance house—an abandoned house on the outskirts of Hawkins rumoured to be haunted—they discover that the Upside Down doesn’t have the monopoly on otherworldly.

Tell Me, What Did You Expect? by trashcangimmick / @trashcangimmick (2k, E, Tentacles!Billy)

After the battle of Starcourt, Steve wakes up on his living room couch with Billy Hargrove standing over him. There’s something a little different about Billy.

i shot the sheriff by ToAStranger / @toast-ranger-to-a-stranger (800, T, Halloween)

Drunk shenanigans.

tides will bring me back to you by eternalgoldfish / @eternalgoldfish (32k, M, Ghost!Billy)

It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right. Billy sat in the dark, eyes closed, listening to the clock on the mantle tick and the refrigerator hum. Steve Harrington was nothing to him, a regret, maybe, a bitter taste in his mouth, but not a friend. If Billy was resentful, he thought maybe he’d see the logic in the afterlife pinning them together, but he didn’t feel a sense of longing or torment, didn’t feel like he was being pulled between life and death, or between realms. He just was, painless, lead in his belly as he sat on the floor by Steve’s feet. If he was meant to be trying to get somewhere, he didn’t know where. Was he supposed to pass on? He curled his knees up to his chest and watched Steve sleep, Steve’s lips shiny with spit and hair hanging over his forehead. Or, how to find love as a ghost.

Haunted House Workers by prettyboiiharringrove / @prettyboiiharringrove (1k, T, Costumes)

It’s far from the easiest job in the world, but Billy met the love of his life through this gig and he gets to scare people on a daily basis, so most of the time it’s a fucking dream, but tonight, well tonight Billy is feeling a little concerned and a lot murderous.

teeth only for you by gothyringwald / @gothyringwald (2k, M, Vampire!Steve)

Steve has a secret. Billy thinks he knows what it is, but he couldn’t be more wrong.

No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross by Your_Iron_Lung / @godshattered​(WIP, 66k, T, Werewolf!Billy)

A strange string of parties held out in the deep woods of Hawkins, Indiana, plays host to Steve Harrington and his doubts about his future. Every weekend the party is relocated, and somehow Steve is always privy to the knowledge of where it’s going to be. What he doesn’t know is who’s hosting them, or why. There’s something weird about them that he can’t quite place, but he still finds himself drawn to them week after week, if only to use them as an escape from his stressful post-Upside Down reality. The weirdest part of all, however, is the fact that Billy Hargrove seems to be invited to them as well, and- There’s something in the woods.

a whisper in my bones (keeps me restless, whole) by tol_sirion / @etterklang (3k, E, Demon!Billy)

Steve knows not to wander off alone in the woods, has been told not to so many times. He’s never been very good at listening. It pays off.

Never Seen That Color Blue by Kerasines / @kerasines (WIP, 4k, E, Tentacles!Billy)

Billy doesn’t want to think it, but Steve goes ahead and says it anyway. “A tentacle.” He looks as apprehensive as Billy feels at the thought of a fucking tentacle being attached to Billy’s body in any way, let alone spontaneously growing out of his back. Jesus, what the fuck. But it’s undeniable that that’s what it looked like. What it felt like. “Fuck you. Christ. What the fuck.” Billy rubs his eyes until he sees stars.

You’re Dead and Out of this World by shocked_into_shame (2k, E, Vampire!Billy)

Billy’s a vampire and Steve is his familiar, toiling after him with the promise that one day he’ll become immortal too. You’d think that Steve would have a certain amount of reverence for the dead - but all he can muster is annoyance these days.

Through The Forest, Through The Trees by trashcangimmick / @trashcangimmick (WIP, 24k, E, Were-demogorgon!Billy)

Billy gets bitten by something strange in the woods. After that, life becomes even stranger.

Hawkins Hunting Ground by lonelytarot / @lonelytarot (1k, NR, Vampire!Steve, Vampire!Billy)

Hawkins is a mess, that’s normal. But Steve isn’t the only vampire in Hawkins? That’s a surprise.

like real people do by callunavulgari / @callunavulgari (2k, M, Ghost!Billy)

“No one told me that you molest people in their sleep,” he mutters, trying to keep his voice quiet. Above him, Johnny grunts and turns over. The hand goes still. “You can see me,” a voice murmurs. “Yeah.” Steve sighs. “I can see you.” “How?” Steve’s been able to see dead people since he was four years old. But people don’t tend to respond well when children tell them that the old man across the street watering his lawn had a bullet through his head, so after the fourth therapist, Steve had learned that it was something best kept secret. “I’ve got the sight, man,” he says with a small shrug. “And look, I feel for you. You’re dead and I’m not, and that sucks, but unless you’re planning on doing something about it, I’d really appreciate it if you could stop feeling me up and let me get back to sleep.”

A love of violence by gideongrace / @gideongrace (6k, E, Serial killer!Billy)

Billy and Neil are serial killers. One night, Neil brings Billy a present. The boy he’s been lusting after - Steve Harrington - blindfolded and tied to a bed in a motel room. Neil clearly thinks this is a good idea. He almost certainly wouldn’t think it would end in his death. (He’s wrong.)

this sweet plague by gothyringwald / @gothyringwald (1k, M, Zombie!Steve, Zombie!Billy)

In 1985 Steve Harrington dies. His parents and the people of Hawkins all believe it was a tragic accident. Only a small group of people know he died valiantly protecting his friends from monsters. Six months later, he is one of the dead who rise again.

unbutton my shirt, i’ve a hard day (i hate my work) by asphaltworld / @asphaltworld (WIP, 2k, M, Halloween)

Billy’s stuck working for a food delivery app on Halloween night to pay off a traffic ticket. Somebody in the rich part of town places a weird, annoying order. But he hoofs it over anyway, because he needs the cash.

a tent(acle)ative understanding by ToAStranger / @toast-ranger-to-a-stranger(WIP, 3k, E, Tentacles!Billy)

“Are you going to eat me?” Billy pauses, tongue out, halfway across the wound. He withdraws. Curiosity. Trouble. “Would you like me to?”

teething vampire Billy, okay? that’s what this is by womenseemwicked / @women-seem-wicked (1k, T, Vampire!Steve, Vampire!Billy)

Billy’s a recently turned vampire. Steve is his comforting vampire boyfriend. I don’t even know, guys. this just happened.

getting better at becoming a ghost by thecopperkid / @the-copperkid (4k, E, Halloween, Serial killer)

“What? You’re not scared, are you?” “No,” he answers, indignant, but he doesn’t even convince himself. “No, I just --” “You know what they say about fear, right?” the voice asks. “That it’s almost indistinguishable from arousal. That your body can’t tell the difference.” “They don’t say that,” Steve says, poking his head out the door and looking left to right. He’s just fucking exasperated. “Nobody says that.” “I say that.” Or: Steve gets a Scream-style call while he's babysitting the kids on Halloween night, and right now would be a really good fucking time for Billy to get home from work. Billy likes masks.

The Seventh Life by Klayr_de_Gall / @klayr-de-gall (WIP, 7k, M, Witch!Steve, Familiar!Billy)

With Allhallowtide looming two nights over, Steve feels restless and irritated, a bit on edge. The pull of that powerful event makes his bones arch stronger every year. The last thing he needs is some Californian Hotshot swaggering into his life, carrying the smell of trouble and a curse.

If You Need It (Do It For Me) by youcallherhephanie / @harring-rove (2k, T, Vampire!Steve)

Suffice to say, Billy’s neighbour was weird. Not the usual type of weird; you didn’t catch him smelling someone’s hair or lingering in an alleyway like a creep. No, he wasn’t weird weird, but there was something off about the guy. Whenever he was coming back from his morning runs, up in the early morning when the sun just barely peaked over the city, Billy’d see the guy walking through the apartment building. Sometimes, they’d bump into each other when collecting their mail, when using the elevator. It was always a nod, a hello from Billy and a terse smile from the guy - Harrington, he’d found out from the group of grannies who lived in the building. That was where their interactions left. But maybe things were in for a change.

It Happened at the Halloween Fair by gothyringwald / @gothyringwald & socknonny / @socknonny (9k, T, Halloween, Monsters)

All Steve wants is to enter his mom’s pie at the Halloween Fair… what he doesn’t expect is Billy Hargrove, sentient teddy bears, and a giant, pink monstrosity. Seems like Halloween is about to get a whole lot weirder.

Effective Immediately by lololaufeyson / @lokibi (WIP, 22k, E, Vampire!Billy)

A what-if alternate ending and continuation of the season three finale where Billy tries to get out of dodge, but finds a few too many strings tethering him in Hawkins. Now if only he can find some damn scissors....

Where the wolf bane blooms by Confettibites / @confettibites (2k, E, Werewolf!Billy)

Steve Harrington stays behind in the school gym and something very odd happens when Billy shows up.

[shirtlesssammy]

15x05: Proverbs 17:3

Then:

I’m not crying, you’re crying!

Now:

(weeping in corner ---this is Steve Yockey’s last episode) 

Black Forest, Colorado

Three young women on a Pinterest inspired LL Bean photoshoot getaway, toast to friendship and good times. Now that they’re done with college, two of them have found jobs and are on their way to subverting the new world order of underemployment. Ashley, the other friend, will be driving for Uber. 

They all hear a noise outside the tent. Julie goes for more rum and gets yanked. The other one tries closing the tent but is also yanked. Cue Ashley’s screams!

At the bunker, Sam checks his messages to Cas. He’s been texting and texting but hasn’t heard anything back. I am emotional. Dean is going to bury that shit and not even tell his brother what happened? ARGH. Sam hides his phone pretty quick so it’s obvious that he knows something isn’t right --and he doesn’t needle his brother about it so he knows something REALLY isn’t right. 

Dean’s back from a supply run and is back on his overcompensating with food bullshit. He eats a ghost pepper jerky bite and instantly regrets it. On the plus side, we get this:

Anyway, they’ve got a case. 

*Dream Vision Alert*

Lucifer!Sam sits at a table in the bunker. Dean approaches from behind, draws the Colt, asks for forgiveness, and shoots Sam in the back of the head. Lucifer!Sam doesn’t die though. The wound heals and his eyes glow red. Lucifer!Sam scoffs at the idea that the Colt would kill him, adding, “we both knew it had to end this way.” Then fire consumes Dean. 

Sam wakes in the Impala. Dean wants to know what’s up but Sam will only admit to a bad dream. 

They reach Colorado and instead of their usual routine, Dean pulls out some old school tricks: Fish and Wildlife agents. They were babies! (But this is also just such a nice way to show HOW MUCH Sam and Dean have changed over the years. The story Chuck was telling in season one has changed so much --they are not the same anymore. And while Dean continues to repress his current issues (ala Cas), it’s clear that he’s not the same.)

They go in and talk with the sheriff.

(Also, this is yet another week using an actor that has been in a previous episode of Supernatural. I realize this does happen, but this actress played Tara, the hunter that helped Dean and Crowley find Cain and the First Blade--and the Mark of Cain.) 

The sheriff doesn’t think these attacks are animal in nature. There’s one witness they can talk to. They head to the hospital to talk with her. They ask what she remembers. She flashes back to the forest. She’s running and a man/monster is chasing her. She’s reluctant to talk, but Dean assures her that they’ve heard it all. The man that killed her friends had claws and fangs. A werewolf. Dean tells the poor girl that monsters and werewolves are all real. 

Dean gets a name. Sam points out that it wasn’t a full moon the night Ashley was attacked (Dean suggests pureblood), and Sam sets off to find an address. 

They head to a cabin in the woods where Andy, the werewolf, lives with his brother, Josh. They’re isolated, reluctant to have visitors, don’t have a phone. Just as God intended. Sam and Dean leave. 

Josh yells at Andy for not killing Ashley. I’m just loling all over the place. This melodramatic crazy is TOO much. Family of werewolves that hunt people. Their dad’s dead but it’s the family business. Reluctant younger brother...

The brothers check in at the Sleepy Bear Inn. (Have we mentioned HOW MUCH WE LOVE JERRY WANEK? It’s true!) 

They’ve got Ashley under their protection. They need to go take care of “the lumberjack twins.” Sam wonders why this whole case seems too easy. Lololol. Ashley asks the brothers to stay with her until she falls asleep. Meanwhile, Andy and Josh are outside the motel ready to kill her. 

Dean and Ashley talk about hunting. Dean says he likes his job --helping people. She asks if he ever wanted to be anything else: Jimi Hendrix. He says that so quickly. It breaks me a bit. But then he toes the company line. Ashley wondering how great life would be if it was all planned out. That makes Dean turn a little green. Poor bby. 

Sam wakes Sleeping Beauty - I mean, Dean. He zonked out while Sam headed out to get food and while he was sleeping, Ashley disappeared.

Cut to Ashley who is astonishingly NOT DEAD YET. She’s tied up in a bloody slaughter room, though. The two werewolf bros burst in, mid argument. “This isn’t who we are,” Andy protests, his pure white, tucked-in sweater standing out sharply against the ACTUAL BLOOD SPATTERED WALL. (Like, seriously, guys. Get a cleaning service, at least. That can’t be sanitary.)

“This is exactly who we are,” Josh growls. Hoooo-boy.

Dean and Sam race back to the cabin and quickly follow Ashley’s screams to the slaughter room. Their approach causes the werewolves to scamper, but not very far. As they attempt to escape, the Winchesters and Ashley get ambushed in the main room. The two werewolves get the upper hand on Dean and Sam, and the werewolf with a taste for human flesh closes in on Dean, snarling. Andy picks up Dean’s dropped gun and points it at Sam. He stares between Sam and Josh in agony.

Andy shoots and kills his brother. “He turned into a monster,” Andy explains tearfully. “And I’m a monster too.” He turns the gun on himself, killing himself with one quick shot to the heart. (Jeez, always the heart in this season. It’s almost like it’s an important metaphor or something.)

“That was weird,” Dean says which is like a total UNDERSTATEMENT… But that doesn’t even come close to what happens next. Dean tries to comfort Ashley, who pushes away and…

…trips and falls right onto the antlers. BOOM. Ashley’s dead. Sam, Dean, and pretty much every single one of us viewers stares at Ashley’s body in shock and confusion. That’s…not…normal. Also, this episode is only half over. WTF?

“Well, this is a bitch,” Ashley grumbles, opening her eyes and standing up, still impaled. She cheerfully flashes her eyes white at Sam. She’s LILITH, baby! 

Lilith has clearly never made friends with the phrase “Loose lips sink ships” because she spills E V E R Y T H I N G. Chuck pulled her out of the Empty (where she was dead as a demon doornail), gave her instructions to seduce Dean post-rescue, told her to show Sam and Dean the werewolf murder/sacrifice mirror, and sent her to retrieve the magic gun: Ye Olde Equalizer. 

The Winchesters try to fight Lilith, but she blasts them into the walls, knocking Sam out. Dean promises Lilith the gun as long as Sam’s okay. Same old song and dance, my friends. But now we get the feeling that Dean’s SEEING THE SCRIPT even while he’s still feeling utterly trapped by it.

Sam has another vision while he’s power healing through his latest concussion. This time, Dean’s out to kill a human Sam. Dean, under the influence of the Mark of Cain, murders his brother with the first blade. When Sam wakes, the cabin is empty. 

In the Impala, Lilith is sitting about two feet away from the equalizer gun - still hidden in the glove box- and amusedly answers Dean’s questions. She’s massively irked that she’s back on Earth as part of Chuck’s latest story…when the story she THOUGHT her death was integral to was foiled by the Winchesters. It’s adding insult to injury, man. “Wouldn’t it be great if everything was just planned out for you?” she repeats and then laughs right in Dean’s face. Chuck fed her that line directly. 

Lilith chirpily comments on Chuck’s storytelling propensity and his hamfisted werewolf brother foreshadowing. “It always ends the same,” she tells Dean. “One brother killing the other.” 

Back at the motel, I am still UTTERLY DAMN CHARMED at the Wanek crew’s amazing work on this room. 

For Please Come Decorate My House Science:

Dean tells Lilith that she’ll NEVER get the gun and she starts to slice him bit by bit. It’s the death of a thousand cuts!

Sam breaks in and shoots Lilith in the forehead without another word. He traps her in place with a devil’s trap bullet. “I’ve got you now, my pretty!” Sam should have shouted (but didn’t). What he does do is threaten to kill her. Lilith gets pissed at this. Like, EXCUSE HER VERY MUCH, but she’s a total badass who LET Sam kill her back in season four. Don’t mess with her! 

The Winchesters flee but don’t even make it past the parking lot. Lilith zaps out to meet them. Where’s the gun??? She reasons it out, and concludes that the gun is clearly in the Impala. (Clears throat… The most important car in the universe!?) Lilith finds the equalizer pretty much right away and laughs at how damn easy it was. Which...yeah.

“We’ll get it back,” Sam snarls and without further ado, Lilith melts the heck out of the gun. Now it’s just a cooling black pool against the asphalt. Oooooookay. Plan...X?

Back at the bunker, the boys fortify themselves with liquor. Sam leaves ANOTHER voicemail for Cas. (Pardon me while I take a short break to weep and rend my clothing.) “We gave him the head’s up on Chuck and Lilith,” Dean says. “What else are we supposed to do?” Oh, I don’t know. Probably apologize? Tell him you love him and value him as a person. That sort of thing. 

Dean’s pretty shattered at the revelation that Chuck’s still pulling their strings. Thanks to Lilith, he understands that Chuck wants an ending where one of them kills the other. Sam immediately ties this into the dreams he’s been having. “You’re just telling me this, NOW?” Dean asks. And…I think that reaction is justified. Sam speculates that his equalizer wound is showing him Chuck’s endings and MAYBE a slice of Chuck’s mind. 

“This was supposed to be over,” Dean says in response. “Are we just gonna keep running in this friggin’ hamster wheel until we die? Or we get boring and he ends us?” I’m laughing at the direct commentary on how TV shows live and die but also...DEAN BBY. 

Sam thinks they can fight. Dean wants to know how the hell they’re supposed to FIGHT GOD.

______________________________

Goldilocks and the Three Quotes:

Poor, faithful Dean. We both knew it had to end this way

I’ll Freud you

Whatever you’re about to say, I want you to know that we’ve heard worse. We’ve heard weirder

I don’t lie to you. I look out for you

That’s not how this story goes

Oh, you would promise a girl the moon, Dean Winchester

Of the three potential vessels, Ashley had the best hair

God? He is not exactly Shakespeare. He’s more of a low rent Dean Koontz

Be a good boy and show me that BIG GUN, huh?

______________________________

Want to read more? Check out our Recap Archive! 

[the-walking-memelords]

A2 - A Sequel to Allegiances: Chapter 1 : VvvvV

Hello, my lovelies! It is I, your third favourite writer here with the long and highly-demanded sequel to "Allegiances" that I am releasing today, December first, the 1 year anniversary of my posting of the original fic on Ao3! 

Haven't read Allegiances? Read it here!

Tumblr | Ao3 | Wattpad Word Count: 1894 Pairings: Clementine/Louis | Ruby/Aasim | Brody/Mitch

Rating: M for Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death, Past mentions of Abuse/Trauma

Summary:  Five years have passed since Clementine won her freedom against the plot of the Delta, but trouble always seems to find a way to catch her. 

Because after all, 

the war didn't end with the Delta.

Read it on Ao3!

Read it on Wattpad!

Sunlight filtered through the multicoloured trees as autumn once again. The bright orange and yellow leaves swirled in the chilled breeze and danced along the walking paths. This was the fifth autumn since AJ had come to Ericson’s Boarding School for Troubled Youths. The time before was not something the boy liked to think of, but occasionally his subconscious would remind him of his days that were numbered. But AJ couldn’t think of any of that right now.

The forest was no place for idle thoughts.

Alvin Junior, now nearly eleven years of age, walked along the trail alone with an aged bow and arrow in hand and Clementine’s hat upon his head.

AJ crept past the trees being careful not to step on any leaves or twigs that may give away his presence. The safezone was far behind him, not that anyone abided by that old border anymore. Louis and Aasim were off in some other direction hunting for some extra trading material. The late afternoon sun began to drift lower in the horizon, signalling the end of their hunt if they wanted to be home before dark. AJ knew he should be heading back to the meeting point, but the fresh tracks he followed promised a find worth a scolding from Clementine.

Where are you, deer?

The tracks he stalked moved off the path to a sparse area of the forest. The boy halted still as stone, listening. He didn’t dare blink when movement caught his eye. Not the stumbling gate of a monster, but a smooth, deliberate turn of an animal traipsing along its way. Hiking up the sleeves of his oversized blue hoodie, AJ bit his lip and rubbed his thumb along the rough wire of his bow before slowly nocking an arrow. 

He moved downwind from the deer, moving silently across the terrain as she slowly got closer and closer. The animal had a pristine coat. Unstained by blood or scars from encounters with the undead.

He must be a fast one.

 AJ knew if he missed it was unlikely that he would get the chance for a second shot. 

The sun stung his eyes as he quickly adjusted the brim of his cap and took aim. The stiff wire was difficult to pull back. Part of him wished he could just use his gun, but bullets were getting harder to come by as the years went on.

“Just for emergencies.” Clementine had reminded the boy as he tucked his revolver into his back pocket before setting off with Louis and Aasim.

The deer let out a half-startled grunt as it seemed to sense AJ’s presence, turning swiftly to face him a second before taking off. The deer was fast, but so was AJ. The boy released his arrow which missed its mark of the animal’s neck but lodged in its side, staining its light brown hide with fresh blood as it shrieked and fled.

AJ swore internally as the animal quickly lost him, leaving a trail of crimson drops behind. Now he just had to find it before the monsters did.

His frustration grew thicker with did the foliage as the boy followed the red smears, branches scratching at his face as he raced along. The bushes suddenly broke into a small clearing where AJ finally found his prey. 

The deer lay dying in a patch of grass scattered with wildflowers as if it sought out something peaceful before it’s inevitable end. It’s breathing was rugged and forced, clinging to every bit of life it had. The sight made AJ a little sad, guilty even, knowing he had done this. Killing animals always tugged at his heart a little, but he knew he had to do it so his family could eat.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered as he pulled out his knife, slowly moving towards it to end its misery.

A muffled snarl came from AJ’s left. A walker with a bandanna tied around its mouth wandered into the clearing, paying the boy no mind as it stumbled towards the bigger meal.

“That’s mine.” AJ scowled as he kicked the walker’s knee hard, sending it sprawling to the ground. Without a moment’s hesitation, he jammed his knife into the walker’s skull.

The boy smirked, glad he hadn’t fallen out of practice in the month or so since their last walker sighting. Perhaps it had to do with the explosion, or travellers passing through more frequently, but the monsters have mostly gone away around Ericson’s. Clementine said when they got to the school, things were going to get better. And she was right. Both the human monsters and the monster monsters had gone away.

AJ looked down at the bloodied knife in his grip, and back over at the wounded deer, electing to use his bow instead incase it got feisty. Stepping through the soft grass he aimed another arrow at the deer’s eye before another growl caught his attention. Shifting his aim he sent an arrow flying into the eyesocket of the second walker to approach his catch. By the time he looked back down the deer had died on its own. It’s deep brown eyes now glassy and still.

“At least you don’t come back.” AJ said as he retrieved his arrow.

He gave the second walker a second glance, noticing something familiar. The boy squinted as he ran his hand over the red fabric tied over its jaw. The fabric was cold and wet. Black ink smeared under his touch as he traced the odd symbol painted on.

One long spike on each side with three shorter ones in the middle. Spikes pointed down like teeth. The formation reminded him of this one sassy expression Rosie would make when she wasn’t getting as much attention as she’d like. The teeth were painted on the cloth over the walker’s actual mouth. 

Is this supposed to stop it from biting people?

Doesn’t seem like it would work.

Why not just kill it?

The setting sun reminded AJ that he didn’t have time for this, but once the boy’s curiosity was piqued it was hard to ignore. Running back to the first walker, he checked the bandanna again and just as he suspected, there were the teeth, though older and more faded than the second.

Just like the other one.

Where they part of the same group? 

But they look so old and the other pain was new...

A skeletal hand brutally digging into his shoulder jolted him out of his thought. AJ whipped around just as the walked pinned him to the ground. The boy pushed his arm against the monster’s throat as its jaws snapped just inches from his face. Unlike the others, this one had nothing holding back it’s lethality.

AJ reached for his knife as he felt himself coming closer to being overpowered, just for his fingers to merely graze the handle as it laid out of reach. 

This is an emergency.

AJ snaked his hand under his back and found the cool metal of his revolver, wedging it out from under him and bringing the barrel to the monster’s temple and pulling the trigger. Blood and brain matter sprayed across the boy’s face and she sounds of the forest were immediately drowned out by an intense ringing in his ears as he threw the walker off of him, taking a moment to lay in the grass and catch his breath. He sat up as the ringing faded, replaced with the scattered chirping of birds and faint moans of what that gunshot just summoned.

Multiple shadows moved among the trees, far too many for one kid to fight. AJ cast a final apologetic glance to the deer he knew he couldn't drag back with him in a timely enough manner to escape the dead, and fled back in the direction he came from.

Anxiety turning to fear as the evening chill settles on his skin and the sunlight spread thin across the land, shadows taking over and hiding all that lurked among the forest. AJ’s heartbeat picked up as he ran. Eventually, the trees turned to all tall dark pillars, indistinguishable in detail. Dodging past one after the other until one dark mass failed to dodge him. 

The impact was solid but softer than a tree, both parties well backwards as AJ quickly brandished his knife.

“Easy there, little dude.” A familiar voice said worriedly.

“L-Louis?” AJ’s iron grip loosened enough for Louis to take the blade from him as the boy heaved, trying to catch his breath.

“I’m here. I gotcha.” Louis put his arm gently on the boy’s should as he pulled him into a hug. 

“Let’s get you home.”

AJ gripped the sleeve of Louis’ worn down coat as he stood. AJ couldn’t believe he still wore that thing, as stained and torn as it had become over the years. Though he supposed Louis hadn’t changed much over the years like some of the others had. His dreads were a bit longer which he mostly tied back in a ponytail, but leaving those same two dreads to hang in his face. He was still easily a head taller than, a fact he periodically reminded her about by resting his elbow on the top of her head.

“Where’s Aasim?” AJ asked as his breathing slowed.

“He’s waiting at the meetup spot, let’s go find him.” He said with a smile.

Leaves crunched under their boots as they found the dirt path once again. With the sky darkening by the minute, they began to head back.

“What the hell were you still doing out here?” Louis asked.

“We’ve been looking for you forever, and then I heard the shot. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t starting to freak out”

“I’m sorry.” the boy said, looking down guiltily.

“I was following a deer. I thought if we could kill it then we’d have food for a few days, or maybe  Layla would trade us something cool for it.”

“A deer, huh?” Louis chuckled.

“Now tell me, AJ, how you were planning to drag a whole-ass deer from the middle of nowhere to the meetup point?”

“I thought if I could get it to the path you’d find me and help me carry it.” AJ sighed sadly at the lost catch.

“It’s walker food now though.”

A figure stepped out onto the path a ways in front of them that caused them both to freeze for a moment before letting out a breath at the wave of their friend Aasim.

“Thank god you found him.” Aasim said in a serious yet relieved tone.

“We gotta head back while we still have a little daylight.”

The three of them began to hurry back hoping the walk back would be as uneventful as the walk there.

“You’re not gonna tell Clem I went off on my own, right?” 

“I won’t tell if you don’t.” Louis knew he’d be in the same amount of trouble as AJ if Clem found out he allowed it.

“Details or not we’re all in deep shit when we get back.” Aasim sighed.

AJ smiled, knowing the lecture he was going to get from ruby when they returned, but that smile quickly faded, knowing he had is own lecture waiting for him from Clementine.

Maybe the deer wasn’t worth it after all. 

[itsclydebitches]

RWBY Recaps: Vol. 6 “Seeing Red”

Well this recap is massively late. Blame foolish past!me for purchasing Minecraft two days ago... 

Still, deja vu, anyone? This recap feels like an almost exact play-by-play of last week’s: good second half, awful first. Honestly for those of you following my metas there’s nothing much new here to tackle, but we’ll dive in regardless.

Our episode summary asks "How far am I willing to go to win?" and Team RWBY answers with, “As far as it fucking takes.” If that attitude was directed against Salem and her subordinates or even a mess of grimm? Admirable! Now that it’s aimed at an ally and is screwing over Argus in the process? Not so much…

We open on base where a group of Atlas personnel are watching the mech fight go down, all of them cheering. I mentioned in a brief post that this is an interesting choice. No one else seems to think that Cordovin is overdoing it with the massive robot, so either a) everyone in this military is incapable of thinking through repercussions (i.e. “If we use something big and scary people will, astoundingly, get scared and draw grimm”) or b) they acknowledge that, to be frank, you kind of need a mech for this fight. Ruby says herself that they’ve fought giant monsters before. What hope does Cordovin stand against huntsmen—particularly a whole mess of them—if she doesn’t bring out the big guns? As we’ve already established ad nauseam, no military operative in their right mind is gonna go, “Sure! Cross the closed border without reason or qualifications! I’m going to 100% believe that you have a perfectly good reason for crossing, even though you won’t tell me what it is, even though you’re a bunch of armed teens, and a drunk, and a woman I despise. It’s not like this goes against common sense or anything!” Basically, Cordovin has perfectly legitimate reasons for feeling like she needs to stop this group and she’s using what’s probably the only means capable of doing that.

Interestingly, our supposed villain here remains the only one with a shred of critical thinking. She homes in on Maria, not as a rival, but as an adult who “[roped] in children to fail with you.” Cordovin is assuming, logically, that the adults are calling the shots here… because that makes sense right? The 17yo wouldn’t really be in charge of this group. And even if she were, the adults around her wouldn’t really help her with an idiotic plan like this. Cordovin is re-highlighting for the audience exactly how stupid this whole situation is.

While everyone is going gaga over the fight we pull back to see an ominous red dot heading across one of the base’s screens. Later we’ll learn it’s exactly what the fandom assumed it was: one monster of an ocean grimm. For now though, we return to Ruby still hanging off that cliff… dangling uselessly… before suddenly, miraculously pulling herself up in about three swings of Crescent Rose.

This entire setup is ridiculous. As you’ll recall, Ruby was about to get blown up by Cordovin’s cannon because she’s suddenly vulnerable, to an OOC extent. No one on the cliff helps her, she doesn’t drop down into the water, doesn’t use her semblance to fly up, and doesn’t climb the mountain like we see her doing here. This sudden ineptitude “necessitates” Oscar and Maria coming to her rescue, despite the fact that they’re supposed to be keeping the airship out of the fight. We had a cliffhanger last week that was less about whether those two are okay (we knew Oscar would be at least) and more about whether that explosion destroyed their ship. …No such luck. The airship is totally fine! As promised last recap, I’m rolling my eyes.

You’ll see throughout this episode that the plot continues to twist in on itself to ensure that the consequences of the groups’ actions are never so horrible that they’re actually forced to confront their choices—at least not yet. The airship somehow manages to survive. Maria’s eyes are working again. No one has sustained serious injuries. No one has died. The real question is whether this will continue on into the finale.

For now, Ruby has the gall to be pissed off about being saved.

Oscar: “Are you okay?”

Ruby: “Are WE okay?”

Yes, Ruby. Tell us more about how annoying it is to be rescued from death via dust cannon, even if it comes at the cost of endangering your stollen ticket out of here.

Of course, we’re immediately given another justification for Maria and Oscar’s sudden involvement: Oscar thinks he’s come up with a way to take down this mech, but they’ll need to actually use the airship to do it. We get some explanations about how the missiles are vulnerable by popping out of the mech’s arm. “We could destroy the entire cannon. Oscar that’s brilliant!”

No, that’s willful destruction of military property. Yang’s line later on about being smarter than Adam really hammers home that yes, all these kids are brilliant when it comes to battle. Jaune, Oscar, Yang, and Ruby all demonstrate fabulous quick thinking in these fights, but this volume their intellect has been limited to the literal combat. Any great leaps of thought that take long-term repercussions into consideration—like what’s going to happen if we use an invaluable question to steal our leader’s hidden past, or whether there’s a way to get into Atlas that doesn’t involve making an enemy of the world’s strongest military—go straight out the window. This is why they need Ozpin. He’s the only one in this group capable of thinking about long-term strategy. (I thought Maria was another candidate, up until she went along with this plan just so she could taunt Cordovin with more cashews.) The gang has so far been learning that instant gratification is their best policy. Well we just took Ozpin’s secret and managed to survive—never needed him anyway, right? Well we just took the airship and managed to defeat the mech—so what if it required some close calls? This is why that end grimm attack is so important. The group has got to experience a consequence that they can’t easily shrug off.

And, you know, the writing has to emphasize that.

Anyway, back to this current nonsense. Ruby is all gung-ho to take on this crazy dangerous task in the name of destroying the mech they shouldn’t be dismantling in the first place. I would have appreciated the parallels between “Can you make that shot?” and Ruby’s first team battle (Ruby: “Think you can make the shot?” Weiss: “Can I”), but like everything in this fight the enjoyable aspects are lost to the awful context. Despite realizing that she’ll be “Staring down the barrel of [Cordovin’s] cannon,” Ruby hops into the airship with no hesitation, leaving Qrow to reach out to her in fear.

The butchering of their relationship in the name of Ruby’s Can Do No Wrong attitude is particularly annoying, but we’ll get to that in a moment.

For now, Maria is all smiles as she flies them straight at the mech. Ruby is confident in her ability to make an incredibly difficult shot. None of them can even conceive of the idea that they’d fail, a pretty egregious position given that nothing has gone to plan since the Fall of Beacon. The only one worried is Oscar—“Are you two crazy?!”

Which… doesn’t make much sense? Oscar, this was your plan. How exactly do you hope to enact it without Cordovin preparing to shoot? That’s the entire point of all this: her missiles are vulnerable when they’re about to launch. I’m just so over these inconsistencies. Maria shouts that, “Sometimes the best approach is simply the most direct!” which had better be the theme that comes back to bite them in the finale. No. Usually the most direct approach is far from the best option. Particularly during a war. 

Inside the mech Cordovin has an incoming call from the base and looks like she’s about to answer it… but at just the right second Maria starts taunting her again. Cordovin is distracted and she misses the info about an incoming leviathan.

The goading is, of course, about how they have one missile left and plan to stick it somewhere unmentionable. As the group knew she would, Cordovin reacts by pulling out her own missiles, giving them the clear shot they need. We get a long moment of Ruby setting up the perfect shot…

…and then Cordovin sees what she’s doing, pulling her missiles back just in time. The bullet bounces right off the mech’s armor.

Ruby’s little “Huh?” was amazing. Serious kudos to the voice acting because that one sound managed to encompass all that indignant surprise. I failed? But how is that possible! And like always, there’s nothing resembling a backup plan. Ruby’s confidence here—her arrogance, rather—nearly gets the three of them killed. Cordovin shoots the airship, Maria’s glasses short-circuit, and Oscar is forced to crash land them in the forest. There’s a moment afterwards where he comments that they’re all okay, but none of the shots include Maria. I honestly thought she’d been killed, or at least seriously injured, thereby hammering home that Ruby’s stupidity just lost her a new mentor.

…but no. Everyone’s fine. And trust me, Ruby is about to get a whole lot stupider.

She exits the airship and immediately makes a beeline for Cordovin, despite the fact that the plan failed and pretty much everyone is exhausted. We get a closeup on the relic as Qrow grabs her hand, “Ruby stop.” She gives her uncle another hard look and tells him he needs to trust her.

For one brief moment I thought that Ruby might put a stop to this, that her “Trust me” might be reframed as, “It’s okay, because I’m about to do what you’re going to suggest anyway.” After all, the Ruby Rose of five volumes makes empathetic and (usually) well thought out decisions. Surely she isn’t going to continue this fight out of pure stubbornness? Surely she hasn’t lost so much faith in Qrow that she won’t even listen to him when he’s (again) speaking sense? Yes, Ruby claimed that she doesn’t care what he thinks, but that was in a moment of fury. Before this we got her comment about learning so much from great mentors. Surely she’ll listen to her most important mentor now?

Nope.

Cordovin has ceased her attack, something that tells me—despite all her theatrics—that she’s got a more level head than most would assume at first glance. If she’d truly cared only about destroying this group she could have blown them all up immediately. Instead she tells Ruby to surrender and accept the punishment for her crimes. Ruby’s response?

“No!”

Everyone realizes that she comes across as a child throwing a temper tantrum, right? Ruby did something bad, started a fight to try and avoid punishment when she was caught, that failed, the adult sensibly tries to de-escalate the situation, telling her that it’s over, she needs to own up to her mistakes… and Ruby all but stomps her foot, giving an emphatic ‘Screw you.’

How are we meant to feel about this moment? Let’s take a look at the rest of the cast’s response for our cue.

Check out all those smiling faces. Yeah, screw authority and responsibility! We’ll do whatever the hell we want!

Ruby then gives another thoroughly ridiculous speech, the core of which is:

“We’re supposed to be on the same side. We’re supposed to use our power to protect people. But you just use yours to look down on everyone. We didn’t want to steal from you, we did it because you gave us no other choice. Now I’m giving you one last chance to stand down and hear us out.”

Ruby, newsflash, you’re talking about yourself. You’re the one who betrayed an ally (twice if you count Ozpin). You’re the one who is using your power to start and continue a fight. You’re the one looking down on everyone because you think your mission—the mission no one else knows about—gives you carte blanche to do whatever you want. Also, people love to paint Ozpin as the manipulator, but check out Ruby’s word choice here:

“Now I’m giving you one last chance” - What was the first chance, Ruby? Because, uh… there wasn’t one. You said, “Let us through.” Cordovin said no. You jumped straight to theft. There were no choices presented to Cordovin except the one that involves her going against a direct order for absolutely no reason.

“Hear us out” - Hear what out? There’s no argument here. “Hear us out” implies that Ruby has a persuasive stance to take, a presentation of why they should be allowed to go into Atlas. But she can’t give Cordovin anything like that unless she explains the whole Salem situation… which we know very well Ruby won’t do. In this case, “Hear us out” is just a dressed up way of saying, “Do as I say or else.” Ruby’s threatening her because as we see in a moment, she’s come up with another plan to cripple the mech.

“We didn’t want to steal from you, we did it because you gave us no other choice.” - You did have other choices. Lots of them. Not only is that a straight up lie, but Ruby tries to paint Cordovin as personally responsible, as if this one woman is the only thing standing in their way and not, you know, a whole kingdom that closed its borders. Her “We didn’t want to” tries to re-characterize the group as victims here. This sounds a whole lot like other false equivalencies, ones with a lot more weight. You know, things like, “I didn’t want to hit you. I did it because you gave me no choice.”

In fact, let’s consider the bigger issues at play in Ruby’s attitude. Bear with me a moment, but you know what all this reminds me of? Bullying. Over the last few weeks the vast majority of the fandom has been using logic often applied to bullying situations, wherein people are more focused on whether the victim had an “appropriate” response to the bullying, as opposed to whether the persecutor should have been acting upon them in the first place. Quick story time. When I was in middle school there was a kid who, looking back, had a number of behavioral problems that he chose to take out on me. Let’s call this kid Ryan. Ryan used to level a great deal of verbal and physical abuse my way, getting away with it because he was careful to do it out of earshot of teachers, careful to claim that any injury was an “accident,” and ultimately people were more willing to believe that the goody-goody teacher’s pet (me) had suddenly developed a taste for lying than accept the more complex scenario that a student was violently acting out. One day Ryan, in another “accident,” slammed into me hard enough to knock me into the gym’s concrete wall. When I got back on my feet I finally lost my temper and kicked him in the shin.

Guess which student finally got into trouble.

I chuck this story into my recap as a way of demonstrating a pattern. We tend to be far more concerned with how someone reacts to a situation than why they felt the need to react that way. Surely we’ve all heard, “You just can’t let them get to you!” placing all the responsibility on the victim to, somehow, turn off their emotions, rather than addressing the inappropriate behavior that’s causing those emotions in the first place. The fandom is applying this same pattern to Cordovin, emphasizing that she shouldn’t have gotten the mech out (a response deemed inappropriate) as opposed to acknowledging that our group shouldn’t have been lying, stealing, and beating up officers in the first place.

Granted, Cordovin isn’t a middle schooler still learning how to manage her emotions. Are there discussions to be had about how she might have handled the situation better? Absolutely, but that conversation is tangental to the underlying issue: that RWBYJNR are the perpetrators and she (representing Argus) is the victim. Telling Cordovin she shouldn’t have gotten the mech after two of her warnings is akin to telling someone they shouldn’t have punched someone else after twice telling them to keep your hands off me. Saying that the plan might have worked is just… so far off the mark I don’t even know where to begin. Getting away with illegal activity doesn’t suddenly make it right. It certainly doesn’t change the fact that a) the relay tower still would have been disabled for who knows how long, b) Argus would still have been out of an airship, and c) they still would have realized at some point that the ship had been stollen, further damaging these relations.

“I might have gotten away with it” isn’t exactly a defense.

ANYWAY, god. Cordovin has “heard enough” (so have I) and prepares to shoot another blast directly at Ruby. And then this girl throws herself into the cannon—oh sure now your semblance works—so she can take the shot directly from inside. Once again we’re encouraged to view this as the epic, heroic conclusion: Jaune’s awed voice over explaining what she’s attempting, the close up on Ruby, the dramatic lighting, music rising in the background… She takes out the mech’s arm and does serious damage to her aura in the process, getting knocked out for a few seconds. Ruby’s lucky she didn’t die. Hell, even Nora exclaims, “She’s nuts!”

And for what? Not to take down a grimm to protect the people. Not to defend her family from Salem’s subordinates. Ruby endangered herself and her team simply because she can’t take “No” for an answer right now.

When Ruby wakes up the first thing she says is a smug, “Told you” to Qrow. I’ve never wanted to put a fictional character into time out before, but I do now.

Luckily, at this moment we return to Blake and Yang, the well constructed portion of this episode. Honestly, nothing but praise from me for what they managed to pull off in this fight. Adam starts us off by demanding to know why Blake thinks she can win this time and it’s a simple answer: Because she has to. She doesn’t have a choice. Adam himself made sure of that.

Undaunted, Adam tries to undermine that determination by pointing out that Blake abandoned him. Who’s to say she won’t do the exact same thing to Yang? Blake has another wonderful answer—she only made that promise to someone he was pretending to be—but it says a lot that this doesn’t even put a dent in Yang’s conviction. You know, the thing she’s feared since Blake originally left Beacon: abandonment. I said last time that the writers might be going full perfection with Blake and Yang’s face-off here and this episode solidifies that. Relationship perfect. Strategy perfect. Control of their anger, perfect. I still don’t think we were shown how the girls got to this place, especially so quickly, but it is still satisfying to see.

During the second half of the fight we get to see the girls doing a reverse of their standard combo, wherein Blake is the powerhouse at the end of Gambol Shroud’s ribbon and Yang is providing the momentum. Adam manages to block it though—their normal finishing move won’t be enough—and Blake takes a hard hit against the rocks. As she struggles not to go over, Adam turns his original question on Yang. You couldn’t beat me last time, why is this any different?

And for a moment Yang collapses. Her whole body goes limp in terror.

That’s what I was looking for, especially since it’s a legit question. Yang hasn’t done much training recently. Her sparing with Tai was meant to get her used to a new limb and it was primarily emotional/strategic. She missed all the practice at Haven and you can presumably only learn so much from a single battle. By all accounts Yang shouldn’t be much better, physically, than she was back at Beacon and for a second I thought the writing would just straight up ignore this.

Instead they acknowledge it, giving us Yang’s line about not needing to be faster, just smarter. She catches Adam’s blade with her new arm and then Yang revs up her semblance, hitting Adam hard enough to tear up the rock around him.

It is, without question, a pretty epic moment.

Which makes the actual finale that much softer, something I was glad for. It would have felt cheap if Adam went out in some awesome blaze of glory, given that this is what the girls do to every dime a dozen grimm that comes their way. Instead we get the reverse. When Adam makes a break for Blake’s weapon she just manages to grab it first, Yang takes the broken piece, and without hesitation they both skewer him through. Adam’s final word is a broken, disbelieving “Oh.”

I really enjoyed the composition of this shot. Both girls taking a half of a broken weapon to make a new whole, Blake getting to face Adam as he goes down, slowly watching their fighter instincts give way to horror. Adam topples over the edge of the cliff… which I have to point out is pretty convenient for them. Yes, this was 100% in self defense, but considering that the rest of the group is currently battling the military, the last thing anyone needs is for Blake and Yang to get caught with a body on their hands.

Blake takes one look at Gambol Shroud and breaks down, collapsing under the weight of it all. Which… yeah. No matter what he might have become, it was clear a part of Blake truly cared for Adam long ago. No matter that it was self defense, the girls just took their first life. That’s going to be a lot to work through, so it says a lot that what Blake first focuses on is reassuring Yang that Adam was wrong. She’s keeping her promise this time.

With the girls comforting one another we return to the main group. Makes sense. With the mech’s arm disabled and Adam dead, both of the conflicts have pretty much been resolved. What do we have to look forward to in the finale?

By the Power of Plot the airship is still somehow able to fly and for a moment it looks like everyone will just leave while they still can, especially since Cordovin is calling for reinforcements. (Seriously. Did the kids think defeating the mech would keep the rest of the military from coming after them?) However, the call reveals that Argus is in danger. A leviathan grimm is heading this way and a mess of others are coming in from the opposite direction. We see the group’s shocked faces… and then a pan to the mech, re-emphasizing that it’s now pretty useless in this coming fight.

The group ought to be disgusted with themselves for putting Argus in this position. Their fight brought the grimm to Argus, they destroyed the primary defense, and they’re all so exhausted that, presumably, they won’t be much use in this fight. I almost wish the timing was a little different and they’d grabbed Yang and Blake, flying off to Atlas. What a kick it would have been for them to reach the city and hear reports of Argus being overrun by grimm. The military was missing a crucial defense. There were no huntsmen on scene to help push back the tide.

Still, the connection between their expressions and the mech is a hopeful sign that, after an entire volume, the consequences of the nonsense they’ve pulled might finally start seeking in. I honestly never expected to go 11 episodes with them blithely ignoring the impact of their choices. In my opinion, in order to maintain their heroic status, we should have started this process immediately after the relic. I’ve heard a lot of people claim that it’s only been a few days, but as we saw with Jaune, when you do something horrible we should see regret almost instantly—if there’s any regret to see. By all means, give us a volume where the group is grappling with their anger vs. their sympathy… but that’s very much not what we got this year. Ruby, and by extension everyone following her, has become downright callous. I miss rooting for our main characters.

Actually, you know what I want at this point? Back to the basics. As other fans have pointed out, let the group get to Atlas via arrest. We close the volume on them all in a jail cell for the crimes they’ve committed. Next volume James pulls some strings to get them released, but they’re all blindsided by a lack of support beyond that. Show us a James who took Ozpin’s words to heart—don’t scare people in a time of peace—and is utterly horrified at what this group has now done in the name of their mission. After all, he might have made mistakes, but he didn’t forsake the job of a huntsmen so badly that he knowingly attacked an ally and put a whole city in danger. He was overconfident in his technology, not arrogant about his place in the world. 

Frankly, I want James to throw them back into school. You want to stay out of jail? The requirement is you join Atlas Academy instead and learn everything you obviously missed out on at Beacon. There’s a reason huntsmen aren’t chucked into the world at 17 with one year of training, and you’re an A-class example of why. Want to continue the fight? Get your license first. Demonstrate that you’re responsible enough not to use the skills we’ve given you as weapons against the people. Anymore than you already have. Give me a volume where the group has to come to terms with the fact that they’ve put themselves up on a pedestal because of their super secret mission. Have them interact with students who have never seen the same sort of combat they have, but who are also level-headed enough not to use that as an excuse for any and all actions they might feel like taking. Let them start finding a balance between the near total freedom Ozpin gave them and the militaristic organization of James’ school (which probably isn’t all that different, if Neon and Flynt are any indication). In short, give the group some stability so they can get some perspective.

After all, no one knows what to do after they secure the relic. No one has even discussed yet if they want to do more. Is popping into each of the other schools just to say, “Is your relic still safe? Yeah? Great!” so important? The Salem battle is currently at a standstill until a) they figure out a way to beat her or b) she drops some hint about her next attack. So give the group some breathing room. Have this emotional growth about their attitude, yes, but also explore what it is to have Faunus students in an Atlesian academy (expanding that world building beyond just Adam and the White Fang). What it’s like for Weiss attending the school she originally rejected, so close to her father again? Give Blake and Yang time to come to terms with the fact that they killed someone, even in self-defense. Let Oscar get some actual training. Let Ozpin reconvene with his inner circle. Let Qrow get some help with his drinking. There’s still plenty of conflict to be had—be it internal, grimm, or (a good arc for the end of the volume) Watts, Tyrian, Cinder, and Neo finally showing up in Atlas. I realize that a lot of people would probably find a volume like that boring, but I think it’s needed after the mess of volume 6. If Ruby and the group ever hope to reach a place where they realize “just keep pushing forward no matter the cost” isn’t always the answer, they need to be in a space where they don’t feel like they have to push forward all the time. Peaceful Argus apparently wasn’t enough; they didn’t take that breathing room to think through a better plan. So slam them into a safe place that’s also governed by rules. Give them boundaries again.

That’s personally what I’d enjoy after all this, but I also recognize that I’m in the minority here for even thinking there are problems that need addressing.

Regardless, we still have a number of practical and thematic questions to answer. Will the group regret starting all this? Will anyone in Argus die because of this attack? Are the Cotta-Arcs in danger? (Please no). Is everyone going to be out of commission because of their aura, or will there be a very convenient second wind? Will Ozpin return in a blaze of power?

We’ll find out next week, and good thing too. I’m ready for the hiatus, folks.

Other Details of Note

Ren’s “Guys!” when he sees that Jaune and Nora are okay is the most wholesome thing. Jaune obviously took a hard hit though, further emphasizing exactly how not ready this group is for another battle.

I like how Qrow needs to jump off the cliff to transform rather than just…heading on over to his left. Like yes, I fully understand this is for practical reasons (showing us the transformation is a whole lot more complex in terms of animation), but it’s still funny in a ‘Qrow’s natural state is to be overly dramatic’ way.

RWBY’s a big fan of the split-screen this volume, isn’t it?

In case anyone missed it, Adam’s comments this episode made it pretty clear that Yang and Blake are set up to be a couple. You don’t ask an ex’s friend “What does she see in you?” That’s very much not the kind of relationship Adam is assuming they have. 

[luthienne]

do you have a masterpost of all of your tags? i adore your blog and would love to be able to look through your posts by theme (but i completely understand if that’s too much work! your blog is wonderful regardless ❤️)

i’ve actually never made one! here you go ♡

#to be human #a kind of holiness #of hope to bite on like a bullet #love as the center of everything #where does such tenderness come from  #here is my hand that will not harm you  #hands are unbearably beautiful they hold onto things they let things go

#the great wound #a dream ago perhaps #la sonnambula #the body as a haunted house #the body is an animal #speechlessness dark like drowning #desire is no light thing #the dark’s his bone #like a house on fire no one else can see #grief is a circular staircase #for myself and for the selves i used to be #and never told the secret that kept me apart from them #all that is musical in us is memory #you bleed and bleed and bleed #and if i cut myself it was you i bled #what has been done is too total to be undone #but we are ghosts only #a kind of drowning #regarde comme ta fille est faite  #every touch is a modified blow #contact is crisis #mon doux clair de lune #sea-longing #lure me deep into the dark pathless woods #in the wild forest  #the flower bloomed and faded  #i will grow i know i know i know  #haven’t i too called out? haven’t i beseeched something winged to do my bidding?

#on memory #on grief #on survival #on storytelling #on writing #on language #unsayable  #on naming  #on silence  #on solitude #on bearing witness

#myth #hero tag #on violence #on rage #there’s no return from a red like that #to be feral #to be monster #typography #compilation #parallels #stills #art #ph  #resources #recs  #text

#music #opera tag #music study tag #my voice

[too-young-to-die-blog1]

See you at the Crossroads

Bei: Bei hadn’t talked to Maxine for an extended period of time, but she seemed nice enough. And he hoped this quest wouldn’t require a whole lot of fighting, so having someone inexperienced shouldn’t be too much of a detriment. He waited quietly outside the Elemental City for the young woman to meet up with him.

Maxine: Maxine was slightly out of breath when she finally made it out of the city. Her group had been late to begin with and getting lost in the Elemental City didn’t really help with catching up, forcing her to run when she didn’t want to leave Bei waiting for too long. “Sorry,” she huffed when she finally reached their meeting point. “So sorry, really. I kinda got held up.”

Bei: “No apologies needed.” Bei assured, shaking his head as he offered her a soft smile. “I haven’t been waiting long, and it gave me a bit to look over the map while I waited.” He managed, nodding his head. “I see you’ve found people in game? I assume only because it seems you participated in the last quest, yeah?”

Maxine: She gave a small nod, obviously relieved at his calm reaction. “So, you found anything interesting?” Suddenly Maxine felt stupid for not coming up with the idea to do some research herself. “Yeah, I did actually.” Mustering a small smile, she nodded again. “I didn’t really expect to find a party. I mean, I started pretty late. But they seemed sweet. It wasn’t too bad.”

Bei: “Hey, starting late is better than not starting at all.” Bei teased, winking at her playfully before he cleared his throat and shook his head. “Nothing yet. I mean, this area of the map over here…” He gestured vaguely to the south west corner. “I’m pretty sure that’s the least explored portion of the map. So maybe whatever the ‘crossroads’ are can be found here?”

Maxine: “Yeah, yeah, I know,” she said with a light smile and an affectionate eye roll. “I just don’t want to fall too far behind, s'all.” Giving a small shrug, she peaked over at the map, nodding. “Method of elimination? Sounds good.”

Bei: “It’s the best option we’ve got, I’m afraid.” He hummed before he closed the user interface then swiped away from himself to discard the screen. Once it disappeared, he straightened out and glanced to Maxine with a smile. “Alright. First thing we need is a boat. Because everything here seems to require trekking cross water for some reason.”

Maxine: “It’s better than nothing, I guess.” Her last quest really lowered her expectations when it came to planning, so she’d gladly take whatever Bei came up with. “Oh, great. What’s better than sailing right?,” she said sarcastically, chuckling sightly. “So, how do we do this? Last time my party pretty much hijacked a boat and sailed it ourselves. Turns out my sailing skills are pretty much non existent.”

Bei: “Not a fan of sailing?” Bei countered, looking at Maxine with amusement before he shook his head and cleared his throat. “My charisma is fairly high… I’m sure I can talk someone into helping us. Besides, the island we’re heading it is literally a quick jaunt over. Like, we shouldn’t be on a ship for more than a couple of hours, if that.”

Maxine: “Not at all,” Maxine replied, pulling a face. “That’s a thing? Just convincing people to do what you want?” This question alone would probably be enough to show that she didn’t take just as much time reading up on the different stats as she probably should have. She gave me small not, the plan sounding solid enough. “Go ahead then. Teach me your ways.”

Bei: “If you’re charisma and luck stats are high enough, yeah.” Bei nodded his head. “Your stats determine a lot for how you interact with the game.” He added then gestured. “Alright, come on. Let’s go find us a ship. We aren’t that far from the harbor.” He murmured and turned to head off through the streets.

Maxine: “That’s amazing,” Maxine blinked, wondering how she didn’t even notice until now. Falling into step with Bei was easy and the walk to the harbour really wasn’t too far. “Which one?”, she asked, gesturing towards the abundance of ships.

Bei: “How about… this one?” Bei gestured vaguely. He lead Maxine up to the ship, and after a bit of sweet talking, they were seated comfortably on the ship. It didn’t take long to make it to their destination, and when they did they made their way off the boat and down onto the shoreline.

Maxine: “Well, that was smooth,” Maxine admitted with a appreciative nod as they made their way down the shoreline. “I almost expected this to be unnecessary complicated,” she said with a shrug before focusing on the way ahead, stretching her hand out and pointing forward when she spotted small puffs of green in the distance. “You see that? I think this is where the jungle starts.” They quickly made their way to where the forest grew thicker, big trees blocking out the sun, presenting all kinds of monsters with perfect hideouts.

Bei: Bei nodded in agreement at Maxine’s assessment. “I agree.” he breathed out. “I guess this is where we bite the bullet and just go for it, huh?” he glanced at the young woman before he quickly equipped his stave. “let’s go fight some monsters.”

Maxine: “That’s the plan,” Maxine agreed with a firm nod, grabbing her stave as well. Making her way into the woods, she tried her best to stay alert, to watch her surroundings as best as she could. Her attacks didn’t do much damage on the high level monsters, but at least it bought them enough time for Bei to finish them. “How much further?” Huffing, she rested her hands on her knees after they killed another monster.

Bei: Bei’s magic, while maybe not the most potent given his level, seemed to work well enough. He dispatched monster after monster with Maxine’s help. Her paused after their most recent victim and pulled up his user interface, daunting at the map. “should be just through these trees here.” he hummed before he glanced up. “you know, for an inexperienced gamer, you’re fairly good.”

Maxine: “Sounds good.” Straightening up, she wiped a few little sweat droplets off her forehead with the back of her hand. Giving Bei warm smile, she tightened her grip around her stave. “Maybe hold back with the compliments until we finished this? You wouldn’t want to jinx this.” She gave a small wink to make it sound like a joke, but she was actually a strong believer in Murphy’s law and really didn’t want to challenge it. “Okay, let’s get this over with,” she said before she made her way through the trees.

Bei: “I believe in positive affirmation.” Bei replied with ease as he leaned his weight on his stave for a moment. “It boosts people’s confidence.” he added before he breathed out and nodded. Once she began to move, Bei quickly followed after. They hadn’t taken but 10 steps before another monster came at them from their right. Bei dispatched of it quickly before they were engaged in a flurry of attacks from various sources. Once they seemed to dispatch of the last enemy, Bei let out an exhausted breath and shift. “I don’t think I took too much damage. How about you?”

Maxine: “Oh, just don’t boost it too much. I can be quite cocky,” she half-joked. Sure, in this reality she was far from it, insecure and scared of almost everything. But back home? Back home Maxine knew her strong points and always made sure everyone else did, too. If Bei hadn’t suddenly attacked the monster, she wouldn’t even have noticed it creeping up on them, but now she was in the middle of another fight. “I think I’m good,” she huffed, patting herself down as if to make sure that all her limbs were still in place. It was then that she noticed what they were standing on. “Bei?” She asked, pointing at the ground, following the coursw of what looked like an old road with her eyes before looking over to her party partner, surprise heavy on her features, but not heavy enough to weigh down her wide grin. “We made it. This is it!”

Bei: Bei glanced back at machine before slowly nodding hours head. “that means the dungeon for has to be around here somewhere. Right?”

Maxine: “Right,” she nodded before she started walking down the road slowly, coming to a halt not long after. A few meters down the road, the path was blocked by a huge stone gate, an eerie atmosphere radiating off it. “This is it,” she wondered aloud, scanning over it before looking over at Bei. “You ready?”

Bei: Bei started at the gate for a long moment before he breathed out. “maybe we should call in a few other people first. We have no idea if the gate will slam closed after us and lock us in.”.

Maxine: “Good call,” she nodded, plopping down on the floor with a sigh. “Let’s wait then.”.

Bei: “I’ll make a post on the message boards and see who we can round up. Why don’t you take a health potion and get a quick nap, yeah?”.

Maxine: “You shouldn’t worry so much.” Actually she was glad he did. It made her feel somehow safe, so when she picked the potion from her inventory, she hesitated before drinking it, giving one more smile and saying a quick “Thanks.” before fixing up her health.