#I put an easter egg in to the last story :3

[wall-legion]

Welcome Commanders~! The Hoelbrak Maid Cafe is Open!

(Welcome to my contribution to NA VS Art Party! This is written from the perspective of being trained as a new employee at the hot new maid cafe in Hoelbrak. Yes, I know it’s weird but please remember I wrote the reason for the charr dance last month. Enough explanation: it’s time to clock in!)

“Hi there!” The norn behind the front counter looks up as you come through the front door, an hour before the cafe is due to open. “You’re the new hire, right? Great! I’m Tora, and I’m the shift lead this morning. Here, the owner put your uniform back here. This is your size, yeah? Okay, good. You go get changed and meet me back out here.” She leads you to the back, and a locker room set up, just off the entryway. There’s a locker already assigned to you, decorated with paper flowers and a tiny welcome banner. Tora leaves you to get changed and, true to her word, is waiting for you when you come back out in your uniform. “You look great! I was a little worried. These can run a little small on some folks, but it looks like a perfect fit on you,” she says with a smile. “C’mon, follow me and I’ll introduce you to everyone who’s working this morning.” You follow her into the cafe proper, and are introduced to the asura Xynni, another norn named Arne, a sylvari named Darragh, and a human named Kennan. Surprised at the gender diversity - after all, thus far you have two female, two male, and one nonbinary coworkers - you ask Tora about this. “Oh, we do that on purpose,” she answers with a laugh. “People see ‘maid’ in the name and come in expecting only females from the various races to be here. It’s a little funny to throw them for a loop. Besides, once they see there’s males too it’s better for business because then we get customers we wouldn’t get otherwise!” You nod after a moment, supposing that makes sense, and Tora pulls you to a table where a menu is awaiting you and has you sit down as the others resume their prep duties for opening. It’s awkward initially as you take your seat: you’re not used to the poofy bow on your back, and it gets caught for a moment on the chair. Tora waits patiently for you to be comfortable before getting started. “Now then,” she begins with a sort of practiced ease, “every guest who comes in is greeted by all available staff with a hearty ‘welcome commander’ when you hear the bell from the door. If you are with a table or a customer, however, don’t interrupt what you’re doing: they come first. The idea is to make our guests feel like they are the most important people in Tyria when they come into have this experience.” She checks your expression to make sure that you’re following along before continuing. “Tables are seated on a rotating basis, and there will be a count maintained by the wait staff at the host station, so that way if you’re assigned there you won’t accidentally give someone too many tables. Not like that isn’t an easy problem to fix, but if someone has had a rough day with a table and you give them one that should have gone to someone else... well, they may let you have a piece of their mind.” You briefly look worried, which she must notice, because she brings her hands up. “Hey, hey hey! Not like you’re going to get yelled at all the time, okay? Just letting you know that people will want to be treated well around here. We want to make sure that people know when they come in that their coworkers are allowed to express their feelings rather than everyone being treated like little restaurant golems. You won’t get in trouble unless you keep doing it or it looks like you’re doing it on purpose. Got it?” You nod, and she smiles. “Good. Now let’s go over this menu. “So because we are the Hoelbrack branch of the maid cafe, we offer the Icebrood menu. It’s really just norn cultural dishes and some specialties that we designed to make fun of Jormag now that they’re gone, and to celebrate where we’re located. The owners are in the process of getting a location set up in Divinity’s Reach and Rata Sum, themed around Scarlet Briar and Mordremoth respectively. But you don’t really need to worry about that unless we need you to transfer. “Every week there’s a new special we’ll be featuring. Since we’re coming into spring, this week we’re debuting a new appetizer called Shiverpeaks Salad using seasonal greens and herbs on it, and a frozen beverage we’re calling Drakkar’s Blood that has fresh strawberries and lime juice in it. You’ll be able to try them both in a little bit, they’re really good! “The rest of the menu is, as I said, typically norn food: roasts and stews, baked vegetable casseroles, fresh breads. Good filling stuff that will make sure you have fuel in you for the adventure you’re about to set off on, that sort of thing. Of course we have some lighter fare for anyone who doesn’t want to eat like they’re at a moot, but where’s the fun in that?” She checks the clock above the bar. “Ooh, we’re getting close on time, aren’t we? Right, here’s the plan for today. I’m going to have you bus tables for this shift so you can learn the work flow, see how the other servers handle the tables, and maybe you can help serve a couple orders or grab drinks if someone’s hands will be full. We’ll go over the drinks menu tomorrow when you come back in. Sound good?” You nod, and watch as she gets back to her feet, picking the menu up as she does. You move to follow, this time sliding a hand behind you to make sure that the bow doesn’t catch on the chair as it moves past. “Excellent. -All right everyone! We have five minutes until open, let’s start final tasks and then do one last look over ourselves to make sure we’re looking sharp!” She keeps speaking as everyone, you included, hustle towards stations to check if everything is ready. “Arne, Kennan, please keep an eye out on our new friend for me please? Thank you! Darragh, I have you scheduled to take a birthday party that is coming in at 1, and that will be a party of eight, so after the initial rush I will be pulling you so we can set that up. Xynni, dearest, your bun is falling out, go fix that.” Xynni dashes off to the bathroom as you check in with Arne and Kennan about the final checklist, and determine that everything is done and ready for opening. As soon as Xynni returns with bun in order, Tora gives everyone a look over. “Thank you Xynni. Everyone, you’re looking as wonderful as can be. Let’s go ahead and show Hoelbrak what we have to offer!” She goes and turns over the open sign on the front door, and not even a moment later the bell rings as guests let themselves in. You take a deep breath and join your coworkers in cheerfully proclaiming, “Welcome commander!”

[the-colourful-witch]

The All the Young Dudes book covers project

I've been working on this fun project in my time off from social media. It consists of three illustrations to use as book covers for All the Young Dudes by MsKingBean89 on Ao3. This book has been the foundation of my involvement in the fandom. It's the first fic I read about the Marauders and I loved it so much! I laughed, and I cried, it was a real rollercoaster. After making the cover for A Brief History of Dragons by Eyra, I caught the bug and started thinking of more covers to illustrate. I loved working on the first cover, but I didn't love doing it on my tablet. At heart, I am a traditional illustrator and for this kind of illustration, I felt paper might work better. So I got to work. I knew I wanted to make three covers. From what I've seen online most people bind their own copies of All the Young Dudes in three parts: Year 1-4, Year 5-7 and Until the End. Therefore, I made three covers. I have not yet digitalized these illustrations, but I'll turn them into downloadable covers for binders to use for their book projects. I am working on binding my own physical copies of AtYD too :) It's fun! Right, to the covers. There's so much to say!

Book One

This is the start of Remus' life at Hogwarts and his friendship with the other Marauders. I wanted it to feel a bit like reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone for the first time. It's the realisation that magic is real, it's that first spark you get when picking up a book you instantly connect with. That was the feeling I wanted to incorporate in this first cover. There are a bunch of little easter eggs for the story and I hope you'll pick them all out. Let me know in the comments what you think they are. Also, for this project, I studied the language of flowers. I am not sure if all my information is correct, but in this one, I put dandelions in the top corners. Dandelions represent new beginnings :)

Book Two

The second half of the Marauders' time at Hogwarts. This part is all about love and loyalty; something I liked a lot! It's also the time when the Marauders complete their animagus transformations. The animals had to be on the cover! That, I knew for sure. I went for a forest theme for this second cover, because of all the mischief the Marauders got up to in the Forbidden Forest during full moons. I used flower language here as well. For every Marauder I picked a flower I felt represented who they are. For Peter, at the top, I chose Bleeding Heart and Belladonna. Both of them represent betrayal and death. Nice and cheery :) For Sirius, on the Right, I chose Bluebell, which represents loyalty. For Remus, on the Left, I chose Acacia, which represents secret love or forbidden love, because he's hiding his sexuality for most of the book. But it's a love flower and in his core Remus is caring and loving, despite his rough edges. For James, on the bottom, I chose violets. And violets represent love at first sight. I know we all know why <3 I like this cover a lot. The picture is a bit grainy, but like I said, I'm still working on digitalising.

Book Three

Last but certainly not least. This book is about war, love and loss. It was definitely the most challenging piece out of the three, but worth the trouble. On this cover, I put Hogwarts at the top, because that's where it all started and where it ends. On the bottom, there's a prophecy, which is about Harry and Voldemort. There are a few gravestones at the bottom. Very cheerful, I know, but if you pay attention, you see a Deathly Hallows on one of them. On the sides are my favourite parts. I like the lily flower in the arms of death, because it's obvious, but also beautiful. I like the Death Eater on the other side because it's spooky. The snakes represent rebirth and Slytherin House, which is important to the story of the Second Wizarding War, connecting good and evil. Once again I put all the flowers in this piece, scattering them around because they're all interwoven in each other's stories. Finally, I want to say something about the three central images. In the first we see Remus as a child. He's alone and scared of the big scary wolf. The three images are a timeline. It represents Remus' relationship with the wolf in him. At first, he despises it and is scared of it. And finally, he stands with it, not quite embracing it, but he's not scared anymore. In the middle, I wanted to show Remus with his friends, because they banished his fear whenever they were together. With his friends, the wolf didn't control Remus and he could control the wolf. I hope it's all clear. I loved working on these pieces and I hope you like them too!

[footprint-in-the-snow]

I actually desperately want someone to explain every reference in the SATVB art please <3

okay so i havent figured out Everything but this is most of what i can gather. sorry there arent links to specific references im not supposed to be doing this i need to be packing for uni 😭 but this is everything off the top of my head !

starting from the left wall theres the peep show poster which matty has said to be his favourite show in a reddit comment, idk what the streets poster is a reference to, the ghost on an island is an antichrist reference 'theres a ghost on this island' and then the petrol can is an its not living reference as 'danny works in a petrol station'

so the back wall obviously the cancelled banner for lols, 4 days since last incident as a general meme reference?, do not use emergency only is likely a reference to mattys abstinence from social media and being a bit OTG, flushed away poster is obvious, the fake matty quote which he never said and was on the problematic, oasis poster as they need to stop marding and get back together!!! from Q with Tom Powell and various other Oasis call outs, Maroon 5 as problemattic beef, Newcastle United as duh, Frozen as he referenced liking frozen in a couple 2014 interviews particularly the moshcam (?) one, idk about the IDs and then the box from the philharmonic orchestra album, the icon from the mind shower detox thing they did for notes which was a 3d tour thing that's still up and then the height chart as matty is short <3 and the good boy points which i dont know what it is referring to specifically but i think its funny

now the window/right wall has la poesie est dans la rue is etched into the tree and is an easter egg in quite a few music videos and is a reference to love it if we made it, the minion i assume is a reference to the deuxmoi thing of matty sending minion memes to a girl, and then a camera i assume is a general comment on the lack of privacy you get as a celebrity and 'house with just three walls' etc

the couch and table has matty smoking and chained to the couch as a reference to the consumption bit and could be reference to the idea that he is stuck in a position of his own doing, hann is a wizard i presume as a hobbit reference? and then the dubai and malaysia flags as he got banned,oxygen tank from consumption, cross due to the religious signposting on his ig story and a juxtaposition to his atheism, thesaurus for those big words, infinite jest as its referenced in sincerity is scary, wine, cigarettes, xanax as a reference to 'Xanax and a newport' in part of the band, i live cum mug from the problemattic, american flag as a lot of their music is informed by Americana especially on notes(? maybe also just because america)

then on the floor here theres the coke bottles as matty cannot be seen without one, the piss/apple juice from when he was spotted with gabbriette, the fox i saw on twitter means temptation so could be a very subtle hint towards temptation from porn and the right and so on, raw meat from consumption and its being 'swept under the rug' so could be a metaphor for matty being problematic and it being glossed over by him, hairdye as there was twitter rumour he dyed his grays and matty has previously said he would not, flame and wok box as the boys used to work there, typewriter from the typed up letters he used to do but u dont know what 'im not a beatnik im a catholic' is a reference to, true romance is one of mattys favourites and was a key inspiration for the robbers video

i have no clue what this is other than human blunt? and seeds and beans? as a gyat reference? help?

this corner has the married computer so man who married a robot, lotion and tissues for activities, cow with glassjaw hoodie as a nod to when we are together and also the nme interview where he mentions that hoodie as the one he put on at 13 and took off at 19 if im correct, grass block from satvb promo, tent could be a nod to reading and leeds? then skeleton with the lab coat i dont know exactly but i think it could be another problemattic reference with me on the brain, and then 2013 george with his blue gatorade as in most gigs you can see his blue gatorade with its own stand!! (though i watched trsmnt the other day and it was orange) and he is producing i think it could have been drawn from a photo but i cba to find it

and last but not least, ross!!! who is also jesus as there were lots of memes surrounding him looking like jesus or being a personal jesus and so on, also could be to do with the problemattic post of ricky gervais on the cross for being an atheist, penguin!! because ross likes penguins, bees are a manchester symbol, beer, robber with the iconic 2014 shirt, greggs sausage roll i presume from when one got thrown onstage but also the twitter meme of 'i saw matty crying in x greggs' and then i think the last on is a mortal kombat character and nearly forgot but ross also has a lamp as he turned off the lamps at the end of when we are together during atvb on stage

[tomorrowxtogether]

TOMORROW X TOGETHER: DEJA VU

TOMORROW X TOGETHER return with their sixth mini-album ‘minisode 3: TOMORROW’, bridging past and future with a narrative deepening their unique musical journey. Both a throwback and a leap forward, It’s an exciting blend of nostalgia and innovation. Read our latest Dork Mixtapecover feature now.

To be a fan these days is a long-term investment, and for those who’ve chosen to follow TOMORROW X TOGETHER, the payoff will be immense. Five years after the South Korean five-piece debuted, they’re returning with their sixth mini-album, the almost-eponymous ‘minisode 3: TOMORROW’ and picking up the Easter eggs they’ve dropped in that time.

It’s the place they’re coming back to on ‘minisode 3: TOMORROW’, their sixth mini-album but tenth release overall (if you’re not following, their releases are split into chapters: ‘Dream’, ‘Chaos’ and ‘Name’, with the ‘minisode’s serving as interludes that build on the group’s lore). Teaser images ahead of the drop show the boys wearing crowns once again, while the accompanying videos feature Morse code beeps originally included in that debut single.

“For those of our fans who have been joining us on the journey from the very beginning, I think they are going to find it very fun and exciting since it’s going to be a throwback to the past,” says TAEHYUN, who’s by far the chattiest member of the group alongside youngest HUENINGKAI.

“The Morse code translates to ‘tomorrow’,” says the latter, “and it’s supposed to symbolise the future that we are going to build together and also give that hopeful vibe that there’s going to be an even brighter future, so we thought that it ties in really well with the overarching concept of this album.”

The lineup is completed by leader SOOBIN, plus eldest YEONJUN and middle child BEOMGYU, all five meeting us from a stark white room somewhere in Seoul at an eye-watering 7:30am, although no hint of tiredness is given away.

“I think this mini-album fully encompasses the albums that we put out previously, and at the same time, I feel like it’s a completely unique TXT-style album,” says TAEHYUN. “Since this album is all about being reminded of the promises that we made in the past, we tried to bring back those memories, and it’s overall like a throwback to our past.”

A rich visual world enhances the elaborate storytelling in the TXT’s discography. Echoing the plots of 80s coming-of-age flicks like Stand By Me and supernatural stories like The Lost Boys, TXT’s music videos follow the boys as they grow up and become increasingly aware of and affected by the adult world.

“For those of our fans who have been joining us on the journey from the very beginning, I think they are going to find it very fun and exciting since it’s going to be a throwback to the past”

When watched chronologically, it spits out something akin to the series inspired by those 80s films too, Stranger Things; starting out bright and innocent in debut ‘CROWN’, before uncovering a darker underbelly in ‘9 and Three Quarters (Run Away)’. What follows is a flip-flop between the two sides, merging over time until they’re indistinguishable from one another, the devil’s temptation piercing the otherwise literal ‘Sugar Rush Ride’ in its chorus and their own Upside Down revealing itself in the real world on last year’s (also very 80s) ‘Chasing That Feeling’.

With a group concept centred around growing up, it’s never been far from what the TXT boys were experiencing in their day-to-day lives, despite all the extra frills. This album’s lead single, ‘Deja Vu, ‘ may expand on their fictional world, but the other tracks are a little more real.

“I definitely feel like I’m growing in my personal life as well,” says TAEHYUN. “In particular, I took part in penning some of the lyrics for one of our tracks, ‘Quarter Life’, in this album, and I felt like as much as we were telling our personal stories, we were also representing, you know, the concerns that people in our generation might have. So, in that regard, I think I’m becoming more mature.”

TXT hit the ground running in March 2019, arriving as one of the first fourth-generation groups to debut as K-pop’s global grip really took hold. Within months, they were on an international tour of the US, and by the time the year was out, they’d picked up numerous Rookie of the Year awards at ceremonies across Asia.

Five years on, and they’ve gone from strength to strength. Far from rookies, 2023 saw TXT headline Lolapalooza in Chicago and finish up their second world tour with two nights at Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome (which apparently clocks in at around 25,000 ticket holders a night). Their third full-length album, ‘The Name Chapter: FREEFALL’, saw them collaborate with boy band royalty Jonas Brothers and Latin pop trailblazer Anitta, proving their prowess as true global stars. But no amount of achievements could fend off the niggling self-doubt that comes with hitting your twenties.

“As soon as we heard the theme of [‘Quarter Life’] we just went, oh, that’s such a perfect theme,” says HUENINGKAI, “because it not only hits home for us, but I thought that the song narrates something that everybody practically could resonate with. The song itself has a very youthful vibe, and it’s a very upbeat stadium rock track that bursts with energy. TAEHYUN and SOOBIN wrote some of the lyrics, too.”

TAEHYUN continues, “It’s supposed to mean a crisis people usually face when they’re crossing that one-quarter mark in their life, which is kind of the same scenario for us as well, so we were already feeling it before the song came along, and then we thought that it completely tied in with our vibes and that it gave us the opportunity to genuinely and authentically talk about our personal feelings. You get the anxiety and feeling of nervousness that there’s so much left in your life still, so I think I thought most about what I should do with the remainder of my life to become a better person, a better human being.”

“We really want to perform in the UK and meet the MOA there; we love the country.”

Now in their mid-twenties, TXT are often regarded as Gen Z leaders, navigating adolescence in tandem with their fans (also known as MOA, which stands for ‘moment of alwaysness’) regardless of how different their lives have been.

“I would have to say that it was our members and MOA that helped me through these challenges and helped me navigate through what I’m coming across in life,” says HUENINGKAI. “So in moments when something was not working out, I would always rely on them, and it’s through them that I can feel that I’ve become more mature as a person.”

“You know, with each passing year, I have a new concern in mind, something hanging over my head,” adds BEOMGYU, “but no matter how long it will take, I try to tackle things one by one and get things sorted out gradually. I think that kind of helps me grow as a person.”

Vast sonic developments over the years have seen TOMORROW X TOGETHER adopt a rock-driven sound across their releases. From the emo-lite ‘0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)’ and ‘LO$ER=LOVER’, to the rapid guitar riffs of ‘Good Boy Gone Bad’, to almost nu metal on recent album opener ‘Growing Pain’. That sound is maintained on ‘minisode 3: TOMORROW’, as glitchy trap-beat single ‘Deja Vu’ gets an amped-up rockier remix as a bonus offering.

Elsewhere on the EP, TXT hop on the ‘K-Pop songs that sound British’ trend (a worthwhile Google) with the UK-house-infused opener ‘I’ll See You There Tomorrow’, while ‘The Killa (I Belong To You)’, performed by oldest members YEONJUN and SOOBIN is a sultry Afrobeats style track that shows another side of growing up.

“Previously, we only tried to make some of the sensuous songs mildly sexy with just a hint of sexiness,” TAEHYUN teases. “But this track ‘The Killa’ goes all in; it’s a full-out sexy vibe exuding from the song, so I’m really looking forward to how the two will perform on the stage and pull that song off. It’s gonna be really intense,” he says, theorising what future performances might be like.

As they prepare for their third world tour, titled ‘Act: Promise’, they’re visiting new territories in the US; although they’re still yet to cross the pond for European shows, the boys are hoping that will change.

“You know, we just want to keep putting out songs and performances that everybody can resonate with and relate to that is uniquely TOMORROW X TOGETHER and that represents our unique identity and colour,” YEONJUN says.

“I really want to go,” adds HUENINGKAI. “We really want to perform in the UK and meet the MOA there; we love the country.”

“The UK is home to many of the legendary rock bands, and in the K-pop scene TXT the definition of rock, so it’s meant to be,” TAEHUYN claims.

Although this mini album sees TOMORROW X TOGETHER pulling from their own past, their mindset stays true to their namesake as they push themselves forward once again. ■

[dukeofdogs]

Geralt of Gwent

In this post I’ll be walking you through the magical thing that is the art of putting Geralt on various Gwent cards.

Let’s start with the “Geralt” named cards that you probably saw already. Here we have Geralt of Rivia (Marek Madej), Geralt: Professional (Dave Rapoza) and the five Witcher 3 signs: Geralt: Igni (Anna Podedworna), Geralt: Yrden (Anna Podedworna), Geralt: Aard (Bartłomiej Gaweł), Geralt: Axii (Manuel Castanon), Geralt: Quen (Oleksandr Kozachenko).

Now, on to the “obviously Geralt would be in these cards, but the cards are not named after him” category:

Our guy is seen looking at Roache’s shenanigans on the Roach (Anna Podedworna) card and enjoying a nice time with Dandelion in Sunset Wanderers (Anton Nazarenko).

One of my favorite cards (mechanic-wise) are Runewright and  Dulla kh'Amanni (Astor Alexander). Here we can observe the same scene of Geralt doing business with Dulla from two different places and considering that these two cards only work when they’re played together I think it makes these two art pieces even more amazing.

Now, here are the less obvious ones. These three cards are: Vanhemar (Chris Rallis), Olaf (Bartłomiej Gaweł) and Jutta an Dimun(Nemanja Stankovic). All three artworks portray scenes from Witcher 2 and Witcher 3. On the fisrt one Geralt is about to be executed by Vanhemar, on second he’s about to brawl with a bear and on third, you can see his shadow after defeating Jutta in a duel.

Here we have Renfri’s Gang (Toni Muntean), where we can see an illustration from The Lesser Evil short story.

In Siegfried of Denesle (Lorenzo Mastroianni) you can spot him in the crowd.

It wasn’t 100% confirmed that the guy on Pact (Zuzanna Kapuścińska) is Geralt, but we just assume it is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ On Sly Seductress (Daniel Valaisis) you can see Geralt having some good time sleeping.

Last but not least is Beggar (Daniel Valaisis) where you can see a very handsome Geralt drawing (alongside other characters) made by the titular Beggar. This card contains another easter egg! In it’s premium version, you can see shadows of characters from Thronebreaker that are casually passing by the guy! See for yourself in this post.

[motheta]

after much thought i think i give the Yu Yu Hakusho live action either a 5.5/10 or a 6/10...maybe a score higher depending on my mood.

I went into it thinking it was just going to be the spirit detective plus the Yukina rescue arc, but when I saw the trailer I noticed they were fighting Toguro so i was like...are we going straight to the dark tournament arc?

turns out that wasn't the case, and the live action adaptation was actually a mix of spirit detective, Yukina arc, AND a few important fights from dark tournament all blended together, and the producers did their own thing to tie it all in and basically made their own story with it, so basically there was added filler and many alterations. and while there WAS disappointing aspects to this (ex: what they did with genkai's character) I actually found myself quite impressed with how they pulled this off and tied everything together.

starting off with scenes I liked:

- kuwabara's introduction and his fight with yusuke. this scene was so funny and was adapted very well. the music in it was perfect and that drop kick yusuke gave him at the end made me laugh my ass off. totally how I would picture it playing out in live action

- the Smile Bomb needle drop that they threw in there coming from the truck driver's radio, loved that little easter egg

- kuwabara trying to stop yusuke from saving kurama because he doesn't want to lose yusuke again. and the exchange they had after with yusuke being like "earlier I was eating ramen, will you get another one for me?" and kuwabara laughs and says "alright fine" and runs up to him to throw his arm around him while some touching music was playing in the background, i thought that was so sweet and represented their dynamic well

- yusuke fighting the yokai in episode 2!!! some of the best fight choreography I've seen in a while. everything was incredibly dynamic and satisfying to watch. the cgi was also pretty good in this scene

- that one addition of keiko getting mad at yusuke and telling him he should go die in the scene right before he gets hit by the truck. and then her immediately feeling guilty for his death after the fact because she feels like it was her fault and those were her last words to him. I dont know why I really liked this part. it displayed a sort of survivors guilt that a lot of people feel while mourning the death of someone

- keiko in general in this adaptation was an absolute badass and I loved how they portrayed her! I would go as far as saying this adaptation of her is better than the manga and the anime...lol

- loved botan and koenma. I know a lot of people are saying they wish they kept him as a baby, which would be hilarious but how would they even go about doing that? not like they can get an infant on set to start reading lines.

now for things I didn't like...

- showing genkai's death so early on was such a mistake, I get that it was necessary for incorporating toguro vs yusuke but there was absolutely no emotional factor if she was just on for, what, 10 minutes?

- they shouldn't have tried to adapt dark tournament fights AT ALL if they were just going to put them in the same arc as the yukina rescue arc, it didn't really make sense. they basically got rid of the entire dark tournament arc as a whole

- the cgi was amazing in some scenes...and then questionable in other scenes...

- wasn't really impressed with hiei's character portrayal in this and im not sure why, the actor was great, but i didn't like his live action design and we didn't see much of his character

- no shizuru </3

- it was only 5 episodes and it could've been adapted as a movie especially if they intend on keeping it a stand alone show with one season

thats basically all of my thoughts towards it, If you're a fan of yu yu hakusho and you're hesitant to watch it, I still recommend it!! I found it to be very entertaining and I feel like it had more impressive moments over cringe/disappointing moments. Just go into it knowing its a slightly loose adaptation :)

[blazingcobaltx]

Honestly, Legend of Korra Book 1 is a solid 9/10. I've always thought so, from the moment I first watched it, but after my latest rewatch that belief has been reinvigorated.

Yeah, it would have been an easy 10/10 if the ending felt less rushed, if Korra's sudden airbending had been given more depth. But considering they initially only had this one season, it makes sense for them to wrap it up on a good note (and have an Aang Easter egg).

And yes, there's also Makorra as the smelly elephant in the room, but you know what? I'm not even that bothered by it. It doesn't overshadow the good things Legend of Korra does, and it does a lot of good.

Fandom brain really exists, and I think many of us watching at that moment were influenced moreso by what LOK could have been rather than what it was. I was one of those people for sure, but that not exactly a fair way to engage with a piece of fiction. When you look at Book 1 just as it is, and let the story - not your expectations - lead you, you see that it is full of well-paced action, good suspense, rounded characters, and enough humour to keep it all light. With the limited time they have, the worldbuilding is enough to make you interested in the world without creating many more questions. Simply put, it is hype as fuck.

And Korra herself, the fandom really mistreated. Many people disliked her abrasiveness and arrogance, but the whole point is that her naivety to the world feeds her behaviour in both good and bad ways. This is literally baby's first outing, baby's first political intrugue, and baby's first romance. She is a character that clearly has to learn a lot about herself and the world, but instead of appreciating that character arc many instead gave her shit.

I felt the need to make this post because I think we all gave the show a little too much shit during its runtime. With the abysmal Book 2 following after this is not surprising, as it unintentionally retcons a lot of the good things from Book 1. My last rewatch of LOK actually died at Book 2 because it was that unbearable. This time I will jump straight to 3 and 4 (which I haven't watched since its original airing), and will report back to you later with my thoughts.

[eddie-sweetheart]

🏕 Camp Lovers Lake - Chapter Five 🏕

An Eddie Munson x Female Reader summer camp story. Set just before the beginning of season 3 of Stranger Things, with a few diversions from the original plot of the series.

🏕 Chapters List

Pairing and tropes • Eddie Munson x Henderson Female Reader - fluff, forced proximity, slightly slow burn, summer camp clichés ♥︎

Summary • June, 1985. Close to the city of Hawkins, Indiana, the placid waters of Lovers Lake stand as the perfect background for the homonymous summer camp, where you’re about to be a counselor for the last time before senior year and then, hopefully, college. Your brother Dustin Henderson won’t be with you this year, as he’s chosen to attend Camp Know Where until July - but with your best friend Robin Buckley at your side and the unexpected addition of Steve Harrington to your duo, the upcoming months seem to promise endless fun and exciting adventures nonetheless. However, as you get closer to Eddie Munson, resident metalhead and drug dealer who’s been forced by his uncle to work at Camp Lovers Lake after another missed graduation, your plans for the summer might have to go in an unexpected direction.

Warnings • Cursing, possible mentions and/or depictions of violence, sexually suggestive language. Having no idea where this is going myself, you’ll need to be 18+ to read this fic just in case!

Chapter notes • Driven by desperation, I managed to finish this chapter exactly before leaving for my summer holidays ✨ Be patient with the slow burn, it will be worth it I promise! Also, if you can spot the little movie-related Easter egg I put in this chapter, let me know ;)

Chapter word count: 6.7k

🌹 Masterlist 🌹

After the bonfire, you, Steve and Robin start hanging out with Gareth, Jeff and Eddie more and more every day - and time starts running just a little bit faster. 

In the following days, even if you’re often paired with other counselors on your different tasks, you always find a way to spend some time together. You have now reclaimed your own spot at the counselors' table in the Headquarters, where you all sit together both at lunch and dinner - during which you’ve discovered Gareth’s pure disdain for vegetables and Eddie’s preference for chocolate cake over apple pie. 

Sometimes, you even find each other hanging out together outside one of your cabins before bedtime, sitting on the creaky, wooden steps of the tiny porch in the late evening warmth, with crickets chirping in the background as Robin snickers at Jeff’s jokes or Eddie comes up with a witty remark at Steve’s attitude. In those moments, you look at them in the dim light of the sunset and your heart warms a little as you realize that becoming friends with a couple of nerdy metalheads and an ex-popular heartthrob who just graduated high school is not what you expected for the summer - but it’s way better than you thought. 

And thank god you’ve made friends with a group of musicians, you think as you now stride towards dinner with a couple of scribbled paper sheets and a pen under your arm, because you desperately need all their songwriting skills right now.

As the main door opens under the push of your hands and you start scanning the room once you get in, it doesn’t take much for you to find your friends. They’re sitting at the usual table (your table, you think with a smile) and as you make your way past the other campers to reach them, you feel your cheeks blush lightly and a soft smile bloom on your lips as you notice that Eddie’s there, too.

Well, of course he is - why wouldn’t he? But, even if you've all started hanging out together whenever you can, every time you catch a glimpse of his messy hair and bright grin, you still can’t help but be pleasantly surprised at how he wiped the idea you had of him completely clear now that you’ve gotten to know him better. After the grim (and probably prejudiced) description Steve made of him during the first camp dinner, you pictured him as a dark, dangerous guy with a troubled life - but you would have never imagined that he is, instead, a funny, witty, passionate and overall nice person to be around. And you like to have him around - a lot. As a friend, of course. A friend that also happens to look extremely handsome every time he bursts out in a laugh that can light up a whole room-

You shake these thoughts away as you finally approach the table, slamming the papers on the wooden surface and startling the whole group with your arrival.

“Jesus, y/n” Steve exclaims, clutching his chest with one hand, “you really need to stop doing this”.

“At least this time it’s not a tray full of perilously balanced food” Robin observes, scooting to the side to let you sit down between her and Steve. “What took you so long? There’s not much food left, and I was not ready to fight some prepubescent kid to save an extra serving of spaghetti for you - And also, what is that?” She asks you as you plop down on the bench that runs along the table, pointing a finger at the files you’ve brought with you.

“This” you reply with a sigh, your eyes shooting up across the table to Eddie, Jeff and Gareth as you tap lightly on the sheets, “is something I need your help with”.

The three of them stop eating and exchange some surprised looks, eyebrows furrowed and mouths agape in confusion as their forks hang in mid-air. 

“Our help? With writing?” Gareth asks, trying to get a closer look at the scribbled and scratched words on the paper, “I don’t know how we could-“

He suddenly stops with a hiss of pain, one hand darting under the table to massage his leg as he swiftly turns towards Eddie. “Dude, what the hell?”

Eddie, however, ignores him and focuses on you, his deep brown eyes casually wandering over your face as he props his head on one ringed hand. “Shoot it” he chimes with a nod, “we’ll do our best”.

You thank him with a smile. “As you all know” you explain, “the big treasure hunt is tomorrow”

“Treasure hunt?” Eddie and Steve exclaim in unison, exchanging a puzzled look as Robin rolls her eyes.

“Yeah, dinguses” she says, her eyes darting between the two. “Haven’t you checked the schedule? You’ll be both on patrolling duty”.

The two guys lift their eyebrows in confusion, but you dismiss their perplexity and bring the focus back to your papers by hitting them with the palm of your hand. “For the hunt, we need to set up and hide hints all over camp” you continue. “You know, like, little pieces of burned paper that resemble pirate parchment or something of that kind”. 

“That’s Mr. Smithson’s idea” Robin chips in, addressing Steve and Eddie, “the kids love that stuff”.

Across the table, Gareth nods absentmindedly with a smirk, probably thinking about last year’s hunt and how he managed to redirect everyone to the bathrooms by misplacing all the hints and creating utter chaos.

“The thing is” you go on, rotating the papers upside down so that they face the three guys in front of you, “the hints need to rhyme. And I have to write them, which I’ve been trying to do for the past three hours, but I can’t find the right words or make them sound good for the life of me. So, I thought-“ your words falter as you realize that probably this is stupid, or it might even offend them - but you’ve gone so far now, so you have to shoot your shot. “I thought that maybe you could help me with that”.

Three pairs of eyes move up from the papers and land on you, puzzlement still permeating their look.

“You know” you hesitantly add, mentally crossing your fingers, “you’re in a band, and you write music… and lyrics… I thought you’d be way better at this than me”.

Indeed, you remembered how Eddie talked about Corroded Coffin during the hike, and how it impressed you finding out that they even write and perform a couple of original songs - that’s why, in the heat and stress of the moment, you thought about asking them for a little help. And right now you really, really hope that wasn’t presumptuous of you - as Max Mayfield, another of Dustin’s friends, would definitely say.

Once you finish speaking, Eddie is the first to smile, and you realize that most of your nervousness actually depended on his reaction. You smile back, and remember to breathe again - not noticing Robin’s narrowed gaze and slight smirk as she stares at the two of you.

“Let me see” Eddie says, grabbing the paper sheets and the pen you’re handing him as Jeff and Gareth huddle closer, the food left on their trays now forgotten. They start to read what you’ve written so far, occasionally exchanging a few words that Eddie diligently reports on the paper with messy, slightly crooked handwriting.

While they work under the intrigued stare of Robin and Steve, you stand up to go get whatever food’s left - and when you walk back to your table, you’re too distracted by Gareth and Jeff’s sudden arguing about which word rhymes better with “pinecone” to catch the mean glare Jason Carver throws towards your group.

— 🏕 —

The following day, the atmosphere pervading every inch of camp is filled with electricity - and not just the one coming from the excitement and expectation of the young campers, who are ready to dart in every direction to find the trail of clues you and a few other counselors hid around the area and in the surrounding grove before breakfast. 

The buzzing on the ground is indeed matched by a similar tension in the sky, as dark heavy clouds hiding sudden flashes of light are looming beyond the line of the trees across Lovers Lake, a stark contrast to the bright blue above the cabins.  

And it’s exactly the thunderstorm that seems to be approaching camp with relentless slowness the main topic of the last-minute meeting you’re holding in the staff room behind the Headquarters, where Mr. Smithson is showing you today’s weather bulletin. 

“The storm shouldn’t be here until later tonight” the camp director is saying, slightly rising his tone to overcome the nervous chatter of all the counselors crammed in the room. “So, the treasure hunt will still be held, but with a few extra precautions” he adds as he nods towards one of the older girls, who starts rummaging through some drawers in the back of the room. After a few seconds of loud poking around, she ends up taking out a box of walkie-talkies. 

“You will do your patrolling rounds in couples” Mr. Smithson continues, while the background talking finally lowers at the sight of the devices, curiosity taking over everyone - you and your friends included. “I’ll read you the list before you head out. Each of the couples will be equipped with a walkie-talkie - you can use it to communicate with everyone else and to facilitate an eventual regrouping of the kids in case the weather conditions worsen faster than we predict. Those who are not on patrol duty will be helping Mrs. Janet with the food. Snacks have already been made for lunch, so you will make sure that everything’s ready for dinner”. 

“For once I’m glad I’m on kitchen duty” Robin states, happily drumming her fingers on the table beside you. “I’ll be free the whole morning while you guys will have to deal with crazy kids running around the woods with a storm incoming. You should really start worrying” she chimes as she turns around to look up with a slightly mocking smile at Steve, Eddie, Gareth and Jeff - who are standing on their feet behind your chairs due to the lack of seats in the full room. 

“Thanks for rubbing that in, Buckley” Eddie observes with his trademark lilt, arms crossed on his chest as he flashes her an ironic upside-down smile. “Don’t get offended if I’ll never come to you for friendly advice in the future, ‘kay?”

The idea of Eddie confiding in Robin for whatever reason makes you let out a low chuckle, but Robin is quick to notice it. 

“Laugh all you want, y/n” she jokingly says, nudging you lightly, “but you’ll be out there in the rain, too”. 

You attempt to reply, but you’re interrupted by Mr. Smithson’s declaration of the patrolling pairings for the day. Once a couple is called, they get up and head towards the door, grabbing a walkie-talkie on the way out. 

Thankfully, you’re paired with Steve this time, so you’re glad that you’ll be able to spend the day in good company.  You’ll be monitoring the kids along the banks of the lake, very close to the Headquarters (and, consequently, to eventual shelter from the rain); the same goes for Jeff and Gareth, who’ve ended up together after switching partners on Gareth’s idea. Eddie, instead, is the one who has it worse: he’s been positioned in the closer edges of the woods with none other than Tammy Thompson, who looks more scared to be with him than of the low rumblings in the sky that can be heard in the distance. 

As he walks away with the girl, the almost funny contrast between his unimpressed expression and her almost terrified and pleading one making you unexpectedly sorry for him, an idea pops into your mind. 

“Steve” you exclaim, suddenly turning towards him, “why don’t you and Eddie switch places?”

Steve looks at you with a bewildered expression in his eyes, and you immediately realize that blurting that out like that could lead to a number of misunderstandings. 

“I mean, you’re very, uhm… close with Tammy” you explain, “and you could spend more time together this way. Also, she doesn’t look very comfortable around Eddie… I don’t think it’s the best feeling for him, as well, being judged like that”. You hope he understands that you’re asking this for Eddie, with a possible advantage for Steve himself; sure, you really wouldn’t mind spending the day with Eddie - on the contrary, a very deep part of you hidden beneath your chest is already exulting at the idea, but that’s not really the point right now. 

“Yeah, I think we can do that” Steve hesitantly replies, confusion still hinting through his tone - but as you both look back towards the trees you realize that you’ve lost sight of the two other counselors. 

“Too late, I guess” he adds with a small sigh, patting your shoulder with one hand as he catches the disappointment on your face. “He’ll be alright, though, don’t worry. She’s harmless, and I believe he doesn’t care that much about what she thinks” he tells you with a small smile. 

“Yeah, yeah, of course” you quickly reply, not very convinced about that last part. “You’re the one who’s dating her, so I will take your word on that”. 

“Actually” Steve speaks again as the two of you start walking towards the dark waters of the lake, “I don’t think we’ll date any longer. We’ve actually never properly dated, to be honest”. 

You look at him in surprise. “And why would that be, heartbreaker?” You jokingly ask him, causing him to smile. 

“I don’t think she’s the right one for me” Steve shrugs, “she kept going on and on about my hair and how I look even better up close and stuff like that” he continues while you listen, your smile softly matching his as he reveals a new side to you. “I mean, of course I like receiving compliments - I don’t spend an hour in the morning to get this bad boy to look this good for nothing” he adds, passing one hand through his actually perfect hair, “but I’m not just that. I’d love to talk about other things, too, you know?”

As you finally reach the edge of the water, it’s your turn to pat his shoulder. “I have to agree with you on this one, Steve” you tell him, “you’re actually a very nice guy with a lot to say, under all that Farrah Fawcett hairspray”. 

Steve’s cheeks blush slightly as his eyes widen in surprise. “How do you even know I use that?”  

“Someone I know might have mentioned that” you reply with a laugh. 

“Dustin” Steve exclaims, clapping one hand to his forehand as he realizes. “I swear to god, next time I see him-“

“Harrington, Henderson, are you in position?” Mr. Smithson’s voice croaks through the walkie-talkie, cutting Steve’s words off. 

“Yes sir” he replies, his tone still slightly annoyed from your conversation. 

“Good” the director states, before making the final announcement. “Attention everyone: we’ve just given the go-ahead to the campers. The hunt starts now!”

As soon as those words are uttered, you can hear the excited cries of the younger campers as they start scattering all over - some running along the lake and passing next to you and Steve, others darting beyond the cabins and towards the woods. 

The following hours go by without anything exciting or noteworthy really happening - except a little kid tripping on a misplaced stone on the shore and needing to be escorted back to the Headquarters for a little fixing up.

You and Steve spend most of the time chatting, playing silly word games and riddles and walking up and down the edge of the lake with the walkie-talkie in your hand. 

The dark clouds seem to have slowed down their approach, so you forget about them for a while - until, after you’ve had your packed lunch on the pier, your eyes always fixed on the shore, a low rumble makes your gaze shoot up. Right above you, the sky has turned completely gray, with flashes of light peaking through the now thicker and messier clouds. 

Steve throws a glance at his wristwatch, his brows furrowing in concern. 

“It’s 2 pm” he states, answering the silent question in your eyes. “And it doesn’t look like it’s going to hold for much longer”. 

“Do you think we should start calling the kids in?” You ask, clutching your own naked arms as a sudden gush of wind makes shivers run on your skin. 

Steve thinks on it for a second, but just as he is about to reply his word are cut off by the sudden buzzing of the walkie-talkie, followed by Mr. Smithson’s voice. 

“To all counselors, please regroup the campers and head back to the Headquarters” the director announces with a hurried tone, “seems like the storm is about to break sooner than we expected. See you in 15 minutes. Over and out”. 

You and Steve almost jump to your feet as you swiftly walk back, calling and sending every kid you meet along the lake’s shores back towards the main building.  After a few minutes, when no one else is in sight, you follow them to the Headquarters’ porch, where the staff and the other counselors are doing a headcount of the campers as they walk inside the main room.

Robin’s there too, leaning against the wooden railing as she worriedly scans the sky. You and Steve walk up to her, earning a grin as you reach her.

“You’re lucky this thing was called off” she exclaims, winking at you as she nods towards the kitchen. “I managed to steal a couple of chocolate chip cookies, we can have them with the hot choc we’ve made for the kids”.

“Sounds like a plan” Steve replies, shivering at the chilly breeze that’s getting more and more intense by the minute.

“An amazing plan, I’d say” you add as your stomach growls in agreement, causing Robin to chuckle. 

“Then let’s get you inside, dinguses” she jokingly says, turning around and making her way past the other counselors crowding the porch to head towards the door with Steve right behind her, running his own hands up and down his arms to warm them up.

As you throw a last glance at the trees and pines beyond the cabins, billowing and bending under the growing strength of the wind, you suddenly stop in your tracks.

“Guys, wait” you exclaim, grabbing Steve and Robin by the back of their camp t-shirts just as they’re about to set foot inside. When their gaze follows yours, they see Jeff and Gareth rushing towards the Headquarters from the woods. When they reach you, panting and sweating from the effort of avoiding the upcoming rain, Gareth leans against the wooden wall of the building while Jeff greets you between a deep breath and the other.

“Jesus, that was one hell of a run” he states with both hands on his hips as he continues to breathe, “have you guys seen Eddie? He wasn’t here when we came back from our spot, so we went looking for him” he continues, rubbing one hand on his forehead, “but he’s nowhere to be found”.

“Yeah, no shit” Gareth adds, finally catching his breath, “we even tried to contact him on the radio, but he never replied”.

An abrupt weight drops on your stomach at Jeff’s words, the thought of Eddie being out there with a storm coming worrying you more than you expected. 

“No, man, we haven’t seen him” Steve replies, while you and Robin start scanning the porch to check for him. As much as you’d be relieved to see his tall figure towering over the few counselors that are still outside, Jeff’s statement still holds true: he’s not there. However, a blonde ponytail catches your gaze - and that’s when you know that something’s not right.

“Hey, Tammy” you call out, waving at Tammy Thompson once she turns around. She sees you and starts walking towards you, flashing glimpses of turquoise eyeshadow as she bats her eyes at Steve.

“Hi Y/n, Robin” she briefly greets you and Robin, whose slight blush disappears as soon as Tammy turns to look up a Steve with a wink. “Hello, handsome” she flirtatiously says, her southern accent noticeable in her voice as she curves her lips in a big smile - which turns into a less genuine one as she becomes aware of Jeff and Gareth’s presence behind you.

Steve hesitantly smiles back, but you’re quick to take him out of his embarrassment by addressing her again.

“So, Tammy” you begin, hoping to get some answers out of her. “Where’s Eddie? He was with you during patrol, right?”

Tammy looks at you with big, clueless eyes. “You mean Munson?” She asks, permed curls falling on her shoulder as she tilts her head. “Sorry, haven’t seen him”.

“What do you mean you haven’t seen him?” Robin interjects, any leftover trace of her previous crush on the girl now completely gone. “You didn’t walk back here with him when Mr. Smithson canceled the treasure hunt?”

“Oh, God no” Tammy replies, the ghost of her smile now turning into a slightly annoyed grimace. “I left him in the woods”.

“You did what?” Gareth exclaims, taking a few steps closer with raging eyes just to find himself blocked by Steve’s arm.

“You left him in the woods? Alone? Does he at least have the-” Steve calmly asks Tammy, but he cuts the question off once his gaze falls on the walkie-talkie that she is fidgeting with. “Jesus, you took the walkie-talkie with you?” He blurts out, one hand nervously rushing through his hair.

“God, Steve, calm down” Tammy exclaims, taking a step back. “He was being all creepy, trying to make some conversation and then being completely silent - also, after what Jason told us, I really didn’t want to spend more time alone with him than it was necessary, so I left as soon as I heard Mr. Smithson on here” she explains, waving the walkie-talkie in front of you. “Munson said he saw a kid walking off the trail and he wanted to go get him, so I didn’t think it was necessary to wait for him. He basically left me alone in the woods” she concludes with a snort, her words causing you all to look at each other with worry.

You don’t even want to know what she means with her reference to Jason Carver, not now at least. “Steve, we need to go look for him” you plainly state, your whole body tense and ready to sprint towards the trees. “It’s dangerous to be in the woods with a thunderstorm, and he doesn’t know the area. We need to hurry”.

Tammy raises her eyebrows at you in genuine curiosity. “Why do you even care so much about someone like him?”

Her question is met by five pairs of glaring eyes. “Because he’s our friend” you all reply in unison, startling her as she looks back and forth between all of you to focus back on Steve.

“Geez, Harrington, I thought you shared everyone’s opinion that Munson’s a freak” she blurts out at him, her head shaking in disbelief.

You might want to punch her here and now, but Steve gently places a hand on your arm and speaks. 

“Listen, Tammy” he tells the girl, who’s standing between you and the porch steps, “I might have been a dick in the past, but I regret it and I’m trying to be better than that. Yes, I might have thought of Eddie Munson as a freak once, but I know better now - and you should too. He’s a person, just like me and you, except he’s probably nicer. Now, please move, we have to go”.

Flabbergasted, Tammy stares at you in complete silence as you and Steve turn back to Jeff, Gareth and Robin.

“Wait for us here, and keep your walkie on” you state, completely ignoring Tammy, “we’ll update you as soon as we can”. 

“Got it” Jeff replies with a nod, his eyes following you as you move past a still astonished Tammy Thompson and head towards the cabins and the grove beyond them.

The low rumbles coming from the sky accompany you along the whole path, often paired with flashes of lightning that create long, yellow veins across the dark clouds. It’s still early afternoon, so you can clearly see the trail you’re walking on, the same one you took when you went on the hike on the second day of camp - but this time, the strong wind that’s running through the forest slows you and Steve down a bit, causing the branches and leaves to shake uncontrollably in your line of vision. 

“Uhm, y/n, you know where we’re going, right?” Steve asks you, moving a particularly long branch away from you to let you pass. 

You nod firmly, your eyes stuck on the path ahead. “Besides the shortcut to the bonfire spot, this is the only trail leaving from camp. He mustn’t be far - hopefully” you state, stopping every now and then to listen to your surroundings, examining the woods around you to look for any trace of Eddie’s presence. 

Steve looks at you as you keep moving forward, his eyes investigating your worried expression. “Don’t you think that maybe we… we should have warned the staff? Set up a search party or something?”

“A… a search party?” You stop in the middle of the trail and turn to Steve, your eyes now filled with dread at the idea that maybe you underestimated the situation: why did you have to rush like that, away from camp without telling anyone? And why did it have to be you looking for Eddie? His friends know him better, they could probably find him faster…

As soon as Steve catches your quickened breath and quivering lips, he rushes to you, reassuringly placing both his hands on your shoulders. 

“I’m sure he’s fine, y/n” he tells you, looking straight into your eyes, “I really do. But since this thing up here seems to be moving pretty fast” he adds, motioning with one hand towards the sky, “and we are quite deep into the woods, maybe we should head back and tell Mr. Smithson. Then the staff could come out here and help look for him before the storm hits-“

“Shhh” you suddenly cut him off, placing your index finger on your lips, your eyes wide as you listen to the woods around you. “Do you hear that?”

Steve looks left and right, trying to find any sound that isn’t the rustling of the leaves and bushes or the wind blowing through the trees. Then, he hears it too - a low but not too distant high pitched voice, yelling something that sounds extremely close to “shit”. 

As Steve’s eyes widen, you let out a short chuckle filled with relief. “Eddie?” You start crying out, moving fast towards the sound, which is coming from the right side of the path. 

“Eddie, where are you?” You and Steve both scream, getting off the trail and into the bushes. 

A loud rumble covers whatever response you get, but it doesn’t take much for you to find the source of the voice. With Steve following you close, you keep walking in the same direction, until you turn up in a very small clearing among some pine trees. There, frantically pacing on the soft grass, you finally see Eddie. 

“Shit, shit, shit” he’s nervously yelling, his hands tearing at his unmistakable curly hair, “it all looks the fucking same, for Christ’s sake-“

You stop in your tracks at the sight, making Steve almost bump into you at the edge of the clearing - but you don’t care, because sweet relief is filling your chest and reminding you how to breathe. 

“Eddie!” You call his name one last time, making him turn around with a startle. 

“Y/n?” He exclaims - and as soon as he realizes that it’s actually you, a smile finally breaks on his lips as he rushes towards you. “Thank god, I was starting to think I was fucked for good”. 

You sprint to him, too, your lips matching his grin - but both of you stop just before you crash into each other. 

“You’re- you’re here” he stutters, his hands wavering in the air as you let out a chuckle, “you found me”. 

“Yeah” you reply, your eyes meeting his, “we did”. 

“We…?” He asks, but as he utters those words he notices Steve walking up into the clearing as well. 

“Oh, hello Harrington” Eddie casually says, his cheeks blushing with… embarrassment?

“‘Sup, man” Steve replies, greeting him with a wave, “you gave me and y/n here quite the scare. How did you even get lost?”

Eddie’s eyes dart between you and Steve, his expression now unreadable. “I, uh… I think I saw one of those little shi- one of those kids running around, so I thought I’d grab him and take him back” he explains, casually walking up to a tree and unexpectedly throwing a few soft punches at its trunk, making you and Steve look at him with confusion. “You know, didn’t want them to be left out here in the fucking apocalypse. But I guess no one was actually there, so… yeah”. 

“Well, thank god y/n rushed to your rescue then. Not even the fucking apocalypse could stop her” Steve says as he makes air quotes with a knowing smile, earning a death glare from you. 

Eddie’s gaze turns back on you. “You- it was your idea? To come get me?” he asks you, his expression softening again. 

You hesitate, not knowing what and how much to let out in the open (wait, is there something to let out about it?). “Uh- yeah, I mean, I know the area so I thought we could find you fast enough” you blabber, not really knowing if your words make any sense. 

Eddie seems like he’s about to reply, but anything he wanted to say is abruptly cut off by a loud crackle - signalling the first thunder finally falling closer to the woods. 

“Time to get out of here, guys” Steve exclaims, urging you to follow him back to the path. 

You walk fast behind Steve, Eddie marching beside you as you make your way back to camp. No one speaks, as you’re all focused on making it through the vegetation in the now darkened light before all hell breaks loose. And you almost make it. 

As you reach the final stretch of the path before the woods thin out to reveal the cabins, the first few, thick droplets of rain start pattering on the ground and on you, causing dark splotches to appear on the green sleeves of your camp t-shirts. 

You quicken your pace, but it’s too late now: in a matter of seconds, after a few more claps of thunder and rumbles, heavy rain is washing over you, the last trees of the grove offering you little shelter. 

“Run!” Steve cries out, sprinting towards the cabins and, further ahead, the safe and dry main room of the Headquarters. 

You move to do the same, not completely sure if you’re going to make it before you get soaked to your bones - but your thoughts turn into a completely different direction as the feeling of Eddie’s hand grabbing yours and pulling you into a run with him hits you like lightning. 

As your legs rush ahead on their own, rain pouring around you in the most intense summer shower you’ve ever witnessed, time seems to slow down for a moment. All your senses are pulled towards the point where your palm is touching Eddie’s skin, where the hard metal of his rings occupies the space between your fingers, where - if you could focus a bit better right now - you swear you could feel his heartbeat. 

The moment breaks suddenly and you realize you’ve made it to the front porch of the Headquarters. Soaked, yes, but safe and sound beside Eddie and Steve

“That was fun - shit” Eddie states with a grin, strands of curly hair plastered to his face as he looks down on you. As soon as he does that, he realizes that he’s still holding your hand, so he lets go - lightly flexing his fingers open as he takes a step away. The grin, however, doesn’t fade. 

“Guys! You made it” Robin’s voice echoes from behind you, her face peering from the door with a huge smile as she throws a glance at the three of you, her eyes settling on Eddie. “Glad to know you’re okay, Munson”

Eddie nods his thank-you in her direction, while Steve starts making his way inside. 

“Are you guys coming? I don’t want to catch something by staying outside a minute longer” he asks, one of his hands already on the doorframe. 

“Sure” you reply, following his lead. “Eddie?” You question him once you notice that he doesn’t move. 

“I need to get something from my cabin first” Eddie states, earning a surprised look from you, Robin and Steve. 

“Are you sure about that?” Robin asks, clearly referring to the downpour that is still going. 

“Yeah, it will take me a minute. I’m soaked already anyways” Eddie replies, a reassuring smile painted on his lips.

And he is, soaked. You’ve obviously noticed the way his wet camp t-shirt is clinging to his torso, hints of dark ink now visible under the almost transparent cotton. You glimpse some vague figure tattooed on his upper chest, but you’ve restrained your eyes from lingering on him for too long. 

However, you can’t help but let out a spontaneous question, one you almost regret as soon as you utter the words. 

“You’re not going to get lost on me again, are you?” You blurt out to Eddie, hoping he won’t notice your blushing cheeks. 

He looks at you with a weird expression, something between amusement and softness. “I won’t, princess. I promise.”

— 🏕 —

The dining room is filled to the brim with campers and counselors, seeking some shelter from the storm that’s raging outside.

The raindrops patter hard and incessantly on the wooden walls and on the thick, old glass of the windows, thunders occasionally cracking and startling the younger kids, grouped tightly around a few reassuring counselors.

Half-empty mugs of hot chocolate are scattered on every table among cookie crumbs, board games are opened and set up and dry camp t-shirts and sweatshirts are handed around for those who got caught in the rain. You’ve got one as well, probably a size or two too big for you, but it doesn’t matter: you’re just glad to be safe inside, sipping on your hot drink at your friend’s table.

It doesn’t take much for Eddie to come back from his cabin, either. After less than five minutes since he bolted under the pouring rain, the doors of the main room open to reveal his tall figure once again. He strides towards your table, holding something under his arm.

“Theeere we go” he exclaims in his signature sing-song tone once he reaches you - and this time, it’s his turn to place a pile of papers on the table, neatly collected in a black ring binder.

“What’s that?” Robin curiously asks, throwing at Eddie an extra camp t-shirt that he can change into. As he peels off the wet one he’s been wearing so far and exchanges it with the dry one, you force yourself not to stare.

Gareth and Jeff’s eyes widen and smile, as they seem to recognize the contents of the binder. “This one” Gareth states, his dreamy stare fixed on the closed folder, “is a gate to a whole other world”.

“Are we really going to play?” Jeff asks Eddie with the biggest grin you’ve ever seen on his face. However, you, Robin and Steve still don’t know what they’re talking about.

“Given that all other activities for the day just went into a literal drain and I was already working on a new quest for Hellfire” Eddie explains, gesturing with his hands in the air as he sits down on the wooden bench, “I thought it might be cool to try out a short campaign and make this forced camp vacation a little more fun. So, fellow counselors” he announces, his eyes going from Steve to Robin and finally setting on you, “what do you say about embarking on a Dungeons and Dragons adventure?”

“Was that what you were writing a few nights ago?” Steve asks him, ignoring the proposal and earning a glare from you and Robin.

Eddie looks a bit sidetracked. “Maybe” he replies, opening up the binder and extracting three sheets of paper. “I was setting up your characters. If you want to play, that is”.

“I’d love to” you quickly say, causing Eddie to smile brightly. He hands your character sheet over to you, his fingers brushing against yours as a few tiny butterflies start fluttering their wings in your stomach. You’ve always secretly wanted to try the game, and knowing that Eddie set everything up for you to play makes this even more special.

“Me too” Robin echoes you with a shrug, reaching out towards Eddie to grab her character sheet. You’re a bit surprised, because that doesn’t really strike you as something she’d like, but you’re happy that she wants to join - happy that Eddie won’t feel disappointed or judged by your best friend.

Now everyone’s gaze is on Steve, who still hasn’t replied - but it doesn’t take long for him to nod hesitantly. 

“Alright, let’s see how this works” he says, taking the last character sheet and furrowing his eyebrows as he starts reading it, “maybe I will finally know what Henderson likes so much about it”.

It takes a while to get used to it - especially because Steve and Robin are a bit hesitant in the beginning, while you realize that your knowledge of how the game works is definitely too vague. But after a careful explanation on behalf of Eddie, Gareth and Jeff and Eddie’s incredible DM and storytelling skills, you quickly find yourselves immersed into a new, fantasy world.

Your character is a half-elf bard - just as you told Eddie during the hike, and the fact that he remembered warms your heart a little bit. He also managed to pick the perfect choice for your friends: Steve, of course, is a human paladin, while Robin is a halfling rogue.

You end up playing for the rest of the day, the rain providing the perfect background noise as you explore secret caves, kill evil goblins and raid wooden boxes that reveal hidden treasures and gold. You manage to go on a little longer even after dinner, and what’s most surprising is that Steve’s the one who starts booing, followed suit by Jeff and Gareth, as soon as Mr. Smithson announces the lights out.

“Shit, I almost had that asshole” Robin grunts, referring to a hobgoblin she was about to slay with her longsword, “I just needed one more attack roll”.

“Next time try to use your weapon with two hands” Gareth suggests, “you’ll do more damage”.

“I also wonder what’s hidden behind that locked door” you excitedly say, “I don’t think I can deal with the cliffhanger”

Eddie’s eyes glitter with happiness at the sight of your enthusiasm. “Fear not, brave adventurers” he declares with a satisfied grin as he starts collecting all his papers and files back into the binder, his gaze proudly lingering on you, “the quest will continue”.

— 🏕 —

Hope you enjoyed this chapter :) Feedback is always welcome!

Also, thank you to @eddiesbirdie for suggesting the concept of Eddie getting lost in the woods :)

Taglist •   @meaganjm @emwhite1 @juggernort @final-girllll @mermemerald @sarcasm-is-my-form-of-attack @stardustworlds @eddiesbirdie @carolineesnell @djarintreble @earthtokace @copycatkillerfics @purpleorbvoid @shinydixon

[crisis-on-infinite-batblogs]

DC vs. Vampires #3

"You were supposed to be East of Moldoff Street."

I will always always always be a sucker for naming streets in Gotham City after past artists and writers. It's such a perfect way to memorialize these legendary creators who contributed so many iconic characters and stories that we all know and love.

These are more than just easter eggs. Giordano Avenue and Moldoff Street are just little lines on a fictional map, but these eponymous streets quite literally make up the fabric of Gotham City. They are dedicated in honor, and in loving memory to all the comic book greats who have worked to bring this city to life.

Dick Giordano worked as an editor and inker for many years, eventually serving as the executive editor of DC comics for much of the 1980's. His name appeared on countless titles and his impact on the industry cannot be overstated. Everyone loves Dick Giordano.

A name you might be less familiar with is Sheldon "Shelly" Moldoff. During the Golden Age of comics Moldoff was a prolific cover artists for titles like All-American, Action, and All Star Comics. Beginning in 1940, he became the regular artist for Hawkman and designed the costume for Shiera Sanders aka Hawkgirl.

After being drafted into World War II, Moldoff became an early pioneer in horror comics, but it wasn't until 1953 that he began drawing for Batman and Detective Comics.

When Moldoff finally arrived in Gotham City, he was working as a ghost artist, drawing stories that would be credited to Bob Kane. At the time, DC employed plenty of these artists and it was a very common practice. The only difference with Shelly Moldoff was this: DC had no idea that he was working for them.

For nearly 15 years, Shelly Moldoff drew Batman on the down low, taking money under the table from Bob Kane. In a 1994 interview he had this to say of the experience:

"DC didn't know that I was involved; that was the handshake agreement I had with Bob: 'You do the work. You don't say anything.' No, he didn't pay great, but it was steady work, it was security... which is the compensation I got for being Bob's ghost– for keeping myself anonymous."

With little pay and zero recognition, you might expect an artist to put forth a subpar effort, or at least phone it in on occasion, but that's kind of the opposite of what happened. Shelly Moldoff and an anonymous army of other ghost artists churned out tons of new characters during this period that have stood the test of time: Calendar Man, Bat-Mite, Mr. Freeze, Ace the Bat-Hound!!!

Shelly Moldoff revived the Riddler. Shelly Moldoff gave us Poison Ivy!

During the Great DC Writers Purge of 1968, many veteran writers and artists lost their jobs after demanding fair pay, pensions, and health insurance. Shelly Moldoff was among them. His final ghost-drawn story was published in Batman #199, and it would be 30 years before he worked for DC again. Moldoff passed away in 2012. He was the last surviving contriubtor of Action Comics #1.

I don't even know how to end this. Before today I had never even heard of Sheldon Moldoff. After toiling in obscurity and keeping himself anonymous for so many years, I guess I'm just glad to know that Gotham City remembers him.

[princesscolumbia]

Author Thoughts

I'm approaching the end of my third full novel I've written in my life.

One was supposed to be a licensed work but then that license holder got bought by another company that cancelled the IP that book was based on, so now sits on my hard drive. I go back and read it every few years or so, mostly to see how far I've progressed as an author since my early twenties.

The second was pure catharsis, a fanfic about trauma and homelessness and found family and dealing with pain and loss. You can find it on FiMFiction.net and AO3 if you're interested.

My most recent will not be appearing here due to the Dead Dove content (Explanation for those who needed this defined like I did: "Dead Dove" fics are those that have clear tagging, especially on AO3, that there's "problematic" content in the work but people who are triggered by the clearly tagged problematic stuff read it anyway and get upset. Based on the "Dead Dove" meme where the guy looks in the bag clearly marked, "Dead Dove, do not eat" and looks inside and finds, sure enough, a dead dove), but has been some of the most interesting, challenging writing I've ever done where I'm allowing my creative brain to intentionally think, "What's the bad ending and how do I make it interesting?"

When I was writing my first novel, I got to a point about 3/4's through and my writing slowed down significantly. It took two years for me to write it, nine months of that was just on the last 1/4 of the book. It wasn't any more lengthy or challenging than the rest, just I suddenly felt like I was running out of steam and couldn't keep going, even though I'd plotted out pretty much ever plot point and story beat down to specific timing for the climax chapter.

When I was working on my second (completed, I've started a few dozen since my first) work, I got to about 3/4's through...and slowed down. It took over a year to write and, just like my first book, the last 1/4 took the lion's share of that time.

My current book I've been hammering on since early December 2023 (if you're reading this later than the posting date, the first chapter is currently only about a month old by this point), and I actually wrote a full outline complete with copious notes so I wouldn't forget anything I wanted to do with the fic. I'm on Chapter 9 of 11 chapters and an epilogia (Epilogia - n. - collection of epliogues. See also, "Prologia" and "Blame Brandon Sanderson") and sure enough, as I put some paragraph marks between "Chapter 9" and my notes, suddenly I started slowing down. I took an entire day off, thinking I was just burning out, but no, I only didn't want to write as I sat down to actually do the writing.

I've been pondering this for the last week-ish, and I believe it has to do with the project being just about done. This has taken pretty much my entire free time since I started and is a tremendous source of dopamine, and now that I'm getting closer to the end, my idiot monkey brain is seeing the end of the dopamine and is trying to delay the end, hoping that'll keep the dopamine rolling in.

Something that I've been working on may be a solution. I've been dropping little Easter Eggs into my fics so fans of one body of work can be pleasantly surprised when they see something from that work turn up in an apparently unrelated project. A character from My Empire of Dirt might appear in Deviation, an epilog on another project will be a big reveal about a character based on the sudden and unexpected intersection with Lost in the Dark. Sunset Shimmer from Redhead/Redhead winds up meeting with Ranma "Sailor Moon" Saotome from Fission. That sort of thing.

Basically, I'm going to convince my monkey brain that it's ALL just one, massive, ongoing "novel" and the dopamine will flow forever so long as the writing does, too.

Will it work? We'll see if it did based on how quickly I can get Ch. 9 out. 😋

[nuri148]

LOOK AT THIS POINT

No, really, take a look at it.

For at 17:23 CEST, on September 23rd of the Year of our Lord 2023, I have finished the first draft of the 15th and last installment of Clarity.

Peeps, I am grieving.

When I set out to put this story into words, I had never written anything beyond 10K. The idea of doing a chaptered story, a slow burn at that, was so foreign to me. I was convinced I'd either solve the plot in 3-4 chapters or, as it's happened to me in the past, I'd lose faith in the story and ditch it, and it'd become one of those abandoned fics we all hate to love.

It wasn't easy, not just because I'm writing in a language not my own. Some of the scenes I'd played dozens of times in my mind before sitting to write them, and then they would... jut not come out? Emotionally charged scenes drain me; Blorbo's feels are my feels. I felt insecure about a myriad things that I'm not experienced about, or didn't do the research about, or just plain thought were too silly or self indulgent for others to like.

I got caught in the rabbit whole of worldbuilding, and created props and hid them as easter eggs and no one but one person found them but I had a blast anyhow.

I got also caught in the rabbit hole of tea and drank a ridiculous amount of it to create a menu and make it more than just a character quirk.

I had lots of fum coming up with the fake preview posts before every chapter (did you getthe hidden message in the last one? did you?)

Most of all, I rekindled my love of writing and I've found amazing people in the fandom, fellow delulus from all around the globe who support and inspire each other and (gasp!) even liked my fic.

Thank you all who accompanied me in this amazing journey, be it by reading, commenting, kudosing, or just supporting me with likes and reblogs here. Special shout-outs to @chaosisbeauty23, one of the most talented fic writers out there, for sharing so much of my delulu as well as the outlook on life of us the not-so-young ones; @onigiri-dorkk my first fandom friend here, for being a ray of sunshine and always encourage and support fellow fans; @bryhaven (even if idk when you'll read this) for your amazing feedback; @ash-aot for bringing my fic to life with your lovely voice; @binibchielq for creating a safespace for us rm spawnlings; @lucysarah-c for the "aguante" and the fandom talks with Argentine taste; @lividayis for the beautiful fanart you created for my humble story.

The party isn't over yet though! I still have to edit this, as well as a last look at ch. 14 before I upload it, but this is it for this story for now. While I still have ideas in the Clarity universe, I would also like to chase other things and/or take a break. In the meantime, Thank you thank you thank you!!!!

[nobodysdaydreams]

ALL ABOARD TO TRUTH TOWN🚂 , WHERE FICTIONAL STORIES ABOUT SHINY BUTTONS, DONUTS, AND ROBOT UPRISINGS ARE MORE FUN THAN CUTTER'S STUPID SLOW CLAPS, HERA ALMOST DYING (she BETTER not), AND DOUG'S JAIL TIME AND ALCOHOLISM THAT I TOTALLY PREDICTED (good for me 🥰) (or my reaction to episodes 38-40 of Wolf359)

Also: Whiskey boy needs to chill, seriously. Are we sure Doug is the one with the problem?

Welcome back dear readers. Thanks again for your patience. Excited to continue with my season 3 reactions!

Tagging the mutuals who got me invested in this, and if you want to be tagged or untagged from these posts, lmk, or you can follow my blog or simply follow the tag "#bods wolf359 reactions". Anyone who has followed me for a while knows my updates are inconsistent, so I apologize in advance for that and for any spelling/grammar mistakes in my posts.

@sophieswundergarten @oflightningandstars @acollectionofcuriousreblogs @herawell @commsroom

Episode 38: Happy Endings

I'm gonna be doing chores while I listen to these three episodes, so sorry if the notes get a bit brief.

This Hilbert and Doug morality debate is funny because it's literally one actor debating with himself.

I'm sad Hera can't be a part of the group.

"2am"? How is it 2am? You're...you're not on earth. I understand keeping up with a schedule, but it's still a little weird, what time zone are they following?

The way Hilbert talks about Sam... it's like he has this shred of humanity left inside him that he's just gotten used to ignoring.

And Hilbert, I have a clear answer to your little "trolley problem": the decima virus is CUTTER'S property. He put that in your contract, or have you forgotten? Do you seriously think that man will be using it for the good of humanity? Because I don't.

I also feel like the "No one gets a happy ending/ there are no happy endings" think is foreshadowing. But I hope I am wrong.

"This wasn't here last time"

IS THIS THAT WEIRD DOOR???? FINALLY! Bah-ha just shove him in! At least it’s not the airlock which is what I was expecting.

Hm. Do not like the dark. Uh what. Also. Isn’t he supposed to be alone? Totally alone? And shouldn’t it be an emergency?

Dentist chair from hell? Nope. Don’t like it.

Recorded message? Oh gosh not the slow claps…Cutter no doubt. Of course he does a dramatic dark room, and the lights go up on an evil chair...he was one of those kids in school who at recess would find insects and torture them for fun, wasn't he?

Easter egg? Cutter, this is the worst easter themed scavenger hunt I've ever heard of. Where are the chocolate bunnies? The jellybeans? The message of hope, love, and rebirth? But I suppose I should expect nothing else from the man who ordered the killing of three people on Christmas. Makes you wonder what Cutter has against holidays. Did mommy and daddy not give someone enough presents?

“The other crew has... gone away like last time” Cutter you suck. Seriously his villain mode does not have an off switch.

What does Cutter want with his brain? An old friend made this for him?? Is it the dude he killed or is it the Pryce person he wrote the book with? Makes me wonder where his mysterious friend is hiding. In the shadows at Cutter's right hand or six feet underground with a knife in the back? Not sure which is worse. I guess we'll see.

THEY CAN SCAN HIS BRAIN AND GET THAT KIND OF INFO? That...but...I...as someone who knows slightly more than average about how the brain works, Cutter needs to learn how to make better use of his tech. I cannot even BEGIN to tell you how much better his evil plans would go, if he focused on THAT instead of...oh I don't know...investing his money into elaborate dark rooms with evil dentist chairs and slow clap videos?

Also "Hera can't detect these secret rooms" HOW. HOW CAN SHE NOT THAT'S AN AWFUL IDEA: She flies the ship, she has to calculate for its size. It's science fiction, so let me be 100% clear, I'm not dumping on the creators or writers, I'm dumping on Cutter the character. You idiot.

Oh he’s just leaving him in space. Oh...Hilbert will come around in the hopes that he’ll use decima to help people. That's cruel. “Thanks for all the memories” Cutter. DUDE. Too much.

Do not give him your memories. Do not Hilbert.

Haha… hee hee… why is he laughing?

Brilliant? Chance for work to continue? NO. HILBERT YOU DUM-DUM. THEY ARE NOT GOING TO USE IT FOR GOOD. CUTTER WILL NOT USE IT FOR GOOD. BECAUSE HE IS NOT A GOOD MAN. The reason you shouldn't do this has nothing to do with sacrifices for the great good...it's that the greater good IS NOT GUARANTEED AND LIKELY DOESN'T EXIST BASED ON CUTTER'S BEHAVIOR!

Don’t call her Isabel. You are in the wrong here Hilbert. And there is a very clear difference between what she is doing and what you are doing. She knows better than to count on a killer for benevolence.

Good. Smart. Don’t get in the chair. It would probably slice off your head or something.

Something about Eiffel? Minkowski… Doug is your friend. Just because he served time doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy.

Well Lovelace and Hilbert...it's an unusual alliance. Hope it works out.

Episode 39: All Things Considered

"It's a bottle…"

👎🙅‍♂️🤬❌ WRONG!

Oh it's the Whiskey isn't it.

Wrong! Cancelled! 🤬👎🙅‍♂️❌

Oh my gosh Kepler shut up.

Of course duck boy knows the boss’s drinks. Teacher's pet.

“YOU VILLAGE IDIOTS!…🤬... but points to you Jacobi 😏🥰👍" okay… clearly discount Cutter has his own discount Kepler.

oh I love these stories. Why do I feel like Minkowski's is gonna be the most realistic. Like, I can see Doug making lightsaber noises, and I can see Jacobi being a little arrogant. Just...maybe a little exaggerated.

Oh my gosh Jacobi's story. 😂😂😂 The way he's portraying Doug is way too much.

“But the button is so shiny! 🥺” PFFT- the way Jacobi portrays Doug... I'm sorry for laughing but it's too funny😂

He’s doing Minkowski dirty. Why is he making her talk like a valley girl?

“I’m sorry Jacobi you were right!” / “I’m just gonna lean against this big red button!”

Duck boy who do you think you’re fooling with this one 😂

I cannot wait for Doug's story.

Yes, Doug I am ready for the truth. I am so ready. I AM READY!

I love Hera’s announcement: "Uh...yeah some stuff is happening today for sure"

“The innocent victim stepped in to help” why is Doug me telling a story.

“We’ve never high-fived!” “We’re headed to truth town!”

Heck yeah we are! All aboard to truth town Doug, this is the best story yet!

Why are they like fighting elementary school children? I love this. Dang Doug is roasting them!

“Oh thank goodness Doug you saved us 🥰”

"Minkowski decked him!" "I did not!" "Duck boy passed out" "I did not!" "But then Hilbert came. Russian's are drawn to loud noises and he wanted to experiment on Jacobi's brain."

Doug, if you made a fictional podcast about your time in space I would listen to it. It sounds amazing.

Why is Minkowski doing a different accent now? WHY IS HERA THE VILLAIN SUDDENLY DOING A ROBOT UPRISING? 😂

"Is there any truth to your story?" Um...yeah? I'm pretty sure there were donuts in multiple stories Kelper 🙄

"But... but truth town! 🥺"

I agree. Doug was taking them straight to truth town and Whiskey boy shut down the railways. All because discount Cutter can't handle the truth. Big surprise.

“As I've mentioned...I like the feel of it IN MY HAND 😡”

Geez man okay.

And Doug's story was not a time waste. It was delightful. Just because discount Cutter is evil doesn't mean he has to be the fun police.

“Until your idiocy stretches all the way around back to half-way competent” dang I really am like Doug. 😔

Episode 40: Limbo

"Lob of meat" well you don't have to say it like that Hera.

"I can't think of a single way to prank everyone else" Doug. Jacobi is afraid of ducks. You are sitting on a gold mine.

Ugh this is awful because I can't tell if Hera's compliance with Maxwell is programmed or not! It's so scary that her free will can just be...programmed out.

Maxwell. Why are you interrogating her? Hera. Do not turn on your friends. Maxwell. You BETTER be trying to help.

I'm very worried about Hera. Is Kepler going to shut her down?

Good on you Hera. She deserves to know the truth.

...oh no.

Maybe I'm misremembering this, but was it Maxwell or Lovelace who said "if only Hera knew the truth" a few episodes back? I'm really suspicious about how Cutter and co. treat the AIs and what they want with them.

Hera. Talk to Doug about it. Just let him know you're scared. He'll be there for you.

Hera please let your friends help you. Please let them help you. AND LEAVE HERA ALONE STOP OVERWHELMING HER! She clearly has...whatever the AI equivalent of anxiety is.

I feel so bad for Hera. I swear. Whatever Cutter has planned for her...he will pay for this.

Hera offline? NOOOOOO...

Maxwell you kinda got in her head.

But everyone has problems. And Hera is more than a robot computer. She's a friend. You can't just shut her down!

I KNEW IT. A panic attack. She has anxiety 🥺. Poor Hera.

What's dummy program? Would they destroy Hera's freewill? Neanderthal version of AI? No. Maxwell no. You don't get it. Hera is a friend. Oh they don't get it. They think it's a companion to her, not a replacement for her.

DO NOT DO IT. THANK YOU DOUG! YES! THANK YOU DOUG!

I need Whiskey Boy to drown in his own whiskey. And I need Hera to be okay. You can't do this to me. You already took Blessie you monsters. YOU ALREADY TOOK BLESSIE!

Maxwell stand up to discount Cutter! "Don't forget what she is Maxwell. She went rogue and tried to escape. There's a reasons she's up here. She's expendable. Make sure that doesn't become you." YOU better make sure it's not YOU whiskey boy. Hera just wanted freedom! She didn't ask to be born!

Minkowski just tell him. Please tell him.

Yikes.

Minkowski don't make him go through this. Please stop.

Kidnapping isn't the worst part? That's...this doesn't sound like a fun story. This doesn't sound like a trip to truth town.

Right. His daughter. Baby Ann 🥺

Doug would make a good dad. Oh no. I predict that he had drug and alcohol issues!!! Oh he gets clean. Good for him. Oh no... Doug...relapse is bad.

Oh he loses Ann. HE KIDNAPS HER? Doug bad idea. People get put away for stuff like that.

NO HE CRASHED INTO SOME TEENS. ...Model UN president in a wheelchair?

The way he says "I was fine...the driver's always fine..." yikes. He made her deaf? He hasn't seen her since? How old was she?

Hera needs to be okay. And I'm sorry if they have the tech for sentient AI, decima viruses, space travel, and who knows what else, that weird brain transmitting machine, then deafness should be totally curable by now, Cutter's just hogging the tech to himself like a psychopath. I hate him. I hate him so much. Cutter is the worst. I hope HE loses his senses. Almost all his senses. Except for pain. That's the only one he deserves to keep.

I hope Maxwell can save Hera. She has to! Hera can't die now. We already went through that, and she deserves to be happy.

But I do get the feeling that might not happen. For anyone.

You know, as I go back and edit this, I gotta say, in some ways Kepler is like an evil version of Doug. They both clearly like alcohol and substances (Kepler's "I like the feel of it in my hand" and Doug's "I just want to hold the cigarette"), but Doug wants to get better while Kepler clearly doesn't. "You're like this Whiskey see? I'd be sad without it but I'd be okay." And then he risks the life of his crew for it. You sure you don't have a bit of problem Whiskey boy? 👀

And that's all folks! Thanks dear readers for coming along on my journey. Sorry for the delays in reactions. Life gets busy, but I try to do at least once a week for you guys.

[hsmtmtsnet]

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series season 4 is shaping up to be the show’s most nostalgic season yet, and PEOPLE has the exclusive First Look at the stars in character, including Joshua Bassett (Ricky), Sofia Wylie (Gina), Julia Lester (Ashlyn), Dara Reneé (Kourtney), Frankie Rodriguez (Carlos), Joe Serafini (Seb), Liamani Segura (Emmy) and more. 

Following a transformative summer away at camp, the new season follows the East High students as they enter their senior year — and it doesn’t take long before the drama picks up, both on and off stage. As the students prepare to put on a stage production of High School Musical 3: Senior Year, their plans are quickly derailed when it’s announced that Disney is making the long-awaited High School Musical 4: The Reunion movie at their high school, and they'll all be playing featured extras. 

When PEOPLE visited the HSMTMTS set last year, many of the stars teased that this season feels like a “full-circle” moment as many OG High School Musical stars make cameos, including Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Lucas Grabeel, Bart Johnson, Alyson Reed and Kaycee Stroh. 

“We've been manifesting it since day one and here we are four seasons later and we finally get to be with the OG Wildcat Group,” explains Lester, 23. “They embody the OG Wildcat spirit, we embody this new Wildcat spirit, and two groups blended together has been so wonderful.” 

Bassett, 22, adds that it was especially moving to witness the OG HSM cast’s emotional response to returning to East High nearly 15 years after the final film wrapped. “It was really special to share that,” he says. “It was truly a beautiful thing and beyond what we were hoping for to have so many original people back.”

This season will also feature two new recurring cast members who stir things up for the East High students.

Descendants: The Rise of Red’s Kylie Cantrall plays social media star Dani, who sounds like an HSMTMTS take on Ashley Tisdale's Sharpay. “She likes the spotlight and when she wants something, she goes and gets it, even if it means stepping on people's toes a little bit,” teases Cantrall, 17.

Meanwhile, Doogie Kameāloha, M.D. star Matthew Sato joins the cast as a sitcom actor named Mack, who he says “develops a really interesting relationship” with Gina as the season progresses. 

Naturally, this season will feature countless nods to the original HSM franchise with the music, storylines and even costumes. “It is so meta,” showrunner Tim Federle says of season 4. “It's like Inception with jazz hands at this point. I think there are Easter eggs in every episode.” 

The major storylines in this season also draw inspiration from the third High School Musical movie, as many of the characters go on journeys of self-discovery in their final year at East High. 

“We chose High School Musical 3 because they're literally graduating,” Federle says of the significance behind the students’ musical for this year. “Troy and Gabriela have these stories about being potentially pulled apart by circumstance and by growing up and that's exactly what Ricky and Gina are going through,” he adds of Bassett and Sofia Wylie’s characters, who share a passionate kiss at the end of season 3. 

As for that season 3 cliffhanger, Bassett teases that fans will continue to see the “aftermath” of that relationship in the upcoming season. “They're both really nervous about getting it right,” he says of Ricky and Gina. “It’s fun to see [them] in this light and actually see them in a healthy relationship because I think both of them have had pretty not great relationships.” 

Relationship drama and big decisions are key themes in season 4 as the characters prepare to graduate high school. “Kourtney is going through these massive decisions about wanting it all as a college student,” teases Federle, 43. “Ashlyn goes on a journey where she discovers her own queerdom in the series.” 

“Those are all things we're able to address in a way that I think celebrates the original franchise but puts a stamp on it in our own way,” Federle adds.  

As for what Federle hopes the show’s final stamp will be? The importance of community. “In the streaming era, there's something real about the phrase ‘It's now or never,’” he explains. “[To] still be on the air after four seasons is a blessing alone.” 

“I hope what people take away [from the series] is that in a mean, mean world, it's really important to find your people who have your back,” he adds. “The world is mean enough, and there are certain pockets of the world that you can find your people and soar and not apologize for who you are.” 

He continues, “That goes for our audience, and that goes for these characters and ultimately, it goes for the real-life cast, hoping from me that they carry this with them for the rest of their lives. That they had a place to go that was safe and where they were celebrated for all of their colors.”

“This was my first TV show,” he adds. “And what I promised Disney was that if they let me hire real theater kids, they wouldn't let me down. I'm so proud of them because when the world beats them up, they still show up for me and for each other.”

[madeofcc]

Random things and easter eggs about DH Melodia and DH 3...

No huge spoiler here (except one) but mainly stuff you didn't notice while reading it.

The story is almost over (only 3 chapters left) and I don't think there's going to be any huge references like before as it will be focused on Leïla and Hiro story.

It's also going to take me a while to make it (my game is acting weird lately with infinite load on main lots ...) so I guess this is a little thing to keep you waiting ^^

Melodia : Have you noticed all the references so far ?

The episode started with the usual editing but when the spell starts on the next day, the episode changes into a "movie" with 16:9 format (remember this is a musical after all).

The usual editing format will be back at the end of the spell so be carefull to that by the end of the episode I guess 😋

Main references : outfits !

As you probably noticed if you read the story, the characters have a loooot of outfits this episode even though it all happens the same day. Why ? Because usually characters/artists have several outfit when they sing, outfits that illustrate their current mood most of the time.

I also put a lot of references to the original song/video/movie, well at least I tried my best :

Hiro and Leïla are wearing similar outfits than Xander and Anyah in the Buffy Musical special, the scene is litteraly a tribute to the original one as we see the couple arguing and dancing in their home.

The couple also have a Midsommar poster on top of their bed to illustrate that something's going on in this relationship ... (Will Hiro burn at the end ? Or is it their relationship ?)

Aïssa has Barbie The Movie outfits as she's the Barbie of the gang and she always wears pink.

Milo wears a lot of band merch t-shirt (his favourites).

The Lambda Beta sisters are all wearing Taylor Swift's inspired outfits. All of their outfits are inspired by either a Taylor outfit or an album like Lover (blue and pink dress to match the colours of this album). Kayla is a mix between 2 Midnights outfits.

Julia represents Reputation as she's the snake of the story . She also has similar outfits to Taylor when she sings look what you made me do.

Mindy has a similar outfits to AnyahTaylor-Joy 's one in Last Night in Soho (as she sings the cover from the movie. this is one of the best movies I've seen in 2021 and probably in my life, so watch it whenever you can). Mindy illustrates some kind of purity here as Thomasin in the movie (I don't show you her look here to keep the surprise if you watch the movie). Just like her, she'll be impacted by the city and its danger ...

When Leïla sings Drinks by Cyn, she also has a similar outfit to Cyn's one in the videoclip. That's also why her hair are more curly than usual, even though her hair are naturally curly. I also choose a skirt suit because Leïla is more a skirt girl ^^

The spell doesn't work on Destiny first but when it gets more powerfull, it starts to impact her as well (which bring to the Physical scene in which she has a similar look to Dua Lipa's one in the videoclip). I also put the different colours because I thought it was fun.

DH3 ....

Yes, I also put some things that are going to impact DH3, the next season of Destiny Harbour. As Melodia is supposed to be a huge introduction to Britechester and the new characters/plots, a new kind of evil/enemy is also rising slowly ...

Destiny Harbour : Nightmares at Britechester will be a horror story remember ?

[kirkwall]

tagged by @camelliagwerm <3 tysm harps!! this is probs gonna make me sound like a lunatic tho bc im still in my self-made vampire chronicles prison lmao

tagging whoever is reading this and wants to do it :3

1. the last book I read:

i finished blackwood farm (vampire chronicles #9) like a week ago. idk what to say about this one except that it has the first appearance of the word bisexual which is WILD in a series where at least 90% of the characters are in fact bisexual

2. a book I recommend:

have you heard of our lord and saviour babel by r.f. kuang? now you have. no but seriously it is so fucking good and all the ppl saying it's overrated or gets recommended too often are simply wrong lol

3. a book that I couldn’t put down:

also babel tbh. i vividly remember reading the last 150 pages in one sitting and then looking at my phone for the first time in hours only to find out the queen died in the meantime lmaaooo. 10/10 experience

4. a book that I’ve read twice (or more):

honestly i don't think i have? i went from barely reading at all to wanting to read so many books that i haven't really found the time to re-read anything beyond looking up specific passages. i do wanna re-read babel and iron widow tho

5. a book on my TBR:

way too many 💀 i think once i'm free from my vampire chronicles prison i'll tackle what moves the dead by t. kingfisher next

6. a book I’ve put down:

uhh i think leech by hiron ennes? we read it in the book club and it just didn't really grab my attention long enough but i honestly don't remember if i finished it and forgot or if i never actually finished it. i also have like two books on pause bc i forgot about them but i'll pick them up again at some point i hope lmao

7. a book on my wish list:

the gilda stories by jewelle gomez. among other vampire books bc no offense to miss rice but i need to read some that are not Like That lmao

8. a favourite book from childhood:

i really did not read as much as a kid as i should have tbh. i remember reading a series that my aunt got me called abby lynn by a german author. it was about a girl who got arrested and sent to the penal colony in new south wales in the early 19th century and i remember liking it bc it was a lot darker than i assumed was appropriate for my age lmao. but looking at it with an adult brain the colonialism of it all would probably kill me

9. a book you would give to a friend:

i have actively shoved my copy of babel into multiple ppl's hands already lmao. but i also love recommending this is how you lose the time war by amal el-mohtar and max gladstone

10. a book of poetry or lyrics you own:

oh boy i don't think i do. my copy of edgar allan poe short stories might have some of his poems in it as well? but i'm not sure

11. a nonfiction book you own:

one that i recently enjoyed is otherlands by thomas halliday. i passed most of my biology books on to friends but i still have one on immunology and i have a really cute edition of from so simple a beginning

12. what are you currently reading:

prince lestat (vampire chronicles #10). really sad that this one didn't have a signature lestat cringey my immortal type intro :( the showrunners said s2 is gonna include nods/easter eggs for this book which feels wild given how far ahead it is but i'm really curious to find out!!!

13. what are you planning on reading next:

blood canticle (vampire chronicles #11) 🤡 and only 2 more books after that one and then i'm free (to read other books, not mentally tho)

[vivilove-jonsa]

Hello,

Since you've published a book I was wondering if I may ask a couple question?

Does it feel different from writing fanfictions?

Do you find your self relating to GRRM's pace of writing like the long years between books?

How did you like your covers for your original works? Did it take long to pick out?

This is just crack question but any chance there's a minor red headed character with her dark haired partner? You know as a little Easter egg jk. But in all seriousness we always knew you could sell your works and I'm glad you took the chance!

Hello!

Wow, I'm flattered that you want to know this stuff so thank you for asking! I'll happily answer each one below the cut :)

Does it feel different from writing fanfictions?

Yes. The joy of writing is still very much with me but there's some major differences and things I've had to adapt to when looking to sell books as an unknown author versus writing fanfic for a pairing that people are seeking out. The biggest is the wait for validation. Can't post a chapter of an idea, see how people respond and start crafting a story from there. You write the whole damn novel with little to no input from anyone else and then put it out there for critique before publishing.

It may sound weird but I've found more freedom writing original works in some ways and more restrictions in others.

The restrictions involve more planning, outlining and plotting. I have to stay on track instead of indulging in Side-Character B's backstory or a secondary romance, etc. Also, I would hop from genre to genre with my AUs and, while there are authors doing that I'm sure, it's not a safe bet for a newbie looking to make money. So, I found a niche in contemporary romance that I enjoy reading and writing and I dove in. I'll probably tackle another niche with a new pen once I've got ten or so books under my belt with the current pen name to try it out.

The freedoms involve making my characters whoever they tell me they are. No one will scream 'that's OCC!' because these are my characters. There's no trappings of canon or expectations in that sense either although romance readers tend to have favored tropes, etc and they expect you to stick to the 'formula of romance.' Also, I miss talking fic with other writers and fans of my Jonsa works as there's more distance between me as an author and people who read my books. Don't get me wrong, I love interacting with some of them who have reached out but the gap is there and it can feel lonelier.

Do you find yourself relating to GRRM's pace of writing like the long years between books?

No, lol. This is a side hustle for me but a romance writer would starve going at his pace unless you had that miracle hit right off the bat (which is soooooo rare) and even then you need to keep producing product to keep from becoming obsolete. I started my first novel February 1st last year. I will have FIVE completed by February 1st of this year. I'm shooting to average a book every 3 months this year at least. It takes me roughly six to eight weeks to write it and the remaining time goes into editing, formatting and submitting for ARC reviews. Quality AND quantity are the name of the game to earn money. In GRRM's defense though, my books average 75k words and one of those five was a novella at 40k words. And my books are romance centering on two individuals which are far less complicated to tell than his enormous fantasy opus with a cast of hundreds.

How did you like your covers for your original works? Did it take long to pick out?

Yes, I love them! The cover of your book is the single most important part of your passive marketing and you want your book to be as to-market as possible to attract readers in your genre and niche. My niche involves hot guys in suits on the covers and my dear friend made them for me except one which I paid a graphic artist $75 to do an illustrated cover for. Anyway, we would tinker and talk about the color or font, the placement of the title, etc. but, for me at least, this was a simple process. Some self-published folks spend far more time working on theirs or might pay hundreds of dollars on them but mine seem to draw eyes just fine. Maybe once I'm making bank more steadily I'll consider farming this out to a pro.

Any chance there's a minor red headed character with her dark haired partner?

Absolutely!! In fact, my first book includes a pairing that looks suspiciously like Jonsa (I changed the eye color for her and gave him Kit's brown eyes though). Partly, that's because the original idea for the book was going to be a Jonsa story until I decided to switch gears. My third book has a guy that fits Jon's description and my novella includes elements of Sansa's love of songs and such in the female lead. It's fun to have bits of the characters I love in my books even when they're my own creations.

Thanks so much for this delicious ask! Lots of fun to answer <3