#and I hope they're still able to find enjoyment -- if not with the event itself then with your streamers

[royalarchivist]

Quackity: Oh, it's gonna be so cool to see how this develops. I'm excited, I'm gonna try my best. I'm not the greatest at Minecraft whatsoever, I did nerf Green Team a little bit by accident on the second day. My bad! But, you know, I'm so ready to just grind out and see what we can do, and I just–

I wish everyone saw it with the same amount of, like, kind of enthusiasm. I think all of this and all the development and all the potential arcs, that's going to fcking allow for something absolutely incredible.

And if anyone ends up clipping any of this, something I do want to say is I implore people to view everything with a lot of enthusiasm. No stress, no anxiety, just a lot of enthusiasm. Because, again, this is going to allow for a lot of cool things in the server. Not just now, but in the future, too.

[nazukisser]

➥ request; picnic date with natsume

➥ pairing; sakasaki natsume x gn!reader

➥ tags; fluff hcs

➥ word count; 1396 words

➥ message from qian; i hope i am able to write natsume as well as everyone else afjaasfofj

✦➤ If there were two things he wanted the picnic to be, it would be: a surprise and enjoyable. These two really just went hand in hand; in order to make it more enjoyable, it had to be a surprise, though even if it wasn't, he would still make sure that it was enjoyable, no matter what. It was to be seamless, just like magic. That was how he intended this date to go. It was just a picnic date, yes, but it was a picnic date with you- and with you, he wanted to show the coolest side of him on such occasions, the one where the magic was the most real. It would be a time where the magic didn't just seem real, it felt real too.

✦➤ First things first, picking a date for this special occasion. It couldn't just be any day; there had to be something happening on this day, something magical in itself. It had to be a day where you both were free, without obligations to the devil called work. Sometimes, it was sweet, other times it simply ruined lives- well, dates. Thus, secretly, perhaps just on his phone, so that he could hide it as quickly as he brought it out, he began to research what day would be best to go. Natural events, festivals- any of the sort had that sense of magic. He listed them down in a very secret and secure place- his notes app, in which he listed the date and the event that was happening. He had compiled quite a few, and he hoped that work schedules allowed for it. If they didn't, he might just have decided to rework your schedules. If the day didn't fit the schedule, then just change the schedule to fit the day. Perfect.

✦➤ Once he had gotten the question of when settled, there was now the question of what. What were you going to eat? What were you going to do? Of course, just like for any other interest he had, Natsume studied the available options. Of course, he had to know what was going on there. He was a magician, a guide to the future, and what was a magical future without a knowledgeable guide? On his phone, or his computer at home, but definitely not a place where you frequented, he researched the things happening at that time and how to make your favorite foods, and which ones of those would be the best to bring on a picnic. Of course, not all of them were the most suited for such an occasion- thus, it was his job to learn which was the best to bring. It was not just the taste that was important in a dish, it was also the experience of eating it that greatly contributed to that magical feeling of happiness.

✦➤ When you find out that you had a free schedule or a perfect day for an off day, it was so perfect that it was suspicious. Of course, a simple, nice, convenient coincidence could've occurred, of course, but more often than not, when it was that perfect, you could already tell that it was something that Natsume had prepared for you. Coincidences like that were just about impossible, and an occasion where Natsume had planned something was a lot more common. Your suspicions were confirmed when he asked you if you wanted to go on a picnic, in which you accepted his offer. The way he was so confident told you that he had planned this a while in advance; enjoy it to the fullest.

✦➤ The ride there is a peaceful one, one in which he plays with your hair just a little as you take in the scenery around you. Sometimes he points things out- cute facts about the area, especially if you're not familiar. He'll tell stories, any story he thinks you'll enjoy. It doesn't matter whether you prefer to take public transportation or the Sakasaki's driver comes in to pick you up, his plans are exactly the same. It's not just a ride along his plans- they're yours too. He holds onto your hand the entire way there, even "drawing a spell" on your hand with his finger, saying that it's a good weather charm, that the rain won't come until tomorrow.

✦➤ The moment you get off, the two of you stop by a local café to pick up a couple of drinks and get whatever you want to get. There aren't many people there; it wasn't a very popular place, nor was it any bad either. He liked that; there was a sense of privacy without being alone at all. As soon as the two of you got your drinks, he took hold of your hand and the two of you made your way to the picnic spot. It was a little farther out of town but not out of walking distance. It was a distance he made sure both of you could walk, one where your feet wouldn't hurt. The way there was scenic as well; cherry blossom trees and flowers bordered the paved pathway as the birds chirped and the sun shone- not too bright, just behind a couple of clouds, but clear enough for it to feel like a bright sunny day.

✦➤ The moment you arrive, there's a nice, clean table and a spot reserved. Natsume had brought a large basket and he set it down on the table, and the two of you took a seat. The view was gorgeous; it was surrounded by nature yet not completely removed, and you could see the city below in a spectacular fashion. The two of you talked and he performed a few magic tricks until lunch time came around, and he asked you to close your eyes or focus on the scenery until his count reached a hundred. When it did, the table was set and you found one of your favorite foods on the table. You could tell he made it himself- it was just a little messy. He wasn't really a cook, but everything he made had this special taste, and of course, enough love for a century.

✦➤ The two of you stayed for the sunset, his hand stayed intertwined with yours through the duration of the orange sky, as the gradation slowly passed. The conversations were a little more sentimental; he took the time to describe how much he loved you- it was more than what his words could describe. His words were always his touch of sweet, but you could tell that there was more in his heart than what words could ever convey.

✦➤ Once the sun had set, he told you to wait just a little bit longer, and the two of you sat side by side, enjoying the night's view of the city. The bright lights that would seem huge if you were inside the city were small and cute, and you could see the night sky so much better than inside the city. It was far enough that you couldn't hear the crowds inside the city today, but you could still feel their excitement from such a distance. As the clock struck the time Natsume had been waiting for, fireworks struck the sky, color decorating the night sky in short bursts. They made various shapes and designs, in which Natsume had something to say about each of them.

✦➤ There was indeed a festival going on in the city. If you wanted to see it, he'd take you at this time. Natsume took the basket with him as the two of you walked down to the city again, the echoes of the crowds getting louder as the two of you approached the lively city. The streets were filled with people, and his hand never left yours. He bought you anything you wanted to buy, and he stopped wherever you wanted to stop and see any of the performances being held.

✦➤ If you were tired and wanted to go home, he would call in the driver again and it wouldn't be long before the two of you reached home. If you fell asleep in the car, (after all, this had been an enjoyable day, albeit a long one) Natsume would rest your head on his shoulder and kiss you goodnight~

₊·͟͟͟͟͟͟͞͞͞͞͞͞➳❥ ꒰ ⌨ ✰ qian ⁱˢ ᵗʸᵖⁱⁿᵍ··· ꒱ | ೃ࿔₊•

messages recieved!

qian: if you liked this post, please reblog it! it’d mean so much to me.

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taglist; @yumetokashite @engurishu @yuezhong @nnatsume

[thefairyletters]

✨ Spooky Recs✨

I read a lot of fanfictions... More than I am proud of. I thought I should recommend as I go before I lose sight of their existence among the sea of my favorites.

Since past few days I have been craving for some creepy, unnerving fanfics that will keep me restless and awake at night. I remembered my favorites and wanted to read more of the kind so I looked up, patiently going through each story that sounded compelling. I also revisited old stories for nostalgia's sake.

Of course, rare as they are, in Naruto fandom no less, it's even harder to find a horror and mystery fic that is well written, not dropped under 2 chapters, and really keeps your attention.

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Comedy

I've rated 4 aspects of the work -

Writing – I don't judge writing based solely on the grammar and vocabulary. I also consider how the author expands upon a subject, if they are consistent with the facts, if they are able to keep the attention of the readers regardless of their creative writing skills.

Characters – If the characters are well-developed, in their given character, if OCs have any real significance to the story.

Plot – How gripping is the storyline, if the story sticks to its original plot, the structure of the story, plot holes.

Flow – Mother-of-slow-burn, slow-but-steady, steady, fast, I-am-speed

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When the flowers cry : TCOOKIES777 || M || AO3/FFN || SasuSaku || Goth Horror || Post-Canon, set during Blank Period || Ongoing

When one of the greatest medical-nin in the world goes missing in what should have been a simple delivery to the Land of Spring’s Hidden Snow Village, the rest of Team 7 must reunite to find her. But even the most powerful team of shinobi will find themselves challenged in a battle against the supernatural. With Sasuke's return, vengeful ghosts of the past will test him and his love.

My thoughts : One of the best stories I've read in a while, and top tier SS stories. I read this in one sitting. I never listen to music while reading, preferring silence, but for this one, I suggest you do as the author says. Also, keep some tissues and food with you. This story is major in mystery and minor in horror but otherwise full of SS fluff.

Writing: 10/10

Characters: 10/10

Plot: 9/10

Flow: Steady, if a bit confusing (but that's why it's mystery)

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Kyuro : silver_shot || T || AO3 || SasuSaku || Mystery || Post-Canon || Complete

“Oh,” says Naruto, “well, its sort of like that. Except in this village, the story has a way more darker ending – it basically goes like this: the girl and the guy plan to run away together. The guy steals a bunch of treasure, and stashes it away. But then, when he goes to get the girl at her village, he kills her and decides to run away with all that money. But then he is killed by the guards of the girls village and now they're both dead and the treasure is hidden away somewhere”. Sasuke stares blankly at the blond, “that story makes no sense”.

My thoughts : I know you must be thinking the same thing as Sasuke – "makes no sense". I did too, but it's a pretty cool short story. It lies on the funny, creepy side that slowly starts to lose its funny touch. SS makes stupid mistakes later on but it could be because they are MCs. The ending is very ambiguous. It's not my favorite mystery but it is something. Enjoyable read but not something I will pick again.

Writing: 8/10

Characters: 8/10

Plot: 8/10

Flow: Fast

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Moon stuttering in the sky : xfrinz || T || AO3 || Gen || Mystery || Pre-Shippuden || One-shot

Kakashi is suspicious of many things about Haruno Sakura. Too many things about her don't make sense, with too many incongruous explanations.

My thoughts : Author of this story just summarised Pre-Shippuden in less than 4k words and made some tiny changes to it. Not much though. One of my favorite gen fics yet. Read it if you haven't yet. You'll feel more sad than thrilled tbh. But worth it.

Writing: 10/10

Characters: 10/10

Plot: 10/10

Flow: I-am-Speed

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Breath mints : silver_shot || T || AO3 || SasuSaku || Comedy-Mystery || Post-Canon || Ongoing (maybe)

Their home no longer exists with the life it once had – in fact no settlement thrives anymore; they exist only in a snapshot that contradicts time itself. Families within their own homes sleep in a slumber that they cannot wake from. Those that were chatting on the street prior to the event simply drop their heads and remain unresponsive.

My thoughts : I picked it up for Mystery but I stayed for Comedy. But of course that's not to say supernatural elements in this story is not it, but it sure pales in comparison to effortless humor in this story. Lee and Kiba pair is something you don't see often but they get along too well here. Charactisation is on point as well. SS angst! + NS angst (but it's downplayed)

Writing: 10/10

Characters: 10/10

Plot: 9/10

Flow: Steady

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The Curse : sincerelyLen || T || FFN || SasuSaku || Horror || Post-Canon || Ongoing

Team 7 is unexpectedly assigned an S-Ranked Mission involving an unsolved mystery of 10 years. An eerie adventure that will test their teamwork, strengths, and greatest fears. Do you believe in Curses?

My thoughts : My all-time favourite horror Naruto fanfiction. To me, this sets the standard of how mystery and horror elements should be handled. I have never been able to get this story out of my mind even it's been years. Perfect charactisation of Team 7 with Smart-yet-Stupid!Sakura, I-can-fight-aliens-and-reanimated-corpses-but-keep-ghosts-away-from-me!Naruto and I-dont-get-paid-enough-for-this!Sasuke. I especially love OCs here. They kinda reminds me of Pillars from KnY. You must read this story, loosely based on Zombie apocalypse + curse concept.

Writing: 10/10

Characters: 10/10

Plot: 10/10

Flow: Slow-but-Steady

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Silent High : Istoria || T || FFN || Gen || Mystery || Post-Canon || Complete

A bit of the Silent Hill series mixed in with Naruto. Trapped in an illusion whose rules are unknown, they struggle to find answers before darkness consumes them.

My thoughts : One of the best mystery fanfictions I've read. I especially loved how this story handled Genjutsu in the best possible way it could without it turning into some cliche, ghost story. Though really, this story has shown what my greatest fear actually is. I will never be able to leave my back open to a wheelchair. This story has simple writing yet it gives you creeps with the twists and turns. A must read one because it is unlike any other in this list.

Writing: 9/10

Characters: 10/10

Plot: 10/10

Flow: Steady

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Silence of the Damned : Daystar Clarion || T || FFN || Gen || Psychological Horror, Mystery(?) || Pre-Shippuden || One-Shot

When Naruto wakes up to a dead body in his bathroom, he begins a quick spiral into madness.

My thoughts : Listen to Halsey's Control while reading this. Quite chilling, deals with mental issues and morbid but in a fascinating way. It gives a new meaning to Dark!Naruto, but one that actually makes sense. I never saw the ending coming... I had something else in mind and I was convinced it would be, but nope. Here's a sequel to this One-Shot (Uzumaki's War) which I never picked up.

Writing: 10/10

Characters: 9/10

Plot: 9/10

Flow: Slow-but-steady

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To the Victor : Letta || T || FFN || NaruSaku || Psychological Horror || Shippuden || One-Shot

Naruto loses the fight and Sakura is a trophy of war.

My thoughts : A very twisted NS, if you squint. It's not horror but it might as well be... it is still a disturbing story to see from the eyes of Sakura. Quite chilling to be in Sakura's shoes. But I love this because it is one shot and I loved the ending.

Writing: 9/10

Characters: 10/10

Plot: 8/10

Flow: Steady

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Under the Skin : BukkakeNoJutsu || T || FFN || Team 8 || Body Horror || Pre-Shippuden || One-Shot

Your actions don't make you a monster. Your reasons do.

My thoughts : There's a reason why Shino is my favourite team 8 member. In my opinion, Shino is also one of the strongest Shinobi of his generation. His clan techniques are just that horrifying. This story is testament to that. He is so terrible.

Writing: 10/10

Characters: 10/10

Plot: 10/10

Flow: Slow-but-steady

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Instant Message : Keelah || T || FFN || SasuSaku || Murder mystery || Modern AU || Incomplete

She gave him names to kill, in order not to be killed herself. But having blood on her hands was turning out to be much worse than dying. "…There's still round 2…3…4…" When does this game end? She asked. "Don't you see, Sakura?" He said, "It never does."

My thoughts : I read this story a long time ago and have read this twice. Personally, it has the most interesting concept of all stories in the list. It reminds me of Vocaloid series, "Bookmark of the end". Kind of. To those who are thinking of picking this up, go ahead! It's a great book and has one of the best suspense I've read in Fandom. BUT, it has been stopped in mother-of-all-cliffhangers and Author is MIA for 4 years now. But, all things considered, it remains to be one of the best stories I've read.

Writing: 10/10

Characters: 9/10

Plot: 10/10

Flow: Steady

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Monomoth : Ohtze || M || FFN/AO3 || SasuSaku || Horror || AU || Incomplete

Everything ends, eventually. Eight years after the war, Sakura's unhinged and Sasuke's obsessed. The fields are filled with corpses.

My thoughts : I read this story right after "The Curse", my favourite. From what I remember, Sakura and Sasuke are both mentally deranged, in different ways. Lots of death and gore to stomach, so not for weak readers. There's no speak of fluff in this one. Zero, Zilch, Nada. I wouldn't call it your classic 'Horror', but it is very disturbing, so psychological horror is more like it. Don't eat food while reading this one. Did I mention how Sakura is mentally disturbed beyond help in this one? And Sasuke is obsessed. If these suit your tastes, go ahead.

Writing: 10/10

Characters: 9/10

Plot: 10/10

Flow: Slow

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I hope you enjoy this list. Let me know your opinion in comments.

[patchun]

WBaWC Deep Dive: Part 1/2

Lots of philosophical ideas are presented and explored in this game. In this post I aim to point them out. ZUN stated this in his SCooW interview:

"There isn't any sort of obvious theme to the story this time. It's mainly just an introduction of "there's a world like this out there". There's a variety of things going into that world, particularly satire, but if you ask what the work wants to show you, there isn't much in particular. "Here's this world called the Animal Realm, and here's these various elements spread throughout it."

And after doing a ton of digging... yeah, I think he's right. I was kind of hoping there would be something unintentional, but because the perspectives of the human and beast spirits aren't really shown, and only the spirits of their rulers, taking an actual message away from this game is very difficult. That said, I feel with this game more than any other, it's very easy to identify why certain decisions were made. Why is the first boss a stillborn child? Isn't that pretty random? No, let's look into it.

The story this time is quite complicated, so you may not be able to see the whole picture if you just play as one character. To be fair, you may not be able to do so even if you clear them all. (lol)

This will obviously be based on my own interpretation. Long post ahead.

Eika Ebisu. The soul of a stillborn child, and a master of stacking stones. Importantly:

She and the rest of the stillborn child spirits at Sai no Kawara stack stones as work every day. They stack stones as work, in Shinto mythology this is as repentance - because they brought sorrow to their parents by dying too early. Kind of morbidly amusing, I guess, but ZUN makes it a point to say this:

She's also a god of fortune who's able to change simple, pointless work into something that's enjoyable and worth doing, and who can make the best out of any bad situation.

Her ever-cheery demeanor, bright intellect, and penchant for constantly holding exciting new events like stone-stacking contests makes her the Sai no Kawara's resident idol, beloved by all the children's spirits there.

With the spirits of stillborns, yes. I feel like it's more hopeful to portray them as having fun in the afterlife, you know?

Being a god of fortune, Eika is able to make stone stacking FUN. The simple labor of stacking stones for these kids is no longer labor for repentance, but a game, thanks to her (NOTE: labor.) For that reason she is the resident "idol". She is probably the most healthy idol in the game, according to the ideology ZUN seems to be presenting, but we'll get into that later. There's more to this character.

In philosophical discussions of animal rights, when we ask "what is it that makes humans worthy of moral rights", we try to find a criteria. Something that humans have that nothing else does. That criteria then needs to be defended as being a good reason for humans to have moral rights. Used to, sentience was the argument made for human uniqueness. Humans are sentient and conscious, while animals are, in Descartes' scummy terms (sorry, I hate Descartes) "mere automata". We worked on this assumption from that idiot for years, but recently it has been scientifically proven that animals, at LEAST mammals, birds, crustaceans, cephalopods, and reptiles, are sentient, and it is summarized in a document called the Cambridge Declaration of Consciousness.

So this proves a problem for those who believe animals aren't worthy of moral rights. So then, what else do humans have that animals don't? Why are we special in deserving moral rights? Well, that would be our intelligence, right! Even the smartest animals are only about as smart as a five year old (this is not actually true but let's just pretend it is, they're smarter). But then, if intelligence is the criteria for moral rights, then what exactly is the system here? Does that mean that children are less worthy of moral rights than adults because they aren't as intelligent? Does this mean that people who mentally disabled and not viewed as "intelligent" by parts of the populace should be less deserving of moral treatment?

This has been a veryyy simplified summary of the discussion, but here's where it gets even more interesting. You see, here, two controversial ethical topics meet - abortion and animal rights. Because if you want to argue that sentience OR intelligence are the criteria for moral rights, then in either case, early fetuses absolutely do not have moral rights! This is a problem for anti-abortion arguers, which is a funny intersection in my opinion. I bring this up because, of course, while Eika is not an aborted fetus as far as I know, she is still a fetus. She is quite out of place in a game where the rest of the opponents up to Keiki are animal spirits, right? But no, the fetus and children in general actually have a very philosophically interesting place in animal rights discussions, because oftentimes to argue that animals are not deserving of moral rights you also have to take away the moral rights of children. In case this whole thing has left you confused, the side I took was that sentience IS the criteria for moral rights, meaning both animals and children have moral rights, while fetuses don't.

Now, what does Eika tell us about this? Well, nothing. Just that ZUN seems to have thought about it, really. But there are two keywords that apply broadly to WBaWC as a whole when talking about Eika:

Labor

Moral value

So let's continue.

Urumi Ushizaki. Seeing a farm animal after a stillborn child really set off some alarms. Her name translates to "moist beauty". Not sure I needed to know that, but I came across it in my research so now you do too.

She carries a stone carving of a baby. Once she gives the baby to someone to hold, she makes it heavier and submerges them in the river. She was an awe-inspiring youkai who took advantage of humans' kindness. However, since she's forbidden to attack humans in Gensokyo, she currently runs a fishery at the Sanzu River.

If one tries to cross the river without a shinigami's permission, they'll be attacked by creatures like extinct giant fish and plesiosaurs. Nowadays, she spends her time domesticating those giant fish, and makes a living wage by sometimes selling them in Gensokyo.

A baby then a cow with a baby. Urumi is the "Parental Guardian of Ancient Fish". She apparently domesticates them and makes a living wage (interesting terminology?) sometimes selling them to Gensokyo. But, it's implied that as a fisher, she actually cares about these fish. In Reimu (Wolf)'s story:

Reimu: I'm fine, thanks. If it's just fish I'll have to deal with, I'll filet 'em no problem.

Urumi: That so? Fine by me, then. I won't hold back when I turn you into food for my beloved ancient fish!

When Reimu threatens her fish, Urumi gets defensive. She refers to her fish as "beloved" and suggests valuing them over the protagonist, even though she isn't supposed to attack humans. In the SCooW interview, ZUN is asked, more or less, what's up with the fish in the Sanzu river? He responds:

It's full of fish that died, or went extinct. They can't go to Hell or the Netherworld after they die, you see... since fish and insects are in a bit of a separate category, the way I think about it.

So, remember that distinction we made earlier when talking about Ebisu? How the animals that have been proven to be sentient are mammals, birds, reptiles (cephalopods, crustaceans)? That excludes fish and insects, and here, ZUN makes that distinction as well. Fish sentience is still pretty up in the air at the moment. But that said, if there's any unintentional message in WBaWC, I suppose it would be here.

The fact that Urumi is able to domesticate these ancient fish in the first place implies a certain degree of sentience, and moreso, even without that, Urumi pretty clearly ascribes moral value to her fish in Reimu (Wolf)! In almost all routes, she defends her fish and suggests she'll feed the protagonist to them, but Reimu(Wolf) makes it the most clear that she actually cares about them. Which, when you think about it, of course you'll care about the things you domesticate.

Also Urumi's design is so cool and yet no one draws her anymore. Justice for Moist Beauty. There is more to be said about the livestock theme of this character, but we'll get back to that when we talk about Yachie's profile.

Kuwaka Niwatari.

Her true identity is that of Niwatarijin, the god of wild chickens from before they were domesticated. People tend to think of chickens as being sort of weak and cowardly, but she's a polite and just god who values equality and altruism above all. She's quietly considering what she can do to help raise the status of chickens, who've been reduced to a food source for humans.

If you've been following along so far, you probably understand already where this is going. A few words may stand out here. Domestication, equality and altruism above all, status, and "food source for humans."

Kutaka is probably the blatantly nicest character in WBaWC, who tests you because she's worried that if you go further, you'll be hurt (after winning, of course, the protagonists insult her). There's not just a ton to say about Kutaka's character itself, but there is this tidbit in ZUN's interview:

Chickens don't usually have a very positive image attached to them. Calling someone a "chicken" certainly doesn't make them sound strong either, right? And the only other common impression of them is as food, so I tried to give her a dignified feeling.

So, ZUN has deliberately designed Kutaka to be dignified, noted that she is a character who values equality and altruism, and included that one of her motivations is to raise the status of chickens who have been "reduced to a food source for humans." What's fascinating is that by creating Kutaka this way, he has given us a message - ZUN believes, to a degree, that Kutaka's motivation is a just one. Kutaka is intended TO raise the status of chickens. So let me say this. To those of you who made fucking chicken wing jokes after this character was revealed:

STOP. FUCK YOU. STOP.

If you'd like to repent, you can start by stacking stones. Trust me, it's fun!

Now, all of this is cool, but part 2 is where it's going to get interesting - when we finally get to Yachie's profile, the description of the "Animal Realm" of Hell. I'm excited, but I need to make dinner. Part 2 coming soon.

[maychorian]

For wump bingo, what about "needing to pause and close their eyes because they're light headed, exhausted, or have a bad headache" with Krolia and Lance?

This one went very long for some reason. Hope you like it!

Whump Bingo! Here’s the post. Here’s my progress.

Krolia knew what propaganda was. She knew how it worked. So when she’d seen a broadcast of The Voltron Show, as most of the universe did, she assumed that it was almost entirely nonsense. Once she got to know the paladins herself, she found that that was mainly true.

There were glimmers of the stage personalities here and there, certainly. The Green Paladin was very smart, and the Black Paladin was very heroic and brave, the perfect image of a leader. The Yellow Paladin was probably the farthest from the stage persona. Hunk made jokes on occasion, certainly, but Krolia wasn’t surprised to learn that he was also very smart, very kind, and very brave as well, even when he didn’t believe it of himself. The propaganda, in this case, had done a grave disservice, though Krolia understood the need for archetypes in show business. The real Hunk was much more appealing and personable than the show Hunk. It was a shame that the entire universe wouldn’t get a chance to know his true self.

The one who probably lived up the closest to his counterpart in The Voltron Show was the Blue Paladin. As Krolia got to know this crew of young people from a backwater planet, it seemed to her that Lance was always performing. Always flirting, always joking, always showing off. He got serious on occasion, too, but even in the middle of strategy sessions and intergalactic conferences, he had a tendency to make side comments to lighten the mood or take the pressure off someone who was struggling. It was a skill in itself, one that Krolia by no means despised. But she did wonder if Lance ever stopped performing.

“Is he always like this?” she asked her son, aside, the first time she was introduced to the entire crew and Lance went off on a rant admiring her beauty, then comparing her to Allura, then demanding that Matt Holt back him up, which Matt Holt did with apparent pleasure. It was almost a comedy routine, one that seemed polished and practiced. Krolia found herself charmed and annoyed in almost equal measure.

Keith just nodded wearily. “Yes, he’s always like this.”

Krolia hummed, eyebrows lowering, and he looked at her face in something like alarm. “Lance is a good guy, though, I promise. Very loyal once he considers you part of his team. Or family. We didn’t get along so well at first, but after Shiro disappeared for a while… Let’s just say he stepped up to the plate. Better than I did. He’s an asset to the team, and a very good friend.”

Krolia gave him a smile. “I don’t doubt that. I just find this showboating…a bit offputting.”

Keith huffed and folded his arms over his chest. “Yeah, you’re not the only one. Hang in there. It gets better.”

And it did get better. As Krolia spent time with Lance, especially when they went on a goodwill tour of planets that had just joined the Voltron Coalition, she wondered why Lance bothered to hide behind the flirty, loverboy facade at all. His normal personality was plenty sweet and sincere enough. It was a twist of irony that he was more charming when he wasn’t trying to charm.

But there were definitely some folks who fell for Lance’s stage persona, who even loved it, came close to demanding it. In public appearances, there was always a crowd of young citizens, many female, cheering for the loverboy Lance and asking for his autograph, his smile, a moment of his time. Sometimes private meetings with politicians and planetary leaders carried the same expectations. People wanted Lance to put on a show, to win their support with his wit and his personality.

For the most part, Lance soaked up the attention. He enjoyed being fawned over, though sometimes the strain of it would show at the end of a long day. He enjoyed the feasts and the parades, the galas and the ceremonies.

And Lance truly, honestly tried to use his power for good. While he enjoyed personal accolades, he was quick to turn it away after a moment of enjoyment. “It was my team who saved you,” he would say. “All of Voltron. We all want to defend you and help your planet.” He would talk up the individual merits of all of his team members, praising them in the most effusive language imaginable.

He turned it to Krolia, too. “Hey, don’t forget our allies in the Blade of Marmora,” he would say, clapping her on the shoulder and pushing her forwad. “This is Krolia. She was with us on that last mission, and it never would have succeeded without her. We’re all part of the Coalition together.”

This did not always go over well. In fact, it rarely did. Most beings looked at Krolia and saw only the color of her fur, the truth of her heritage. They saw a Galra, not a Blade, and to far too many people in the universe, “Galra” meant tyranny and cruelty and subjugation, not a force for justice and freedom. Lance got grumbles and looks askance, sometimes outright hostility when he tried to turn the praise to Krolia and her organization.

Still, Lance did not stop doing it. He never stopped trying. He honored and respected Krolia and her comrades for what they did, not who they were. This, more than anything else, endeared him to Krolia.

Lance was a good boy. And he was young, barely more than a cub. As she got to know him, Krolia was eventually able to see when the pressure started getting to him.

His smiles would become a shade less broad, his eyes a bit less bright. He hesitated in his speech, fumbled momentarily for words. It was never a big difference, not enough that most people noticed. But Krolia was not most people. She was a Blade, and she had been spying on those who did not want to be seen for a long, long time.

At this particular event, Lance seemed to be struggling more than usual. He kept pausing to close his eyes for a moment. He narrowed his eyes against the bright lights shining in his face, sometimes even shading his face with one slender hand. After Krolia saw his shoulders trembling, she’d had enough.

She stepped closer to the podium where Lance was speaking and leaned over into the microphone. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I just received an urgent message from Voltron. Paladin Lance and I will need to retire and confer. Excuse us, please?”

The politicans and citizenry who had gathered to the meet the representatives of the Voltron Coalition nodded instantly, waving their hands and telling them to take their time. Krolia put her arm around Lance’s shoulders and pulled him into a back room, though he eyed her curiously the whole time. He let her manhandle him, though he was obviously confused.

As soon as the door shut behind them, Krolia reached for the light controls and dimmed them considerably. Lance sighed in relief, his knees shaking, and leaned back against the wall. His eyes closed for only a few ticks before he opened them to look at Krolia again. “What’s this about? I didn’t hear anything coming over my helmet. Do you have a special communicator or something? I want a special communicator.” He muttered the last sentence, sounding strangely childish and petulant over being excluded.

Krolia smiled fondly and patted his shoulder. “No, nothing like that. I just noticed that you were having trouble, and the light seemed to be bothering you. Is it better in here?”

Lance blinked several times. “Yes, much better. Thank you.”

Krolia nodded and stepped back. “Then we’ll stay in here for as long as it takes for you to recover. Do you know what’s wrong? Are you sick? Overtired?”

Lance shook his head slowly. “Nah, nothing like that. It’s just a headache.”

“Do you experience this often? This is not the first time I’ve seen you squinting or closing your eyes in bright light.”

“It comes and goes. I admit it’s a little worse this time. Something about the spectrum of light on this planet might be harsh on my human eyes, I guess.” He looked worried. “I was trying really hard not to show it. I don’t want to insult our hosts. Do you think anyone else noticed?”

“I don’t think so.” Krolia stepped over and hand a careful hand over his head, and Lance closed his eyes with a soft sigh. “I just noticed because I’ve been watching you for so long, cub.”

Lance opened his eyes to look at her, a soft smile appearing on his face. “Cub? You think of me as a cub?”

Krolia shrugged and pulled back, abashed. “You’re my son’s age. You’re all cubs to me. I know you’re a warrior, but…”

Lance released a light chuckle. “It’s okay. You didn’t offend me.” He reached out for her hand again and placed it on his own forehead, sighing as the cool pads of her fingers touched his warm skin. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

Krolia shuffled a step closer at the encouragement, pressing her hand more fully over his forehead. “Let me know when your headache is better. We’ll go out when you’re ready, and not a moment sooner.”

Lance hummed his appreciation, and they stood there in the dim room, shoulders pressed together, for a good long while.