#and by the end the characters are exactly where they belong in the universe

[rainbowresurrection]

2D brain: TMP is sluggish and takes up way too much screentime on visual effects

3D brain: TMP is an acid movie

[olivialau]

Shadow's Embrace Ch.1

Sukuna x Reader

Disclaimer:

This is a work of fanfiction based on the universe of "Jujutsu Kaisen," created by Gege Akutami. The original manga, anime, and characters belong to their respective owners and creators.

Notes:

This story unfolds in the Jujutsu world, set in a slightly altered universe where Sukuna inhabits his own vessel distinct from Itadori Yuji's body, making him a separate entity.

Summary:

Ryomen Sukuna, the King of Curses, becomes fascinated with a female sorcerer rich in potential but lacking control. Initially seizing her for his destructive plans, Sukuna aims to use her abilities through a binding vow. Yet, as he tries to dominate her, he finds himself intrigued by her strength and determination. Over time, his interest evolves from a strategic advantage to a deeper, personal connection.

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CHAPTER 1 - The Futility of Resistance

Sukuna had heard whispers in the shadows, rumors that stirred the depths of his domain—the existence of a powerful young sorcerer, a female with unrivaled potential, but little experience. It was said you had recently begun your studies at Jujutsu High, a place teeming with skilled Jujutsu Sorcerers.

“She must be clueless about what awaits her, poor thing,” Sukuna whispered to himself with a predatory glint in his crimson eyes. His plan was clear: to kidnap you, and bind you in a contract that would force you to follow his every order. With your abilities at his disposal, he would infiltrate the ranks of Jujutsu sorcerers, and wreak havoc. He would use you as a cover to facilitate his evil plans.

The King of Curses smirked to himself as he traversed the boundary between his domain and the mortal realm. Jujutsu High lay ahead, a beacon of light amidst the encroaching darkness.

With silent steps, Ryomen Sukuna ventured deeper into the heart of the school, his senses attuned to the faintest trace of your cursed energy. Tonight, he would find you. And when he did, nothing would stand in the way of his ambitions.

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After your first week at Jujutsu High, you lay sprawled across your dorm bed, exhaustion pulling at your every limb. Only a few months had passed since your cursed energy had suddenly manifested, growing rapidly at an alarming pace.

Until then, your life had been tediously ordinary—a normal family, normal friends, and a sense of boredom that gnawed at your spirit. You couldn’t shake the feeling that there had to be more to life than this. And as if your prayers had been heard, your life was suddenly thrown in a whole other direction.

Everything changed the day your best friend got caught up in a mysterious incident, her life abruptly ending. Grief-stricken, you began sensing dark presences lurking in the shadows, just beyond your perception. At first, it was merely an eerie feeling, an aura of sorts, but soon, shadows and movements turned into tangible threats. You convinced yourself it was just the trauma of losing your friend playing tricks on your mind, until the creatures became undeniable.

In moments of emotional turmoil, a strange power started surging within you, like an electric current.

Then one fateful day, while walking down a crowded street, you bumped into a tall man with vibrant white hair and darkened round sunglasses, his compelling blue eyes hidden behind them. The jolt at his touch was unlike anything you’d felt before. He looked at you with an expression of amused curiosity, as if he knew exactly what had happened to cause the jolt.

This man, Gojo, began bombarding you with questions that were weirdly specific, as if he already knew your story—the strange sightings, the sensations coursing through your body, the surges that came on when distressed.

Through him, you were introduced to the hidden world of curses and Jujutsu Sorcery. Despite your age of twenty-two, an anomaly among the typically younger students, Gojo ensured you were admitted to Jujutsu High, emphasizing how exceptional your acceptance was.

Now, as you lay in your dorm, the weight of this new reality pressed upon you. You closed your eyes, trying to calm your racing thoughts. The stark contrast between your own ignorance and the other students’ extensive knowledge of curses gnawed at you. They wielded their cursed energy with a measure of control and confidence, while you struggled to grasp even the basics.

But you were determined. Resolute in your desire to control and tame the energy within you, you held onto the hope that one day, you could prevent others from suffering the same fate as your dear friend.

Unbeknownst to you, your own fate was about to be in jeopordy, as Ryomen Sukuna, the King of Curses, was drawing closer.

You sighed deeply as you pulled the blanket up, hoping for a peaceful night’s rest. However, just as you begin to drift off, a sense of unease prickled at your senses. Your eyelids fluttered open, adrenaline flooding your veins.

A faint noise tickled your ears, barely audible yet unmistakably there. It seems to emanate from right outside your dorm room.

Your heart skipped a beat as you sat up, eyes fixated on the door. The handle rattling with increasing urgency. You prayed to yourself that someone must have mistaken your room as their own, but when the lock gives away with a sudden, sharp pang. It dawns on you that this was no simple mistake.

The door creaked open slowly, letting in a ray of light from the dimly lit hallway beyond. A surge of overwhelming energy washed over you, suffocating and disorienting. It felt as if the very air around you thickened, making each breath a struggle.

Shadows seem to dance along the walls, and a chill ran down your spine. The room felt charged with a malevolent aura, unlike anything you’ve encountered before. Fear built within you, yet alongside it, a resolute determination. With shaky breaths, you braced yourself.

A mysterious figure with a strong build walked in, his confident presence commanding the space. At first, it was hard to make out his features. But as the faint ray from the corridor landed upon him, you froze like a deer in headlights.

Though you weren’t fully familiar yet with the world of curses and jujutsu, you had heard plenty about this man in your first week. Countless horrifying stories, drawings in books, and anecdotes filled your mind.

Ryomen Sukuna, the King of Curses, stood before you, his eyes gleaming with malicious intent. For a moment, you hoped to awaken from a bad dream, but every fiber in you knew this danger was all too real.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” Sukuna murmured, his voice dripping with condescension as he regarded you. “A lost little lamb, far from the flock.”

He stepped closer, the air thickening with his oppressive cursed energy.

“I’ve heard rumors of your potential,” Sukuna continued, his gaze raking over you with a mixture of intrigue and disdain. “A rare gem, they say, amidst the sea of mediocrity that plagues this place.” He hissed.

He tilted his head, a cruel smile curling his lips. “Tell me, little sorcerer, do you have any idea of the power that courses through your veins?” His voice was a low, seductive purr, but the underlying threat was unmistakable.

Suddenly Sukuna’s hand shot out, his fingers wrapping around your throat with a tight grip. The pressure cut off your air supply, sending a jolt of panic through you. Your heart pounded as you wondered how Sukuna had managed to bypass all the security measures in the building.

“Do you feel it? The weight of my power pressing down on you?” he taunted, his voice laced with delight. “and this is only a fraction of what I can do.”

You struggled to draw a breath, your hands clawing desperately at his iron grip, but it was futile. Sukuna’s strength was beyond a mere human's strength.

His face inched closer, his hot breath caressing your cheek. “With the right… training, you could be of great use to me.” The implication in his words sent a shiver of dread down your spine. “So woman, what will it be? Will you join me willingly, or do you want to have some fun first?”

Despite the fear consuming you, a spark of defiance flickered within. You had barely managed to control your cursed energy in the past week, but now, with adrenaline coursing through your veins, it felt almost natural to conjure it up. Desperation fueled your actions as you channeled the energy through your hands and shot a powerful blast at Sukuna.

His eyes widened momentarily as he felt your cursed energy manifesting. A faint smirk played on his lips, as if he had been anticipating this very reaction.

With lightning-fast reflexes, he released his grip on your throat, effortlessly deflecting your blast of cursed energy back at you with a casual wave of his hand. The blast sent you reeling backwards, colliding with the wall behind you.

“Nice try brat,” Sukuna purred, his voice dripping with a sadistic pleasure as he stalked towards you. “But ultimately, futile.”

He loomed over you, his towering presence casting an ominous shadow. “You dare to strike at the King of Curses, huh?” His lips curled into a cruel smile.

Sukuna’s hand grasped your chin, forcing you to meet his gaze. “I admire your spirit,” he murmured, his touch surprisingly gentle. “But I wouldn’t make a mistake like that again if I were you.”

Then his grip tightened, and you felt a flood of his cursed energy coursing through you, overwhelming your senses. “Now, submit to me.”

With his hand still firmly on your chin, you felt utterly disgusted by his display of power. You couldn’t help yourself from glaring back in anger.

Surprised by your own unwavering defiance, you gathered your courage- and spit, and spat in his face. You knew you couldn’t win, so the least you could do was oppose him until your very last breath.

Sukuna’s eyes narrowed dangerously as your saliva hit his face, a low, rumbling growl escaping his lips. The air crackled with his rising fury, the walls of the room trembling under the weight of his immense cursed energy.

“Insolent fool,” he snarled, digging his nails into your jaw.

In a sudden, lightning-fast motion, Sukuna’s free hand shot out, grabbing your wrist in a vice-like grip. You felt your bones grinding together, the agony searing through your nerves.

“I graciously offered you a chance, you know?… To join me willingly,” he hissed, his face mere inches from yours, his hot breath caressing your skin. “But it seems you require a more… persuasive approach.”

With a swift, brutal twist, Sukuna snapped your wrist, the sickening crack echoing through the room. You cried out in agony, tears springing to your eyes.

He leaned in closer, his lips brushing against your ear. “You will learn to fear me, little sorcerer. And when you do, you will beg for my mercy.”

Sukuna watched with twisted satisfaction as the pain flickered across your face, your cries of anguish music to his ears. He relished the power he held over you, the ability to break your spirit with a mere flick of his wrist.

As you struggled against his grip, Sukuna’s eyes seemed to gaze into your soul. “Pathetic,” he spat, the contempt in his voice unmistakable. “Is this as far as your resolve goes?”

With a swift, brutal motion, he struck you hard on the side of your head, the impact sending you reeling into the darkness of unconsciousness.

Your limp body crumpled to the floor, a final testament to his overwhelming strength.

And the last thing you heard before slipping away completely was Sukuna’s voice, low and menacing. “When you wake up, you will realize the futility of resistance.”

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Thanks for reading! The following chapters are posted.

[leitereads]

Kuroshitsuji: an analysis on "fagging" and a change of power dynamics between characters

I know how disappointed some fans are regarding the "politically correct" presentation of Ciel and the overall "fagging" culture that was common back then at elite boarding schools in the UK. From what I have heard from people slightly older than me, this was a thing that carried on into the late 90s in certain private schools. As of now, I am sorry, I don’t know anyone rich enough to ask them regarding those things.

However, what I can say about this matter is that a) this practice is can be found almost anywhere in the world (mostly in universities), b) it is about power exchange and how it leads to respecting tradition and bond with other students, c) I am part of it in my own university and d) it’s deliciously represented in Kuroshitsuji, in a way that somehow gives us a different perspective over what Ciel can and cannot do, limiting his actions, something that he, as a powerful noble, is not used to.

Fagging

In many countries and cultures cross the world, "fagging" has many different names, and many different forms. In the US you have fraternities and sororities, here in my country you have the "Praxe". In the UK you have (had?) fagging, in which consisted exactly on younger students doing most part of domestic tasks that were supposed to be made by older students. The older the students were, the more power and status they gained inside the institution, and therefore the more privileges they had. In consequence, although these fags didn’t have an easy life, they still had some sort of protection and status themselves for serving someone older. This creates an hierarchy based on age, more specifically just academic age.

Ciel, as being someone young is, of course, at the base of this hierarchical system. Someone who is used to be at the top of the hierarchical ladder is going to struggle to adapt to a new environment, one in which he simply cannot understand/agree with the traditions imposed. This will create a certain obstacle at first, because he needs to learn how to navigate in a different society so different and, at the same time, so similar to the one he belongs to: the only difference being where he stands. And we see Ciel, for the second time in his life, working himself from the the way down to the way up.

In the first time, his birth condition (well, let’s assume we are speaking about Ciel’s condition, and not o!Ciel’s one at least) gave him a kickstart in life: a manor, monetary goods, a title. In this case, he is a mere 1st year student, and he must subjugate himself to the desires (sometimes sadistic) of older students, especially Clayton at first.

Psychological Implications

It may be complicated from Ciel, even more taking in consideration how prideful he is, to swallow that pride and abide by traditions he a) doesn’t relate to b) finds useless and c) seeing himself without a lot of power to swiftly surpass those obstacles. Ciel is not there in order to live the academic traditions that are present around him, nor to make friends, of course. And, in the end, fagging and these other academic traditions open the door to just that: when people suffer together they usually stick together. This is the meaning of fagging, Praxe, and all the other academic traditions listed. And this is not what he is searching for. Which puts a little bit of strain on him, and he ultimately might think they are extremely childish and ridiculous.

Another interesting aspect of this overall power exchange here is that Sebastian is in a higher position of power than Ciel, as opposed to their base situation. This is, of course, extremely debatable, and the power that each one of them holds in their master/servant (no, I am not talking about that sort of thing… eww) is quite mutable, and, at times, one may hold more control over the other, and that is changing. Here we have a third factor contributing to that mutable power exchange: a different environment, where Sebastian’s position allows him to be seen as more respectable. And this is extremely delicious to see when he lets Ciel undergoing the initiation ritual with the bedsheets and being thrown: Sebastian is, obviously, enjoying himself at the expense of his master’s suffering, since in normal situations he simply cannot do that, at least not as frequently. To Sebastian this is cathartic, and to Ciel (Sebastian’s master) this must feel extremely insolent. Especially because Ciel is someone who likes to always be in control, having in consideration all he went through.

Undergoing this traditional upbringing will, hopefully, provide Ciel either the necessary tools regarding being more self-reliant and independent when it comes to Sebastian because, even if the demon is able to help him out with all the domestic tasks that he needs to do, who knows what will happen when Ciel loses (even if just temporarily) Sebastian one day (which, as another post explained, it might happen sooner than we think).

By being a fag and by navigating a position in which he is in a lower position, Ciel can’t find many shortcuts to success, and he will need to a) rely on his interpersonal skills, b) make connections with other students, c) be aware of what’s going on, socially, around him (read the room) and d) use his insight more than the sheer force and threats of Sebastian.

[mollyrolls]

o' city lights; iwaizumi hajime

track 5 / now playing / track 7 : ̗̀➛ weatherman collection

Curls a smile when the sadness hits / Finds my face with fingertips. / Have you seen her / The daughter of the hum of the highway? / She's curling up like smoke.

READ TAGS: gn!reader x iwaizumi, ongoing suicide attempt (not graphic, but obvious), suicidal thoughts, no character death but death depictions, lots of angst, hurt/kinda comfort, self-deprecating thoughts, reader is depressed, not really happy ending but not sad either, not proofread, lmk what i miss.

wc: 1.9k

an: this is not a happy fic. be kind to yourself and don't read if you're not in a good space for it. not really any resolution to suicidal thoughts so please be weary.

Petals fall off flowers every year. It's habitual, it's expected. A momentary sadness for the loss of beauty, one that’s quickly cast aside knowing they’ll come again. But what happens to those petals?

Some of them are lucky. The ones tossed in weddings, pressed in a book, kept in a jar. Those petals were and continue to be loved, remembered with fondness and nostalgia. 

But not all of them. The love-me-nots are neglected, rejections stuffed in trash bins, once thoughtful bouquets left without water to wilt and wither. Those too unlucky to be treasured get picked up by the wind and left somewhere to decompose; dying from the inside out. 

Those petals don’t get to come back.

Petals like you, found near riverbeds, compost bins, or bridges. Waiting for the wind to find you, lightened by the decayed holes in your body to be deposited into the expanse below. 

That’s where you find yourself, exactly like you thought. It's habitual, it’s expected. You come here often, thinking this will be the time you really do it. 

Cars speed past you, below you, making you feel frozen in time. The metal of the guardrails pressed into your back fail to produce any feeling in your body. You sit, and wait.

You choose this bridge for a reason. The city haunts your view, lights in buildings reminding you that there are people out there doing things, meaningful or fun or worthwhile things, while you can’t even commit to committing. The buzz of the highway fills your head, amplifying the feelings of despair settling low in your chest.

There’s nothing inherently different about this time. The traffic is as bad as normal, the people as neglectful as ever. There’s nothing different, yet this time your irrelevance is hitting like a punch to the gut.

Commutes would go on, with the mild inconvenience of the body to clean up the next morning. A headline, a funeral, belongings sent to the government. Turn the calendar page, and you’re gone. Decomposing somewhere, another task to be taken care of. 

And you’re sure there are people who would care. The people you pass by every day, the few friends you’ve kept, maybe your family if you’re lucky. But no one would stay. The momentary sadness for the loss of a life, one that’s quickly cast aside for something more uplifting. 

And that’s what gets to you the most. The temporary. How badly you want to be preserved and remembered with fondness are irrelevant to the whims of the universe, and that’s the reality that comes cooly up your spine.

Your fingers tighten on the guard rail, positioning your body farther out. The hopelessness is all-consuming, quietly smothering your brain in sorrow. No one has stopped to help you yet, which means it’s time. You’ve known it’s time.

Your deep subconscious is begging you to wait just a bit longer, with your fingers digging into the metal painfully or your gut fighting gravity so fiercely that it starts to pile in your throat. 

But the feeling that wins out is the chill of the wind, slicing cleanly through the gaps in your chest and leaving you breathless. It catches you just so, swaying your body forward and back. The rotted petal, clinging onto the stem with everything it’s got.

But it’s not enough, and the wind scoops you up. Your fingers loosen on the guard rail.

Then there’s a voice.

It’s soft, trying not to startle you and send you off. Barely audible over the droning in your ears, but it settles next to you.

“Hey. Can you come back to the sidewalk?”

Logically, it doesn’t make sense. Your position is precarious, intentionally chosen so it would be hard for people to intervene. That’s the excuse you fed yourself, to justify why no one ever came to stop you. 

Except for him. Now.

But still, the truth remains. One move too sudden and you’d be gone for good. There’s no choice but to ignore his request, no matter how badly your chest started burning at the thought.

“Okay.”

You notice the start of scuffles and shifting as you realize what he’s doing. His feet aren’t meant to fit in the gaps, but he manages to navigate towards you, climbing up to stand beside you. The barrier you’re in front of suddenly feels a mile wide, demanding you stay on the path you’ve set.

He leans over it, crossing the gap with no hesitation. The sudden proximity takes up all the oxygen in the night. 

“I’m Hajime.”

You force your gaze down, refusing to look at him. There’s a sudden overwhelming thought that if you start to humanize this man, rather than leaving him as a self-righteous prick who’s doing this for his own ego, then you’ll still be alive tomorrow. A fate you cannot reside to.

You’ve done this song and dance enough times to know that waking up the morning after is worse than the feelings on the bridge. You won't handle that pain anymore.

“Do you have a name?”

It goes quiet for a moment. When you tell him, you even surprise yourself. It sounds too distant, too forgotten. You realize you’re shaking, fingers trembling on the rail. 

“I like it. Suits you.”

Then you sit in silence. Minutes pass, and he stays by your side, watching the cars below pass along.

When you imagined getting talked off the edge, you never imagined it like this. You aren’t prepared. You were ready to let the spiels of how much you have to live for pass right through you, knowing that a form letter wouldn’t do any convincing.

Never would you have considered being treated normally as an option. He’s still speaking gently, but it's not patronizing or pitying. This might as well be any old conversation for Hajime.

“So, I guess you’re not here admiring the view?”

The absurdity of the question makes you laugh. It’s choppy and fleeting, leaving your throat aching, but you laugh all the same. It feels good.

“Yeah, I figured. I didn’t know any other ways to breach the subject though.”

This is what you were waiting for. This is what you’re ready to ignore and avoid. He’ll come up with some impromptu speech about how killing yourself is wrong and you’ll let it roll over you in waves. Things will go back on track.

“I hate this city sometimes. This view in particular; it sucks.”

You can relate. This is the city you’ve always hated, because it hates you. The people, the culture, it snuffs you out, smothering the flame with all of its hypocrisy and pretension. 

This is the city you’re tied to forever, fated to return to every time you try to leave. Only one way to really leave it all behind.

He shifts on his forearms, almost settling in. He’s yet to be broken by the ridiculousness of the situation, chatting with you like old friends in a diner rather than precariously over a 20 foot fall. 

“I moved about a year ago, trying to make something for myself. Got too overwhelmed too quickly, thought about leaving almost every day.”

Once again, this is not what you expected. He’s taking the weight off of you somehow, letting his worries fall to the wind.

“But if I had, I would’ve missed out on a lot more good stuff. The hole-in-the-walls. The quiet enclaves. The parts that make it worth it.”

Hajime doesn’t mind your lack of response. He just keeps talking, sharing his story with you. Slowly chipping away at the concrete prison you face, revealing small bits of beauty you’ve never noticed before.

Something in you shifts, and you turn to look at him while he talks. His voice didn’t betray him, but now you notice the nerves he’s dealing with too. The anxious fingers, the shifting feet. 

You wonder if he’s nervous for you. If he thinks it’s up to him to save you. What would happen if he failed.

But more jarringly, you see the city in his eyes. And for once in your life, the lights don’t drown you. You don't think about everyone out there, you just notice the soft hues that paint his features. The parts that make it worth it.

The change isn’t drastic. It’s not a sudden revelation. It’s a few pencil holes stabbed in the cardboard box you trap yourself in, but it’s enough to get some fresh oxygen. All it took was someone else’s view. A reprise from your mind.

“Sometimes it just takes a different perspective, you know?”

You shift your gaze, finally facing the city lights. A knot forms in your throat. You nod.

“Will you come back now?”

You want to go with him. You try and deny it but the smallest voice in your head reminds you that it's true. You want to stay alive, you want to go another day, you don’t want it to end here. Not like this. You want to be better, feel better.

But there is an aching hollowness in your stomach that makes you useless, unable to reach out for him. No longer dangling in the wind, but cemented in your place. And you can’t communicate that to him.

Right as you’re about to turn back, there’s a desperate please. Shaking and scared and begging you to take it. 

It’s the twist of the knife he stabbed in your lungs when you weren’t looking. You know your plan has failed, yet again.

Because in that moment, you know you’re staying alive tonight.

Your thoughts go blank, a hazy fog enveloping you. You move on autopilot, finding his outstretched hand. You ignore the soft breath of relief he lets out when you do. 

It feels robotic as he helps you back over the barrier, refusing to notice the violent tremble in your legs. It feels alien when you touch back on solid ground. Because you’re not supposed to be here. Not tonight.

There’s nothing like the emptiness that comes after you climb off. Nothing like the feeling of failing yet again. You’re used to it now, failed attempts trailing after you for miles, but it never gets easier.

The shell you fall into isn’t kind enough to feel welcoming.

It’s the shell of you that follows Hajime blindly. To the bus stop, onto the seats, towards the city.

You pass by the bridge you were just at, and can make out the ghost of your soul still standing there. Looking down again, one foot off the edge. 

You watch the ghost of you step, plummeting down to the hidden road below, and the bus is moving again.

It’s quiet.

The tiniest spark of pain lights in your heart.

“Hajime?”

The first words you’ve spoken since giving him your name. They’re hollow and echoey in your head, falling without your permission.

“I should get some help, shouldn’t I.”

He waits a moment, opening and shutting his mouth as he tries to answer the impossible question you’ve posed to him. You don’t register it, eyes unfocused and distant.

“Yeah, I think you should. At least someone else to talk to. Along with me.”

That brings your attention back. It’s not comforting, it feels out of place.

“Along with you. Funny.” Your voice is humorless. “Don’t fool yourself. You’ll forget about me soon enough.”

He laughs at you when you say that. Laughs like the joke you told was quite good. 

“I don’t think I’ll forget someone trying to…”

He pauses. Still treading lightly, like the moment he says one wrong thing you'll go sprinting off, too quick for him to catch you.

“Kill themself?”

You can't stand the pity.

“Yeah. That. It’ll stick around.”

Everything that he does confuses you.

He’s not faking or pretending. He’s not treating you delicately, like you’re some broken damaged thing. He doesn’t say it’s because he cares about you, because he doesn't know you. His words are distant, some might think it unfeeling. But they’re honest and grounded and somehow it’s working for you.

You know his actions tonight won’t magically cure you and send you down the path of righteousness. 

You know there’s a good chance you’ll end up back on that bridge sooner or later.

But his actions tonight also make you want to try. Try to stay alive. Even if it’s fleeting.

“Okay. 

I hope you do.”

[raihanijulie]

[ LEMNISCUS GUIDE BLOG!!! ]

☆Reading until end of blog will be much appreciated!!! (Psst, theres a discord server link i slipped in btw....)

You may be wondering... "What is Lemniscus? Why do you keep mentioning it in your posts?"

TO BEGIN WITH, Lemniscus is one of the planets in this universe with Ribbaniuns the living beings in it! The population of Lemniscus consist the various anthropomorphic animals.

And thats where we begin sharing the story and contents of these characters by the name LEMNISCUS! You could say Lemniscus is a series/project my friends and i worked on together!!! (We took Lemniscus bc we literally only focus on this planet... No else.)

Ah... So then, "Who are the characters? Why do they look like the characters from Sonic series?"

THIS. is a good one to explain and i reallly want you guys to keep in mind with this!!!!

Yes! The Lemniscus cast does look like the characters from Sonic the hedgehog because they do take the design and traits inspiration from them! BUT! The personality, backstories, interractions, lores, all of those... We worked and develop on it ourselves!!! (Theres similiarities still, but its only SLIGHT!!! Theres some differences when compared)

Thats why this is NOT counted as Sonic au, instead, its their own universe and story! The Lemniscus cast are original characters/ocs based on existing character that later we develop so they wont look EXACTLY like the existing char they took inspiration of!

I could say that this universe's origins of making is basically 'based on Sonic'. Throughout time, there are improvisasion little by little as we worked on building chars and stories, making it their own thing :D!! So, again, Lemniscus and Sonic are two different thing...

The original characters belong to their respective owners <3 (Keep in mind we are 4 person putting our characters in ONE and worked together in this)

Alright!!! Now INTRODUCE THE CAST/CHARACTERS!

Here ill list out the characters name with their profile links AND respective owners too! Get to know each of them by clicking their names:

Hz Railstar, Alora Quinn, Victoria Opal, Ezra (JULIE/HANA!!! ME!!! :D HOIHOI!!! I link you guys to my chars' masterpost in tumblr hehe,,, its more detailed!!!)

Gausberto, Nova, Puffin, Xenophone (Hani! NOTE: She doesnt put much infos of her characters, i'll most likely be the one to share the infos through source from her she is my own sister after all Infos about Hani's chars are most likely in the discord server!)

Aero and Noire ( @m3tr0n0m333 )

Rambutan Stoneheart ( @cherriosblog )

OH!!! But thats not it!! Theres more infos i'd like to share....

Slowly but surely, we noticed our Lemniscus contents dragged people to start being curious about it, even interested with the series/project we worked! Of course, with a warm welcome, we opened a discord server, ☆LEMNISCUS (Hz Universe), for the little community we have :D!!!

The server is a great place for you to learn more about the characters (bc again, SOME of the Lemniscus cast here are explained alot more in the discord server instead!) and LORESSS obviously! Its even easier and you can keep on track whenever new things are shared by us :)

The characters arent only the ones shown here... In fact, there are more than you think. Yes! Im talkin bout the side characters! Theyre mostly explained and digged alot more in the server soo....

Hop in and join to get more familliar of Lemniscus!! ☆

.

This must conclude the blog. Thank you everyone for the consideration and supports of this little project we worked on! <3 I, the one to start all this fun chaotic universe is very grateful that i'd make it this far by sharing contents of these silli cast, not only me, but by you dedicated supporters and friends that worked alongside me ☆

Live, laugh, burn Hertz!🔥🔥🔥🔥

[athousandbyeol]

discussion #11 (only friends): is mew an outcast in the friend group? is it an intentional tactic by the directors/scriptwriters to make mew "less attractive"?

i think, from episode 1 to episode 3, we aren't seeing much of mew because it's intentional.

he's always at the furthest side of the shot, not really in the spotlight (except in scenes shared with top and close-up shots of himself alone). the clothes he wears aren't exactly trendy or fleshy. those glasses. he looks... boring. ordinary. nothing exciting about mew.

(i just have to put this picture because he's as precious as he can be &lt;'3)

(well, hello there, mew.)

i think the directors and scriptwriters intentionally make mew look/feel like an outcast in this messy friend group so that we'll grow suspicious of him. mew is 'hidden' because he has yet unleashed the 'other side' of his. because i think we might have questions now; is he really all this? is that even possible?

side note: even p'force said mew is the flirty/cunning one in this relationship. he knows a lot of things, but i assume he chooses not to let people know because it isn't of importance to mew. he just wants to have fun sometimes and get that degree. that's all. but is that really it?

i see so many people are having strong opinions about mew, but saying mew is boring is where i believe this is somewhat true. i think many of only friends watchers took the bait— mew is so boring— they [topmew] aren't progressing anywhere— what are they even doing? it's so interesting to witness so much disparity when it comes to topmew. some like their story. some hate them. but as someone who enjoys every plotline in the drama, i can only say the six of them revolve around each other. the story won't progress if one character/a couple is pulled out from the circle. all of them are equally important. some relationships progress faster than the other. it's in sync with the build-up of the story (do refer freytag's pyramid to get a better idea of how a story is constructed), and the growth of the characters. they depend on each other. so, like it or not, the six of them co-exist. it can't be five people or only two pairs. it must be six and three pairs to make only friends work.

i regress.

moreover, i guess, p'jojo and p'ninew want us to implant this idea of mew in mind— just a normal person. i think, in that way, it creates tension, suspense and speculation. i think most of topmew enjoyers see this gradual growth of mew's character. as top has grown out of his confident persona little by little (mostly when he's with mew, top shows more of his vulnerable and child-like personality; the smile top gives mew during the silent disco scene was so pure and innocent. it made top look like a kid again; that lost kid in the fire), mew's other side of the coin is waiting to set sail. this excites me very much. because we clearly don't know who on earth mew is. and i'm taking this opportunity to applaud p'book again. he's doing a fantastic job as mew. kudos to him.

additionally, i have a question, don't you think it's a bit off that mew is friends with 1) ray, an alcoholic (i apologise if this term is degrading), 2) boston, a sexually-active person, and 3) chueam, the party-goer (i don't have anything negative to say about her, hehe). mew— a nerd, who likes partying but is still pretty much an average university student— how did he end up in this group? i just find it a bit weird. a bit out of place. he feels like an oddball in this friend group. it's like he doesn't belong here. and that itself is very intriguing.

i have a feeling mew's transformation will shock everyone, and he might be the core of everyone's heartbreak/headache (with nick being the second/main destroyer). i'm excited to see mewnick's revenge arc unfold because both of them will approach their battles differently; nick is going to be more emotionally driven, while mew is strategic and perhaps, heartless.

thus, i think the directors/scriptwriters have succeded in making us view mew as just... a person. nothing special. dull and one-dimensional. but this is just so thrilling to me as i believe (way before the series aired) mew is so much more than what we think he is, and i can't wait to see that mew. :)

//p.s. i don't know what this is honestly so i apologise for even writing this post...

[1 | 2 | 3 | 4 (i) | 4 (ii) | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12]

[neonscandal]

Manga With Me: MHA Crackpot Analysis

I know we’re collectively running off the high of chapter 406 (just me??) but anyone else curious about the parallels we saw in chapter 407 to themes from way back in the training camp arc? I have a feeling they'll bear on what kind of ending our boys will have when all is said and done and I got time today to explore that.

⚠️ Spoiler warning: through chapter MHA 411.

Before you waste your time diving in, let's start with what makes this a crack analysis - I'm still making heads or tails on what this means for BakuDeku because... while I think the series will end with a reckoning between them, it doesn't mean it'll be to confirm the romantic underpinnings or that both of them will live.

Let's start with what informs this hunch:

Note: There's a serious bit of nuance we're missing from the English translation though I'm having a hard time finding the original post I liked many moons ago that essentially goes into the fact that, when Midoriya told Compress to "Give him back," referring to the Bakugo marble... he used language that had a possessive connotation. 👀 In fact, even with the English translation, we can see that Compress specifically calls out the phrasing to be odd, we just miss the subtlety of why that is (they really don't want us to be great). Compress nobly shoots back that Bakugo doesn't belong to anyone but this violent idea of possessing someone... DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR TO ANYONE??

We have seen, scattered throughout this entire story, that All For One has always been obsessed with recapturing the One For All quirk. It's why he targets the successors so compulsively. I assumed it was because, as the dynamic had been cast, that One For All has always had the power to best All For One. It wasn't until we saw the vestiges locked within OFA, Yoichi in particular, that we realize there's a bit more to the story. AFO's origin story in chapter 407 casts a really interesting foreshadow.

This alone isn't particularly damning or why I think it has impact on the story's end, or at least not comprehensively. Now that we see All For One up close... we've gotten some insight into his disposition as well. Specifically, here:

This mentality sounds exactly like...

At the heart of the story, everything has centered around Midoriya and Bakugo and their quest for number one, as inspired by All Might.

Canonically, we know that, in universe, their adoration of All Might has led to an embodiment of a facet of what they believe makes him a good hero. The Win to Save vs. Save to Win camps that are defined most readily at Ground Beta by All Might himself.

Midoriya and Bakugo are frequently cast as two halves of the same whole and as an impetus, not only for their mutually linked improvement, but also inspiring others around them to level up, as well. While it can be inferred that All Might as a mentor is largely the catalyst for this, it would be remiss to say that he doesn't have his own host of parallels but, at the center of this crack pot theory is his obvious relation to All For One.

To simplify where I'm going with this and explain the upcoming mental gymnastics: All For One is a foil for All Might.

We've seen Midoriya and Bakugo, in their quest to be heroes, embody two halves of who All Might is as a hero. In fact, Bakugo's reconciliation of his previous inability to "Save to Win" marked a major development in his character evolution and perception by people who aren't in Class 1A (Monoma. I'm talking about Monoma). On an unrelated note, members of Class 1A get to a point of not treating Bakugo like a ticking time bomb as they drag him around and infantilize him (Tsuyu) and this marked difference provided further exposition that the class has come to realize that he's mostly bravado and bluster and maybe not as awful as depicted at the onset of the story.

All that to say... given the parallels we see in the latest chapters. Are they meant to be two sides of All For One, too?

A continuing theme of the story (I'm sure I blab about it in other Manga With Me threads) is the fact that anyone can be a hero. However, there's also a critical examination of one's ability to be villainous regardless of intention or perception. We see it in the case of Endeavor, in particular, but also with characters like Hawks and Lady Nagant... and the Hero Commission, in general. Alternatively, even villains are redeemable or may have good intentions and we're seeing a lot of their redemptions play out through the duration of this war.

If we've seen the resolution of their embodiment of All Might, does it make sense to cast Midoriya and Bakugo in the shadow of who All For One is, as well? Arrogant, possessive, merciless and with an ego that looks only to subjugate others.

I think what causes unease about these panels and their comparison to AFO is because I'm expecting a huge cop out. We've been getting a lot of damning BKDK moments with an extra serving of Togachako. Would this new parallel cast them more in a brotherly light? With these parallel's and All For One's defeat... what does this mean for BakuDeku?

I think we've seen Bakugo overcome his likeness to AFO, as it were. Despite their competition, he recognized why he couldn't face Midoriya's spirit so, instead he rejected him. He reveals as much to All Might directly. Midoriya is no longer just a pebble and, based on vestigal Bakugo, I think we can all agree they are linked by something akin to fate. In fact, Bakugo was only able to save All Might (and balance out his guilt for "ruining" All Might while pulling off an All Might signature fist of triumph) with Midoriya's help and their wordless collaboration. He even grabbed his hand!

But the object of AFO's obsession is his brother and I can't help but also draw the connection between Bakugo's previous inability to reach out and accept Midoriya's hand back at the pond where Yoichi willingly grasped Kudou's (... pre-Bakugo, Bakugo) and escaped his brother. The coincidence is too much and I can't help but look for meaning in how this story seems to be coming full circle. Because, on the one hand I want to compare them to AFO but on the other hand, is the better comparison between AFO and OFA themselves?

In the latest chapter, we've seen that Shigaraki has robbed Midoriya of at least one OFA vestige and subsequently their inherent quirk. Will it all end by him losing each of them until he's back to being quirkless? A destruction of AFO seeing a destruction of OFA and ending this dispute of ideologies that's gone back several generations? Successful in besting Shigaraki but... losing someone who means so much to him in the process?

7/19 Edit to clarify, what I’m trying to say is: if the resolution to Bakugo’s hubris was reaching out a hand to a “pebble” to ultimately defeat AFO… would the resolution to Midoriya’s possessiveness be to lose everything?

It's too much to think about but I don't call it crack pot for nothing. I'm still formulating my hypothesis but think this next chapter should have something huge to explain how Deku is still able to avoid Shigaraki despite no longer being able to use Gearshift and losing Danger Sense. Maybe it'll be the linch pin in figuring out if there's a hypothesis to be had or whether this was all a big reach. I still can't decide.

[lunarheiress]

I have a lot of thoughts about dungeon Meshi since I finally got around to watching the new episodes that came out and put a lot of the discussion into a new perspective. (Also full disclosure I have not read the books though I wish to acquire them for that purpose at some point.)(also also I have to work so I’ll probably break this up into a few posts because time is short atm)

So, the recent fight between Toshiro and Laios. It’s got a lot going on, and people seem to really be trying to assign blame when both of them are at fault (one a bit more than the other in my opinion but I’ll get to that):

1. First of all, there’s the clash of culture a lot of people have been discussing where more open communication style is not mixing well with a subtler communication style. This can’t be ignored, as these modes form the basis of (or at least highly influence) how they learned to communicate in the first place.

2. Second, there’s the inherent character lack of communication skill. Laios obviously is and benefits from being direct, and struggles otherwise. Also i can’t quite remember what part gave me this impression but I felt that Toshiro struggles with expressing his thoughts more than just because of a cultural difference. Perhaps it’s a combination of factors but it really just seems like he’s on the opposite end of the ‘ways to be bad at communication’ spectrum from Laios.

3. Third. The situation they’re in is awful and Toshiro has not eaten or slept in days as Laios accurately points out. Toshiro is also (rightfully) shocked due to the black magic revelation. (Rightfully meaning within the in universe context of the stigma around black/ancient magic) The man has received some of the most frightening/worst case scenario ever imagined news and all while he’s running on whatever’s left after fumes. He’s stressed, unwell, not taking proper care of himself, and completely unable to pull himself together, especially compared to how well Laios comes across (all things considered)!!!

(As a very long side note, I also have some thoughts on the ancient magic. I don’t feel like we as the audience really know enough about ancient magic to pass judgment as harshly as characters in the story. The evil evil bad bad blah blah reputation the magic has might have come from biased sources, or the characters could be completely correct regarding the danger. I will say however, that I think the type of magic Marcille used seems to have nothing to do with Falin transforming into a dragon. The only things she didn’t know was that the dragon ‘soul’/physical body would remain in some way and that the mad mage had dominion over whatever it is that’s remained. This also raises some interesting questions about what the dragon was exactly. They say that only human souls remain tethered, so, is the dragon soul originally human? Did the mad mage create certain monsters and power them with human servants? Did he originally transform a person’s body into the dragon, but couldn’t this time fully because Falin’s bones didn’t belong to the dungeon? Or does the body of the dragon belonging to him give him control over Falin until she consumes enough outside food to replenish herself? So many questions)

4. We as an audience know how hard a time Laios has been having. He’s also been behaving like a lunatic and putting himself at risk in ways that definitely indicate he’s not being completely rational at times. However, Laios also seems (on the surface) incredibly unaffected by what’s going on from an outside point of view. Despite his direct nature Laios is shockingly good at compartmentalizing, as well as refocusing his attention and efforts. This is in no way a bad thing? His ability to remain composed and focused is astounding. The problem is that Laios is likely coming across as cavalier, or at the very least not taking things seriously enough. It’s actually the opposite, he’s taking this situation very seriously, so much at times he’s not being completely rational which can easily come across as carelessness if you don’t know Laios well enough.

So, to sum up this first part? The argument is kind of born from two people who are both uniquely bad at communication in a way that clashes severely. They have also built a relationship they both view very differently. (Some recent decisions on both their parts are not helping either tbh). This argument was going to happen eventually, it just happened to break at the worst time possible, turning what might have just been an uncomfortable conversation into a full blown fist fight. But there’s also so much going on around them and in the fight that I still want to talk about so badly aaaaa part 2 later I guess!

[stvlti]

It probably goes without saying but rewatching Dune 1 makes watching Dune 2 so much more rewarding because you notice all these little parallels between the 2 movies and how these moments are recontextualised after Paul's character journey through the Arrakis deserts. Much have been said about this topic already but I thought I'd list the parallels I found too:

"Father, I've found my way"

In Part 1, Paul shares his worries with Leto that he might not become the heir Leto hopes he would be, to which Leto says that he believes Paul will find his own way when he is called to lead. When Paul says this line in Part 2, he has made the decision to embrace the title of the Lisan Al Gaib. Obviously his late father would never have imagined his son leading a Fremen army against the Emperor as his "way to lead". Ironically though, he has inherited and executed far more successfully the same strategy his father aimed for: form an alliance with the Fremen and harness desert power against the other Houses and the Emperor himself.

"I recognised your footsteps"

Paul says this to Gurney in the training room, the first time they interact onscreen. It shows how familiar they are with each other. Gurney also raises the point that in battle, an enemy may imitate his stride. When Paul says this line in Part 2 they meet each other on the battlefield. Ironically, Paul recognising his footsteps is what saves Gurney from the Fremen's knives. (Also, it's worth pointing out that the first time Paul has a vision in the desert in Part 1, he utters this line too as Gurney comes up behind him. It's a direct parallel to when they meet each other in the deserts in Part 2.)

A frame-by-frame parallel between Paul and Chani on the battlefield

At the 1:38:55 mark, when Paul has his first vision of the Holy War, we are shown a snippet of Paul fighting alongside his army in the battlefield. He flips over several enemies as he decimates them and rises up, taking his helmet/mask off to reveal his blue-within-blue eyes. There's a shot for shot parallel of Chani doing the same thing on the battlefield in their assault on the Harkonnen's Arrakeen fortress in the last act of Part 2.

"The Emperor has no sons. His daughters have yet to marry."

This is less a parallel and more foreshadowing. Actually it's not even foreshadowing, this is the film telegraphing exactly what Paul's plan will be in Part 2: marrying Irulan to make a play for the throne. The fact that he still decides to go through with this plan, a strategy that belongs to imperial court politics and not among the Fremen fedaykin that he's come to represent in Part 2, despite the life he builds with Chani and his total assimilation into Fremen ways and customs, shows just how much his transformation into Muad'dib has and hasn't changed his path towards total dominion over the Known Universe.

"May thy knife chip and shatter."

Both films end on a duel with many parallels between the 2 duels. Part 1 ends with a fight where Jamis challenges Paul & Jessica on their place and acceptance among the Fremen. Paul volunteers as his mother's champion in this duel, just as Feyd-Rautha volunteers as the Emperor's champion in the duel for the throne at the end of the second film. In Part 1, Jamis says the famous Fremen 'battle cry' (so to speak) to Paul. By the end of Part 2, Paul who has fully assimilated into the Fremen's ways says the line to Feyd. Despite all that has changed about Paul though, he still does the Atreides salute (knife raised against his forehead) before the fight with Feyd-Rautha, just as he does in his duel with Jamis.

[inbarfink]

Before the final episodes of “Fionna and Cake,” there was a theory that Simon would move to Fionna’s world, since that world is normal, and non-magical and Fionna and Cake would live in Simon’s world, that is, in OOO, since that world is magical and full of adventures. Do you think this ending would have been better? Like, Fionna's world is legal, she and Simon can call each other, but they swapped worlds

Hmmmmm... okay, so there's two Things that I think about Re:Endings

Endings can't just get swapped in and out of a story, because Endings are built up to during the course of the entire narrative. To hypothetically change the ending of F&C, you don't just need to change the last few scenes of the show, or even just the last two episodes - you're gonna have to rewrite a lot of the series from the ground-up because it's been building up for that specific ending that we've got.

Fionna and Cake is a series whose core conflicts are not exactly... directly applicable to the real world. All of it's lessons and themes have to be understood via the lens of Metaphor. As such, with Endings in general, but with endings of something like F&C especially - it matters less What Happens on paper and more what does it Mean. The question of which alternative universe Simon or Fionna needed to end up on is dependent on the thematic implications of that plot point.

So, like, the show has already spent a lot of time subtly establishing it's themes of acceptance and self-growth - and the way they relate to Fionna and Simon's issues within Fionnaworld and Mainworld. An ending where they just swap places would probably feel unsatisfying because it wouldn't gel with the thematic and emotional concepts we've set up so far.

Fionna thought the problem with her World was that it lacked fantasy and magic, but her real problem was that she felt stuck, helpless and unable to affect meaningful change in her life and world. So when she learned to think things through and accept that her actions have consequences

She realized that she didn't need the Magical Adventures to make her life meaningful. She can make changes in her world in all kind of wonderful normal ways.

And honestly, if she ended up in Ooo without learning this lesson... she wouldn't have actually being much better off than she was in her old World before the series started.

If anything, she would've been worse off because she was cutting herself away from her entire support network and, as a result of her not thinking about her actions and initially viewing Ooo as just a manifestation of her escapist fantasies and not as a real world with real people... as far as Ooo is concerned she and Cake are violent criminals.

So, like, the only way she could've ended up even remotely happy in Ooo is by learning the lesson that meant that she didn't need to go to Ooo to be happy.

Simon would've been in a very similar position. There's also the problem of him living all of his loved ones behind with just Fionna as a point of contact. And... his depression and trauma would not be cured by just a change of scenery. And sure, maybe he would feel less isolated in a world where he's not the only 'normal guy'...

....or his problems will just end up inverting themselves. Because the experiences of living in Ooo have changed Simon, most notably in the character beat in Episode 3 where he's surprised by the presence of a non-talking cat.

Cause, yeah, Simon is 'just a normal guy' - but he's a normal guy whose been living in a world of Wacky Magic for years now and he survived an apocalypse and he used to be Cursed Wizard and his adopted daughter is a Vampire half-demon and he's technically over a 1000 years old... In an actual Normal World, he might start feeling like a Weirdo.

Which is what he was before the Mushroom War.

Simon never truly 'fit-in' into any 'world' he lived in. So he's better off not searching for the One Perfect Place where he belongs - whatever it's a Normal World, or like a Normal World (with a little bit of magic sprinkled in) like what Fionnaworld ended up being - it's to accept the fact that he doesn't need to perfectly fit-in to be happy and feel like he belong and relate to people.

And the ability to accept change and to stop romanticizing the past is a huge part of the Betty part of Simon's arc. So it just fits in better if Simon also has to accept that the world he exists in and the life he leads have changed, rather than being able to go back to a recreation of the Pre-War World he remembers.

... but I am saying all of this because this is what F&C chose to build up to and what F&C chose as it's themes and metaphors. A version of F&C where Simon ends up in Fionnaworld and Fionna ends up in the Mainworld can absolutely exist and work... it's just that you need to rewrite at least like half of the series to build up to it in a way that feels like a satisfying and appropriate conclusion. But also, like, I'm happy enough with the ending we've got that I don't feel the need to do all of this lol

[srkgirlblogger]

Hi, can you tell me what exactly is wrong with RRR? /gen

here is an article written by a writer from the Gond community about the dehumanising portrayal of their community by Rajamouli

It's behind a paywall so i can't read most of it, but what I've gathered from my own viewing of RRR is that the story is basically historical rpf about two real-life revolutionaries who never actually met. One of them was upper caste (don't remember if he was Brahmin or Kshatriya) and the other was Gond. The film is made by an almost entirely upper caste team and the writer and director + both lead actors belong to dominant castes. Rajamouli especially is known for his ultra-hindu epics like the Baahubali movies and Magadheera (all wonderful films) and he is obsessed with coding every single character in this film as a mythological character from the various hindu epics. So Alluri Sitarama becomes the Ram from Ramayana and Komaram Bheem becomes the Bheem from Mahabharat.

This feeds into the forced-hinduisation of indigenous Indian communities. The Gond people are portrayed as stereotypical tribal caricatures. They are shown to be "innocents" who only care about their own community and do not have any real interaction with the rest of the world. Even the way the actor talks about his role is, honestly, very infantilizing (along with the director ofc). Komaram Bheem was a literate man and in the movie, he is shown to instead be an illiterate simpleton who needs an upper caste saviour to "teach" and "educate" him. Even the famous slogan he coined, "jal, jungle, zameen" (the water, the jungles, and the land) is attributed to Alluri Sitarama Raju. Komaram Bheem was also most likely named after a Gond deity and not the Hindu Bheem, so to picturise him exclusively as a Hindu deity is extremely harmful.

The movie also has a problem with whitewashing Non-Hindu and non-UC involvement in the freedom struggle. The most apparent way they do this is through the portrayal of Bheem and the other way is by making it seem like only Hindus (or people they appropriate in that category i.e. Sikh, Gond) were fighting for independence. The end credits song is a hilarious piece of propaganda where they glorify Indian political leaders and leave out all Christian, Muslim, Buddhist etc figures. They even feature, like, Shivaji? Who wasn't even alive when the Independence struggle took place??

But yeah, RRR is a masterfully made but deeply flawed piece of work. I hate how it's being universally praised while almost no one is talking about its really horrible politics.

[lokiondisneyplus]

“LOKI” MARVEL STUDIOS LEGENDS EPISODES COMING SOON TO DISNEY+

Just ahead of the release of the second season of Marvel Studios “Loki” on Disney+, two new episodes of “Marvel Studios Legends” will be released on Disney+ on Friday, 29th September 2023.  Expect these episodes to also be released on YouTube, as Disney has recently started releasing previous episodes for free.

Marvel Studios’ “Legends” celebrates what has come before as viewers prepare to head deeper into the ever-expanding universe. Revisit the epic heroes, villains, and moments setting the stage for future events as they unfold. Explore the stories of characters like Loki, The Winter Soldier, Hawkeye, Ant-Man, Peter Quill, Rocket, Nick Fury, and more as they travel across Earth, the cosmos, and assorted timelines.

Here are the details on the two new episodes of Marvel Studios Legends:

“Variants”

Who is Loki? Is he a raven-haired chap in a green suit with a penchant for deception and depravity? Is he instead a she with blonde hair who prefers to be called Sylvie? Or could Loki actually be an overly sensitive alligator with golden horns and a taste for cats? Truth be told, Loki is all of the above — thanks to the existence of numerous Variants. Okay… so what exactly is a Variant? This episode of LEGENDS holds the answer to that critical question, and more. A Variant is an individual that doesn’t belong to the so-called “sacred timeline,” and thus hails from a kind of alternate reality where there might exist a very different version of Loki, or someone called Mobius, or Renslayer, or Kang. Still having trouble making sense of it all? Fear not, LEGENDS has got you covered!

“TVA”

There is a “sacred timeline” — a timeline that must be protected at all costs. And let’s hope that you and I are a genuine part of it. For if not, we might one day be visited by agents of the TIME VARIANCE AUTHORITY — agents who will be obligated to “prune” us and banish us to a nightmarish world that resides in perpetual isolation at the absolute end of time. LEGENDS explores the mysterious origins of the TVA, and sifts the fact from the fiction. Are the Time-Keepers truly a trio of godlike beings responsible for the TVA’s creation? Or, could they merely be artificial figureheads meant to obscure the identity of some flesh-and-blood mastermind possessing secrets both dark and ancient? This episode of LEGENDS holds every answer.

These episodes will be a great way of getting caught up on all the necessary things you need to know before the release of the second season of “Loki”,  or just give you a brief refresh.

[fluentmoviequoter]

Gods and Monsters

Pairing: platonic Vicious characters x fem!mutant!reader ; platonic X-Men x fem!mutant!reader

Summary: You, a mutant with the power to detect and redirect the power of others, are transported to Victor Vale's world.

Warnings: Wade and Logan, fluff, brief angst, opportunity for part 2 if anyone actually likes this

Word Count: 1.3k+ words

A/N: I have no idea where this came from other than my obsession with X-Men and Vicious. It's probably terrible, but enjoy (said threateningly).

Picture from Pinterest (Bless you, artists. I love you all.)

“Shut up, Deadpool!” you yell as you throw your arms toward a fire-breathing mutant.

“But, sweet cheeks,” Wade begins, his voice surprisingly clear through his wet mask.

“Wade,” Logan growls.

“Oh, kabob, you know how it makes me feel when you use my real name.”

“I’d cut your tongue out if I thought it was worth the time,” Logan grunts, digging his claws into a shooter as he fires into Logan’s leg.

“Very Eli Ever of you,” Wade jokes.

“You and that stupid book.”

“Hey, don’t take your anger at Wade out on Victor Vale,” you call to Logan. “He would’ve ended this fight already.”

“He’s not real!”

“Whatever!” Wade interrupts. “Let’s... go!”

“I think you forgot a word, there, bub.”

“The writer threatened to put soap in my mouth, and I’d rather not get soap poisoning and go blind.”

“Uh, guys?” you murmur as an orange spark glints below you.

“Move!” Logan and Wade yell together.

You try to step back, but it’s too late. As you stumble on the dewy grass, or where it was a moment ago, you fall backward into a door-sized hole in the earth. Wade and Logan scream above you, but everything goes silent before you crash onto a sidewalk.

Coughing, you sit up and try to catch your breath. A large black dog presses its nose into your face and sniffs you, its tail wagging lazily.

“Hi, puppy,” you greet quietly. “You’re much cuter than Dogpool.”

Wade makes an offended noise somewhere in your mind, and you smile at the memory.

“Are you okay?” the girl with the dog asks.

You nod and rub your head as you look toward her. When you see her blond hair, water blue eyes, rainbow leggings, and red jacket, you freeze.

“Sydney?” you whisper.

Her eyes widen, and she steps back, pulling who you now believe to be Dol with her. This isn’t real, you tell yourself as you blink rapidly. I just hit my head or let someone in my head. You reach out mentally but only feel Sydney’s power and the dial of a dull ache settling deep in your bones. Victor, you realize. There is no way I’m in a book I’ve read.

“Sydney,” someone calls.

You prepare yourself to see Victor Vale, but your expectation falls short. He towers above you where you sit on the sidewalk, and Mitch stands beside him with his muscular arms crossed over his chest.

“Oh, come on,” you murmur, feeling Victor’s powers nudge you away from Sydney. Inside, though, you’re trying not to show your excitement at being in the same moment, the same universe, you presume, as some of your favorite book characters.

“… knows my name,” Sydney whispers to Victor.

“I can explain that, Victor,” you interject. Mitch’s eyes widen at your use of Victor’s name, and you add, “I swear I don’t mean any harm. Especially to you, Mitch, you’ve been through enough.”

“Explain it quickly,” Victor demands, upping the pain dial.

You shift uncomfortably but embrace the pain as you say, “I was at my home, where you are characters in a book, and then this portal opened in the ground, and I landed on the sidewalk here. I don’t know exactly what happened, but I know that I don’t belong here. I’d never hurt you, though, I just want to figure this out and get home.”

Victor hums, then shakes his head. He pictures the dial, and you rush to ask, “Should we meet at Falcon Price at midnight so I can prove it?”

Victor’s jaw tightens, and you allow him to flood your senses with pain. As your consciousness fades, you wonder what Logan and Wade are thinking. Maybe they’ve written you off already and have gone back to trying to kill one another.

“That seemed a lot more intense in the book,” you mumble as you wake, tied to a chair.

“So, you fell out of the sky. Where are you from?” Victor asks, leaning on a table across from you as he looks down at a knife.

“Westchester,” you answer immediately. “New York.”

“Who do you work for?”

“That’s complicated.”

“What do you do?”

“Save the world or try to. Can I ask you one question? Just one, I promise.”

Victor gestures with the knife for you to ask, a lazy movement with too much grace and fluidity. Now you wish you’d asked for two questions. You'd use the other to beg him to teach you.

“Thank you; Wade would kill me if I didn’t ask. Who’s taller, you or Eli? Because every time we try to find out, Victoria just confuses us.”

“Victoria?”

“She wrote the book,” you answer. “Named you after herself, prideful, I know. But she also made Angie look like her and look how she turned out. Wait, what color were Angie's eyes?”

You clamp your mouth shut and make a mental note to apologize to Wade. Now that you’re in the right situation, you can see why he runs his mouth constantly.

“You save the world?” Victor repeats, laying the knife blade across his palm.

“Or try to,” you remind him.

“So, you have powers?”

“Yeah.”

Victor’s patience is wearing thin, and you can tell when he asks, “What are they?”

“Well,” you begin, tilting your head. “Charles calls it power-kineses. I can detect powers and turn them against other mutants, people, whatever I want.”

“Charles?” Victor repeats, his pale brows drawn together. “As in Professor X, Magneto, X-Men, Charles?”

“You have him here?” you ask excitedly.

“No, he’s a comic book character.”

“Comic book?”

Victor stands straight at the realization that you’re not only claiming to be a powered individual from another universe but part of the X-Men. He hadn’t believed you so far, and his doubt is rapidly multiplying.

“Don’t make me do this,” you whisper.

Victor lowers the knife toward your abdomen, and you locate the pain he’s sending through your body and turn it. Sydney is the only other person in the room, so her gasp of pain is undeniable. Victor immediately turns the dial down, then off, and turns toward you.

“Just like I’m in a book here, you’re in a book where I come from. I know more about you than anyone else, Victor,” you explain, “even Eli.”

“Our worlds aren’t the same. This one can’t be saved.”

“In this world, powered people are monsters, right? Even Eli, as he fights to be a god. Victor, I’m used to the judgment, people calling me unnatural or a mutant. But I can help you.”

“She’s telling the truth,” Mitch announces as he returns. “There was a limited run of X-Men from the ‘70s. Nearly impossible to find today, but Radar is in them.”

“Radar?” you repeat. “That’s an awful name, so thanks for letting me get ahead of that one. Cyclops said he’d brainstorm something, but I didn’t expect it to be so…”

“Stupid?” Sydney suggests.

“Precisely.”

“Who’s your favorite character in our book?” she inquires, walking toward you.

Victor eyes you warily, but as you smile and tell her that you can't pick between them, then whisper that it’s Dol, he decides to trust you. Not because of anything you’ve said or the evidence that Mitch found, but because if Sydney and Mitch can trust you, you can’t be entirely bad. He walks around you, cuts your restraints, and returns the knife to the table.

“So, how do you stop Eli?” Victor asks.

“Well, it won’t be easy, even with the ability to alter his power,” you begin. “What exactly are you planning to do? Still out to kill him or just draw blood and lock him up?”

Before Victor can answer, a portal opens behind you, and a clawed hand reaches through and pulls you backward. You stumble as you fall out of the world you just agreed to help save.

Landing with a thud, you groan and look up at Logan and Wade, staring down at you.

“You’ll never guess who I just met,” you murmur.

“We weren’t done yet,” Victor says through the portal, which turns red around the edges as he uses his powers across the universes to keep it open.

“Is that Victor Vale?” Wade exclaims. “What the fridge?”

[masquayla-the-splendid]

How Splatoon makes a controversial Fnaf theory work better in their universe, and other parallels. (Really.)

[Side Order spoilers]

I beat Side Order in 3 hours on my 3rd try at 3am. No I am not joking. I used a slosher. I currently have 9 lockers yet to open, so if anything important comes up, I will update.

I couldn't help but notice the parallels right at the beginning, freeing Marina from Order's control. I went neuron activation, VANESSA.

But then they started talking more about Octo Expansion lore, which made me get all giddy, because 14 y/o me had the biggest fascination with the Sanitized Octolings, and how Commander Tartar built up his scheme to the point we encounter him.

They referred something or other about the color chips/pallettes as "souls" which caught my attention. They're like broken soul pieces? Alright. We already know a comically large kitchen utensil blends octopuses into life goop. What exactly happens to the ones that look like this?

Why are you green?

Marina's logs read:

So okay. I, personally, despise Molten MCI. I think it takes away of a ton of character's individuality, and makes more things confusing, all to explain some old man's rambling in a non-canon ending.

It works for Splatoon's case, because we already had no information about any of the octolings before Sanitization. (Aside from Acht.) We didn’t have time to make that up for ourselves, because we never knew about any of this beforehand, like how we filled in the gaps with underwritten characters for fnaf.

However I'll keep reading and see what else can line up here.

This is leaning into TFC territory. So for less Splatoon knowledgeable readers, Marina is trying to take, essentially what is the Freddy amalgam in TFC, and trying to deconstruct it with each animatronic having everything from their respective endoskeletons. That's best way I can explain it. (For a reader more knowledgeable with Steven Universe, she's trying to fix the forced fusions like Yellow.)

Except the difference here is that the products of Kamabo are, well, orderly, and not animalistic.

The logs that sold it for me:

So in fnaf speak: From a Molten MCI perspective, (blech,) melting down the infused metal, transferring it into data, and putting that data gloop into playable avatars in an arcade game where they can choose the bits of remnant that belong to them, putting themselves back together.

However, with my neuron activation Order=Mimic, that would mean Mimic MCI, but WAIT COME BACK. IT DOESNT HAVE TO BE.

I have yet to get the rest of the lore bits, but as far as I know, Order, (I'm not calling him Smollusk,) is an AI with the generalized ideals Kamabo has programming into the Sanitized Octolings. (I swear he's just leftovers of Tartar. I know it in my heart.) Mimic copies everything it sees, and learns incredibly fast. It learned the tragedies and rumors of Fazbear Ent, and according to Tiger Rock, he's running most of the Pizza Plex, which makes profits of said tragedies he's learned. Did Mimic orchestrate everything? No. He probably has no understanding of anything he's doing, he just does it because that's all he knows. The company started it.

Basically,

Kamabo Co.= Sleazy NewGen Fazbear Ent.

Order=Mimic.

How ever this ends, I'm using as evidence for how I predict the SteelWool plot to resolve/hj

Conc1usion: Marina and Henry should meet up. Well maybe not, if Marina wants permanent results.

I find it telling that with a plot so similar to a Fnaf theory that I hate, I actually really like this idea. And I think it's because it's not Fnaf. It's almost the exact same concept, but it makes much more sense and flows better in Splatoon's world. Probably because it was intentionally written that way, and is supposed to be shamelessly absurd and scifi. I like that I'm able to enjoy a concept I hate.

Analogy: Chocolate is good. I like when a pre existing food item I enjoy has an added chocolate exterior. Like strawberries. Sometimes, there are instances where that is not the case, like bacon. It exsists, and you either love it or hate it. I like both base consumables, and I like the additive, but it works better for one than the other.

Literal speak: I like the scifi horror concept of brainwashing with the actual person person being trapped or lost in a specific state, while their body is just another puppet for the main antagonist, and it takes some Cyber Chase shenanigans to free everyone. That's a rad concept. I just like it better when it's applied to a world that is planned for that kind of take, rather than to a world I already enjoyed, but scrambled to cut itself to fit that shape because it almost fit. It works better for a wacky scifi dystopia, not a campy paranormal horror.

Conclu2ion: Some things are best left for other stories.

Oh and both franchises have a known history of bangin soundtrack.

[jolieblack]

Jolie's notes on

The Three Students (Sherlock & Co podcast)

📖 🎓👨‍🏫 This case doesn’t seem to get talked about much… and I think I agree and I know why. I find ACD’s original Three Students story rather unspectacular myself. The setting is very picture-postcard English™️, but it is otherwise completely unexciting. A solid string of observations and deductions eliminates both red herring suspects (painfully red) to arrive at the *gasp!* solution that people may not be who they appear to be on the surface. Decent work, but hardly the stuff that made Sherlock Holmes a legend. Considering that this is what Joel was up against, I’d say he did rather well for the podcast! Because this isn’t a story about a crime now, it’s a story about identity and about belonging. (Once again. I love how this is a recurring theme of our show.)

John abandoning Sherlock, Mariana and their whole project for a wild night of student partying has been called out of character by some commenters, but while I was still at a loss to understand it myself at the end of the first part, by the end of the second part it made sense to me that this whole case is a story about fitting in, about being popular, about FOMO and what FOMO does to people. John didn’t recklessly let Sherlock down in pursuit of instant gratification in the alcohol or flirting department. What actually happened there was John being bowled over by either the memories of his student days and of how much he loved being one of the boys and having a gang to party with that accepted him just the way he was, which he subsequently lost after his army days and injury; or by the memories of how he never really had a gang to belong to, having struggled at university both academically and in the popularity contest, and is catching up to that lovely feeling now. We see the same thing mirrored in Mariana‘s backstory of wanting to fit in with the cool gang at school. Then it gets mirrored in the three students, too, and in what drives them. Even Sherlock isn’t immune from being called the best in his field and it being "cool" that he’s being invited to speak at Oxford. But he - unexpectedly, given his constant sense of being a misfit - ends up being the happiest and most successful of the whole bunch in this adventure, because he fully realises, quicker than anyone else, that has found his family (a doctor from Swindon and an accountant from Sociedad!) and knows exactly where he belongs.

I don’t suppose any of us were surprised that Sherlock’s awkward lecture would end up being the live solving of a case. (We all remember the BBC Sherlock’s wedding speech in season 3 of that show, after all.) Love how he took everyone to task though. Brutal. Fantastic. I knew there was a reason why I love this man.

Details that I loved:

Sherlock stealing everyone’s sausage rolls and framing Archie! 😂 The way Sherlock got demoted from best friend to "roommate" with very sharply enunciated consonants as a punishment cracked me up.

"when I am positively carbonated with the fizzing bubbles of resolution…" - I kept looking for the ACD story that quote comes from, but it’s apparently an Emory original! 👌

I adored John once again being Sherlock’s interpreter for social cues, and how much they’ve perfected their routine by now: Their super-quick "hyperbole or sarcasm?" - "affectionate hyperbole" exchange made me tear up with affection myself.

"I will merely emit a faint glow of intrigue for now." - Another quote that I could have sworn was ACD.

Things I did NOT like: The professor’s accent. This guy was literally painful to listen to. Oxbridge alumni in this fandom, please join me in confirming that Oxbridge professors do not typically talk like that.

So… like in ACD’s stories, we can’t and won’t always have high stakes, dead bodies and mortal danger, but that’s fine with me. These are stories about friendship as much as they are stories about crime, and in this one, insights abound in the former sense.

[blackcherryvelvet0909]

Why Should I Worry? (Filis O. Seaveworth)

Content Warning: Passionate kissing towards the end, spoilers for the Playful Land event, kidnapping (canon event), child abduction (canon event), mention of menstrual period

Note: Filis uses he/him and she/her pronouns throughout the story. She goes by he/him when under the moniker of Henry W. Taon. Filis O. Seaveworth/Henry W. Taon, Persayis N. Siofra, Liling Trieu, Revon C. Crowley, Alyssum Desrosiers, and Juliusz A. Bauer all belong to me. A few characters mentioned (surnames Sharnaz, Thazeen, and Fardowsa), as well as Arty, also belong to me. There are a lot in this one folks, haha.

Additional Note: This is a repost of a story of mine, with a few minor changes. It's over 11k words, so sit down and get comfy!

“Don’t forget to read pages one hundred seventy-two through one hundred eighty-eight,” reminded the assistant professor to the students. “The information found within the text will be on tomorrow’s test.” 

A series of grumbles and groans followed the pupils as they walked out of the classroom and into the hall, off to lunch. Henry reorganized their desk space, restacking books on the left and sorting papers that needed to be graded on the right. He placed the feathered pen back in its inkwell, right after making sure said inkwell wasn’t in need of a refill. Once the desk was properly sorted, he erased the chalkboard directly behind him, then wrote down the instructions for the start of class with a piece of crisp white chalk. After dusting off his hands with the cloth used for that specific purpose, Henry walked down the aisles of student desks, making sure no one had left any belongings or trash behind. Satisfied that everything was in order for the next class, Henry gathered his things from the little cabinet next to the door. The strap of his canvas bag looped over his shoulder, the assistant teacher exited the room and headed to the cafeteria. 

It was a pretty day outside. The sky was clear, the sun was shining, the air seemed sweet. The man’s calico cat ears twitched as they listened to a few birds chirp below, likely perched in a tree or on a bench. He couldn’t help but flick out his tongue for a taste of that sweet wind as a gentle breeze blew by. Henry quickly retracted that tongue as two students passed him from behind; he gave them a polite wave of greeting, which they returned with a smile before they continued on. The stress of teaching class slowly trickled its way out of his mind and body. It would soon return, likely in the afternoon once the school day was done, yet Henry didn’t mind too much. 

Night Raven College was exactly where the beastkin wanted to be. For years they’ve dreamt of being a teacher - to get an opportunity to be a professor at their alma mater was extra special! Henry had applied for the position of assistant professor on a whim, not believing he would even get an interview. How surprised he was when the headmage himself contacted him and set one up with him. It was Trein that had recommended Henry for the position; the same man who wrote Henry’s letter of recommendation for his university of choice shortly before he graduated from Night Raven. Now, here Henry was: an assistant to Professor Trein, and a candidate for his replacement upon his retirement. Life couldn’t be better!

“Mr. Toan!” Henry stalled his stride as someone called his name. He turned to see a student approaching him: Ortho Shroud. The teacher smiled as the robotic boy approached, books clutched to his chest. His big yellow eyes practically twinkled as he gazed up at the beastkin; the new freshman looked quite smart in his new model, fashioned after the uniform for Ignihyde first years. “I decided to write about the lost city of Atlantis for my history paper. Can you recommend some books to read to help with my research?”

Henry chuckled to himself - there was at least one freshman eager to learn. “I think I can help with that. How about we reconvene at the library after the day is done? We can decide on the best options together.” 

Ortho nodded eagerly. “Yes, I’ll do that. Thank you so much, sir!” As the boy began to levitate back the way he came, he gave the teacher a friendly wave. “I’ll see you later!” 

Henry waved back, right up until the boy disappeared around a corner. Not every student could be so dedicated. Although, Henry supposed he could sympathize with those who despised anything to do with education, at least to a degree. Back when he was a student, Henry always struggled with master chef and conjuration. He was barely able to pass those classes with a high mark, and that took a lot of struggle and studying, trial and error. Even now, as an adult working on their master’s degree, Henry still found those subjects to be quite troublesome. Not everyone could be like him and be stubborn enough to keep trucking along without giving up. 

As Henry reached the road leading to the cafeteria, he paused and winced, placing a hand on his hip. The faintest grimace crossed his face, eyelids falling shut as he swallowed the whimper that threatened to escape his lips. Great Seven, what a pain! If it were up to Henry, that was one thing they would do away with. However, as he was still considering what he wanted from that part of life, he’d neglected to look into any sort of surgery to permanently fix the problem. After a small hiss, followed by a deep breath, Henry opened his eyes and let his hand fall back to his side. 

“Hey, you okay?” 

Henry glanced over at the woman that now stood beside him. “Yes, I’m alright.”

“That time again, huh?” she suggested with a smile. 

“Not quite, but it’s getting close.” 

“You want to come with me to the infirmary?” she offered. “I’m heading there anyway; we can pick you up some painkillers.”

That did sound nice. Henry checked the watch on their wrist - yes, he should still have enough time to grab a bite to eat afterwards. “Yes, I’ll come with,” he said with a smile.

It wasn’t that long of a walk, really. Within about ten minutes they were there, engaging in polite conversation even after they’d entered the nurse’s office. The ghost on shift gave the two a nod of acknowledgement as they entered. Once it was returned and the pair shut the door behind them, the nurse attendant went back to his business, making beds at the end of the room. There were no students in the room; as the ghost was privy to Henry’s situation, there was no reason to hide whilst there. 

“How’s that binder treating you?” Revon asked as she handed Henry - Filis - the bottle of painkillers. 

Filis let out a sigh as she fetched herself a styrofoam cup and filled it with water from the sink faucet. “I’m wondering if it’s for me. It’s awfully suffocating, and it only makes my cramps worse when my period comes.” 

Revon hummed in thought. “You think you need a bigger size? Maybe one made of a different material?”

Filis shook her head as she sat down in a chair next to one of the beds close to the door. “No… I’ll probably just stop wearing it.” She placed the cup of water on the small side table next to her and opened the bottle of pills, pouring two into her open palm before closing it. “I’m so used to wearing sweaters and cardigans that I won’t feel much of a difference. I doubt any student will bat an eye, either, as that’s my usual fashion.” 

Revon watched as Filis put the pills in her mouth and swallowed them down with a few gulps of water. “Well, at least you tried. You’re right, it’s definitely not for everyone.” She met Filis’s eye as she placed her cup on the table. “You think your regular bra will keep you from, y’know…bouncing?” 

Filis let out a small, quiet laugh. “There’s barely anything to bounce!” She patted her chest. “These have been kept hidden since I came here as a freshman. No one noticed then - I don’t think they will now, especially with the layers I wear.” 

Revon nodded. She paused for a moment, thinking something over. “Do you mind if I ask you something?” Filis shook her head. “This is probably a dumb question, as I’m sure you went over your options before applying here, but you never thought to teach at a girls’ school? You certainly wouldn’t have to hide anything there,” she paused a second time, briefly, then finished her thought with, “though I’ll admit I don’t know why you even hide you’re a woman here. We’ve been accepting female students for a while now.”

Filis shrugged. “Force of habit, I guess? I told you that, when I enrolled here, it was before Crowley opened the school’s doors to all genders.” She shot Revon a smile, “No thanks to you, I assume.” 

Revon put on a coy smile of her own as she shrugged and rolled her eyes. “Who can say?~” 

It still was a little unbelievable who her father was, honestly. Filis nearly fell out of her chair when that little fact was revealed to her. “I guess it just might be kind of weird to some? I mean, I’ve masqueraded as a boy since I was sixteen. A part of me will always be Henry Wendall. Taon - switching over to Filis Olivia. Seaveworth won’t change that.” She took another sip of her water. “I also don’t want anyone to start treating me differently, whether due to my gender or my name.” 

Her family name, to be exact. It wasn’t always Seaveworth, but upon her adoption Filis was thrust into high society. It felt like whiplash the first year or so, and while she’d grown used to it, the status came with its drawbacks. People kissing up to you and stop considering you a person and more of a prospect, for example. Filis was quite happy with being Henry W. Taon - Mr. Taon to many - for now. She likely would make the change to her actual name at some point, but for now she was happy with where she was. 

“Well,” Revon began, “if you ever do decide to make the big reveal while you’re here, I can promise you I’ll handle any backlash or trouble that might come with it. No one should really bat an eye, since people transition and take new pronouns all the time, but there will always be some people.” Revon flipped a few tresses of hair over her shoulder for effect. “And I oh so love to deal with those types of people.” 

Oh, Filis was well aware of that. She recalled the last time Revon had to wrangle an angry parent, and when she previously had to give a student a very stern talking to. Each for a separate reason, yet each held one similarity: those types of individuals were downright rude and entitled and did not know when to quit. The only reason Filis let Revon deal with her share of those miscreants instead of taking care of it herself was, as bad as it might sound, Revon had daddy’s protection. Seven held the one who tried to touch the headmage’s little bird. For how often he hinted at threats concerning his daughter, everyone and their mother knew he was serious. 

“True identity aside, I really do like it here,” Filis added. “I would like to stay here as long as possible, even if I don’t take Mozus’ place when he retires. My family worked too hard to get me here as a student; I’m not going to back out now when I’m about to reach the goal they’ve supported since then.” 

Revon knew which family she was referring to. “You know, if you don’t win a teacher’s award at some point, I’m going to peck out the eyes of whoever’s in charge of handing them out.”

Filis laugh was louder this time. “Do not!”

“Whaaat?” Revon mused. “They’ll never know it was me! It’ll just be some random bird with a mysterious vendetta.”

Filis felt a little sad Revon, Divus, Sam, and Ashton weren’t in her class during her time as a student. She believed those years would’ve been extra amounts of fun with them around. There truly wouldn’t have been much reason for worry.

Filis, currently Henry, watched as all the students filed in. He - she - gave a polite greeting to each that walked in; whether or not they replied at all depended on the person. Filis could discern which had gotten a full night’s rest and which decided to pull an all-nighter by the looks on their faces. Each placed stapled stacks of papers on the desk, right in the little basket Filis had set out to retrieve them. A few she could already tell would have poor grades, as they were either one page only or sparsely written. Those were from the usual suspects, of course. There was teenage rebellion and angst aplenty about the school. 

When the last student took their seat, Filis grew a little puzzled. A few of them were absent, she realized. The first she noticed was Ortho, whose bright, joyful orbs of sparkling yellow had not greeted her at all that day, as they often did. The boy always tried to arrive early, especially attentive to his studies. Filis had been looking forward to reading his paper, which he’d been working so hard on the past two weeks. The memory of them picking out books at the library for Ortho’s research on Atlantis still hung fresh in her mind. 

The other freshmen missing were Ace Trappola and Jack Howl. The former wasn’t too surprising, but the latter? Goodness, had they all fallen ill? Perhaps they partook in too much fast food or candy or some other treat that they overindulged in over the recent weekend, and now they were all sick in their beds? Wait, that didn’t make much sense for Ortho. The cybernetic boy couldn’t exactly eat, given his anatomy - his entire physical body. Filis didn’t feel like he and Jack would skip class with Ace, either. 

When Trein arrived moments later, Filis pointed out the missing students. According to him, he hadn’t heard about anything befalling the three that would prevent them from attending class. While he brushed off the absence of Trappola, given his record, the professor stated he would check-in with the status of Shroud and Howl later. So, trying not to worry, Filis went on about her day. The majority of the first and second classes were spent reading and grading research papers, which was a very time consuming task. Thankfully, there were only a few times she pulled Trein aside for a second opinion on a student’s work. 

It was one of those times when Filis noticed that there were other students missing from the lineup. This occurred in the second class of the day, which included sophomores. There were five missing this time: Jade and Floyd Leech, Liling Trieu, and Kalim Al-Asim. Jamil Viper was also absent. Later in the day, when everyone breaked for lunch, she was able to figure out where Jamil had gone off to. Apparently, according to Divus, Jamil had taken the day off to search for Kalim - the Al-Asim heir was missing. Filis’ colleagues, including Crowley himself, were looking into the matter at the moment, though how much Crowley would actually do was up for debate. 

When it was time for the last class of the day, Filis truly began to worry. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for Leona Kingscholar to be absent, and only a little odd for Cater Diamond to be. For Vil Schoenheit, Lilia Vanrouge, Persayis N. Siofra, Juliusz A. Bauer, and Trey Clover though? Fourteen students were missing. That was no coincidence. It was certainly cause for alarm; while Filis and Trein remained calm for the duration of class, afterwards an emergency meeting was held in Crowley’s office.

“Oh, you know how children are,” Dire Crowley mused. “They’ve likely skipped class to go off and make some mischief! I’m sure they will be back soon.”

“They are missing, dad!” Revon bit back. “Sure, a few of them like to skip class from time to time; they could have probably snuck off campus. But Vil? Persayis? They’ve nary missed a single day of school! Why would they suddenly take flight now?” 

The man that was somehow the father of such a woman shrugged, in much the same way she would. “Youthly rebellion?” 

Revon looked as though she might blow a fuse. It almost appeared as though her eyes were beginning to glow, her teeth grit in rage. Before a brawl could ensue, Trein spoke up. “I highly advise that we investigate the matter. Even if this turns out to be something trivial, it is our duty to assure the safety of our students. They could be in great peril.” 

“I took it upon myself to question some of their peers,” Divus interjected. “Viper was the first to raise alarm; Hunt, Felmier, Bucchi, Rosehearts, Thazeen, Spade, Fardowsa, and the older Shroud were soon to follow. Just before I came to this meeting, Ashengrotto and Sharnaz also came to me with their concerns.”

“Draconia and his two attendants came to me earlier during our flying lessons,” Vargas piped up. He cut his eyes at Crowley. “They told me they’d come to you about Vanrouge and Siofra this morning, but said you just assured he’d turn up eventually.” 

The headmage was slowly being backed into a corner. “I am well aware of the maturity of those two. I simply thought they might be out. Who are we to keep two legal adults under wraps?” 

“When they’re loved ones don’t even know where they are?” Revon practically spat. “If I were the one missing, you’d be turning the whole island on its head!”

Well, he couldn’t argue with that. It was Sam who broke the momentary silence. “Might I add that one of the little imps that’s MIA is the prince of the Sunset Savanna. Tell me, wise headmage: what would happen if word were to get back to his family - his brother, the current king regent, that his own flesh and blood went off the radar whilst attending this school? If I were him, I’d certainly have a number of questions.” He brushed an imaginary piece of lint off his sleeve. “Not to mention his highness’s current lover, who I’ve heard the king regent and his wife are very fond of.” 

Filis could almost make out the sweat beading under Crowley’s shirt collar. There was no need for another push. The rest of the meeting was spent discussing how to proceed, aside from contacting the authorities and tracking down the students’ last known location. Each staff member had their part of play; unfortunately for Filis, hers was the smallest. She was to go back to Trein’s office and grade the rest of the second year’s research papers, and then go back to her living quarters for the evening. “I do not give you the task out of a lack of trust in you,” Trein explained to his assistant before he sent her on her way. “You simply do not yet possess the necessary experience to handle a situation like this.” 

Though it did nothing to quell Filis’ unease, she wasn’t offended. Mozus was right: she had never experienced a crisis like this. While she certainly hoped one of this magnitude hadn’t occurred in the past, Mozus and the rest of the staff were certainly trained in the procedures one should follow in these circumstances. Filis would be sure to ask to be trained in these as soon as the students were found and everything was settled. The beastwoman could barely concentrate on her work - her attention kept going back to her students. She could picture them all in her mind’s eye, their faces clear as day. Ortho stood out the most, his pupils full of excitement and wonder, curious about the world around him and willing to do whatever it took to explore it. 

Filis imagined their friends and loved ones were just as distraught. Whether their relationship be platonic, romantic, or familial, their hearts were likely being ripped to shreds now. Filis recalled Divus stating that Idia told him he couldn’t locate his brother via the tracker planted within his body. It was as though the boy had disappeared off the face of Twisted Wonderland! “It’s like he just floated out into the sea and poof! Gone!” For a young man that barely got any sleep to begin with, Filis reckoned he wouldn’t droop an eye anytime soon. 

Filis sighed as she put down her ballpoint pen, letting it roll across the desk before coming to a stop beside a paperweight. She laid her head in the center of her folded arms, placed atop the desk as a makeshift pillow. Where could they be? Where had they run off to? They couldn’t have taken the mirror - her colleagues would have been able to track that. There was no way they could get off the island without being seen. They couldn’t just up and disappear without a trace!

As Filis thought and thought, picking her brain for any sort of clue, a memory came to mind. It was just yesterday, in fact, when it occurred. Ortho had come to her again in the late afternoon, returning a paperclip he’d borrowed earlier in the day. There was no need to give it back, but the boy was so kind and well-mannered he didn’t like the thought of taking something from Filis - Mr. Taon - like that. As Filis did not want anything in return, Ortho felt it was only right to give back what she’d lended him. “If you receive kindness, you should give it in return,” he’d told her. What a sweet boy…

She and the student made small talk before going their separate ways. Filis recollected Ortho telling her about a ticket he received earlier in the day. It was for some carnival or fair, if Filis remembered right. “I wanted my brother to come with me, but he doesn’t like things like that. He thinks it’s a bad idea… I still hope I can go. It sounds like a lot of fun!” 

“It does,” Filis concurred then. “What is it for again? I don’t remember any news of a festival being held in town.”

“It’s a traveling amusement park!” Ortho had replied to her, looking ecstatic by the prospect. “It’s called Playful Land! You can only enter if you have a ticket. I’m so pleased I got one! I’ve never been to an amusement park before.”

Playful Land. The name had sounded familiar, but Filis couldn’t recall where she’d heard it then, and couldn’t now. Who’d given Ortho such a rare opportunity. A once in a lifetime venture, from the sound of it. The fact he disappeared the day after he’d regaled Filis of the entry ticket he’d received for it… Could the other students have gotten similar tickets? She further remembered Ortho telling her about going into town with some of his friends that day…

Filis reached into the pocket of her black slacks and took out a silver coin. It’d been given to her long ago by Arty: a member of her found family, the one she gained before her adoption. It was a good luck charm of sorts, one he gifted to her when she was just nine years old. Back then she wore a shirt and pants that were two sizes too big, a scruffy hand-me-down jacket with sleeves that went over her hands, and thrifted brown boots. She smiled fondly at the old memory, feeling nostalgic for those bygone days. If you’d told her little self that she’d one day have more riches than she knew what to do with, she would’ve believed you were a scam artist trying to sell her something. They were a dime a dozen in that part of town. 

“Take it as a reminder, kid,” Arty had told her, wearing a pair of black shades. Filis always thought they made him look cool. “There will always be bad times, but good things will eventually come your way. Don’t get your tail up in a knot about it.” She remembered how he slid his sunglasses down to the bridge of his nose and sent her a wink, paired with that devil-may-care smile. “Why should you worry?”

Neither of them knew that, years later, she would name her signature spell after that motto. No one could have known where her life would lead her. The coin she held in the crook of her thumb and forefinger, its old metal faintly clinting in the dim lamplight, was a daily reminder of where she came from. She would never forget, and never be ashamed. She was Filis Olivia - give or take the Seaveworth title. Good times were around the corner; everything would work out, just like it always did.

“Why Should I Worry?” 

From the rim of the coin shot out a beam of light - not too bright, not too dim. Its soft blue hue matched that of Filis’ favorite color, the same shade as the pullover sweater she wore over her white button up. She sat herself up and stood from her chair, leaving the many papers - graded and ungraded - behind. From her canvas bag, left open beside the desk, Filis grabbed her magic pen. It was the same one she received in her freshman year at the college; somehow, she’d managed to keep it looking relatively new. Only the magetone was new, having been replaced the year prior. It matched the same shade of blue as the stream of light that led her out the door and off Night Raven College campus. 

Filis’ brow furrowed as she reached the edge of the dock. What in the world…? The beam of light, still emanating from her lucky coin, stretched out to sea. It seemed to stop towards the middle of the expanse, but Filis couldn’t be sure. For all she knew, it could lead her many miles out, far away from Sage Island. This was certainly dangerous. She had to be smart if she wanted to get her and the students back to the college safely. 

Filis noticed that the lights of the island’s library were still on. Though it was a little past closing time, Filis tried the door anyway. Thankfully, it opened, the bell of above chiming as she entered. “We’re closed,” came a voice from within. Filis approached the front desk; a few minutes later, a man only half a decade older than her emerged from the back. He didn’t look too pleased to see her, likely eager to go home for the night. Filis recognized him, and he recognized her, his facial expression shifting to one of surprise. 

“I’m sorry to come in so late, Alyssum,” Filis said with an apologetic smile. 

“For you to come in after closing, it must be important.” He placed his hands against the desk and leaned forward, their ponytail - this time, it was tied back with a teal ribbon rather than blue -  falling over their shoulder. “Do you need to check something out for a class?”

“No, not tonight. I need a favor.” 

The librarian raised a brow. “And that would be…?”

“Can I leave a note here with you? I hope you won’t have to deliver it, but it’s a precautionary measure.” 

Their expression shifted to one of concern. “Are you in some sort of trouble?” 

“I don’t know,” Filis admitted. “But my student may very well be.” Filis glanced down at the coin in her hands, the beam of light balancing on its edge pointed slightly to the side, out the window and towards the sea. Alyssum couldn’t see it, of course - he’d be even more puzzled  if so. She put it in her pocket for now. “I think I know where they are. It’s risky, but I need to go now, before something bad happens.” 

“Do you want me to go with you?” 

“No, I don’t want you to put yourself in danger.” She pointed to a small basket of blank sheets of paper. “Can I have one of those?”

Alyssum retrieved her one, along with a black pen. With haste, Filis scribbled down where she was going, and where her colleagues should look. She then folded the note and handed it to Alyssum. “Give this to the headmage at Night Raven College if I’m not back here by lunchtime tomorrow. Please.” 

With some hesitance, Alyssum accepted the note. “I don’t suppose I could convince you to wait until the proper authorities arrive? I could give them a call.” 

“I can’t wait that long.” Filis was determined to get to her students as quickly as possible. To wait any longer may put them in further peril. “I’m sorry to put you up to this. When I come back, I’ll make it up to you.” 

“Yes, when.” Alyssum cut a stern look at their frequent patron. “Not if. I swear, if you wind up missing, too, I’ll hunt you down myself!” 

Filis’ ears perked up in surprise. “You’ve heard?”

The librarian shook his head. “Not a word, but I can put the pieces together.” He rolled his eyes. “A proper headmage you have over there.” Filis couldn’t argue with that. Alyssum sighed as he said, “Alright, I’ll do as you ask, if needed be.” He stood up straight again as he added, “I expect you back here a few minutes before lunch.”

Filis smiled from cheek to cheek. “Thank you.” 

Alyssum watched her go, right up until the library door shut behind her. As Filis reapproached the peer, descended the stairs to the dock, she picked her magic pen out of her pocket and raised it in the air. She mumbled an incarnation under her breath, one she’d repeated probably a million times. Just as she reached the edge of the dock, something swished over from above her. Slowly, the woman’s broom floated down, the initials H.W.T carved into the wooden handle. Beside that was painted a tiny blue bow, and in the center of that was an even tinier painted yellow bell. Another reminder of her family back home - who, without a doubt, would do something crazy like this for her. 

Filis pulled her broom over by the hand before mounting it. Usually she’d give herself a mental pat on the back for no longer being nervous to ride the thing, let alone fly, but now was not the time for such sentiments. Before she disembarked, she looped the button of her pants pocket into its hole, shutting the opening. That would prevent her lucky coin from slipping out of her pocket mid flight. The beam of light passed through the dark fabric, still trailing out to sea. Filis took a deep breath as she set her sights out on the horizon, swallowing any fear she might have and building up her courage. As she exhaled, she took off on her broom, following the blue trail. 

About thirty-five minutes passed before the light began to reach its end. Filis squeezed her magic pen a little tighter as she approached her destination. She grew troubled as she neared the end of the trail. There was nothing there. Her heart began to sink, her mind coming up with all sorts of horrid possibilities. They couldn’t be… How would they…? 

She gasped as she passed through something thick, as though she were flying through pea soup. It was cold and tingly, kind of like when she traveled by magic mirror. Her ears flattened against her head; every piece of fur and hair on her person stood on-end. Filis’ left hand gripped her broom tight, as did her right around her pen. She shut her eyes, pushing forward and forward and forward. Then, after what was probably only a few seconds, it stopped. Filis flinched as bright lights suddenly appeared in front of her closed eyelids. 

When she opened them, she gasped again as she looked down at the new landscape she’d just entered. It was an amusement park! There was a gigantic roller coaster at the rear, a humongous eight ball to her left, a sprawling mansion behind the eight ball, and a water ride that ran the length of the north side of the park - all spaced out between funhouses and food stalls and colorful tents. When she looked ahead, Filis beheld a grand theater, bright lights highlighting its rich red curtains, gilded gold trimmings, and black and white striped stage. Filis slowed her speed, barely above a drift as she began to lower herself to the ground. She swept strands of hair away from her face, clearing her vision. As she descended, she observed various broken wooden figures scattered about the place, though a few here and there still remained in one piece. 

“Puppets?” Filis mumbled to herself, curiously looking about. A few miles away, there stood the remnants of some building, now a shadow of its former self. Now that she got a better look at the land around her, the place was an absolute mess! It was like a stampede had run through, tearing apart everything in sight! “What happened here?” she whispered. 

Her ears perked up as she heard a noise come from somewhere behind her. It came a second time, then a third. Filis quickly realized it was a voice, what’s more one she recognized. That had to be Ace! Another voice cried out after him: Kalim! They sounded like they were in trouble! Filis hopped off her broom and left it behind as she ran towards the theater, the source of their cries, magic pen at the ready. 

She slowed to a stop as she neared the towering curtains framing the stage. There were other people with them, she realized. However, the voice that spoke now wasn’t familiar. It sounded like an older man, ordering someone else to put another in a cage “with the other one.” Filis crouched down and itched over to the entrance, discreetly taking a peek behind the curtain on the right. She had to hold in the gasp that dared to rip from her throat. All the missing students were there, in cages, and Filis was just in time to watch an unconscious Persayis be thrown into the one that contained Lilia. 

Filis waited for the man to come to her side, to embrace and comfort her, perhaps try to wake her. To Filis’ surprise he didn’t move - not an inch. A rabid fury raged behind those dark eyes, yet the fae refused to budge. Could he not move? Filis glanced around at the other students - most of them weren’t moving, either. That was her biggest hint her assumption was correct, given that Floyd would have been throwing a fit in his predicament, especially since his little girlfriend, Liling, was trapped along with him.

Those poor things…Ace and Kalim were the only ones who seemed to still possess the ability to move. They protested and resisted, unwilling to back down, though it seemed Kalim was beginning to give in. Suddenly, a cell phone rang. It was only then Filis noticed a beastman standing a short several feet away from the cages. She figured he must be in cahoots with the smaller one, who just finished closing the cage holding Lilia and Persayis. The little one, just a bit younger than sixteen, put his droopy eyed gaze on the taller man, who excused himself to answer the phone. The boy, his partner in crime, did not follow. 

It was then Filis witnessed just how cunning her students could be. Ace began to appeal to the younger boy, talking about his time at Night Raven College. A few of his classmates - thankfully, they at least still possessed the ability to speak - soon joined in, recalling all their misadventures at the school. The little boy, whose clothes were way too big for his body, seemed intrigued by their stories. He clutched his toy hammer in his hands, nearly equaling him in height. His large pupils and bright green orbs sparkled in wonderment, much like Ortho’s when he was beholding something that amazed him. Despite this, when Ace tried to coax the boy into freeing them, so they could take him back to Night Raven and show him what a good time he could have there, the beastman shrunk back and shook his head.

Something compelled Filis to step out of hiding. She stepped out from behind the curtain, the sound of her footsteps catching everyone’s attention. “Mr. Taon?!” Kalim yelled in surprise, but was hastily and vehemently shushed by his underclassman. From behind Ace and Kalim, Filis could see Persayis was starting to come to. Unlike the others present, she wasn’t wearing a mask. Could those masks be the key to their predicament? 

Filis decided to figure that out later. For now, she focused on the small boy before her, droopy eyes now wider than before as they stared up at her. He appeared afraid, hammer at the ready to wallop her. If it could do much damage to begin with. She put on a friendly smile, holding up her hand to silently shush him. “Hey, it’s okay,” she said softly. “I don’t want to hurt you.” 

Against her better judgment, she put her magic pen away in her right pocket. Her lucky coin, kept safe in her left one, still beamed that ray of blue light. It passed the boy and shot in the direction of where that other man had gone. So, he was the one Filis was supposed to find. She’d deal with him soon enough. She bent down a little as she maintained eye contact with the beastman, trying to get down on his level. 

“My name is F-” She stopped herself, recalling who she was around. “Mr. Taon. You can call me Henry, if you want.” The boy still appeared unsure, but there was now a curious glimmer in his gaze. “I’m an assistant teacher at Night Raven College.” She pointed towards the cages. 

“Those are my students over there. I was worried when they didn’t come to class, so I came looking for them.” Filis knew outright accusing the boy of kidnapping them, helping that other man imprison them and Seven knew what else, would be a bad move. She wracked her brain for what she’d been taught at her university, recalling how to talk to children his age. “What’s your name?” she asked. The boy didn’t answer - he simply stared up at her. 

“His name’s Gidel,” Ace offered up from within his cage. “He can’t speak.” 

Oh, so that's why the little cat was so quiet. She wondered if he knew sign language. To test her theory, Filis asked Gidel in sign, “Do you understand this?” Gidel continued to stare at her, this time with a wisp of confusion across his face. Well, there was her answer. “Did you see what I did with my hands? That’s called sign language.” 

Gidel tilted his head to the side and blinked, growing evermore curious. He wanted to know more. “It’s a language specifically designed for people like you,” she explained. “It takes a while to learn,” she gave him an encouraging smile, “but I think you could get the hang of it!” This next question was a little stupid, but if it got Gidel to communicate, it was worth a shot. “Have you ever been to school?” 

Gidel shook his head ‘no.’ What? That was strange…boys like him should be coming into middle school by now. She glanced in the direction of where the older beastman had disappeared. Just what had he been doing with this child, not giving him an education? That was all sorts of neglect! This boy might be as much of a victim as her students were. 

She tore her gaze away from the backstage area and turned her attention back to Gidel. Filis kept her voice calm and light, as if she were talking to a friend. “Do you think you’d like to learn sign language?” Gidel paused for a moment, thinking the prospect over. Then the most adorable of little smiles crossed his face as he nodded his head. “Well, I’d love to teach you. I could make some time for it after my classes back at the college.” 

“He’s telling the truth,” Kalim piped up, seeming a little more chipper than before. “Mr. Taon’s a great teacher! He helped me when I was having trouble with my History of Magic class.” Kalim looked very proud of himself, chest puffed out and grinning from ear to ear as he added, “I passed my exam with high marks!” 

“Yeah, what he said!” It was Ace that spoke up this time. “Mr. Taon got Professor Trein off my back when I didn’t turn in my homework one time. He even convinced him to give me a little more time to turn it in! I’m sure he’ll stick his neck out for you, too.” Ace sure hadn’t expressed his thanks before - it felt good to hear him say that about her. Filis’ confidence got a little boost, which caused her smile to brighten. 

“School can be hard,” Filis said honestly. “But it is also a lot of fun! You can learn so many things, and it can lead to you doing something you really like to do.” 

“And get paid for it!” Ace added. Gidel certainly perked up at that. So, money was a motivating factor for him. Filis could sympathize - she knew what it was like to go without. 

“Mr. Taon let me pick out the topic for my research paper!” Filis finally noticed Ortho, who was stationed in a cage a little behind Ace and Kalim. He was dressed like a little drummer boy, Filis thought. “It was so much fun to learn about Atlantis! It’s an ancient city that existed long ago and-” Ortho stopped himself. “Oh, I shouldn’t spoil it; Mr. Taon hasn’t read it yet!”

Filis’ heart melted at the young Shroud’s excitement. He’d worked really hard on his report, reading over every single page of the books Filis helped him pick out. She couldn’t wait to sit back and read what he’d written. 

“A boy your age should be surrounded by other children.” Every head - that could move - turned to look at Persayis, who seemed to have just come to. Though she appeared to have not come around fully, she offered Gidel a kind smile. “You would be able to make friendships that last a lifetime.” 

Gidel flinched away from the fae. There was an apparent fear in his eyes, his little body trembling a tad. Persayis’s smile was replaced by a look of shame and sadness, tucking herself as far out of sight as she could. Though he could not move, Lilia’s eyes portrayed his wish to comfort the poor thing. Filis pondered what could have happened before she arrived that made the boy so afraid of Persayis. She supposed she would receive the answer at a later date. “I really would love for you to come back with us,” Filis said, regaining Gidel’s attention. She held out a hand towards him in peace, “I promise to help you in any way I can.”

Gidel stared at her in silence, blinking every other second. He studied her like that for a few long moments, expression unreadable. Then, with barely a sound, he turned and walked away, in the direction where the other man had gone. Filis’ heart sank - she didn’t convince him. Gidel likely went off to tell the man about her, an intruder, so he could come and take her down. “Shit,” she cursed under her breath. What to do, what to do…

Filis noticed Kalim and Ace had gone stark still, along with Ortho. Oh no, she was running out of time! She bolted over to the boys and asked in a rush, “What’s happened to you?” 

“The masks,” Kalim answered, struggling to speak. “They’re stuck to our faces; they’re gonna turn us into wooden puppets!” 

Filis felt sick to her stomach. That’s what was happening to them? They were slowly being turned into dolls? 

“It’s an ancient curse.” Filis whipped her head around as Persayis spoke up, a little more awake now than she’d been before. “Before, when we were given the masks, I got a feeling I’d seen them before. I discreetly tossed mine away and made a replica with my own magic while I tried to figure out where they’d come from.” She hung her head, tears in her eyes. “I realized when it was far too late.” 

“Is there a way to break it?” Filis asked, trying to keep her cool.

“We couldn’t,” came her reply. “Only the caster can dispel the curse. There is another way, but we do not have the materials necessary.” Persayis raised her head to look up at Lilia. “If it would even work now.” It was apparent she was trying to not break down crying. “I’m so sorry…” 

With great strain, Lilia managed a smile, a silent way to tell his love it was not her fault. It was all so heartbreaking… To think this could be their fate, and there was nothing Filis or anyone could do to stop it. …No, there was a way. Filis ripped her magic pen out of her pocket. She spun around and began to march in the direction Gidel and that other man had gone. If that man was the caster, he could break the curse - Filis would make him if it was the last thing she ever did. 

Filis didn’t make it far. A few steps in and the two appeared from around the corner. The three paused simultaneously in their stride, shocked to see her standing there, more-so the older beastman beside Gidel. He appeared to be a fox beastman, now that Filis got a closer look at him. His clothes were neat, yet patched up in certain areas. They were old, that was for certain. With her lower class upbringing, Filis could spot a person down on their luck from a mile away. 

Filis directed her magic pen right at the man’s head. A low hiss rose from the back of her throat, teeth bared and body prepared for a fight. No matter what, she was going to free her students from their cages, from that horrible curse. She was their teacher, their protector. That man was not going to get away with this! There was no time for thoughts of failure or all that could go wrong. 

Why should she worry? 

“There you go,” Filis said, handing the boy his workbook. “Remember: finish pages twelve and thirteen, and then you’re finished for the day.” She pooped the little man on the nose; it crinkled as he smiled and closed his eyes on instinct, his freckles in full view. “And I mean it! You’ll burn yourself out if you study too much.”

He smiled and nodded, then turned around and trotted back to his room. He would sit at his little desk, in his comfy little chair, and do as he was instructed down to the letter. Gidel was such a diligent student, so eager to learn everything he could get his hands on. It was trouble enough to get him to stop working and be a kid and play! Filis smiled as she watched him go, right up until he disappeared from view. She then went back to cutting vegetables on the counter - something she herself had taken time to practice over the past two years. Filis was quite proud of her progress.

In the next room over, the front door opened. “Honey, I’m home!~” came a voice in a sing-song tone, followed by the door shutting. Filis rolled her eyes, smile now mocking as she shook her head as she continued to chop the carrot into thick, but not too thick slices. Footsteps entered the room behind her, followed by the sound of three brown paper bags being placed on the kitchen table. Those footsteps swiftly approached Filis from behind; before she could react, two arms wrapped around her midsection and pulled her back against a strong chest. She gasped, almost dropping the knife as a kiss was pressed to her neck with an accentuated “mwah!” 

“Fellow Honest, I have a knife!” Filis scolded, turning her head as far as she could to look back at the sneaky fox. 

The man nonchalantly shrugged. “I’ve had worse.” Then proceeded to give Filis another lip smack, this time on her jaw. 

Filis placed the knife on the cutting board, so neither one of them would get stabbed. Fellow rubbed his cheek against the top of her head, the silk blue bow tied at the back of her hair tickling his chin. Filis wrapped her arms around his own just as he placed a kiss on her scalp. “Someone’s clingy today,” she commented, a grin pulling at her mouth as he delivered a kiss to her ear. 

Fellow made a hum in question. “Would you rather me be stoic and aloof and not shower you in kisses?”

Filis pretended to mull the prospect over. “Hm…if you were to act like that, I’d assume you were not who you said you were and proceed to beat you senseless until you told me where the real Fellow was.” 

“Oh, come now, Filis!” The fox spun her around, releasing her from his hold in favor of addressing himself with his hand. “You really think someone could replicate my charms?~” 

Without skipping a beat, Filis snapped back with, “Most likely.” 

His expression shifted to one of surprise, thick brows scrunched in confusion, one rising in an arch. Then, just as quick, it switched to one of great pain and disappointment, Fellow’s ears flattening as he placed his hand over his heart. “To insult me so blatantly!” He sniffled. “And I thought you loved me.” 

“Oh, don’t start that mess!” Filis lightly tugged at a lock of his bright orange hair. “Did you get everything we need for the stew?”

He threw out his previous theatrics and nodded. “All except the celery. They just ran out when I got to the market.” 

Filis began to take the produce and other groceries out of the paper bags and set them on the kitchen table. “It’s alright, we can do without. We would have barely tasted it anyway.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Wash up and help me cut these up?”

Fellow swept down in a deep bow as he winked. “Your wish is my command, fair lady~” 

Again, Filis rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance. As Fellow turned on the kitchen sink faucet and proceeded to wash his hands, she couldn’t help but pause to watch him. In her mind, she could picture him in those elaborately patched clothes he wore when she’d met him. Fellow had looked like a ringmaster, but he’d mentioned to her before that that was the vibe he’d been going for. Nowadays, he often wore more casual attire: plain or graphic t-shirts, green cargo pants, a dark denim jacket, and a pair of black and white converse. Well, casual was the dress code unless Fellow was going to work, or some other time he needed to spruce himself up. The fox looked forward to dressing in such a manner, as he found it very fun. 

In a way, he and Gidel both were still getting used to living in relative comfort, not having to scrounge for food or wear tattered, and sometimes oversized, clothing. It’d been a hard road since the two started fresh, right after the Playful Land fiasco. Filis had aided the duo when she could, one of the key helping hands being when she loaned Fellow enough money to attend career school. That was right after he obtained his GED, which Filis also helped out with in terms of studying. For all the bad cards dealt to the man throughout his life, Filis wasn’t surprised when he immediately grew suspicious of her generosity. Filis being part of the upper class was a deterring factor as well. That was until Filis took Fellow and Gidel with her to visit her family - not just her adoptive one.

The childrens’ home wasn’t as rickety and rugged as it was when Filis was a child, yet one could tell it lacked exceptional funds. The home only had two sponsors: the Seaveworth family and the government. While Filis’ adopted father poured a huge sum into the orphanage’s accounts every six months, it couldn’t buy everything. Even so, the Fifth Avenue Homestead was moving up in the world, slowly but surely. Filis always kept an eye out for other potential sponsors; recently, she’d even managed to get a charity organization to donate to the place. The home’s growth was documented with several photographs taken by its residents over the years. Gidel picked Filis out of many without much problem, and the look of her and everyone else back then gave Fellow a glimpse into just how similar their childhoods were, at least financially. 

The romance was the unexpected bonus of the whole arrangement. It started out as a simple acquaintanceship; as Filis provided Gidel with an education, she lent a hand in Fellow advancing his and acquiring a suitable occupation. A little while later, Filis and her adoptive father began to set the groundwork for the school Fellow dreamed of opening for underprivileged children - with and without magical abilities. It would be located in a vacant townhouse just a couple blocks from where the three lived now. With a little remodeling, renovation, and the acquisition of study materials and other school necessities, it would be ready to open its doors. While Filis would be the face of the facility, it was only temporary until Fellow received his own teaching license. Just a little more saving, a little more hard work, and they could set that in motion, too. 

To think she, a year and a half ago, wanted nothing more than to send the man flying into the Coral Sea. Under the circumstances, as well as Fellow’s own actions, no one could blame her - not even Fellow and Gidel. That pride had definitely been hard to swallow for the fox, but that was one thing he promised her he’d become more of: honest. It was a steep learning curve after lying and deceiving for so long, but Fellow was getting the hang of it. If there was one thing he’d never be able to shake though, it was his showmanship. One of many things Filis now loved about the beastman. 

Suddenly, Filis was pushed out of memory lane as someone flicked her forehead. “Helloooo? Fili? Are you still with us?” 

Filis blinked a couple times as she came back to reality. “Hm?” 

“I turn around and you’re ogling me.” Fellow chuckled, smirk clear across his face. “Shameful! What if Gidel were to walk in? You’re supposed to be a role model for students, you know. Can’t be drooling over my good looks in front of the students, now can you?”

Filis scoffed. “The only reason I’ll be staring at you is to scold you for making a fool of yourself in front of the kids.” She flicked the tip of his nose, causing him to flinch and go cross eyed as he scrunched it. “You need to learn to behave yourself!” 

“And let the little tikes die of boredom? Why, I would be more irresponsible not stealing them away for a game or two in-between classes.”

Filis placed her hands on her hips and shot the fox a mock glare. “Are you saying I’m not fun, Mr. Honest?”

Fellow laughed. “There is only so much fun to be had when it comes to learning, Filis.” He tucked his tongue into his cheek as he flicked his gaze to the side. “Especially when you’re learning about some dead guy’s good or bad deeds.” 

Unlike Filis, Fellow never cared too much for history - or school in general. Filis knew from personal experience that, if Fellow had gone to a regular school in his youth, he would have been a pain in the ass to the teachers. “History is important and you know it!” 

“Mhm mhm, when you make it interesting, sure.” To an outsider, they would think the two were in the midst of a lover’s quarrel. That couldn’t be further from the truth - they were just play-fighting. Catch them actually fighting and that was a spectacle to binge eat popcorn to. Fellow showcased his signature smug grin as he finished with, “How’s that, Mr. Taon?~” 

Filis hadn’t been addressed by that name for a good six months now. It was bittersweet, leaving Night Raven College to open a school in the Shaftlands with Fellow. To become a professor at Night Raven was her dream; well, it was up until Fellow and Gidel entered her life. She remembered the night she made her decision, the one that would alter the course of her life. Filis had sat on her bed in her quarters on the college campus, lucky coin in hand. When she recited the incantation to produce her signature spell, the blue line of light that imitated from it sealed her fate. It shot out the window, away from the college and out towards the right side of Sage Island - where Fellow and Gidel were staying at a little bed and breakfast, visiting her for the weekend. 

Sure, Filis wouldn’t mind using her old moniker in the future. It was going to be very odd for students to address her as Ms. Filis. She’d gotten a taste of that when the students present at Playful Land learned that she wasn’t who she said she was, nonetheless not a guy. Of course, they still addressed her as Mr. Taon for the rest of her time at the college, but outside of that? It was a little strange now, when she received letters from a few of her former students every other month or so. Her most frequent writer was who she came to call her star pupil: Ortho Shroud. 

“I miss you being here,” he’d written to her once. “But I’m so glad you left to pursue your dreams! I’m still making good grades - I became an honor student! I hope Mr. Fellow and Gidel are doing okay, along with you, Ms. Filis!” 

Sweet boy… Filis planned to visit Sage Island next month, right before finals week. While she was looking forward to seeing her old students, those who still attended the college, the little Shroud held a special place in her heart. Of course, her old colleagues would be delighted to see her as well. Filis still kept in contact with them, too, especially Mozus and Revon. 

“Should you ever need guidance, know you can always call upon me,” Mozus had told her time and time again. Even professionals of the highest accreditation and excellence need a second opinion.” 

“You three take care of yourselves!” Revon had said the last time Filis called her. “Send me pictures of the school once it's finished. Oh, and one of your first group of kids! I want to know every detail.” Before they’d hung up the phone, Revon mentioned one other thing. “Tell Fellow that, if he breaks your heart or does something stupid, I’ll break more than his ankles.” After that first meeting with the woman, shortly after the destruction of Playful Land, Fellow definitely took that to heart. 

“Mr. Taon, Ms. Filis - doesn’t matter.” She poked his chest. “I demand, as your former tutor and your brother’s teacher, start chopping those vegetables, or we won’t have any dinner to speak of!” 

“So demanding!” Fellow fished a hair tie out of his pants pocket and began to pull his hair back. “This must be what it’s like to be scolded by your mother,” he mused. 

Filis forgot to reply. The calico cat was too busy watching her boyfriend do such a simple, domestic task. It was the little things that caught her attention when it came to her attraction towards him. The way he expertly twirled his hair between his fingers, effortlessly looping it through the hair tie. Though part of his biceps were hidden underneath the short sleeves of his plain white t-shirt, Filis could just make out them flexing underneath the cotton fabric. Fellow wasn’t overly bulky, nor could he be called a twink. To Filis, he was just right. 

Once more, the fox caught the cat lost in her own head. He snickered to himself as he took a step towards her, this time booping her on the nose. “Hey, kitty, you’re staring again~” 

Blood quickly rushed to Filis’ cheeks, clearly flustered. This time around, she slapped him on the arm. “Go chop the vegetables, now!” 

“Ah ah ah~” The fox man tutted. “There’s a price to be paid for every show.” Fellow took another step forward, forcing Filis to take one back. Her lower back pressed up against the edge of the kitchen table, and she soon found herself leaning further backward onto it. Fellow trapped her there, arms either side of her torso, looking rather pleased with himself. “All debts must be collected, you understand.” 

Filis’ tail slapped against his leg, brushing his fox tail. “Get off me you-” 

“Handsome, debonair gentleman?” Filis glared at him. “No? How about…” He held his chin with his forefinger and thumb, tapping the underside as he thought of another set of compliments. “Gorgeous, charming devil?~” 

Filis smirked. “More like a brazen, sly fox!” 

While it was still playful, Fellow’s smile took on a genuine undertone. Fellow released his chin and lowered his hand down to hold her waist. “I can live with that~” 

His kiss set every nerve of hers ablaze. Without a thought she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. The hand that was not holding himself upright slid up from her waist and to her cheek, caressing it gently. He soon deepened the kiss, gently tilting Filis’ head to the side to follow his lead. Her sleek tail coiled around his fluffier one, the fingers of one hand reaching up to scratch behind his ear. They now purred together, making their lips tingle. Filis smiled into the liplock as she felt Fellow’s tail wag back and forth, pulling hers along with it, swishing to and fro. 

Fellow just made up his mind to break the kiss and begin peppering Filis’ face with more when he heard a noise. Both he and Filis’ ears perked up at the sound of soft footsteps approaching from down the hall, a certain little bounce to them. Gidel. In a hurry, Filis and Fellow released each other, Fellow stepping aside to let Filis sit up from the table. They simultaneously straightened their clothes and fixed their hair, right before Gidel entered the room, a clear pep in his step. The little cat didn’t notice a thing. Yes, the two adults present were being so normal right now. 

“Finished already?” Filis asked, thankful she was able to hide the breathlessness she felt. Gidel nodded, looking quite pleased with himself as he offered up the pine green workbook, clutched in his sleeve covered hands. No matter how many times they offered Gidel clothes that were just his size, he always preferred ones with oversized sleeves. One because he was so used to it, and second because he thought it made him look cute. Filis wondered if a certain fae influenced that decision long ago. That, or it was how much Gidel could get away with when it came to strangers for looking so adorable. 

Filis opened the book and flipped to the pages she assigned him. She skimmed over the answers he’d written down - the first half in red colored crayon, the second in blue. Filis smiled conspiratorially down at him and asked, “You’re not trying to butter me up by writing in my favorite color again, are you?” The boy held up his arms in a shrug, smiling coyly. Filis hummed in thought as she looked back at the pages, pretending to scrutinize them a second time. The beastwoman then grabbed a red pen off the table, pulled off its cap with her teeth, and wrote a big ‘A+’ on both pages before flipping the workbook over for Gidel to see. 

“Not a single error. Great job!” 

It was like someone got a big bottle of glitter and poured it into Gidel’s eye sockets. He hopped up and down on the balls of his feet, clapping his hands together in glee. “Awesome job, smart guy!” Fellow congratulated his little brother with a ruffle of his naturally messy hair. “You’ll be making the big bucks in no time!” Fellow swiveled his head to the side to address Filis. “What was today’s subject?” 

“Algebra I.” 

Fellow looked like he got hit by a brick. Ah, yes, of course Gidel would succeed at something he absolutely slumped in. Well, better for him, he supposed. Though he was a little envious of the guy, Fellow’s frustrated grin was completely false. “Trying to one up me, huh?” This time, he picked Gidel up and held him sideways under his arm before proceeding to give him a noogie. “Don’t think this means you get all the spoils this weekend.” 

By spoils, Fellow meant the trio’s weekly night on the town. Scratch that, they couldn’t do it every weekend, whether due to business or finances or some other thing, but they made a point to go out and do something fun at least once a month. More often than not, if Gidel did a remarkable job in his coursework in the days prior to the outing, he had more sway in deciding what they all did. It was only fair - and it didn’t just happen when Gidel excelled in his classes, either. The kid was spoiled downright rotten sometimes! Fellow wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“I don’t know, another visit to that ice cream shoppe sounds awfully good.” Filis watched as Fellow sat the boy back on his feet, all whilst shooting her a teasing stare. “Before we even think about that though,” Filis reached into one of the brown grocery bags and pulled out a potato, “we need to cook tonight’s dinner.” Gidel nodded eagerly, right before he trotted over to the counter nearest the stove. He pulled over his stepping stool - while the boy had grown two inches since last year, he was still quite short - and stepped up to the cutting board Filis had abandoned. Filis mouthed to Fellow, “Please, help him.”

Fellow sent his lady love a small salute before stepping over to Gidel, helping hold the knife and carefully cut the rest of the carrot. Filis busied herself with emptying the three brown paper bags of their contents: potatoes, corn on the cob, broccoli (Fellow still refused to eat it, that child), a few packages of chicken, apples, bananas, blackberries and strawberries. Once the stew was boiling on the stove, Filis planned to prepare a fruit salad for dessert. As they all preferred, it would be dusted with sugar and drizzled with cream. Before Filis made a move to continue cooking, she watched Gidel and Fellow for a few more moments. They were very cute together, sometimes more like father and son than an older and younger brother. 

Under her breath, Filis recited to herself the very familiar words: “Why Should I Worry?” Filis did not have her lucky coin on her; it was still safe within its tiny padded box on her dresser. The coin was not required to use her unique magic - the beam of light could come from anything, even the tip of her finger. That soft blue stream of light appeared before her. Unlike many times before, it stopped only a few feet away. It disappeared right into the backs of Fellow and Gidel. Filis really never needed a reminder - she was right where she needed to be. 

Why should she worry?