#and then when i got into jojo earlier this year i had completely forgotten about that and i made the same joke again

[skyburger]

makes me so mad nobody calls joseph joestar "joey". does he seem like a joey at all? no absolutely not joey isnt a very english* name to me. but i think part 3 joseph could pull it off maybe. please imagine him going to a neighborhood barbecue and everyone calls him joey. that works to me. i think that could happen. He could become joey all we have to do is believe...

*as in. england the country. obviously it is an english language name

like the first image is not really a joey to me (could go either way but personally i lean more heavily towards probably not) but the second image? oh thats old man joey. Do you understand me

[prousterinhernest]

Oh god, I need to talk about that Powerpuff Girls script

So, do I ever actually post here? No. Has a part of my childhood been re-opened, stepped on repeatedly and run over with a car? Yep. So to spare my poor mother from the many rants about this script and her repressed memories of a young me just watching the show on repeat, I’m here to talk about it from a script perspective.

I’m so glad this is the main thing I use my degree for. To spare us all, I’m shoving this in parts because I’m so glad they shoved this script into a five act structure to make this easier for me.

So let’s start this off with the ten minute teaser at the beginning. Apparently, this all starts in 2003 with a seven-year-old Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles. They’re flying through the sky, and okay, I’ll give them some nostalgia factor for this. However, I’m saying this now - this reads like an animation script. This is live-action, and instead they’re really using the description of “cotton candy clouds”? Please, stick to whether you want it to be live-action or animation. Please.

Also, their dresses are described as impractical and it’s like... Guys. You’re already starting to describe the dresses as impractical for seven-year-olds. You know what else is impractical? Seven-year-olds destined to fight crime. 

Blossom is described as the leader, go-getter and goody-goody. Now, from what I remember - yeah that does describe Blossom. I’m really coming from a place of a person who’s memories of the show are only kinda coming back after 20 years so, if I get anything wrong then someone - please tell me.

Buttercup’s the scrappy, scowling tomboy - not even described by the narrator with that one. Instead, the narrator is just like she’s the tough one and a “hard-ass” and I wouldn’t describe a seven-year-old as a hard-ass. 

Then Bubbles. Poor, sweet innocent Bubbles, who always was my favourite as a child and what have they done to you. She was the sweet and cheerful one, most of the time - according to the narrator. And you know, I’ll accept the dialogue for the seven-year-old Bubbles saying woot. It was 2003, but you know, woot is not a word I’ve heard in ages. I know I’m fixating, but then she immediately after this mentions how the Professor mentions efficacy and you know what, I don’t think a seven-year-old would say the word efficacy and I just have a lot of issues with Bubbles dialogue in this script and this is just the start.

So they’re flying, they’re fighting a giant three-headed-pegasus monster but in my head, I’m just seeing that weird giant three-headed-dragon thing from My Little Pony and I don’t know why but we don’t see it much because you just know the writers were only thinking about how the producers will react to this, I see that “(don’t worry)” in the script and I know they’re just worrying the producers about the budget. 

Which is why we get a short-ass fight and then immediately after we get a flashback to 1996. To when they were created. Note: They weren’t born, they were created to be the age of 7 in 1996 and yet they’re still that age in 2003. Am I being pedantic? Yes. Is that bothering me a lot? Oh god yes.

Also Mojo Jojo is two people and just make him a monkey you cowards. I know you managed to get Gorilla Grodd in The Flash, so just do it. Instead, we’ve got Dr Joseph Mondel, who’s Utonium’s science partner. He’s there when they’re born and supposedly he and... Drake, are close. 

“Couldn’t have done this without you Mojo,” you are a liar Professor. You are not the man I remember you to be good sir. 

Then Professor Utonium gets his happy life, also with a hot girlfriend - why did you date Sara Bellum? I recall her being married to her work? Heaven forbid we have a single father being a good figure for his children. Right, CW? I’m so glad that we got Sara Bellum being reduced to becoming just Drake Utonium’s girlfriend (for now).

Next we’ve got them saving a bank from Fuzzy Lumpkins, and you know what? We don’t need this scene. I only hear the narrator and you should not be relying so much on the narrator because has no one told you show don’t tell? Because I’m pretty sure if I relied on a narrator for a show like this, my lecturers would have gutted me like a fish.

Mojo, who is still tragically not a monkey, is apparently sick with envy. He wanted to be like Elon Musk, and I say this again, he wanted to be like Elon Musk and how dare you insult Mojo Jojo in this way. But yeah, he was forgotten by Utonium once Utonium went famous and his son is now an obsessive Blossom fanboy. I wish I was joking. But this is no Jojo-joke. (I’ll show myself out, don’t worry).

Mojo has enough power to hold a rally, and say that Utonium stole his work and that the girls are dangerous and you know, as a concept? I’d be okay with that. I too would be worried about children with superpowers. Hell, I was a dick as a child. If I had powers? Damn son, I’d be the worst. 

But you know, he wasn’t their only enemy. They also had... puberty. God, I wish this was a joke. I really wish it was. 

Blossom, at age 17, despite how she should probably be 24 if she and her sisters were born at the age of 7 in 1996 - Yes, that’s my issue - is studying for SATs and they made it so Buttercup is cheating on her girlfriend. Thanks guys. Way to ruin Buttercup. Then we have Bubbles. Bubbles who is hungover, and forced flamingos in the zoo to drink Hypnotiq. 

I stand by my previous statement: Bubbles what have they done to you?

Also, despite Blossom being the leader and the apparent moral high-ground for the kids she doesn’t seem to be as goody-goody as she was described earlier on. I’d have thought she’d be against her siblings who are both forcing flamingos to drink and cheating on girlfriends - but no, she’s super chill with them. 

Added bonus: Buttercup doesn’t want to wear a dress because it’s compulsive heterosexuality. So, bad news everyone - dresses are completely heterosexual now. 

They go to fight Swampy, and Bubbles is literally treating everything like a TV-show and Drake has clearly been a horrible influence and Sara Bellum calls him out for it. She’s then classed as not being a member of the family, and dick move Drake. You had a good stepmother figure character but of course, she breaks up with him. (After nine years and being exclusive for seven. I... I can’t with Drake).

Next up giant squid robot appears while they fight Swampy. You know, despite there being lots of protestors, surely someone would have noticed by now that there’s only Mojo piloting that giant squid that will reek more damage than these teenagers? Right...? 

Nope, not so. Instead, there’s Blossom picking a fight with Anti-Powerpuff Protestors and Bubbles fighting Swampy, while Blossom is dealing with the giant squid robot being controlled by Mojo. Jojo’s co-piloting it and all I can think is, this guy literally has a Blossom action figure in his hand. This isn’t a crush, he’s literally obsessed. Giant squid robot destroys a building, Blossom tries to save people, ends up accidentally killing Mojo in front of his son.

On the plus side, Mojo had a monkey lab-rat partner but having a talking monkey was too real? God, I hate this.

But yeah, the Powerpuff Girls are now controversial despite the fact they didn’t kill Mojo. I mean, Blossom did accidentally, but she then got PTSD and ran away. Bubbles and Buttercup call out the protestors and the press outside their house and I just want to end this with: Just let Buttercup say Fuck.

...

That’s just the teaser. I’m really sorry everyone that is just the teaser and for the sake of it I’m only focusing on the script. I don’t wanna focus on the casting yet because you know? Imagining Turk as Professor Utonium is just pain.

I’m just gonna leave this one here and I’ll talk about the trainwreck that is Act I in a little while because really. Really. 

[arcaneranger]

Final Thoughts - 2019 Long Shows

Dear Lord. This is where all the good shows went.

2019 was absolutely awful on a season-by-season basis (except for Summer, anyway), but that’s mostly because most of the best shows ran longer than what has become the industry norm of a single season. And indeed, heading into the new decade, we seem to be seeing a major renaissance for two- or split-cour shows, given the massive success seen by shows like My Hero Academia, Food Wars, and Haikyuu!!..particularly in comparison to the new perpetual-runners Black Clover (which, despite running for over two straight years now, is still not the most popular show of Fall 2017 by viewer count on MAL, and sits at a ‘meh’ 7.2), and even worse, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, which is faring even worse on both counts even though it premiered two whole seasons earlier and the fact that it is the sequel to Naruto.

As a reminder of my rules, the shows on this list may or may not have premiered in 2019, but they finished airing this year. The split-cour rule (stating that I judge any show that “finishes” and then premieres a “new season” within six months) didn’t come into play for any 2018 shows, but it will for Ascendance of a Bookworm and Food Wars this year, at the very least.

With that being said! 25 shows running longer than thirteen episodes finished airing this year after being simulcast, and of those…

I skipped 6:

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part V: Golden Wind, Fairy Tail Final Series, A Certain Magical Index III, Ace Attorney Season 2 and Cardfight Vanguard (2018) because I either dropped or have not finished their previous (also long-running) seasons.

Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS because the simulcast started late and also it was bad.

I Dropped 8:

Worst Long Show of 2019: The Rising of the Shield Hero

It’s always fun to see that a show you hated from its first episode only gets more and more distasteful afterwards, but it’s less fun when a service you have to promote because they’re the legal option is forced to shove it down your throat because they had a hand in making it and it became a massive hit that your friends don’t see any issue with because the author wrote a story that justifies its hero’s patronage of the slave industry. This is my punishment for watching the whole first season of The Asterisk War before I knew better.

YU-NO: A girl who chants love at the bound of this world

A confusing mess from the word go, this ill-fated adaptation of a visual novel from the nineties seems like it was mostly made to cash in on the popularity of the Science Adventure series, but failed to present itself in a way that made an ounce of sense or looked remotely interesting.

Fairy Gone

Am I really the only one that saw potential here? I mean yes, it ended up a boring slog that didn’t care to move its plot in a meaningful direction, but the first episode was at least cool. I guess Izetta: The Last Witch should have taught me better.

We Never Learn

I know that I’m in the minority in terms of the male demographic for shows like this, but honestly, how are bland harem shows still this easy to market? A copy-pasted protagonist with copy-pasted waifus drag down what could be an interesting setup for a story. 

Karakuri Circus

The first episode of this one had me excited, the second and third left me bored to tears and wondering if it would continue to look uglier by the minute. I haven’t seen a three-cour show look this janky since Knight in the Area.

Radiant

Having heard good things about this show from my cohorts, I do feel bad for saying I’ll probably never return to Radiant, but when you have a show that’s notably written by a European author...and it turns out to be a frustratingly standard shounen affair with middling production values, well, you can see my earlier annoyance with Cannon Busters.

Ensemble Stars

This one still gets to me. It almost looked like a male-idol show I would finally be able to get behind, what with its rebellious attitude and oddball setting...that is, until the setting got to be too unbelievable and the show began drowning its audience in side-characters because they had to squeeze every husbando from the mobile game into the story, and it all began to resemble UtaPri a little too much...but without the production value.

Boogiepop and Others

This was a hard drop, honestly. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how I felt four episodes in, before concluding that I was bored and not particularly invested, two things that should never describe the experience of watching a Madhouse show. The fact that this was the project responsible for ruining One Punch Man only made it worse. There’s a slow burn, and then there’s walking away without turning the stove on.

And I Finished 11 (holy crap that’s like three hundred episodes just on their own).

That Time I Was Reincarnated as a Slime (5/10 & 1/10)

I’ll be honest, I had forgotten just how livid I was with the ending (and especially the sad excuse of a recap episode) of Slimesekai, and reading back through my write-up of it, it’s certainly coming back to me. While this year had bigger demons to fight (Shield Hero), the bad taste that Slime left me with hasn’t really faded, and the wasted premise bugs me to this day.

Hinomaru Sumo (7/10)

What Hinomaru lacked in production value, it happily made up for in good execution and earnest heart. I can’t believe this came from the same studio as Conception, Try Knights and 7Seeds, but if they can only get out one good show a year, I’m glad that we got one bringing attention to a sport that many will joke about but few understand, respect and appreciate.

Kono Oto Tomare (7/10)

Speaking of giving love to traditional Japanese culture, here’s a decent-if-unoriginal show about a local high school koto club down on their luck, and the troubled teens coming together under a scrappy protagonist to bring it back to life. Kono Oto Tomare doesn’t have much that you haven’t seen before, but a decently-executed club drama with Your Lie In April-inspired musical performances is more than enough to keep me interested, and since Forest of Piano kinda crashed and burned under the weight of its own self-importance this year, it was nice to have an alternative.

MIX: Meisei Story (8/10)

It’s hard to judge MIX next to the other shows on this list because it’s almost too old-school for its own good, revelling in an eighties storytelling style that didn’t end up jiving with a wide audience this year. But at the same time, its fun character dynamics (and a very good dub from Funimation, despite them saying they’d never touch sports anime again) were very entertaining to watch, even if it didn’t focus as much on the sport it was supposedly about as much as I’d have liked.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (8/10)

I fully admit that I’m very salty about the fact that this won Show of the Decade in Funimation’s poll while it was still on and I thought there were hundreds of more deserving shows, but I can’t deny that Demon Slayer was a very enjoyable experience, albeit one that I had notable problems with. That’s not gonna stop me from getting mad when it sweeps the Anime Awards in a few weeks, though.

Fire Force (8/10)

I was very afraid that David Productions wouldn’t be able to match the energy of Studio Bones’ adaptation of Ohkubo’s previous work, Soul Eater, but I was happy to be proven wrong. Even if the last few episodes contained a bit too much infodumping, it was all sandwiched between jaw-dropping fight scenes that proved that the people who make Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure can still handle the reins of a more traditional action show.

Fruits Basket 1st Season (8/10)

I know that my score for this one is a bit lower than others, but I think that Fruits Basket did pretty well in its first season, considering that it was largely spent setting up future storylines and adapting the part of the manga we’d all seen before, but with much higher production value. I’ve been familiar with this part of the story for over a decade, and the scene with Tohru and Kyo (you know the one) still made me cry. Now, we get the real plot going.

Dr Stone (9/10)

A great start to a totally new spin on shounen, Dr Stone gives me hope for survival in the post-Shokugeki world in which we’ll soon live, as a show that wears its research on its sleeve. A complex plot weaving interesting characters in and out of a narrative surrounding a philosophical battle where both sides actually do have fair points (even if one of them is going about it in a pretty cruel manner). More please.

Vinland Saga (9/10)

Once again, a great start to what will hopefully be years of quality storytelling, Vinland Saga made it seem like it was dragging in the middle only to reveal just what its slow burn had been leading up to, with twist-heavy storytelling and a fantastic cast to match the high visual quality of its brutal battles.

Run With the Wind (9/10)

It’s not often that Production I.G. gets to make a complete, fully-realized show anymore, and this one was a glorious reminder of the potential of the studio in the TV space, and a great rebound for the director of Joker Game. It’s gorgeous to look at, the cast is wonderful, and the story is both realistic and idealistic in a satisfying balance. It’s a miserable process to get to the finish line in real life, but sitting back and watching this was nothing but a treat. At least, until a minor fumble at the end.

Best Long Show of 2019: Dororo (9/10)

Speaking of complete stories, Tezuka Productions and MAPPA teamed up for a breathtaking adaptation of an underappreciated Tezuka classic that expands upon the story in exactly the right way to create a thrilling, savage, beautiful masterpiece that focuses a laser-sharp eye into the relationship between two characters in their journey to, literally and figuratively, become complete people. Also, that opening was killer.

And that’s it! That’s the fun list. Next comes the painful one. Stay tuned for the trash heap.

[richieisabastardman]

Hold me now - Part 7 (Richie Tozier x Reader)

Summary: You had forgotten about everything that happened in Derry until Mike called you up. Now, sitting in the restaurant surrounded by your friends, you remembered everything. More importantly, you remember Richie. (Fluff/Angst)

Word count: 1413

Warnings: Swearing, Implied sexual stuff 

Note: The next part will be the last part (though I will probably do drabbles every now and again related to this story cause I’ve enjoyed writing it so much).

Link to first part (which will lead you to the other parts)

Soft fingers trace lightly upon your naked back. Your head, which was resting lightly upon Richie’s bare chest, moved gently with his breath. He was singing along quietly to the song playing from his phone (Def Leppard’s “Hysteria”) which sat on your bedside table. Both of your eyes shut, the two of you were taking in the bliss of being able to hold each other in your arms.

“I can’t believe you give me shit for my taste in music when your post-coital choice of music is Def Leppard” you mumble into his chest, smiling at the face you imagine he is making at your comment.

“Okay first of all, don’t ever use the word coitus again” he piped up and you laughed. “Secondly, you love it. Don’t lie”.

After having your lunch and conversation at the diner you had decided to come back to the motel and look for the others. When you arrived, the motel was empty. After a few anxious calls, you found out they were okay, but dealing with their own totems still. Naturally, a few moments after this and the relief that came with it, you and Richie had ended up in bed together. Again. ‘Making up for lost time’ Richie had said, and you agreed.

You were now laying across his naked chest, feeling the heat of his body against your cheek and relishing in his touch. You tried not to think about how you may never get to do this again if things go badly in the next few days. The thoughts still lingered despite your efforts. Their volume within your mind got a little bit quieter however whenever you felt Richie’s feather light touch upon your back, writing letters and words you couldn’t quite make out.

Richie took your hand that was resting upon his chest into his own and kissed your palm softly. You hummed happily at the feeling and you felt him smile against your hand.

“Did you ever want to pursue anything with Eddie” you asked suddenly but cautiously, and you felt Richie shift to lift his head to look at you curiously.

“What?” he asked.

“Like… did you want to… be with him?” you clarified.

“You mean, instead of being with you?” he said, and you could see that the suggestion of such a thing insulted him slightly. He wasn’t sure how much more he could do to prove his feelings towards you.

“I just mean… if you could be with him, would you?”

“Eddie’s always going to be the first guy I ever felt something… strong towards. And I’m not going to lie and say that coming back here didn’t bring those feelings back up. But you asking me if I’d rather be here with him right now instead you… well it would be like me asking you if you’d rather be laying in here with Bev” he laughed.

“and how do you know I don’t want to be in bed with Bev right now?” you joked.

He laughed again. “I mean I wouldn’t blame you… she looks great” he replied, and you lifted your head to look at him, mouth agape and slapped him lightly on the chest. He feigned injury, but quickly smiled at you again, saying “not as good as you look though”.

You rolled your eyes but reached up to kiss his lips anyway. He kissed you back softly and slowly, his lips soft and light against your own. He let out a soft sigh and you grinned against his lips, causing him to move in for another kiss.

“Have you ever dated a woman?” he asked against your lips, your eyes still shut from the kiss.

“Is that what you were thinking about just now… as we’re making out?” you asked.

“We were kissing, not making out” he said seriously, and you rolled your eyes.

“Richie.”

“Fine. Yes.” He confessed.

You sighed and moved to lay back on your pillow, facing the ceiling. Richie moved to his side to stare at you, tucking some of your behind your ear and away from your face. You looked towards him, eyes wide with love. You could see his eyes mirrored yours.

“I had a girlfriend in college” you said, and you could see his eyes light up for a moment. Richie was holding your hand, playing with your fingers as you spoke. “She was a film studies major”.

“Naturally” he replied, and you frowned playfully at him, but quickly smiled again when he grinned at you.

“She moved to California about six months into the relationship. We tried to do long distance, but it just didn’t work out” you explained.

“I’d say I’m sorry to hear that but… her loss is my gain so…” Richie said and leaned forwards to kiss your lips again. He moved his kisses over to your cheek and then your jaw, slowly making his way down your neck. You moaned softly and you heard him let out a deep breath, trying to control himself.

“Teenage horniness is really not something I thought would come back to me when I came back here” he laughed lightly into your neck. He began to position himself on top of you, letting his naked lower half rest on top of your own. You could feel that he was semi-hard already. So soon after your last session as well. He continued to kiss and suck at your neck and you giggled at the sensation, feeling him smile against the skin of your neck.

“Maybe you should tell Eddie” you said suddenly, and Richie stilled on top of you. He moved up to look you in the eye, his brows furrowed.

“Oh, you totally just ruined the mood” he groaned, moving to lay on his back next to you.

“Sorry” you cooed, and he just huffed, turning so that he was on his side and his back was facing you.

You cuddled up closer to him, resting your face against the skin of his back, between his broad shoulders, and placed an arm around his waist.

“I just mean… I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next few days… even the next few months. And I also don’t completely know the extent of how you felt about Eddie.” You sighed “But what I do know is that telling you how much I loved you back when we were kids was really like… healing for me”.

Richie was unmoving for a moment before he turned back over to face you. He slung an arm around your waist and kissed your forehead lightly. “Are you saying you don’t still love me?” he mumbled against you and you slapped his arm lightly at his joke.  He was trying to deflect with humour, as he always did. But you wouldn’t take it right now. Not regarding this.

“You’re right” he finally said. Though you couldn’t see his face, as you had moved to bury your face into his neck, you could tell he was serious. “I’ll talk to him”.

You smiled and you hoped that he was smiling too.

Suddenly a man’s voice, Ben’s you were sure, boomed loudly from downstairs “Y/N!? Richie!? You guys here”.

Richie groaned and released you from his grip, quickly racing out of his bed and putting on his briefs before jogging to his room’s door.

“Yeah! Be down in a second” he yelled out of the door, opening it only enough to get his voice to reach the man downstairs but still hide his semi-nakedness. “I also didn’t realise that coming back here meant that just like my teenage years, I’d be constantly interrupted when I had a girl in my bed” he joked with you after closing the door behind him.

He walked from the door to his bed again, realizing quite quickly that you were strangely quiet. The look he saw upon your face was once of immense fear. It was probably what his own face had looked like after his encounter with It earlier that day.

“You know what everyone being back here means” you said quietly, looking up at Richie from the bed.

“Were going to have to go….have to go kill-“ Richie began to answer.

“It” you finished. Your throat was suddenly far too dry as you tried to swallow down a swelling feeling within it.

You watched Richie stare at you as thought he was trying to commit all he was seeing to memory. You did the same.

Tag list (if your tag isnt hyperlinked, you need to change your settings so you can be tagged in things!): @felicityofbakerstreet @emiliesnowflake @itsfuckinemily @adritozier @the-almond-dinger @brenna-xoxox @fionnthebandersnacc @simplymaddii18 @pinkdiamonddoingthings @frog-face-wolfhard @hair-dye-or-nawh @jutte-m @whosaskinguniverse @imagine-whatever @smokyscreen @sloppybitchardtozier @marlopoe @meaganjm @thexmancometh @letmereid @twitchmoosen @jojo-buttercup @gamingaquarius @sweetotismilburn @socially-unaccepptable-dameron @ggclarissa @nerdychics @donteatmycookiesplease @cable-kenobi @abeck566 @eleventhdoctorsangel @kydrogen-monoxide @bxtch-kiss​ @darkcrystal-wolf​ @srtafarrell @merrynewtmasx​ @idjitdestiel​

[i-am-beyoutiful]

Family Over Story: Childish

Hello there, I know its been a hot second since I posted my last chapter but hopefully you guys like it. This chapter takes place after Kyle and Cecily have been together for a year. AO3 Link

Joe looked over at his sister while she jumped out the nerves before her match. His phone buzzed and on the screen he saw a text from Kyle O Reilly, his sisters boyfriend. He was asking if Cece had safely arrived at the venue. Roman knew Cecily sent a text at every show to let Kyle know she made it ok. She must have forgotten by accident. 

Joe tapped Cecily shoulder, “Hey, did you forget to check in with Kyle? He asked me if you were okay.” Cecily looked surprised for a split second then schooled her face to look indifferent. “Oh! I must have forgot. Just tell him I’m fine.” Cecily rolled her shoulders as the beginning notes of her entrance music played in the arena. Cecily asked her brother to wish her luck before she walked out into the screaming fans. Joe sighed then typed out a message to Kyle in response. 

Yeah, dude, she’s fine. Don’t know why she wouldn’t text you

Thanks for letting me know. I’ll call later and see what’s up.....

----------------------------

Joe and Cecily were in the car that night on the way to the hotel where everyone was staying. The next day, Cecily and Joe were flying out to Florida. Joe going to see his family and Cece visiting Kyle. During the ride, Cecily’s phone kept going off. Call after call coming thru but she never answered. After the fifteenth call, Joe finally had enough. 

“Aren’t you gonna answer that?” Joe glanced at Cece who looking anywhere but at his face. 

“Oh its just one of those unknown numbers, like a robot call. I’ll just turn it off so it won’t bother you.” Cecily turned her phone off just as another call came thru. 

Joe had a feeling the caller wasn’t a robot.

----------------------------

Joe was waiting at the terminal for both his and his sister’s flight but she still wasn’t there. Joe knew he should have waited for Cece at the hotel so she wouldn’t be late but it wasn’t like his sister to be late for a flight. Jon yes but Cecily, Never. It wasn’t in her programming to be late. Joe texted her multiple times, telling Cece to hurry up or she was gonna miss her plane. The flight attendants gave their final call and Joe gave up. He walked over to the terminal for his flight and sent one last text to his sister. 

They just gave word for last call. You know I can’t miss my flight so just let me know what you do.

Joe put his phone on airplane mode and settled down for his short trip wondering whats going on with his sister. 

Hours later, after Joe had landed and managed to rent a car, he turned on his phone to see a text. It was from Cece.

Hey Joe. I forgot to tell you Pam invited me to a girls weekend and I offered my house as the main base. Sorry if I worried you. Have fun with your family and tell Galina and Jojo I said Hey!

Joe shook his head, more confused than ever about what was going on with his sister. 

-------------------

Kyle frowned looking at the message on his phone from Joe, 

Sorry man but Cece bailed last minute. Call her and see what happened. 

Kyle was lucky his workout was done because his mood did a complete one eighty. His friend and trainer, Marcus, walked over and slapped his shoulder, “Dude! You just finished a killer workout! What has you so down?” 

Kyle locked his phone and started putting his things up, “Nothing major, just found out my girl isn’t coming this weekend before she goes back to work.” Kyle and Marcus made their way out of the gym and into the nighttime air. 

“We’re talking about Cecily here right, The girl who I still haven’t had the privilege to meet yet. The one who freaking Thomas has met before me!” Kyle laughed at his friends antics. He unlocked his car and threw his bag into the backseat. “Trust me, if she was coming, I was gonna introduce you. She hasn’t meet any of my friends and its about time she does.” 

Marcus shrugged, “There’s always next time right.” Kyle nodded and the two said their goodbyes. Kyle, on the way home, couldn’t help but think about all the messages he left on Cece’s phone. He knew her phone wasn’t off so why was she missing his calls. 

-------------------

Becky was riding in the car with Seth on the way back home from dinner when she got a text from Cece. Becky figured her best friend would be having a very lovely time in the arms of her boyfriend but she didn’t question it much........until she read the text for the second time.

If anyone asks, I’m in Chicago with Mercedes and Pam 

Becky was thrown for a loop. What the hell was she talking about???

Let me guess...you’re not in Chicago with Cedes and Pam. 

Not in the slightest but they already said they would cover for me. I know getting you to lie for me will cost so just name your price....

The price is telling me what the hell is going on Cece

I’ll tell you on Monday. Thank You, Becks 

“Hey, who’s that?” Seth asked. 

Becky contemplated just telling Seth the truth but she knew as well as anyone that if she told Seth outright, somethings wrong with Cecily, He and his brothers would be on the next train smoking to wherever their sister was. 

“She was just bragging about how much fun Her, Cedes and Pam were having at their girls night.” Becky said.

“What girls night?! I thought she was going to Florida to spend time with Kyle.” Seth questioned as the pair pulled into the driveway at Seth’s house. 

“I don’t know but they look like their having fun.” 

And she better have a real good explanation for this at Raw. Becky thought as she and Seth entered the house for the night.

------------------------

“Why not just call him?” Mizuki asked her friend. 

Mizuki is Cecily best friend since middle school. the aforementioned women was confused when she opened her front door to see her best friend standing in the entrance. Mizuki knew her friend was supposed to be on the next plane to Florida way before now. Cecily should have already been there. She could see something was bothering her friend and didn’t question what happened. Mizuki just let her in. This leads to the present, where Cecily is sitting on her friends couch clutching her phone. 

Cecily shut her phone down and finally faced Mizuki, “Because I just need a second before I talk to him, Alright?” Mizuki shook her head but decided to leave the subject alone. 

-----------------------

Two weeks had passed and one thing became clear to Colby. His sisters actions were not normal. Cecily was avoiding Kyle for some reason beyond his knowledge. He didn’t know why or how but he planned to find out. 

-----------------------

“Hey Cecily, Have you talked to Kyle today?” Colby asked, out of the blue. 

Cecily looked up from the TV displaying Raw, a smile was on her face but it didn’t reach her eyes, “Yeah I spoke to him earlier. He wished you good luck in your match tonight.” Cecily focused her attention to the screen once again.

That was a bold faced lie. Colby had called the man in question earlier that day to see if the two had talked. The couple hadn’t spoken to each other in almost three weeks.

“Why do you ask?” Cecily questioned.

“Hmm. Oh, no reason.” Colby went back to picking between the two gears he brought to the show that night. His mind on already on the next phase of his plan.

-----------------------

Colby saw Mercedes and Pam hanging around in the corridor and hoped that catching them off guard would lead to some progress in his master plan. He walked over and causally talked to them about whats new in their lives before bringing the (metaphorical) hammer down.

“So how was the girls weekend thing? I know Becky was bummed she missed it.” Colby pried causally. 

“What girls we-AH” Pam winced at the sharp elbow to her side from Sasha. The boss fixed Pam with a look. The hugger realized what was happening and quickly recovered

“OHHH that girls weekend. Oh yeah it was complete blast. A full two days of nothing but anime all day” Pam said. 

Colby feigned confusion, “Anime? Becks mentioned something about Fast and Furious?” 

“The anime was after Becky talked to us. We watched the fast franchise before that. Next time, we’ll tell becks so she can get out there with us.” Mercedes covered up the cracks.  

“Well, its good to know you guys had fun. I’ll see you around.” As Colby walked away, he heard Mercedes hit Pamela again. 

“OW! Cedes, that hurt.” Pam rubbed her bicep. 

“It’s supposed to! You almost blew Cece’s cover. You know she doesn’t want to talk to her brothers about whats going on yet.” Cedes and Pam get off the crate they were sitting on and started walking in the opposite direction of Colby. Colby frowned before setting his sights on one last person. 

------------------------

Becky looked up to see Colby in her locker room door, “Hey babe! What’s--” 

“I know somethings going on with Cece and I know you, Mercedes and Pam are covering. I’m asking you as her brother to tell me what you know so I can help.” Colby was determined to get answers and Becky couldn’t deny that she loved when Colby got protective. Becky sighed and thought, Forgive me Cecily. 

“I don’t know what’s going on either but if you hide in the bathroom, you’ll be able to hear what she has to say. You just gotta stay quiet, alright?” Becky gestured to the bathroom behind them and Colby winked at her. As Colby passed, he gave Becky a peck on the lips. Colby closed the door to the bathroom just a knock rang though the room.

“Come in!” Becky shouted.

Cecily entered the room, frown on her face. When she saw Becky, her face perked up just a little. The two shared a hug before taking a seat on the bench in the middle of the room. 

Becky started unwinding the tape off her wrists, “So you finally want to tell me why I needed to lie to your brother and my boyfriend?” 

Cece gave an exasperated huff in reply before speaking, “There’s not really anything going on, It’s just me being stupid.” 

Becky threw the used tape in the trash can then gave one of her best friends her undivided attention, “Care to elaborate? I can’t give sufficient advice without a full break down.”

Cecily rolled her eyes, “It happened three weeks ago. You know how I told you that Kyle was gonna start introducing me to his friends outside of the business,” Becky nodded, “Well that started with his best friend, Thomas, from his days playing lacrosse. Thomas was over at his house and I was getting my bags ready for my flight to the live shows that week. When I came down, I heard them talking.” Cecily, in her nervousness started to play with her fidget cube. 

Cecily took another deep breath before continuing, “Ky was telling Thomas about how we met and why he couldn’t just let me slide thru his fingers without shooting his shot and then Kyle said and I quote, ‘Yeah I love her, and this is between you and me, but she can be so childish’. I didn’t stay to hear the rest. I crept back upstairs, grabbed my bad, rushed back downstairs and luckily, it was time for me to head to the airport. I haven’t talked to him since. That’s what happened.” Cecily flipped the switch on her cube one last time then looked at Becky who hadn’t spoken for a couple seconds. Becky got up and continued to change into more comfortable clothes. 

“So whats really going thru that head of yours.” Becky pulled out two shirts contemplating which one was the cleanest. Cecily laid back on the bench, “It’s not so much that he called me childish, I’ve dealt with that my entire life. The problem is I don’t want to lose him because of who I am and what I like. I don’t want to learn about space in a book. I want learn about it while discussing if Mario can survive on the planets in Super Mario Galaxy. I wanna go to comic con and cosplay as my favorite characters. I wanna finally go to Disney World.” Cecily stood up from the bench and started to pace. 

“That’s why I’ve been avoiding him for weeks. I don’t want to pick up the phone and I don’t want to talk to him because I don’t want to lose him. I don’t want to lose him because I lo-” Cecily stopped in her tracks before her those words came out. Becky started smirking behind her back, now knowing exactly what was going on with her friend. 

“Scuse’ me, dear friend of mine, you wanna finish that sentence?” Becky grabbed Cecily’s shoulders and Cece head dropped into her chest. 

“Your gonna make me say it, aren’t you?” Cecily mumbled. 

“If you could for the class.” Becky’s smile widened. 

“UHHHH!!! I don’t want to lose him because.........Because I’m in love with him.” Cecily laughed a little. Becky shrieked in excitement before tugging Cecily into a fierce embrace. The two hugged for a little while longer, Cecily feeling like a weights had been lifted off of her shoulders. 

“Come on out Colby. You’re not very quiet you know.” Cecily and Becky separated and looked at the entrance to the bathroom where a sheepish looking Colby entered the room. Cecily just shook her head at him, diving into his arms for a hug. 

“Oh my God, my sister is in love.” the brother and sister separating as Becky joins them on the other side of the room. 

“Yeah and this sister is also pissed that you,” Cecily hit Colby on the left shoulder, “Were,” right shoulder, “Spying,” left, “On,” right, “Me!” one last hit to the right shoulder, for good measure. 

“OW! Jesus Cece that hurt.” Colby rubbed his shoulder to remove some of the sting. 

“It was supposed to.” Cecily turned her attention back to Becky, “So what should I do. I haven’t spoken to Kyle in weeks.” Cecily desperately looked on as Becky walked over and grabbed Cecily’s cell phone. As Becky handed the phone over, the front screen flashed to show a picture of Kyle and herself.

The photo was taken during the couples first date. Kyle had taken Cecily to a showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 with a live orchestra. Cecily had talked endlessly about going to the one show that was showing in Florida. So, Kyle went and got tickets but didn’t tell Cecily. Kyle knew if she was told, Cecily would over plan every little detail and he wanted to make an impression. By forcing her to live spontaneously. I guess you could say it worked. 

The picture is after the concert at a small restaurant where the two spent hours just talking about everything yet nothing at all. Before the night was over, Cecily wanted a picture and was able to get one. The lighting is horrible but the kind waiter captured the perfect moment. The two in an embrace, Cecily hugging Kyle’s waist and Kyle’s left arm around her shoulders. The couples eyes locked on each other, loving smiles plastered on their faces.

The sight of the picture brought a smile to Cecily’s face. Becky tapped the side of the phone, “I think you know what you need to do.” Cecily nodded and walked out the locker room to grab her bags and head out for the night, sending a long awaited message.

Hey, I’m sorry for being AWOL. I’m catching a flight out to Florida and If you wanna meet me somewhere.......just let me know....

------------------------

Cecily was heading over to baggage claim after her long flight. She sent a message out to her brothers, 

HEY YOU GUYS!!! I made it to Florida. I’m gonna rent a car then head over to the house. 

Only one reply came thru from Colby,

Trust me I don’t think you’ll need a rental car.....Have Fun!!

Cecily was confused by her brothers text at first but then the same sentiment came from her two other brothers. That’s when she knew something was up. She tried to ignore the anxious thoughts creeping into her mind of what her brothers may have done. Before she could spiral further, Cece spotted her bags. 

Cecily started to make her way over but arms around her waist stopped her. A backhand was about to be unleashed on the stranger until Cecily heard a voice whisper in her ear. That voice that could simultaneously calm her and excite her, sending shivers down her spine. 

“Hey, let me get that for you.” Kyle pecked her check and walked over to grab her huge suitcase. Cecily was frozen in place. Kyle walked back over, her suitcase rolling behind him, with a smile on his face. 

“How much did you pack, women! Aren’t you only here a week?” Kyle asked. 

The question knocked Cecily out of her trance, “Actually I was able to get time off until the rumble. They injured me at the last-” 

“Last Raw. I know I was watching, like always.” Kyle grabbed her hand, “Come on, the cars in the parking lot.” The two were half way out of the airport before Cecily asked a question. 

“Wait, Are you dropping of at my dad’s house? That’s where I was planning to stay. Plus my dad wanted me to take care of some things from him their while I’m here.” Cecily and Kyle finally stepped outside the airport and headed toward Kyle’s vehicle. 

“You’ll just stay with me and you know wherever you need to go I’ll just drive you. Besides, Your brothers let me know that we need to talk. A suggestion was sent to my phone yesterday about heading to the airport around this time. They figured that you would take the chance to stay somewhere else and avoid me for as long as you can.” Kyle put her bag in the truck and unlocked the rest of the car. “Let’s get going, shall we?” Kyle opened the passenger door for Cecily with a smirk. Cecily held back a smile and shook her head.

Brothers

-------------------

Cecily finished freshening up before going downstairs to face Kyle. She tried to practice what she was going to say to him but that lead to more anxiety filling her person. Cecily entered the living room and paused, watching Kyle relax on the couch, hoping to buy herself more time to calm down. And, of course, that didn’t happen. 

“Why don’t you join me, Sly?” Both wrestlers smiled at the mention of Cecily’s nickname, given because of her Harry Potter house preference. Cecily walked over and sat on the far end of the couch, bringing her knee to her chests and wrapping her arms underneath her thighs. 

Kyle stared at Cecily but she was looking anywhere but at his face. 

“You wanna tell me what’s-” “I heard you two weeks ago!” Cecily interrupted Kyle’s question. He was taken aback, what was Cecily talking about?

“I’m sorry what?” Kyle shifted to face her completely. 

Cecily rolled her eyes, “When Thomas was in Florida a couple of weeks ago, I heard you call me childish to him.” Cece started tapping her fingers against her thighs, “I know I’ve told you that I’ve been made fun of because of what I like. What you said didn’t bother me a lot. It just made me realize how much I care about you. So I wanna know why you called me childish.” Cecily felt the tension in her shoulders melt after saying what she felt. 

Kyle was silent for some time. He reached over and grabbed Cecily hand and pulled it so she would face him, “I’m not gonna lie to you, yes, I called you childish. But you didn’t hear what I said afterward. I told Tommy that yes, you are childish. And that is exactly what I love about you. You are so invested in everything you care about. You could spend week doing a deep dive into a new topic and come out the other side an expert on it. I love it when you freak out over new music. I can’t help but smile when you watch wrestling as a fan and lose it over near falls.” Kyle moved over and wraps his arm around Cece’s shoulders, “I’ve dated girls who tried to fake smart way too many times. You don’t care about any of that. You are wholeheartedly yourself at all times and I love you for that.” Kyle kissed her forehead. Cecily turned her head and caught Kyle lips. 

“I love you too.” The two share a smile then leaned in again.

The two kissed for a while, Cecily ending up in her boyfriends lap. The two broke apart when the need for air became too much. The happy couple smiled and laughed, the feeling of being in love filling them with euphoria. Kyle tightened is grip on Cece waist.

“Why don’t you head upstairs babe?” Kyle kissed her collarbone. 

Cecily giggled, “Why’s that?” 

“Cause I don’t want the neighbors to hear you scream that much.” Kyle whispered in her ear, nibbling at the lobe. And there goes the shivers again. 

--------------------

That night Kyle posted three videos and a picture on his Instagram. 

The first video is of Cecily behind the wheel, dancing and rapping in her seat to Power by Little Mix. The second video is Cecily doing a dance with Mizuki to Crybaby by Melanie Martinez. The third video is of Cecily crying while watching Rent on dvd. 

The picture is of Cecily. She’s lying on a couch in a massive hoodie that’s basically a dress. She has no make up on and her hair is wrapped up in a scarf. 

Kyle’s caption reads: 

I met this girl a couple weeks after I came to NXT and I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. She was (and still is) cool, confident and strong. But as I got to know her I saw the other sides of her. Her unabashed love for singing, acting and dancing. Her extensive amount of music. Her dedication and love our craft.

So one day, she told me that she would never date a wrestler again and I asked this girl to let me change her mind. I guess I did managed because a month later we finally became boyfriend and girlfriend. And now a year and two months later, I can proudly say I have never felt this way about anyone before. I love Cecily Perrin and She loves me.

The post had over 1500 comments and growing..

romanreigns - 4 outta 4 shield members approve...

wwerollins - Better treat our sister right, Mr. O’Reilly

beckylynchwwe - I’m so happy for you two!!

sashabankswwe - Looks like the girls are just waiting for Charlotte to get herself a man....

itsmebayley - You too are so cute!!!

charlottewwe - Absolutely Undisputed

candicelerae - We need an double date ASAP!!!!

[mischiefmakingmuses]

That Never-Ending Witching Hour! (Halloween Event)

{Closed event with @salmonidparty and @robocatandboy}

“OK, just be still for a moment longer, rina...and...done!”

Netalina had just finished styling the Duke Yuuki Yomi’s hair, all in preparation for Halloween. Although, to be frank, she wasn’t quite sure why he wanted this, seeing as they didn’t celebrate Halloween in Vitiu.

“How do I look?” Yuuki asked, swishing his cape dramatically. “Enigmatic and cool?”

“To be honest...you look very cute for a vampire, rina,” Netalina responded, stifling a giggle.

“What?! How am I supposed to catch the detective’s attention if I look cute?!” the Duke snapped. Netalina did her best to keep her composure.

“You say that as if they can’t appreciate cute things, rina. Either way...why did you want to dress up for Halloween, rina? I don’t think the detective is really aware of the celebration, number one...number two, she’s probably really busy tonight, rina. After all, it’s just a regular night here in Vitiu, isn’t it, rina?”

“Don’t ya get it, Netalina? If I look cool and mysterious...she can’t help but fall for me!” He placed his hands on cheeks, blushing, a familiar expression creeping across his face. “Hehehe! I have it in my mind to just drop in unexpected...as the night goes on, I’ll charm her with my mysteriousness and we’ll dance in the moonlight...fufufu!”

“Isn’t she still very much oblivious to how you feel, Duke Yomi?” Netalina asked, no punches pulled.

“S-shut up! Tonight’s the night! The night she’ll fall for me...I’ll make sure of it!” Yuuki huffed, still blushing.

“Besides...won’t it just start snowing once you show up in Guild Town, rina? There’ll be no moon to dance under!”

“Shouldn’t ya be headin’ back home right about now, Netalina?” the Duke hissed incredulously. She wasn’t about to ruin his night.

“Honestly...yes! My friends and I are gonna meet with Nobita, rina!” She smiled at Yuuki. “Gambit and I are a matching pair!”

“Okaaaaay, okaaaay, no need to gloat,” the ice spirit grumbled enviously. As if the Yokai’s earlier wrongdoings were forgotten, Yuuki smiled back at her. “Be safe on your way back!”

“I will! Thanks, rina!” Before Netalina left entirely, she turned back to the Duke. “And good luck, OK?”

“Thank ya.”

~*~★~♥~★~*~

Returning home through the Anywhere Door, Netalina’s first instinct was to go check on her friends. Entering the room, she saw Urien patting Smile down with some kind of white powder. The Ittangomen had chosen a simple, yet...complicated costume this year: he wanted to go as Ittan-Momen from GeGeGe no Kitaro. Though on paper it sounded extremely simple, it was actually quite difficult when your nearly four meter long ittan-momen is yellow in color and wants to be entirely white.

“Are you done yet,” Smile breathed impatiently. It seemed like they’d been at it for a while.

“Nope, sorry. Almost, though. Maybe we should’ve asked Doraemon for help,” Urien responded.

“Probably, this is gonna be fucking hell to get out later,” Smile mumbled.

“Guys, I’m back!” Netalina chirped. This caught the attention of not only Urien and Smile, but also Jizo and Gambit, who were sitting around the room as well.

“Welcome back, my loved one~♪” Gambit sang. He just stared at Netalina for a moment before placing a hand on the mask covering half his face. “Sorry, you can’t tell, but I’m actually winking.”

“You’re such a nerd, rina!” Netalina ran over, jumped into the air, and Gambit caught her. “But you’re my nerd, rina~”

“Speaking of...” Jizo quietly chimed in from his spot. The others looked over at him. “How did it go with the Duke?”

“I dunno, really. He wanted to look cool, but he doesn’t seem to understand that he has an inherent cuteness to him, rina.”

“And then he probably left to go hit on the detective, right?” Smile drawled. “How long do you think it’ll take him to realize that the detective doesn’t feel the same way?”

“I’ll give him a week,” Gambit commented.

“I’ll give him eleven minutes,” Urien laughed. “Now turn around, I’m almost done here, just a little more.”

“I’m so fucking tired of this powder,” Smile sighed, turning back to Urien.

“Dude, how do you think I feel?” Urien patted a bit more powder onto Smile’s nose, then grinned. “Alright, you’re done! Hopefully I won’t need to ride you Kitaro-style tonight, or else we’ll both be covered in this shit.”

“Probably not, right? I mean, tonight we’re just gonna be doing Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai with Nobita and his friends, right?”

“Yup! Maybe we’ll actually finish this year,” Urien hummed. “What even happened last time, do you remember?”

“Not a damn thing,” Smile laughed. He gazed at Urien, then at the others, looking cheerful. “Man, y’know...I actually kind of wish we could interact with Nobita’s friends all the time, not just on Halloween. Suneo and Gian...they could use an attitude adjustment, but...I wouldn’t mind getting to know them better. There’s just no time to do so...”

~*~★~♥~★~*~

As this all went down in the Yokai’s residence, Yuuki was slowly making his way from Mt. Spiral to Guild Town. As he floated through the drifting snow, all by his lonesome, he gazed up at the sky. Naturally, the snow clouds covered any trace of the moon, the only evidence it existed the brightness of the clouds. Yuuki looked down and sighed.

“Netalina really knows how to bring my spirits down, don’t she? It’s not easy confessin’ your love to someone...I really wish the detective liked me, though. Mm...I just wanna hold her in my arms...”

Yuuki put his hands on the sides of his face and sighed dreamily, another blush appearing across his features.

“...I wish I were strong enough to let her know how I feel.”

~*~★~♥~★~*~

“...hhhhuuuuh. Two wishes at once?”

Two long, droopy ears twitched, picking up the sounds of dreams in two different directions. Two hands were held out, grasping two visions of two different worlds. Two legs uncrossed, and two different types of wings fluttered silently in the void.

“...ufufu. I don’t see why not. After all, I’m feeling pretty...generous, tonight. Tonight’s supposed to be lots of fun anyway, isn’t it? Fufufu!”

The Metanomaly took the two illusions in each hand and brought them together, closer, and closer, until they fused into one. The crack underneath his eye lit up momentarily.

“Two wishes. One Abnoreality. Smile, you’ll get to talk to Nobita’s friends for as long as you please. And Duke Yomi, you’ll definitely be able to admit your feelings to the detective!”

Ayume crushed the illusion between his hands, tossing its dust into the air and creating a thick, ethereal fog.

“Have fun...fufufu!”

~*~★~♥~★~*~

The skin sweats, the breath shortens The wind stops, the door opens Hair stands on end, feet freeze The uninvited shall not enter here...

...except for one.

~*~★~♥~★~*~

When Urien awoke, he felt odd. He felt his face. He felt his neck. His sunglasses and scarf were missing...as was his costume in its entirety. Everything was completely white...he had to shield his eyes a bit from how bright it was.

He got up. As he moved, the ground rippled, like water. Urien looked around. Vast white in each direction...except...he saw someone. A black figure against the never-ending white.

“Koukishin to kyoufu ga! ♪ Kawaru gawaru oshiyose! ♪ Naze ni gokan dake ga togisumasareruno? ♪” The figure was singing, slightly gyrating to their own rhythm. Urien made his approach. “Shiranakatta sekai no! ♪ Maku ga jojo ni agaruyo! ♪ Dare mo kiita koto nai, kyousou ga yami ni hibiku~♪”

“Excuse me, but...who are you?” Urien asked.

“Sokonoke, noke, mononoke ga tooru~! ♪” The figure turned around, but before Urien could see their face, they had transformed into him...albeit in his intended Halloween costume. When the figure spoke, it spoke in his voice. “Konoha shigure to tomo ni yatsura arawaru. ♪ I’m Urien Sirius Okuro!”

“...no, you’re not. That’d be me.”

“Uso! ♪” the doppelganger chirped, mirroring Urien’s signature dance. The doppelganger transformed yet again, into a slightly shorter figure, black with multicolored spatters all over. “You’re right! ♪ You’re right! ♪ I’m not Urien, you are! ♪”

“Er...OK. Then, who are you?”

“Oh, I don’t really know. But I know where we are! We’re inside your mind!” Urien tilted his head slightly and making a thinking pose, before the figure began to laugh in a deeper voice and gave him a menacing look. “You’ve been possessed! ♪”

“Ehhhh?!” Urien reeled back in horror. “By what, exactly?!”

“By me!” The figure stuck their tongue out and winked, their voice returning to normal. “You want me to stop? I think I learned plenty already.”

Before Urien could answer, he awoke yet again. This time, he was outside under the moonlight, in a field near a fence. Before him was the figure he’d seen in his mind.

“What the fuck,” Urien breathed, unamused. “Where are we?”

“Oh, now I don’t know. I’m not even sure why I’m here! But I am, I am, I am here! And so are you! And so are all your friends!” The figure twirled and began to sing again. “Sokonoke, noke, mononoke ga odoru~♪ Dare mo kare mo osuki ni odori kurueyo~♪”

“What?! Where are my friends?! What did you do to them?!” Urien cried out, making a gesture as if he were going to grab the figure.

“Hyuu doro doro~♪ Hyuu doro doro! ♪” The figure shook their hands playfully as they danced and pursed their lips. “I didn’t do nothin’! This place is real weird. It’s kinda like a dream. A real big one. Everyone is dreaming.”

“...everyone is dreaming...?” Urien looked up at the moon.

What the hell was going on?

[rwdestuffs]

How the show fails at being bad at power escalation.

Generally speaking, Power Escalation is what happens when you have a villain that has to be overpowered in order to defeat. So, by virtue of the heroes increasing their own power level, they can then defeat them.

If the series continues, in order for the next big bad to feel like a threat, the creator(s) typically introduce a new threat that is even more powerful than the heroes. This can eventually lead to the heroes going from Martial Arts to firing beams of energy that can destroy planets, or a show about people with magical ninja powers going to gargantuan avatars that can level mountains, to even something as simple and straightforward as a gang of pirates with a few interesting abilities turning into a series where having the power to destroy a mountain is normal. It basically becomes an absurd escalation of power that makes it harder to get invested because the series is likely to repeat the same formula until it becomes too crazy to follow the levels of power that the characters are throwing around.

In layman’s terms, it becomes: We just overpowered the big bad! Now we gotta do the same with the new big bad! We gotta get to a higher power level!

Now, rw/by is a show that succeeds at avoiding this for the wrong reasons. This isn’t like a franchise that started as a man trying to defeat undead foes with a magical breathing technique that eventually evolved into people wielding invisible ghost beings that punched things really hard and fast. This is a show that started as a group of schoolkids trying to save the world to……… a bunch of schoolkids trying to save the world on the road!

Unlike Jojo, which avoids this problem completely by starting each new part with a new protagonist (video detailing that here) in a new setting, rw/by fails at this because the villains remain at the same or similar power level as the heroes.

This creates a problem because they mentioned that Semblances can evolve. We have yet to see that sort of evolution in the show proper. Ruby’s semblance hasn’t evolved from super speed (or rose petals (whatever the f*ck that means)) to teleportation. Blake’s semblance hasn’t evolved  from making shadow clones to making tangible clones. Yang’s semblance hasn’t evolved from turning physical pain into power into using preexisting pain into physical power. Nora’s semblance hasn’t evolved from lighting absorption into non-physical energy absorption. Ren’s hasn’t evolved from Emotion Masking to invisibility. Qrow’s hasn’t evolved from Bad Luck to probability manipulation. Raven’s hasn’t evolved from making portals to people she’s bonded with to making portals to anyone/portals to any location that she’s seen before. Emerald’s semblance hasn’t evolved from illusions to straight-up mind control/physical constructs.

In short; the characters’ powers have yet to evolve.

But you might have noticed that I didn’t include Weiss or Jaune on this list.- That’s pretty straightforward. Weiss learned how to summon, and that was an interesting jump in power. Unfortunately, that ability became completely negated and useless when Vernal destroyed her knight.

As for Jaune……… He just recently unlocked his semblance. There’s no real narrative reason for his power to escalate as of yet. Maybe in Volume 9, but we’ll see. But by that point, everyone else’  semblance should have also grown.

There isn’t even a growth in strategy. Jaune is as hotheaded as he was before, Yang’s fighting style only added kicks to her arsenal, and that’s about it. Weiss has completely forgotten how to use her rapier when Volume 5, and that’s a nerf.

Nerfing characters to make the big bad seem more intimidating doesn’t work. It doesn’t make the big bad look powerful, it just makes whichever character you decided to nerf look stupid.

Imagine for a moment, that a bad guy is about to sneak up on an innocent, and Spider-Man can’t get to him in time. In a normal situation, Spidey would use his webbing to disarm the bad guy, and deck him for trying to hurt a bystander.

But let’s say that Spidey instead tries to run towards his foe, and doesn’t make it in time. That doesn’t make the new bad guy faster than Spider-Man, it just makes Spider-Man seem stupid. Unless it was mentioned earlier that Spidey had run out of web-fluid and didn’t have enough time to reload, that scene would just make Spidey look like a total moron.

That’s what the current series feels like. Instead of the bad guys actually feeling like a threat, it just feels more like the good guys are just getting stupider.

Unlike having bad Power Escalation in the sense of “The big bad beat the city-block busting hero because they can bust entire cities,” it’s bad in the sense of “The big bad beat this character, because said character somehow forgot how to fight with their weapon.” There’s nothing at stake, and it makes the characters hard to root for when they make multiple stupid decisions after stupid decision.

Weiss once used her Glyphs to unleash what is effectively Death of a Thousand Cuts on a White Fang goon back in Volume 2. That hasn’t shown up again. She doesn’t even bother trying against Vernal in Volume 5, where it could have been a viable option. And even if it failed, it would showcase the difference in power that the two combatants had. It would showcase Vernal as a clear threat if one of Weiss’ better fighting moments in Volume 2 proved ineffective, and it showcased exactly why Weiss tried nothing but summoning. Would the summoning still prove to be useless?- Yes, most likely.- But at least then, it wouldn’t look like Weiss dropped a few levels in the intelligence department just to have Vernal beat her.

The very little power Escalation that we do get doesn’t even work properly. Despite being completely new to the whole idea of fighting, Oscar somehow manages to defeat Leo in a single shot!- That’s the villains getting knocked down a few power levels, not the heroes rising a few levels in power.

Escalation works in the sense of characters rising in power. Not a character being nerfed to ‘showcase’ another character’s progress. Imagine if Vegeta managed to beat Goku only because Goku forgot or couldn’t go Super Saiyan Blue!- Not only would that not be a victory in Vegeta’s favor, it would be a stupid way for Vegeta to win and a direct insult to his fans who want to see him surpass Goku.

Power escalation doesn’t even have to work in the way of characters getting stronger!- It could also work in the sense of creativity, but even that isn’t utilized as much as it should be. Imagine if Blake could use the momentum from her Shadow Clones to get in some extra speed for an attack. Imagine if Yang used the knockback of her weapons for a quick boost of power. Imagine if Nora developed a technique that would create a small tremor to shake the ground to  disorient her opponents. How about Ruby using her speed semblance the same way comic speedsters do, and using it to create tornadoes? How about Weiss being more creative with the variety of Glyphs she’s got like we saw back in Volume 2?- While weapons themselves are dangerous, it has the potential to be even more dangerous depending on who is using them.

Take Okuyasu from Diamond is Unbreakable, for example. Having the ability to swipe things out of existence is deadly and dangerous. But because Okuyasu is an idiot, he doesn’t use it to it’s fullest extent. He’s still creative with it though, like how he uses the ability to erase the space and air between himself and his foe to close the distance between them and get in some melee strikes. While that is creative, it’s not dangerous, because if Okuyasu was smart enough to realize that he could just erase his opponents’ heart(s), well…

(Look, I wanted at least one image in this post, and this was the most natural place I could find for it)

Or take Chazz Princeton (Jin Manjome in the original dub) against his brother Slade (Chosaku in the original dub) from Yu-Gi-Oh! GX. Chazz using weaker monsters in creative ways so that he ultimately wins (spoiler?- It’s been over ten years since the episode debuted in the English dub (Dailymotion link)).

In a series about a card game can show off creative ways of using monsters that would be normally considered ‘weak’ and ‘unusable’ to win (Chaos Necromancer and Relinquished was in the well that he found for the restrictions that he had, what were the original wielders of those cards thinking?- Did they not have the required ritual for Relinquished or something?), a show about fights with interesting transforming weapons, super powers that are manifestations of the soul, and so many other things……… can’t be bothered to have the characters get creative with their movesets.

Where are the moments where Raven or Qrow use their bird forms in combat?

I mean, they showed a few faunus creatively using their faunus traits in combat situations, so why can’t the other characters do the same with their powers and weapons?

Ilia uses her color change to blend into the shadows (even though that really shouldn’t have worked for so many reasons), that bat guy (Yuma, I think was his name) used his wings to move around faster, that spider-lady pulled a Spider-Man and ensnared Blake with her webbing, and (most notably) Tyrian incorporated his tail into his attacks. I can understand faunus like Blake, Velvet, or Sun not using theirs (as they’re more or less useless in combat scenarios), but why can’t there be more characters like this?

This is what I mean when I say that rw/by avoids the Power Escalation trope poorly. Instead of the new big bad using different tactics, or having a different fighting style, the end solution is always the same: beat, cut, slash, and stab the crap out of them until they either surrender or are dead. Typically it is the heroes that need to change tactics, learn a new technique, or gain more power to defeat the big bad. But they just use the powers that they already have to defeat the big bad no matter what. There’s no change in tactics, nor is there any notable growth in power. They just beat them because they’re the Protagonists™.

[its-freakinbats]

Jim Kirk (AOS) x Leonard McCoy (AOS)

Description: Jim Kirk stresses over meeting one Joanna McCoy. For @darlinleonard

Warnings: None.

Word Count: 2593

Notes: Very short, but heartwarming, I suppose. My first completed work, so there’s that. Also, suspend your realism for the last paragraph. It may be somewhat far-fetched, but so was Into Darkness, so.

Jim was unsure of how to expect the meeting to go.

Well, unsure wasn’t the precise word. To be more accurate, Jim was pretty fucking terrified of what was to come.

It was illogical to feel the way he did about the impending event, Spock would tell him and yet logic didn’t always seem to take care of the situation at hand; something that Jim was still struggling to teach Spock.

When Bones first told Jim of Joanna’s arrival three weeks ago, the captain had laughed. He would surely charm Joanna; they had spoken several times during shore leave, albeit over webcam. Still, every time the girl expressed her gratitude toward the captain. Having a father in Starfleet also meant the possibility of losing him to some space terror, something that the twelve year old had come to realize at a young age; to have a captain such as James T Kirk to helm the ship her father was on was a blessed gift to the child.

But her father had only really alluded to the relationship a few times. Jim understood why Bones was stepping so gently around it; Jocelyn had only just married Clay a few years ago, so needless to say Joanna was already adjusting to one stepparent.

But then they were faced with Khan Noonien Singh, an obstacle that neither of them had ever expected to face. Even worse, Leonard was faced with a greater obstacle: loss.

Jim knew how hard it had been for everyone, particularly Bones. The possibility of losing Jim forever had struck the man in a way that nothing else had in recent memory, with the exception of losing Jo to her mother.

And now that Jim was busy recovering, Leonard couldn’t bear the thought of Jo not meeting Jim as her father’s partner, and thus decided that now was as good of a time as any for the two to finally meet. He had explained this all to Jim late one evening after spending several hours re-exploring each other’s bodies, leaving no expanse untouched.

“She’s already so fond of you, Jim,” Bones muttered into his lover’s mussed hair. “If it weren’t for her daddy already being in Starfleet, I’d swear she was planning on going just to meet you.”  At the time, Jim hadn’t found the statement so daunting. It was a heartfelt secret shared between the two, not an obstacle.

But now as the two were standing next to one of the many international transporters in San Francisco, Jim could honestly say he had never been more terrified to meet a thirteen year old girl. The plan was to pick up the teen, show her around the area, and take her to dinner where they would tell her. A fun day, and yet Jim had never dreaded anything more in his life.

“Would you calm down for two seconds?” Len had berated him as the blonde man fiddled restlessly with the sleeves that fell at his wrists. Was it too informal? Jim wondered. The long sleeved t-shirt and jean ensemble had seemed practical thirty minutes ago, but now Jim was fretting over how casual the outfit looked. He was captain, after all. Should he have worn something different?

It was stupid, really, but Jim just couldn’t shake the feeling that, well, he might not seem good enough. It wasn’t until Bones spoke at him again that he pulled himself from his self-deprecating reverie.

“Jim, what’s buggin’ you so much? You’re starting to give me anxiety,” the CMO teased slightly, but stopped when Jim looked at him. He had that look in his eye that told Bones that he was unsure of something. He was afraid if he spoke, he might lose the toast he’d eaten just hours previously.

“Oh, kid. It’s not Jo that’s eatin’ you up, is it?” Len asked gently. His hand went to clasp Jim’s; the CMO must have noticed that his hands were sweaty, but said nothing, thankfully. “Jim, I can’t help you if you don’t give me anything,” the man said tenderly, something that was rather uncommon for the gruff doctor.

Jim hesitated; it really was ridiculous that the opinion of a kid was making him so damn worried. But Bones was right. If he didn’t do anything, he’d be a mess when Joanna showed up.

“I just…she really holds me in a high regard. You’ve said it yourself,” Jim said, his eyes fixing themselves on the concrete sidewalk they were standing on. “She idolizes me even. What if I’m not what she thinks I am, Bones? What if when she hears that we’re together, she…just feels differently. What if she doesn’t like me? What if I’m not…”

“Not what?”

“What if she doesn’t think I’m good enough?” Jim finished quietly. He looked up to meet Leonard’s half surprised hazel eyes.

“You’re kidding me, right?” the other man asked with a raised brow. “Jim, I don’t know what made you think that Jo’s not gonna like you, but it’s wrong,” he reassured the man. Jim gave a half-hearted smile. “God, Jim. You make it sound like you’re meeting my parents. Which, if they didn’t happen to like you, wouldn’t make any difference to me. What matters to me is how I feel about you.”

“Sorry,” Jim replied softly after a beat of silence.

“Don’t be. Just be yourself, Jim.”

“Oh, okay. Just wondering, when did you become a counselor? “Jim-”

“You got another degree in your pocket that I don’t know about?”

“God, you’re horrible.”

“You chose me.”

Bones sighed, but looked down at their intertwined hands with the hint of a smile playing at his full lips. “I guess I did,” he admitted. He shared a gaze with his boyfriend before the younger man rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so mushy in front of your daughter,” Jim teased. Leonard rolled his own eyes. As if it had been timed accordingly, the humming of the transporter could be heard on the street corner, and the two shared a gaze. Jim, whose blue eyes grew wide in fear, met Leonard’s calm ones. You’ll be fine, Jim, they told him. Jim nodded slightly, before sucking in a breath. He released Leonard’s hand, and joined in watching the small body begin to appear before them.

A gasp was heard, before Joanna McCoy appeared in a shimmer of teal, with a small suitcase trailing behind her. Her big hazel eyes blinked several times before focusing on her father, and a large smile appeared on her face. “Dad!” she cried happily, suitcase forgotten as she rushed up to meet him in a tight hug.

“Jojo!” Leonard greeted the girl as his large arms wrapped themselves around her. Jim felt a warmth shoot through him despite the trepidation; it was rare to see Bones smile that broadly, and that peacefully, too. “Oh, I missed you, Joanna Renai,” Leonard said before planting a large kiss atop of the girl’s strawberry blonde head. “Ew, dad!” Joanna whined from her father’s grip. Leonard pulled away with a smirk. “What, now that you’re thirteen you can ignore smooches from your pa? I don’t think so, ma’am,” Bones teased his daughter.

Jim, who was standing awkwardly with his arms crossed, shuffled slightly in his spot. Despite how happy it made him to see Bones like this, the man felt as if he were terribly out of place.

Bones pulled away from his daughter to gesture to the blonde man.“Oh, Joanna, I’d like you to meet Jim Kirk. He’s the captain of the Enterprise,” he explained. Joanna, who was all too familiar with Jim, smiled big. “It’s a pleasure to meet you in person, captain,” she said as she stuck her hand out. “Jim’s gonna have dinner with us, Jojo,” Leonard informed the girl, who brightened slightly. It wasn’t everyday you had dinner with your father and your idol, Jim thought. “Jojo, why don’t you tell Jim what you plan to do at Starfleet.”

Joanna pulled a sick face. “Can we not, dad? I just transported across the country. I feel pretty gross,” she admitted. Jim snorted to himself. “I wonder where she gets that from,” he said smartly before grabbing Joanna’s suitcase.

“So, what do you think of San Francisco?” Leonard asked Joanna in between bites of sushi. The girl shrugged as she sipped her lemonade. “It’s fine. I’m honestly just kind of disappointed.”

Bones looked at Jim with a slightly alarmed eyebrow.

“About?” he asked his daughter.

“Well, I was kind of expecting a tribble when I got here, but…”

“Joanna Renai McCoy, the time I get you a tribble is when I want your mother to physically drag me by me teeth and drop kick me into Saturn’s orbit.”

“You know the funny thing is, he probably likes space less than he likes that idea,” Jim quipped from Bones’s side to the girl. Joanna snorted appreciatively as Bones rolled his eyes. After a few hours and a drink, Jim had relaxed somewhat. Still, he felt apprehension sitting his stomach like a rock. “Well,” Bones announced suddenly as he stood from his seat, “with that, I think I’m gonna go grab another drink. Jim, you want another one?” he asked. The blonde man gave a slight shrug. “A gin and tonic would be nice,” he said. Bones nodded. “How about you, Jo? Another lemonade?” The girl shook her head. “I wanna finish this one first, dad,” she said with a slight giggle.

“Okay,” he said, before ruffling the girl’s hair. She stuck her tongue out at her father’s retreating back before turning to sip her drink. “What a doody-head,” she muttered to herself, making Jim snort. “Wow, you kids really need to work on your insults,” he teased. Joanna raised an eyebrow in a manner that very much reminded Jim of Bones. “Please, have you met my father? I didn’t grow up learning weak insults, you know.”

“Oh, I’ll bet. Has he told you of all of the creative names he’s come up with for Spock?” he asked with a smile. Joanna shook her head. “I’ve only really heard a few of them, to be honest. But, I’m sure dad’s come up with real winners.”

“Hey, so this is gonna be a little random, but what is it you really want to do in Starfleet? You sounded kind of embarrassed earlier,” Jim wondered suddenly. Jim had heard from Bones on a few occasions that she was interested in Starfleet, but had never really asked. Joanna looked down bashfully. “Honestly?” she asked, looking at him like he would laugh at her. Jim nodded. “Yeah.”

“I really want to captain a ship. Like you.”

“What’s so weird about that?” Jim inquired.

“Well, I had only just met you, and I’m sure my dad has told you all about how I think you’re one of the greatest people in the world and stuff.”

Jim smiled. “He’s mentioned it.”

“Well, I didn’t want to sound like a complete freak when I first showed up. Also, dad does this thing whenever I happen to meet his friends where he gets all teary-eyed and starts talking about all of my accomplishments, and I really didn’t want to deal with that,” Joanna admitted. Jim quirked a brow at the girl. “He is proud of you, though. He loves bragging whenever he gets messages from you.” Joanna covered her face with her hands. “Oh, no. He doesn’t do it in front of everyone, does he?” Jim shook his head. “No, just in front of Christine and I. Sometimes M’Benga when he’s feeling rapturous.”

The two then fell into a comfortable silence for a few moments. Jim, who was curious about the habits of his boyfriend, decided to prod slightly. “Does he really do that? Get all…teary-eyed and goobery?” Jim asked before raising his glass to finish his drink. Jo shrugged. “Sure. Honestly, I figured you probably picked up on it, being his boyfriend and all,” she replied nonchalantly.

Jim, who received the emotional equivalent of whiplash from the response, spat his drink out in a rather unattractive manner. Joanna merely blinked at him, though not without crinkling her nose gently at the man’s reaction. As the man craned his neck to look back at the girl, he stammered. “Wh-what?”

His gaze swept surreptitiously across the restaurant, praying that Bones would appear at any moment to save him from embarrassing himself further.  When he looked back at Joanna, she was holding her own dinner napkin in her hands to offer to him. He quickly took it, slightly ashamed that she had given up her own napkin; though his mind was still buzzing from her confession.

“Y-you did? For how long? Does your mom know?” Jim babbled as he dabbed uselessly at his slightly stained top. Joanna blinked her big hazel eyes at him, before breaking into a fit of giggles at the entire situation, much to Jim’s confusion. Before the man could speak up again, Bones could be heard from beside them. “I’m gone for a few minutes and already there’s a problem,” he joked. However, he caught Jim’s distressed eye and raised a brow. “What’s going on?” the man inquired, looking between his daughter and his boyfriend.

Joanna shook her head; ringlets bounced childishly around her face. “Oh, nothing. Your boyfriend thinks that I can’t pick up on things.”

Bones shot him an accusatory look. “I thought we were going to tell her together.”

Jim merely stammered.

“Oh, he didn’t tell me. I kind of figured it out,” Joanna said with a wave of her hand. “Honestly, you idiots aren’t as subtle as you think you are. God, does the crew always see you act this embarrassing?” she asked.

Joanna looked at her father, who appeared to be having a stroke. “Are you okay, dad?” she asked curiously. The man, who had just seated himself, proceeded to released a bark of laughter.

“Oh, oh, god. You really are my kid,” he managed to say after catching his breath.

The confession on Joanna’s part lead an air of comfortable felicity. Several drinks later, Jim was ready to head home and play Uno with Joanna, who had vowed to kick his ass.

She really was Leonard’s child.

All the two had to do was wait outside while Bones picked up the bill.

But they were content with chatting happily about their shared love of hell raising. “Just remember to put a few of the ‘Pop-It’s’ on the toilet seat. Also, don’t shut the lid too hard. You don’t want to set them off before someone sits on the toilet.”

Joanna nodded seriously. “Okay, I’ll remember.”

Jim gave her an approving look before looking out at the San Francisco sky. He hummed to himself as he tried to name the galaxies that surrounded them.

There was a moment of pure silence before Jim spoke up. “Hey, kid. You really want a tribble?” he asked, looking at the girl. Joanna raised a brow. “Sure,” she said slowly, looking at him with consideration. “I mean, I know they reproduce at a crazy rate and everything, but-” “Hey, don’t worry about that. Your dad actually brought one back to life, and we have nowhere to put it.” Joanna blinked. “Really? You’re serious?” she asked, excitement practically oozing her pores. “Sure. It’s at the hotel room right now. Your dad’s gonna kill me, but it’s not like he doesn’t threaten that on a regular basis,” Jim grumbled to himself as he eyed the man walking out of the restaurant.

[sorayahigashikata]

Chapter 51: "The snow level!"