#asters paper dolls

[sharp-shiny-things]

Lil shinobu i made. Thinkin about making all of the Hashira and making a lil chain of em but who knows if my motivation will hold out

[sshbpodcast]

Character Spotlight: Worf

By Ames

It’s an honorable week here on A Star to Steer Her By because we’re shining our character spotlight on the show’s first Klingon main character, Worf, Son of Mogh! He’s also the first specifically main cast member to span two different series (sorry, O’Brien), so we’ve got glimpses from both The Next Generation and its films and also Deep Space Nine to cover. Worf might get the most time of any character to truly develop, growing from the guy who gets thrown across the room by the baddie of the week into the complex warrior who, for just a moment, wears the robes of the Chancellor of the Klingon High Council. Go Worf!

So put on your baldric, grab your bat’leth, and top off your mug of bloodwine as we give Worf all the honor he deserves (which every so often, isn’t very much, but other times is a lot!). Read on for the commendable battles below and listen to our death yells over on this week’s podcast (fight your way to 55:39). Today is a good day to die.

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

Best moments

Bloodwine is red / Andorians are blue… While we gave Dr. Pulaski lots of props for whipping up an antidote so she could participate in Worf’s version of a tea party, it’s also just lovely that Worf honors her by performing the ceremony in the first place in “Up the Long Ladder.” Deep down under the head ridges and scowl, Worf is just a poetry-reading, tea-sipping teddy bear and we love it.

Klingon paper dolls Star Trek characters jump at any opportunity to play dress up, and we get a good instance of that in “The Emissary” when Worf and K’Ehleyr put on their warrior garb to trick a crew of Klingons in cryostasis into thinking they represent the Klingon Empire. As always, this episode gets some extra points for featuring K’Ehleyr, and it turns out Worf’s pretty good at improvisation too.

We have bonded and our families are stronger While we’re certainly going to give Worf some shit for how badly he parents his biological son, his connection with Jeremy Aster in “The Bonding” is actually quite beautiful for the both of them. Each an orphan, they are able to form a familial-type relationship together, and it’s really touching when Worf invites Jeremy to join him in the R'uustai that will bond them as brothers.

He has claimed the right of vengeance A trend emerged in our Best Worf Moments when they tended to fall into the “killing the fuck out of some jerk who deserves it” category, and the first to really deserve it is Duras in “Reunion.” Duras has been begging to get murdered since we first heard his contemptible name, but when he killed Worf’s mate in cold blood, Worf knew exactly what he had to do with his bat'leth.

You may now give birth Despite the fact that it resulted in adding a baby to the cast (blech), we have to give some credit to Worf for delivering the O’Brien baby in “Disaster” in a way that only he could. We’d need a whole additional blogpost for all the great Worf one-liners throughout the two series, as Michael Dorn’s delivery is always gold, but “Push, Keiko, push” has got to be pretty high up there.

Doesn’t gik’tal mean to the death? Worf sees so much potential in Sito Jaxa in “Lower Decks” and spends most of the episode arguing on her behalf for a promotion. So when we see Worf testing her with the made-up gik’tal martial arts to teach her to stick up for herself, we can’t help but see in her just what Worf sees. Ya know, until Picard totally gets her killed.

Assimilate this! Sure, it’s a soundbite-y line designed to be marketable in the trailer, but when Worf survives getting his EV suit punctured by tying it off with some Borg bits and then blows up the interplexing beacon in First Contact, it just feels right. Maybe it’s that Michael Dorn can get away with cheesy lines like “Assimilate this!” or maybe we just love watching Borg explode.

If you were any other man, I would kill you where you stand While the movies are mostly showcases for Picard and Data, First Contact gives some great moments to the other castmembers. Worf’s standoff with Picard is nothing short of chilling. Borg are overrunning the ship and Picard orders Worf and his security team to what is almost certain to be their deaths. Lucky for us, Worf doesn’t actually mutiny, just threatens to a little bit.

And in this corner… While we spent most of The Next Generation watching Worf getting knocked around as shorthand for “the alien threat is strong,” by Deep Space Nine, we don’t really get that anymore and instead he actually gets to kick some ass! In “By Inferno's Light,” Worf is forced to battle Jem’Hadar after Jem’Hadar in the fighting ring, and he refuses to quit even when he has every right to.

Help me fight again, Worf You’ll see in a second that sometimes when Worf tries to help another Klingon die with honor, things can get complicated, but when Kor asks for help going out in the warrior fashion, Worf is totally a good guy about it. He gets the old legend a place on Martok’s ship in “Once More Unto the Breach” even though it’s not Martok’s favorite thing, but in the end, Sto’Vo’kor gains a new warrior.

Seven down, one to go We still have more “killing the fuck out of some jerk who deserves it” mentions to bring up! What list would be complete without the murder of at least one Weyoun on it? In this case, Worf straight up snaps the neck of Weyoun 7 in “Strange Bedfellows” when he has the opportunity and it is a thing of such beauty that it gains Damar’s respect.

What I have done was for the Empire Finally, our last jerk who needed to get killed the fuck out of is that bastard Gowron in “Tacking into the Wind.” Gowron was going around making terrible decisions, rewriting the history books, and trying to get Martok killed in various ways, and Worf finally has enough and kills him in honorable combat. He gets the cloak of the Chancellor for it but selflessly passes it to Martok, like an absolute boss.

—

Worst moments

I would rather die than pollute my body with Klingon filth While Geordi is putting racism aside to be able to coexist with his new BFF Bochra in “The Enemy,” Worf takes the opposite path. By refusing to let Crusher give his blood to Patahk, Worf condemns the injured Romulan to death just because of his race. And then the show takes some of the guilt off Worf by having Patahk refuse treatment anyway, leaving Worf’s hands clean, I guess.

This is not unlike a drumhead trial Worf is also quick to fall in line with Admiral Satie’s Red Scare of a trial against crewman Tarses in “The Drumhead.” He gets so infatuated with dispensing justice that he jumps past “innocent until proven guilty” and determines that Tarses is guilty of treason because he’d lied about his alien heritage, when the two things aren’t even related.

Would you further dishonor our family with your disobedience? It’s a running joke in the Star Trek community that Worf is a terrible father and… well, he is. To his defense, he did have Alexander sprung on him when K’Ehleyr died in “Reunion,” and he did try to pawn the little brat off on the Rozhenkos, but that was a terrible move too. So when we watch how clueless he is trying to parent in “New Ground,” we cringe hard at how Worf just doesn’t get it.

Donkey Kong: 1. Worf: 0. A lot of Worf’s decisions about how to deal with his paraplegia in “Ethics” are complicated and problematic, but the way he ended up in such a state is what we’re really here to roast him on. My dude got bitched by a big blue plastic barrel in the cargo bay, and that is downright dishonorable for a Klingon warrior. Battle, sure. Explosion, fine. Spat with Spot, of course. But not blue barrel!

How could your mother mate with a Romulan? Worf’s prejudice against Romulans comes out again in “Birthright” when he learns that Ba’el is half Romulan and he starts spouting racist accusations at her when he’s already seen what kind of a person she is, and even what kind of person her father is. Since his father’s death at Khitomer, it’s a long road for Worf to accept that all Romulans are not that same, and it’s unclear if he ever gets there.

Tell him he is a pretty cat and a good cat All your hosts here at A Star to Steer Her By are ride-or-die cat people, so when Worf refuses to tell Spot he’s a good cat and a pretty cat in “Phantasms” when Data asks him to look after the feline, we take it super personally. Frankly, Data should have looked elsewhere for someone to catsit because what’s supposed to be a humorous moment in the show just makes us angry at Worf. Hiss!

I believe the Ferengi bartender is plotting something By the time Worf joins Deep Space Nine, his racism against Romulans doesn’t come up, but his racism against the Ferengi sure does. Ever since “Hippocratic Oath,” Worf refuses to call Quark by name, instead calling him “The Ferengi bartender.” We joke sometimes on the podcast that the only race it’s okay to be racist against is the Ferengi, but you know what? It’s really not okay.

My life is in your hands Sure, we can argue that Kurn coming to Worf for the Klingon rite of Mauk-to’Vor in “Sons of Mogh” is messed up and puts Worf in a tough position, but Worf manages to pick an even worse outcome for his brother. Instead of killing him and sending Kurn to Sto’Vo’kor with his honor intact, Worf does the least honorable thing and has Bashir wipe Kurn’s memory. Without Kurn’s consent! Eeesh.

Everything you do reflects on me There were a bunch of times during DS9 that we really thought Jadzia could do better than having Worf as her mate, and “Let He Who Is Without Sin” is the chief offender. Worf starts the episode arguing about Jadzia consorting with other men even though she’s with him now, gets jealous of the Dax’s previous relationships, and generally poopoo’s Jadzia’s streak of individuality like a toxic boyfriend.

Have you accepted Kahless as your lord and savior? And that’s not even the worst thing Worf does in the abysmal episode “Let He Who Is Without Sin.” He spends the rest of their vacation on Risa palling around with the New Essentialists who’ve decided that people enjoying things is bad form, which is just Worf being petty. So when he goes out of his way to help them literally rain on everyone’s parade, it’s super damaging to his character.

I do not know you, nor do I wish to know you After Jadzia’s death, Worf utterly fails as grieving in a healthy, productive way and instead opts to take it out on Ezri during “Afterimage.” Just because she’s not Jadzia, Worf treats the poor Trill with disdain, ignoring the fact that she too is living through the trauma of being joined to the symbiont. None of this is her fault! Don’t yell at the innocent cupcake!

If it looks like a Dax and it quacks like a Dax… Worf and Jadzia had chemistry like whoa and we were here for it. Worf and Ezri… just don’t. So when they bump uglies in “Penumbra,” we just find it kinda gross and distasteful. My dude, that is not your wife anymore, and she’s in a very vulnerable state having had the Dax symbiont thrust upon her, so it strikes us as kind of problematic that they go to the bone zone (and I don’t mean Worf’s calisthenics program).

—

Qapla’! Now that we’ve got our honor back, take the R'uustai with us and subscribe so that you can see our next batch of character spotlights as we segue smoothly into our crewmates from Deep Space Nine! On the flip side, you can listen along to our dishonorable rewatch of Enterprise over on SoundCloud or wherever you podcast, challenge us to a bat’leth fight on Facebook and Twitter, and join us for some good tea in a nice house.

[truckreincarnation]

Long Live the King || Case 1 Body Announcement

On Day 4, Francis performs her role as King of the Food patiently and without bias. No one goes hungry, or at least no one goes unfed. But, the tension always remains. Who will be chosen next? Will it be Perry, who's actually good at cooking? Will it be Nao, who seems like a complete wildcard? Will it be, horror of horrors, Manami?

The question plagues you as Day 5 approaches, but it is ultimately destined to go unanswered.

Right before midnight, at 11:48, Amber's voice echoes through the tree in a mournful announcement. "A body has been discovered. Please make your way to the practice dungeon..."

As ever, vines coax you there if you're unwilling. When you arrive on the scene at the practice dungeon, though, it's a wretched sight.

(Image credit: Sketch by Aster, lines by Spencer, color and shading by Faust)

Illuminated dimly by one of the last torches, Francis Foxe lies on the ground, swords scattered around her in a distressingly large pool of blood. You only need one blade to kill somebody, as you've been unpleasantly reminded of by Kali and by what took place in the swamp... just who went this far overboard?!

Kali is also here, hovering smugly near the entrance. Great, that's the last thing you need. At least she doesn't say anything, just ushers you forward.

Midway between the entrance doors and the body is Harriet, standing in front of Frank with her shoulders tensed. “You’re so full of shit—“ she starts, only to be interrupted by the commotion of the others’ arrival. She turns to the newly gathered group and puts her hands on her hips, her brow furrowed. “About time you guys show up. I got the killer right here.” Harriet jabs a finger at Frank, roughly poking him in the sternum.

“Aah…. AAAAH!” Bian is collapsed on the floor, her scythe thrown haphazardly towards her left. She’s rocking from side to side in a failing attempt at self soothing while dark makeup runs down her cheeks. She seems completely disoriented, and unaware of the current squabble.

Frank is standing near Bian, about to help but is interrupted at Harriet's accusation. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!" He slaps her hand away and looks to everyone else. "Don't listen to a word she says, it wasn't-" He glances at Francis' body, looking ill. "It wasn't me. Harriet's talking out of her ass."

Finally, squatting beside Francis' body is an individual you've never seen before. They wear a short black cloak and a tall wide-brimmed hat. Unperturbed by the hysterics, they chant something softly while making sweeping hand gestures over the body. A witch of some sort, perhaps?

The figure finally stands, and as they get closer to the light you abruptly notice that every visible body part of theirs appears to be made of wood painted white. They look like a living doll. Based on their puppet-like movements, you're pretty sure they're exactly that. Their features are inexpertly painted in black on their flat wooden face, and the fact that these features are merely pigment does not at all stop them from moving when they open their mouth to speak.

"Evening," the figure announces, in a velvety masculine voice at odds with his roughly-hewn appearance. "I am Shroud, the appointed coroner. My sincerest condolences for your loss tonight. I have completed the autopsy." Shroud withdraws a piece of paper from within his cloak and offers it to the nearest new arrival. "Feel free to peruse the details at your leisure. It is my fervent hope that this information is of use to you." He bows jerkily. "I have also prepared the sacrifice for your investigation. She, and her pool of sorrowfully stagnant lifeblood, will remain exactly as they were found."

Kali chooses this moment to chime in. "All right, heroes-in-training! Paperwork's out of the way. You know what happens next." She points at Francis' body. "You got two hours to look around before trial, starting... NOW! Get to it!"

[harmonictechnicality]

My dear Harmony, I hope you’re having an absolutely wonderful, restful, recharging evening as you chuckle over the wailing and gnashing of teeth in the memory log tags ✨ I’m the Sleepless-in-Seattle-Christmas-movie truther from AO3 who still owes you like 1000 comments on “Gumption” (aka a fic that lights my heart on fire, I have A Lot of thoughts on the first Ronance chapter that have been in my notes app all week). Getting to read your responses about your writing process are Literally the highlight of my day, the way you interweave all the clever references and wordplay and jokes with your brilliant sense of character voice and just some of the loveliest descriptions I’ve ever read!!! Like, I hope you realize you’re amazing- the kind of talent you’ve got (and the way your love of these characters illuminates all your stories!) does not come along all the time, um, so I for one would like to say thank you to Joe Keery and also Joe Quinn and their palpable chemistry for inspiring you to write, and a huge thank you to you for doing the hard/courageous work of taking words out of brain space and putting them on a screen for us all to share like an absolute hero! ANYWAY, gushing adjourned (for now) but I saw the lil ask game you reblogged, and I’d literally like to read your thoughts on writing and inspo and ships like a book, so if You’d like to share, I’m very curious about #3, 9, 13, and 14 for “Gumption” (my now and forever fave, but clearly only the first of many faves when it comes to your writing) Ok Ok with much affection, imagine I’m heaping Eddie style junk food faves and Steve style power breakfasts on your table 💕 Asters

You are such a DOLL!!! 💕 This absolutely makes my dayyyy that you got so much out of this fic!! I really just ran with it and didn't look back (hence all the errors in it, which I delusionally think adds to the charm lol). 3. What’s your favorite line of narration?

"Carve instruments out of his bones." - this might be my favorite line I've ever written, actually. 9: Were there any alternate versions of this fic? I wrote this fic in 17 days... so no. there was really no time for anything else to even cross my mind 😅 BUT, the title was originally going to be "paper snowflakes, cardboard reindeer" just to play off of all the decorations that Eddie finds tacky. 13. What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading? This was my first time writing Ronance. I felt comfy writing the Steddie parts, but I was so nervous that I might get the dynamic wrong for Ronance. So the song that helped me through this was She by dodie. It's so bubbly and achy and exactly the energy that I wanted Nancy to have as her feelings develop further. 14. Is there anything you wanted readers to learn from reading this fic? Since this is a The Holiday au, I wanted to stay true to the film in a lot of ways. But I also took TONS of creative liberties as well. The biggest rewrite I did was the ending. All of the characters have a plan for their long distance relationships. This felt more concrete. And as someone who did *cough* five years *cough* of on again/off again ldr - I found it to be helpful to have finite plans. So that's exactly what I gave these characters. Plans and goals and sheer drive to continue the relationships, even when miles are between them.

Thank you SO MUCH for asking these!! Please have an absolutely wonderful day! xx 💕💖

[letsriddlemethislucifer]

--- The doll's throat let out a haunting hollow whistle, like a wood wind.

Aster looks through his research papers, uncertain where he went wrong with this. That was not how the creation was designed. "Hmm...I suppose it's too early to attempt speech." Much too early, actually.

[sunshineandviolets]

tagging my ocs as dolls

y'all should've seen this coming tbh (under read more cause its a lot)

Rekha as Barbie (girlboss, top of the world, she's everything)

Raini as Bratz (passion for fashion, a diva )

Mai as Monster High (freaky, a lil weird, ghoul at heart)

Shanaya as Ever After High (believer in destiny, finding her story)

Crystal as Rainbow High (embracing her weirdness through art & design)

Nilam as Shadow High (alternative / dark aesthetic, opposite to xyrs sister)

Chandrika as Star Darlings (astrology kid lmao)

Asher as Polly Pocket (is tiny, chewable clothes, loves adventure)

Shivani as Project MC2 (Science enthusiast girly but make it cute)

Karthik as My Little Pony (friendship is magic, colourful persona)

Safiya as Littlest Pet Shop (Animal lover, also small)

Tulsi as Enchantimals (lives with nature, animal lover #2)

Rowan as Bratzillas (glam witchy girly )

Bliss as American Girl (history nerd, deep in the past)

Jasmine as Porcelain Dolls (underrated, fragile and handle with care)

Arielle as Lalaloopsy (taking old rags and sewing to create new fashions and loved items)

Aster as Hairdorables (loves to experiment with her hair, trying new styles)

Divya as Wild Hearts Crew (very punky, skater & artsy kid)

Reiko as My Scene (baby barbie girl)

Ananya as LOL OMG Surprise (older sister, dealing with unwanted surprises lmao )

Aditya as DC Superhero Girls (Savior complex, wanting to be seen as a hero)

Isabella as Hello Kitty (a cat person, cute and adorbs)

Autumn as Slyvanian Families (chill, calm vibes - loves the little creatures)

AJ as Pinkie Cooper (dog lover and pigtails girly, wishes to travel to explore the world more.)

Nicola as Mermaze Mermaids, Winter Waves (ice princess, lover for music)

Aleisha as Winx Club (normal girl ends up with new powers, fighting bad people )

Noah as Strawberry Shortcake (sweet dude who likes to bake)

Akira as Integrity Toys Dolls (elegant, expensive tastes, put together)

Cerise as Monster High Skullectors (dark aesthetic, horror vibes)

Minerva as Na Na Surprise (small, fuzzy, wild animal themed)

Kalin as Magic Mixies Dolls (whimsical magic vibes)

Naomi as Betty Spaghetty (messy side ponytail, long & lanky)

Rahul as Disney Dolls (literal disney prince vibes tbh)

Meera as Disney ILY 4 Ever (Disney fan, embroiders and customises outfits to suit her personality/interests.

Logan as Paper Dolls (always changing looks, new face, new name depends on the time & place)

[fashioninpaper]

Two versions of this Bridal Fashion paper doll book were published. The first as simple paper dolls. The second came with a record with music and sound effects for your own fashion show.

Most of the dresses have a very hippie (flowers in your hair) style. Curiously when I found them, the groom’s suits were not included.

This made me think of the recent horror film “Midsommar” (2019). In the story, some American college students get invited to attend a very culty midsummer celebration in Sweden. Eventually one of the boys gets drugged and hallucinates, and one of the girls (with flowers in her hair) does something very bad to him.

So not only can you create your own bridal fashion show, you can also create your own horror movie!

[drella]

mmm okayy sooo i finally watched midsommar :0

[cloudsrust]

Patchwork Care (Part 6)

The process had been slow and arduous, but Nova could finally say he was making headway. His fingers stung, his palms felt numb, the stitching was uneven and his back ached more now than when he had been a spry researcher. Yet, he couldn’t help feel a grand sense of accomplishment as Grus, the crane doll that he had named after the constellation of the same animal, was coming together. He was currently working on the navy jacket he was going to wear, which was surprisingly a much easier process than stitching the torso. He cut the galaxy-printed fabric that the Plutonians and Eve had swayed him to buy using the sketches that Team Sayu provided. On his desk, away from his work, were the leftovers of the brunch at Roselia’s and Yinu’s home. As the scissors glided through the fabric, he couldn’t help but hum the demo the DK West had provided. At the forefront of his mind, the thought of seeing Neon’s reaction to what he was making for him made Aster stupidly happy for he knew it would be a positive reception. Unlike the astrophysicist, the veteran wasn’t hard to please.

That got him thinking.

When had he become that approachable? Friendly, even? Of course, he was charismatic, charming in a way, pulling people to orbit around him. But for most of his life, that had been it. A social solar system where everyone had their place, their role to play, but never close to the Star that they were orbiting. Now… Now Aster found himself making a doll for a 40-something veteran that was also a manager of a robotic boyband. For what reason? He could count on one hand, and have fingers to spare, the number of people he would go to such great lengths for. Well, at least that was the case last time he had calculated such an assumption. Perhaps the number had increased without him realizing it. Odd, but not unpleasant.

He knew now that his original idea was but a flimsy excuse; reminding Neon J to take better care of himself didn’t require a handmade object to get the point across. Especially when said object was something that was beyond his skill set. So, what was his goal really? Why did he feel joyous doing something like this? The more he thought about it, the less sense his actions, and by consequence that of others, made. Did it even matter?

No, it didn’t. And he was fine with that.

What did matter was his comprehension of what he was feeling. He wasn’t a man of emotion or sentimentality; logic, facts, and calculated moves were his driving force. So the warm feeling in his chest, being purposefully ignorant to the dull pain in his hands and back, the equivalent of a peppy grin on his face (swirls of yellows, oranges, and pinks that danced on top of the dark matter), all of those things should have been alarming for a being such as himself. They weren’t, and it was quite strange. He couldn’t make heads or tails of it. He needed a second opinion. Glancing at the clock hanging on his wall, then at the laptop on the coffee table, Nova knew who he could call.

“Well then,” Tatiana began to say as soon as she picked up the video call, stopping mid-way. She gazed at him curiously, putting down a stack of papers as she made herself comfortable in her office. “… That’s quite the expression you have there, Nova.”

“That’s mainly why I called. I can’t figure out why I feel like this. It’s not an unpleasant feeling, I’m actually rather happy. I have yet to figure out the origins of such joy.”

“And you decided to call me, at this hour?”

“We both know you haven’t taken a break yet.”

“Curious. What makes you think that me dealing with whatever you’re currently feeling is going to be a sufficient break?”

“You enjoy my confusion.”

“That I do. Proceed.”

Their interactions had always been like this; a battle of wits and silver tongues. It was to be expected, their personalities were widely different from each other, the only thing keeping them amicable was the respect they had for the other as both artists and as individuals. The lightheartedness in their words was rather new though. Before the Rock Revolution, they weren’t close. They both knew that out of everyone in the label, Nova was the one that would have definitely left if things had gotten more heated and controversial in Vinyl City. Things had changed thankfully. The respect never left, and now they could lower the walls that kept everyone out. Aster preferred it this way.

“I began to notice this joy some weeks ago. It wasn’t as significant as it is now, that is why I thought nothing of it at the time. It’s been at the back of my mind ever since, flourishing up until now were I could no longer ignore it. It’s rather strange, but I’m not alarmed by it. I feel like I should be, but nothing.”

“Can you pinpoint the event that formed this joy specifically?” Tatiana questioned curiously.

“Hm…” Nova remembered that faithful day at Festival Plaza, in front of Ben’s Toy Store. He remembered Neon J’s bombastic gestures and excited tone as he spoke about his toymaker past. Aster couldn’t help but snort at the memory of running from the cyborg as he was trying to stop him from calling Tatiana. How youthful the astrophysicist felt, laughing carelessly along with Jun. His chest felt warm and fuzzy, the nebulas in his head becoming more vibrant. “If I were to pinpoint the origin, it would be around the time I decided to make a gift for J… At the time he was laughing, the sound akin to songbirds on a bright summer day.”

The stone-like woman fixed up her glasses. Even though her expression was neutral, there was a glint in her eyes that Nova could not figure out. “A gift you say? How generous of you, and very out-of-character. What demon possessed you?”

“Oh, hush. I can be generous whenever I please without it being out of the norm.” Aster huffed, rolling his shoulders in slight annoyance. “Anyway, yes. I’m still in the process of finishing up said gift. That’s when I decided to call since the mood made itself known.”

“I see.” The producer hummed, leaning against her elbow as she stared up in thought. When she looked back at him, the DJ couldn’t help but worry about what was to come given her Cheshire grin. “Tell me, Nova, what do you think of Neon J?”

“I don’t see how’s that’s relevant to the conversation at hand-”

“It is.”

“It isn’t, but for the sake of the conversation, I’ll answer. Not like you’re going to give me any other choice.” The DJ said in a petulant tone as he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest and legs propped up on the desk. “Simply put, Jun is an extraordinary person. I’ve never met someone so valiant and resilient as him. Truly a man that has earned my sincerest respect and admiration.” Aster leaned further back in his chair, the swirls of yellows, oranges, and pinks intensifying the more he thought of the cyborg. “… Beyond all of that, he is my closest friend, someone I’ve come to cherish deeply. We have next to nothing in common, yet his vibrant energy is so infectious. When he laughs, I can’t help to laugh with him. When he speaks, I listen. When he moves, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen, so confident and free!” The more he spoke, the more the wide ranges of pinks began to dominate his features, unbeknownst to him.

“You could say that in a way, he’s important to you?”

“Absolutely.”

“Interesting.” The amusement in Tatiana’s voice was starting to become apparent, a smug smile beginning to form. “Hypothetically speaking, if Neon required some comfort, how would you go about it?”

“Comforting someone doesn’t come naturally for me. I wouldn’t know what to do if it came to that. For Jun though? Even though it wouldn’t be a comfortable experience for either of us, I would try my best. The best course of action would be to hold him close, tell him that things get better over time, find a way to make him cheer up once more. Perhaps I would tell him how important he really is, hold his hand in mine, kis-” Aster stopped abruptly, placing his feet back on the floor in a fruitless attempt to ground himself. His face switched from vibrant pinks to a mortified violet as soon as he realized where his stream of consciousness was taking him. These were not thoughts people had when thinking of a mere friend. “Oh no.”

“Go on, you were saying?” The producer said with a hand wave to match.

Nova wanted the universe to collapse at that very instant.

“Ah. It would seem you have stumbled into the truth you were seeking.”

“This is not happening. Absolutely not. I refuse to believe that I have… I…” He placed his hand against his glass helmet, feeling dizzy just thinking about the epiphany he was going through. The evidence was all around him; even he knew better than to deny the obvious.

Tatiana hummed, carrying the patience of a thousand saints, her smug expression replaced with a sympathetic one. “You love him.”

“This is a disaster. How did this even happen?!” Both his hands were covering his face. He could feel the heat he was generating. “This is going to ruin everything…”

“I highly doubt that.”

“Okay, first of all, I’m too old to be having this type of crisis in my life!”

“This isn’t a crisis, Aster-”

“Second of all, Jun sees me as a friend and I’m fine with that! These feelings will surely burden him if he ever finds out-”

“Why would that be the case? Neon is not a man that’s easily burdened.”

“But-”

“Dr. Aster Leavitt.” Qwartz always knew the quickest way to shut the DJ up was to use his full name in her commandeering voice, especially when he was being difficult. She sighed, her voice taking a kinder tone. “I can assure you love can take many forms and what you are feeling isn’t necessarily romantic. Tell me, is the love you feel for yourself equal to the love you may have towards your fans?”

“Well, no. It’s rather unfair to even compare the two- ah. I… I think I see what you’re getting at.”

The stone woman nodded. “That’s right. It’s impossible to compare and you can’t say one is lesser than the other.”

Nova shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “You would be correct, however… What I was describing earlier… Those aren’t actions taken by someone that loves another as a friend, right?”

“Only you can determine what loving Jun entails, but don’t view it as something detrimental to the friendship you currently have with him. Take your time in figuring it out. As of now, nothing between you two has to change.”

The DJ nodded slowly, breathing steadily to get his racing heart under control. Tatiana was right. He didn’t need to fret nor rush. At the end of the day, nothing had to change if he didn’t want to. Perhaps it would be best to keep these thoughts to himself for the time being, until he felt prepared to have the conversation. Maybe audio-journaling his thoughts on his dusty tape recorder would help; it had been a while since he used that small device. For the sake of clarity and good old times, he made a mental note to search for it later.

“Thank you, Tatiana… I did not expect the conversation to turn out this way, but now that I have some clarity I can navigate this better. I think I’ll go read a book before turning in for the night.”

“It’s no problem at all; what kind of boss would I be if I didn’t hear the concerns of my artists? And I think that’s a wise idea. I think I may do that myself once I hang up.” The producer stated with a fond smile before glancing at the paperwork that had been forgotten. Her eyebrow was raised high. “Ah, before you go… Care to explain why I just received a contract deal from DK West concerning a possible collaboration with you?”

“Actually, now that you bring him up, care to explain why you gave him access to my floor?” Nova questioned with a hint of indignation.

“Did you not read any of the emails I had sent beforehand?”

He had nothing against that. Once more Tatiana had disarmed him. He also accidentally revealed his negligence in regards to the emails.

“Leavitt, have you read any emails lately?” Even though her tone was polite, it was clear that her temper was beginning to flare given the fire lines that were forming on the base of her neck. “Have you been ignoring important, work-related emails, again?”

“… Good talk. However, I must leave. I just remembered I have an appointment with my optometrist at this very second. Wouldn’t want to be late for that.”

“ASTER LEAVITT, DON’T YOU DARE HANG UP- THAT WASN’T EVEN A GOOD EXCUSE, YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE EYES-”

That was going to be a problem for Future Aster to deal with. For now, he needed to finish making the jacket for Grus, then read a good book to forget the impending wrath of Tatiana and the conflicting thoughts that resided in his mind.

———————————————–

Chapters Index: 

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | You’re Here!  | Part 7  | Part 8 | Part 9

 ———————————————– 

Reminder as always to go give love to the amazing writer @inkedfeather9 -!

[teutonicfanfics]

Should I post my unpublished work on here??? Eh, here is the first draft of ‘Androids and Detectives’!

All rights reserve to me, ‘Detroit: become human’ isn’t.. I think there is a ‘AndroidTale’? This is different - AH

(Phone upload)

———————————————————————

The police department of Ebott was bustling with life. Paperwork messily scattered on desks, cubicles stacked with written reports, and the distant smell of cheap instant coffee.

A tall male walked through the doors, sporting black waist coat with a white button up and a long coat barely reaching his calves.

His pale face was slender, a semi-permanent scowl on his mouth, two jagged scars lined his right eye, slitting his brow tail. Deep brown eyes narrowed at the wandering looks that dared to stare, feeling satisfied that they turned almost immediately after eye contact. Standing near the entrance with his arms crossed over his chest, he squinted slightly.

Examining the desks that lined the floor underneath the chief’s office. The blinds where shut — not that Edge cared, of course. He only (slightly) cared that he couldn’t find nor see his coworker and insolent brother.

He ignored the androids standing at attention near the wall, underneath a charging pod, and walked towards the kitchen area. His badge clipped on his belt as he passed security.

Pushing the door open, he scoffed at his brother. “Where is she?”

The smaller male shrugged his shoulders, slipping off his police uniform with the words ‘Aster’ on both the sleeves. “she didn’t come home last night.”

“Where did she go, then.” He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest — chocolate brown eyes wandering towards the android janitor in the corner, mopping up the floor with a far away look in his glassy eyes.

The Android didn’t spare him a glance as he continued to work - as he was programmed to do.

He scoffed. Edge didn’t really like Androids. They were just trinkets used by people who were too damn lazy to do things themselves. Edge is a man of expertise, he liked doing things on his own (with the help of his partner, of course.) and not rely on a hunk of garbage.

“dunno. maybe at a bar? she’s been visiting those lately.”

Edge narrowed his eyes at his brother. Glowering silently as Red nervously fiddled with his fingers. A deep sigh coming from the eldest brother as he ran a hand through his messy white hair.

“look, bro.” Red hissed. Edge rolled his eyes. “she aint wanta talk. maybe lay low, let her hav’ her peace and - i dunno, leave her the fuck alone?”

Edge’s shoulders trembled, fighting back from lashing out at his brother in the middle of the kitchen. Face flushing red in anger as he continued to glare at Red. He, in turn, rolled his eyes, taking a large bite out of a hotdog with waayy too much mustard splattered over.

“Need I fucking remind you: if chief finds her missing today, he’ll have her fucking head. So let’s go and look for the stupid wench.”

“No need.” A female said, walking into the room with a stack of folders in her arms. Carelessly placing them on the table and sat down, a long sigh coming from her.

Red grinned widely at his brother, showing the genetic fangs - Edge mockingly mimicked him and followed to sit next to the female.

“ya look like shit, doll.” Red said, eyeing her oversized sweater, large pants and the lack of one shoe - striped socks and the heavy bags underneath her eyes. (Colour) hair basically a rats nest.

Breathlessly laughing, she punched Red in the arm - although it was terrible to say the least, he still pretended to act as if it hurt. “You were always the charmer.”

“what can I say? ladies love it.” He winked, placing a cup of coffee in front of her.

Y/n rolled her eyes, staring into the coffee cup and tipped it into her mouth without hesitation. Red and Edge flinched slightly - knowing how hot the coffee was.

“L/N!” A voice shouted behind the closed door. The female in question rose her head, her eye bags seemingly heavier upon hearing the chief’s shout. Edge glanced over towards the door, a low grumble coming from him as he slowly inside his crossed arms.

“I’ll go speak with the chief.” He pointed at her. “Chew on some fucking ice or something, that was unhealthy!” And then turned to leave.

(Colour) eye’s trailing after the tall man, Y/n shook her head. Stood up with the chair screeching loudly and grabbed the pile of files. Red quickly got to his feet, easily towering over her as he took the files.

Looking at him gratefully, the two walked out of the kitchen and into the vast room filled with desks - another room sectioned off from the rest by glass; over looking the workers below. Inside the room was the Chief: Asgore, and her Partner: Edge.

Y/nducked her head, pulling Red along towards her desk before plopping down with a loud, exaggerated sigh. Red chuckled throatily, placing the files on his desk and swiped half.

“ya look like yer in need some help. sorry fer bein’ a shit roommate.” He said, sitting a cross from him where his desk was pushed against hers. His (and her’s) computer blocking his head as he hunched over, reading over the file.

Y/n shook her head, taking the top file and flipped it open. “You’re fine. It’s my fault for not asking when I need it.”

“L/N!” The Chief sounded pissed off. The glass door was wide open, arms arms crossed over his chest. A scowling Edge walking down the small flight of stairs, face burning with rage - luckily, he kept himself in check.

Red winced. “o’fuck. if boss ain’t able to soothe ol’fluffy beard, then that means yer in it fer good.”

A shiver crawled up her spine at Red’s words. A sinking feeling weighted in her stomach - yet she looked unbothered as Edge stomped towards his desk, the one on her left side, and revived his computer tower.

Flipping the file closed, she stood up and pushed her hair in. Shoving her hands into her hoody pockets and sauntered towards the opened door. Asgore keeping it wide open for her to walk through.

Good ol’daddy bara.

She thought, the corners of her mouth twitching in amusement. Although she knew Asgore would not appreciate a smile, she kept her face as straight as possible. Lips pursing into a line before she sighed. Watching the large man walk around her like a vulture, eyeing her choice of clothing with a scrutinizing nose wrinkle.

“Where have you been?” His voice was deep and raspy. Rumbling like thunder on a rainy night. His hands neatly folding behind him as he stopped circling her, walking to his desk instead.

“Paperwork at a bar, at home, in my car.” She said sarcastically, a soft sigh coming from her. “No offence, sir. But what is the reason for—”

“Have you heard of TaleLife?” He cut her off, leaning over to grab a file in his desk. A large red ‘classified’ stamped in the front of a brown folder. Eyebrows softly knitting together, she nodded.

Asgore hummed. “It seems they have created a new android. A highly advanced robot — it’s a prototype and will be sent here.” He said rather shortly. Eyeing the folder for a second before slowly sliding it to you.

Furrowing your eyebrows, you looked up at Asgore for a second before grabbing it. The paper feeling aged, more ‘life’ like than the simple ‘tabloid’ people use nowadays.

“It is called a ‘Sans’. An RK800.” He said as you opened and flipped through it.

Sans was human-like, pages showing the insides of the androids. A ‘heart’ that pumped blue blood into their systems, keeping them functional for primary tasks.

“Supposedly, this thing is designed to assist human detectives on cases. You, however, will be in charge of this android until its mission is complete - I am moving you from Homicide department to Deviant cases per TaleLife’s requests.”

You instantly bristled, slamming the folder down and stood up so fast that the chair tipped over. (Colour) eye’s heatedly flaring into honey brown ones that always held malice within.

“What the shit!? I don’t want to work with some stupid tin can!” You shouted, face colouring with rage at Asgore’s annoyingly calm features, as if he knew you were going to act out. The façade you had on melted away almost instantly, eyes snapping downward to the desktop and at the photos of this ‘Sans’ android.

“You weren’t my first choice, Lieutenant. It was either you or Mr. Harrison.” He said, gathering up the papers and slipping them back into the classified folder. Tightening the small sting before putting it back into his desk, locking the drawer.

“Always Mr. Harrison!” You say, slamming your hand on the table each word.

“I do not trust Harrison like I trust you,” Asgore snapped silently. Honey brown eyes scanning over to the desks in front of his office. Narrowing them into glares when a unfortunate person caught his gaze.

“I need a fucking drink.” You muttered, running your hand through your hair - ignoring the pointed look Asgore shot you.

“Expect the ‘Sans’ Android to be arriving within fortnight. That is all, Lieutenant.”

Sarcastically saluting the Chief, you turned on your heel and stormed out of the office, grumbling underneath your breath just as you plopped down to your chair. A low hiss coming from the person in front of you.

“Burn-”

“Burn in hell, Red.”

*Timeskip*

It was blandly obviously that you were displeased to your two partners in crime when you returned to the partners, carelessly throwing your back onto the couch and immediately raided the refrigerator for a bottle of water

Edge shook his head, snatching it from your grasp.

You pouted softly - although instantly perked up when he twisted the cap and handed it right back.

Your ‘job’ persona melting away when you sunk into the couch, not caring that you still had your jacket on and sighed deeply.

“Stupid paperwork.” You say into the silence.

When Edge or Red hadn’t said anything, you frowned and sat up, looking over to their direction. Identical honey brown eyes searching your own (colour) ones as if you were a difficult puzzle they couldn’t solve. The unspoken question lingered in the air, the brothers watching and waiting for you to elaborate on your recent foul attitude, only to come around in a full circle and act as if you didn’t slam a donut into some poor maintenance person’s mouth.

You rose your eyebrow challengingly.

Red huffed, taking off his jacket and fell next to you - Edge did the same but more mannered than his brother -

“so, why’d chief need ya?” Red asked the unspoken question.

Knowing that you had no way around this, you capped the bottle and placed it in between your thighs, leaning back with a soft grumble at the mere thought of your boss.

Interwining your fingers with Edge’s longer ones, you lightly pinched his nails. “I’ve been reassigned to the ‘deviancy’ cases.”

“What?” Edge hissed, not bothering to take his hand from yours - a sense of amusement blooming in his chest that he quickly shoved away.

“Yep.” You muttered, dropping his hand and leaned your head back, staring at the ceiling. “Fan-Fucking-tastic.”

“but that isn’t near yer profession. th’fuck are ya going to do with rogue robots?”

Tightly shutting your eyes, you waved with your free hand at your bag. “The file has the information and implications about the cases i’ll be taking along with an Android.”

“no fucking way.” Red’s eye’s were wide, looking at you for a second then to your bag. “and yer ok with it?”

You scoffed loudly, rolling your eyes as you slipped from Edge’s hand and stood up, tossing the bottle into the air and caught it. “I have no choice but to listen to the Chief.”

Red got up from the couch and ransacked your bag for the file - he grabbed it and tossed your back carelessly back on the couch and pulled the papers. Honey brown eyes scanning the contents - features turning darker and angrier the more he redid.

“I’ll ask for a transfer.” Edge suddenly said, intertwining his fingers together (trying to act as if you still held his hands). “The fucking crud should’ve known better than to assign you to these cases.”

Red shook his head, returning to his seat and slammed the papers on the coffee table. A low, throaty growl coming from him as he crossed his arms. “no can do, bro. it says that talelife had asked for baby girl specifically.”

“Are you fucking serious?” Edge hissed, leaning forward and displayed the five papers out on the table. Honey brown eyes checking the content at mark speed before scowling deeply. A low, almost like Red’s, growl coming from his chest.

You wondered how they did that —

“yep. Might as well kill myself, yeah?” You laughed humourlessly. Glaring at the bottled water and placed it onto the table. Ignoring the concerned looks Red and Edge shot you for a split second.

”c’mon, you guys know I’m not serious.” You frowned before sighing.

[sharp-shiny-things]

Made a mitsuri one now 🔥🔥🔥

Plus a random rui and an au drawing

yes its a mermaid au and yes koku is one of them hes not just a random man chilling in the water i swear 😭😭😭

[kid-sid]

How did you learn how to make those paper dolls of yours?

I answered an ask about paper doll processes a long time ago, but since that was 1)outdated and 2)about a different breed of doll, I’ll just write a new one. And also assume you meant the fashion Monster Palz Presents dolls ↓↓↓

ALWAYS FINISH THE DOLL BEFORE YOU MAKE ANY CLOTHES! FINISH THE DOLL AND CUT IT OUT!!Otherwise, the patterns you make for the clothes might not fit right. 

(You can also see me mapping out the sections of her hair above)

I use pretty stiff white paper to draw and color and doll on, and Mod Podge the back of the doll for strength. DONT Mod Podge the front unless you know what you want, it makes the doll shiny and leaves it with a brush texture(which you might be into), but the Mod Podge makes the magnets STICK to the doll, even when dry, and leaves ugly black smudges (which you probably WONT be into).

At this point, I’ve probably gone insane and done pages and pages of design work and tired decision making to 1) design the clothes, and 2) choose which ones I actually make. You could make as many as you want, I just cut myself off so I don’t go completely mad and so everything fits on the board. Usually, I go for 18ish-20something pieces, though I manage to make more and more with every doll….

I tend to pick dolls that lend themselves to a strong (or at least specific) type of fashion, just for the more cohesive final product and character it creates.

Color and patterns and what papers you’ll use is also something to consider here, since using matching colors and patterns makes for a doll that can wear anything with anything. But you can also skip bothering matching things all together and still make a nice doll.

After figuring out the clothes you want to make and finishing the doll itself, welcome to hell, mon frere. 

I take the doll and lay plain printer paper over it on a lightbox so i can sketch out what I want the piece I’m making to look like, drawing it with all its pockets, zippers, whatevers. After I have a drawing of the piece, I go over it with tracing paper and make patterns for whatever I’ll have to cut out to make it (i.e., cutting out the shirt cuff as well as the shit base to glue together). Anyway, this shit takes forever.

After all the clothes for the doll are done, I slap magnets on everything. ALWAYS PUT MAGNETS ON THE BACK OF THE DOLL FIRST. Be sure to figure out what way the magnets adhere to each other and attach them with their strong side facing into the doll so it can hold onto its clothes. If your doll has a shirt, pants, and a hat, put a magnet behind the chest, legs, and head, or wherever will make the clothes lie correctly. Once the DOLL has ALL its magnets, I put them on the CLOTHES. Just put a magnet so it’s sticking to the doll and THEN lay the clothes on top so they lay correctly. This is especially easy if you get magnets that are adhesive on one side, then you don’t even have to fuss with glue.

WITH MAGNETS:

-get thin ones that you can cut with scissors(easy, and leave less of a gap between doll and clothes)

-ALWAYS PROTECT THE SIDE OF THE MAGNET THAT WILL TOUCH THE FRONT OF THE DOLL WITH TAPE. Otherwise, smudges.

The doll is technically done now, any boarding or display work is up to you to do or not do. I always mat everything on a foam board 20″x 16″, glue on a background paper, arrange the doll and it’s clothes (attaching the clothes to the board with more magnets), and decorate with stickers, a banner, and a character description.

I’ve made 12 of the Monster Palz dolls now, and I’ve learned a lot. I haven’t had any tutorials or guides since I’ve never seen anybody making dolls like this before. It’s a process! An entirely self-taught time-consuming process!

Keyon and Aster, my very first dolls ⇧⇧

[aion-rsa]

The 20 Best Horror Movies on Netflix UK – Scary Films to Watch Right Now

https://ift.tt/2RE5emn

Netflix is an ever-changing, constantly growing treasure trove of hidden gems and secret delights (here’s everything new on Netflix UK this month). Sometimes, a teeny bit too secret though.

Who hasn’t sat down to watch a horror movie and found themselves scrolling endlessly, either not being able to find something they’re in the mood for, or not really knowing what half the titles are, or if they’re any good?

We’ve scoured the full current catalogue available to watch in the UK now and picked out the best scary movies. It’s a mix of classic and new, and a range of slashers, horror-coms, mumblegore, monster movies and more to hopefully scratch that itch with ease.

We’ll keep this updated as and when titles drop in and out of the service.

Hereditary (2018)

If you haven’t seen this slice of trauma, the feature debut of Ari Aster, you probably should. If you have seen it, you probably won’t want to again. Toni Collette stars as a woman whose controlling mother has just passed away setting of a series of horrible events. Aster says the film was partly inspired by his own sense of his family being cursed – this a movie absolutely drenched in grief and pain with astonishing performances all round. It’s tough going, but it’s a masterpiece. Read our review.

The Platform (2019)

This existential Spanish horror made a splash at the start of lockdown with it’s tale of prisoner trapped in an enormous vertical prison with a platform at it’s centre which delivers food to the inmate floor by floor starting at the top, so that each floor only gets what the floor above has left over. It’s political, allegorical, it’s clever and it’s very violent.

The Endless (2017)

Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s gorgeous sci-fi horror stars the two as brother who escaped from a cult ten years ago and are drawn back in in search of answers when a strange videotape arrives. This is their third movie after Resolution and Spring and the two are only growing in strength as directors – The Endless is rammed with indelible imagery and deeply unsettling moments within a plot that is a joy to unpick.

What Keeps You Alive (2018)

Couple Jackie and Jules head to a remote woodland cabin to celebrate their first wedding anniversary but things go bad… Ok this sounds like the most generic slasher in the world but trust us it’s not. Twists hit early on (that we’d hate to spoil) and the tension ramps up fast in a very effective cat and mouse chase with a female bent. This comes from Colin Minihan who made Grave Encounters – this isn’t similar but both have a disorientating sense of place. Read our review.

Orphan (2009)

Released during the heyday of Dark Castle’s mid-budget horror splurge, Orphan is one of those genre films with an absolutely ludicrous (and therefore thoroughly enjoyable) twist, which we will not spoil for you. Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga star as a couple mourning the loss of their baby, who decided to adopt a little Russian girl called Esther from the local orphanage. Things quickly start to go very, very wrong as the pair start to suspect that wee Esther – who insists on dressing like a spooky doll – isn’t all she appears to be. Check out our review.

Insidious (2010)

The many sequels may have yielded diminishing returns but the first of this franchise, about a couple (Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne) whose comatose son appeared to be trapped in another realm by a evil spirit, is a very effective chiller. Horror genius James Wan directs, and the first half of this movie at least is pretty much guaranteed to make you jump out of your skin.

Annihilation (2018)

An all star cast including Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tessa Thompson, plus the quality direction of Alex Garland wasn’t enough to secure this horror sci-fi based on Jeff Vandermeer’s novel a theatrical release in the UK. Nevermind, that just means you can watch it for free on Netflix. Portman joins a crew of women exploring the mysterious Area X where he husband ventured some time before and came back changed. It’s a weird, unfamiliar landscape of beautiful flora and terrifying fauna defying explanation until the strange, indelible finale (not sure what it means? Have a read of this explainer). And you can check out our review, too if you like.

Daybreakers (2009)

You’ll get a little bit of everything with this Spierig Brothers curio. It was the film that really got the directing team noticed and it’s not hard to see why. Set in a dystopian world where basically everyone has been turned into a vampire, one corporation thinks it’d be a bloody (sorry) good idea to track down all the surviving humans and…well, basically milk them. Ethan Hawke stars as a vampire haematologist who starts to think there might be another way for this story to go after he’s collared by a former vampire (Willem Dafoe), who can cure everyone. (Living) dead good. Check out our review.

The Bar (2017)

Slightly bonkers Spanish horror thriller which sees a bunch of strangers stuck in a busy Madrid cafe when snipers begin shooting anyone who tries to leave. Confusion and personality clashes abound in this economical single location chiller with a dark sense of human as the inhabitants slowly discover what’s going on, who’s responsible and try to work out if and how they will survive.

Read more

TV

Netflix UK: What’s New in April 2020?

By Kirsten Howard

TV

21 underappreciated films to watch on Netflix UK

By Paul Bradshaw and 2 others

The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s love/hate letter to the horror genre felt like something of a game changer when it finally arrived (it was shelved for several years because of financial issue with original distributor MGM). Chris Hemsworth and Haley Bennett star in a double layer story about ordinary kids vacationing in a woodland cabin, with Bradley Whitford and Richard Jenkins as very particular kinds of bureaucrats up to something in the background. No spoilers, just watch. Here’s our review.

Cargo (2017)

Martin Freeman stars in this Netflix original developed from a short directed by Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke. Set in the Australian outback, Freeman is a father trying to find someone to protect his child in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. More wistful and emotional than that sounds on paper, there’s a fascinating subplot about an Aboriginal girl mourning her father and the final set piece is unforgettable. Check out our review.

Lifeforce (1985)

A Cannon Films classic directed by late Texas Chain Saw legend Tobe Hooper, people are still discovering the ’80s madness that is Lifeforce. Originally entitled Space Vampires, it’s exactly what you’d expect, and so much more. Nude, energy sucking bat creatures are brought back to Earth after an interstellar mission finds a gaggle of them lying dormant in Halley’s Comet, and it all goes very badly for the planet. You can expect a scenery-chewing Patrick Stewart to pop up in between the tits and gore. Not literally! Although, sometimes literally.

Creep (2014)

No, not the one set on the tube, this ‘mumblegore’ horror is far weirder than that. Director Patrice Brice plays Aaron, a videographer hired by Mark Duplass’s Josef to make a video for his kid to watch after he’s died of a terminal illness. Or does he? Playing on the power of politeness and the awkwardness of male relationships this is a highly original, itchily uncomfortable watch. Creep 2 is also on Netflix, and also good!

Read more

TV

17 of the best TV series on Netflix UK

By Louisa Mellor

TV

Underappreciated comedy movies on Netflix UK to watch now

By Mark Harrison and 1 other

Hush (2016)

Another smart sensory-based horror, this time from Oculus and Doctor Sleep man Mike Flanagan. This home invasioner sees deaf writer Maddie (Kate Siegel) attacked in her woodland retreat by a masked stranger. He uses her inability to hear to sneak around and terrorise her, but she has tricks of her own up her sleeve. Check out our review.

The Invitation (2015)

Karyn Kusama (Jennifer’s Body, Destroyer) just keeps knocking it out of the park (and she’s recently been attached to a Dracula movie from Blumhouse Productions), and with The Invitation she continued to secure her place as one of the best directors around. Here, Will (Logan Marshall-Green) and his girlfriend go to a party held by his formerly suicidal ex-wife, and discover that she seems to be happier than she ever was, but Will starts to suspect that rather than healthily coping with her mental illness, she may well have joined a doomsday cult instead, and be planning to kill them all. Paranoia and tension are at the max in this bad boy. Here’s our review.

Little Evil (2017)

Comedy horror from Eli Craig who made the wonderful Tucker and Dale Vs Evil. This time he’s playing on creepy kid tropes, particular those from The Omen movies. Adam Scott plays a man who discovers his new wife’s (Evangeline Lilly) son might actually be the anti-christ. And because it’s Eli Craig, of course it’s funny and very good natured as well as playing with the genre.

Gerald’s Game (2017)

Another Mike Flanagan offering here – what can we say? he’s damn good! – as Jessie (a spectacular Carla Guigino) and her husband Gerald drive to a remote house to try and spice up their marriage with a bit of gentle BDSM. One problem: Jessie is not into it. At all. Two problems: Gerald carks it, leaving her tied up with only her cunning to help her free herself from her prone, handcuffed predicament. Three problems: a mythical, supernatural killer may be in the house. Stephen King, you’ve done it again. Read our review.

Ravenous (2017)

Unusual Canadian zombie movie (in French) which sees remaining stragglers after an outbreak of the infected band together in disparate groups travelling to find other survivors. Ravenous sets up its infected as worshipping a sort of new religion of found items (chairs, TVs etc.) making comment on the zombification of society. It’s also funny and quite scary, so there’s that.

Veronica (2017)

Loosely based on a true story, Veronica is set in Madrid in 1991 and follows a young woman who messes with a Ouija board who thinks she’s accidentally summoned an evil spirit. Director by Paco Plaza, one of the two directors behind [REC], the movie gained minor notoriety when it first landed on Netflix because of a few viewers finding it overly scary. It’s true there are some seriously creepy bits (but you’ll be fine!).

The Perfection (2018)

Get Out‘s Allison Williams and Dear White People‘s Logan Browning star in this twisty, trashy but nonetheless enjoyable tale of two musical prodigies hothoused at a mysterious academy. It’s lurid and lavish (and it’s got some fairly dodgy sexual politics, we’d warn you) but great lead performances and a tricksy three act structure that keeps you guessing, make this an entertaining and unusual Friday night pick. Read our review.

Want more horror? Here’s our list of 81 genuinely creepy horror movies. Here are some horror movies it’s safe to watch with your kids. And here are some underappreciated Scream-inspired horror movies of the 90s.

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[deamstellarus]

Of Twinkling Lights and Mistletoe

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: The best Christmas ever.

Word Count: 3994

Warnings: The fluff...may kill you. (Also there’s a slight sad part at the beginning and some minor implied smut mixed in.)

A/N: This is probably my favorite part/chapter in this entire series. I REALLY hope you enjoy it! ❤

Series Masterlist | Of Apple Pie and Family

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December 2018

“Hey, Doll. I, uh, I know it’s been a while since I’ve talked to you, but things have been developing and I’m needing a bit of guidance… It’s Y/N, she’s come to see you before. You know, beautiful eyes, soft hair, about this tall,” he held his hand up to about your height. “She’s, well...I didn’t think I would find someone after you, I never wanted to find someone after you. But she stumbled into our lives, mine and Noah’s. Well, Noah’s first - I swear he inherited your outgoing personality. She makes me happy and she fits in so well. And with Noah, Doll, you would be so happy with how she treats our son. Like he’s her own. She’s not replacing you, I don’t want that and neither does she, I know her. But she loves him too, and me, and I just…” 

He sighed, his breath visible in the cold December air. He toed the snow around his boots, not sure what he expected out of this.

“I guess I just wanted your approval, to know it’s okay to be happy with her. I’m, uh, I have this,” he pulled out the little box from the jewelry store in Michigan that’s been burning a hole in his pocket for a little over a month. “I’d planned on doing it in a few days, on Christmas. Cliche, I know, but I just thought it would make it special… I’ll always love you, Dot. But I love her too, and I think… I think maybe it’s time I take the next step. Is that alright?” He paused and looked around, waiting for an unknown sign. After a minute, he shook his head, lightly chuckling at himself. 

“Rest easy, Doll, I’ll be seeing you again.”

Bucky kneeled in the snow and placed the long-stemmed red rose at the foot of the headstone. Gently, he rubbed his thumb over the top of the smooth stone, before standing up and turning on his heel. He was three steps away when a sudden gust of wind swept up behind him and his hat blew off his head and landed several feet away. When he went to retrieve it, there was a rose petal underneath it. He held it between his fingers and looked up at the sky, deciding that was the sign from her that she approved.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

Steve opened his door at the insistent knocking, and all but jumped out of the way as Bucky barged inside with Noah following behind.

“Well hello to you too, Buck.” Steve rolled his eyes, then turned his attention to Noah. “What’s up, little man?”

“Hi Uncle Steve. Does Aunt Peggy have anymore brownies left?”

“That’s some sweet tooth you’ve got there. I think there are some on a plate on the counter. Why don’t you go check it out and I’ll join you after I talk to your dad?”

“Mkay!” He raced to the kitchen.

“Don’t eat them all!” Steve yelled after him, only to be met with giggles.

His head turned back to where his best friend lay on the couch.

“Alright, Bucky, talk.”

“I don’t know how to propose. I thought I did, I got the ring like I told you I would.” Bucky fished said ring out of his pocket and held it up for Steve to see. It was beautiful and elegant and a little bit quirky, and so very you, that Steve knew he had help.

“Did her mom help you?”

“Her sister, Liz. I asked her dad for her hand- out of courtesy, I know how much her family means to her. Then her dad, brother-in-law, and I went to a store in town and browsed. I texted Liz several pictures and she helped me decide,” Bucky said, all while staring at the ceiling, looking like a mess of emotions.

“Smart, not getting it here. Tony’s a great guy but he’s definitely the biggest gossip in this town, and he wouldn’t have held back if you walked into his jewelry store.”

“Yeah, but how do I ask? I wanted to ask on Christmas. Is that too cliche though? She’s not really the cliche type? Oh hell, what if she doesn’t say yes and I’ve put her on the spot in front of all of our friends?” Bucky groaned. “Maybe this is a bad idea.”

“Bucky, get a grip. When you think about proposing, where do you imagine you are?” Bucky took so long to reply Steve thought he’d fallen asleep.

“I can’t picture a place, or any of the surroundings. I just see her.” Steve smiled at his friend.

“Well then, pal, I don’t think it matters how or when you tell her, you just have to do it.”

“I think...I think I’m going to stick to Christmas, with all of our friends. It’s not the whole town, but it’s the important people.” Bucky turned his head to look at Steve. “What do you think?”

“I think that sounds great.” Steve stood up. “I’m going to go stop your son from eating all of Pegs’ brownies.”

“Please do, I’m taking him to his friend Peter’s house in an hour and his aunt would kill me if I sent him over on a sugar high.”

Steve laughed as he walked into the kitchen but stopped abruptly when he ran into Noah by the entryway.

“What’s up, Little Man?”

“How does someone propose to someone else?” Noah said. Steve was taken aback. Did he know Bucky was going to propose to you? He was ninety percent sure he’d just eavesdropped on their conversation.

“Well… when two people love each other, one person will usually buy a ring and they tell them all of the things they love about them and ask them an important question.”

“Oh, okay.” That’s it? Steve thought that was too easy.

“Why do you ask? You thinkin’ about proposing to someone?” Steve teased.

“Yep!”

“Wait, really?” This was definitely news to Steve. “Who is the lucky lady? Or fellow?”

“I can’t tell you, Uncle Steve. It’s a secret!”

“Okay, Buddy. Anything, I can, uh, do to help?” Because he was nosier than he would ever admit aloud and it would be great to tell Bucky all about Noah’s little friend… if he could ever get the details out of him that is.

“Nope!” He said, sipping on a glass of milk. “Well actually, can you help me wrap it?”

Bingo!

“Sure thing, buddy. When do you want me to help you?”

“Can we do it now?” That brought Steve’s eyebrows to his hairline.

“You have a ring with you?”

“Yeah,” Noah said, pulling something out of his jacket pocket. In his hand was a little clear plastic ball with a purple plastic ring inside. It was the cutest thing Steve had ever seen, if he were being honest. He coughed back a chuckle.

“Where did you get that, Noah?”

“From Mr. Tony’s diner.”

“Ah, I see. Alright, well I’m going to go grab some wrapping paper from my room. Be right back, Little Man!”

Steve sped past where Bucky laid on the couch.

“Hey, hey, hey. Where are you going?” Bucky called out, then followed Steve to his room when he didn’t get a response. “What are you doing?”

“Getting some wrapping paper.”

“Okay, I’ll bite… Why?”

“Because, Noah’s got a girlfriend! Or boyfriend. I don’t know. Either way, you’re not the only one proposing this holiday season!” Steve beamed, visions of a miniature kid wedding danced through his head.

“Wait, what?!”

“That was...” Bucky started, as he laid back in bed, trying to catch his breath.

“Incredible,” you finished, sighing happily.

“Yeah,” he smiled back at you, holding your hand. “I’m so glad Becs wanted him to spend the night last night.” You nodded in agreement.

“You’ve been holding out on me, Casanova.” You rolled onto your side, grinning as the blush rose to his cheeks. “Dinner, Christmas lights, that mistletoe…”

“Oh, that mistletoe. Best holiday tradition yet.” Bucky smiled fondly at the memory.

“You look amazing, Doll.” You turned around to see Bucky watching you from the bathroom doorway as you fastened your earring to your ear. You were wore a forest green A-line dress with black tights and planned on wearing your black ankle boots to give you a bit more height.

“Thanks, Buck,” you said as your eyes ran over his form. He wore a deep red sweater and dark jeans that made his ass look even better. He gave you a lopsided smile when he caught you staring.

“We should get going if we want to make our reservations.”

“You’re right sorry. Just about done here.” You swiped on your go-to red lipstick and grabbed your purse. “Ready dear.”

You slipped on your shoes and he helped you into your coat after shrugging into his own leather jacket, and you were out the door. It had been a while since you two were out together, just the two of you. It felt nice, romantic, and you were giddy with the attention.

Dinner was wonderful, Bucky having taken you to an Italian restaurant in Portage. You split dessert, a tiramisu you wished was available in Aster Falls. Afterward, you walked down several streets, hand in hand, enjoying each other’s company and the twinkling lights that now lined the city’s streets. Later, you drove back to Aster Falls, your hand in his as he drove through the snowy landscape.

Bucky pulled into the parking lot for your apartment building. You headed inside, Bucky’s arm around your shoulder. The second you stepped into the elevator, his lips were on your neck. You looked up and laughed.

“What’s so funny, Doll,” he mumbled into your skin.

“Mistletoe.” Bucky pulled back, looking up, and sure enough there was a mistletoe taped to the ceiling.

“Well, what do you know. Who are we to disagree with tradition.” His lips met yours, all the way up to your door, through your apartment, and into your bedroom. For the rest of the evening, your body was his, and his was yours. And you were tangled in the sheets for the remainder of the night, curled together afterwards when you were both blissed out. Which brought you to this morning, when you woke to kisses down your spine in the soft morning light.

“We should probably get ready and give your sister a break. It’s Christmas Eve after all, and I’m sure Noah has been bouncing off the walls since we dropped him off yesterday,” you said, your fingers grazing through the short scruff on his face.

“Do we have to?” He pouted, poking his bottom lip out, looking oh so adorable. “Five more minutes?”

“Yeah, I think we can do that.” You scooted closer to him, resting your head on his chest. His arms went around you and you settled into the comfortable silence once more, knowing ‘five more minutes’ would turn out to be much longer.

“Wake up! Wake up! It’s Christmas!”

“What time is it?” Bucky said, rolling over in bed. His voice was gravelly from sleep. His hand around your waist tightened its hold. You cracked an eye open and looked around, remembering you were not at home in the cozy apartment but, in fact, in a guest room at the Barnes’ house. You peeked at the clock, softly groaning when you read the numbers.

“Too early.” You snuggled closer to him, your back to his front, trying to leach his warmth.

“I’d say we have about three minutes before he drags us out of here, Doll.” His breath tickled your neck.

“Mmm, alright. Three minutes, I can do that.”

That hope was quickly diminished when not thirty seconds later, Noah crashed landed on the two of you, breaking the sleepy spell you were under.

“Daddy! Y/N! It’s Christmas!” Noah shouted excitedly. Bucky chuckled quietly.

“It sure is, bud. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Noah Bear,” you said, sitting up.

“Can we go open presents now?”

“No, no, no. You know the rules, you can open one present this morning, but you have to wait until this afternoon with everyone else to open up the rest,” Bucky said.

“Fine,” Noah pouted.

“Hey, now, no grumpy faces. That’s not very jolly,” you said, smoothing the hair on his head.

“Sorry.”

“It’s alright, bud. Why don’t you go watch cartoons in the living room and we’ll be down in a few minutes.”

“Okay.” You watched as he climbed off the bed and shut the door behind him.

“What are you still doing up there?” Bucky said. You glanced down at his relaxed form.

“Hm?”

“Come here.” He rolled over, his arm returning to your waist, and pulled you down to meet your lips to his. You felt him smile after a moment.

“Merry Christmas, Doll.”

“Merry Christmas James.”

“James, dear, your friends are here!” Bucky’s mom called out as the doorbell chimed.

She opened the door and in stepped the whole group with arms full of presents. Steve had his arm around Peggy, newly wed and happy. Sam carrying a pie with a smiling Mrs. Wilson on his arm. Wanda and Natasha had their arms linked together while a sleep-walking Clint trailed behind them. An excited Thor and an unimpressed Loki brought up the rear of the group. Everyone important in Bucky’s life was here today and he couldn’t be more excited...or nervous.

“It’s about time you got here. Noah’s been bouncing off the walls waiting to open presents,” Bucky said, giving hugs to everyone as they stepped in from the cold.

“You can blame this one for holding us up,” Nat said, jerking her thumb at Clint. “It seemed to be his mission not to wake up this morning.”

“Where’s Y/N?” Wanda piped up.

“In the kitchen with Noah and Becca, frosting cookies.”

“Yumm!” Wanda and Nat headed straight to the kitchen with Mrs. Barnes and Mrs. Wilson in tow. The rest of the group spread out between the kitchen to sneak treats or settling in on the couches in the living room.

Steve slapped a hand onto Bucky’s shoulder as he shut the door.

“So, are you ready?” Steve said lowly, so that only Bucky could hear.

“Yes. No… Yes.” Bucky sighed. “I’ve done this before… I really don’t remember being this nervous.”

“Well it was a given before. You and Dot had been together for years. Everyone knew you were going to get married sooner or later.”

“Do you think it’s too soon? It’s too soon, isn’t it?” Bucky struggled to look normal while the panic started to set in.

“Hey, no. Stop. You’re fine.” Steve had both hands on Bucky’s shoulder now. “Sure you haven’t been with Y/N for years, but anyone alive could tell you that you’re perfect together. You know it, I know it… I’m sure even Dot’s even agreeing as we speak. Take a deep breath, relax. You’ve still got some time to figure out what you’re going to say. It’s gonna be fine, you’ll see.”

With that, he patted Bucky on the back and headed toward the fireplace, where Peggy was looking at the Christmas cards on the mantle. Steve was right. He was right a lot, not that Bucky would ever tell him. But he was right, and Bucky was stressing out for no reason.

However he asked today, he knew in his heart, at least he hoped, that you would say yes.

“We’ve only got two more presents and then I think that wraps up Christmas 2018!” Mr. Barnes said.

Bucky pecked you on the forehead before he abruptly stood up and headed for the stairs.

“Where are you going?” you asked.

“Forgot a gift upstairs, I’ll be right back!” You watched as Bucky disappeared up the stairs, shaking your head at his forgetfulness.

“Looks like this one is for Loki,” Becca said, as she crawled underneath the tree, “and this one is for Y/N.” She plopped Loki’s present into his lap and lightly tossed your gift to you.

“You can open yours first, I don’t mind,” you said, your interest taking over at what could possibly be underneath the mass of colorful wrapping paper. He nodded and tore at the paper, cracking a small smile when a kids’ magic set was revealed.

“You’re an absolute child.” Loki playfully glared at his brother across the room.

“Come now, brother, I’m not the one with a kids’ toy with my name on it,” Thor laughed, the smile reached his eyes.

You hid your giggle behind your hand, while others (ahem, Sam and Clint) were practically in tears.

“You’re next, Bunny.”

You stuck your tongue out at Sam then turned your attention to the gift in your hand. You took a moment to examine it, the red and green paper wrapped so nicely around such a tiny thing. You were supposed to guess who it was from but with the bouncing seven-year old next to you, it wasn’t hard to assume.

“This is from you, huh?” He nodded excitedly. “Did you wrap it all by yourself?”

“No, Uncle Steve helped me!”

You held the small gift in your palm, weighing it to guess the contents. It was fairly light, and rattled a bit when your hand shook. Honestly, you couldn’t have guessed in that moment when was beneath the paper, but whatever it was, the anticipation was clearly getting to Noah as he bounced on the sofa beside you. You took care not rip the paper too much as you unwrapped it. As you tore the final bit of paper away, you smiled. It was a small purple plastic ring inside transparent plastic bauble. You’d seen this before, at the little 50-cent machines by the front door of Tony’s. You popped open the container and slid the ring on your pinky finger, where it barely fit.

“Thank you so much, Noah!” you said as you pulled him into your arms for a hug.

“You’re wearing it wrong!” You jerked back.

“What do you mean?” He sighed in exasperation and gently pulled the ring from your finger.

“You’re supposed to wear it on this finger.” You gasped as he slid the plastic ring as far as it would go down the fourth finger of your left hand. “Will you be my new mommy?”

The room was absolutely silent, waiting for your response. Here you were, being proposed to in a way you had never expected, but instead, you had hoped he would come to think of you in that way. But this wasn’t entirely a decision for you to make. You nodded, hesitantly.

“Noah, honey, I love you. I would love to be your new mom. But that decision isn’t up to me.” You glanced behind him and met the eyes of Steve, who looked at you nervously with wide eyes. Then his gaze focused to something behind you.

“Well then, whose decision is it?” You looked down into Noah’s big blue eyes, and opened your mouth to respond when you were cut off.

“It’s mine, bud.”

You turned around at the voice and your hand flew to your mouth, once more. Bucky was down on one knee, his own ring in a little black velvet box in his hand.

“Y/N, this wasn’t quite what I had planned, I guess Noah beat me to it. I never thought I’d find someone after Dot, but the moment you stepped into our lives, you changed it for the better. You bring light and joy and love to our lives, something that’s been missing for so long. Seeing you with Noah makes me happier than you can imagine and knowing how strongly he feels about you, well…” He took a shuddering breath. “Y/N, you are strong and beautiful and have the patience of a saint, I swear. You are so smart and so supportive, and I’m so glad you decided to take a chance on little ol’ Aster Falls, and take a chance with me. Y/N Y/L/N, will you marry me?”

You were sure you looked a complete mess. Tears were streaming down your face and your hands were shaking. You couldn’t imagine a life without Bucky and Noah, and you didn’t want to. You nodded your head furiously, hardly able to get the words out fast enough.

“Yes! Oh my gosh, yes! Of course!”

Bucky pulled the plastic ring off your finger and slid the real ring in its place. Then he pulled you up into a kiss and it seemed like the room exploded into applause and cheers all around you. When you finally broke away, you looked down to find Noah, pouting slightly. You crouched down to be eye level with him.

“Honey, what’s wrong?”

“You aren’t wearing my ring.” He had tears in his eyes and your heart broke at his expression.

“Oh, Noah, here, let’s do this instead.” You unclasped the necklace you were wearing - the simple sterling silver heart pendant Bucky got you for your birthday two months ago - and slipped the ring through the chain. When you fastened the clasp back behind your neck, the heart dangled just below your clavicle and right beside it, laid Noah’s purple plastic ring.

“I think this is better Noah, that way I won’t lose it since it doesn’t quite fit on my finger.” You picked him up off the couch and onto your lap instead. “Whether or not you gave me a ring, honey, doesn’t change how much I want to be your mom.”

“Really?” He asked, his blue eyes peeked through his dark lashes.

“Really really. I love you so much, Noah Bear.”

With that, he threw his arms around your neck and cried into your sweater. Bucky sat beside you and placed his hand on your waist, pulling you and Noah closer. He pressed a kiss to your temple. You looked around at the faces of your friends and family, their faces all with soft smiles and teary eyes. You smiled back, but soon felt the heat rushing to your face with all the attention and emotion from the past few minutes.

“I hate to interrupt this touching moment, but some of us have been waiting for sweet potato pie all month so can we please move on to dinner so I can get some dessert?” Sam said. There was a chorus of groans and chuckles breaking the emotional spell, and Sam sent you a wink before heading toward the kitchen. After all these years, he still knew how to read you like a book, and knew when to save you from embarrassment.

After everyone moved more or less to the kitchen and dining room, you gently pushed Noah away to see his face.

“Are you okay, bud?” Bucky asked. Noah nodded, playing with the ring around your neck.

“Where did you learn to propose like that, sweetheart?” you asked.

“I heard Daddy and Uncle Steve talking about proposing, and I asked Uncle Steve how someone proposes and he told me how.”

“Steve thought he was gonna ask a classmate to marry him.” Bucky couldn’t help but laugh.

“Can I call you ‘Mommy’?”

Bucky and you stopped laughing abruptly, and you felt the tears return to your eyes. So far, it felt as if you’d spent the entire day as a faucet. You looked at Bucky for confirmation, and he nodded.

“Of course, Noah. If you’re comfortable with calling me that, then you can,” you said.

“Okay, Mommy.” He climbed off of your lap and headed toward the kitchen toward everyone else. “I’m going to get a cookie before Uncle Steve eats them all.” With that, he disappeared.

“Can you believe what happened today?” You asked Bucky, turning to face him.

“Actually, I can, Doll.” He kissed your lips, then leaned away a bit as he cupped your cheek with his warm hand. “This was the best Christmas ever.”

[Of Champagne Flutes and Wedding Vows]

A/N: I may have planned the entirety of A Touch of Ink based off the idea of Noah’s proposal, and I’ve been waiting to share this for so long. I’m a sucker for a child proposal. Hopefully you all liked it too!

[clownsgobeepbeep]

Puppy love X3

I hope this counts as puppy love X3 And also that you like it

@grotesquegabby Lennie takes part in this~

Cuckoo grew quite bored one day, not knowing what is is they could do. They would have called Calliope and gone to visit her or at least met up with her at one of their favorite locations, though they discarded that idea when remembering that they would be having a date later that night at their apartment. Maybe it was best to call Cosmos to have a Doctor Who marathon?  No, they had gone to the movies the day before and he was most likely spending time with his mother which he hated having interrupted. Who else could they hang out with that was not busy...oh! So here they were standing near the D'Vitt backyard, with Lennie and Maggie.

"How is this a roadtrip?"

"Well, reality is that this in fact is not a roadtrip. instead, it is a timeline trip!"Cuckoo replied, instantly making them all jump into a new timeline but...

"Cuckoo?"

"Yes Lennie?"

"We're in the same dimension."

"That is where you are incorrect my friend! Just give it some time, and I shall show you what I have been meaning to demonstrate." they replied as they looked at their watch, Lennie and Maggie then turning to the front when they heard a door open and close. They sat Aster and Lydia walk out, though they wore formal attire as they waved to somebody, then getting into their car and driving away.

"We're still waiting."

"Aaand, now!"Cuckoo said as they started walking, the other two following behind. "Now, I must warn that what you will see may come as surprising. Not everybody in the home is the same of course, there are major differences and I would advise that you all remain hidden and quiet."

"You make it sound like we're going into some sort of danger zone."Maggie said, then taking out her spare key to unlock the D'Vitt door, though it didn't work. "Wait...is this the wrong key?"

"Negative, during this time period, the D'Vitts have a different lock for certain reasons. Now, allow me." Cuckoo said, taking out a key which easily unlocked the door. They all went inside, noticing there wasn't much of a difference except that there was a rocking horse in the shape of a seahorse along with drawings made by a child all over the table and living room.

"Are we...in the pas-"

"Jelly!"They all kept quiet as they heard a voice, it sounded somewhat familiar yet somewhat different. "Jelly! Honey! Where are you little doll?"

Maggie turned to look at Cuckoo, her eyes widening as Lennie immediately guessed who it was.

"Oh my god, I really wish we had Vespers here. Why didn't you bring him!?"she exclaimed, Cuckoo gently covering her mouth apologetically before they leaned in to whisper.

"He was too busy with a few errands and I did not want to bother."they replied, then snapping their head up in a panic once footsteps were heard. They placed each hand on Lennie and Maggie's heads before they felt a strange sensation, right before the person yelling walked in: Cosmos.

They all looked at him, his hair and height were shorter and he looked quite thin, despite the large clown costume he wore. He walked around, never noticing the three who were hidden under Cuckoo's powers, then crouching down to pick up the drawings that were on the floor.

"This baby...such a lazy baby."he chuckled out, then standing up with the papers in his hands. "Jelly! Oh wait...shoot...what if she went dimension jumping again? Oh no, oh no, oh no!"

They saw that Cosmos ran off, dropping all the papers which scattered around, and he swung the front door open before running out of the house in a panic. Cuckoo then removed their hands, chuckling as Maggie let out a snort.

"Should we help him?"she asked, Cuckoo shaking their head as Lennie curiously went to go look at the dropped papers, seeing fish and jellyfish, one of the drawings being a shark with an arrow pointing to 'Brucey'.

"That would not be the best, for his sister is in no danger at all. She is merely playing...I have forgotten where."Cuckoo said with a shrug, then cracking their knuckles. "If you wish, you may go and look through the house. Nobody is at home and I believe you both would enjoy seeing their rooms, all the differences there is! Meanwhile, I shall look for something if you do not mind."

And just like that, Cuckoo walked away to what was most likely the house's garage, and Maggie grinned before turning to Lennie. 

"I'm gonna go check out Cosmos' room so I have blackmail material when we're back!Besides, Vespers would love to hear about this!"she exclaimed, then running off as Lennie gently set down the drawings on the living room's couch. He didn't mean to be nosy but...he was a bit curious to see how different Jelly's room looked, considering how she was younger during this time period, so, he sighed and walked through the house as he normally would when visiting Jelly.

He saw that the halls had no pictures like he was used to seeing, but instead more drawings and portraits of the parents, Cosmos, grandparents, everybody but Jelly which heightened his curiosity. Eventually he reached her room which was closed, and on the door was a paper jellyfish along with stickers of all sorts of sea creatures.

Lennie reached up and opened the door, being met up with not the blue he was used to, but instead pink and white. He saw a smaller bed that was not a giant clam shell shape but instead a rectangular shaped one that was hidden by a jellyfish net, and all her plush toys but one were neatly on it. Everything was different and it felt so strange.

He walked towards where he knew would be Ula's future bed spot, instead seeing a small library of books and journals that were all empty. He explored a bit more, not getting too deep into the room before he decided it was time to go look for Maggie or Cuckoo, so he turned to face the doorway but stopped. 

"Oh my god..."he whispered as his eyes stared directly into big green ones, each one with a bubble in them as their owner looked up at him. Short wavy hair attached to a round little, white head with only a red nose and cheek swirls. It all then lead to the pink nightgown they wore, the sleeves hanging loosely as the person's right hand held onto what he recognized as the secret toy "Eddy the Teddie".

Lennie cleared his throat, scratching behind his head as he stared at who could have been easily mistaken for Ula which was a little off now that the thought about it, but instead...it was Jelly. She blinked at him, then clutching onto her octo-bear while she hid her face in it, obviously shy in that moment.

"Hey um...kid...uh, shit what do I do..."Lennie said, whispering the last part as he clearly had no idea what to do and from what he remembered, this little girl practically spoke nothing at all, just like Ula. He looked at her, then seeing that she slowly and cautiously walked over to him, her eyes scanning him as the plush was carefully lowered down and held in one hand again. She reached up, then poking his nose gently as she gave a small smile with pink cheeks.

"Cute."

"W-what?" Lennie was...he didn't really know what he was, but it was somewhat funny seeing the younger version of his girlfriend...call him cute and if anything...she looked almost like she did after she introduced herself to him. Her older version of course.

"You. Cute."she said, then patting his hair."Sharky. Fishy."

Lennie let out a chuckle, seeing how she was so entertained with his hair before she stopped and turned her head after having heard a door swing open and slam close.

"Jelly! Jelly, my sweet, sweet baby sister, are you here!?" 

Jelly turned back but jumped back when she saw that the man from before was gone. She blinked in confusion, holding her octo-bear before her brother came into her room and hurriedly picked her up.

"Jelly! Don't you ever do that to me again! You had Moo-Moo worried sick! Where were you? What were you-" Cosmos said, never stopping the questions as the little girl was too busy thinking of what just happened. Whoever that was, he was cute. She really hoped to see him some other day.

"So, what did you find out?" Maggie said with a grin on her expression, Cuckoo and Lennie walking alongside her as they decided to go and check out more about the little town they lived in.

"Uh...not much, you?" he responded, then hearing Maggie giggle as she showed him her phone.

"Cosmos has a mothman action figure, and he married a Moth Man! Coincidence!?"

"I think not."

[goron-king-darunia]

Annon-Guy: Here’s a compilation video for Amane Nishiki’s Astral Heat. His Astral does one of three things to you; it either makes you younger (Examples - Ragna, Jin and Noel), turns you into a parody (Examples - Tager as a wind up toy, Arakune as a Tarter Bug and Hakumen as Pakumen “Zea!”) or turns them into another character (Examples - Hazama turns into Kazuma Kval and Platinum turns into Trinity Glassfille). Celica and Lambda from Chrono Phantasma Extend and Naoto, Hibiki, Nine, Izanami, Es, Mai, Susano'o and Jubei from Central Fiction are not included in this video

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Symphonia Chronicles Cast Younger Forms and Victim Quotes

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Emil: Turns into a six year old version of himself holding a Teanbrae plushie (or turns into Aster Laker as a reference)

“What’s going on?”

————‐———–‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Marta: Turns into a six year old version of herself, similar to the end credits picture with her and Brute. She’s holding up a kid’s stick-figure drawing of herself, Brute and Lily (Marta’s Mom). Her Flower hair clips are slightly oversized on her head.

“Mommy! Daddy! *giggles*”

————‐———–‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Richter: Wears a science lab coat while squinting at a history book. He doesn’t have his glasses.

“Now… let’s take a look here.”

————‐———–‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Lloyd: Turns into a ten year old version of him holding two wooden branches as makeshift swords.

“Aw man! This sucks!”

————‐———–‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Colette: Turns into a 10 year old version of herself hugging a dog plushie.

“Does this mean I get to be a kid again? 😊”

————‐———–‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Genis: Turns into a five year old version of himself, holding a milk carton in one hand while reading a book with the other one.

“Wow! This Adventure Book is awesome!”

————‐———–‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Raine: Turns into a fourteen year old version of herself, wearing an archeological hat while examining a stone tablet.

“Return me to normal… after I examining this priceless artifact! 😊🤤”

————‐———–‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Sheena: Turns into her younger self when she faced Volt. She’s playing with a rubber kunai knife and a paper ninja star.

“Nin! Nin! Nin! *giggles*”

————‐———–‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Zelos: Turns into a thirteen year old version of himself. He’s winking at the screen.

“Even as a kid, I still look good!”

————‐———–‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Regal: He turns into how looked while he was with Alicia when she was alive.

“What an interesting power you have there.”

————‐———–‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Presea: Turns into a seven year old version of herself while holding a cat plushie.

“Please return me to normal.”

————‐———–‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Kratos: Wears casual clothing from the flashback scenes where he was with Lloyd as a child. (Reference to the OVA series)

“This technique lost it’s effect on me, you know?”

————‐———–‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Alice: Turns into a eight year old version of herself with a kid drawing stick version of herself and her parents while riding a toy Fafnir (wolf monster).

“Mom! Dad! Don’t we look cute? *giggles*

————‐———–‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Decus: Turns into a 16 year old version of himself, hugging an Alice Plushie while doing a fingure salute and winking.

"Alice. I promise I’ll become the greatest knight ever!”

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Hope you like these. Please feel free to correct me on these. *~*~*~*~* These are cute. Not sure if it’s just me, but it feels like these play differently to a western audience. Amane’s pretty campy by western standards and deaging people to younger or childlike states might not play well with western tastes. It treads dangerously close to “effeminate/crossdressing/queer child predator vibes because the west has a really bad history of combining queer and pedophilic as evil traits in media because of the Hayes code so making your character “double bad” involved making them BOTH queer and a pedophile and that’s left kind of a bad stain on media literacy. I think it’s cute, but with the wave of anti culture going around, I can 100% see how someone could misread this (deliberately or not) as either playing into a bad stereotype or “being absolutely accurate representation of nasty filthy shippers!” I can definitely see Amane as being a character I’d main. I seem to gravitate to buff bara dad-types like Darunia or effete waifish colorful guys with femme traits. Catch me in DnD any time with a twigman tiefling bard just being tall and skinny and slutty as hell. I think Emil turning into Aster is a good way to sidestep the age issue. Because Emil’s actual “age” is hotly contested. Ratatosk, being several thousand years old and probably born either fully formed or like Corrine where his initial form wasn’t really an infant. If Emil is Ratatosk’s age, the de-aging won’t really affect him. And since we don’t know Ratatosk’s true form or at least previous form as Onshuu only shows him as humanoid and bathed in light, he can’t de-age into a previous form. Emil as a personality only existed for 6 months to a year depending on how long you think the journey in the game takes in real time. De-aging him in that sense would make him not exist, turning him to just Ratatosk. And in that case we again run into the true form problem. So transforming into Aster as being the “true form” or “parody” rather than de-aging seems like the best bet for Emil. I know realistically that Alice possibly or even probably had a happy childhood before everything bad that happened, but Zelos being self-aware about the transformation while Alice seems to actively regress to a childlike state seems... odd to me. While the game did show some characters embracing it and some wishing to return to normal, they all seemed more or less aware of their transformations. Having Alice regress doesn’t quite seem right. If anything I think it might be better if she had a toy rocking horse (or Decus doll) that she could spank with a toy riding crop. Also, and this is probably just a personal preference, but I think Richter de-aging and just sighing like “Goddamnit, puberty again?” Would be incredibly funny.