#everyone to be on the same page regarding the type of atmosphere we are trying to

[stardewtm]

꒰ ꕤ ꒱      to the dear anon in my ask, i understand where you are coming from! thank you for bringing it to my attention. through my own research, and those more in the know can absolutely send me what they have; i would be eager to compare notes, it seems as though the faceclaims i’ve accepted into the group have either atoned for their past actions and seem to be making active strides in the right direction or were accused of things that didn’t happen/were mislabeled or misunderstood, yet have been otherwise settled. above all else, this is a serious matter that has been discussed with great empathy by myself and the involved muns. at this time, it has been decided that the faceclaims will remain unchanged.

i want everyone to feel comfortable, but i am also of the belief that people are in a constant state of change and growth. school violence is horrific, heinous and ugly; kpop has a dark undercurrent, but i am committed to maintaining a place where those who have done acts without apologizing are not permitted. going further, i hope to continue to maintain such an open environment where everyone can air their concerns and, through open and honest discussion, we can come to an agreement.

to the anon, i know i have said this countless times in this letter, but thank you for bringing this to my attention. i hope that you find a directory where your muse can thrive and flourish, and that you have a wonderful day. to the muns, thank you for being so mature and understanding about this. it’s not easy getting a message from the main before the group has even opened, but everyone involved was level-headed and understanding. thank you.

above all else, i want to let all of the involved muns and anons know how much i appreciate everyone being so understanding and compassionate about this. through my conversations with the muns and the anons, it’s become clear that everyone is so deeply caring and empathetic to the other parties in this situation. thank you for that. 

[notthatiwilleverwriteit]

Thoughts on the new extra? I know some people might think he tian was forcing himself on mo. but he was just teasing him and getting payback and it's part of character to push boundaries. tianshan don't have the "fluff" dynamic like zhanyi. if mo really hated that he would have reacted the same way like the first kiss. Maybe he tian wanted to actually kiss mo with the way he was touching his lips but he's afraid of the reaction. Mo might have some more dreams about he tian after that😅😂

 Hello, dear anon! 

Before getting any further, I’m using the translation by @1154lizz​ for this answer. Thank you for your speedy hard work for the fandom! 🙏

It sure seems like the fandom is being divided by the latest special chapter. Considering that Tianshan has always done that, I’m not really surprised but I do hope the conversation stays civil.

I also want to remind anyone reading this that the following is merely my own opinion on the update. I am not trying to tell anyone how to interpret or feel about the special. Everyone is entitled to their own take on it, and I don’t think neither side of the argument is inherently right or wrong. Even though I’m a Tianshan shipper, I don’t think people who feel uncomfortable with the pairing can’t make valid points. And just because we might disagree, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t respect each other’s points of view.

Overall (drink up!), I have touched upon the subjects of Tianshan’s physical moments and if I think they are toxic/abusive:

What if HT kissed MGS again? (on the lips)

Is Tianshan toxic?

Is Tianshan toxic, vol. 2?

Intimate Tianshan moments I wish will happen

What Tianshan sex would be like in the future?

Those are probably something worth checking out to have a better understanding of where I’m coming from regarding these topics.

Now, let’s finally get to your ask!

“Thoughts on the new extra?”

To be honest, my initial reaction to the panels before knowing what was going on was “yikes 😬”. Especially, the first panels. I was a bit disappointed and put off that it seemed like we were going somewhat backward. So, I can understand why people might have been upset about the update. I think being taken aback and uncomfortable is a fair olive branch that can be extended even if you might disagree. It didn’t look good to me at first, either.

Then I read the English translation and got a better sense of what was going on. I got a proper context for the panels, and it started to look different (ch. 333):

So, MGS had accidentally kicked HT in the balls when HT scared the living bazooka out of him. And now HT was seeking revenge by making MGS “massage them”.

If you put the panels that admittedly didn’t look good in that context, they pretty much fall in line with the previous time HT’s balls were accidentally abused by MGS (ch 298):

HT took revenge by pushing MGS down and trying to “feel” MGS down there, most probably to return the favor. To me, this is the kind of juvenile humor that is well established in the comic already, and HT asking MGS to “massage them” was in that category. That kind of humor isn’t for everyone but I think it’s the type that is very typical to 19 Days.

Admittedly, the two panels have two very different environments and vibes which is why I also felt somewhat uncomfortable about the latest one. HT trying to feel MGS up after the accidental slap has a more playful atmosphere while HT pulling MGS’s hand towards his crotch in a dim bedroom comes across very differently. But in general, after reading the translation, the bedroom scene fit that whole revenge type of teasing already familiar in the comic.

Another thing that shifted in nature to me was the “forcing himself on MGS”. As I said, at first it did look like yikes to me. Then I read the translations and three things changed.

First of all, it became the kind of hot I personally enjoy in Tianshan dynamics (ch. 333):

As I said in one of my earlier answers about what I think Tianshan sex will be like in the future, I see them having some “spice” that stems from their push and pull dynamics. HT being physically in charge and having his usual pushy demeanor. And MGS would consent but also be his usual defiant self and kind of “if you want it, then you gotta take it” that I think fits his character.

I do admit that HT pulling MGS’s hand forcefully like that and MGS not being on the same page wasn’t exactly the kind of spice I meant but in general, I liked HT’s dominance and the hint of danger. That “I dare” by HT sent little shivers down my back and was just how I wanted it. Now, all we need to add to that is MGS getting more comfortable.

Secondly, another thing besides spice in my earlier post was “sugar” and “teasing” (or “seasoning” as @19elaine​ better put it). I think both of them were present in the special chapter, too (ch. 333):

HT was teasing and messing with MGS. He was looking for revenge in the way he knew would be the most “efficient” in the sense that it makes MGS regret kicking him for sure. But HT’s form of revenge also had sexual innuendos which I think is a big part of Tianshan’s interactions. Teasing and bullying not only pushes the boundaries in a titillating way but also upholds the sexual tension undertones between them.

The last panels also gave me vibes of “sugar”. I think when HT said he “can’t help it” (bullying MGS), he was teasing MGS but also being honest and vulnerable under the surface. I think he wanted to kiss MGS and show him that kind of affection but settled for something that wouldn’t cross big lines that MGS wasn’t ready to cross yet. But HT does want that kind of physical intimacy and affection, and on some level, it’s difficult for him to try and be patient. He doesn’t want them to have to them (aka to take them for his own pleasure) but rather because that’s what he craves for in a relationship.

Thirdly, I think this chapter showed that HT knows when to back off (ch. 333):

As I have said many times before, the seeming power imbalance in Tianshan is usually what comes across at first glance. But when you take a deeper look, I think MGS holds quite a lot of power and control in their relationship. HT pushes and bullies him for sure, but he would never want to knowingly hurt MGS or traumatize him.

For example, in that situation, I would have found it out of character if HT had French kissed MGS instead of the little “chus”. MGS wouldn’t have been ready for something like that, and it would have crossed lines in a bad way similar to when HT kissed him for the first time. That’s not how HT wants it with MGS because it would go against everything he’s trying to achieve in life. He’s not going to break the trust he has gained and hurt MGS the same way people like him have always done.

I also agree that if MGS had been against HT getting physical in the same way as when HT kissed him for the first time, he would have reacted in a similar way. He would have had a much stronger reaction. I do think MGS was still uncomfortable in that situation but...I think the vibe was vastly different. He wasn’t resisting with all his might. To me, it looked like MGS was bothered but also trusted HT. He was trusting that HT wouldn’t hurt him and knew where the line “truly” went for him.

Don’t get me wrong, I fully understand if “know when to back off” sounds problematic to some. That grey area isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. And I’m not telling anyone to feel differently about it if it goes against their heart. It’s just that I see that delicate balance being an essential part of the Tianshan dynamics both now and in the future.

On top of all that, I think there is also the cultural context to be taken into consideration. 19 Days is a work of the “boys love” genre and part of the conventions and tropes that come with that. I think Tianshan dynamics is a good example of the trope of a pushy, devilish “seme” who wants to bully and fluster his tsundere “uke”. Now, before anyone comes at me, that’s just how I see it based on the hundreds of works of BL (Japanese, Korean, and Chinese titles) that I have read. I think 19 Days is one of the very few BLs that has a lot of Western fans as well who aren’t perhaps that familiar with BL or comfortable with it. And sometimes those two different literal cultures clash. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but I would say this chapter was one of those times. (I realize I’m making big generalizations here. This is just my gut feeling.)

To summarize, I was taken aback by the panels at first but after I got a better understanding of what was really going on, I saw it all differently and that it followed the kind of tone Tianshan and the comic have always had. However, I don’t believe in trying to dictate how people should feel about the chapter. I can see where people who were uncomfortable are coming from.

Thank you for your question, dear anon!

[thefinalcinderella]

Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru Chapter 8 - Winter Comes Again (Part 5)

Hakone finally starts in the next chapter, which is like, 80 pages long

Full list of translations here

Translation Notes

1. Kamaboko is a type of fish cake and Odawara is well known for its high quality Kamaboko

2. Zouni is a type of soup that contains rice cakes and is usually eaten on New Year’s Day

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That night, Kiyose was planning to explain the Hakone Ekiden entries as well as hold a drinking party. After training and jogging, the residents gathered one after another in the twins’ room.

Kiyose had gone off somewhere after training. Nico-chan and Jouta were in charge of cooking; they were probably making something to serve as an accompaniment to the drinks. Thinking he should help, Kakeru was just about to leave the twins’ room and go down to the kitchen when his phone rang. It was his home phone number in Sendai.

His parents hadn’t contacted him once since he had moved to Tokyo. He had sent them a postcard with Chikusei-sou’s address, but that was it; just transferring the money for school fees and minimal living expenses into his bank account was enough for him. His parents had wanted him to go to university on a track recommendation because they had had high hopes for their son as a well-mannered track athlete.

When he pressed the button to answer the call, he heard the nostalgic voice of his mother say, “Kakeru?”

“Mm.”

“You were written up in a magazine, weren’t you? We told you so many times not to do anything that would make you stand out. Your father is very angry with you. Are you listening?”

“Mm, sorry.”

“Please put yourself in our shoes, living here. Okay?”

“Yes.”

“What are you doing for the New Year’s holiday? Are you coming back?”

“No, I’m going to be in Hakone, so I don’t think I have time to come home.”

“Ah, yes,” his mother’s voice took on a distinct note of relief. “Okay, then. Take care.”

Clutching his now-silent phone, Kakeru stood in the middle of the stairs for a while. In a daze, he belatedly noticed Yuki’s presence at the door.

“Oh, sorry,” Yuki said. “I didn’t intend to eavesdrop.”

Yuki was holding a bag from a record store in Shimokitazawa. No matter how busy he got, he never lacked music in his life. “No problem,” Kakeru answered, and walked down the stairs to stand in the hallway with him.

“Was that a call from home?”

“Yes. They got angry at me for standing out.”

“You’re the man of the hour, after all,” Yuki laughed. If it was Yuki, he might be able to tell him—Yuki was so far the only one not happy about being interviewed. He wanted someone to hear out his painful feelings, so Kakeru deliberately confided in him as though it was no big deal.

“I don’t get along well with my parents.”

Yuki was silent for a minute.

“I see. It’s the same for me,” he said. “In my case, I guess you can call it being overprotective. My mom remarried. The guy’s not a bad person, and I have a little sister who’s a lot younger than me, and she’s pretty cute, I guess, but… It bothers me when I’m told 'we’re your new family now' and get fussed over a lot. To be honest, I don’t want to get too close to them.”

“How old is your little sister?”

“Five.”

“Eh, so she’s more than fifteen years younger than you, Yuki-senpai?”

“Yeah. My mom’s doing her best,” Yuki pushed his glasses up as though to say, Good grief. “It’s a given that family members would bother you. You have to not expect too much from them and keep a reasonable distance.”

Yuki walked towards his room—it seemed that he had given his advice. “Okay,” Kakeru answered, and then went to peek in the kitchen, which had been noisy with the sound of running water and pots falling from a short time ago. Then, Yuki returned to the hallway.

“That’s right, Kakeru,” he said. He beckoned him to a corner of the hallway. “When I was coming back, I saw Haiji at Seijo Station.”

Is he doing some shopping? Although it was a station where express trains stopped, Kakeru and the others didn’t go to Seijou that often. If anything, they usually went to Soshigaya-Okura Station, which had a folksy and mixed atmosphere.

“He went into an orthopedics clinic in front of Seijo Station.”

Kakeru jerked in surprise. There was an old scar on Kiyose’s right shin; even after the qualifiers, he had looked like he was having a hard time. Kakeru had completely forgotten about it in the commotion of training and interviews.

“I don’t know much about the injuries of track athletes.” Yuki knitted his brows. “But maybe Kiyose’s isn’t completely healed.”

In any sport, the best athletes all had some sort of injury, and track and field was no exception. Hard training and risk had always gone hand in hand with each other—the more you trained, the sharper and more delicate your body became.

“If he’s seeing a doctor, they’ll stop him if he gets too reckless, so that actually makes me relieved, but…”

“Would Haiji listen to the doctor? Especially at this time.”

That’s true, Kakeru thought. The fact that he had gone to the doctor meant that he must be feeling some kind of discomfort, maybe even distinct pain. Even if he requested a prescription to suppress the pain, Kakeru had a feeling that Kiyose would not listen to the doctor’s advice.

“I understand. I’ll ask Haiji-san later,” Kakeru assured Yuki.

Kiyose returned to Chikusei-sou before they knew it. Kakeru carefully twitched his nose around Kiyose to see if he could smell a poultice, but he couldn’t find any evidence.

“You’re a strange guy.”

That was all Kiyose said to him.

“There’s been a lot going on lately,” Kiyose said, looking around at everyone gathered in the twins’ room. “Well, don’t worry about it. We’ll get our answers through our running.”

“Haiji-san, you’re so cool!”

“’What do you want with our Kurahara?’”

The twins, who had already been drinking, made fun of him. Ever since the incident with the Shinjitsu Weekly reporter, the twins seemed to have recovered their trust in Kiyose.

“The month of November is finally coming to an end. There’s no time left until the Hakone Ekiden,” Kiyose continued, ignoring the twins. “From now on, taking care of your physical condition will be the most important thing; be careful not to get injured at the last minute.”

At the word “injured,” Kakeru couldn’t help but exchange a glance with Yuki.

“Kakeru, explain the entries for Hakone,” Kiyose said, and Kakeru shook off his worries for now. The gazes of the residents, sitting in a circle, were focused on him.

“The first step is to submit the names of up to sixteen people per team to the organizer on December 10,” Kakeru began to explain. “At this stage, who will run which leg will not be revealed. Next, on December 29, it will be the leg entry, where the sixteen runners will be narrowed down to fourteen, and ten of those people will declare which leg they are running. The remaining four will be treated as alternates. Changes in leg entries are allowed on the day of the Hakone Ekiden. The final runners will be announced before the start times of the outward and return trips. However, once a runner is removed from a leg, they cannot be entered into another leg.”

“I don’t get it. What does that mean?” Jouji asked.

Kakeru thought about it a little, then simplified it. “Suppose Rokudou’s Fujioka was entered into the second leg on December 29. This means that Fujioka cannot be assigned the fifth leg in the final entry change on the day of Hakone. If Fujioka isn’t feeling well on the first day, they have no choice but to put one of the four alternates in the second leg, and even if Fujioka recovers on the second day, he wouldn’t be allowed to run.”

“I see.” Musa nodded. “Conversely, if Fujioka-san is one of the four alternates, can we assume that Rokudou will change its entry on the day of Hakone?”

“That’s exactly right,” Kiyose said. “If there’s a strong competitor in the alternate slot, then they are either not feeling well or they plan on changing the entry of an important leg on the morning of the race as a secret weapon. After seeing the entries for each leg on the 29th, each university will consider its strategy and, trying to read their opponent’s mind, unfold a new strategy.”

“We can’t lose focus even right before the start, can we?” King seemed to feel pressured. “But we only have ten people, so that’s got nothing to do with us. We don’t have strategies or anything.”

“It’s true that we will be showing all our cards on the 29th.”

Feeling uneasy, Kakeru looked at Kiyose; Kansei had no alternates, and once they made their entries, it wouldn’t be possible to switch legs. He wanted to know what Kiyose thought about that.

“We’re not the only ones with a small lineup,” Kiyose said calmly. “Changing your entry on the day of the race can be a good or bad thing. After all, sometimes it won’t go well when you’re suddenly asked to run. In fact, there are many schools that have a policy of not changing the leg entries unless there is a serious problem. Knowing that there’s strategy regarding the entries, it’s better to know early on which leg you’re running so that you can prepare.”

“Haiji, have you already decided which legs we’re going to run?” Yuki asked.

“Yeah,” Kiyose said and straightened his posture. “Of course, if you have any objections, we can discuss it, but I think this is the best we can do for now.”

Kiyose took out a memo from his track pants and laid it out in the center of the circle. Everyone leaned in to take a look and let out cries of surprise.

Hakone Outward Journey (Day 1)

First Leg Otemachi to Tsurumi   Prince

Second Leg   Tsurumi to Totsuka   Musa

Third Leg   Totsuka to Hiratsuka   Jouta

Fourth Leg   Hiratsuka to Odawara   Jouji

Fifth Leg   Odawara to Hakone   Shindou

Hakone Return Journey (Day 2)

Sixth Leg   Hakone to Odawara   Yuki

Seventh Leg   Odawara to Hiratsuka   Nico-chan

Eighth Leg   Hiratsuka to Totsuka   King

Ninth Leg   Totsuka to Tsurumi   Kakeru

Tenth Leg   Tsurumi to Otemachi   Kiyose

 “Me in the second leg? I cannot do it.” Musa was trembling all over. “The second leg is the section for the aces, yes? Why is it not Kakeru then?”

“It’s pretty bold to put Prince-san in the first leg…” Jouji reservedly tilted his head.

Even Prince muttered, “What are you doing throwing the race from the start?”

Kakeru immediately understood what Kiyose was trying to do when he saw the lineup he had planned. Haiji-san is going to try to win the race in the second half. He’s seriously aiming for us to get seeded. No, if the race goes the way Haiji-san thinks it will, it won’t be about seeding—with these placements, we can aim for a much better ranking…!

They were such a weak club that they were in danger of not surviving next year. They were just a bunch of amateurs that had finally managed to crawl up this far, but Kiyose didn’t know the meaning of giving up; he was always looking upward, holding up dreams and goals, and firmly leading the residents of Chikusei-sou. Aiming for the heights of running. Aiming to reach the top of the Hakone Ekiden—the ultimate intermediary between individual and team competitions.

Seeing from the entry form how serious Kiyose was, Kakeru clenched his fists. If he hadn't, he would have gotten so excited that he would have ended up looking like an animal.

“Prince is the only one for the first leg,” Kiyose said gently. “Maybe it’s because you don't have any interest in the 3D world, but you’ve never been scared at the meets or qualifiers; you’re the most suitable person for the first leg, which has the most attention focused on it. You’re also tough enough to have kept up with the training until now even with your very slow times. I’m sure you’ll be able to hold your own in the race.”

He casually said something rude again, Kakeru thought, but Kiyose wasn’t lying about his expectations. Prince must have felt that as well, and a light came into his eyes.

“But in these past few years, the first leg has often been fast paced.” Yuki asked a question based on the data he had collected: “This time too, won’t each school choose a runner for the first leg based on speed?”

“There’s also a chance that it’ll develop at a slow pace in reaction to that. That’s a gamble,” Kiyose readily admitted. “But even if Prince gets separated from the others, he can still make up for it in the first leg. That’s why I chose a solid group of runners for the second to fourth legs, and there’s no one but Shindou who could do the fifth leg’s mountain climb, right? Musa and the twins should be able to steadily make it there.”

“It is too much for me to run in the ace’s leg.” Musa didn’t seem convinced.

“What do you think?” Kiyose turned to Kakeru. “Musa seems to want you to run the second leg.”

“No. I think Musa-san is the perfect fit for it,” Kakeru said with conviction. “Musa-san has been training while pushing aside all sorts of pressures. Even though he never did long-distance before, he can now run ten kilometers in the low 29-minute range. And Musa-san has always encouraged me.”

His effort and personality were second to none. Musa was an ace among aces.

“You are giving me too much credit, Kakeru,” Musa said, embarrassed. But it was unanimously decided that he would run the second leg.

There were no objections to the twins running the third and fourth legs, and they were very enthusiastic about it.

“The third leg is a road that runs along the sea. The scenery’s really nice,” said Jouta.

“Can we buy some kamaboko (1) in Odawara?” said Jouji.

The fifth leg was good with Shindou, but the problem was the sixth leg, which was Yuki’s mountain descent.

“Why am I doing the sixth leg?” Yuki asked Kiyose, looking for an explanation.

“On the trial run the other day, your posture was very stable. Normally, when people run down a steep slope like that, they’d be bent forward,” Kiyose glanced at Yuki’s legs, which were in a cross-legged position. “Also…you have thick legs.”

“What?”

“No, it was a compliment. Anyways, if your legs and loins aren’t solid, the sixth leg is out of the question.”

“It’s like sturdiness is my only good point. You say that, but what would you do if I get hurt?”

“It’s fine, isn’t it? You already passed the bar. You won’t have any opportunities to do serious track and field after graduation.”

“Oi oi, that’s irresponsible and cruel…” Nico-chan said, but Yuki was surprisingly calm and said, “You have a point,” accepting Kiyose’s words. If it made sense, he would swallow any cool-headed opinion. It was a method of persuasion that perfectly grasped Yuki’s character, and Kakeru was once again in awe of Kiyose’s ability to manipulate people.

“About Nico-chan-senpai in the seventh leg and King in the eighth leg,” Kiyose continued, “I think that when you get to this part of the route, the runners will start to break up, and there will be times when you’re running by yourself. You won’t be able to see the runners from the other teams in front or behind you. Even in situations like those, both of you will be able to run at your own pace without panicking or becoming careless. The battle to get seeded will intensify, so this is an unassuming but important section.”

“Are we planning on getting seeded?” Jouji nervously asked.

“Of course,” Kiyose decisively stated. “Now, for the last two legs, I entered Kakeru into the ninth leg, which is also called the ace leg of the return trip. As for the anchor, the tenth leg, I’ll be the one responsible for it, as I was the one who said we’re going to the Hakone Ekiden and got you guys involved.”

Kiyose only gave a brief explanation for himself and Kakeru. However, Kakeru thoroughly sensed Kiyose’s feelings for the Hakone Ekiden, and he also knew what kind of running they would have to show in the ninth and tenth legs.

Kakeru looked at Kiyose. Kiyose was silent, then nodded at him.

“That’s all. Are there any questions or thoughts?”

No one raised their hand. Pulled along by Kiyose’s conviction, everyone was finally thinking about the Hakone Ekiden as something concrete, and their fighting spirit was rising.

“Okay. Until the announcement of the entries for the legs on the 29th, what I told you is of course confidential. I want each of you to do your own image training and study the leg you’ll be running.”

Kiyose picked up his cup full of alcohol and said, Let’s drink. “With this team, it’ll definitely turn out well. Twins.”

Jouta and Jouji looked up when they were called.

“I’ll show you the top. No, we’re going to experience it together. Look forward to it.”

Kiyose smiled like a fearless king.

After the drinking party had reached its climax, Kakeru quietly approached Kiyose.

“Haiji-san, your legs aren’t doing well, are they?”

“Why do you ask?” Kiyose gently countered and poured himself another drink. Kakeru was at a loss for words—there was no way Kiyose was going to complain, however doubts swirled in Kakeru’s chest.

Haiji-san told Yuki-senpai, “You won’t have any opportunities to do serious track and field after graduation.” Isn’t he really talking about himself? Isn’t he going into this Hakone Ekiden with the resolve that he’s not going to be able to run anymore?

He was scared just thinking about it. Not being able to run was the same as dying for Kakeru. He believed it was the same for Kiyose. And yet, he…

“There’s nothing like what you’re worried about.” Kiyose smiled and spoke, “Come on, you drink too.”

Kakeru couldn’t say anything and drank the alcohol Kiyose served him in one go, full of anxiety. Kiyose was wearing that padded kimono jacket with the frayed cuffs. Soon, Kakeru would have spent all four seasons with the residents of Chikusei-sou.

Kakeru recalled the night he met Kiyose for the first time—the night when everything started.

A strange feeling like nostalgia and longing sprouted in his chest.

---

The residents of Chikusei-sou continued to train wholeheartedly even into December and had a quiet New Year’s Eve together in their rundown apartment.

On New Year’s Eve, they went to a nearby shrine to ring the temple bell, and on New Year’s Day, they ate zouni made by Kiyose. (2)

The tension was building minute by minute, but even that felt good. It was because he wasn’t alone; in Chikusei-sou, Kakeru could feel the presence of the people he had been training and living with.

He wasn’t alone—until he started running.

He had comrades who were always, always, waiting for him to start running, to finish running and to come home.

The ekiden was that sort of sport.

---

At last, it was January 2.

The Hakone Ekiden began.

It was the end of the year-long battle the ten of them had been engaged in. At the same time, it was the beginning of the first and last fierce battle of the ten, which would be handed down as long as there was a Hakone Ekiden.

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[coffeecomicsgalore]

She... Loves Me?

Notes: Sorry everyone! I know it's been a hot minute since I've updated. I had some major writer's block with this story. I needed to keep it at Adrien's POV while keeping with the timeline of the story (according to production order) and making everything make sense in the end. Now that I know where I'm going with this story, I did want to include a few tags, including one that may excite some of you.

IDENTITY REVEAL!

I won't say when it happens, but it will all make sense as the story progresses. Thanks for holding tight and I hope you enjoy the next few chapters. (Hint: Next chapter will be the Heart Hunter rewrite episode.)

Ao3

Chapter 8 – Growing

Seeing Marinette walk into school the next day brought a smile to Adrien’s face. He was standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting for Nino to arrive. He wasn’t expecting her to arrive early, but he guessed her expulsion and few days off made her want to get back to school to see her friends again.  

As she walked towards his direction, he noticed that she had a small white box grasped between her hands. From his position, he could see the subtle shyness in Marinette’s face, her eyes darting between him, the box, and the ground, but when she stood in front of him, the bright smile he had come to appreciate, prevailed.

“Marinette! I’m so happy to see you back.” Adrien couldn’t contain the giddiness in his voice. He reached out and slowly engulfed her in a hug, and thankfully, Marinette didn’t freeze or turn away from his gesture.  

Marinette giggled at his excitement and hugged him back. “I’m glad to be back.” She said as she pulled back, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear in the process. She looked at him again and handed him the box. “Here. This is small considering what you’ve done for me, but I wanted to thank you for helping me and getting me back into school.”

“Marinette.” Adrien replied back with adoration and taking the box into his hands. He opened the box to see a small array of croissants, macrons, and danishes. “You didn’t have to do that. You’re my friend. I would do anything to help my friends.”

Marinette smiled, but he could see it was strained. She quickly looked down before looking back up to him shyly, tapping the box with her index finger. “And friends still treat their friends with treats. You deserve it.”

There was a twinge of guilt in his chest, but before he could answer, Alya arrived. She wrapped her arm around Marinette’s shoulders, bringing the bluenette back into cheerful territory.

“Girl, you’re here before us? Is this the start of a new Marinette?”

“Ha. Ha.” Marinette added sarcastically. “I thought I would try to get in early to see Ms. Bustier. I know you brought me the homework last night, but I wanted to ask her a few questions about the assignments I missed. And maybe even ask for an extension so I can get them done correctly. Especially with math. Looking over that last assignment... I was so confused!”

Adrien’s interest peaked. “If you need sumone to help you, Marinette, I can always lend cowculator. You can count on me.”

Marinette and Alya looked over to Adrien, their jaws opened in confusion.

“Did you- did you just offer to help me with not one, but three puns?”

Adrien’s grin reached his eyes. “And what if I did?”

Marinette groaned and then looked over at him before she let out a laugh. “You surprise me every day, Adrien.”

“Well, since you’re going to head inside, I’m just going to wait up for Nino here before going in. You waiting with me sunshine?”

"Actually, I’ll head in with Marinette. I have to talk to Ms. Bustier about something anyways.” He said to Alya before turning to Marinette. “But my offer still stands to help you with your homework, sans puns of course.”

“S-sure.” Marinette replied, unsure for a moment but then ultimately agreed. “I’ll let you know if I need help then. Thanks.”

They made their way into the school, the silence between them becoming somewhat tense. Adrien let out a sigh before breaking the tension with something that would brighten her day.  

“So a few more people know that Lila lied.” He said casually. Marinette looked over to him as he continued, her jaw open in surprise. “I happened to hear our best friends coming through the doors and kind of planted a rouse to get her to spill?”

“Wait. You mean Alya and Nino know she lied?” Marinette said quietly, her eyes wide with shock.

“Not just them. I saw a few students lingering behind them eavesdropping. Of course, she made up a lie saying she lies when she’s upset or angry, but I would be surprised if anyone truly believes her lies now, or at least questions what she says before believing her completely.”

“I doubt it. But it would be nice if people did question her words. I’m surprised Alya didn’t mention it to me or call me last night.”

Adrien shrugged. “Maybe she thought your phone was taken away still? I’m not sure. But I guess we’ll see what happens.”

Marinette bit her lip. “I guess. We just have to stay vigilant. I just hope she doesn’t do anything to you since she might have trouble keeping anyone on her side now.”

Adrien stopped her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Hey. It doesn’t matter what happens now. We’ll figure it out as we go along. But I’m always going to be on your side. Don’t forget that. Remember, if she says anything to you, anything at all, you tell me. And I’ll do the same if she says something to me.”

Marinette remained silent, but nodded her head to agree.

“We’re partners in crime, Marinette.” He gave her a wink. “Like... Ladybug and Chat Noir bringing down the villain.”

That got a laugh out of her. In response, Marinette lifted her fist up. “Then if we are a team, then we should rejoice as such. Pound it?”

Adrien smiled back, a real smile with a jovial laugh. He lifted his fist and pressed it against hers. “Pound it.”  

----

“Alright, class.” Ms. Bustier announced as the class shuffled in. We are going to be in groups today to work on Shakespeare. Each group will choose and focus on one of his plays and will come up with the modern representation. It will be a one-page typed summary and you will have to act out a small part of the scene with the modern retelling.  

Murmurs could be heard in the class and Ms. Bustier quickly shut it down.  

“Now class. Go ahead and choose your partners. But all I ask is that you choose someone you have yet to work with. You have five minutes.”

The four teens looked towards each other and Alya smirked.

“Hey, Nino?”

“Yeah, babe?”

“Wanna partner together this time since I can’t partner with my bestie?”

Nino shrugged his shoulders and looked over to Adrien. “Sorry, dude. Rules are rules.”

“Hey, no worries, bro.” Adrien turned to Marinette. “Are you okay with working together?”

“Y-yeah. I have no problem with that.” She added shyly, yet she still finished with that dazzling smile.

Adrien smiled back and was about to say something when Ms. Bustier interrupted.  

“Alright students, sit with your partners and we can get started...”

The rest of the day, Adrien and Marinette worked side by side, working on their summary and reiterating the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet. Adrien had requested the scene – the romantic in him could not deny that scene was impactful – and Marinette ultimately agreed after he bombarded her with one too many puns to twist her arm.

He had never seen her smile or giggle so much. To say he didn’t enjoy it would be a lie, yet seeing her so free only made him happier and hopeful that their friendship was growing in a better way. She barely stuttered and had even thrown a few jokes back at him in return.

“I can’t believe you joke like this. You’re just as bad as my dad!” She finally said after his last pun.

“I’m just glad you’re enjoying it this time around. Especially seeing that last time I tried, I hurt you and we stopped talking for most of the day.”

Marinette slowed her carefree laughter down until it was strained and forced. She pursed her lips and scratched her cheek, looking away from him and back down to the notes. “Yeah.” She finally said and Adrien felt the shift in the atmosphere into something uncomfortable.

He probably shouldn’t have said much regarding that day.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have-”

“How are things going with the girl you love?” Marinette interrupted quickly.

To him, it felt like she didn’t want him to apologize for what happened. Seems like she still felt like there was nothing to apologize for. Yet, Adrien looked at Marinette with a befuddled expression. She didn’t look up from her tablet, continuing to write down notes as she waited for his response. He let out a sigh and decided to write down some notes of his own.  

He wasn’t sure what was going on in her mind. If she really did like him, given the video confession, then why would she ask him about Ladybug? Wouldn’t that hurt her in asking and getting a response?

Then another thought struck him.  

What if both he and Nino were wrong about Marinette’s confession? Maybe Marinette didn’t love him romantically and she was just being caring-Marinette and told him she loved him as a friend. She loved all her friends – she's said as much for as long as he had known her. If this was true, maybe it was a good thing that he hadn’t said anything to her about it yet. He wouldn’t have to break her heart if she actually tried to confess. That means there was nothing to confess.

So why did it bother him a little bit?

“Are things okay between you two?” Marinette questioned him, bringing him out of his thoughts. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“Huh? Oh. Yeah. No. Everything is great.” He began. “She’s been stressed out lately, but her determination speaks for itself. She protected me the other day during a duel.” He sighed with a lovesick smile and didn’t see the hurt in her face. The fact that Ladybug saved him instead of grabbing onto the Peacock miraculous or going after Hawkmoth made him love her more. But there was a twinge of guilt that started to weigh him down as he thought about Ladybug in front of Marinette.

Why?  

“She must be fierce to protect you.” She added, looking back at her notes to continue writing. “She also must have thick skin to have to deal with your puns.” She continued with an awkward chuckle.

“Hey! She... likes them. Most of the time.” He pouted as he rubbed his neck. “One day she’ll fall for them and she wouldn’t know what to do with me.”

“Then she’s a lucky gal.” She concluded. “Let’s get back to this project, okay?”

Adrien furrowed his brows and looked at Marinette one more time before going back to his notes.

“Yeah. Okay. Let’s finish this then.”

[bpro-cardstories]

Tatsuhiro Nome SSR

2020 ー BIRTHDAY DATE [BIRTHDAY DATE]

“My neck. Hold on tightly.”

Part 1

ーA knock at the door.ー

Tsubasa: ‘Yes, I am coming!’

Tatsuhiro: ‘Hey, Sumisora.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Nome-san, I am sorry that you took the trouble to come here. Please sit down.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Yeah, thanks.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Though, I also have to apologize. To suddenly intrude on you, I thought the timing was right and you were close by….. Did you have other work to do?’ 

Tsubasa: ‘No, I am completely fine. I am very thankful that you let me do the interview as soon as possible.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘I see, then it’s all good. Then, should we slowly start?’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Yes, I will be in your care! As I sent in JOIN earlier, today’s interview is about the publication of Nome-san’s birthday report….. The content will consist of Nome-san’s latest information. First is,『Favourite Type of Girl』.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Aah…..Yeah. That was it….’

At remembering the kind of questions for the Birthday interview, Tatsuhiro turns red and stammers out his response.

Tsubasa: ‘Eh?’

Tatsuhiro: ‘No…..Even though I read Yuta’s report, I completely forgot about that.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Right. This year is, this…..’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Ah…...E-Ehm, I….. I am sorry….! I should have given you the details first.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘If you find it difficult to do, you could fill in the answers in the questionnaire instead…..’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘No, it’s alright. Let me finish it now.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘A-Are you really sure?’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Yeah, it’s no problem.『Favourite Type of Girl』, right? It’s a question I answered a lot until now. That’s why, well, my『Favourite Type of Girl』is…..’ 

With a slight blush, he answers the question honestly, albeit a bit embarrassed.

Tatsuhiro: ‘.....That one, it has to be that one.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘......Something like a cute smile….. That one.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘......! People with a wonderful smile are attractive regardless of gender, are they not?’

Tatsuhiro: ‘Yeah…..I agree. You don’t need to force a smile…. The eyes are drawn to smiles that naturally brighten the surroundings.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘When you say that, Nome-san’s smile as well brightens your surroundings. It is a gentle smile.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Eh…..No, ahー...... W-What’s the next question?’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Eh? Ah, ehm….. It is about the hairstyle. What do you like more, long or short hair?’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘The hair length? Well, anything’s fine but…..  Long’s better….  It’s not something I have so... It seems to take up time and care. To be able to do so, I respect that.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘I see…..’ 

Tsubasa: ‘On to the next one, which type are you attracted more to, someone that is good at talking or good at listening?’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Let’s see….. If it’s the person you like, you can listen to them forever since it doesn’t get boringーー’ ________

Tsubasa: ‘Thank you very much, that is all for the interview.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘That just now, will it be okay….?’

Tsubasa: ‘Of course, it was perfect. I think everyone will have fun reading the report as well.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘I see….. Then I’m happy. Thanks for keeping me company, Sumisora.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘No, you are welcome. Next is…..Checking the schedule of the special project’s photoshoot.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Aa, special project, huh……? Special project, right…..’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘.......!’ 

Part 2

Tsubasa: ‘D-Do you want to look at Yuuta-kun’s report once again?’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘No, I’m fine!’

Tsubasa: ‘But……’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘It’s okay, I completely read it. That’s the…..『Birthday Date』, right?’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Yes, Nome-san decides the date plan for celebrating『Her Birthday』and will do a virtual photoshoot in regards to this plan.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘ Was it that I can decide what type of partner it is…..?’

Tsubasa: ‘That is right. And, the image of Nome-san’s partner is…..’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘You’ll say it now?’ 

Tsubasa: ‘That is what I planned….. Is it no good?’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Ahー, no, it’s not like that…..’ 

He steels his nerve.

Tatsuhiro: ‘Okay. Tell me, Sumisora.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Y-Yes. The image of Nome-san’s partner is 『Sports Girl』.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘.........’ 

Tsubasa: ‘........Nome-san?’

Tatsuhiro: ‘Ah…...No, sorry. I’m just a bit relieved…. If I couldn’t imagine my partner, I would be troubled. 『Sports Girl』it says, someone who likes to do sports is good, isn’t it?’ 

Tsubasa: ‘I agree. I wonder if it’s an image of someone that likes to move around and is cheerful?’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘I see…… If so, then I want to exercise together.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘If we do it together, badminton, tennis…… But I think sports that compete in scores are somewhat different. If that’s the case, then going to the gym together may be fine as well. Something like reviewing forms, and encouraging each other during the hard training.’

Tsubasa: ‘Hard training….. W-Will I be able to, I wonder?’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Eh?’

Tsubasa: ‘Ah, I am sorry. I forgot to tell you….. Continuing from Yuuta-kun’s photoshoot, I will be in charge this time.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘I-Is that so…..?’

Tsubasa: ‘Thankfully, the photos I took at that time were well received within the company.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Ah…..True, it was like it was taken by a professional.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Really? Thank you very much……!’

Tatsuhiro: ‘Y-Yeah….. But, yeah. If I let you participate then it can’t be too hard of a program…..’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Not at all, please do not be worried! I am a bit concerned but….. I will definitely try to match with Nome-san.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Sumisora…..Really?’

Tsubasa: ‘Really! That is why, please make your plan as you wish.’

Tatsuhiro: ‘Heh….. If so, then I will.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘But, since it’s a date for her sake, to be able to have a good time until the end, I’ll try to think about various things.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Yes, please do so.’ 

(.......A gym date with Nome-san, huh.)

(Until that day I need to work on my stamina, and I want to study more about the camera….. Let’s give it my best!) 

Part 3

ーThe day of the photoshoot.ー

Tsubasa and Tatsuhiro are, as she assumed, in the gym.

Tatsuhiro: ‘ーーFor now, let’s stretch. Put the camera down for a moment. You can take photos after it.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Y-Yes. But if I can get some before…..’

Tatsuhiro: ‘Then, okay. Is it fine if I stretch your arms?’ 

Tsubasa: ‘That helps a lot….!’

Tatsuhiro: ‘How is it?’

Tsubasa: ‘Thank you very much. It seems to be fine.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Good. Then, come here too. If you get injured, it will be troublesome, we're carefully doing a warm-up.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘First of all, put the soles of your feet together and to get your hip joint loosenedーー’ ________

Tatsuhiro: ‘......Alright, that’s enough for stretching. Now we’ll go into muscle training.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Sumisora, do you know how to use the equipment?’

Tsubasa: ‘No, to be honest, I do not know them well….. This is for training your legs, right?’

Tatsuhiro: ‘Correct. The leg press works for quadriceps. First, we adjust the chair.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Then choose a weight. If you're a beginner….’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Ah, Nome-san, please stay still.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Eh?’

Tsubasa: ‘......Hmー......’

Tatsuhiro: ‘.......What?’

Tsubasa: ‘No, I am sorry. I thought that your figure while explaining created an atmosphere of『A Reliable Lover』and it was wonderful. But the angle was not too good…..’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Is it fine to shoot from a different angle?’

Tatsuhiro: ‘Y-Yeah….. Is it okay if I do it like this?’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Yes, look down a bit.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Like this……?’

Tsubasa: ‘........’

Tatsuhiro: ‘........You don’t seem to agree?’

Tsubasa: ‘I am sorry…… I will try a bit harder. Can you continue without worrying about the camera?’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Understood. Don’t hesitate to tell me if it’s something I can do.’ ________

Tatsuhiro: ‘ーーSumisora, you must be tired. Drink some water.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Ah…… Thank you very much.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Quite the depressed look, huh. Show me the camera for a second.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Yes……’

Tatsuhiro: ‘Hee…...Aren’t those great. I thought it would be okay since you always inclined your head to the side, if it’s like this then there shouldn’t be a problem with what pictures to choose for the page.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Really……? It makes me happy if you say so. But….. I feel like there are ways of taking pictures to make the fans even more pleased. To emphasize Nome-san’s good qualities even more…..’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘My good qualities, huh….. If we just talk about my face, I feel the same no matter where it’s taken from…… Maybe because it’s my face.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘There are a lot of fans that write to me that they like the dark mole under my eye or the beautiful bridge of my nose. Then, it was the…..lip? To be honest, I didn’t understand too well what they meant with a cool upper lip….. Anyway, it looks like there are also fans that think like that.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Mole, nose, lips….. As I thought, the fans do want to look closer at Nome-san’s beautiful face.’

Her genuine compliment makes him blush, yet another unexpected moment for him. 

Tatsuhiro: ‘I-I don’t know about beautiful but….. It may be like that, huh.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Hm….. In that case, we may need to take a bit more photos from the front. However, those will not make use of the gym situation……’ 

Tsubasa: ‘......Sit-ups?’

Tatsuhiro: ‘Eh?’

Tsubasa: ‘If you are at the gym, you might be using a machine but if you are on a date, it is not weird to have your ankles held down by your lover and do sit-ups, right?’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Well…..The gym has space, so there is no problem, I think?’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Then Nome-san, is it fine if you hold down my ankles?’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘You, you don’t possibly intend….. To do sit-ups while taking pictures?’ 

Tsubasa: ‘I will attempt to. Please.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘I-I see….. I don’t mind.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘If you do it forcibly, you may hurt your back. Be aware of that, do it slowly, okay?’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Understood, let me try!’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Uuf……’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘......Is that fine?’

Tsubasa: ‘That is good…..! One more…..’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Buuh….. Haha…..’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Ah, that smile too……. Please wait for a bi,.......’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Haa…… My abs are……’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Haha…… What’s this, Sumisora, you’re too amusing…..! To do such a photoshoot.’

Tatsuhiro: ‘Haha…..’

Tsubasa: ‘Like this, please stay like this!’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Puhaha!!’ 

Part 4

Both left the gym to take pictures with a different background.

Tatsuhiro: ‘Sumisora, are you really fine without taking a break?’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Of course! My abs are hurting a bit but…..’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Hehe….. Whenever I remember that earlier I have to laugh.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘P-Please do not laugh. I was serious…..!’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Aah, I figured. Sorry. But you know….. Haha.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Geez….. But, I did my best because I was able to take a lot of pictures of Nome-san’s smile.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Next we are going to run, right?’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Yeah. When I think about the birthday date, it may be weird….. In my opinion, I would go home and eat cake or delicious food together. With that in mind, I thought that if we exercised well, the other party would be able to enjoy the birthday meal to their heart’s content.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘I, to be honest, don’t think I want my partner to train as much as I do. I don’t care about the body shape either…..’

Tatsuhiro: ‘As expected about this, there are many that care about this, don’t they?’ 

Tsubasa: ‘I agree. If you are a sports person, you seem to be highly aware of it. This way of spending the birthday as well seems to be very pleasant.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Yeah. I hope everyone, too, will think like that…..’

Tsubasa: ‘Please do not be worried. Because I am sure Nome-san’s consideration will be conveyed.’

Tatsuhiro: ‘.....You’re right. Thanks, Sumisora.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘And, how do we proceed with the photoshoot?’

Tsubasa: ‘Let me see….. While running slowly I think I want to shoot while running side-by-side with you for a while.’

Tatsuhiro: ‘Next to me? Isn’t it easier to zoom from afar?’ 

Tsubasa: ‘We will do that with another take. It is better to run and take photos, it brings out a sense of realism.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘I see….. But, be careful, okay?’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Yes, thank you very much.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Yeah. Then, I’ll slow down the pace considerably and start.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Understood!’ ______

Tatsuhiro: ‘.......How is it, can you go with it?’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Ehm…..’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Everything is perfect! Next, can you look at me?’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Yeah.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Waah, the feeling to the photos are amazing…..’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Ah…….’ 

That little moment does not go unnoticed by Tatsuhiro. His eyes widen at the small noise of hers.

Tatsuhiro: ‘Sumisora? You, just now…..’   

Tsubasa: ‘Ah…...I-I am sorry. I only fell down a bit. Let us continue as it is!’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘You sure?’

Tsubasa: ‘Yes!’ ___

(W-What should I do….. My ankle seems to be a bit strained. But, if I stop here now, it will worry Nome-sanーー)

Tatsuhiro: ‘.......Quit it, Sumisora. Stop.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Eh…..’

Tatsuhiro: ‘It’s your ankle right now, isn’t it. Your running changed.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Eh…...No, it is nothing big…..’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Don’t be unreasonable. Let me see it.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Ah……’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘How is it here? Does it hurt?’ 

Tsubasa: ‘.......O-Only a bit.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Maybe it’s swollen…..’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘It’s not too big of a twist and isn’t that bad but it’s better to treat it now.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Sumisora, put your arms around.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Eh……?’

He comes close to her and…….

Tatsuhiro: ‘My neck. Hold on tightly.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘P-Please wait. I can walkーー’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘I’ll lift you up.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Ah……..’

Tatsuhiro: ‘The bench…… There?’ 

Tsubasa: ‘I-I am sorry…… I, this……’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘It’s not something to apologize for, so don’t.’

(What to do, I’m letting Nome-san carry me in his arms…..) 

(......But, this could be a chance, maybe.)

Tsubasa: ‘......U-Uhm.’

Tatsuhiro: ‘What is it?’

Tsubasa: ‘To take a picture of your face at this moment is difficult, isn’t it……?’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Bah….. You, how serious are you……’ 

He has to blush at her almost stubborn seriousness. 

Tsubasa: ‘I-I am sorry……!’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Haa, good grief…..’ 

Part 5

Tsubasa: ‘Thank you very much for the photoshoot. If I had not caused you trouble, we would still have a bit of time I think……’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘You didn’t bother me. Apart from that, doesn’t your ankle hurt?’ 

Tsubasa: ‘It truly is a mystery….. I think it is because Nome-san took care of it adequately.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘If that’s so, then it’s good….. If you think it feels weird, be sure to go to the hospital.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘I will.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Hm, then it’s fine. ……. Thanks to Sumisora today, I was able to do a relaxing photoshoot. Besides, I had a good laugh…..’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Heh, really, thanks.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘No, it is thanks to your cooperation that I was able to take a lot of good photos. Please check again if you go through them.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Yeah.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Then I will call for a taxi so you can go home…..’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘..........Sumisora.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Yes?’

Tatsuhiro: ‘Are you packed with work after this?’ 

Tsubasa: ‘No, I intend to return to the company for now……’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘So, how about having a meal? I only had protein drinks since the morning I just thought….. You too, right.’

Tsubasa: ‘Now that you say it……’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘When I realize it, I’m super hungry.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘That’s why, how about it? I’m treating you.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘No, I cannot let you……!’

Tatsuhiro: ‘I’m not saying it’s for free.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Eh?’

Tatsuhiro: ‘Instead, go with my choice. Okay?’ ___________

ーIn the store that they’ve decided to eat at.ー

Tatsuhiro: ‘And, delicious?’

Tsubasa: ‘Yes……! This hamburger steak is very delicious…..!’

Tatsuhiro: ‘I figured. The meat’s taste is strong, and the amount’s large. For a while, I came here with Hikaru three times a week.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Three times a week…...!? …..But, I can understand your feelings very well.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Aa, this meat soup’s quite excellent…..’

Tsubasa: ‘Especially after exercising.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘True.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Hnh….. It’s really delicious……’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘........Heh.’

Tsubasa: ‘Ah…..I am sorry, I unconsciously……’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘No, if you like it this much then bringing you here was worth it.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Here, this soup’s also delicious.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Fufu…… I appreciate that a lot, thank you.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Yeah.’ ____

Tatsuhiro: ‘.......Birthday date, huh.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘If it’s the person you like, it doesn’t have to be something special. You can be happy even with just eating a meal like this.’

Tsubasa: ‘.......? Did something happen?’

Tatsuhiro: ‘Ah, no……..’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘Heh….. You have sauce on your mouth.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘Eh!?’

Tatsuhiro: ‘Haha, the other side.’ 

Tsubasa: ‘T-Thank you very much…….’

Tatsuhiro: ‘Hm. …...Alright, I’ll add one more set?’ 

Tsubasa: ‘One more set?’

Tatsuhiro: ‘Yeah. I feel like I can eat any amount today.’ 

Tatsuhiro: ‘That’s why, stay with me for a bit more. Okay, Sumisora?’

END

[performanceroll-blog]

SESSION 0! Aah, the fabled “Session 0″. Many have chosen to ignore it and many have fallen prey to their folly. It is a session you hold before the actual start of the game in order to familiarize your players with the type of game you want to run, as well as adapt your plans according to their particular needs. I can not stress enough the importance of everyone around the table being on the same page in regards to the atmosphere, content and rules of the game. Time and time again I see people complaining about DMs running their own story without regarding the characters’ backtories at all. Or having homebrew rules that no one discussed that are being pulled out in the heat of battle, having dire consequences. Or the game being more combat heavy while the players just wanted to roleplay. All of that, and more, can be discussed beforehand so everyone knows what they’re buying into.  My second online campaign that I was a player in, I didn’t really enjoy playing. My natural proclivity is towards roleplaying and having meaning behind everything my character does. With that in mind I created an Artificer with an elaborate backstory and eventual mechanical servant to accompany him in his endeavors. I had a lot of things in mind to do with this character, with the end goal being inventing some grand invention to make my PC known throughout the lands. That would be the driving force of his actions. When joining into this game, the DM only told all the players to create a character who, for some reason, ended up in jail, which they wanted to have as a starting point - I had no problems with that and incorporated it into my backstory. No other pointers were given.  As I found out a couple of sessions into the game, the DM had a story they wanted to run and any major detour would simply be turned down and squashed. They simply wanted players to play “their” game. This, naturally, resulted with me being unhappy for the majority of the campaign. My character had next to no motivation to follow the DM’s plotline and was just kind of tagging along. I was given no opportunities to “invent” something, tinker with my equipment (no pun intended) or even explore my class’ features. In fact, maybe a couple of sessions in, it was decided that having the mechanical servant with the party is too much of a hassle to deal with, due to frequently having to travel on a ship and the servant being too heavy for the ships, so it ended up being left behind in some city and pretty much unused. I was not happy.  Now, I’m not saying the DM was a bad DM or that their story wasn’t great. It was actually quite interesting and playing with them at the reins was indeed fun. If only we had discussed the nature of the campaign beforehand. If I were only given a heads up about the nature of party travel that would prohibit me from using my mech servant (which is about a third of the Artificer class), I would have gone with a different character and different expectations and would’ve had much more fun. This is why session 0s are held. But what specifically is to be discussed in these preparatory sessions? ATMOSPHERE If you’re going into the Curse of Strahd adventure published by WotC, you should know that the setting is dark and gloomy, everything is sort of depressed and not much levity is to be had. Don’t go into it expecting fart jokes, memes and puns.  On the other hand, if the DM and the whole group agrees and wants to intentionally take the opposite aproach and make fun of how the adventure is written, more power to the whole group. My point is, that is something that should be discussed. Atmosphere is important. THE THREE PILLARS Any dnd veteran will tell you that the three pillars of dnd are combat, exploration and social interaction, However the DM wants to run the game or the players play it, whether it be  more combat heavy, social roleplay oriented or based on a hexcrawl, everyone should be on the same page before starting. You don’t want to go Ranger with a focus in surviving in the wilderness, gathering food and tracking animals, and then finding out the campaign will mostly be held in a city and based around political conflict.  HOMEBREW Whether it be rules that are not official or a setting where there are no humans, all homebrew material should be brought up before the campaign starts. No one wants to create an arcane spellcaster class and find out in game that magic doesn’t work due to some great devastating magic war a thousand years ago. The DM might even have a way for spellcasting classes to be able to cast spells or maybe plans for them to be the ones who discover magic again throughout the storyline of the campaign, but players should be aware of this before they start playing.  LEVELING AND CAMPAIGN LENGTH This is a tough one. These days, while games are much more accessible via online platforms, they are also more prone to disbanding before their natural ending. It is hard to predict whether a game will last as long as it is supposed to. When there were fewer options and most games were held in person, everyone put in an extra effort to have the game continue.  Having said that, players should know what they’re getting into because it informs their choices of character creation. Maybe someone wants to play a class because of that one awesome ability they get at 14th level. If the campaign starts at 1st and ends at 10th, naturally, that player would not choose that class.  Also, how will leveling be done? Standard XP system or nowadays more popular milstone system? Each have their pros and cons, but whatever you decide to go with, you should let everyone know beforehand. OTHER Other than what was already mentioned, anything else that you would like to be known. No phones at the table, no being late, no talking out of character, no metagaming, whatever the DM or the players hold important, should be made aware to everyone at the table.  Now, all of this is maybe not so important when playing with friends you’ve known for a long time, especially if you’ve already played with them. But it is imperative for online games or games where you sit at a table without knowing the other people present. Trust me, when everyone’s on the same page, everyone’s happier. And that doesn’t mean that compromises can’t be made. Maybe the DM wants to try that critical fumble table for injuries and worse, but the players don’t - you talk it out and find a consensus. Dnd is a collaborative game, so collaborate - even before the game starts ;)  In the campaign my friends and I tried starting before the current one, we were still newbies and neglected to have a session 0, which resulted in a TPK in the first session and a few member changes for the eventual game we are currently playing for almost 2 years now. But that’s a story for another day. Thanks for reading, as always, hope you’ve gained some inspiration ;) 

[sleptsin]

A Quick Analysis On Belphegor

     Alright time to go over my many screenshots and analyze what they gave us of Belphie’s character in the last two chapters. Not beating around any bushes. Shit is long. Like. “ I threw this into docs to check and it came out to 4 pages ” long.

His Attention

          First of all———  !! I’d just like to point out how  RIGHT  I was in saying that he’s super attentive of those he chooses to care about. Whenever they’re talking about his bros nothing seems like a surprise to him unless it’s a  TOTAL  change of who they were before as with Satan’s relationship with Lucifer. But when it comes to Levi he basically says, “ Knowing him, he was thinking this wasn’t he? That’s just how he is. ” Or when choosing an outfit with Asmo he says exactly, “ As if Asmo would ever be satisfied with an outfit like that. It’s not nearly bombastic enough for him. ” And shortly after, even  ASMO  says that he pays a lot of attention to the MC if you choose ‘ I owe it all to Belphie ’. ( I didn’t try the other option so idk if he says this regardless ). He pays attention and  OTHERS  pick up on it.

     While it can be excused because they’ve lived so long together, I’d like to say that there are still plenty of things you can  NEVER  catch onto even if you know someone for a lifetime. There’s also people like me who, while I love my friends so much, don’t always pick up on things. Some are just better than others and I feel like that  MORE  accurately applies to the brothers. They notice things sure, but not  EVERYTHING  like Belphie probably does. And there’s a plethora of things they can be familiar with only because it’s been a constant or a habit.

          It’s also worth pointing out that even despite being locked up in the attic for who knows how long, Bel still knew his brothers incredibly well and that attention to detail didn’t falter.

His Imprisonment

     I also want to take a moment and mention how the way Belphegor talks about being kept in the attic seems to imply that he’s been kept there for  QUITE  a while. The exchange program is supposed to last a year and we’re given no real timeline to keep track of things. Even if we sum it up to roughly a couple months, he speaks as if it’s been much longer— and when you take a moment you realize it actually  HAS  been. When he got into his fight with Lucifer, that was before the program even began. It might not have even been in the planning stages ! The proposal could’ve simply been thrown out there and then after gaining support it underwent all the preparations. How long could  THAT  itself have taken ??

          Even when you first meet him in the attic and have the option of asking how long he’s been there, he  ANGRILY  responds with, “ That’s a good question. How long has it been now, I wonder ? Well, one thing I can say for sure: I’ve been in here for a very, very long time. ” So yeah. Seems reasonable to say it’s been at the very least a year already.

     Belphie doesn’t seem like the dramatic type or one to necessarily over-exaggerate. He refers to himself as having been a  PRISONER  and I don’t count that as exaggeration either because he really  WAS  a prisoner in his own home and the effects of it are quite evident. He addresses it a couple times and one of his lines on the home screen refers to Levi. And it actually seems to counter a home screen line of Levi’s that says they’re more  ALIKE  when you think about it. ( Which they kind of are and I’ll get into a little of that later ). But it basically says that they’re different because Levi  CHOOSES  to be a recluse while he had no choice in being imprisoned and he legitimately says that in the regard, “ Levi has nothing on me. ”

          While the game has them make up in these chapters, I don’t believe Lucifer’s simple apology is really enough to make up for the damage. As I said, it  REALLY  affected Bel and extended for quite a while. Bel missed out on a  LOT  and is deeply saddened by it. He regrets not being involved even if he couldn’t help it. This is the same brother who already struggled with loneliness and is now a stranger to everything that happened for the last 1+ year. I think it’s more accurate to say that he accepted the apology but hasn’t  TRULY  forgiven him yet. And for the moment could be swept under the rug while he personally works on getting over it.

His Effort

     I have enjoyed the game immensely in showing us what Belphegor is capable of. When they work part-time in Hell’s Kitchen that  SINGULAR  time, it’s emphasized that the restaurant works its employees tirelessly. Despite this, he still held his own and was the only one not actually tired in the end. He’s even the one who made sure everything was flowing smoothly, properly, and implied to have  HOUNDED  Mammon and MC in doing so. This seems to suggest that Belphie actually has an incredible reserve of energy to tap into when he so chooses. A reserve that’s built up from all of the sleeping he does.

          In other words, although he’s the sin of Sloth and is  INDEED  a sleepy boy, there’s plenty of opportunity for him to apply himself. It’s just a matter of wanting to— and he usually doesn’t want to. Hence he chooses to  SLEEP  instead and immerse himself in his very attribute.

     However, the game also shows us that he’s pretty well-rounded and can also be deeply involved or helpful when it comes to his brothers and  THEIR  own interests.

i.e. he and Satan bond over their dislike of Lucifer and orchestrate pranks against him, he enjoys video games and manga alongside Levi  DESPITE  not wanting to let him know, and he has a great sense of fashion to the point he knows what would better / best suit Asmo

     And I really  ADORE  this about him because it continues to build him up as more than just the ‘ cat-napping seventh born ’ and actually gives him a place among his brothers as the one that can easily and probably best navigate among them  ALL.

His Personality

     Sadly, despite being able to fit in with any one of his brothers, it seems like apart from Beelzebub, the street doesn’t run  BOTH  ways. Yes, everyone makes up. But this doesn’t exactly change how things will actually be from that point on and it definitely doesn’t change the past. Levi himself remarks how Belphie has  ALWAYS  been difficult to approach even at the best of times. It’s noted that they’re both the socially awkward brothers and Bel doesn’t enjoy large gathering atmospheres and prefers to be alone than attend them. Compared to Levi who can at least  FORCE  himself to bear with it, he takes the first opportunity to find a space for himself away from it all. From this we know he’s good in small to medium sized groups but beyond that is overwhelming for him.  WAY  past his comfort zone.

          Additionally, we also now know just how disconnected from everyone he is if they always had difficulty going to him. This make you wonder if the strangeness and distance they treated him with in these chapters hasn’t actually happened a  NUMBER  of times thereby explaining why he was so unfazed by it all when it shouldn’t have been okay. I don’t believe he’s completely unaffected so much as he’s just  USED TO  the occasional cold shoulder.

     These brothers are the Avatars of Sin and clearly not immune to the very things they cause. In fact, I would almost go to say that they feel it to an  EXTREME  and merely have varying degrees of a handle on it. That is to say that Belphie potentially has a seriously hard time given the vastness of Sloth and just covers it decently well. ( See here or his bio for some insight. ) And the greatest sadness to this is how the brothers are all fully  AWARE  of things that aren’t typically okay. They’re aware of their own familial issues and just  CHOOSE  to not aid or ignore it. Excuse it if you will with ‘ they’re demons, they lack morals ’. This is their family that they claim to care deeply about and have to live with for several millennia and you’re gonna just not make it better ? Shame on them. And for added note——  this isn’t just how I feel about in regards to Belphie but  OTHERS  as well such as Mammon.

          Continuing on though, because this isn’t about that. It’s relieving that Belphegor still has so much personality beyond his hang ups. He looks at everyone for who  THEY  are as seen by how he is the first and only one so far to tell the MC he’s there for them and  NOT  because of their connection to Lilith. At the same time he’s an incredibly bratty boy in his texts. It’s almost like in story he behaves one way and in text it’s another. Like he’s carrying out a specific appearance in public and DMs are him  NO  holds barred. ( Which we know he’s aware and likely capable of picking out images to portray through outfit deciding with Asmo ). He can have an attitude and has no fear saying what he  REALLY  thinks / feels and especially doesn’t like anything that even remotely gives the assumption that someone views him as a child.

     He gets bored easily and can’t stand it, is most likely an insomniac due to feeling more awake the later it gets, and is  ALWAYS  looking out for Beel via combination of being so close to him and having a special twin connection. Nonetheless, it’s enough to assume that he’s highly considerate of the others as well and that Beel is just priority.

          THIS IS PROBABLY ENOUGH FOR NOW ;;;      Thanks to anyone who actually reads any of this !! I might have more to say in the future but I wanna hits the brakes on this before it drags out any longer.

[nomimits7]

Undecided Chapter 1...

Title: Undecided Pt 1

Genre: Investigation, murder, masked behaviour.

Warnings: murder, psychotic behaviour, might be triggering.

Members: Detective OT7 x Forensic scientist Reader

Note: Phrases like this are just add-ins to help with the story line… If they confuse you, feel free to ask!

Summary: Moving overseas for a once in a lifetime job offer was one of the scariest things Y/N ever did. That was until she got stuck in a twisted investigation of random murders, all with one link but no leads. Closing in on the culprit(s) Y/N doesn’t realize the danger she’s getting into. With no family or friends, can Y/N dare to trust those seven closest to her with her life?

Thanks Geek for being the best beta reader ever!! @feed-my-geek-soul 

Prologue 

•♡•

Death: The personification of the power that destroys life, often represented in art and literature as a skeleton or an old man holding a scythe.

•♡•

“Who do we have here...?” 

 Most people are not given the privilege to choose between life or death, the choice is made for them. Most people would choose life if they were ever given the chance, but you? You were different.  

Death has always fascinated you. You used to binge watch documentaries on serial killers, read hundreds if not thousands of books on murder, even your school speeches all revolved around the minds of these criminals. This is something you slowly fell in love with. The mystery, the way they think, but most of all the way they always got caught for their unholy crimes. It was during one of these moments you realized YOU wanted to be the one bringing their fantasies and creepy fetishes to an end. The idea of taking something away from someone that took a life, was like your own personal high.

After completing school, you followed your dreams and studied to become a Forensic scientist. After only 4 years you had your Honours degree and ready to take on the big bad world out there. This proved to be way much more difficult than you initially thought it would be. Finding a decent job as a female forensic scientist was nearly impossible. Most companies only wanted males or more experienced females. They always found some or other excuse to not hire you, to afraid of the risk.

“We’re sorry to inform you that the position requires someone a bit more experienced Miss Y/N”

It’s not you, it’s the system. You knew you were one of the best out there, but clearly being born without a third leg dangling uselessly in between your sturdier legs was a problem. A big problem.

Your country, well they’re still getting use to the whole ‘Women are equal to men’ thing. The chance of you finding a job even as an intern was next to nothing. Again, the risk was just to big.

“I just don’t get it… I can do an even better job than anyone of those three-legged idiots they call men,” you said before pouting into your coffee. Your best friend Lusai just sat there and patiently listened to your mumbling. He was always the best at giving advice on life problems, especially yours. This man you have known for almost 15 years. This man knew you better than you knew yourself.

“Lusai, what should I do?” You whined as his silence became too much to bear. “Come on, you know me better than I know myself. What’s next for Y/N?”

The red-headed, green eyed male stared directly into your eyes. Your best friend was handsome. Red heads being the rare species, he was a well-known ladies’ man. Alongside his green eyes, he even made you swoon from time to time. Clearly, he was doing something right, you see your dear Lusai wasn’t the thinnest or ‘muscle mania’ type of man, no, he was a solid, tall guy that picked up girls like it was a daily trip to the local supermarket.

“Y/N” he sighed. “You know dam well what to do! Just keep looking. Take a breath and keep going. Somewhere someone will see your talents.”

Wise words always seem to leave his mouth. Either that or you were just way to desperate. Even though he was the definition of a fuckboy, he was a smart fuckboy. Both in life and sex.

“See, that’s why I always come to you first!” you said as a smile spread across his plump pink lips.

“Yeah, I was your first everything” He retorted with a smirk.

It’s true. Your best friend was your first everything. Maybe being best friends with your ‘first crush’, ‘first kiss’, ‘first make out’ and ‘first sexual contact’ wasn’t the best idea ever. But hey, the idiot crept into your heart and well, he’s stuck there now. You still love the guy to death, but you always learn from your mistakes. Him, being a painful reminder of that.

“Whatever.” You bite back.

A comfortable silence settles in between you as you slowly sipped the rest of your drink. You loved how you could sit in complete silence and still share so much with someone. The rest of the day consisted of interviews and shopping.

In summary… it was fruitless.

Nonetheless you chose to take Lusai’s advice and keep trying. Somewhere out there, someone will see that you are worth the risk. You are passionate about your work and that’s what makes you different from the rest.

It wasn’t long until you found yourself in the same coffee shop, at the same table, sitting across the same person, drinking the same dam coffee. You were in need of something stronger than coffee. Unfortunately, you hate alcohol as much as you hate rejection. Your hope of finding that dream job was slowly fading. Lusai was a smart boy, and so he did what most smart people would do if a friend was on the brink of depression and self-pity, he made a horrible joke.

“So, the other day I bought a bottle of still water.” He began.

With confused eyes you looked at him expectantly.

“I bought that bottle and threw the water down the drain.” He said as he took a sip of his drink.

“Why did you buy water just to throw it out again?” you asked a little annoyed.

“I wanted to set the water free” he was now staring at you, his face void of any emotion. A beat went by as you sat there, dumbfounded, only to burst out into a fit of laughter.

“There we go! There’s the Y/N I know” he said with a chuckle.

“I hate you, you know that right?” You said as you attempted to punch the speed devil.

He simply shook his head as silence once again took a hold of the atmosphere. You must be doing something wrong. Your studies included practical practice, yet you are seen as inexperienced. You got lost in your jumble of thoughts until Lusai cleared his throat across from you. You turned your attention back to him as his worried eyes made contact with yours.

“Y/N” he began with a shaky breath. “Maybe, just maybe you shouldn’t limit yourself to our country. I mean, you always wanted to travel. Maybe this is just a sign that you should search overseas.” He carefully added. Examining your face as he waited for your reply. Like most people out there, packing up and leaving everyone and everything you ever knew behind scared the living shit out of you. It has been one of your many dreams to see the world yes, but leaving completely without certainty of returning? That scared you.

“I- We’ll see” was all you could say. What more can a scared brave girl say when you had no right to show your weak side? Even though Lusai knew you, you never allowed him the opportunity to see you as a weak woman. And now was no exception.

His words definitely stuck with you. That very evening you began your wild search into the great unknown pages called the internet. You found hundreds of opportunities, but none of them struck your interest. Either it was just an office job (which was a big no, you needed to be out there and not locked up behind a creaking old desk signing papers) or they were just simple internships with little to no pay. None screamed your name, until you came across a rather unusual advertisement.

 Z private Investigators.

Needed: Forensic Scientist.

No skills needed nor any experience. We have enough staff to help with the basics.

Status of request: Urgent.

Contact Mr Kim if you are interested. 08**-9634-09**or Zinvertigators@crimelab.co

Well, this should be interesting. It was as if this advertisement was made just for you. You clicked on the link and that’s how you delved into this company’s history.

“It’s located in South Korea, some place called Busan at the moment. But its almost like a company on wheels. They move around a lot to different cities. At the moment there’s seven employees, all men. There were unfortunately no photos whatsoever.” You explained to Lusai over the phone as you sat crossed legged on your bed still scrolling through their homepage.

“Well? What are you waiting for? Apply Y/N. Working with seven men can’t be that bad. And you’ll get to travel! Maybe this is what you have been waiting for, the worst that can happen is receiving a no.” Lusai said

After hanging up you got started on your email:

Good day Mr Kim,

My name is Y/N. I have recently Graduated with my honour’s degree in Forensic science. I’m 20 years old. I know I am way to young, but I was home schooled. Attached is my resume.

I hope to hear from you soon

Kind regards,

Y/N

And just like that you found yourself a mere week later, on your way to the airport for a personal interview. Mr Kim had responded with the exact words: ‘For a 20-year-old your resume is sure impressive. You sound like a very intriguing girl, I can’t wait to meet you. We don’t believe in interviews over the phone. How soon can you fly out?’ Now here you are saying goodbye to your closest relatives on your way to the great unknown.

The flight was probably the scariest part of the whole ordeal. The shaking of the plane as turbulence took over for what seemed like an eternity, definitely made you thankful for every blessing you have received. The fact that you were alone on a man-made bird and the fact that you were sitting next to a creep, his hand kept ‘accidentally’ touch your left thigh, wasn’t helping. When the plane landed some 20 hours later you were more than happy to get the hell off the overgrown chunk of metal.

Walking out of the plane you saw a masked man standing near the window with your name scribbled on a paper. This guy was completely dressed in black. He had long, defined legs (in skinny jeans that did wonders for his thighs, if you were being completely honest), broad shoulders covered in a very loose fitted black hoodie, completed with a face mask and fishers hat hiding his hair completely. His eyes though, big brown ones, they were calculating.

As you walked over to this black ninja looking assassin you gave yourself the most needed pep talk.

“Just breathe, no one knows you other than Mr Kim. Fact they don’t even know what you look like. You are fine, just peachy. Oooh shit I’m getting closer. Shut it! you got this girl. Just bre-“

“H-Hi, I’m Y/N.” You said as you came face to face with this mystery man in black denim, and really good-looking thighs. You could see him smile under his mask. He nodded to you and turned around. Awkwardly you followed him to a big black SUV. Without a word he ushered you inside and off you went. The ride was silent as you stared out the window. You had no idea where you were going but soon the van left the city and entered a quieter scene of houses and apartments. Slowly your eyes got heavier as sleep overtook you. So many questions haunted your dreams, so many.

You woke with a small gasp as you felt someone’s hands on your thighs. Looking up you came face to face with, yet another, masked man in all black. This was someone else. Someone with soft yet dangerous eyes. This time, though, the unknown man removed his mysterious mask.

Time stopped as you came face to face with heaven. This man had brown almost almond coloured hair, his soft deep almost black orbs stared straight at you. He gave you a boxy grin as he saw you taking his god-like features in. His deep voice startled you as you got lost in those mysterious orbs for eyes.

“Hi Y/N, Welcome to Busan. My name is Kim Taehyung. Or Mr Kim, whichever you prefer. This is the place you will be staying, I do hope it’s to your liking. We’ll give you a day or two to adjust. I’ll let you know when your interview will be. I’m so sorry for leaving you alone like this but we have some business to attend to. Have a peaceful evening Y/N.” Taehyung said as he stood up. He helped you out of the van and before long you found yourself, yet again, alone.

That evening after packing away your stuff and making yourself at home with a bottle of wine and a Domino’s pizza, you couldn’t help but let your mind drift back to the almond haired man you met. Taehyung. Those eyes made your skin tingle, and not in an arousing way. There lurked a sense of danger behind them, a danger that perked your senses with curiosity.

As you sat on the couch your curiosity got the best of you. Seeing as you were too tired to take in your surroundings, you decided to do your own little research on the boss before you go for your interview. Pulling out your laptop you opened Naver and began your escapade into the life of Mr Kim.

“Huh? He… he doesn’t exist? How does someone not exist on the internet?” Even you can be found with a simple search of your name. Hell, your whole life’s history could be found through a simple search and a click or two. Interesting, interesting indeed.

That evening you went to bed with even more questions than answers.

 Oh, if only you knew what you were getting into…

Chapter 2

And there you have the first chapter... I hope you enjoyed it. Don’t be shy to ask if something is unclear... Love you <3 

Tag list: @gukptune @theweirdkidsontheblock @sugasheart @sugashaye @bulletproof-fanfics @carirosesg @crazy-fangirl-10 @waitingforanangel @deafeningstudentdreamergoth @slimou13 @autumnboo126 @chaechaebean217 @littlepinknightmare @sugasheart @kimmieann @nvghtlytae @part-time-patronus @ohmyspook69 @girlwith-thecinder-blockgarden @allayna24 @mikaelaaaaaaa713 @shyfox101 @djumbreon @bangtanwifey14 @honeydewseoks

If you want to be tagged in the next chapter, like this chapter !

p.s. Some names tumblr refuse to tag... I am so sorry, I did try

[comicteaparty]

June 8th-June 14th, 2020 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from June 8th, 2020 to June 14th, 2020.  The chat focused on Devil Tongue by Samuel Soto-Saines and Lucas Soto.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

Comic Tea Party

BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Devil Tongue by Samuel Soto-Saines and Lucas Soto~! (https://deviltonguecomic.com/)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace until June 14th, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Discussions are freeform, but we do offer discussion prompts in the pins for those who’d like to have them. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic! Whether you finish the comic or can only read a few pages, everyone is welcome to join and chat with us!

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 1

1. What did you like about the beginning of the comic?

2. What has been your favorite moment in the comic (so far)?

3. Who is your favorite character?

4. Which characters do like seeing interact the most?

5. What is something you like about the art? If you have a favorite illustration, please share it!

6. What is a theme you like that the comic explores?

7. What do you like about the comic’s story or overall related content?

8. Overall, what do you think the comic’s strengths are?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

mariah (rainy day dreams)

1. I really appreciated how this comic felt really authentically shonen manga right off the bat without feeling tropey or overwrought. 2. I liked when the protagonists confront the ghost in the theater. I just really enjoyed the ghosts dialogue and dramatic jestures. 3. Moira is my fav so far. She's got a sword and seems capable, though is also still an apprentice so I'm looking forward to seeing how she grows.

boogeymadam

1, ALL THE CATS!! :D but more seriously, the way the characters are introduced through their job, and yet their personalities still shine through~ 2, i liked the scene when they're leaving the Lemaire house and walking on a dark misty neighborhood street at night. It's so atmospheric and perfect for their discussion on what kind of ghost their target might be, as well as what kinda threats it may pose :0 3, I can't decide, they're all interesting. Leera was introduced last but I like her enthusiasm! 2, Moira and Leera during the scene where Moira is explaining tinctures to Leera. Moira's so goal oriented and focused while messing with some apprently-very-dangerous stuff and Leera's just trying to avoid boredom. Moira seemed patient of Leera (for the most part) and willing to explain stuff, which was cool. It made me smile. 5, Oh Man, a lot!! The lines are so very clean and precise, every characters' silhouttes is distinct. It's hard to pick which page is my favorite, but I'd have to say https://deviltonguecomic.com/comic/chapter-01-page-32/ because of all the dynamic angles and expressions on the characters. 6, Pupils taking over from the mentor. I like how Emery is allowing his pupil, Moira, to prove herself, and she seems extremely eager to do so and also: good at it! I can only imagine what Emery is like at this job :0 8, A fun and classic premise of paranormal investigators, of a sort, but with magic of their own, making it even more interesting. It's easy to root for the protagonists and feel curious about what got them into this business, or what they were like before they reached this level of fame and skill. And also, there are talking cats!! Huge draw!

mariah (rainy day dreams)

I agree with your #6 Boogey. I do really like how Emery is like "I'm just here to mentor, this is Moira's job." I like seeing the apprentice really get to take point on the mission. I did see though on the cast page that Emery's magic type is just "?????" which definitely makes me what to see him throw down some magic now XD very curious what it is

boogeymadam

OHHH i hadn't spotted that! a secret, how exciting :0c

copperine (Lady Changeling)

I'm not familiar with this one, but I'm intrigued now (and should stop reading this channel till I've read the comic...)

I'll read in the morning and try to give some thoughts

RebelVampire

What I like about the beginning is the character development. Cause we get a lot of it and find out things like Emery being an ex-magician, his relationship with Moira, etc. Yet, at the same time, the plot is not sacrificed and the story is still moved along smoothly, which is a great balancing act. My favorite moment in the comic so far is actually all the times Emery feigns that he doesn't care but then we get those shots of him peeking and spying. I find those adorable but just also really nice character moments. My favorite character at the moment is Emery. I like aloof characters and he fits that bill. I also like his general cynicism about life. Emery is the sort of character who I'd have as a friend in real life. XD As for characters interacting the most, probably Leera and a combo of Emery and Moira. Leera has pretty different motivations for being there, is somewhat opposite in personality from the main pair, and just all around adds an interesting dynamic too the group that kind of makes certain elements of the story seem more grounded. I really just in general love the comic's linework. Not only is everything super clean (making the action easy to follow), but it really knows how to bulk up the shadows to create specific atmospheres that really work for each panel and add so much to each scene.

In terms of themes, I like that the comic somewhat explores with Emery the concept of what to do with your life after your previous life fails. I think we all kind of like to believe we'll do X forever and X comes to define us in a lot of ways. But then suddenly X might not be there and it's like, what is life now? How do I deal with life? And with Emery, I do think we get to kind of experience one path that kind of takes. What I like about the comic's overall content is the...strange mix of fantasy and realism. I can't really put it into words. Like this is definitely a fantasy story, yet there's elements of realism thrown in I wouldn't expect. Like things are almost scarily normal in some respects like the houses or journalism, etc. So everything about the world really intrigues me since it feels super unique in tone. Finally, for strengths, I'm referring back to the art here. I think the atmosphere the art adds to each scene really helps give the comic that extra oomph.

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Everyone's covered all the stuff I like about the characters, so let me just throw in some extra praise for the backgrounds. Those elaborate buildings! That towering opera-house interior! That one sequence with light streaming through elegantly-patterned windows!

Comic Tea Party

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 2

9. What do you think Emery did that caused him to be exiled by the Magician Order? How does this factor into his general cynicism and bitterness? Also, do you think Emery will ever be a magician again?

10. How do you think Moira became Emery’s apprentice despite Emery being an ex-magician? Similarly, why do you think Moira hasn’t joined up with the Magician Order? As the story develops, how do you think Moira will grow and change as a magician?

11. Besides following Emery and Moira around, what role do you think Leera will have in the story? How might Leera’s presence hurt or help the duo on each case? Also, how will Leera change as she experiences things firsthand?

12. How do you think Moira and Emery will resolve the haunted opera house situation? Can the kidnapped girl be saved, or is she truly gone forever? Additionally, what other sorts of cases do you expect to see after this one?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

RebelVampire

Honestly, I get the impression that Emery was good but also just a rebellious rule breaker type. So he probably got exiled for just not fitting in with the club regardless of anything else he might have done. Which to me would explain the cynicism cause it would show him how much of life is just a popularity contest. As for being a magician again, maybe, but the bigger question is would he want to? My current theory for Moira was that she's just ill-suited to the order. I'm sure she's heard awful things about it from Emery, so why join team lame when you can join Emery and be on team winner. As for how Moira will grow, I think she'll just learn to take things a bit more seriously and mature (though probably still pretty happy and excited). I've talked about Leera a bit already, but I think her major role in the story is the grounding element and reader's eyes. Cause someone needs to ask questions for the readers, and I think that will be Leera. But in terms of plot, I also think Leera will just help them get more work by spreading their name to lands far and wide. I think in terms of how Leera will change, I think mostly she'll maybe find better things to publish about and the power she wields with words. I think the kidnapped girl can be saved, but that it needs to be done quickly. As for how this will ultimately resolve, I assume epic battle followed by emotional ghost revelations. As for other sorts of cases, I actually am expecting lots of drama ones with heavy emotional reveals from side characters. I could be wrong, but that feels like the route the comic is going. O_O

Comic Tea Party

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 3

13. What are you most looking forward to seeing in regards to the comic?

14. Any final words of encouragement for the comic?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

Ryccomics

1. What did you like about the beginning of the comic? Very good dynamic introduction between Moira and Emery. Very quickly and effectively I understood Emery is an older cynic, and Moira is the energetic and out to prove herself. 2. What has been your favorite moment in the comic (so far)? The magic reveal of what the potions/chemicals do is fun. I do not really understand how they work at this time, and I don’t really need to. 3. Who is your favorite character? Mauretta, she’s a lot of fun in design, and she gets to talk more than usual character type. I’m not sure what this character type would be called, but I’m going with person who starts the Scooby Doo mystery. 4. Which characters do like seeing interact the most? Moira and Emery have good chemistry. Having the young rookie be more powerful than the experienced partners adds to the dynamic. 5. What is something you like about the art? If you have a favorite illustration, please share it!

So much going on in this panel. All 5 characters are doing something. 6. What is a theme you like that the comic explores? I don’t have an answer yet, because how this encounter goes will shape the narrative, everyone could die. It could be resolved peacefully, it could wrap like a monster of the week story, or lead to bigger things. 7. What do you like about the comic’s story or overall related content? I like the map in FAQ area of site is cool. Gives information for those who want it, but can be safely ignored by those that don’t. 8. Overall, what do you think the comic’s strengths are? I like your line art, a lot. The silhouettes read really well. And when working in black and white having distinct shapes is so important, you’ve color code your characters. 9. What do you think Emery did that caused him to be exiled by the Magician Order? How does this factor into his general cynicism and bitterness? Also, do you think Emery will ever be a magician again? I know from the Cast FAQ, he broke their laws, in what contest will tell a lot about Emery and the Order. I am a little unclear what the Magicians are at this points, how powerful they are in this society. Are the Magicians outside of the Magician’s order?

10. How do you think Moira became Emery’s apprentice despite Emery being an ex-magician? Similarly, why do you think Moira hasn’t joined up with the Magician Order? As the story develops, how do you think Moira will grow and change as a magician? I think Moira will have to confront what caused Emery’s cynicism. I expect she will get more powerful as the story begins. 11. Besides following Emery and Moira around, what role do you think Leera will have in the story? How might Leera’s presence hurt or help the duo on each case? Also, how will Leera change as she experiences things firsthand? I Leera’s role will be mainly to ensure the characters get back onto the plot. Most stories have some form of this function, whether it is the Greek gods, a ticking clock to motivate the characters to act right now Given she works for a newspaper, she can prod the characters to do news worthy things. 12. How do you think Moira and Emery will resolve the haunted opera house situation? Can the kidnapped girl be saved, or is she truly gone forever? Additionally, what other sorts of cases do you expect to see after this one? I feel it will have a happy ending, monster defeated girl saved. This is because the character dynamics would change really drastically if Moira had to confront extreme darkness so early, she would get cynical. 13. What are you most looking forward to seeing in regards to the comic? Will be interesting to see how the combat functions with regard to group dynamics, are the other characters going to plan a part in the combat, or are they on the sidelines. 14. Any final words of encouragement for the comic? I was sad when it ended.

RebelVampire

I am looking forward to finding out more about Emery and what Emery is capable of despite the circumstances. As for final words, this is just a lovely comic with tons of unique aspects about it that I really like.

Comic Tea Party

BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Devil Tongue this week! Please also give a special thank you to Samuel Soto-Saines and Lucas Soto for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Devil Tongue, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: https://deviltonguecomic.com/

Devil Tongue’s Story: https://deviltonguecomic.com/store/

Samuel’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/sainezart

Lucas’ Twitter: https://twitter.com/lucaswordcraft

[rohobi]

Serendipity 05 | (M)

pairing— jeon jungkook x reader, friendwithbenefitsAU  genre/warnings— smut, fluff, humour words— 3, 781 ↳ CHAPTERS → CHAPTER 6

summary: ❝For someone like you who has never been in love -never being allowed that opportunity, the library is the perfect place to imagine if you were. Because let’s be honest, you fall in love with perfect strangers on public transport all the time and being in the library is no different.❞

You have failed contract law two times and it’s not because you can’t do it or because you aren’t smart enough, it’s because you’d rather do that stupid 1000 degree glowing knife thing on your own fucking foot than be an actual lawyer. You see, you were only given two choices: medicine or law and honestly, fuck being a doctor.

Choosing law didn’t mean at all that you wanted to be a lawyer. It just meant that you had bought 5 more years of relative freedom from your menacing and controlling parents.

But freedom evidently comes at a price and for you, it was love and happiness and everything else that comes in between.

Sinking into the uncomfortable wooden seat in the public library, you liken yourself to a period stain on the underwear of academia because you have no interest in law and being a lawyer, and besides contract law, you were acing practically everything else.

“Hi sorry,” a young girl in a bright red velvet dress asks, shaking you from your thoughts. She points to the chair beside you, “Are you using this chair? My boyfriend needs a place to sit and this is the only table with free chairs.”

“Oh sure,” you smile, pushing the chair towards her. “Um, yeah no worries. Take it.”

“Thanks, just want my boyfriend to be comfortable when we study together,” she whispers, almost in a gloating way that makes you internally cringe. “You know how boyfriends get.”

“No I don’t and I didn’t ask,” You deadpan, blinking at the girl. “You can go now.”

“You’re right, you wouldn’t know.” She snorts at you, looking you up and down before rushing off with the chair. You watch her with a scowl on your face as she pushes the chair behind her boyfriends knees, kissing his cheek as he sits.

You roll your eyes and before you can curse out that couple, your phone vibrates loudly against the wooden table in front of your books.

“I swear to god if this is my mother...” you grit your teeth as you grab it, expecting it to be your mother and her callous communication regarding tonight's dinner but as you read the message, you are pleasantly surprised that it isn't.

In fact, you smile because it’s Jungkook.

Jungkook: Guess what just happened. I was leaning against a traffic pole and then felt something wet soak into my socks. It’s summer, there’s no puddles. So, I look down and you know what I see? A doG WITH ITS FUCKING HIND LEG UP, PEEING ON THE POLE AND ONTO MY LEG. I had to walk home wiTH DOG PISS ON ME!!! then I missed my ride to the harbour. The boys left on the boat half an hour ago without me and now I’m bored. Where are you? [11:02AM]

You snort as you lean back into your chair, “Idiot.”

You: Can you hang with Yoongi or something, it’s Taco Tuesday! I really can’t be bothered. [11:02AM]

It’s a lie but you’re quite content being alone today.

Jungkook: It’s Thursday idiot. Are you challenging me to find you? Also, Yoongi doesn’t have lips as soft as yours so I’m coming to find your sweet ass. [11:03AM]

You cringe. “Your ex-girlfriends may have enjoying your sweet talk but I sure as hell-

“Ssssh, you’re in a library!” a boy hisses across from you, behind his copious amount of astronomy books.

Your cheeks burn a blush as you stare at him. “What are you, the library police?”

He rolls his eyes, pointing to the sign that emphasised in all caps that your current seated position was in the quiet zone.

“Fine, damn, sorry.”

Turning back to your phone, you send Jungkook a gif of a child pointing the finger.

You: *gif* Well, from the sugar scrubs Yoongi has, I beg to differ. My professional opinion is that Yoongi does in fact have soft lips and that you should stay with him and kiss them instead [11:03AM]

Jungkook: whY SO UNHAPPY FOR??? WHAT'S HAPPENED IN YOUR WORLD??? WHY YOU GOT THE CASE OF THE GRUMPS?? HAVE YOU EATEN TODAY? [11:03AM]

You: Legit, nothing. You won't find me even if you tried, just stay home and play on your PS4 [11:04AM]

Jungkook: If I can find you in 10 minutes, will I get a prize? [11:04AM]

You: That depends on what you want and what you want is never actually good so no. Don’t know why you’d want to hang with me rn tbh I want to kill someone and that person could be you [11:04AM]

Jungkook is typing....

Jungkook: You can kill me if you want but do it with your lips lol all I want to do rn is to make out with you, can ye let your bestboi do dat? [11:05AM]

Rolling your eyes, you shake your head.

You: Why are you so annoying? Just kiss your fist, same difference [11:05AM]

Jungkook: Because you’d know all about kissing your fist haha. See you soon. Bet I can find you in less than 10 minutes, better be puckering up those precious lips of yours lol [11:05AM]

Jungkook: ?? [11:07AM]

Jungkook: ;) [11:07AM]

You ignore the rest of his messages before turning your phone off and putting it back into your pocket. He’d never be able to find you. You were certain Jungkook had never even stepped a foot into this library and he’s not about to start now. Picking up your book, you try to force yourself back into the prisons of sociology -a topic you have found interesting lately but the library and it’s once paradisiacal magic, stops you from even wanting to turn the damn page.

“Baby, don’t tickle me. I don’t want to get kicked out! I need to finish this report,” the young girl from before whispers, slapping her boyfriends hand away. “Stop it!” she squeaks when he retaliates with a hand up her dress.

The sound of her happiness pisses you off.

“Being kicked out is the last thing you should be worried about. I could kick your ass.” You whisper, slumping into your seat, letting your skirt be dragged up the cold uncomfortable wood. Who cares if people see your granny panties. “Why am I here?”

You have decided that there is something frustrating about libraries and it’s not because you spend most of your time in the one at uni but because now, it’s a place you often feel so damn lonely in that it’s no longer a pleasant escape anymore. And it’s not the learning atmosphere or the allusion that one cannot speak or make noise, to be quite frank, it’s them:

The couples.

The romantics.

The happy ones.

They ruin it.

Everyone around you has a friend or a lover (minus library police who looks content looking at the stars on his own but you aren’t about to empathize with that). Hands are being held under desks, people are cuddling together on the floor and on the couches as they read, shy smiles and earphones are being shared, heads are on shoulders, secret kisses are being exchanged.

It’s love and you hate it.

Because you aren’t in it.

You watch a girl not that much older than you sitting by the indoor spider plant against the chest of who you think might be her boyfriend. She looks happy, comfortable and beautiful but most of all, she looks in love.

You wonder what you’d look like in love if you were ever given the opportunity.

Spurred on by the passing scent of sandalwood, vetiver and cedar, you imagine yourself pressed against his chest instead of her. You’d definitely have your hand on his knee as you read or you’d be kissing his bicep every now and then, something that would affirm you as his lover to others.

You’d be a good lover maybe even better than her.

Shaking that thought out of your head, you clench your eyes closed. It’s an ugly thought and you can’t explain its origins. You’ve never been the type of person to feel insanely jealous of strangers but here you are, doing exactly that for no reason at all.

Maybe you were hungry.

Could explain why you feel so angry at everything.

Who knows.

You just feel a fervent desire to be held as you read or to have someone to just be there with you when you are so goddamn lonely that you aren’t okay, like right now when you feel like no one in this world cares.

And the intensity of this emotion makes you feel like your heart will burst when Jungkook sits opposite you suddenly out of the blue, wearing a white cotton button up shirt and blue sweats, panting like a madman.

Because he does care and he actually found you.

This big toe for thumbs idiot actually found you.

With perspiration dripping down the sides of his face, he tilts his head, a tired easy smile spreads across his face and you wonder why your heart hadn’t bled out all over your books. You can't believe he found you.

Leaning towards you, he whispers over your books. “I found you. Do I get my prize?”

“I can’t believe you found me?” you blink confusedly, “You’ve never even been in this building, how did you know which section I was in in?”

Crossing his arms over his chest, he laughs silently. “I asked reception if they had seen a grumpy and loud little shit wearing a pleated pink skirt with tomato sauce stains on it because there is no way she would’ve changed her clothes from yesterday and they pointed me to this very table.”

You roll your eyes. “Whatever.”

Leaning forward, he points excitingly. “See, what's with this shitty attitude. The sky didn’t fall on you when we spoke this morning, what's happened in the meantime. Your parents harassing you again about marriage?”

“Nothings happened, just leave me alone.”

“You could always just tell them that you plan on marrying me? That would get them off your back.” he whispers as though it were a genius idea. You imagine it, you telling your parents that you would be marrying an architect with nurses for parents. “Not too sure my parents would be keen on that but who knows. It’s your face that will get clawed, not mine.”

“So it is your parents?” he asks.

You shake your head.

But he doesn’t give in. Grabbing your arm, he shakes it as though you’ll actually tell him. “What is it Y/N?”

“Oh my god, Jungkook, I don’t want to talk about it,” you whisper harshly, pulling your arm back. “You’ll think it’s stupid and then I’ll be embarrassed and even more grumpy. Happy?”

“Of course not.”

“I’m sorry but I can’t help you with that.” you muster. "Honestly, I just want to be alone."

“Something is telling me that you're upset because you are alone. I know you. Come with me.” Scraping the legs of his chair loudly against the tiled floor, he grabs your wrist, pulling you out of your seat and dragging you through the quiet study zone and into the library aisles.

Rushing through aisles of tall wooden bookshelves, you watch his timberlands scrape against the dark blue carpet. If this was any other person, you would’ve kicked them straight up the gucci hole. But this is Jungkook and you trust him more than you trust yourself. You pass librarians restocking shelves, languid book explorers, indoor plants and many many empty aisles.

“Jungkook,” you pout, letting him drag you. “Are you taking me to the children's literature section so I can help you get a book out?”

He snorts, looking back at you. “No, of course not. I’m taking you to the horticulture section so I can deflower you.”

“Right,” the deeper you go into the library, the darker and more desolate it becomes. “You’re joking right? Because I know this is hot and a big fetish on pornhub but I can’t focus on anything but those pants right now.”

“What about my pants?”

Smiling, you whisper. “Your thighs look so muscular and your booty be poppin boy, I see you. You been working out.”

Wiggling his eyebrows, he stops to whisper in your ear. “Well, one of us has to.”

You gasp. “What the hell does that mean?”

“You’re weak is all, lucky you have me,” Jungkook smiles at you before looking left and right. “It looks like we are all clear.”

He drops his hand from yours.

“For what?” you ask.

He turns to face you with a smug grin plastered across his face.

Stepping close to you, he grabs your shoulders, pulling you into a random aisle and pushing you up against the bookshelf. Your back hits the shelf uncomfortably and you wince at the protruding corners of hard covered books against your spine.

“Fuck, Jungkook,” you whine, rubbing your back. “Be gentle will you?”

He steps close, raising his hand to caress your cheek. “Being gentle with you is impossible with a mouth like yours.” His eyes fall down to your lips. He can only guess what you might be thinking about when he watches you bite your lip.

“Jungkook?” you whisper, watching his eyes flick down to your lips. You’re so close you can see the little freckles on his chin and the scars of old acne on his cheek and then he smiles at your sudden complacency.

You close your eyes as he leans toward your face.

But he doesn’t kiss you like you think he will, he simply watches the pink rise to your cheeks as you clench your eyes impossibly tight. You look ridiculous and Jungkook doesn’t think he’ll have another opportunity to admire you so closely again, so that’s all he does.

“You look like your pushing a poo out,” he whispers, cupping your jaw, “Relax will you, why are you weird today?” You open your eyes as he relaxes against you. “You’ve been grumpy all day Y/N, what's happening with you?”

“Nothing,” Looking away from him, you take a deep breath. “I’m just ...I’m not okay and I feel lonely and I hate everyone.”

He nods in thought. “It’s okay to not be okay sometimes, I won't hold that against you.”

You look back to him in a small grin. “Thanks.”

“But I will hold it against you if you don’t tell when you aren’t okay. How do you expect me to help you or comfort you if I don't know? I’m not a mindreader.”

“Why would you comfort me? Why would you want to help me?” you ask, something passes through his face, hurt? You aren’t sure. “I mean, why would you ...I’m not important.”

“Y/N,” he holds your face tenderly, rubbing his thumb across your cheek bone. “I want to beat up the person who made you think that you weren’t important. I don’t like it when you aren’t happy, it’s just not right.”

“What?” you blush, feeling the heat of his affection boil in your chest.

“You mean alot to me you stupid egg,” he whispers, pressing his forehead to yours. “I’m here for you Y/N, you know that and you can tell me anything.”

Leaning down, he nuzzles your nose with his. You close your eyes, letting the feeling of comfort sink into your bones as you relax back into the bookshelf behind you. It hurts but you aren’t hurting alone for once, and that is nice.

Wrapping your arms around his waist, you whisper against him. “I do know,” You take a deep breath, he’s honestly the fresh air you need when everything in your world feels murky. “It’s just sometimes, I don’t even know why I’m not okay and my brain has to go and find reasons like right before you came, I was mulling over how single I am in comparison to the amount of couples there are in here.”

“Don’t be jealous of them. Men bring in their girlfriends in here so they can have a piece of mind and enjoy silence for once in their relationships. That’s probably why you saw alot of them in the quiet zone.”

You laugh in realisation. “Oh shit, you’re right. I feel a little better now.”

He smiles. “Good.”

Jungkook presses forward, rubbing his nose past yours to slide his lips over your smooth ones. It’s a soft chaste kiss but one that pulls you back down to earth from whatever rock you had launched yourself onto while you were hating the world.

Stepping closer to you, Jungkook vice pinches your chin, pulling away from your mouth to run his thumb over your bottom lip. You languidly open your eyes, staring at him as he gently latches onto your lip before letting it go.

Dropping his hand from your face, he stands back wiping his palm on his thigh. “You need to wash your face.”

Frowning, you push him away so that you can pull him into a choke hold in your arm. Squeezing around his throat, you drag him down the aisle. “Ruin the moment much! You are such a little nob you know that.”

“I have a big nob actually.” he chokes.

You laugh into his face. “The size of your penis does not matter when the size of your brain is so little. Try reading a couple books?” You poke into his temple.

“Fuck, I love it when you speak nerd to me.”

Pushing you off him and up against the bookshelf, he kisses you again. You can feel him smiling against your mouth as he pushes himself up against you, he fucking loves this, of course he does.

Wrapping your arms around his neck, you give in to this kiss. You could honestly and seriously get used to kissing him, his lips were always so soft and being held by him and surrounded by his scent was comforting. Tilting your head, you deepen the kiss, unsure if you should use tongue but immediately doing it anyway because who fucking cares.

Jungkook made a list of rules and broke most of them on the same day anyway.

Pulling away from you, Jungkook begins kissing down your neck. Brushing his palm up your thigh, he moves his hand over your stomach before slipping it under your shirt. His fingers tickle your sides before sliding up your torso, stopping just underneath the wire of your bra. Cupping over your bra, he squeezes and you marvel at how perfectly his hand fits over your breast.

Pressing open mouth kisses against your neck, you moan as softly as you can manage being in a public setting. “Jungkook, keep it PG.” Dropping your hands, you wrap them around his hips, pulling him closer by his waistband so you can slip them under his shirt and feel the soft skin of his back.

His teeth nip at your earlobe before his lips press light kisses under your ear. You shudder at the affection but your heart ricochets against your chest, maybe libraries weren’t that sad after all.

“I love that,” you mutter and he groans against you, salt on the tip of his tongue. “Feels good.”

You really do love how quickly Jungkook can move from intense to leisure as if he had all the time in the world for you that makes you slump against him, a content sigh leaving your mouth.

Pulling your hand out from his back, you check your watch over his shoulder. “I have ...a dinner tonight with my parents at 7.” you say, feeling breathless.

Pushing his hands up your waist, he opens his mouth to roll his tongue on the most sensitive parts of your skin. “Hmm, want me to come?”

You laugh. “To the dinner or in your pants?”

Nibbling on your earlobe, he whispers. “To the dinner but if you want to make me come, go ahead.”

Dropping your hands from around his neck, you slowly and comfortably dip your fingers past the waistband of his pants. “I’d love for you to come ...but you haven't met my family before and when you do ...I’m not sure if you’ll still want to be my friend.”

Pulling away from your neck, he kisses your nose. “How bad can they be?”

Putting your hand in his briefs, you palm his hardening length. Jungkook bites his lip, and you watch his eyes close languidly.

“Pretty fucking bad,” you muster, stroking his erection. “You have to look a certain way if you want to come though.”

Pressing his forehead against yours, he clenches his eyes closed as you wrap your hand around his shaft to dry jerk him. “What ...kind ...of way?”

Pushing your nose past his, you place a tender kiss against his lips. He thrusts into your hand in response. “Leather loafers, designer socks, suit pants, dresser shirt, styled hair and gucci cufflinks.”

Dropping his head onto your shoulder. You press your thumb against his leaking slit.

“Fuck,” he groans deeply. “Yeah, I can do that. I knew your family were rich. Anything else?”

“Don’t be offended by anything they say. My dad will see a weakness and exploit it. It’s what he’s good at.”

Pressing you harder against the bookshelves, he whimpers into your ear. “And ...ah ...your mother?”

“She’ll like you because you’re hot."

You look over his shoulder, left and right to check if you are alone. Pumping his shaft as quick as you can go, Jungkook digs his teeth into the soft junction between your head and your neck as he cums all over your hand and in his pants.

His heart's racing and you are kind of disturbed, reluctant to pull your hand out and deal with his sticky cum. “That was quick.”

“You jacked me quick, fuck you.”

“I didn’t say that was a bad thing, I’m happy. My wrist lives another day,” Collapsing on you, you pull your hand out. You wipe it on the back of his shirt as you cringe. “So, you actually want to meet my parents?”

He nods against you, not wanting to move. “Yes.”

You rake your fingers through his hair with your other hand, massaging his scalp. “You think you’ll be okay?”

He shivers as you drag your nails down his neck. “Probably.”

Kissing his cheek, you push him away. “I’ll give you until 6:30 to back out. Have fun walking out of here with a wet stain on your groin that makes you look like you pissed your pants.”

He sinks into the bookshelf as you pull away, watching your back as you walk down the aisle. "Feel better now?" You nod before walking out his sight. "Absolutely."

Jungkook doesn’t know what he’s just agreed to but then again, neither do you.

[ppgang]

IDOL GANG – GANG PARADE, their events are “everyone's playground”. “WE'LL MAKE A PLACE EVERYONE CAN ENJOY”

From orthodox beauty to loli rocker, the idol gang formed by 9 members with 9 different personalities, GANG PARADE also known as “GANPARE”. Their newest single “GANG 2” released on 5/29 got 5th place on the ranking. The events are “everyone's playground”, we draw near the charm of the girls who appeal to men and woman of all ages.

WE'RE A GROUP THAT ADAPTS TO PEOPLE'S FETISH

- Having the predecessor group PLANIME formed in 2014, after 2 changes of name and decrease and increase of members, you had your first live this year on 4/17 with the 9 members formation. How is the group's atmosphere now?

Can GP Maika: The interests and hobbies are different, there's no overlap of characters, and the place we aim as idols is the same, so we can understand each other naturally, it feels like we're really settled as a group. Personally, because it's a lineup of members full of personalities, I think I can show the side I want to, it feels like here is where I belong.

Kamiya Saki: The office belong to, WACK, there are a lot of groups with strong personalities, therefore while cultivating one's character by studying, each and everyone can polish their own personality, research how to show it best, I think we are becoming able to show our characters consciously.

Yui Ga Dockson: From loli to orthodox beauty, on top of that there's a monk (laughs), perhaps we are a group that can adapt to people's fetish.

- Indeed, from high school girls to company employees, to taking their family along, one of GANPARE traits is the extensive type of fans.

Coco Partin Coco: Everyone, it crosses over their age and sex distinction, I think it's amazing how we can become one and have a great time together. When we did a mini live in Hyogo, there was a children's plaza in the back of the stage, when we noticed, the children there were dancing the same moves as us. The fans who saw that said “You can also be Uta no onee-san!” but (laughs), I was happy we could also catch the children's heart, I think it's a good characteristic of GANPARE that men and women of all ages can have fun.

- Just like your catchphrase, GANPARE lives surely are “everyone's playground”.

Yamamachi Miki: If there are people devoted in dancing along, because cameras are OK, there are people who devote to recording videos, or people who devoted themselves to take photos, all the fans can enjoy the stage on their own way doing what they like, personally I really like this freedom.

Yumeno Yua: The catchphrase, it was born when our company president saw the fans from POP era and baptized the fans as “asobinin”, at first we didn't really thought of it as a deep meaning. But the members changed, last year when we talked about what exactly was everyone's playground, at first seeing us on stage is the main but, we thought maybe we had to create a playground where everyone there could be the leading part and have fun.

Coco Partin Coco: Until then, the groups of the same office like BiSH and BiS, it felt like we were behind them, it was like “We will turn face this adversity! We won't lose! Woo!”, a really hot period continued where we would overdo entirely our hungry spirits. There were fans who said that was good but, we talked about how maybe we shouldn't do things one sided, but rather make everyone in the whole place become one. After that, our awareness on stage changed quite a lot.

I WANT TO STAY AS A GROUP WHO WILL TAKE AN UNEXPECTED TURN IN THE END OF THE STORY

- Specifically, what do you aim, what do you have in mind when you are on stage?

Yumeno Yua: During lives, there are times we perform with a band, others with other idol groups, because the type and mood of fans is different, every time we talk about what kind of stage we'll do in order to capture the fans of the other part as well, we try to have that in mind in each and every performance.

Terashima Yuuka: We are constantly thinking about what we can do so people who don't know us will have fun too.

Haruna Ba Chiin: Rather than yesterday, today, everyday we get renewed, having in mind to show our maximum of that time.

- On 5/29, the first single with the new formation “GANG 2” was released, got 1st on daily ranking and 5th on weekly.

Tsukino Usagi: There are 2 songs in it but, those 2 songs have a completely different atmosphere, in a good way I think that not having just one color is one of our strengths.

Coco Partin Coco: Regarding past songs too, just how much our history is long, there are a lot of different songs with change of direction but, now too we are taking them over and singing those songs.

Yamamachi Miki: The type of songs is vast but, singing voices too, from cute voices to cool voices there's a great extent, I think this is also something good. Fans too can tell on the spot which part their favorite member is singing.

- Lastly please let us hear your objectives from now on.

Kamiya Saki: A national tour will start on 7/1, the final will be on 9/20 at Zepp Tokyo but, because we couldn't sold out the previous Zepp Diver City, I want to achieve that this time.

Yumeno Yua: I want to become national! Now too men and women of all ages come to our lives but, I want to make that scale bigger, I want to make GANPARE a nationally known existence.

Yui Ga Dockson: I want to be a group that everyday, will make an unexpected turn at the last page of the story, possibly having many different faces. Betraying expectations, always with outstanding freshness, receiving new goods, I want to continue everyday like that.

Terashima Yuuka: We became a new lineup and are still on growing period but, to continue growing, so even 40 or 50 years from now the people who came to see us will remember once in a while, I want us to be this kind of existence.

Coco Partin Coco: Because for now we mastered the man and women of all ages, I want to conquer all over Japan, and finally aim worldwide!

Can GP Maika: For now we have to establish our form as 9, and get popular in Japan!

(Text: Kawakami Itsuko)

[theliberaltony]

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

Graphics by Ella Koeze

In a matter of days, the Supreme Court may dramatically change the census. The court is slated to rule on whether the Trump administration can add a question about citizenship to the 2020 form. When the case was argued back in April, many court-watchers predicted that the court’s five conservative justices were ready to side with the administration. The proposal sounds innocuous enough, but social scientists and civil rights advocates worry it will deter vulnerable populations — particularly undocumented people, other immigrants and their families — from answering the census. If that happens, many people from these groups will be at risk of not being counted and huge swaths of American life will be affected. The results of the count determine everything from where grocery stores are placed to how congressional representatives are distributed.

There are few things we care more about around here than political apportionment (although, if we’re being honest, we care an awful lot about groceries, too). So we went in search of researchers who had estimated the potential effect of the citizenship question. We found several, none of whom agreed on just how big an impact this would have. But they were all on the same page about one thing — if the Supreme Court rules that the new question can be included, it could alter our political future.

Every 10 years, the updated census numbers are used to determine how many U.S. House members each state will get. So figuring out who might be missed and where can tell us a lot about who stands to gain political representation and who stands to lose. Forecasting that amounts to sophisticated guesswork, since the question hasn’t yet been field-tested by the Census Bureau — a decision that many experts regard as a scientific cardinal sin. But that hasn’t stopped researchers from trying to fill the void.

I talked to three political scientists who all took a stab at quantifying how much each state’s population would change if some of the people who seem most likely to be affected by the question — immigrants, noncitizens and Latinos — simply went uncounted. All three used different assumptions about how people will feel when they’re confronted with the questionnaire — a kind of statistical choose-your-own-adventure game. You can see five estimates calculated by those researchers in the chart below:

These estimates make different assumptions about who will be missed by the census, which led to fairly substantial differences in how evenly the undercount was distributed and which states were most affected. Estimates for population loss in California alone ranged from almost 700,000 to over 1.8 million. Notably, the Census Bureau’s own estimate (Scenario 1) was by far the most conservative. Let’s take a closer look:

Scenarios 1 through 3 come from George Washington University’s Christopher Warshaw,1 a political scientist who ran two analyses based at least in part on the Census Bureau’s estimate of the question’s effect, and a third based on his own survey experiment.2

Scenario 4 comes from Bryce Dietrich, a research fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy. Dietrich worked with the Washington Post to estimate the impact that an undercount of about 6 million Hispanics would have on state populations.

Scenario 5 comes from political scientist Eric McGhee of the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California, who estimated what would happen if the census was poorly conducted — a distinct possibility, given that the Census Bureau is perpetually strapped for cash — and 10 percent of households that include undocumented immigrants were missed.

The question for many political observers, of course, is what all of this will mean for what happens after the census, when the states are assigned seats in the House of Representatives based on their new population count. Some clear winners and losers emerge here.

California would lose seats in all five undercount scenarios

Estimates of how an undercount would affect the apportionment of U.S. Representatives after the 2020 census, for states where any impact was estimated in five scenarios from researchers

Difference in number of seats due to undercount undercount scenario AL AZ CA FL MN MT OH TX 1. 5.8% of noncitizens undercounted 0 0 -1 0 0 +1 0 0 2. 5.8% of noncitizens and Hispanics undercounted +1 0 -1 0 0 +1 0 -1 3. 5.9% of Hispanics and 11.3% of foreign-born non-Latinos undercounted +1 0 -1 -1 +1 +1 0 -1 4. Poorly conducted census and 10% of households with undocumented immigrants undercounted 0 -1 -1 0 +1 +1 +1 -1 5. 6 million Hispanics undercounted +1 -1 -2 0 +1 +1 +1 -1

1. Based on Census Bureau estimates from Aug. 2018.

2. Partially based on Census Bureau estimates from Aug. 2018.

3. Based on a survey experiment that tested how much less likely respondents were to say they would return the census form if the citizenship question was included.

4. Partially based on the undercount in the 1990 census.

5. Based on a survey experiment that tested how much less likely respondents were to respond to individual questions on the form if the citizenship question was included.

2020 population projections were derived by the researchers and vary from scenario to scenario.

Sources: Christopher Warshaw, Bryce Dietrich and The Washington Post, Public policy institute of California

California loses at least one seat in all five scenarios, while Montana stands to gain one. Ohio, Minnesota and Alabama are all potential winners, depending on the scenario, while Texas, Arizona and Florida come out on the losing side in at least one estimate. “This is a fairly significant impact, especially when you consider that some of these states would stand to gain seats if not for this question,” Warshaw said.

We can’t really tell you which scenario is most likely to play out (assuming the court opens the door to any of them). It all hinges on which groups are ultimately missed in the final count and by how much. The actual effect of the citizenship question could be much larger than any of these estimates, if other groups refuse to respond as well. Or it could be smaller, if the Census Bureau is able to track down some of the people who don’t respond to the first questionnaire they send out. Most of these estimates are based on the idea that every person who doesn’t initially respond to the census, or who skips a question or two, won’t be counted. In reality, at least some of those people will almost certainly be included in the count because armies of census workers will fan out across the country next year to find people who didn’t respond to the initial request for information.

As the lawsuits over the citizenship question unfolded, Census Bureau officials argued that they will be able to respond to some of the fears swirling around the question through community outreach and follow-up. In an email, a Census Bureau spokesperson told me that in response to concerns about an undercount, the agency is “developing a robust communications campaign and working with communities across the country to communicate that responding to the census is safe, easy, and important.” The agency is also about to begin a test of the question that it says will help determine how many census workers are needed to follow up with people who don’t respond at first. Rob Santos, a researcher at the nonpartisan Urban Institute and the co-author of a recent report on miscounts and the census, said that these efforts could make a difference, but added that the intense publicity surrounding the citizenship question has already created an “atmosphere of fear and mistrust” in immigrant, refugee and Latino communities.

Nancy Mathiowetz, an expert on survey research, was also skeptical that the census’s follow-up efforts could fully mitigate the effect of the question. She pointed out that Latino citizens and undocumented people are already likely to be undercounted, and it’s not clear if the Census Bureau has any new tricks up its sleeve for reaching them. Some of the impact may also depend on the type of undercount that occurs. Failing to fill out part of the questionnaire, she said, might be less of a problem than leaving household members off an otherwise complete form, since the Census Bureau has said that it will try to fill in certain types of missing information using statistical techniques and administrative records, but it has no way of knowing if family members have simply been omitted. Several experts noted that conjecturing about a respondent’s race and ethnicity could create other kinds of data accuracy problems that could resurface when congressional and state legislative districts are drawn, but the issue for state-level apportionments is simply whether everyone is included in the total count — not whether all the information on each person’s form is correct.

At the end of the day, all of this sparring is a poor substitute for the rigorous, lengthy testing process that a new census question would usually undergo. If the citizenship question ends up on the questionnaire, another test of sorts will unfold in real time, with the entire American population as its subjects. And it will have concrete consequences for who gets political representation. To many social scientists and civil rights advocates, this seems like a needlessly dangerous experiment, and one that runs counter to the cautious, scientific spirit of the federal government’s largest statistical agency. But the Supreme Court may allow it to happen anyway — and if it does, we will soon learn more about just how resilient one of our nation’s oldest civic traditions really is.

[checkbeardr9]

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[muthur9000]

Prometheus (2012)

1. Jon Spaihts was originally brought on when the film was simply the “untitled Alien prequel.” After a general meeting, where he riffed for about 45 minutes about what could happen in the film. When faced with a studio saying they wanted to go back to the Alienuniverse but wasn’t sure how to do it, Spaihts said, “The only way to do it was to go back in time.”

2. After his first meeting, it took only ten days before Spaihts had a meeting with Ridley Scott and the 20th Century Fox executives. He wrote his first draft in only 3 ½ weeks.

3. Although Scott has said that the location for the opening sequence is not necessarily Earth, Damon Lindelof describes it as a “sort of nascent, pastoral, lifeless Earth” and later identifies it as “the dawn of life on Earth.” However, several minutes later, Lindelof says it’s up for debate whether this was Earth.

4. The opening sequence included dialogue between the Engineers, and this was shot and included in the deleted scenes. However, the dialogue was removed because it was felt the Engineers speaking robbed them of their mystery. Lindelof, who recorded his commentary before the film was released, suspected he would be criticized for not saying exactly what happened.

5. Lindelof says that he and Scott had “a long and involved conversation” on what to call the film. “Ridley would constantly bust my balls about calling it Prometheus because he thought it was pretentious and hard to pronounce,” he says. “I said I agree it is both, but as I am a very pretentious person, I was able to sort of bludgeon him into it, and I think Fox thought it was cool.”

6. The name of the ship in Spaihts’ original script was the Magellan, and the name Prometheus was added by Lindelof. Continuing to admit he’s a pretentious writer, Lindelof says he chose the allusion to Greek mythology because Weyland (Guy Pearce) is trying to get immortality from his creators as Prometheus stole fire from the gods.

7. Even though the dig where we meet Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) was in Spaihts’ original script, Scott didn’t shoot it initially, choosing to start the action in space. This scene was added during reshoots. Other versions of the archeology scene includes one in which Shaw and Holloway make their discovery in a submarine, but it was cut for budgetary reasons. Another version had them finding archeology on Mars, but Spaihts felt that was too much of an easy sell to convince someone that aliens seeded Earth.

8. In regards to Prometheus being labeled a horror movie, Lindelof states, “I think Prometheus certainly has defined horror elements… They just can’t stay out of the attic even if they know that it’s dangerous.”

9. Spaihts identifies what he believes is the biggest shift between his script and Lindelof’s revisions: the amount of alien creatures in the film. Spaihts’ script had traditional facehuggers, chestbursters and xenomorphs. Lindelof removed many of those elements in order to avoid telling a standard Alien story.

10. Spaihts also felt a big difference in the script versions was there was “a pretty long drum roll at the top” in his script. Initially there were extended sequences of Shaw and Holloway making their case to find alien ancestors, using puzzle pieces of language, genealogy and pre-history. “By the time we got onto a ship, we’d been running really the ghost story of human past, the mystery story, for a solid twenty minutes of screen time in the scripts I wrote.” In Lindelof’s script, this exposition is put in during the crew briefing. Lindelof says he did this to be more dynamic by presenting the information to the crew members at the same time it’s presented to the audience.

11. Lindelof compares this exposition scene to the crew to his work on Lost. The scripted scene was 8 or 9 pages, and it throws a lot of exposition at the audience. He said when he worked on Lost, he avoided expository scenes “at all costs.” As a result, he says, “people hate me because the show was very confusing.”

12. Lindelof points out that David (Michael Fassbender) is perfectly happy to be a robot. He doesn’t’ have a Pinocchio complex. “Robots are like iPods,” he says. “You can put your own case on them or put your own apps on them.” This is why he emulates Peter O’Toole from Lawrence of Arabia, to personalize himself rather than to emulate humanity.

13.After she wakes up from cryosleep, Meredith asks David if everyone is still alive. She is specifically asking whether Peter Weyland survived. If he were dead, she would have turned the ship around and gone home.

14. Both Spaihts and Lindelof express disappointment in the casting of a younger, extremely fit actor like Guy Pearce as Peter Weyland. Originally, there were scenes in which David talks to Weyland in his dream, and he appears as a young, fit man. However, Scott dropped those scenes because he didn’t think they were needed. This led Spaihts to refer to Weyland as “a strapping old man” and Lindelof to point out the inherent silliness of not just casting an old man rather than using old-age make-up.

15. Spaihts addresses a common complaint about the Prometheus being so much more advanced than the Nostromo, even though this film takes place many years before the events of Alien. He points out that the Nostromo was “a tugboat,” and it’s possible that cruder ship had been around for 150 years. “I don’t trip too much over the anachronism of the technology.”

16. Lindelof compares Weyland’s quest for more life (rather than more money) to Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) in Scott’s Blade Runner. However, instead of an artificial being seeking more life from humanity, this film features a human going to his creator and asking for more life. He says, “For me, Prometheus was all about making an Alien-Blade Runner mash-up, using the best themes from both movies and dropping them all into the same world… I just assumed they were sequels of each other.”

17. Spaihts wrote five drafts of the film, generally adhering more to the original Alien and including more of the derelict spacecraft (which is later referred to as a “juggernaut”).

18. In Spaihts’ original draft, the pups used to map the caves rolled and crawled along the ground instead of flying. He admits that they look cooler in the air.

19. Both Spaihts and Lindelof address the often criticized helmet removal by the crew. Lindelof calls it a “leap of faith” for the characters and compares Holloway’s helmet removal to the scene from Close Encounters of the Third Kind in which Richard Dreyfussremoves his gas mask to prove there’s no danger. Spaihts calls the issue an inevitable tug-of-war. “Logic demands the helmet stay on almost always for head protection, for atmosphere, pressure could blow, infection could set in,” he said. “The director and actors will always want their helmets off for performance’s sake. And there will always be pressure to give the actors a good excuse to take their hats off.”

20. Spaihts originally conceived that the Engineers saw a greater spectrum than humans did. However, so did David, and he could see signs and symbols in the corridors that the humans didn’t.

21. Lindelof says Holloway gave Shaw “probably the worst STD you can possibly get, an alien in the belly.” What emerges is progenitor of the facehugger, and he says, “Shaw and Holloway are kind of that facehugger’s mommy and daddy.” Spaihts also independently calls the alien embryo a sexually transmitted disease, adding, “A chestburster was actually conceived by the love of a man and a woman.”

22. Lindelof further discusses the motivation of the Engineers: “That’s kind of the point of the movie, I think. The idea that our creators really don’t have a particular sense of great ambition or meaning behind what they’re doing as Holloway described it in an earlier draft… The idea that Earth was just these people’s Petri dish. But perhaps there is more to why they created us in the first place, which is sort of the spirit in which the movie ends. Again if you’re listening to my commentary it’s probably because you’re interested in what I have to say or you hate me. In either case, one of the things that I love to do in my writing is not answer questions definitively. As frustrating as this is I rely much more on the human imagination and your ability to sort of theorize as to what you think may have happened. And although that’s why its’ frustrating, people talk about movies after they’re over.”

23. Lindelof anticipates fans taking issue with the explanation and human connection to the space jockey, as he did initially when he read Spaihts’ script. He says, “It’s a controversial idea because anything in a prequel that essentially recasts your understanding of the original movie has the opportunity to lessen that movie and therefore, it’s a risk.”

24. On how the film actually ties in directly with Alien and its sequels, Lindelof is continually vague: “We still don’t know what happened on LV-426. Maybe we’ll never know. This movie goes off in its own direction. But again we sort of wanted to have the sense that if Prometheus had never occurred, maybe Alien still would’ve happened. But we’re seeing a similar chain of events going in an entirely different way.”

25. Lindelof explains that David is hesitant to spike Holloway’s drink with the alien mutagen possibly because of his ethics programming. However, because Weyland has instructed him to do whatever is necessary to bring a solution, but more importantly because Holloway admits that he’d do anything to get his own answers, that allows David to override that part of his programming.

26. Spaihts originally conceived Janek (Idris Elba) as a Captain Nemo type. While Elba doesn’t physically resemble the bearded type Spaihts had envisioned, he did fit the part extremely well. In fact, Lindelof makes several mentions throughout his commentary that he would do anything to add more Janek moments.

27. The sex scene between Holloway and Shaw was originally more antagonistic, in which Holloway was upset because he wanted to disprove the existence of God. Lindelof rewrote the scene for a reshoot to make it more congenial. This allows the audience to feel sympathy for Holloway when he is eventually killed by Vickers (Charlize Theron).

28. In Spaihts’ original script, Holloway was impregnated by a facehugger in the tunnels of the pyramid, after being startled by the holograms and falling down on an egg. The chestburster then emerged while he was making love to Shaw. Spaihts specifically chose this moment to tie together sex and violence, as is often done in the Alien universe.

29. Lindelof added the element of Fifield (Sean Harris) getting stoned in his suit to match the pattern of a horror movie, in which characters that have sex or get stoned often die.

30. After Holloway and Shaw’s sex scene and the attack on Millburn (Rafe Spall) and Fifield, Spaihts elaborates: “It’s interesting to see the Alien franchise’s built-in sexualization of menace play out in different fronts here. And it’s something that I think Damon did well, you know, obliged to part company with facehuggers and chestbursters which are very rapey and sexual phenomena. Pregnancy. And you, know, oral rape and impregnation as the way of being done in a by a monster, really ghastly. It’s why there is an Alienfranchise and not one scary Alien movie… The blasphemy of it, the fact that it is so vile and it’s so transgressive in the way it victimizes a human being I think is what makes it resonate, what makes it so dark.”

31. In Spaihts’ script, David finds a huge cargo hold of eggs, which was meant to undo the experiment on Earth. David captures and restrains Shaw when she confronts him in there. She is impregnated by a facehugger, and because she witnessed Holloway’s death, she knows what it will do to her. This is what causes her to escape and use the Med-Pod to extract it. Spaihts says that this deliberate exposure of Shaw to the aliens is what he misses most about his screenplay.

32. Spaihts says his idea of the C-section alien removal is what got him the writing job because no one had ever survived that before in an Alien film. “The real trauma is the exit wound,” he says, “so if you get it out clean, you might live.” In his script, once the creature was removed, it was ejected from the Med-Pod, and Shaw stayed in there for hours to heal, all the while watching it grow and eventually kill people. “Either way, she ends up running away, bloody and half-naked,” he admits.

33. The imagery around David accessing the Engineers’ stellar cartography hologram was inspired by a painting from Joseph Wright called “The Orrery.”

34. When Holloway is torched by Vickers, Spaihts points out the challenges in Lindelof’s script: “This is a difficult moment. And I can see Damon here looking for answers. You know, deprived of the facehuggers and aliens that otherwise killed these characters, how do you do away with them and how do you provide a moment for the evil for your villains to play out?”

35. Lindelof identifies what he considers to be the fundamental difference between his and Spaihts’ scripts, which influenced the name and direction of the film: “Weyland was not a character in Jon’s draft other than at the opening. He’s not on the ship. He was driven by the idea that finding the Engineers would result in breakthroughs in terraforming technology and thus could make the company a lot of money. In this version, Weyland is not driven by money at all. He’s driven by the one thing his money can’t buy him, which is some iteration of eternal life.”

36. When the surviving Engineer awakens, Lindelof points out that there are no answers to what exactly the Engineers were doing. David gives a theory, but there are no answers, though Lindelof hints at some ideas that could be developed in further films. Spaihts offers a more concrete reason why there’s no explanation: “If you’re gonna wake up God, you’re gonna have Him talk to you, what on Earth could he say? What speech can he give you that will satisfy you that will be good enough, cool enough, deep enough? Here’s the alien super-race that made us what we are. What do they have to say to us?”

37. The Engineer originally did speak to David, which is included in the deleted scenes, but Lindelof said it was removed from the film because “it robbed him of any coolness or mystery.”

38. At the end of Spaihts’ script, after the juggernaut crashes, Shaw has to fight a xenomorph which emerged from the Engineer pilot. Lindelof decided to change it to the Engineer fighting her because he felt it was a movie about a creation confronting its creator, rather than a woman fighting an alien.

39. Spaihts chose the name “David” for the android because the first three androids were Ash, Bishop and Call, in that order. Alphabetically, David was the next logical choice. David was also a reference to Michaelangeo’s famous sculpture, which was a physical model for the Engineers. He’s also the first android to be referred to by a first name instead of his surname, and he was the first in chronology.

40. As he wraps up his commentary, Lindelof goes back to the question of whether this is an actual prequel to Alien or not. His final argument is: “This movie doesn’t end with a bunch of eggs on LV-426, and that’s partly what makes it not fit as a direct prequel.”

Best in Commentary

Lindelof: “That was my attempt to get Charlize Theron naked, but cooler heads prevailed.” (Regarding Meredith Vickers doing push-ups in her underwear after waking from cryosleep)

Lindelof: “How far away is that from LV 426?” About 185 LVs, whatever that means. Yes, I’m not as nerdy as I should be.” (Regarding the location of LV-223)

Lindelof: “David is not really the guy you want as your OB-GYN.”

Lindelof: “A spoiler alert here. If a man and a woman have sex, you can make a baby. And if that man has just been infected by a crazy android with weird black goop, that baby is going to be strange and upsetting.”

Spaihts: “Both of the women in this movie are in insane shape. It’s terrifying how muscular and powerful they are. Either one could kick my ass.”

Lindelof: “If you hated the movie, again, I apologize. And hopefully this made you hate me even more. And if you liked it, I’m really grateful that you did. And hopefully we’ll get to spend some more time in this universe because it’s one of my favorites.”

[messiahozfj270-blog]

No Time? No Money? No Problem! How You Can Get blockchain utilities With a Zero-Dollar Budget

How can we notify if something is pretend or serious in these days’s entire world? For instance, a dollar bill, a driver’s license or even a vote during the election. How can we figure out no matter if it’s valid or not? The answer? We hold a record of it. One example is, Each individual greenback Monthly bill features a serial quantity that may be recorded with the bank. Your driver’s license selection is recorded from the DMV and voting information are used to track who voted and who didn’t, so the exact same particular person gained’t manage to vote 2 times. Whenever you choose to verify that a doc is legit, you merely glimpse it up with the relevant authority.

We even have Notaries, people who are licensed by The federal government to act as witnesses to attest and record the validity of pieces of knowledge or identities. You’ll detect there’s something that all of these mechanisms have in common - They are really all centralized, meaning there’s a central authority, irrespective of whether it’s a financial institution, condition Workplace, or individual that has the ability to concern and validate details. These central authorities have a lot of electric power, and as you understand electrical power might at times corrupt. So what takes place if a person of such authorities would like to change the facts or simply probably modify heritage a little bit? This my sound significantly fetched, but even our earth background is just a document kept by historians inside a centralized manner.

The phrase “Background is published with the victors” tells us that info can occasionally be distorted by All those in electric power. If you don’t believe that’s feasible, below’s a true lifetime example. These days, most funds is just a document of who owes what to whom. Mainly because of the subprime crisis in 2008, almost a thousand companies in the US acquired about 630 billion dollars that under no circumstances existed ahead of. Other firms had debts completely taken out. Some would argue this bailout was justified, however , you can’t deny that someone made a decision to alter the information of just how much funds was owned and owed. This can be why Bitcoin was born. It had been the main type of money that removes the necessity for the central authority.

Its information are held by Anyone, not only by central banking companies. And when everyone is preserving track and verifying the details, properly, that means that you can now not alter the ledger of transactions whenever one thing doesn’t add up or because it’s a lot more easy. You even have to begin getting accountable. But money isn’t the only real put in which decentralization can play a role. Does one try to remember Individuals large encyclopedia guides we accustomed to rely on when it arrived to research? Encyclopedia Britannica employed a hundred full time editors and over four,000 contributors to publish what we thought to be the authority on understanding. Just imagine the ability the editors of those publications had in choosing what was truly worth mentioning, condemning, condoning or disregarding. Very well, the final volume of encyclopedia Britannica was published in 2010. Now, info is much more decentralized with about a hundred thirty thousand Lively editors that sustain diverse Wikipedia web pages. The potential risk of any of them “heading rogue” unnoticed is much scaled-down considering the fact that each edit is public and might be confirmed by any individual. Decentralization minimizes the chance for corruption, fraud and manipulation. Blockchain technological know-how is a fresh and innovative technique to put into practice decentralization.

Within a nutshell, Blockchain technological know-how is an answer for the trouble of centralization. It’s a process for retaining documents by Every person, with none need for the central authority - a decentralized means of maintaining a ledger that's nearly extremely hard to falsify. I mean, when a lot of eyes are looking at and verifying every thing that’s currently being carried out, it’s definitely challenging to break The principles unnoticed. You could be thinking why is it known as Blockchain? Properly, consider we’re protecting a shared ledger with many internet pages of data. Each individual webpage starts with a sort of summary of the web page right before it. If you modify a A part of the earlier web page, you’ll even have to change the summary on The existing page. So the web pages are actually linked, or chained together. In technological terms, webpages are referred to as blocks. And considering the fact that Each individual block is associated with the information in the past block, We now have a chain of blocks, or perhaps a blockchain. Lots of individuals are convinced Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious inventor of Bitcoin, made Blockchain technological know-how. Technically he only established the first true life implementation of it - Bitcoin. In fact, that term blockchain is rarely even outlined in Satoshi’s original whitepaper.

The closest he comes to expressing Blockchain is “chain of blocks”. Now that you just really know what blockchain know-how is, we nonetheless have two important issues to reply - How can it actually work, and is blockchain going to change our long run? Allow’s get started with the 1st issue. Another way to talk to this concern would be - how do I create a technique that enables the creation, verification and updating of documents by Everyone? Properly, you'll find 4 things a blockchain needs to even have a lifetime of its own. The first thing required to help a blockchain is a peer-to-peer network - A community of desktops, generally known as nodes, that happen to be equally privileged. It’s open to any individual and everyone.

This is basically what we have already got today with the web. We need this network to ensure that we can converse and share with each other remotely. The 2nd component is cryptography. Cryptography may be the art of safe communication within a hostile atmosphere. It lets me to confirm messages and establish the authenticity of my own messages, even when destructive gamers are close to. We'd like cryptography due to the initial ingredient. Remember, I claimed any person can participate in this network - which include terrible actors. It’s wonderful which i can converse, but I also need to have to make certain my conversation will come by unaltered. The third aspect is really a consensus algorithm. You can change the specialized word “algorithm” Together with the term “rule”. This implies we must agree about policies on how we incorporate a whole new web site, generally known as a block, to our information. There are several kinds of consensus procedures, in Bitcoin’s situation we use a consensus algorithm known as Evidence of labor.

This algorithm states that to ensure that somebody to make the right to add a different webpage to our ledger they have to locate an answer to some math issue, which calls for computational electrical power to unravel. Computer systems throughout the community operate calculations to solve the math problem and in doing this, take in a lot of Electricity. To put it differently they are doing a lot of operate. That’s why when one of them finds the quantity that solves the problem and shows it into the network, they’re mainly displaying a “proof of labor”. Imagine it as the node’s way of claiming: “Hey, I put in a large amount of Electricity right here in solving this issue to start with, so I’m entitled to put in writing the following website page”. As I mentioned in advance of, there are actually other consensus algorithms that don’t call for a great meridiandlt.com deal energy, This is often just the algorithm style which the Bitcoin blockchain employs. You will find benefits and drawbacks to various algorithms, but in order to operate a decentralized ledger you’ll really need to choose one, otherwise It's going to be actually challenging to achieve a consensus with so A lot of people during the network.

Lastly, our last component is punishment and reward. This factor is actually derived from sport concept and it will make absolutely sure that it's going to be in men and women’s finest desire to generally Keep to the rules. So far, we’ve arrange a community that includes a way to speak securely, and follows a set of policies for reaching consensus. Now we’ll glue these aspects with each other by offering a reward to individuals that assist us manage our information and increase new internet pages. This reward can be a token, or coin, which is awarded each time a consensus has long been attained and also a new block is extra to our chain. Conversely, poor actors who make an effort to trick or manipulate the program will finish up losing the money they invested on computational ability or their coins could be taken far from them. In the long run, the important issue to recall would be that the punishment and reward system is effective on psychological conduct. It turns The foundations of the technique from a little something you should observe into a little something you’ll need to stick to, given that It will likely be in your very best interest to do so. This was just a very large amount explanation of what a blockchain includes.

But given that then, more people have begun to investigate Bitcoin and blockchain, and also have found the benefits they supply; possibly in follow, or being an financial commitment. So there you might have it, the 5 features of A very open up, community, decentralized blockchain. Up until these days you will find only A few blockchains which have in excess of 1,000 definitely independent individuals, and as such can be regarded as decentralized - Bitcoin, Ethereum and Monero to name some.

In case you’re believing that it feels like many exertions to put a blockchain in motion, you’re Completely right. But this is where Ethereum is available in. Ethereum can be a Get it done Yourself blockchain in which all these five things are currently in motion. All you need to do is build the correct Remedy along with it. But that’s a complete unique whiteboard episode you may check out down the road.

Now Enable’s proceed to another time period you may have read - A non-public, or closed blockchain. This term refers to businesses that display screen and Restrict the players who can get involved in their blockchain. It’s a tiny bit like how the world wide web, that's open up to Most people and any one, is different from an Intranet - an inside network of corporation personal computers. Although I think some companies will see price in jogging private blockchains to enhance their inside processes, it’s much from everything exciting inasmuch as it's very little to carry out with decentralization. To emphasise this a bit far more let’s compare open, community blockchains to shut, personal ones. A public blockchain is open to Most people, it’s transnational and borderless. It’s censorship resistant, and it doesn’t demand any third party. It’s also neutral - there’s no this kind of issue being a “excellent”, “bad”, “illegal” or “authorized” transaction, there’s just a “legitimate” or “invalid” just one.

A non-public blockchain Then again, is restricted to licensed members only, and It is governed by a handful of entities. While in the words and phrases of Andreas Antonopoulos, usually of personal blockchains you don’t actually need a blockchain, you can just share a spreadsheet amongst the individuals. The entire notion of blockchain was to decentralize a approach as a result of most people, and that’s specifically the opposite of what a private blockchain does. The characteristics of the community blockchain, On the flip side, develop tremendous Added benefits. There’s no single stage of failure. The documents are immutable, often called tamper proof. And at last, it’s censorship resistant so you're able to’t seriously remove a history or halt it from obtaining revealed - providing it follows the consensus guidelines. Just before we close currently’s lesson we still have just one significant dilemma to answer - Is blockchain technologies the next huge matter? I think you might have read of different startups which are using blockchain technological know-how to solve some sort of a difficulty.

Typically when I listen to of such a firm I check with two issues: Very first, are they using a general public or personal blockchain? Given that if they are not utilizing a general public blockchain there’s probably not just about anything really disruptive right here. Next, do they even require a blockchain? In case you recall to start with of the lesson, we discussed the risks of centralization.

But these risks are only significant if there’s a lot at stake. As an example, the queue for the pharmacy is managed in a centralized fashion but I don’t truly treatment since there’s not a good deal at stake and it’s truly more productive this way. Blockchain technological know-how is superb at decentralizing, however it’s also quite inefficient, gradual and Power consuming. For instance, Bitcoin’s community requires ten minutes on ordinary to confirm a transaction. Not The best waiting time for purchasing a cup of coffee in a 7-11. The only rationale to choose Blockchain engineering as your solution is In case your dilemma is actually centralization. Should you don’t have to decentralize some thing, you almost certainly don’t have to use blockchain engineering and so are superior off with some centralized Remedy.

In actual fact it will most likely work much better. To sum it up, Blockchain technological innovation is actually disruptive, but at this time only A few use scenarios really require it. So the actual problem is this: at the current minute, is our planet Completely ready For additional complex blockchain implementation than what Bitcoin already provides? In the early 2000s, there were loads of Amazons, Googles and Facebooks that never ever caught on with the alterations they offered... Now, numerous of those blockchain startups encounter the exact same destiny.

[comicteaparty]

November 25th-December 1st, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from November 25th , 2019 to December 1st , 2019.  The chat focused on Action Hat: Big Trouble in Little Everywhere HD Remix Gold Deluxe Edition by Sergio Ragno.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Week Long Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Action Hat: Big Trouble in Little Everywhere HD Remix Gold Deluxe Edition by Sergio Ragno~! (https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/action-hat-big-trouble-in-little-everywhere-hd/list?title_no=260255)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Remember, though, that while we allow constructive criticism, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic. Below you will find four questions to get you started on the discussion. However, a new question will be posted and pinned everyday (between 12:01AM and 6AM PDT), so keep checking back for more! You have until December 1st to tell us all your wonderful thoughts! With that established, let’s get going on the reading and the chatting!

QUESTION 1. What has been your favorite strip in the comic so far? What specifically did you like about it?

QUESTION 2. Of the strips with a connected story, which one did you like the best and why? Overall, do you prefer the interconnected story strips or the one-off strips more? What is your reasoning?

AntiBunny

Favorite strip so far is this one here https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/action-hat-big-trouble-in-little-everywhere-hd/the-legality-of-keeping-it-real/viewer?title_no=260255&episode_no=41 mostly because it is quite different from the rest. Since Action Hat is largely a running gag comic that's been doing "wins by doing absolutely nothing" since before Luigi made it cool, this page is a refreshing shake up of the usual gag, being entirely dialogue driven.

To answer the second question, I prefer the one offs. There's a little bit of connection between strips, in that any given of episode of the Simpsons is connected by common characters, and that every event that doesn't contradict the status quo is canon, but mostly it's meant to be taken one strip at a time. Read, get your laugh, and go about your day. Action Hat is best read that way in my opinion. Not unlike a newspaper comic in that regard. Not to be binged, but to be taken in small, regular doses.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. At the moment, who is your favorite character? What about that character earns them this favor?

QUESTION 4. Which jokes connected with you the most from the comic, whether in terms of relatability or hilarity? Also, which jokes caught you the most off-guard in terms of making you laugh?

mariah (rainy day dreams)

So I didn't make it all the way through the archive but to sort of answer questions 1, 3, and 4, I thought the strip that had Detective Detective-Partner's gun was super funny. The premise of the already a farsical type of comedy, but I feel like adding a second inanimate object character just pushed it to a new level of funny for me. Especially since the gun just goes off without provocation in the last panel. I'm not sure if that's enough to call the gun my favorite character, but that joke was definitely a highlight moment while I was reading though.

SergeXIII

Hello everyone, thank you for taking the time to read my comic this week.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 5. What has been your favorite illustration in the comic so far? What specifically about it do you like?

QUESTION 6. What piece of advice from Action Hat do you actually think is also a good lesson for how we should carry ourselves in life? How in general do you think the comedy of the comic shows how it can be used to say things about life?

RebelVampire

1) My fave strip is definitely this one: https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/action-hat-big-trouble-in-little-everywhere-hd/cool-guys-dont-look-at-explosions-action-hat/viewer?title_no=260255&episode_no=21 This was exactly where I wanted the idea to go, but it was still funny when it happened. Won't get into specifics since I don't want to spoil it for others at this juncture, but suffice it to say, I'm impressed the payoff was everything I dreamed of. 2) I liked the The Power of Love series the best. I am in love with the concept that theres a Guns and Bourbon store, and everyone acts like its the most common thing in the entire world. And I like the story about Detective Partner and Ex Wife met because it's a love story that fits too well in this world. There were just a lot of great continuing gags through. In terms of the second part of this question, I don't really have a preference. I actually like that the comic does a bit of both, since that gives wider appeal. Doesn't matter what you like, there's something for all.

3) My favorite character is Action Hat. Because Action Hat is the wisest of all characters despite not saying a single thing. And that's just badass. 4) The jokes that have connected with me the most are the ones regarding common cop tropes. Like the fact Detective Partner is a macho dude who doesn't open up to people, or that there's massive property destruction, etc. As a fan of cop dramas and cop action stories, I equally enjoy when people make fun of it cause they can be over the top and ridiculous. As for jokes that caught me off guard, it was definitely the one about the shopkeeper being Velma. Cause the entire time I saw the resemblance but thought, nah, that's impossible. But then someone said it. XD

RebelVampire

5) My favorite illustration is definitely from the same strip I answered for number 1. I love the explosions and the angles chosen. Especially the last panel where Detective Partner's face is slammed against the camera. It really gives some good depth to the image that really captures the badass atmosphere it wanted. 6) I think the advice in this strip is actually good https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/action-hat-big-trouble-in-little-everywhere-hd/enter-the-hat-9/viewer?title_no=260255&episode_no=9. Which to me the advice is that people do often lash out because of their own insecurities and fears. And while there is, of course, a line we need to draw at toxicity, sometimes we need to be patient and gentle with others to make them understand how their actions hurt us. In general, though, I feel this comic is a good reflection of how comedy is often a callback to human condition. And that in a lot of ways, it helps us deal with uncool things in life by making us laugh and remind us that sometimes, we need to take a step back from life and consider things from other angles (or even just take a break).

SergeXIII

I really appreciate all of these questions, RebelVampire, but I especially appreciate question number 6. The gag of the cop and inanimate object duo has been done before, but I always thought that what makes Action Hat stand out is that it serves as kind of a conscious for Partner (and Lynda, who is new to this version of the comic), so it is really valuable for me to get feedback on this so as to gauge the effectiveness of this.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 7. Which characters do you enjoy seeing interact the most? What about their dynamic interests you?

QUESTION 8. Given Action Hat is not a speaking character, how do you think this works in terms of the comic’s comedy? In other words, what aspects of the visuals and other characters’ dialogues help pull the comedy off?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 9. What sorts of art or story details have you noticed in the way the comic is crafted that you think deserves attention?

QUESTION 10. What is your favorite aspect of Detective Partner’s and Action Hat’s relationship? What has been your favorite moment between them so far? What about these aspects when it comes to Action Hat and Lynda?

RebelVampire

7) I enjoy seeing Detective Partner and Action Hat interact the most. I really love how the two play off of one another. Especially cause Action Hat is, you know, a hat. And I really like that despite basically just sitting there doing nothing, Action Hat is still given a personality because of how everyone else interacts with him. And I like how Detective Partner makes Action Hat super wise. 8) I think the silence works cause of two main reasons. First, what I hinted at to above. Even if Action Hat doesn't speak, there's still a lot of personality there because of the words other characters add in. And that itself is kind of funny cause it's just a ridiculous idea to have an inanimate object be in the police. So in essence you wind up these ridiculous situations that are brought on by other characters cause of what they assume an inanimate object said.

RebelVampire

9) A detail I really appreciate in the comic is actually the throwbacks to police drama tropes. Like the gruff partner, the dirty business dude trying to bribe people, the belligerent chief always complaining about the wanton destruction. It takes a lot of knowledge to really capture the cop drama spirit, and I love seeing it present while also torn apart in the most entertaining ways possible. 10) My favorite aspect of their relationship is probably their honesty. Like I love how Detective Partner basically immediately apologized to Action Hat for lashing out and became best friends. And I like how much Detective Partner idolizes Action Hat too, cause it is both funny while also revealing of Detective Partner's own wisdom. My favorite moment between them is still probably the one from my fave strip, but I've mentioned that to death. As for Lynda, I like the patience in their relationship. Not a whole lot of people have patience for anything, and I just like this is kind of a key point to their relationship. It's got that good slow burn kind of feel. For fave moment, I like when Lynda is touched Action Hat "waited" for her. And it had nothing to do with the fact it's a hat and has no legs to move.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 11. What do you think are this particular comic’s strengths? What do you think makes this comic unique? Please elaborate.

QUESTION 12. What sort of tropes of cops and cop dramas have you seen in the comic so far? In what ways do you think the comic successfully subverted them and/or changed how you thought about them?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 13. What are you most looking forward to in the comic? Also, do you have any final thoughts to share overall?

QUESTION 14. In general, what other police-drama related shenanigans are you hoping to see Action Hat tackle? How do you think those scenarios will play out?

RebelVampire

11) I think this comic's strength is just how the comedy works. There's lots of creative ways it uses both the fact Action Hat doesn't talk and is an inanimate object to its advantage. There's also just a good balance in how it treats everything since the comic somehow acknowledges the ridiculousness while at the same time taking it seriously. So in the end, it's just got a great tone for having fun with the subject matter. 12) I've talked about this one quite a bit already. But got the disgruntled chief who forces partners together, gruff partner who just like guns, massive property damage, sleezy rich dude, etc. The comic does a great job of reminding you that all this action stuff is actually silly if you were to frame it in the context of reality. Like there's only so much property damage the police will take before firing someone, etc.

13) I am looking forward to seeing other cop action drama tropes. Like serial killers etc. Theres so many more cop stuff to be explored that I'm really hoping to see. 14) In line with the above, I would like to see Action Hat and Detective Partner deal with internal investigations. Cause theres always that one scenario where the cops get framed and get in super trouble and then they have to solve their own case. I'm just waiting for the moment where Detective Partner is like "Action Hat how could you!?" THere's a silent pause, and then Detective Partner gasps and is like "YOU WERE FRAMED I'm sorry I doubted you."

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Action Hat: Big Trouble in Little Everywhere HD Remix Gold Deluxe Edition this week! Please also give a special thank you to Sergio Ragno for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Action Hat: Big Trouble in Little Everywhere HD Remix Gold Deluxe Edition, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/action-hat-big-trouble-in-little-everywhere-hd/list?title_no=260255

Sergio’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SergeXIII

Sergio’s Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/sergexiii

Sergio’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/sergexiii