#filed under: characters that are awful but kinda grow into you

[synintheraven]

Okay so this one is alone because I already found a good pic of him to draw elsewhere, but idk maybe someone wanted to see Haesten's dirty face :p

[anime-grimmy-art]

What do you do when there’s not much to an AU? You make up your own stuff, ofc. And as is per usual when I make Character Designs, I make up a shit ton of lore too.

The ramblings under the cut, but what I’m really interested in, is what you guys think. Do you guys have any headcanons/ideas for this AU? Let me hear them! Also, if you don’t wanna read on tumblr, here’s the Google Docs link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/151yshHxnb_--P6eMKkwkI2dee9xC_Llb/view?usp=sharing

Before I get into the characters’ roles, here’s some general facts and backstory of their town:

- Basically, it’s Undertale meets Harvest Moon / Stardew Valley. Well, kinda. I at least used that approach for coming up for the jobs for the characters. You know, how there’s always a general store, a doctor, a smithy, etc.

- The usual story of a HM game is that you come to a town that’s way past its glory days and you, as the player/farmer, help them get back to that. The “backstory” of the town is that that already kinda happened. I’ll get into it more in the character description, but basically when Asgore was still mayor, the town got really popular. Then yadda yadda, a certain tragedy happened, two kids died, and the town suddenly got very bad publicity. There was a lot of stuff going on back then, bad reputation being spread and also a lot of law stuff, cos, you know, supposed child murder ‘n all, so Asgore made the decision to shut off the town to ppl from outside. This was in the interest of most monsters living there, because as fun as it is to have a lot of people coming there, most just wanted to live a quiet life. Not everyone was happy with that though, so many moved away from town and some others are trying to get the town back on its feet. But more on that later.

On to the characters:

I’m just gonna start with the skelebros, cos it’s their fault in the first place I got so invested.

Basically, they are what the player is in hm/sdv. They just showed up one day, took over the abandoned farmhouse and began their life there. The two came to town way after it was “closed” and since then a new mayor has opened the possibility for new residents to move in. Their farm helps the economy of the town a lot and the mayor, like usually in hm games, is trying to use that to make the town more known again. The skelebros aren’t really working towards that goal however.

So, now a bit more detail on them individually.

Papyrus:

- The design is mostly based on what’s “canon” in this au.

- He works mostly on the fields and is in charge of the crops. Their fields aren’t spectacularly big, but still big enough to plant a few dozen rows of veggies. 

- Paps also helps out a lot in town when he has the time. He helps Asgore with his plants, he goes fishing with Undyne, helps Toriel carry crates around and so on. This is inspired by the part-time job mechanic in HM ToT.

- Unbelievably, in this AU Pap is not an absolutely awful cook. Since he helps out at Muffet’s and Grillby’s a lot, they tend to show him some tricks to cooking. Even though Pap’s not a big fan of the greasy or overly sweet cooking those two do, he picks up a lot.

Sans:

- Again, design mostly based on the “canon” look. Maybe a bit more baggy.

- This is finally an AU this dude gets to rest. Since there are no resets and he doesn’t have to see his bro die again and again, for once in his life, he’s not a sad ball of depression. He’s just a chill and lazy dude that loves to make puns. Though, since he’s not too experienced with the feelings of loss, helplessness or grieving, he still tends to hide behind puns and fakes smiles if he does feel bad.

- Sans is in charge of the animals on the farm. Papyrus begrudgingly gave him that role since Pap’s loud demeanour and hectic movements usually scare the animals. Sans’ relaxed attitude draws the animals to him naturally and even if Pap mostly finds him sleep against a tree, in a stack of hay or on one of the sheep, the animals are always fed, healthy and relaxed, so Sans seems to be doing his job.

- Sans always has a small chic sit inside his hoodie or hat. Is it always the same one? Who knows, maybe.

- Sans also, somehow, can produce eggs out of thin air. Grab into his hoodie pocket, in his pants pocket, in his hat, in his slipper, there’s suddenly always an egg there. On good days he can even make butter or cheese appear. 

Gaster:

- He’s literally just a scarecrow in this. Though, if you ask any of the bros why they designed their scarecrow that way, they won’t have an answer.

Frisk&Toriel:

- Frisk is mostly based on what I wore myself as a kid in summer. Just a loose shirt with a cappy. Toriel basically has her ut gown, just with an apron on top.

- Frisk just appeared outside the “magical” forest one day. Napstablook and his cousin found them and brought them to Toriel, who has been taking care of them since.

- Toriel runs the general store in town, but also often takes care of the few kids that still live there.

- Frisk usually helps out in Toriels store, plays with the other kids or sits around at Asgore’s. They’re notorious for nabbing small snacks, mostly from Asgore’s plants. You’ll always find them munching on something. 

- Frisk was in town before the skelebros. Since they’d moved in, Frisk often went to spy on their farm. After a small incident with angry chicken, Frisk got to know the two better and now they see them as something between brothers and uncles.

- But Frisk honestly gets along with everyone. Just like in UT, they’ve not only been adopted by Toriel but literally everyone.

- Toriel and Asgore’s relationship is not as bad as in the main game, since, you know, Asgore didn’t kill literal children, but there’s still tension between them. Back when Asriel and Chara died and the whole thing with the bad rep for the town began, Toriel felt betrayed by Asgore focusing more on the town than giving their deceased kids the grieving they deserved. They’re not divorced, but Toriel still moved out and said needed space to think. Now that Frisk is in the picture though, the both of them are slowly coming to even ground and may even be able to talk things out and clear up the uncertainty of their decisions.

Asgore:

-Asgore has his UT Ending / Deltarune clothes, just with a gardener’s belt.

- He’s the previous mayor of the town, but after all the crap that happened, he stepped down from the position. Now he has his own little shop and sells seeds, saplings, homegrown veggies and fertilizer. So, basically what e.g. the Marimba Farm is in HM AP

- His main customer is Papyrus and they’re on friendly terms. Asgore is worried about how much and how hard Pap works, so he often gives him a discount. 

- Since his family’s past tragedy, Asgore is kind of nervous around kids. So, when he first met Frisk, he hoped they’d not visit him too often. But to his chagrin, Frisk took an instant liking to him and spends a lot of time at his shop (and steals eats the fresh grown veggies). Now, he’s really grateful for that, because for one, he loves Frisk as dearly as he had his own children, and also because now the tension and mistrust between him and Toriel seem to grow smaller day by day.

Undyne&Alphys:

- I gave Undyne a pretty basic fisher’s outfit. Alphys basically has Elli from HM’s outfit, just a bit more doctory stuff added. She still has her canon lab coat too.

- In essence, Undyne and Alphys have 2 completely different jobs. Alphys is the resident doctor and Undyne runs the fish market.

Two things. Yes, I know Alphys is more a mechanic than a doctor, she fits the aesthetic though, so she’s the doc now. And no, Undyne being a fisherwoman is not cannibalism, think of it more as a shark hunting smaller fish.

- The reason I lump them together is because they act as the local “smithy”. Alphys is still really tech savvy in this (I mean, Mettaton is still part of this AU), so she takes on most problems with electronics and stuff. For Undyne, I didn’t want to lose her Royal Guard’s Captain image, so she’s really good at handling tools (and weapons, but Al doesn’t let her make them anymore). So basically, if there’s a broken tool, you can be sure that either Undyne or Alphys can fix it.

- As for relationships, those two are still an item. Alphys is still really shy and a shut-off, but since Undyne and Pap become best friends, she gets to know the skelebros better. She and Sans especially get along well, since most of the time Undyne and Papyrus are let loose, they sit back and talk about science-y stuff. (no, Sans doesn’t have a background in science but he’s still into sci-fi)

- Alphys has a bit of a strained relationship with both Asgore and Mettaton.

Back when Chara and Asriel died, it was because of “illness” (maybe poisoning?). Alphys feels awful because with her back then limited knowledge on medicine she couldn’t help the two. Asgore doesn’t hold anything against her but Alphys can’t help but feel guilty.

Alphys still built Mettaton’s body in this one. The two had a really big disagreement, because Mettaton hated the fact the town was going to close, and he couldn’t understand how Alphys could feel otherwise, even more so endorse the idea.

Mettaton, Napstablook, Mad Dummy/Mew Mew:

- Napsta and Dummy are pretty self-explanatory, they got straw hats. Mettaton’s outfit is a bit of a joke cos it’s a play on “work at the top and party at the bottom”. The tie has two different sides, one with the yellow red pattern, the other completely red. His “top part” is the business part, because when he’s on tv or in the mayors’ office, you don’t usually see his feet. The bottom is his party/dance part, cos his dancing/entertainment channels mostly feature his legs. 

- Mettaton, still a robot, Napstablook and Mad Dummy are all still cousins in this AU.

- Originally, they all lived and worked at the Blook Farm, the Animal Farm of this AU. Mettaton, however, despised that simple live and after befriending Alphys and her building him a body, he left the Farm to pursue bigger things. 

- Mettaton runs the local tv network. From weather to game shows, he does it all. He also runs the tailor shop in town that sells his designer clothes and merchandise. After Asgore stepped down, Mettaton also took over the role of town’s mayor and now works towards making the place more known again. Not everybody is happy with him doing that though.

- One of those people is the Mad Dummy. He can’t stand people anyways and he always claims that history would just repeat itself.

- Since the whole family is made of ghosts, they have different dummies and scarecrows they can use to take care of the animals. To mock Mettaton and kinda get back at Alphys for giving MTT such an opportunity, Mad Dummy found the blueprints for the Mew Mew robot and now modelled one of their scarecrows after it. 

- Napstablook isn’t fond of taking over obejcts like his cousins do, so he mostly takes care of the snails. Somehow, he can interact with them even when incorporeal. 

Muffet&Grillby:

- The two of them run the Inn together. Muffet cooks in the daytime and makes desserts, Grillby manages the bar in the evening. 

- The two still can’t really stand each other but working together like this benefits them both because their rivalry just spurs them on more.

- Even though Grillby is a patient person, somehow Muffet is the only person who riles him up enough to retaliate. (Well, maybe except for Sans, he’s a strong second).

So, basically everything between those two is a challenge in some way. Even if Papyrus doesn’t notice, even his cooking lessons are a challenge for them. 

- Even though they’re constantly bickering, after working together for so many years, there’s a strange level of respect and trust between them. Even if back when they first started this business, they’d pour salt into an already open wound, nowadays they’d know better and just take a step back from the other or even comfort the other (on very rare occasions only). 

Asriel&Chara:

- They be dead. Kinda.

Some Characters that’d live in that town too but that I haven’t made designs for:

- Gerson is the original smithy of the town. He’d grown up in a family of smiths, but he’d always had an appreciation for the sea. That’s why, when the town became more deserted and Undyne had a good enough skill level as smith, he took up the Captains hat and now mostly spends his days out on sea. He also ferries people to places if they need him to. Oh, and just like in canon, Undyne learned most of her skills from him.

- Burgerpants is a poor dude Mettaton basically kidnapped when he was trying to get fame in the city. Now Burgerpants works wherever MTT needs him to, be that as cameraman for the tv shows, cashier in his tailor shop or his slave secretary in the mayor’s office.

- MK is Frisk’s best kid friend. MK’s parents are in charge of shipping the goods out of town and paying the individual people. MK’s the one that usually collects the goods at the end of the day.

- Other than that, there are only a few people in town. I’d imagine the older folks or the really young families stayed in town after it was closed. I think the librarby dude would still run the library. Some Snowdin residents like the stone family or the dogs also might still live there. 

[cjsinkythoughts]

FATWS One Shot #2 - The Beginning of a Family

Word Count: 1804

Warnings: Cursing, Mentions of Human Trafficking (once, it was a mission Reader did), Minor Character Injury

Setting/Characters: The first half-ish of The Avengers in 2012; Reader, Steve Rogers, Nick Fury, Natasha Romanoff, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Thor, Mentions of Loki, Phil Coulson, and Clint Barton, OC!Agent Anderson

A/N: Here’s One Shot Number 2! I was thinking of making it longer and adding the actual Battle of Manhattan, but I dunno if I’m gonna do that. I just wanted these to be One Shots of first meetings and other smaller events. I didn’t want to do scene-for-scene two parters. If you want me to, I can, I don’t mind doing it, I just wasn’t planning on it. I’ve kinda been slacking today, which is why I haven’t cranked out more than this one, but I’ll see if I can finish one more for tonight. Tomorrow’s another late night for me at work, BUT! Tomorrow night FATWS comes out! So I will be doing the next Episode! I also don’t have Friday off this week, so the Parts might bleed into Saturday, but they will come this weekend!

Reminder that this has nothing to do with FATWS the show, but I don’t have a title for my FATWS Series, which is what these are based off of, so this is what they’re called for now! If you have any ideas for names, feel free to send them in! I’m just too lazy to come up with something clever for the whole Series.

Thank you so much for reading! As always, not beta’d so please excuse any mistakes! Be kind to yourselves and others! Stay tuned and enjoy!

FATWS Masterlist

cjsinkythoughts Masterlist

You were exhausted, coming back from an assignment that lasted a little over two months. It’d been your first one since you were assigned to help Steve adjust, and you were guessing they’d keep you on desk duty for a few months before sending you back out again. Which frustrated you to no end.

But then you got back your personal cell phone from a fellow agent and, seeing you had a few  voicemails - which you never had - you flipped it on.

“Hi, Y/N.” Your lips turned up at the man you started growing close to over the past year. “I-I know you’re on a mission right now. I mean, you just left last week. Anyways, I just…I hope you’re doin’ okay. You probably won’t get this until later, but…still. I hope you’re safe. I, uh, I got that book. The one you were joking about me getting. The U.S. History for Dummies one. It goes farther back than I need to know, but I still read all of it. It helped. I wish you were here though. But I know you’re working. And that’s important. Um… I guess I’ll see you in a few months.”

The phone beeped before the next message played. “I took your advice. I got a sketchbook and some other stuff. There’s a ton of new supplies. I’m kinda excited to try them out. Maybe they’re not new but they’re more accessible now than they used to be. And I found a gym. In Brooklyn. It’s kinda run down - a hole in the wall type place - but they don’t do memberships and they don’t care how long you stay as long as you pay for your time. So that’s nice. I guess. Anyways…hi. I don’t think I said that earlier. It’s Steve, by the way. But you probably guessed that. Um…that’s all. I just wanted to let you know. Stay safe, honey. Abbyssinia.”

You listened to the next couple ones, all along the same lines. Steve telling you about his day; about the dog he was allowed to pet on his run or the different coffee he tried this morning at your previous suggestion. You snickered a little, shaking your head. You would never guessed that Hitler hitting, Nazi punching Captain America was so…soft. Cute.

His last voicemail was from earlier that morning, and it made her brow furrow. “Hey, honey. I, uh…God, I really wish you were here. I was told you’d be getting back last week, but then they said it might be another couple weeks because something happened? I hope nothing happened. Please be okay. I’ve really missed you. I know it’s only been a year, but…you’re the only familiar thing I have right now. I guess Fury was right to choose you since you were the first person I saw. There’s a, uh, problem. Fury’s got a mission for me. Some guy named Loki stole the Tesseract. Which was HYDRA’s secret weapon. That blue cube thing. I was just getting used to laptops and fast food and this…it’s just a lot. Overwhelming. You were always good at making things less intimidating. I’ve gotta go. Some SHIELD personnel are picking me up now. We’re going to…somewhere. I’m sure you would know, but they haven’t exactly told me. Hoping to see you soon, Y/N. Please be safe.”

You frowned at the information, looking up at one of your fellow agents, Anderson. “Hey.” He turned his head towards you from his conversation with the copilot. “Is something going on at HQ?”

“The Helicarrier.” Anderson corrected. “Fury just called it in. Something with the Tesseract. And some guy’s mind controlling people. He’s got Barton, apparently. The director is bringing a few people on board; Banner, Stark, Romanoff. Rogers, too, I heard. He wants you to be there ASAP, so we’re going there now.”

Letting out a sigh, you rubbed your eyes and nodded. “Alright. Let’s go see what’s going on.”

*************************

Fury met you as you walked off the jet, lugging your duffle bag over your shoulder. You were still in your clothes from the mission; a human trafficking ring in Guam. Dirty, torn up jeans along with a white tank top hugging your torso and a flannel, unbuttoned, over your shoulders. One of your sneakers had a hole in it, too, and you were walking with a slight limp from the dislocated kneecap you got a few days prior.

“Agent.” He nodded in greeting, passing you a file. “The others are waiting. We just brought in Loki.”

You chewed your cheek, narrowing your eyes as you scanned the information in the file. It had personal files of the others, but you didn’t need to look through those. You knew Natasha very well, considering she taught you half the things you know, along with Barton. You knew Stark - of course you did - especially after you helped set Natasha up to be his secretary a while back. Banner you were also knowledgeable about, seeing as you went undercover to find him when he first took off and had been part of the tracking team on him ever since. Thor you had learned about after his fiasco in New Mexico from Coulson. And, last but certainly not least, Steve Rogers, who you knew better than any file could explain.

“Walk me through this; Thor and Loki are the real Thor and Loki? Like, from Norse myths?”

“Apparently so. You know about the New Mexico incident with the two last year, don’t you?”

You nodded, pinching your lips together tightly. “Well, yeah, but I thought…I dunno. I guess it just didn’t click. So,” you tucked the file under your arm securely, raising an eyebrow at Fury. “We’re fighting a god? An actual god?”

“With an army of aliens.” He confirmed.

“Wonderful.” You huffed as the two of you turned a corner, making your way onto the bridge, just in time to hear Stark talking to Banner about him turning into the Hulk.

“Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube.” Fury butted in. You crossed your arms behind Fury, leaning on your good leg. “I was hoping you might join him. Before you do, this is-” 

“Y/N! You’re back!”

You shot a grin to the blonde, who perked up upon seeing you. “Hi, Steve. Just in time, too, huh.” You nudged Natasha slightly. “Hey, Nat. Sorry about Clint.”

She shrugged. “I’m just glad you’re here to help.”

“I’m sorry.” You looked over to find Banner frowning contemplatively at you. “Do I know you?”

You opened your mouth to answer, but Fury beat you to it. “Formalities later. Y/L/N, we’ll bring you up to speed-”

“I’ll get there, sir. How are you boys planning on tracking down the Tesseract?” You questioned, nodding in the two geniuses’ direction.

“I’d start with that stick of his.” Steve suggested, turning to look at the duo as well. “It may be magical but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon.”

“I don’t know about that, but it is powered by the Cube.” Fury stated. “And I’d like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys.”

A tall, broad as hell blonde looked at Fury, confused. “Monkeys? I do not understand-”

“I do!” Steve jumped in, pointing at Thor, before leaning back in his seat at the silence that came after his exclamation. “I-I understood that reference.”

You chuckled and shook your head, winking at Steve when he smiled bashfully at you. As the two scientists - was Stark a scientist? - started heading out, Steve hopped up, padding over to you.

“You’re back early.”

“Late, technically.” You shrugged, letting him pull you in for a hug, your hand rubbing his back. “I got your calls.”

He pulled away, his ears turning red. “Oh, yeah. I, uhm-”

You sniggered. “It’s fine, Steve. You can call me whenever you need to. I’m just sorry I couldn’t answer you sooner.”

“You were working.” He shrugged half heartedly. “Did it go okay? Are you okay?”

“Yes, Steven. I’m fine.” You rolled your eyes just as a yawn threatened to escape your lips. “If not a little tired.” You tapped on the star against his chest. “Nice suit, by the way.”

“Ha ha.” He grinned, eyeing your own clothing. “You’re matching me.” He tugged on the red, white, and blue flannel hanging from your arms. “You also look like shit.”

You snorted. “Wow. What a gentleman. Let’s get this whole Loki situation over with so I can go to bed, yeah?”

He chuckled a little with a nod. “Sounds like a plan, honey.” The two of you started out of the bridge. “You should shower first, though.”

“You’re a bully, you know that?”

“I’m just sayin’!”

“I’m just sayin’!” You mocked with a huff. “Leave me be, Rogers.”

His laughter was cut short, making you look over at him curiously, only to find his slitted eyes studying your movements. “Why are you limping?”

“Relax, Captain. I just dislocated my knee. It’s fine. Shit happens on missions, you know that.”

“Is that why you came back late?”

Shaking your head, you lead him to one of the private rooms the Helicarrier had so you could shower and change. “No. I just needed a little more time. That’s all. Now let’s focus on the problem at hand. We can talk more later.”

He hesitated, leaning against the doorway and watching you set your bag on the small cot.  “Okay. As long as you’re alright.”

Your heart jumped a bit at the concern laced in his tone, the apprehension in those blue eyes - which you found out had some green in them - making your breath hitch slightly. “I am.” You spoke softly with a firm nod of your head, trying to assure him and his worries. “I promise.”

“I’m gonna go check on Banner and Stark, then. Come find me when you’re done.”

You cleared your throat to recover yourself, throwing him a cheeky grin. “Aye, aye, Captain.”

He rolled his eyes with a smile, before turning and walking out, leaving you alone and confused.

What was that? You’d never had that reaction to anything. Your heart doesn’t race whenever someone walks in the room. Not like it did with him. What the hell did that even mean?

You shook your head, clearing your throats. You didn’t have time to dwell on that now. You doubted it was anything more than a fluke. You were just tired and seeing someone familiar, who was genuinely excited to see you was like a breath of fresh air after your operation. That’s all. Yeah.

With that decided, you headed to the shower, head spinning with new thoughts of this problem with the God of Mischief and that stupid blue cube.

All Works Taglist (Open):

@happygoreading​ @bibliophilewednesday​

[theunmappedstar]

genre/au: ....catboy/hybrid(?) au, human au

characters: sophie foster, keefe sencen, fitz vacker

pairings: sokeefitz

a/n: i wanted to write a quick blurb about catboys because i want to hear them purr. also @three-gulons-in-a-trenchcoat i hope this is decent enough. it has not been edited and i wrote it in like 2 days 💀

Fitz’s ears perked at a distant jangle of keys. They flipped in the direction of the sound, tuning in to the footsteps approaching from the hallway outside the tiny apartment. He sniffed, checking to make sure it was her.

Excitement shot through him. Sophie was home. 

And... oh, she didn’t sound too happy. Her footsteps were heavier than usual, probably from being tired. Her voice sounded tired, too, from the little mutters she was making as she filed through her key ring. Bad shift, apparently.

Beside him, Keefe chuckled. “Avery,” he playfully chided, “are you purring?”

Fitz’s tail shot stiff. “What? No!” Fitz smacked Keefe’s arm and turned off the burner. The food could wait.

“Really, cause I’m pretty sure the moment you heard those keys you were puuurring-”

Fitz would have jokingly tugged Keefe’s tail had a new scent not filled his nose. He sniffed. Keefe followed, ears flicking curiously. Beyond Sophie, something foreign and sweet was filling his nose.

He turned to Keefe, who also looked puzzled. “Food?”

“I think so.”

They both made their way over to the door. Keefe’s ears flattened out. “I thought she was coming straight home and we were having supper here?”

Fitz shrugged. He thought that had been the plan, but then again, Sophie’s shift had run a little later than usual. She’d probably gotten hungry to the point beyond waiting.

The door swung open slowly. Sophie was so busy grumbling that she didn’t see the two right away.

Sophie sucked in a sharp breath when she looked up. “Guys,” she gasped. “What are you both doing by the door?”

“We heard you coming with stuff,” Keefe said, pointing to the plastic bag in her hand.

She looked down at it. She blinked.

“Oh,” she said. She lifted it up momentarily to reveal the boxy shape stuffed inside Sophie met their gazes. “I, uh, I went to the store. Got a weird platter that was half off. They’re like... Little sandwiches with cucumber and cheese and crackers and salmon. Figured we could eat them with dinner or watch a movie and have them as a snack or something.” She lifted up her other arm, revealing a white jug. “I also got milk.” 

Her fingers had turned red - probably from how long she’d been lugging it around - and her arm lazily dropped to her side as she reported, “But I realized on the way here that I forgot butter.”

Sophie didn’t look too happy about the slip up.

“We can get butter later,” Fitz assured, jumping to the rescue.

Sophie reminded, “There’s a snowstorm coming in tonight. Six to nine inches.” She measured it out with her foot.

“We’ll figure it out,” Keefe promised. He looked at the haul, then at Sophie, smiling with faux disappointment. “Didn’t I tell you I’d go to the store?”

Sophie smiled, looking a little tired as let the plastic bag fall to loop around her elbow while she reached up and tapped his cheek with her fingers. “I don’t trust you at the store.” Sophie popped up on her tiptoes to peck his cheek. She then held out the milk and bag, requesting that he put them away in the fridge, and Keefe scooped them out of Sophie’s hands without so much as an “okay”.  She said a soft thank you before she bent down to slip off her shoes.

Fitz came over to her as soon as she was upright. She shrugged off her coat, giving him a look. Probably because of his hesitance. “What’s up?”

Man, she looked cute. Tired and sweaty and a little grumpy, but cute. He could tell even in her exhausted state of mind, she was trying to be patient with them. Perhaps even hoping she could keep them from noticing.

That was where she drew the short straw. Fitz and Keefe always knew what was up, whether Sophie liked it or not.

Without a word, Fitz reached and took her coat from her hands, throwing it onto the nearby bench. Sophie started to protest, getting cut off by his arms snaking around her. Sophie squeaked a little as he pulled her flush against him, giggling into his shoulder. “Hey. Hi.”

He heard her sigh as she ran a hand down his back, nuzzling farther into his shoulder. “Did something happen?” she whispered, clearly finding the hug relaxing. Fitz could practically feel the negative energy she’d carried in with her dispersing. Her shoulders drooped and he could feel her breathing slow as she inhaled his scent.

“Nope,” Fitz assured, running a hand down her back. “All good.”

“Just hugging me?”

“Just hugging you.”

Her satisfied sigh made him chuckle.

From behind, Keefe berated, “Don’t start without me!” coming over and jumping in to the hug from behind Sophie. She laughed as he smushed her harder against Fitz, the three of them enclosed like a sandwich.

“Hi, Keefe.”

“Hey there, Foster.” His tail swished playfully as he made eye contact with Fitz, sending him a smirk. “Hi, Fitzy.”

Sophie rolled her eyes at the nicknames. A smile tugged at her lips. “Are you guys sure nothing happened to bring this on?”

Keefe pretended to pout. “What, we can’t hug you anymore?”

“You guys pounced on me,” Sophie said, leaning back so she could look up inquisitively at Fitz. Probably because he’d been the one to start the hug sandwich.

Fitz just smiled and reached up to smooth the crease between her brows. “You’re tired.”

Sophie rose an eyebrow. “...A little, yeah. What about it?”

“Mm, Foster, you forget,” Keefe tutted. “We worry about you and like making you happy.” He pressed a kiss into her hair, setting his chin on her shoulder.

A blush spread over Sophie’s cheeks. “That’s...” She cleared her throat. “That’s really nice. Thanks.” Sophie made eye contact with Fitz and squeezed his arm to make sure he knew she meant it for him, too.

“Mm,” Keefe repeated, a rumbly purr growing in his chest. “Welcome.”

Sophie laughed, setting her head back down on Fitz’s chest. Fitz tucked her under his chin, making sure to reach up and scratch Keefe’s head.

“Sure you’re not the tired one, Keefe?” Sophie reached back herself, joining Fitz’s hand in scrubbing behind Keefe’s ears. “You sound sleepy.”

“Well if you two keep petting me you’re going to put me to sleep eventually.”

Both Sophie and Fitz shared a laugh. “Better not do that while standing,” Fitz advised.

“Well no shit, Avery,” Keefe murmured, taking Fitz’s hand out of his hair and moving it to his mouth to kiss it. Keefe laced their fingers after, refusing to let go.

Sophie giggled again, this time more high pitched and airy, wriggling in their grasps.

“Foster, quit squirming. We’re trying to love you.”

“Sorry, you’re purring,” she said, breathlessly. “You’re both purring and it kinda tickles.”

“Ohh, you should have heard Fitz when he heard you coming down the hall.” Keefe’s smirk was meant for Fitz as he met his boyfriend’s eyes. “Started purring like a motorboat.”

Keefe brushed his thumb over Fitz’s palm as he lovingly kissed Sophie’s hair again. Sophie made a small “aw” sound as her arms cinched tighter around his waist. Another giggle bubbled from her. “Sorry. Tickles.”

Fitz and Keefe shared a smile. Yeah, this was nice. He could get used to this. Then again, dinner was calling to him - Fitz could see the food sitting out on the counter, waiting to be prepared. And his feet were starting to hurt from standing there.

But Sophie and Keefe were happy.

Fitz rubbed his hand on her hip. “You thinking about going to bed early?”

Sophie snorted. “Can’t. Laundry.”

“I can do it,” Keefe offered.

“The bathroom needs to be cleaned, then.”

“We can find time.”

“Between that and getting ready for work tomorrow? Also: you need showers. And so do I. And we have to make dinner.”

“Alright, Mom.”

Fitz chuckled. Even Sophie let out a few snorts at Keefe’s reply. “I know. I sound boring. But we do need to get all of that done.”

“Keefe and I can take it tonight,” Fitz promised.

“Yep,” Keefe interjected. “As much as I hate cleaning the bathroom, I can work it out.”

Sophie didn’t sound convinced. “You’ll get distracted and start singing into one of the shampoo bottles.”

“Not true!” Keefe pouted, tail swishing. “I only do that in the shower.”

Fitz’s smile hurt his face. He shook his head while Sophie rolled her eyes, despite no one being able to see it.

After a minute, Fitz patted her hip softly and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. “We can manage, Sophie. Take a nap or something. Doesn’t have to be that long if you don’t want it to be. And you can eat first, too, if you want.”

“Fitz is making alfredo,” Keefe said, a sly grin on his face. He teasingly poked her sides. “You know who likes that?”

“Me,” Sophie mumbled into Fitz’s shirt, clearly fighting off a smile. Fitz’s grin grew.

“Exactly.” Keefe laughed, pecking her head and Fitz’s hand before backing up. “Alright, we’d better get started. Foster needs her beauty rest. I’ll get on the laundry, Fitz is on alfredo, and Foster, you go get your shower.”

Fitz squeezed Sophie one last time before releasing her. They shared a smile as he went off back to the kitchen.

[madame-fouquet]

2020 Anime Retrospective

With the end of the year here, and all the anime that came with it now behind us, I feel like looking back and reminiscing on it. So, following the style of ANN's own yearly retrospectives, may I present my 2020 anime in review! Enjoy.

Best of the year: Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken

    This is actually not the first time Yuasa and his crew of, let's be honest, visionaries have rolled something special out right at the beginning of the year in some weird power move against everything else that has to follow it. They did it back in 2018 with Devilman Crybaby, and then they hit us this year with Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken.     You ever have one of those shows where you're just constantly in awe of everything it does? Where you never found yourself chasing merch or hunting after content based off it online, but you consistently find yourself thinking about it? Yeah, that's what Eizouken did to my brain after I watched it. It was such an earnest love letter to anime and anime production, to animation in general, that I couldn't help but get sucked into its imagination and enthusiasm. The way it was able to so perfectly illustrate that pure, boundless, childlike joy that one can derive from the simple act of creating, I'd be lying if I didn't say that it had a powerful effect on my own desire to continue creating. (Corny as that sounds, it's true.) The sheer amount of love it contains, and the equal amount it puts out into the world make it so I know I am going to be thinking about it again and again for a long long time.

Runner-up: Akudama Drive

    I don't know if it's really quite a matter of my two favorites being opposites, but there are definitely some pretty sharp stylistic and tonal differences between my two top shows this year. Akudama Drive's cocaine-fueled bender of an intro episode made it very clear what it's intentions were and what it wanted us to be prepared for. That doesn't mean I had ANY idea of where it was headed narratively, but I did know I was in for one hell of a ride. And it delivered is spades on that promise.     The twists and turns, no matter how insane, illogical, or steeped in tropes they were, were all such a colorful energetic spectacle that it would be hard to hold anything against the series. Every character was such a force that I didn't really consider any of them a weak point. Yeah, some of them were more or less cardboard cut-outs of antagonistic elements, but when the cardboard cutout looks REALLY FREAKING COOL, it's hard to get too torn up over the details. It's a show that oozes style and knew EXACTLY what it wanted to do and be, and I have to respect that.

Runner-up-up: Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun

    The next few entries aren't really in any sort of order, I actually found it near impossible to sort anything below my top two. Hanako-kun however does hold a bit of a special place for me though because, at least from a stylistic standpoint, it hits so many of my buttons. Just visually this show is the exact kind of thing my younger self would have latched onto immediately, even before knowing anything about the actual content. I suppose not much has really changed though.     I'm absolutely in love with the animation style of Hanako-kun, and I got really lucky that there is an interesting story and delightful cast of characters underneath that visual splendor. Along with the sharp lines, intense colors, and soft characters, I'm also a sucker for contemporary supernatural mysteries. That's a fancy way of saying one of my favorite shows as a kid was The X-files, but both make the point pretty well. The world of Hanako-kun has a lot to offer, and I can only hope it gets a second season so we can continue to delve into it's beautiful and terrifying mysteries.

Runner-up-up: Kaguya-sama: Love is War Season 2

    I know a lot of people will be talking about this one when it comes to “Best of” lists. I know a lot of people were talking about the first season when it reminded us just how funny anime can be back in 2018. Absurd high school comedies (Is that a genre?) could definitely be considered my favorite. Hell, of my top five favorite anime of all time, THREE of them fall under that category. So believe me when I say Kaguya-sama absolutely deserves the deluge of praise it receives. For what describing something as “laugh out loud” is worth, this show had me constantly needing to pause it just so I could finish laughing at whatever ludicrously funny misfortune had just befallen it's cast of lovable morons.     The thing is though, Kaguya-sama understands that you can't just earn love and goodwill on laughs alone, there needs to be a beating heart at the center of all the shenanigans. And when this season had me actually cheering on and feeling sorry for Ishigami of all people, I knew that beating heart was present and accounted for. Look, the cast are all self-centered idiots, but I'll be damned if they aren't also my dear children who I delight in watching slowly grow and become slightly less self-centered idiots.

Runner-up-up: Dorohedoro

    When the Dorohedoro anime was first announced, a lot of my experience was watching a group of people online scream about how they were so pumped that it was finally getting an anime. I had never heard of it before, but the excitement was very real and tangible. And I gotta say, sometimes you need to believe the hype.     I've never been one to shirk a series just because it was CG animation, (Watch ID-0 dammit!) but Dorohedoro makes a strong case for why people shouldn't sleep on something based solely on it's animation. The dirty, grease-encrusted world of Hole is brought to life with plenty of flair and style that, I feel, the CG didn't hold back at all. What I had seen said was that for a long time Dorohedoro was kinda considered “unanimateable” but I think MAPPA did the iconic manga a fair amount of justice. Even if pulpy ultra-violence isn't normally your thing, I still highly recommend giving Dorohedoro a look, it might just end up being a hole worth going down.

Honorable Mention: Show By Rock!! Mashumairesh!!

    I know what you're thinking, but hear me out. The first Show By Rock!! was definitely an indulgence for me. While not something I considered a high level series by any stretch: messy plotting, shallow characters, a weird isekai angle, a lackluster finale, and an even MORE lackluster second season, it still got is hooks into me with its sheer energy and fluffy charm. So despite the, as mentioned, rough second season, I was more than happy to check out the new series in the franchise. And boy was I glad I did.     Mashumairesh!! takes all the heart and sweetness that worked for the first series and dials it up. It then took a hard look at a lot of what DIDN'T work in the first series, and manages to fix most of the issues. Removing the isekai angle and the whole existential threat thing, and just letting the series be a “slice-of-life but in an electric animal filled music world” did wonders for the direction and consistency. Add to that more properly fleshed out characters, and you get a series that is far stronger than it's progenitor.     The next series, Show By Rock!! Stars!!, will be adding back the cast from the first series, and that could very well be a sign that it will be falling back into its old habits, but the presence of the Mahumairesh!! girls gives me hope that it might have a chance of staying the new, far better course.

Worst of the Year: Digimon Adventure:

    This one really hurts to say. What hurt more was how quickly I knew what show I'd be electing for this position. One thing to clarify is that I would not nominate a series that I'd only watched one or two episodes of, that's just not fair. So the award was bound to go to something I had at least dedicated a decent amount of my time too. And in any other year this may have gone to something that was more my “least favorite” or had an ending that disappointed me. But unfortunately I have to be honest and sit here and tell you that the newest entry in the Digimon franchise was easily the worst thing I watched this year.      I have been a long time Digimon fan. Ever since I was but a wee lass watching the original Digimon Adventure premiere on Fox Kids at a family reunion, I have always considered the franchise a sort of cornerstone of my anime fandom. So please understand the excitement I had felt when I found out they were doing a full on remake of that flagship series. Imagine how absolutely pumped I was when the bombastic movie-like premiere of Digimon Adventure: wowed us with everything it delivered, and all the promises of what was to come. And then imagine my disappointment, my despair as the show devolved until it showed us what it really was during the finale of the Fake Tokyo arc.     I would call it a production meltdown, but considering the precedent that got set back in episode 10 during the already shaky Ultimate Evolution arc, has been so clearly informing everything up to the current episodes in the early 30s, I have to be honest with myself and admit: this is what we were going to get all along from day one.     All of the heart that had made the original series so endearing, despite its own flaws, just isn't present here. What you get here is just a non-stop (and I mean non-stop) string of barely related fights with poorly-defined stakes, or sometimes no real stakes at all. It's just one ugly set piece fight after another as the children chase after vaguely implied evils. I think the most damning thing is how much more I could say about just how much this series has let me down. Like I said, this one hurts.

Best Theme-Song of the Year: Night Running (BNA)

     My opinion of BNA as a series is complex. But my opinion of its ED, Night Running, is simple: Its a god-damned bop! I could spend this whole section talking about the artistry of the ED animation itself, its fun and creative use of color, the slight variations for certain episodes, the focus on character, or the fact that it was done by an American animation team. I could even talk about the song's importance to the series as a whole and its place in the narrative. I won't though. The fact of the matter is that even without all that, I STILL probably would've picked Night Running as my best of the year because as a song it is just that much my jam. This is the kind of shit I could listen to on repeat for hours, days, weeks, and still keep coming back to it. Don't get me wrong, Ready To is a damn powerful and catchy tune that goes hard, but at the end of the day, I'm a sucker for a soulful pop tune like Night Running. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWTFfEnMCCc

Best Character: Sayaka Kanamori

    This was actually probably the hardest category for me to decide on. It was stuck hard between Eizoken's Kanamori and Akudama Drive's Doctor. I know those are a powerfully different pair in basically every way, but it was specifically for their startling differences that both characters stuck out to me so much. In the end though, it was the poignant rounding out of, and emotional hooks of Kanamori's character that let her triumph over her delightfully two-dimensional opposition.     Kanamori already had me from episode one. In a show that I wasn't really worried about the usual diversions of anime ingestion like picking a favorite character, Kanamori sealed herself as “Best-girl” from the word go. I have mad respect for a girl who knows what she wants, and has a clear idea of how she's going to go about getting it (See also: Doctor.) But Kanamori was more than a driving desire for success and money. Underneath her unstoppable ambition there was a very real, very relatable driving impetus. She stood apart, and yet still believably vulnerable and invested in the people she associated with. It was always a blast watching her suffer as the only thing keeping the more creative minds on track, and yet she was never reduced to a simple task master; her love and respect for her friends was always clearly visible. I could go on and on about how Kanamori is a nearly perfect character, but I hope I've said enough already without having to resort to senseless rambling.

Best Moment: Howan confesses her feeling to Himeko (Show By Rock!! Mashumairesh!!)

    By the time episode six rolled around, Mashumairesh!! had already shown marked improvements over its progenitor in basically every area. Not only was the story in a better place by focusing on what had worked in the original series, (Ya know the BAND part of this show about bands) but the cast was also doing a good job of standing out from their seniors and feeling more equally rounded out. Where the original series had just kinda been the Cyan show with guest stars, I felt like I had an actual grip on all four of the main girls now.     There were however the usual issues that come with a cute-girls-doing-cute-things series, chief among them the “ambiguously gay member of the group who constantly reacts with clear romantic interest towards the main protagonist but the writing will never actually do anything with those feelings” trope. Retoree had spent the better part of the first two seasons fawning over Cyan only for nothing to come of it and, despite the increased focus on all of the girls this time around, it looked like we were going to get the same old song and dance with Himeko's feelings towards Howan.     But then the climax of episode six hit and, midst a really intense subplot about Himeko's abandonment complex, Howan comes out with a straight up love confession. And I kept waiting for the usual dead-ends these moments always seem to have. The “I love you! I love the girls too! I love the band!” Or a “I love being with you.” and the dreaded, “I love having you as my most precious friend.” But none of that happened. It was a full on heart-felt, “I love you, Himeko. I want to stay with you forever!” I'm just not used to getting that sort of straightforwardness from my silly little band shows, so I was shocked, but also completely overjoyed. And frankly the series just kept getting better from there.     The evolution of their relationship built off that moment, no dreaded resetting of the status quo. I daresay it was on the power of this moment alone that I wanted to include this series in my top five at all. If there was anything I would want other anime to take from Mashumairesh!! it's that it's okay to introduce radical changes to character relationships partway through a season, and it's okay to let characters unequivocally state their feelings for each other. People will respond positively to that earnestness, I promise.

[rpgmgames]

July’s Featured Game: Melon Journey 2

DEVELOPER(S): Froach Club ENGINE: RPG Maker 2003 GENRE: Story-exploration SUMMARY: Melon Journey 2 is a story-exploration game about revisiting a town full of adorable animals with eccentric personalities. Yet under its cute and nostalgic surface lies a dark tale of crime and corruption... Play as Honeydew, an employee of a huge melon factory, and travel to Hog Town where melons are illegal. While searching for a missing friend, you'll have to explore the town and its surrounding areas, and speak with suspicious characters in dangerous situations to uncover the truth.

Download the demo from the discord server here!

Our Interview With The Dev Team Below The Cut!

Introduce yourself! We're Froach Club! (Mario - @markeryjane, Karolina - @minipete, & Simon - @carpetbones) Our CEO is rude little roach who goes by the name of Froach. We've all been making games together and separately for a quite a while now and we're currently working on our magnum opus... To see our other games check out froachclub.itch.io & carpetbones.itch.io

What is your project about? What inspired you to create this game initially? *Froach Club: Melon Journey 2 is a story of crime and political corruption in a town where melons are outlawed. It's a sequel to our (Mario & Karolina) very first game we ever made back in 2012. Back then we had no idea what we were doing and were pretty awful at using RPG Maker 2003, so we had the idea to do kind of a remaster of the game. We accidentally expanded it so much though that it became a huge, fully-formed sequel.

How long have you been working on your project? *FC: Almost 2 years now.

Did any other games or media influence aspects of your project? *FC: Columbo, The Big Sleep, Chulip, Hamtaro Ham Ham Heartbreak, Kino's Journey, Twin Peaks, and Shenmue!

Have you come across any challenges during development? How have you overcome or worked around them? *FC: This is our first real large-scale project, spanning multiple years of development, so staying organized was a huge challenge. At first we would just work on whatever we felt like, jumping from one part of the game to another. But once Simon became more involved in the project, he taught us his amazing organization skills and we learned how to use to-do lists efficiently and and keep our files straight. And now that we have, things go much more smoothly.

Have any aspects of your project changed over time? How does your current project differ from your initial concept? *FC: We started with a really bare-bones story, and as we built up the world by adding more characters, side-quests, and subplots to the main storyline, the game’s scope began to grow. The world of Melon Journey 2 is now much more detailed and immersive than we originally imagined.

What was your team like at the beginning? How did people join the team? If you don’t have a team, do you wish you had one or do you prefer working alone? *FC: Back in 2012, when Melon Journey 1 came out, we were just a two person team (Mario and Karolina). We continued making games together for a few years until we started calling ourselves Froach Club and added our 3rd member, Simon. We worked together on u1f439 (https://carpetbones.itch.io/u1f439) and Fish Fly Fever (https://froachclub.itch.io/fish-fly-fever) and now Melon Journey 2!

What is the best part of developing a game? *Mario: Making the music, when a scene comes together and the music fits the tone perfectly it's really satisfying. Karolina: Coming up with crazy ideas in the beginning and thinking of all the possibilities! Simon: Creating any form of a dense or rich world for people to interact with or experience.

Do you find yourself playing other RPG Maker games to see what you can do with the engine, or do you prefer to do your own thing? *FC: Back when we started out, we played a lot of RPG Maker games on rpgmaker.net and it was a big source of inspiration because it helped us feel like our ideas were doable without any previous knowledge of programming or game making. Yume Nikki in particular gave us a lot of ideas on how to make the most out of RPG Maker 2003, like hacking together menus out of pictures, and creating complex animations using multiple charsets.

Which character in your game do you relate to the most and why? (Alternatively: Who is your favorite character and why?) *Mario: Bailey is my self-insert character kinda. Karolina: Lily. She has really strict Russian parents (who are actually based on mine) and she has a hard time finding a place where she feels like she truly belongs. She goes through a lot but never truly stops caring about what she believes in. Simon: I actually am Ham Ghost Jr.

Looking back now, is there anything that regret/wish you had done differently? *FC: At some point the project kind of outgrew RPGMaker 2003 and we really regretted using it, but we've come to appreciate the limitations and they've helped to shape the game in some ways so we regret it less now, especially since discovering easyRPG which we're using to port the game!

Do you plan to explore the game’s universe and characters further in subsequent projects, or leave it as-is? *FC: We like to joke about making Melon Journey 3D, but who knows, it might actually happen one day! We are leaving the ending of MJ2 a little bit open ended~

What do you most look forward to upon/after the release of a project? *Mario: Being able to start a new project. Usually by the end of one project the only thing motivating me is getting it out of the way so we can start on the next thing. Karolina: Seeing if people enjoy our game! I dream about people making fanart and silly deep lore videos. That would seriously make everything 100% worth it. Simon: I cannot wait to get started on a new (maybe even bigger) project!

Is there something you’re afraid of concerning the development or the release of your game? *FC: All three of us have an intense fear of something going horribly wrong on the day of the release. That's honestly the scariest part of making a game - saying that you're officially finished with it.

Do you have any advice for upcoming devs? *FC: Try your best to get your game done and limit the scope! Even if it's not perfect or exactly like how you imagined it, the experience and growth you get from releasing a game is the most important thing.

Question from last month's featured dev @midnighttrain-project: What do you value most in a game? (story, gameplay, art,...) Is that an important aspect of your game? *Mario: I think the interplay of the elements of a game is more important than what the individual parts are like on their own. Like, a simple animation can be transformed by adding a really good sound effect to it, so it's hard to separate elements or say that I value one more than the other. Karolina: I value the story most in games. Even when the art or gameplay is great, if there are glaring plot holes I always spend too much time focusing on them and get pulled out of the experience. That's why we spent so much time making a super well thought-out world and characters for MJ2! Simon: I really enjoy gameplay over most parts of any game, especially if the gameplay is well designed and interesting.

We mods would like to thank Froach Club for agreeing to our interview! We believe that featuring the developer and their creative process is just as important as featuring the final product. Hopefully this Q&A segment has been an entertaining and insightful experience for everyone involved!

Remember to check out Melon Journey 2 if you haven’t already! See you next month! 

- Mods Gold & Platinum

[moonlightreal]

Fate episode 4

Welcome back to Fate Elemental Academy!  Or should I call it Fate: The Elemental Academy Saga? Fate: Tales From Elemental Academy?  I kinda wish I had an actual following now, we could push changing the name all over the fandom. Fate’s a bad Winx show but it’s not a bad show.

When we left our cast Beatrix just murderized a dude, Terra was suffering, Musa was finding love, Stella was mysterious, Bloom was destiny-ridden and Aisha was getting bored with it all!  What will happen now?

Also, is Rosalind evil?  I assumed she was the “she” who got rid of all the Burned Ones and thus was a hero, but she’s got some serious resting evil face.

Episode 4 opens with a gorgeous shadowy shot of Alfea in the twilight of day twelve-ish I assume.  In Dowling’s still badly lit office the adults are investigating Callan!  Whose real name was Callum, I think, but he’s dead and so won’t mind what I call him.  But Dowling says he hasn’t been seen “for days” so we’ll jump to it being day twentyish.  They’ve searched Callan’s room and found “metal-amalgam” which seems to be mercury, which someone would use to try to get past the trap on the door to the undercroft. Harvey charmingly starts a lecture on its properties before realizing Silva and Dowling want to get on with the infordumping.  Dowling says Callan wouldn’t have known about the mercury, it’s “archaic fairy knowledge” and he’s not a fairy.  

But couldn’t anyone study the lore even if they don’t have powers? Dane was doing potions/chemistry in the greenhouse with Terra and he’s not a fairy.  There’s usually some magic stuff that muggles can do just by having an enchanted thingamabob.  Fate, your worldbuilding leaves much to be desired.

Silva guesses Callan had help.  And Harvey’s made magical fingerprint mist!  He’s got a pitcher on a stick and smoke is coming out to track the magic used in the room!  Does that make Harvey a fairy?

The smoke outlines Callan’s vanished form, where he was sitting paralyzed before Beatrix zapped him.

Dowling: “At least we know where he went.”

Silva: “And that there’s a murderer in our school.”

The murderer herself is looking at her phone, scrolling through Bloom’s social media selfies.  Bloom’s online name is bloomerang04 which is a dumb online name.  Of course the fact that we pick our online name at age 15 or thereabouts means most of us have dumb ones.  Riven asks B what she’s obsessing over and Beatrix says, “Your fault for spreading it around that she’s a changeling. She’s now the most interesting person at school.”

WHAT is it about changelings?!

Riven says everyone will move on in a few days and asks Beatrix if this is “one of those movies where you dye your hair and take her life...” and Beatrix looks… hmm.  

Do I smell Plot or am I imagining it?  But then Riven decides to claim Beatrix’s attention in smoochy ways and I’m pretty sure they’re Doing The Sex.

Opening!

In the cafeteria, people stare at Bloom as she gets her breakfast!

Aisha has taken over Callan’s job to snoop on what he knew!  Bloom “suggested” she do it.  Or more like, begged.  And thought Aisha is such a suckup she’d do it just to get brownie points with the headmistress.

The vibe of this scene is like nails on a blackboard.  Bloom, you are awful people.  And Bloom wants to eat breakfast in here to avoid the stares because she’s a changeling.

Musa comes in cheerful, “Bloom still pretending she’s not upset by the gossip?”

Bloom: ‘still pretending you’re not dating your roommate’s brother?”

And Terra comes in right in time to almost hear that.  Bloom, you are awful people.  But Terra’s got her own gossip: Stella’s mom is coming!  Stella is “dreading being outshined by her mom” and Terra is kinda loving it.  For which I can’t entirely blame her since Stella is also awful people even if my suspicions are right and there are circumstances that made her that way.

Bloom tries to be non-awful and says the girls don’t have to come eat breakfast with her “like I’m some kind of loser-mess.  I’m fine.” Friendship music plays.  The girls smile. Then Bloom heads off to finish her “poison paper” before the assembly.  Musa says, “For the record, she’s not fine.”

In the arched walkway above the cafeteria Riven, Dane and Beatrix and talking about changelings!  B: ‘Changelings were a way for pissed-off fairies to get revenge on the first world.  Swap a fairy for a First world baby and wait for it to wreak havoc.  Changelings are bad news.  That’s why we stay on their good side.”

One of the boys had asked about “is that true about changelings?” presumable Dane, since Riven knew enough to spread the truth around. So not everybody knew all this.

FINALLY! Thank you, show.  And, this is neat!  Those would have to be some very pissed-off fairies to sacrifice their own baby, what’d the first worlders do to them I wonder!  Though it still doesn’t explain why Bloom should be “bad news” any more than any other fairy.  Does growing up in the human world make for more powerful fairies?  I mean, that IS the lore, human food, human milk, human soul… but did the writers of Fate know that?  I’m not trusting the writers of Fate to know much of anything at this point, even if they did get all those Yeats episode titles.

But we get interrupted by teen drama, Dane sees Terra down below and goes to see her.  Sigh.

But then to muddy the waters, riven says Dane “believed all that changeling bullshit you just fed him!”  but B says it “isn’t all bullshit, changelings can be dangerous.  You did everybody a favor.’ warning them about Bloom, I assume she means.

Show, I hate you now.  WHY are changelings dangerous?  What was true and what wasn’t?  Bloom’s changeling nature is the central bleeping worldbuilding of this story and we get dragged around?

Next I see black SUVs, tell me it’s Silva and his army people coming to do cool competent stuff so I can like this show again!

Nope, it’s Stella’s mom.  Stella and Sky are waiting to greet her, Sky says it’s only half a day and Stella says, “Half a day of everyone adoring her like she’s literally the sun.”  Sky says, ‘She is the queen of light.” which is an awesome title.  She’s here to do an assembly about Burned Ones… what, like those  PSA assemblies we had about the dangers of drugs?  Hahahaha!  That kind of PSA might be more apt, I’m pretty sure there’s more drugs at this school than there are Burned Ones.

But Stella is terrified, I think, behind her Stellaishness.  Says her mom is really here to “check on my progress.”  Sky suggests getting the rest of the girls to be a buffer but Stella says, ‘I don’t need them.  I have you.”  But Sky can’t stay physically, he leaves Stella to meet her mom alone

Stella is wearing a long coat of pale pink with gold and diamond star barrettes in her hair.  I would love it if at the end of Stella’s character arc when she grows past whatever it is that’s squeezing the life out of her, she’ll switch to bright bold colors and teenage rather than middle-age fashion to celebrate her freedom.  At the moment it makes sense that she dresses rather dumpy and too-mature, she’s dressing under pressure.

The black cars, they’re not all SUVs, pull up.  there’s a flag, faded blue above, red below split by a diagonal line with some kind of crest in the middle.  Solarian flag?  No yellow, no sun or moon.

Stella’s mom looks noting like Queen Luna, she looks like a middle aged lady with brown hair, her hairdo and clothing juuuuust like Stella’s! In season 8 the real Stella designed a dress after her mother’s gown out of love, but I think this Stella dresses like her mother because of pressure.  Also there’s nothing queenly about the queen. She’s wearing a business skirt and jacket, big chunky necklace, no crown.  Political royalty not magical royalty.  She gives Stella a kiss on the cheek and says, ‘You look stunning.” and Stella grins.

In the greenhouse Harvey, Terra and Sam hang out.  Where’s their mom? Harvey wears a wedding ring but no mom in sight.  Harvey is working on a special project, filling a vial with something.  Terra asks if she can help but Harvey says he’s got this.

Dane comes to see Terra.  Both her family members give Dane a serious Look.  Heh.

Terra: “Whilst I appreciate that it is the historical perspective of the patriarchy to save women from upsetting situations, I’ve got this.”

Props to Terra’s actress for delivering that in a not at all groan-y way. Every time this show tries to be woke it is groanworthy and awful and they should just not, but every time the actors pull it off.  

So Dane says “You didn’t answer my texts… you’ve been really great to me...” and Terra shuts him down!  “Yeah I have.  I’m a good person, Dane.  I think you are too, but I’m not really sure I care to find out.  Anymore.”  and leaves him with “A word of advice.  Be careful who you trust.”  

Sam: ‘Still kinda want to punch him.”  Heh.

Harvey gets a text and takes his project off to meet the queen.  When he’s gone Terra immediately goes to his workstation to check out what he’s up to.  

The queens party goes to Callan’s office, which is now Aisha’s office.  Aisha greets the queen, whose name is actually Luna!  And she knows Aisha’s name, but does not need any help.  The adults go into Dowling’s office to talk.  

Aisha accidentally knocks some papers off the desk then, grumpy at this spying job she’s taken on and isn’t having any luck with, slams a filing cabinet door.  And finds something.  A mechanical ring the size of a jewelry ring, stuck in between two parts of the filing cabinet.  Aisha thinks it’s part of the cabinet, but then it begins to whir and she hears voices.  It’s the receiver for a bug!  Callan bugged Dowling’s office and now Aisha can listen in on the adults!

Only she… hides the receiver back under the cabinet?  

The only thing she overheard was the fact that Callan is dead.  Seems that Dowling’s telling everyone he left for a family emergency. Aisha tells Bloom this and Bloom is even more keen to get at those old records, from before Dowling became headmistress.  Maybe they’re in the east wing, and everyone’s going to be at this mandatory assembly so now would be the perfect time!

Aisha says it’s a bad idea.  Bloom says it’s a better idea than getting stared at by everybody and “I can’t just sit and listen to people make stuff up about me.”  

WHAT are they making up?!  I wanna hear these rumors!

Anyway Aisha is finally convinced to cover for Bloom, say she was too sick to come to the assembly.  But for reasons of Plot Beatrix was right above them on the upper walkway so she knows where Bloom’s off to.

Gorgeous outdoor shot of the castle.  Pardon me while I look it up… it’s a stately home!  You can go there, they have a farmers market and everything!  Ok, mark that down on my travel list between my Lost Crown tour of Polperro and my Higurashi tour of the real Hinamizawa…

Whilst I dream of seagulls and cicadas, Bloom is back in the dark east wing past a keep-out looking for clues.  Sky catches her!

Beatrix is outside looking for Bloom.  Riven catches her.  She says, ‘mandatory assembly’s a mandatory ditch.”  they pass a keep-out sign on some big doors as rain begins to fall.

Mysterious big doors in the school!  Another Winx Club sort of thing here at Elemental Academy.

In the cafeteria benches have been put in for the assembly,  Lots of students chat and the adults talk together.  Outside the arched windows we see bright blue sky.  Are the windows enchanted?  That’d explain why I never know if it’s day or night around here!

Queen Luna walks in her heels on a sort of stage in front of the windows. She holds up her hand and snaps her fingers and the light in the room goes purple and the sunlight streaming in from outside dims as if dusk has fallen outside.

Stella, wearing a brighter pink coat and double star pin, sits in the very front between two of her mother’s bodyguards.  The pin could be just because of Stella’s name, but in Winx Solaria does have two suns.  I like this pin, for Escape to Witch Mountain reasons, so I looked it up.  Stella’s pin is gold but the silver version is… oh dear… three dollars on amazon!  Methinks this show spent its whole budget on the Irish castle!

Terra and Aisha admire the queen.  “Massively powerful fairy, zero ego, boss goals.  Bet it drives Stella crazy?”  Stella glances back. She can hear them.  

Musa and Sam are knee-nudging each other, it’s pretty cute.  They text with phones on laps, sam asking if Musa’s into all the sneaking around hiding their relationship from Terra.  He asks, ‘is it a kink?’ and Musa texts back, ‘Meet me after the assembly, you’ll find out.”  Tell me you two aren’t dumb enough to start Doing The Sex in the same suite Terra lives in too!  Maybe they’re just gonna hang out and make out.

Hilariously Queen Luna is saying, ‘I’m here to treat you like the adults you are” as these two plot that most teenage of plots, meeting up to have a good time!  Luna says she’s here to talk about the Burned Ones, it’s been years since one was sighted…

Terra nudges Musa.  “What’s Stella going through right now?  She’s miserable, right?”  Terra has noticed what I’ve been suspecting! Poor Musa, distracted from flirting with the cute guy, sighs a little and says a polite, ‘Please wait.’  

She turns her powers to read Stella’s emotions… but there’s interference.  Dowling is walking by and she’s using her mind powers as well!  Musa says, ‘This assembly isn’t just about the Burned Ones.  Something else is up.”  Harvey is standing in the audience and Dowling takes a position among the students also

Queen Luna is talking about, “...for decades, families and villages suddenly torn apart by one of these monsters that left our world in chaos...”

The teachers are here to scan for Callan’s killer, I assume.  Since it’s a mandatory assembly every student will be present… except for Bloom and Beatrix, who ditched!  Gee, I hope Beatrix doesn’t try to pin it on Bloom!  But how could she when Dowling can read minds?

Back with Bloom and Sky, Bloom says she was born in 2004—the year Winx Club was first broadcast, seventeen years ago!  Our beloved show, may it survive to see eighteen.  Bloom’s idea is to look for pregnant teen fairies in the class photos, and she has oddly specific details to look for: baggy clothes, girls holding books in front of bellies.

There’s some conversation about how Bloom is tired of being whispered about and wants to yell at people they’re all assholes, and Sky agrees that most people are but you have to find the good ones.

Then he finds a picture of adults.  His dad is in it, along with Rosalind, Dowling, Silva and Harvey.  Bloom says, “you look like him” although we don’t really get a good look Andreas at the photo.  Sky mimicks Silva’s accent, “And act like him, and maybe one day if I work hard enough I can be half the warrior he was.”  Heh.  Bloom also giggles at the accent.

Sky also said, ‘his commander was a woman” presumably Rosalind.  So Rosalind was a leader of soldiers.  Was she a fairy or a specialist?

Bloom asks if it’s weird that everyone knows his dad better than he did, and Sky says ‘Alfea’s been my home my entire life” so I guess he grew up here with Silva being much more father than mentor. Wonder what happened to Sky’s mom.  They’re having a nice moment and here come Riven and Beatrix to join the party!

Back in the assembly, Musa scans the adults.  Dowling and Silva are on edge, and Harvey is really scared.  Terra says her dad was making something with the crystals from the vessel, so he was putting crystals in a little vial.  A magic tracking device.  Now Dowling’s got it.

Queen Luna is saying, ‘conflict is now on the horizon!  We are tracking at least five Burned Ones throughout Solaria.  The threat is serious. And growing.”

Back in the vaults B says, “people who think history is rubbish are rubbish.  Don’t be rubbish”  Ah Beatrix, there’s the like 10% of your personality that I like!  Then she reverts to the other 90% and suggests Bloom and Sky were down here to have The Sex.  Riven says nah, Sky’s not that interesting.  Bloom, who heard all that, says ‘But we were alone and that was pleasant.”  Heh.

They find a locked door.  Sky says he can ask Silva what’s behind it but bloom wants to get through now.

Riven: ‘The more you say no the more she wants it.  Give in.”

Beatrix: “Do we need to have a talk about consent?”

The more this show throws woke verbiage into random conversations the less woke it looks. 9_9

Bloom sensibly: “Why are you guys down here, again?”

Anyway Beatrix says she’s on Bloom’s side, which I do not believe for a minute.  Bloom says no thanks, don’t need help from someone who posted a nasty video about terra, Beatrix says she was an innocent bystander which I do not believe for a minute, and says Bloom should be mad at riven for starting the Changeling rumors.  Bloom and Sky look at Riven.

Riven: “Not exactly the way I thought you’d screw me today, B.”

Sky if it’s true, Riven flees to escape a lecture from “Saint Sky” and Sky goes after him to deliver the lecture.

And he does, out in the rain.  Riven says he really likes Beatrix, that B is the only one who likes him the way he is.  That Sky thinks he’s better than riven.  And that Sky should maybe not be talking about bad life choices while he’s chasing Bloom while still having Stella.  Sky says that’s not what’s really going on and Riven says that’s what everyone else sees, including Stella.  And Riven says, ‘that’s probably why she told me Bloom was a changeling in the first place.”  And he walks off, leaving Sky in the rain with the knowledge that Stella is mean-girling Bloom.  Unsurprisingly.

Sky of Elemental Academy is having just as much trouble here as his animated counterpart keeps having with Diaspro!

Back inside the girls haven’t figured out what the adults are after. Terra finds it hard to believe they have “some big ulterior motive.” and Musa says, “people have more stuff going on than you’d think, especially parents.”  Heh.  Then she takes off for a snog session with Sam! Sam says he’s like to make their relationship public, but Musa likes the secrecy.  If everyone found out, she’d have to feel everyone’s reaction, ‘good bad, positive or negative.”  Sam says she has to feel it bu does she have to care?  And says being an empath seems to suck, which it sure does seem to!

Would “everybody” even care that they were dating?  I mean Terra would but at a school full of teenagers dating how many people would care?

I read a book… Burning Glass, about an empath so powerful that when a starving mob approached she let them in the gates because she forgot she wasn’t one of them, caught up in the mob’s need to get in to where the food was.  She didn’t just feel people’s emotions, she acted on them because she couldn’t tell which of the things she was feeling were coming in from outside.  I keep thinking the writers are trying to imagine Musa like that and failing completely.

Over in the east wing Beatrix guessed that it was Rosalind who left bloom in the human world and Bloom realized that Beatrix lied the night of the party about not knowing who Rosalind was.  B says Rosalind was “a fierce bitch.”  I’m still feeling this great big hole where someone should say “Rosalind destroyed the Burned Ones in the war with her great magic.” or something and nobody says it.  Bloom knows Rosalind was headmistress before Dowling and is dead, we viewers know Rosalind is not dead, did something important with the Burned Ones, and has an evil face.  I dunno, like the changeling thing it feels like there are these weird blanks in what the show is giving us.

Beatrix suggests Bloom light the locked door on fire as a way to get it open. She knows Bloom’s powerful enough.  Bloom says power is not the problem, lighting the whole school on fire is the problem.  Then sky texts and Bloom lies and says she’s not down here anymore which will definitely be back to bite her later.  She suggests she could “fry” the hinges off the door, but Beatrix has already picked the lock.

With a machine custom made for picking locks, not with bobby pins.

On the other side of the door they find… a war room.  A round sand pit that, when B enchants it, the sand lifts up to create a miniature of the school.  Beatrix calls it, “A place where dangerous, shady-ass people decide who lives and who dies.”

Dowling is giving Stella a magic lesson.  She creates an arc of colored light between her hands, mimicking the chains on her brooch.

Queen Luna is not impressed.  A little mini rainbow is not much of a display of power.  Luna and Dowling proceed to ignore Stella and talk over her head.  Luna sent Stella back to be “fixed”--the same word Stella used about bloom after she taught Bloom the way of the Sith—after the “incident with Ricki.”  Dowling says rehabilitating magic is a process and it takes time.  Luna: “would you like me to recite the list of threats we’re facing while you take time?”

Me! I would!  1)Burned Ones 2)???  And how much can one fairy do about them?

Stella tries to interrupt and Luna says, “Do not speak when I’m speaking.  Solaria is the strongest realm in the Otherworld, she is its heir, an extension of that strength.”  Stella protests that it’s working, she is getting stronger, and her mother just snaps at her not to speak again.

Stella says she blinded a Burned One and Dowling has her back, praising her for how skillfully she did it.

Queen Luna makes a full illusion, disappearing the room and leaving Stella in a VR forest.  With wind-howling sound effects, not sure how light did that!    Stella is terrified.

Queen Luna: ‘when you control light you control what people see.  And despite what anyone says matters in this world, appearance is everything.  You know that better than anyone, Farah.  Especially given my efforts to help you maintain them.”

Dowling just says they’ve both done a great deal to preserve Solaria’s reputation.  Hmm!  That’s interesting!  And she lets Stella go.

Outside the office, Aisha is working at her desk.  She asks Stella if she’s ok and Stella says of course she is, but Aisha’s using the listening device again!  She overhears Queen Luna basically threatening to have Dowling removed as headmistress!

Outside in the still cloudy day, Sky is taking his mood out on a punching bag.  He gets a text from Stella saying, “She’s a monster.” before Sky can go give her some much deserved sympathy Silva walks past demanding an update.  On what?

In the greenhouse Harvey is worried.  His magic bottle, which is very pretty, didn’t work.  Terra comes to ask if everything’s ok and he yells at her, then apologizes.  Terra turns to go then turns back and asks, ‘if there was something going on you would tell us wouldn’t you?”  and Harvey lies and says of course he would.

Aaaaaaaand now I’m looking up potion bottles on amazon wondering if this prop is also something I can have.  Not obviously.

Terra, Musa and Aisha are talking about it in the suite.  Aisha is sure the grownups are doing what they think is best.  Terra would rather just be told there’s a secret rather than be lied to.  But they do work it out.  The crystals read magic, there’s a dead person, the adults were looking for someone who kills by magic but didn’t find them.

Then Sky bursts in looking for Bloom.  The girls ask if Silva told him what’s up, but Sky is out of the loop.

Terra: “Dowling’s assistant died, the faculty think a fairy did it. They held the assembly to find out which fairy, but they didn’t because he or she wasn’t there, so now we don’t believe or trust literally anyone.”

Sky: “Shit.”

Sky, smart cookie that he is, realizes immediately that it’s Beatrix.

The murderess and Bloom are reading scrolls in the war room—in the DARK, everything’s shadowy how are they even reading?

In 2004 Rosalind was “leading the crusade against the Burned Ones” Beatrix says so finally there’s that laid out.

Bloom was born December 12 2004, just like the real Bloom.  Beatrix seems oddly interested in that fact.  I’m beginning to have a suspicion.

Bloom’s phone is blowing up with messages but she’s busy reading.  Beatrix stealth zaps bloom’s phone to break it so she doesn’t get Sky’s warning call.  

Rosalind was in a place called Aster Dell.  This also seems to interest Beatrix, who suggests they just go there right now.  She knows where it is, it’s not far.  Bloom has a rush of common sense to the head and hesitates to leave school with someone she barely knows but Beatrix points out that they’ve already broken into a secret war room and maybe now is not the time to stop before they get somewhere. Not completely without a point there, so Bloom agrees.

Sky finds Riven and demands the whereabouts of “The unstable sex addict who’s been leading you around by your dick.”  Pfft!  Also, not very understanding after Riven admitted he really does like Beatrix and feels accepted by her.  But Riven doesn’t know, anyway.

Stella bursts in, “I sent you twenty texts and you’re here looking for Bloom?”  And Riven gets to say, ‘Have fun with that!” as he escapes.  Sky blames Stella for starting the changeling thing, Stella says, “I didn’t want to hurt her.” which is not true.

Sky: “You say you don’t want to be like your mother but all I see is someone who treats others exactly the same way that Luna treats you.” And he says he’s done with this.

Harsh but true.

Beatrix stole a car.  Bloom is very impressed!  Heh.

The other three girls have had a rush of common sense to the head and gone to Dowling to tell her about Beatrix.  Dowling’s first response is to ask why Bloom was down there but Terra pulls out their deductions and says “can we please drop the bullshit?” and when her father tries to stop her she calls him out for putting them in danger by not telling them!  Go Terra!  Silva comes in to tell them someone knocked out one of the queen’s guards and stole an SUV.

Beatrix must be extremely badass to take out a bodyguard!  we’re only in episode 4 but I don’t think she’s planning on coming back to school after this.

Black SUV drives on a dirt road between trees.  I do love how there seem to be no other buildings and no paved roads in the Otherworld.  I guess I’ll take what worldbuilding I can get.

Bloom and Beatrix have arrived at an absolutely stunning location, a cliff over the sea.  Bloom wonders if this is the right place.  Isn’t Aster Dell supposed to be a town?  Then she realizes there are skulls at her feet among the heather.

But no time to ponder it, Beatrix is getting lightningy!  She throws lightning—shorting out an invisible barrier concealing ruins. Aster dell was a peaceful town until it was attacked by Burned Ones and “a military unit from Alfea” decided to go all scorched earth on the place and killed everybody.  Queen Luna set up the illusion to hide the ruins.  “Leader of our realm tried to cover up a war crime.’

Beatrix says this is where she was from, and where her family died.  Two days before Bloom’s birthday.  This is where Bloom is from.  Rosalind rescued Beatrix too, and gave her a memory of the Alfea adults destroying the town.  Rosalind was the only one of the adults with a conscience about killing innocent people.

Bloom protests, the adults are lying but they aren’t monsters.  I’m skeptical too, because us viewers know that Beatrix is Beatrix and has said all sorts of things. 

On the drive back Bloom asks Beatrix if she’s a changeling too, but no.  Rosalind left B with “a close friend” and Bloom in another world.  Bloom asks why Dowling would recruit her as a student after killing her family and Beatrix says she doesn’t think Dowling realizes yet what Bloom is, and Bloom shouldn’t tell her.

Bloom: “Which is exactly what you’d say if you were making this up.  To keep us from comparing notes.”  go Bloom!   Beatrix asks what she has to gain from making up a story about murderous teachers, and the two of them can work together to find out more.  Rosalind is alive and imprisoned at Alfea, and Beatrix came to break her out.

...for “him”?  Mysterious “him” not mentioned yet.  And where does the return of the Burned Ones fit in?  Hmm.  I admit my main reason for not believing Beatrix’s story is that it’s Beatrix telling it.

Also in these sorts of stories the birth parents are never dead.

But no time to ponder it, the teachers are here!  They stop the car, Dowling slaps some magical cuffs on Beatrix and Silva and Harvey grab Bloom.  They deliver her back to Alfea into a group hug from her suitemates.

The girls were worried that Bloom was off with a murderer but they heard that from the adults who Bloom just heard are liars and murderers themselves.  We know the adults are telling the truth about Callan but Bloom doesn’t.  Sky is there, also worried that she’d been kidnapped by Beatrix—but Silva calls him away.  Paranoia intensifies.

As they head for bed Terra rants about her dad lying to her and acting like it was for her own good.  Terra ends with, ‘you don’t lie to people.  Not if they matter.’

And Musa feels guilty and spills the beans about her and Sam!  It’s been weeks!  Terra bursts into giggles and hugs Musa and says Sam looks just like their dad and he went bald early.

Looking down from the walk they see the queen’s guards rolling Stella’s suitcases towards the door.  The one thing the two Stella’s have in common apparently is their love of lots of luggage!  Yep, Stella’s been moved out.

Stella is in the car.  Back home her mother will teach her.

Stella: “You could’ve let me say goodbye to my friends.”

Luna: ‘”They’re not your friends, Stella.”

Which, evil mum kinda right.  Apart from taking out a Burned One together, every interaction between Stella and the others has been nasty and catty and mostly Stella’s been avoiding them whenever possible. They aren’t friends.  They might be later, but they sure aren’t yet.

Beatrix has been thrown in a cell.

Silva locks the door—with Sky there watching, and I’m sure Silva’s trust in Sky will come back to bite him later.

Then interesting conversation.  Silva asked Sky to keep an eye on Bloom, and now he wants Sky to get all the details of what just happened out of bloom and report back.  Silva actually says the “a soldier’s job is to take orders” and “your loyalty is to me, no one else.” which, I like you Silva but that is the wrongest tack you could take right now!  Silva is very scared and it’s making him make bad choices.

Bloom has gone to Dowling’s office to ask what she did to Beatrix.  The cuffs were “runic limiters” which prevent a fairy from using magic.  Bloom says ‘They were barbaric” and “You tore her skin open.” which I guess the cuffs did kinda burrow into her skin.

Dowling is just worried if Bloom’s ok and then asks what they talked about. Bloom says it was just a joyride, she and Beatrix talked about clothes and boys.  Bloom leaves.

Dowling immediately phones up Bloom’s parents on Earth and says Bloom’s been having a bit of trouble and would they please report to her if Bloom says anything weird.

Sheesh. Could these otherwise smart, capable adults who have years of experience with teenagers be handling this any worse?

Well that was… something.  Terra is badass.  Stella’s mom is exactly like I expected her to be.  Beatrix spilled a lot of important Plot and I’m sure some of it was true and some of it wasn’t.

Next time on Elemental Academy!  Will the girls rescue Stella from evil mum?  Will Bloom bust Beatrix out of the dungeon?  Will Sky be forced to choose between his father figure and his crush?  Will Bloom’s parents accidentally betray her?  And what’s Riven gonna do now that his smoking and boinking buddy is under arrest?  Half the cast is being set up to make some really dumb life choices!  Tune in next time!

[venus-says]

Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Episodes 16-30

Insert COIN to Continue.

If Ex-Aid hadn't clicked with me in its first 15 episodes, it's with much joy that I come here to say that I think I finally get this show and I'm here for it!

Yes, I still have quite a few of problems, and a lot of the complaints I had in my previous post are still present in here, but my enjoyment of the show has only been growing more and more with each new episode I watch to the point where now only very few aspects of it still annoy me really hard and I can let go of things more easily like, for example, the weird dialogue and the comedy style that while are still aspects that I don't like but that now I can get past that without being bothered.

Honestly, what bothers me the most is that I didn't know the show had such a clear break into two parts and that I divided the episodes for the reviews in a way that will make a bit weird to talk about, especially in this post. I didn't expect episodes 1 through 23 would end up being a big arc, with episodes 24 onward being kind of a different thing, a step-up from the previous arc. But oh well...

Since these episodes were clearly divided into two separate arcs I'll do the same here and comment on them separately.

This first part, going from episodes 16 to 23, are a bit weird to comment on because even inside them there's also a mini division we can make, episodes 16, 18, 19 and 20 are like a mini-arc to give Brave and Snipe power-ups while 21, 22, and 23 have more like an end game plot going on, and episode 17 is kinda just hanging around there, a bit out of place that usually would be considered a filler but that introduces a character that is used later on so while we can't completely disregard that episode we also can't really put it in the same basket as the others.

The first portion is the weakest of this whole section, being completely honest I don't remember much about it, I know Brave and Snipe get their asses kicked and they lose his gashats and that was pretty cathartic, but then Genm did his thing again and gave them Level 50 power-ups and I was a bit disappointed, not really in aesthetic levels or powers, like I don't care for Snipe's but I love how Brave looks and I think is really cool that he can command a troop of minions, my biggest problem is that the power-up is in one of those double gashats with that ugly circle thing and they have to share it but the division isn't really fair since Snipe has been keeping it for way more time than Brave did. But oh well.

Oh also during this part my hate for Kuroto was constantly raising, I really despise this man and whenever someone wipes the floor with him is like I'm having an overdose of serotonin because he's an awful human being and that's what he deserves and seeing him being fucked up brings me a lot of joy.

The mini-arc of episodes 21 to 23 is when things start to get interesting as we see the plot unveiling mysteries and the gears grinding in incredible speed making these three episodes feel like the end of a season. Now, as interesting and exciting that it was to watch this climax payout I do have some problems here. My biggest one is that, once again, they made Emu WAY too special, now he's not just a doctor, a genius gamer, and patient 0 from the game illness, but he's also the reason why Kuroto is like this nowadays, and different from what we thought he's been incubating this virus since he was a little kid because Kuroto is such a shit human being that he sent an infected game to a kid because apparently, he thinks only him can be a game developer in this world and come up with ideas for games. And yes, this is very in-character, Dan Kuroto would really do stuff like this, is the fact that they make so many things focused on a single person that bothers me.

Another thing I have a problem here, although it's a much smaller one if compared to my previous point is just how convenient it was for the show to put a way to reprogram the virus in Kiriya's computer. I think my problem here is just how easy they got the information, you know? They knew from that detective that Kiriya was digging up something and Hiiro decides to look for information and in the first place he looks he just happens to find his computer and the files in his research were there. Again, it's a minor thing, but I felt like I had to comment on this.

One thing that I really enjoyed in this mini-arc was Kuroto's plan to avoid the Ministry and still get data in his hands by infecting himself with the virus to appeal to Emu's emotions. Again, a very in-character decision and the way it played out was very fun even though it was pretty clear he allowed himself to be caught seeing how easy it was for them. The way things escalated leading to his death was also pretty good, it's a bit annoying that his death gets reverted only a few episodes later, for a show that is constantly talking about doctors dealing with death having a death be reversed is a bit counter-intuitive.

As a result of this conflict, we get Ex-Aid's Level 99 power-up, and while it's cool that is a gashat he made it himself and that he used Kiriya's driver after his was fried up by Genm, holy jesus how ugly is this thing. It's so huge and bulky most of the scenes with him moving have to be done in CGI because that looks like hell to walk on wearing it. This just isn't the ugliest power-up of this season because Snipe still has the worst designs, but oh gosh.

After episode 23 we enter in the Kamen Rider Chronicle arc, where being led by Parad they gather data from the missing games by reviving Graphite and brainwashing Poppy, and Ex-Aid becomes a light novel with a battle royale/survival game that actually kills people when they get a game over (or upload them to the cloud and erase their physical bodies apparently because now they're saying those people can be revived).

Attempts of joke aside, while it's not anything new that they're doing here I do like how they implemented the concept in the story. It's pretty cool having regular people acting up as the players while the Riders we follow are like special NPCs that drop rare items when defeated, it's a fun gimmick and it's also a way to the villains to put another obstacle to the riders without having to do much.

I think what I liked the most in this plot was the mini-arc they had for Poppy, up until this point I didn't really have a strong opinion on her but what they had with her in these episodes was pretty cool. To begin they gave her a pretty dope song, at first I questioned what they were trying to do there but when we get to know that her whole singing scene was part of a brainwashing process it turns things really interesting. But is the journey of her freeing herself from this brainwash that really does it for me, when she starts remembering memories from the person that she took over she gets in this existential crisis and it gave us some great moments, I really like that scene in episode 28 when she's there trying to tell everyone AND herself that humans and bugsters are enemies and Emu puts himself in the line kinda with a wake-up call for her, it was pretty awesome. I feel like she also got way more agency after the events in that episode and I hope they keep that with her. Oh, we also got Kamen Rider Poppy which wasn't a thing I necessarily needed, but that was still pretty cool.

But because not everything can be flowers I have two major issues for this part as well, the two are things that I already mentioned so I won't take too long with them. The first one is obviously the "making Emu too special" thing since it gets established that Parad is the bugster that Emu incubated for all those years and that Parad is actually Emu's "second personality". Again, it's a cool concept, and there's one episode in which Parad gets control of Emu's body and they have a fight between each other while in Ex-Aid's Level 20 form and it was cool as heck, is just the fact that they keep adding layers to Emu like he's the center of the entire universe that makes me feel kinda iffy about it.

The second aspect I don't like is the reversibility of death. I get that this is a show for kids so they would come up with a way to bring everyone that died in Kamen Rider Chronicle because this doesn't seem like the type of show that would just obliterate a lot of people out of existence like that, my problem is with bringing back characters that have some sort of impact with the characters. Yeah, so far we only had Kuroto and he's back but not really since now he's a bugster and Poppy can keep him under control with her drive, though let's be honest this won't last too long, but they're raising the possibility of bringing Hiiro's girlfriend back and I'm sure they would try to bring Kiriya back too and is this thing that I feel like it goes against some of the messages this show is trying to pass to his main character. Emu is constantly facing death and as a Doctor he will face it many times in different contexts and part of the process for him to learn how to deal with this he needs to feel the effects of mourning for those who passed away, but when you bring people back from that while it doesn't revert what he went through makes it feel like death isn't as serious. This is a thing Rider likes to do a lot honestly, I mean look at Ghost, and it never sat with me well, but I feel like in this season in especial, as I mentioned, it's very counter-intuitive.

And I believe that's all I have to say for now. I feel like I'm way too repetitive, and that's a problem I should work on, but I have to say this again, I'm still having my problems with Ex-Aid but these problems aren't cutting down my enjoyment of the show and I'm really excited to see how all of this will come up together in the end. If you have anything to say about my comments or these episodes please let me know in the comments, I'll be very happy to have other people insight into this show. Stay healthy, stay safe, never stop resisting, thank you so so much for reading and until the next time. See you in the next game!

[neoneidolon]

one year - 1/ 2/20

It’s been a year since I started this blog!

Most of you probably know that this blog holds the OC continuation of the story I started as a canon character on cubicscubedemon. The history hasn’t changed; Morpho uses what used to be their nickname back on the old blog, and they reference things that happened back when they were Amorphous Shape, so they are definitely still the same person, but they were such a tiny presence in their old canon that I feel comfortable calling them my OC now.

So! We’re basically in the epilogue, I think! After a series of huge pushes, they left their Boss and started a new life in hiding. They had a run-in with their homeworld, picked up a sibling by accident, reconnected with an old friend, made some new ones. The nature of their relationships is different now. They’ve come a long way. So what now?

Well, first of all I want to say I’m not planning on quitting yet. There are still things I want to do, or at least lay down the groundwork for happening later in the unwritten bits of Morpho’s life. Because I know how their story is going to end. I probably won’t write it here, because that’s at least a few decades in the future we’re talking about and this blog operates on sorta kinda real-ish time, but it’s a nice bittersweet ending I keep in mind. It was never going to end the way Morph *wants*, but they’ll be happy regardless, I promise.

More Things That Have Happened:

-- they started living on Earth! exactly what the version of me who ran the old blog swore up and down would never happen in the default “verse”/timeline. Past me is eating their words right now

-- on a semi-related note, wow, this blog has been running for a year and still hasn’t gained any alternate verse tags? that’s kind of impressive

-- so now when I read through the old blog archive it’s going to be an organization nightmare figuring out if the version of Morpho in a given post is the same one as in this blog or not

-- I straight up forgot that Morpho already knew their timeline’s version of their Boss was dead. In the kidnapping event, Bill told them that and they reacted like it was new information. It wasn’t. I’m just an idiot who doesn’t read the archive enough.

-- Morpho is now: 10-20% more honest! 40% more emotionally open! 4% more humble! 80% deeper into their destiny as the local eldritch witchy grandma/eccentric uncle who has seven dozen other dimensions on speed-dial!

-- they’re still working on letting go of their need to be the “better version” of their ex-Boss, but what happened in Hyperspaceland went a long, long way in proving to them that the Multiverse can have wildly unlikely good things happen in it, and that they can make a positive difference without having to do it the way they had impressed upon them for years.

-- plus, they now have friends and acquaintances who are “weird” like them, who have managed to make good lives for themselves without having to be subject to dimensional power struggles and other unwanted cosmic nonsense. They didn’t think being able to “retire”/live quietly was really possible for people like themself, so seeing otherwise is really good for them. They don’t think directly about this, though, it’s subconscious.

-- but they still have a long way to go and a lot of deep-seated issues to unravel, and now they have to raise their time-clone twin sibling and pray they don’t mess the kid up.

Things I’d Like to Happen, Either Written Here or Not:

-- Morph letting go of their instinct to manipulate situations to their favor, and also their tendency to make things more difficult by lying

-- Morpho letting go of the assumption that most people have ulterior motives, even if their history demonstrates that they have a good reason to believe that

-- Beta growing up, working out how they are and are not Morpho, simultaneously

-- Morpho reaching a point where they can be trusted to not (usually) try using people for their own personal gain, so they can finally go back to their real calling (teaching) properly this time

I worry a lot about whether I keep things consistent here, if Morpho’s still the same person they were two years ago or one year ago. They seem happier, anyway. I don’t think they would be as happy if I was just shearing off unpalatable parts of them out of misplaced fear. At the same time, they are always going to be a little bit awful!

And what about Beta? I keep saying we’re near the end, but just as Morpho’s coming in on the close of their development, Beta’s is just beginning, under totally different circumstances as her elder twin. Life as the soul of a magical alien spirit thing, in the body of an earthly creature, isn’t going to be easy for her. If I wanted, I could lean all the focus on her and get a whole new narrative out of it.

That brings me to something else I wanted to talk about. So if you’ve followed me for a while, you know this about me: for better or for worse, I always have a narrative arc in mind. There are good things and bad things about that approach, and it’s pretty easy to screw up, especially where other people are involved. And the problem with characters who develop is that it is totally possible to develop them too much, to extend their story so far that they become somebody who doesn’t resemble who they were originally. I’m worried about this happening with Morph. I’m also worried about this blog just becoming an endless series of me coming up with some arbitrary new conflict or danger or drama every time I get bored of describing their mundane life. I don’t want to bore anyone. (I know, the wisdom is to RP for yourself and your own fun, but it still involves other people and also, I need to entertain, otherwise what is the point of my story?)

This blog is... might end before this time this year. I say might, it’s not that I don’t enjoy anymore and want to quit. After that? I don’t know. Starting an art blog on Tumblr feels kind of pointless now since the platform is dying, and RP is one of the major reasons I stick around since I don’t really use my personal blog much anymore. If I don’t write here, I feel like I’m going to slip away from a lot of friends. I don’t want to lose you all. I could start a new muse, Beta or someone else, but...

I want to do something different, too.

And that brings me to the last (I think) thing, which is what form Morpho’s story might take next. Because if I DO end this blog before the beginning of next year, I wouldn’t be done with Morph by a long shot. I love them too much and there’s too much of me I sunk into them. So what would I do?

Well, I was hoping to spin a web thing with words and pictures. ...I think I’m just going to call it a web serial. No intention of ever formally publishing it. It would be the same basic arc again, but more polished and with all the Gravity Falls filed off a backstory and setting that is more original to me, plus additional new plot things and side characters. Definitely taking place in a Multiverse, though, how could it not?

coming up with a villain to replace Bill Cipher has been basically impossible but Morpho’s story can’t function without somebody in that role

Maybe this is misguided of me, maybe it will fail to launch, or launch and then fail, and attempting to run it alongside this blog is an almost guaranteed terrible idea, but I want to do it. Morpho is never going to get a book series or a TV show, so this is what I have for them. It could be pretty interesting if it works. They feel ready. And most importantly I know I can tell this long rambly story and finish it, because I’ve already done it, here with the help of a bunch of writers--friends-- that I admire. Morpho wouldn’t have made it this far without you.

When is it coming? I don’t really know. Work on the first installments is happening, but it’s slow, and there’s key things I don’t know yet. Most of it is going to be flying by the seat of my pants, making it up as I go (but y’know, making it up better, with slightly less improvisation than I usually employ here). I’m graduating from community college in mid March of this year, which is going to be a major life change that is probably going to turn my life completely upside down. Maybe I will suddenly not have any time for creating anything, be it an RP blog or a web serial, much less both! haha I’m terrified 

But with luck, I’m hoping that what I am tentatively calling Amos vs. Everything will be out soon. Like, really soon. Some point between late January and when I graduate. (Now I just have to A. figure out where I’m hosting this thing and B. graduate. It would be really embarrassing if I flunked out of my last semester of school.)

I can see it now: somebody going “who the heck is ‘Amos’? The main character’s name is Morpho!” and I will smile and say ‘wait and see’ because they don’t know, but you. You all know.

And that’s about it! This is but a small and humble blog, and I like it that way. I appreciate every one of you who are here at time of writing. For the ones I don’t manage to interact with much-- I’m useless and shy. Poke me, reasonably. If you’re just here to spectate, that’s cool too. :D For the ones who come write here a lot, or did once-- you built this house.

Okay I should stop now or I’ll be sitting here forever! I can’t believe you read all this! Thank you all for everything and Happy New Year!

[kizurai]

Rain World Planning Process

This is for my fic spotlight, but I’m going to write out (or copy and paste) the stuff I did for my fic Rain World. Warning, MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD:

This is the summary I had for the artists to choose my fic. Thankfully I made something better on my actual fic, but this was what enticed my wonderful artist powerfulmagics so I must have done something right lol:

[Post Apocalyptic AU] A large portion of the population has died and Regina has found herself trying to survive day by day, scouring for food and water, protecting herself from other survivors, and fighting against nature. The 'Rain' would burn and kill and destroy everything in its path and there was nothing she could do about it. Until she met Emma, and the both of them go on a journey to survive, to find a better life for them. They both have baggage that they confess to each other under the cover of the night, in the silent darkness, and they grow closer day by day, month by month, until maybe, just maybe, they're a family.

This is what I had for planning. It’s a bit of a mess but I have it structured this way so I can build the world better? I suppose? Also, again, I didn’t use like half of this HAHAHA

Beginning setting Regina is… looting a small convenience store for food thinking about how her life became this way and how she wouldn't ever ingest all these carbs. But without electricity it'd be hard to cook with fire. Hmm Or she can go to a home Depot and just get a gas stove. I guess that works. None of the food are good though. Most are rotten from the lack of refrigeration.

World building Probably not too many flashbacks if any. Lamenting on the past? Maybe the reader will know what happened when other characters learn about them. Most things will be vaguely alluded to and the readers will fill in the blanks.

What is the end goal? It might end with everyone happily living on a cliff somewhere.

What is Rain World Post apocalyptic. Ish. The rain hurts. Governments in all countries built a limited supply of shelter/bunkers around the world so the rich tried to build their own. Most weren't successful. Regina was lucky enough to be waiting in one when the flood happened and Emma stole her way into one.

Characters Emma is an orphan bailbondsperson with a thief background. So really, not much change. She found her way into a shelter because her friend Neal, snuck her in. Neal died in a fight for resources and Emma had to leave the group fearing for her life.

Regina came from a rich family and married Robin due to her mother's insistence. Her husband however, is an abusive ass. Ever since their underground shelter was built, she would stay in there every time Robin beats her. She was lucky enough to be in there again after hiding from her husband's angry rampage. She listened as Robin swore at her and screamed profanities as the rain chipped away at his skin. She felt relief more than anything when she found him dead outside the shelter.

Henry is 5. He's immune to the rain for some reason. Emma and Regina found him hidden somewhere, running from someone/something.

Possible Reason For Henry's Immunity? - his body secretes a base chemical that negates the acidity of the rain - his parents were scientists that experimented on him - magic! (I'm kidding) - maybe he was just born that way, I don't know

Type of Enemies (sounding an awful lot like an RPG) - Other survivors - A small group of soldiers and scientists - monsters (yeah, you read right)

Last Comments It's a little Last of Us -ish where Emma and Regina are really just trying to get Henry somewhere safe. Logically, the only way to survive a post apocalyptic world is to find a way to live comfortably. That means end goal would have them in a place with shelter, food and safety. A cliff sounds good (lol). Henry might be a byproduct of scientists parents experimenting on their own kid since they weren't funded for human experiments. A small government group that managed to survive knows about Henry or has an idea of his parents working on a way to counter the rain and the want Henry to reverse engineer whatever his parents did and do it for everyone else.

It could also mean Henry doesn't survive and he's 5, seriously, Regina does not want this 5 year old subjected to any more experiments that he's probably had to endure all his life. Eventually, Emma and Regina become his mothers and they love and care for Henry who's smart and quiet but doesn't understand the concept staying put because he's curious.

Actually, you know what, I don't know why I'm trying to make this all science-y when there's MONSTERS. But anyway, these monsters are gloopy and grotesque, like animals but half melted by acid. They grew from the flood and hide in the rain, they can rise from a simple puddle if they were hiding there. A lot of survivors from the flood immediately died from the overrun of Rain Monsters and one bite from them can melt anything. They're blind and have a bad sense of smell but they can sense vibrations and in the rain, they are virtually invincible. The only way to kill it is starve it out. They feed from the rain like a recharge and blocking them from the rain causes it's body to eat itself.

BIRTHDAYS Emma - Oct 23 - Scorpio - Passionate, stubborn, resourceful and brave Regina - Feb 1 - Aquarius (LOL so many plans) - Deep, imaginative, original and uncompromising Henry - Aug 15 - Leo - Dramatic, outgoing, fiery and self-assured

I’m very sad I never got around to using the birthdays, I found it really amusing that Regina was a “water bearer”.

I also have a random scene in a file I literally call “Scrap” which I kinda half used? but it was heavily changed:

"Wait, this is a personalized shelter. You're one of those rich bitches aren't you?"

And she almost scoffed and was immediately offended by that comment but she knows how she looks from an outsiders perspective so she just kept quiet. There's no point in arguing about it now.

"Then that was your house across the street? Don't you have a garage? With probably a really nice car? You can get the hell away from here!"

"And where exactly will I go hmm?" And this time she does scoff, "I'm not exactly running from people, I'm running from the goddamn rain! The *elements* have forsaken us, there's no where *to* run!"

"But we can't stay here, those guys are dangerous. You wouldn't happen to own a gun would you?" No, she thinks bitterly, else I would've shot my ex husband a long time ago.

It’s kinda funny how much the tone changed.

Next I have a bunch of concept art.

Floor Plan of the Basement Lab:

Some concept of what the Lab was originally supposed to look like, the Lake, and the Machine (which I ended up never describing LOL):

Rain Monster concepts:

[madecfmarble]

HEY, DON’T THEY LOOK AN AWFUL LOT LIKE SCARLETT JOHANSSON? BUT ACCORDING TO OUR FILES, THEY ARE NATASHA ROMANOFF, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS BLACK WIDOW, FROM MARVEL. OUR RECORDS TELL US THEY ARE A THIRTY FIVE YEAR OLD FEMALE USING SHE PRONOUNS. I’VE HEARD THEY CAN BE REASONABLE, BUT ALSO DECEPTIVE AND THAT THEY ARE A HERO. THEY DIDN’T PERISH AT THE HANDS OF THANOS. ( MIPSY, 27, CST, SHE/HER )

INTRODUCTION !

HOW LONG HAS YOUR MUSE BEEN ON MERAVIGLIA?  she just got here, waking up on a new planet. not the first time she’s woken up in a place she doesn’t know --- y’know, apart of the job.

DID YOUR MUSE ‘DIE’ WHEN THANOS SNAPPED HIS FINGERS?  no.

IF NO, HOW DID THEY REACT TO EVERYONE AROUND THEM DISAPPEARING?  shocked. in disbelief, and defeated. natasha was on the field, during the fight in wakanda against thanos. she tried, unsuccessfully, to stop thanos as one of earth’s last heroes to come between him and the mind stone, but the titan used the reality stone to trap her under solid rock. she eventually freed herself of the rock, after which she saw the first signs of other’s disappearing. she came to meet up with the team but it was too late. half the population would be wiped out. she knew that they’d lost. natasha had her share of loss before, but nothing at this scale. half the population was gone and they couldn’t save it. that was on them.

HOW HAVE THEY HANDLED / HOW WILL THEY HANDLE INTERACTING WITH THE LOCALS? they’re different --- but nothing nat hasn’t seen before. there’s the big guy, hulk, and thor the god. she’s fought aliens on more than once, so, again, different is what she’s used to. a russian spy? she’s not exactly normal. nat does appreciate the translators they all woke up with, though. they’re useful. beats trying to learn a new language all over again. though she’ll take learning any new langauge over learning latin again.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO TELL US ABOUT YOUR MUSE? i’ll be playing nat here with a mix of the mcu / comics, but mostly mcu ! which means most of her movie canon will be my canon, from iron man 2 to infinity war, with some differences here and there, but i’ll explain later. her real full name is natalia alianovna romanova, like the comics, cause i love it ??? but she goes by natasha romanoff. also nat, romanoff, tasha( please someone call her tasha, but you gotta be close to nat, or she’ll kill you ),widow, black widow. i have my own ideas for her relationships ( friendships and all ) with the avengers, other heroes from marvel, etc, usually based in the marvel universe. but i don’t wanna force anything, so, if you’d like to rp with nat, we can talk about connections ( marvel or dc ) and whatnot because yours might be different and i understand that ! we can find a middle ground for both of us. her relationship to bruce banner will not be canon cause i wasn’t feelin’ that. sowwy. nat to bruce: still friends? her hair is very much still white / blonde like in infinity war, even tho i’m a ho for red haired nat. she might grow it out and get dat red hair back again, ya feel me? but also, to be serious here, i do realize i’m playing a fc that many people are not comfortable with. fear not ! i have an idea: if you’d like your character to speak to nat, and you are uncomfortable with my fc, i don’t mind writing without usings gifs / icons. just please let me know ahead of time via IM, or i’m going to assume you’re ok with me using scarlett icons. please, i repeat, please let me know. idm. i’m still hoping to use some of her gifs, but idm not using her gifs for other threads. because of that, i’m not sure if i’m going to tag as a tw her name, because alot of my replies will use her gifs so. seems kinda redundant. anyway, i’ll give yall more to look at later! i luv nat tbh and hi i’m mipsy. tbh i haven’t rped in months??? so this is my first time back on the rp horse. we’ll see how this goes. thanks for reading! i can’t wait to rp with you all!!

[hopeymchope]

Random thoughts about bad/dumb/good things that happen in the back nine episodes of ‘Darling in the Franxx’

This post is long, and it’s mostly me griping about how Darling in the Franxx failed to stick its landing. I’ve got a lot of bullet points about what annoyed me, as well as some points about what I still liked in the back half, and eventually I’m just like “yeah, fuck this.”

That’s the short version: You had a lot going for you but ultimately blew it really bad for me, so like... fuck this.

Damn right Mitsu-WAIT, I forgot when Mitsuru had this much emotion! WHO DIS?!

The long version is more complicated, though, and I feel like rambling/ranting on, so here it goes.

There is no way to stress enough that Zero-Two literally transforms into a giant part-human part-mech creature that Hiro literally rides inside of. She becomes a skyscraper-sized girl that you can climb inside the skull of, and EVERYBODY IS OKAY WITH THIS AND DELIGHTED BY IT. There is NOT a moment where Zorome cries “WHAT THE ACTUAL FUUUUUUUUCK?!?” when she appears, flying in space, at a mass so large she could easily swallow the whole team in one gulp. Nothing like that.

This is not adequately set up, but it IS understandable with some thought: I mean, we are told in a previous ep that the franxx are essentially just recreated, retrofitted klaxosaurs. We also have seen how klaxosaurs are part-organic, part-mechanical beings, and we are told by the Klaxo Princess they are, in fact, the new version of the organic klaxosapiens, now retrofitted for war. In addition, we know that Zero-Two is part Klaxosaur - a clone of the last klaxosapien. So you see how the idea that Zero-Two could somehow “retrofit” or “transition” into a giant cybernetic war mode similar to how the klaxosapiens somehow did the same thing... you could justify that! Once I thought it all through, it kinda worked. But none of this is laid out for you, and it comes off as laugh-out-loud ridiculous in the moment that it happens. Only later, when my brain was piecing the evidence together, did I get somewhere that made sense out of it.

The Nines remained bitterly loyal to Papa when we last see them in Episode 20, snapping at Squad 13 for not showing due respect. When they return in Episode 23, Nine Alpha is suddenly on the side of Squad 13. Because Papa turned out to be an alien, you see. But like... you’ve been fighting klaxosaurs and feeling extreme loyalty to Papa your entire lives up until like, yesterday, so seeing you suddenly join the pro-klaxo side of the war is perhaps too hard a turn. Granted, a lot of time passes off-screen during this period, but still it’s sort of “Hey it’s me, Alpha. Remember how I was never anything but a total asshole to you guys? Remember how I hated emotions and shit? Yeah I wanna help Hiro reunite with Zero Two now.” Um. Okay?

Mitsuru’s speech to Kokoro about how “I want to be with you not because I love you, but because I believe that I did love you once, and I don’t remember that feeling anymore, but I still believe it existed, and I want to respect it!” is literally the worst, least-romantic declaration of non-love I’ve ever heard in my life. The music swells romantically and Kokoro seemingly weeps out of joy over it. I prefer to think she’s crying because it’s so fucking awful. It is actively offensive to real emotions and logic

Remember when Mitsuru talked about he always wished he and Hiro could co-pilot a franxx together? Remember his debilitating rage at Hiro for forgetting their promise to become soldiers together? It really feels like we had a gay or bi character here, and that maybe we were setting something up for his character. but the entire fixation on Hiro is utterly ignored once he gets reduced to “Kokoro’s sperm donor.” I mean, jeez, “my homosexual fixation on Hiro has filled me with an incoherent rage” just gave me flashbacks to Juzo from Danganronpa 3, and that’s not good, but at least it was more personality than he ultimately got.

WHY are we left with the strong sense that Ikuno is dying of the accelerated aging (she is the only one who loses ALL color in her hair and the only one we last see in a hospital bed on an IV drip, so it’s pretty blatant) even though literally no one else in the squad is suffering from it anymore, supposedly thanks to HER research?!... I assume because she’s gay. After all, the extremely gay Nines were all killed off by a mysterious ailment due to a lack of “maintenance” so we might as well kill off Ikuno too, right?! BURY YOUR GAYS. And FUCK YOU.

Goro somehow gets together with Ichigo. We do not get to see how/whether he won he over. Given that the final episode includes multiple scenes of her really missing Hiro along with a scene of her not caring much that Goro is going to travel the world without her (repeatedly), it comes off as though Itchy settled for Goro because he was the best available penis. I AM NOT ENDEARED.

We are also told that Goro has “really changed’ since the beginning of the series. There is no evidence to back this statement up. In fact, he is acting exactly the same in this scene as he always has. Granted, he had a moment in the previous episode where he got pissed and punched Hiro, and that was a big change... but he apologized and it’s not discussed again, so um. Huh. The thing that seems to be a sign of his “change” is his desire to go out alone into the world in an act of self-sacrifice for the good of everyone. Which is LITERALLY THE GORO WE’VE ALWAYS KNOWN. File his change under “informed attributes.”

By the end of the series, Hiro is full-on turning more into a Klaxosapien than a human because... honestly, I’m not sure. It’s possible it’s because he’s been “plugged into” Zero-Two, but it seems like the process is mostly done by then, because he’s immediately able to live without food or water or sleep once he plugs in, and he already had his horns glow with rage in the ep previous to this. So I think he transformed due to the fact that one time, as a kid, he licked Zero-Two’s blood, and as a teen, he’s kissed her a bunch of times. Which is... pretty goddamn extreme. I mean, I know fluid transfer can be a powerful experience — just ask Sandra Bullock — but this is some real next-level shit.

We waited all series for shit to “get real” and someone in Squad 13 to die. It takes until the very last episode for it to happen, and — in a desperate bid to make us care about what’s happening — it’s the two characters who got the most development and who most people care about. The two leads. Which comes off as too little, too late for me to even feel it, seeing as how they’re only vaguely human or relatable by this point. But I AM weirdly bitter that they kept alive everyone else, even the many people we didn’t give much of a shit about (Zorome? Miku?), so that none of the battles in the series EVER had to have real consequences for our heroes. I hate to sound bloodthirsty, and yet....

Hey, speaking of Zorome, remember how him being exposed to the “adult” in the first half of the show made her get sick? Remember how she was also immediately fascinated by and kind to him and it made you wonder how that would affect the other adults? None of this goes anywhere, because the adults all get spirited away as souls to be part of the VIRM hive-mind, so whatever, they’re gone now.

Why are these people all standing around a statue and screaming at the sky and praying? Most of them don’t even know who this girl was. This doesn’t come off as “moving” so much as a terrifying parable about religious fanaticism in cult groups. You see a group of people screaming and praying at idols you don’t understand, and gradually, more and more people just copy the behavior without understanding it. *shiver*

Was there EVER a hint that the adults watching over the squad were friggin’ IMMORTAL?! Because I don’t think there was. I’d need to go way back into earlier episodes to be sure, though.

It’s not that the ENTIRE back half of the show is awful, really. There are some legitimately excellent moments.

Good Stuff

Right when we first come back after episode 15′s big midway point in the story, the subtle way that Zero-Two discovering the gray hair on Miku’s head was handled - during a warm, lighthearted scene to boot - really made it hit home.

The overt anger and defiance of Hiro in the face of “Papa” and APE really made me like him even more. He had some great moments there, including possibly the greatest episode-ending dialogue when he declared just how fucking DONE they all are with their so-called “Papa.”

Zorome’s inability to fully embrace the idea that “Papa” could be so wrong and bad was another good touch.

The big “backstory” episode served to make me really care for Dr. Franxx in a surprise late-game twist. He goes from being a shadowy sinister presence to becoming one of the more sympathetic characters... right before getting killed shortly thereafter.

The big promise scene between Zero-Two and Hiro, where they swear to always come for each other... that one really pulled at my heart.

Also, Hiro’s dedication to caring for the ailing, zombie-like Zero-Two was both devastating and touching. It’s one of the final bits that actually hits any kind of emotion for me in the series.

I actually didn’t mind the alien twist with the VIRM very much like so damn many people did. APE was long portrayed as this unknowable higher power that was clearly hiding something while simultaneously enforcing a 1984-esque obedience and loyalty... and there’s only so many places to go with such a setup, honestly. Much more shocking, to me, is how little is done to build up to/justify the true origin of the klaxosaurs.

But, well, yeah. Like most, I wound up feeling like DitF had a couple of really excellent characters in the lead, and then proceeded to go nowhere worthwhile once it got them to finally be together. Ultimately, they didn’t even get to grow up or have real sex or face the new world. They just get shuffled off into weirdness and death so we can have a bigger cycle of disappointment.

This one has a lot of themes that feel unexplored, and maybe further analysis would make it all gel together more comprehensibly. There is definitely a lot of effort put into thematic hints and worldbuilding in the first half, some of it done in a subtle background way that recalls my favorite aspects of The Future Diary — a favorite anime of mine that ALSO admittedly fails to adequately explain some parts of the world it builds, but it keeps most of its logic intact and is so emotionally engaging that I ultimately went along for the ride and was willing to explore the background justifications and themes later in order to fully grasp that world.

In comparison, I don’t really want to put in the effort to glean the underlying details of DitF. It didn’t leave me feeling like the writers put in the work to keep me invested, so why would I?

[petaldancing]

fic: all we shouldn’t regret

fandom: pokemon characters: flannery/roxanne prompt: things you said after you kissed me notes: another prompt from twitter!

1. 

“You should really watch where you’re going,” was the first thing she ever said to Flannery. It hadn’t been a very good first impression. Flannery landed on the floor after their unfortunate collision along the hallway. Her hands ached from cushioning her fall, but she was otherwise fine. Unlike her, the brunette didn’t lose her footing, as if she held a firmness in every step she took. Instead of feeling embarrassed or upset, Flannery found herself staring up in slight awe at this young woman with a big red bow in her hair.

Despite her clipped remark, the woman bent over and helped Flannery to pick up the files that had tumbled out of her arms. She glanced at the label of one of the folders, and said, “I see you’re applying to become a gym leader as well.”

“Yeah, I am!” Flannery answered, a little too eagerly, and felt her ears grow hot. “I mean, I’ve wanted to every since I was a kid. But there’s a ton of paperwork to submit and I got kinda overwhelmed… I’m sorry!”

The woman managed to collect all the files into a neat stack in one arm. As she rose to her full height, she offered her empty hand to Flannery. Flannery took it and was hoisted up, surprised again by the woman’s strength in spite of her smallish frame.

“It’s alright. Just make sure it doesn’t happen again,” she said, passing the files back to Flannery. “I understand the nervous jitters about applying for the position, in any case. I’m Roxanne. I suppose we’ll be in the same course come spring.”

“Yes, we will! I’m Flannery!” she said, again too quickly, but Roxanne did not mind it. Instead, she nodded politely and carried on walking down the hallway.

Flannery resisted the urge to turn and stare. She could still hear the faint tap of Roxanne’s shoes against the tiled floor, growing softer. Stepping forward, she reminded herself why she was here in the first place. At least this trip to the Pokemon Association wasn’t as boring as she thought it was going to be.

2. 

“You should straighten your posture. Pokemon imitate their trainer. They’ll have a better fighting stance if you do, too.”

Flannery felt something crack in her lower back as she relaxed her shoulders and raised her head, feeling her back tighten. This was going to take some getting used to. She laughed as she said, “Thanks for taking time out to help me with training, Roxanne.”

“You’re welcome. This helps me apply my lessons from the Trainer's School, so it’s a win-win for both of us,” Roxanne spoke from the other side of the training arena. Nosepass was out of its pokeball, waiting for the match to start. Flannery knew that to become a gym leader, she needed to be good enough to test any challenger, including those who had pokemon with type advantages against hers. She’d beat Roxanne’s winning streak soon enough.

“Go, Numel!”

Her partner sprung into the fray in a brilliant flash of red, not even waiting for the signal that the battle had begun as he charged towards his opponent. Nosepass and Roxanne were ready for it. “Double Team!” she ordered, folding her arms in front of herself as Nosepass’ doubles made Numel’s eyes spin. “First, you reduce accuracy, which lowers the probability of a successful attack!” she explained. Flannery had heard this before—Roxanne had an awfully cute habit of showing off her knowledge of pokemon.

“Sunny Day!” Flanner jabbed her finger into the sky as Numel lifted his head, a plume of smoke trailing out from the hole on his hump. The sun’s rays intensified at Numel’s call, and Roxanne had to hold her arm over her eyes.

“You should know better by now. Fire-type attacks, even if multiplied by terrain effects, are still ineffective against my lovely rock hard pokemon!” Roxanne tutted. Still covering her eyes, she raised her other hand in a graceful arc, skirt bouncing with her movements. “Nosepass, use Rock Slide!”

The compass pokemon and its three mirror images leapt up and struck the ground simultaneously with their arms, causing it to crack and split. The resulting debris tumbled towards Numel, who had no opening to dodge the onslaught of rocks. Flannery winced as her pokemon took a hit to the body and skidded back to her side of the arena.

“Once more, Nosepass!”

“Numel, use Magnitude!” Flannery called out as Nosepass jumped into the air.

Numel growled and rammed its front feet into the earth, sending a shockwave through the earth in the same moment Nosepass made contact, catching it completely off guard. Flannery wobbled on her feet as the whole arena rumbled, smiling to herself as Nosepass’ doubles disappeared. When the dust cleared, it was only Numel and an unconscious Nosepass left in the middle of the worn down field.

“How is that possible! Your pokemon…”

“My pokemon can learn moves that aren’t fire-type,” Flannery finished the sentence for her. If Roxanne went by the book, Flannery was the complete opposite—she was driven only by her intuition, and the memory of her grandfather’s battles, how unpredictable and exhilarating they always were.

“It seems I still have much to learn myself,” Roxanne said, removing her hand from her face. “But don’t go lowering your guard, Flannery. I intend to think of a way to counter this.”

Underneath the glaring sunlight, if Flannery squinted her eyes, she could make out Roxanne’s smile, and the thought that she had coaxed it out made her heart flutter.

3.

“You shouldn’t let these things get to you, Flannery. You’re a Gym Leader now.”

Flannery didn’t look up from her crumpled dress. She brought her knees closer to her chest, watching the material crease even more. Her feet were aching from walking around in her mother’s heels. The only reason she hadn’t kicked them off was because she knew she’d have to go back in eventually and pretend that she knew exactly what she was doing. “What does that even mean, Roxanne?”

“A Gym Leader’s duty is to test trainers, and to present them a Pokemon League badge if they prove themselves capable,” Roxanne said with with ease. It was one of the many bits of guidelines and fineprint she’d memorised from the handbook given to them at the start of the training course. Flannery hadn’t even read past the introduction.

“That’s what it means technically, but what does it mean to you?” Flannery asked, her cheeks flushing when she noticed that Roxanne was squatting next to her now. “What are you going to say when they force you go up and make that speech?” she continued, her voice softer this time.

Why did every gym leader have to go up and make an acceptance speech, anyway? Wasn’t proving that she was a good battler enough? She should have known that the Pokemon Association was going to test them sooner or later. She just hadn’t expected the test to be on the night of the appointment ceremony. They were going to see how the new leaders would carry themselves in front of the media, whether they were a good face for the League. No wonder grandfather never liked going for official Association meetings.

“That I graduated from the Pokemon Trainer’s School, that I will be Rustboro’s new gym leader, and that I intend to use my time as gym leader to better myself and to perfect the teachings of the school.”

“A model answer from a model student.” Flannery couldn’t help but say.

Instead of scolding her for taking that tone, Roxanne inched closer so that their arms were touching. Both of them were wearing sleeveless dresses, and the contact made Flannery both confused and comforted.

“What’s wrong, Flannery?”

“I just…” She bit her lip. “I just don’t know what kind of gym leader I should be. Should I pretend to be cool and composed so people take me seriously? Should I act friendly so that everyone’ll get along? Should I say that I’ll be a great gym leader, even though I know I’m not?”

Roxanne did not reply straightaway. Instead, she stood up and took a few steps forward, into the moonlight casting through the tall glass windows. Her skin glowed under the light as she closed her eyes tentatively. It became so quiet that they could hear the party and the chatter from down the hallway. It took a moment for Flannery to realise that her friend was giving her time to breathe and slow her thoughts.

"That's not like you at all." When Roxanne finally spoke, her words had a teasing lilt in them. "Weren't you the one who always bulldozed herself forward and never let anything stop her?"

"It was just that one time, Roxanne. And I was the one who fell down," Flannery said with a chuckle. Yes, she always did have a knack for getting herself into situations because of her one track mind.

“What I'm trying to say is that you’ll figure that out along the way, won’t you? You don’t need to decide what kind of gym leader you’ll become right now. I believe we all find ourselves during our tenure." Roxanne walked back, extending her hand out once again. “What I do know is that you’ll be a fantastic gym leader as long as you don’t get distracted, and you improve your posture.”

“Is it still that bad?” Flannery asked, her cheeks red now out of embarrassment. She didn't want to let go of Roxanne's hand just yet, but there was no reason left to hold it now that she was up on her feet.

"Of course it is. Here." Roxanne pressed her fingers into the small of her back, eyes widening as she realised that Flannery was wearing a backless dress. Her face immediately turned in a shade that was nearly identical to the fancy ribbons in her hair.

Flannery straightened her spine in the same moment her insides knotted up, and it wasn't an unpleasant thing. "I guess tonight wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be," she hummed, and left it at that, because there was enough on both their minds already. Arm in arm, they returned to the ceremony with ten minutes to spare.

4.

Panicked screams and frantic shouts for loved ones rang through the blazing heat in Lavaridge. She dashed around the streets, Numel by her side, searching for anyone who might need help. Then, Flannery saw her, rising above the  people that were finding shelter from the intense heatwave, on the top of Nosepass.

"Roxanne?! What are you doing here? I said I'd be at the Pokemon League once I made sure everyone in Lavaridge was safe." Flannery had to raise her voice above the noise.

Roxanne dismounted gracefully, one hand on Nosepass as she surveyed the surroundings. The streets were busier than usual, with residents rushing to gather supplies and rations from the pokemart and the local provision stores. A lot of them were wearing hats and sunglasses in an attempt to shield themselves from Groudon's Drought.

"I thought you might need help," Roxanne replied, gathering and tucking loose strands of hair behind her ears. She was sweating, something she never allowed herself to do. How far had she and Nosepass travelled? Flannery felt her throat tighten with guilt. She grabbed Roxanne's hand and tugged her in the direction of the hot springs. "Let's get some water—for ourselves, and for anyone who we meet on the way there. Grandpa should've managed to collect some by now."

Flannery instructed whoever she bumped into to quickly go indoors and cool off. The Lavaridge Pokemon Center was now a first aid center for all those in the area who had heat stroke. She didn't want to have to send even more people there, including herself and Roxanne.

The chaos outside was a sharp contrast to the silence that greeted them in the house once Flannery closed the door behind her. Roxanne leaned against the kitchen counter and Flannery sat herself on the table opposite, trying to drink as much water as she could. Grandpa had gone off again, to help the other civilians, almost as if he'd never retired from being Gym Leader. Flannery trusted his pokemon to look after him, and it was only because of this that she allowed herself to focus her attention on Roxanne.

"You didn't need to come all the way out here!" Flannery snapped once she felt her body temperature lowering just a tad, a feat considering how the room was insufferably warm and stuffy. "What's gotten into you?" she asked, feeling like she'd switched places with the woman standing opposite her. The Roxanne she knew would have followed the rules set in place during a regional crisis: all active gym leaders were to assemble at the Pokemon League as soon as possible and be assigned duties to mitigate the crisis, whatever it was.

Roxanne, who'd finished off one bottle of water, took a second to catch her breath. "I couldn't go by myself, not without knowing you'd be there. It's crazy out there, Flannery. Everything's a mess now. There's nothing in the guidebook that can tell us what to do about this. I chose to follow my gut instead." The plastic squeaked in her grip as Roxanne looked at her with clear, uncompromising eyes. "It told me that I had to come to you first."

Perhaps it was the adrenaline, or the fact that the earth was burning, or that they were alone in her house—whatever it was, Flannery bridged the gap between them without pausing. She cupped Roxanne's cheeks between her hands, and when the brunette didn't pull away, leaned in to kiss Roxanne in one brave moment. Both their lips were dry and cracked, but that didn't stop Flannery from knowing instantly that this was the right thing to do.  

Instead of saying anything remotely romantic, Roxanne broke the kiss to exclaim, gravely, “You shouldn't have done that!"

Flannery, still cradling Roxanne's face, puffed up her cheeks in response. “Why shouldn't I! I like you, Roxanne! And you like me too, don't you?"

"I..." Roxanne's mouth hung open, and her face grew redder.

Flannery felt strangely empowered, seeing Roxanne tongue-tied for once. "Why else would you be here, you dummy?" she laughed in spite of the situation, feeling the pent-up stress leave her body. "Sorry for getting side-tracked. Let's pack up and leave now. We can talk more after all this is over."

They tossed unopened water bottles into a bagpack and changed into fresh clothes as quickly as they could. Flannery knew that Roxanne would not accept loose jeans, and so she handed her a belt. "Do think think the world is going to end?" Roxanne asked as she wrangled her hair into a more efficient ponytail. Flannery knew that what she really meant to ask was, 'Why did you do that? Why at this very moment?'

"No. It won't." This was one of those times when the only way to get through was to believe in everyone's strength, and to charge forward without any doubts. If that was what she was good at, then she'd have to take the lead. "This just made me realise that I don't want any more regrets from now on," she said, adjusting the straps of her bag and taking Roxanne's hand as they prepared to leave the house. "And... it made me realise what kind of gym leader I want to be."

"What would that be?" Roxanne asked.

Flannery took a deep breath as she opened the front door. "The kind that doesn't run away, even when I'm scared."

She could see Roxanne crack a smile, even under the sun's blazing rays.

"That fits you perfectly."

---

end notes: this is one of those cases where i intended for it to be a 500 word fic and it exploded into a 2,500 word one and i got restless at the end! you can tell! 

are roxanne and flannery the reason why numel knows magnitude and nosepass knows protect?? welp thats my headcanon now

lastly, if you want more flannery/roxanne content please check out my friend AQ's lovely fic over here!

[writing-in-riverdale]

interview | cole sprouse x reader

request

written by: yours truly

edited by: @jugheadxreaderinyourhead

anonymous said: I loved guest star!! 😍 I was wondering if you could make a fic about cole how youve been keeping your relationship for months now and fans are suspecting that youre dating because of all the bts and photos of you and his ig and in one interview that youre having together someone questions you guys about it. sorry if this was long 😂 i love your fics 😘❤

a/n: basically this is another guest star part but an interview!

✿

“god i’m so nervous”. you mutter pulling on your fingers as you wait in the green room with your boyfriend cole and co-star kj. we were about to endure a joint interview and it was your first lot of press you’ve done for riverdale.

but it wasn’t that factor that made you nervous, it was that people were becoming more and more aware of your romantic relationship with cole.

you’d been able to keep it under wraps for the whole two years you’ve been dating but now that you were both sharing the small screen people had caught on.

so you had to control yourselves whenever you were out. refraining yourselves from snap chatting each other or posting photos all over your instagrams.

you had to be strictly platonic. you didn’t need any sort of bad press if you two were to break up. so for now you weren’t a couple, you were just a couple of besties.

or atleast that’s what you thought. you thought were pulling it off. but more and more accounts for your ‘ship name’ with cole had popped up on both twitter and instagram and not to mention the constant questions when meeting fans in the flesh.

especially when they caught you out mid-date. when you two had to coyly pretend that you were waiting on other friends to excuse the fact that you were out together without the rest of the cast.

and to be quite frank you were getting sick of all the pretending and running around. sometimes you just wanted kiss your boyfriend or hold his hand whilst you walked down the streets.

not that you really had the opportunity to take a leisurely stroll down the road, being famous disney stars and all.

“you’ll be fine”, cole whispers walking toward you making sure no one was staring at the two of you. he placed a soft hand on your shoulder, instantly filling you with comfort.

“just breathe okay? if they ask don’t say yes but don’t say no, yeah? that way we aren’t lying or avoiding the question” you nod smiling to the boy as a young women calls you over to the interview room.

the three of you file in, sitting down on a huge plush couch, each boy on either side of you as the interviewer sits in her own seperate lounge chair.

the interviewer starts her intro off strong turning toward the three of you. “kj apa as archie andrews, y/n l/n as c/n c/l/n and cole sprouse as jughead jones on the cw’s riverdale!”

the three of you all smile greeting the interviewer, and the camera crew, as you settle into the interview, talking about the upcoming season and possible plot.

you were too busy worrying to even pay attention to half the stuff that was spewing from the ladies mouth, that you barely noticed her turn to you and begin to engage in conversation until kj smoothly nudged you.

patting down your dress you push your hair off your shoulder as she addressed you directly.

“so how is it for you to go from disney to the darker side of the cw?”

“i mean it’s a lot different to disney i’ll tell you that”. you pause the group laughing to themselves “i didn’t even really think i’d be coming back to acting but i couldn’t resist the role”.

she nods playing with the cards in her palms. “so anything in particular that’s vastly different?”

“well - it’s still directed for the younger generation but i feel like in disney it was more so for the children than the preteens for example…and the content we’re filming is a lot heavier than the stuff we dealt with on y/d/s but it’s also just as fun and exciting as i remember”.

“so you and cole -” you freeze at the mention of him, “both disney kids coming back to acting. kj what was it like to know that you were working with some of the greatest names in disney?”

you breathe a sigh of relief taking a sip from the glass of water on the table as you listen to kj rattle on about how much he adored cole and dylan.

“both of their shows i watched religiously. me and my mates used to love it aye. especially y/d/s with uh y/n we loved her a lot - im pretty sure one of my mates had a poster of her”.

you blush giggling to yourself. “so you had a crush on y/n?” the interviewer laughs, kj turning red at the words. you continue laughing placing a hand around his arm.

“aw kj!!!” you swoon embarrassing him further. cole joined in on the fun, “yeah he was a big fan we kinda had to push him a bit and be like ’hey buddy“.

kj shakes his head furiously to the camera his words rushing out in defence “nah nah nah”. sending you and cole into a laughing fit as the kiwi struggled to cover up his words.

“i mean i was a fan. like who wasn’t aye, but nah it’s a lot of fun filming with them and we all are good friends with the others too. but ugh yeah- it’s hard to go out anywhere because fans notice them from a mile away”

the interviewer laughs “wait people still notice you as your disney characters?” we both nod cole taking the lead.

“i mean it’s very flattering but as you can see im not the same kid with the blonde shaggy bowl cut so sometimes i question how they’d recognise me- especially from friends”.

you smile the interviewer looking to you for input “what about you?”

you nod leaning back slightly into the couch feeling coles arm against the top of the couch.

“they do yes, i go anywhere and they all yell ”c/n“ and sometimes i just forget and then they’re running and i’m running and then they’re screaming and i’m screaming”.

the room started to laugh.

“it’s a very weird situation” you giggle the interviewer cutting in.

“and you looking nothin like that girl anymore- you look amazing!”

you place a hand over your heart in awe “thank god for that” you joke poking fun at yourself. “i grew up and hit puberty and sometimes when i hear someone say ’hey you look like that girl off y/d/s? i’m like damn i must be having a rough day”.

the interviewer giggles “oh don’t be so hard on yourself- doesn’t she look hot now boys?” she slaps kj’s leg and they both nod.

“god yeah she’s come along way from disney-even though i still had a crush on c/n”, cole comments a smile growing on your face at the compliment.

“so are you all single?”

your heart plummets at the question. the dreaded question for anyone in the industry is asked whenever they are in one or aren’t. no one wants to be asked this question ever.

cole answers first surprising you “i’m not no”.

“i am” kj chirps taking a long drink from his water.

“i’m not either” you clear your throat smiling, refusing to make eye contact with cole.

the interviewer smirks knowing she got the answer you wanted “oh so you two are off the market”. she pretends to act surprised “well who are they”.

cole replies cutely “for us to know and you to never find out- all you need to know is she’s beautiful and one of a kind”.

you fight off the blush tinting on your cheeks as the interviewer wraps up the interview.

“one last question before you guys leave- serpent jughead? yes or no?”

“yes yes yes” you stammer feeling confident. “have you seen jughead in a leather jacket? serpent jughead is the best thing to come out of riverdale”.

cole blushes and the interview is officially over. cole’s manager walking over to escort us back to our green room.

“i think you might have just outed us” he teases walking dangerously close to you, his hot breathe on your neck.

“what can i say- serpent juggie just does some indescribable things to me”.

tag list: @hauntedcherryblossombanana-blog @sadbreakfastclb @jugandbettsdetectiveagency @kindfloweroflove @fragilefrances @mydelightfulcollectiontyphoon @onceuponagladerhead @natalieroseg @sardonic-jug

[itstimetowatch]

Silence of the Lamb

A serial killer case? Sounds fun!

And Veronica is going into business for herself at school digging up dirt on parents of her classmates. I’m sure that won’t lead to unforeseen problems.

Madison’s birthday. This is going to tie into the last point, isn’t it? They spend enormous amounts of money on her for her birthday because of something awful.

Sheriff Shithead returns, as predicted, and he’s even lowered himself to showing up at Mars Investigations. Things must be very rough for him. I’m going to guess from his general shitheadedness that he’s a terrible investigator and he needs Keith’s help with the serial killer. Okay, more of an “All Hands on Deck” kinda deal. Makes sense.

I just realized that Miss Dent has disappeared from the opening credits. Guess she’s off to Mandyville, huh?

The new deputy is Schmidt from New Girl. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to see him as anyone other than Schmidt… ever.

Mac’s back! Awesome! It’s good when Veronica makes friends that don’t disappear into the ether… despite the fact that they presumably still go to the same school and would theoretically see each other rather often… but whatever, I digress. She wants to be Veronica’s tech support, just as I predicted.

Holy Shit! Mac was switched at birth?

Oh my God! It was with Madison! Oh my God! That’s why her birthday was pointed out!

Okay, fair’s fair. Sheriff Shithead going for that pretentious rock god-wannabe was pretty damn good. Points to you, Shithead.

Crap! Mac’s family is all super blonde!

Called it!

Can you imagine Madison growing up middle class? HA! (Yeah, I mean, obviously she probably wouldn’t be the Madison we all know and mostly can’t stand without a lifetime of wealth and privilege, but still, can you imagine?)

I get that Leo is supposed to be sweet and charming and whatever, but that smile is 100% Schmidt.

And The Worm is Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad.

So much for your points, Sheriff Shithead, you really are a terrible fucking cop, bro.

So, like, Madison is supposed to be this horrible bitch and all… but, like, they are crashing her party, Mac even specifically said the word and everything. She has every right to not want them there. Furthermore, the library is off-limits to the party, so even further she has every right to tell them to leave. Madison’s not under any obligation to be a gracious host to people who weren’t invited. And I’m sure that the “You don’t belong here” line was meant more in the classist meaning rather than just the regular trespassing meaning, but just because she’s a horrible bitch doesn’t make her wrong.

Has Inga also disappeared from the face of Neptune?

Nope, he’s still Schmidt. Sorry, Leo. Also, he’s flirting with a minor, so I’m not wild about him anyway.

“A cop that rocks? What will they think of next?” (That joke is almost certainly too old for Tumblr.)

“I say we play to our strengths?” “So I’m good cop?”

Hey Sheriff Shithead! Just because someone is confessing to a crime doesn’t mean they actually did it. Everything Keith just said is right on the fucking money, dickwad! 

Never mind, he wasn’t confessing.

Oh, Mac! You may need to revise your definition of the phrase “something stupid”.

Okay, now Madison is being a huge douche.

I have never related to Keith as much as I do right now.

The would-be Rock God is the killer. I’m not sure if I should have guessed that or not. I don’t guess there was a lot to go on, and I guess he wouldn’t have gone free so long if figuring him out was easy.

Deputy Leo to the rescue. I still don’t like the fact that you’re flirting with a minor… especially seeing as you are, y’know, a law enforcement officer and definitely know better!

Good work in the details regarding the descrambled tip. Stripping out the encoding is possible (although it almost certainly would have taken more than the day or two that it’s been since Veronica sent the file, but I understand the necessities of episodic storytelling), but that still wouldn’t automatically have given the right tone of voice and pitch. Good work, writers!

You know if I was Mrs. Sinclair, mother of Madison, I’d probably be pretty interested in what my biological daughter was like, too. Do they follow up on this? Gauging by that ending with Mac and her family, I’m guessing she’s probably done with it... but, y’know, that’s definitely the sort of thing that people can change their minds about later.

So Clarence Wiedman called in the anonymous tip on Abel Koontz, which is obviously supposed to point the guilty finger at Jake, but, of course, storytelling convention says that the good guys can’t have the mystery correctly figured out at the beginning of the story or else the story is procedural not a mystery. This is very definitely not a procedural show, so logically, it can’t be Jake Kane. But what if it was Celeste Kane? We know Clarence Wiedman took the threatening photos of Veronica at her behest, rather than Jake’s. Celeste and Lilly had a fairly contentious relationship. She would almost certainly be horrified if she found out that Lilly was sleeping with Weevil... worse still if Lilly actually had feelings for Weevil (which has not, thus far, been established one way or the other.)

I don’t know if it’s true but that certainly seems like a solid theory to me.

 Anyway, another really good episode. Tons of character development for Veronica, Mac, and Keith. It will be interesting to see (if Deputy Leo returns, which is far from a certainty, he could well be a one-and-done character) how Veronica deals with her using someone hurts them now that she actually likes the guy. Hopefully, he comes back because I would actually like to see that play out. 

He’s still Schmidt, though.

[seenashwrite]

Gaslight.

Status: Complete Word Count: 1.5K Category: One-shot; Family; Humor; Witty Banter; Snarky Siblings; AU-Pseudo* Rating: Teen & Up Characters: Dean, Jane*, Sam Pairings: N/A Warnings: None Author’s Note(s): This is a little vignette that could be a stand-a-lone or an accompaniment to "Supernatural: Revelation”; more post-story Overall Summary: A lively conversation amongst siblings - just your typical morning in the bunker.

When Dean walked into the library, all shuffling slippers and sips of coffee, she began to read aloud.

“They could be careless people, Sam and Dean. They smashed up things and creatures, then retreated back into their bunker or their vast solitude, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the messes they had made…”

He rubbed at his unshaven jaw with his free hand, blinking purposefully more than a few times as he eased into better lighting. Threw a yawn and a head scratch in there somewhere to completely paint the picture. She met his grogginess with sharp eyes, bringing her gaze up and over the top of her reading glasses.

“That's kinda pretty," Dean commented, flopping into a chair across the table from her. Then, after a moment of consideration, he added, "I mean, it's also kinda insulting. But pretty. You write that?"

She grinned. “No. Well. Sort-of.”

That earned her a look.

“The parts about you guys are all me. The pretty belongs to Fitzgerald.”

“Who?”

“You know. Gatsby.”

Dean wrinkled his nose. “Look, I’m not saying I hate Leo, just... I’m not gonna cry if an iceberg happens to--”

And that earned him an exaggerated eye-roll-sigh-combo. He hid a smile behind his cup with the next sip. She wasn’t even in the neighborhood of serious.

“I’ll loan you the book,” she offered. “I’ve got an actual copy somewhere. It’s a quick read, you’ll be done in no time.”

“Bathroom?”

“Not that quick.”

“Who said anything about--”

Dean was blessedly cut off by the sound of the outer door banging shut, followed shortly by the inner door’s built-in alarm system of loud creaks and groans. Then Sam’s sneakered feet were bounding down the staircase. 

“Morning!” he called to them, still in a jog, hanging a right and heading to the kitchen.

“Anyway, I know Fitzgerald.”

“Okay,” she replied absently, pulling her finger across the screen, whipping through the pages in reverse, ready to go back to when Gatsby called on Daisy.

“Yeah, he wrote... aw damn, what was the...”

FLIP. FLIP. SCAN. FLIP.

“...oh, yeah - that case. Benjamin Button.”

Her fingertip screeched to a halt and her narrowed eyes met his. “What?” she shot back, a little more clipped than she’d meant to, but what.

Dean watched as she processed what he’d said, then as she quickly minimized the book window, pulled up a browser and started typing.

“I know I’m right,” he informed her. 

“About what?” Sam asked, coming to sit beside him.

Dean wrinkled his nose. Again. “You stink.”

“Well, so do you,” Sam responded calmly before gulping down more water from the already half-empty bottle in his hand.

“Shut. Up. You’re right,” Jane announced.

“Right about what?” Sam asked. Again.

“Janey doesn’t think I’m well-read,” Dean replied.

“Janey doesn’t think that at all, but she does wish you’d quit being so uppity.”

Sam and Dean both snickered.

“We were talking Fitzgerald and Benjamin Button,” Dean explained.

“No, but really - I know ol’ Scottie wrote lots of stuff, but that just seems... a little random, I guess,” said Jane.

“He’s not reading the classics on the john, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Sam told her, causing Dean and Jane to share raised eyebrows and amused looks.

“Ah, okay, not gonna ask,” Sam stated, but there was a chuckle behind it. “Look in the early 20th century section, should be under... oh... Midwest, I think....” 

He glanced at Dean. 

“I wanna say Iowa,” came his older brother’s response, and he nodded.

“Me, too. Check Iowa first.”

Jane nodded as well, closed down the window she had up and tapped the link that led to their ever-growing virtual file cabinets. 

Lots of lore to be had out there, and no more than a click or three or five away, sure. But there was just something about the rest. Something about the more personal things. 

Being able to take all of it along - their research, Men of Letters case files, John’s and Bobby’s scanned-in handwritten notes, whatever was leftover from the Campbell stash - it was kind’ve a nice little security blanket when motel bedding wasn’t up to snuff.

“Are you watching this? This is me not asking questions and just trusting you,” Jane said in an almost sing-song voice, eyes down, scrolling through an index at lightning speed.

“We noticed,” they replied in near-unison.

“Because you haven’t bothered to share with me what the hell any of this has to do with playboy millionaires or buttoned Benjamins...” 

“Want me to spoil you?” Sam asked.

She immediately set the tablet aside and perched her glasses atop her head. “You have both my adoration and my attention,” Jane answered with a smile.

“See, now why--” 

Dean sat up straighter, looking and speaking to Sam but pointing at Jane. Then he reversed course, pointing at his brother but directing his question towards his sister.

“Why don’t you talk to me like that? It’s just mean, is what it is, and it makes me think you’re--”

“Trying to hurt your feelings?” Jane finished for him, and with nothing less than a nauseated look on her face. “God, don’t say it’s that, I will be so disappointed in you, you have no idea.” 

“She’s kissing my ass so she doesn’t have to dig through the entire 20th century,” Sam advised him, then worked on killing off the rest of his water bottle.

Dean arched an eyebrow at Jane, and she shrugged. 

“It’s a big-ass file, my dude.”

“Yeah but you’re in charge of research. Sammy’s off the bench and--”

Sam made a mild sputtering sound, coughing a little when Dean’s statement hit his ears at the same time those last drops of water hit his throat.

“’Sammy’s off the bench?’” Sam repeated, slowly turning in his seat to stare at Dean.

“You know what I mean.”

Sam’s jaw dropped and then his volume kicked up a notch. “No. No, Dean, I don’t. I don’t know at all what you mean.”

“Oh son of...” Jane muttered under her breath, sliding the glasses back to her nose and the tablet to its original position.

The men bickered, but it didn’t get too far gone because Jane shortly hit pay dirt, and the conversation she began to hold with herself drifted in-and-amongst their own.

“Cross-reference by one 'Winchester, Dean' for 'Benjamin Button', nice,” she commented.

“I've never not been off the bench, so yeah - it's insulting,” Sam was saying.

“Backwards Plague, Iowa, Johnson County..." Jane continued, reading a little louder.

"You shoulda heard what she said about us earlier," Dean was countering.

"Aren't we a little old for that?" Sam asked.

"What?"

"Passing blame along?"

"...people between sixteen and twenty-four were said to be losing weight, then  overall body mass....”

“I'm not passing anything, she said you and I smash crap and then leave the crap lying around."

"...then when they got all the way down to being newborns, this 'plague' stopped and they grew up again." Finished, Jane pulled her glasses back up to her head. "I swear, Iowa is following me."

The fussing was put on pause, both men looking at her with odd expressions.

"Sam, Johnson County - that doesn't happen to be where the... shoot, what were we thinking it was? A bridge or door or whatever? Out in that field, and that man plowed under like a third of his crop to give a bunch of baseball-playing ghosts somewhere to haunt?" she asked.

"Yeah,” Sam confirmed, then looked to Dean. “Back in the ‘80s. They'd terrorized the previous dozen or so owners, of course it was never disclosed. Guy nearly lost his farm, but probably saved his family’s lives."

"Huh," Dean commented. 

"See?" Jane said to him. "I'm the research queen.”

A pause. 

“Queen-consort.” 

Another pause. 

“A duchess-by-marriage, at least."

Sam stood and Dean handed him his empty coffee cup without a word. 

Jane tried and failed to squash a tiny grin at the look on Sam's face, but he didn't seem to care, asking if she'd like him to start the kettle for her. She glanced at her watch. The research mini-break she’d spent partying at Jay’s had gotten away from her, cutting straight through her usual tea time.

“You’re my favorite,” she told Sam with a wink. 

Dean shot her a bird as he pretended to scratch his nose. So Sam thumped his ear. Typical morning.

"I forget, does it say anything else? Did anybody ever find out what was up with that stuff?" Dean asked her as Sam left the room.

"Corn poltergeists," Jane replied. 

They stared at each other in silence for a few moments before she spoke again.

“This is my life.”

“Welcome to the club, kiddo. And I meant the other thing. The Backdoor plague.”

“Backwards plague, and you know it.”

Back on went the glasses.

“Hold on, lemme see... no, I don't think... you know, for heaven's...” Jane brought a flat expression up to meet Dean’s slightly smug one. “No. No resolution that I can see. But I do see it was all written up by an Iowan M-O-L brother: one 'Fitzgerald, Harvey'.”

Dean didn't bother to hide a smirk because, well, why start now?

"I hate you," said Jane.

"You love me," said Dean.

"I know."

See Nash Write : Master  /  See Nash Write : Mobile

🏷️🏷️Wanna be tagged? Hit me up! 🏷️🏷️

* See explanation(s) for the classification & the story-behind-the-story "Revelation", linked above