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127-mile · 3 years

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IN BETWEEN THE WALLS. be good to him and he will be good to you.

PAIRING: Jaehyun x gender neutral reader. GENRE: Horror. WARNINGS: Strong language, alcohol, violence, injuries, blood, open ending. PLOT: You didn't know you would have to babysit a doll when you sent in your application to the Jung family. You didn't know their son was living inside of the walls either. WORD COUNT: +2k. A/N: This is part of the Nct monsters edition collab hosted by @minimultiestfandoms | Inspired by The Boy.

When the Jung family accepted your application to take care of their child during their two-weeks trip, you didn't expect to have to take care of a doll the size of an eight year old. No, you expected a real kid who could talk, play, let you know what was wrong. Not a porcelain boy with eyes that give you nasty chills every time you meet its gaze.

During the first week, you did not obey the rules of the parents. You didn't cook for the doll, you didn't read a story before its bedtime, you didn't tell the doll about your day, about the things you love and hate, no, you did nothing. To be honest, as soon as the door closed on the parents, you threw the doll in a corner of the house, and you lived like it didn't exist.

But on the eighth day, things start to get complicated.

Things seem to be disappearing around the house, but the most important thing is that the doll is no longer where you threw it. You remember covering it with a blanket when you thought it was looking at you while you were in the living room, but you quickly realized that the doll was missing when you opened the front door.

"Johnny, Johnny are you there?"

Immediately, a head peaks out from the kitchen's doorframe, and you heave a sigh of relief. Johnny is the gardener of the Jung family, he must have noticed the doll and put it back in its room. "Did you touch the doll?" you ask, pointing at the blanket and he shakes his head.

"This doll scares the shit out of me, why would I touch him?"

"Because it was still there when I went out this morning, and it's not here anymore."

Johnny frowns. "Maybe he got tired of being by the door and went back to his room, it gets chilly here at night." you hate it when he talks about the doll as if he was talking about an actual human, as if it was able to move around the house and understand what is going on.

"Don't say that, I'm not going to sleep anymore." you mumble as you kick the blanket before joining him in the kitchen.

"Would that be surprising? The Jung family put all their love into the doll when their son died, so maybe a spirit took hold of it, kind of like in the movie Annabelle." you knew you should not have invited him to stay and watch the movie with you the other day.

"Annabelle is a movie, this is real life Johnny. Demons don't exist, they don't possess dolls. Or anyone, anything."

Johnny is the gardener, but he is also the only person your age in the village, so he spends more time than he should inside of the house, it keeps you from dying of boredom every time the TV stops working due to a severe lack of signal with the wifi.

"Do you know what we should do tomorrow?" he asks, putting a plate in front of you, and you shake your head as you sit on a stool. "We should go into town, buy a ouija board and try to call the spirit of their son." what have you done to always fin youself in crazy situations.

"Thank you but no thank you. Even though I don't believe in the existence of demons, I don't want to risk having anything in this house! The objects and the doll that disappear are enough to give me nightmares for at least two years, I don't need more."

"There are objects missing?" he tilts his head to the side.

"Yeah, mostly the frames with the pictures of the family with their son when he was still an infant. Also the books I take from the library always seem to get missing before I even have time to read half ot it, it's pretty frustrating, and creepy."

"You realize that there might be someone in the house and you tell me that like it's normal!" he exclaims, and honestly? The idea hasn't even crossed your mind.

"Johnny I was hired to take care of a porcelain doll, there is nothing crazier than that. If anyone is in the house," you say in a loud voice. "let them take the porcelain doll, I'm sure it's worth a lot more than a few books."

"You know the parents will hold you accountable if they come home and their beloved son is not in his room waiting for them with the excitement of a porcelain doll."

You stick your tongue out at him, and you take a sip of the glass of red wine he served you, and at least if the parents are a little weird for living with a soll, they have a wine cellar with incredible wines that you enjoy almost every night with Johnny. "Will you help me find it?" he nods, perfect.

The rest of dinner goes without an hitch, and when Johnny is done doing the dishes, he turns to you, stretching his arms above his head. "Let's go find that damn doll." he mumbles with a yawn.

You get up. "Go look in the parents' room, I'll go look in the doll's." you go up the stairs and you make your way to the room where you were first introduced to the doll. A room where you expected to see a little boy sitting on the floor playing with toys, not a doll sitting in the middle of a small bed looking at you with beads instead of eyes.

"You found it?" you ask after going around the room and looking under the bed. You don't get an answer, instead the room to the parents' bedroom slams shut and you sit up, bumping against the edge of the bed. "Oh fuck, that hurts." you grunt, rubbing the back of your head.

"Y/n let me out, that's not funny!" you hear Johnny scream, and you frown.

"What are you talking about, I'm still in the kid's room!" you answer and you hear him banging against the door, and with how much noise it makes, he must be trying to open it with his shoulder. He is going to hurt himself, you think.

"The door slammed and locked itself, come open it for me."

You leave the room, and maybe you shouldn't have, because your gaze immediately meets that of a man.

A man who is not Johnny, and part of his face is covered by a white mask. You don't notice what he is holding in the hand that is not holding the doorknob, you are too focused on his mask. "Who are you?"

The half-smile on his face gives you chill and you take several steps back. Is he the cause of the disappearance of the photos, the books, and the doll? "You should have followed my mother's orders." the man growls and your eyes open wide. "You should have followed my mother's orders." he repeats in a more threatening voice, but never without losing his smile and that's what disconcerts you the most.

"Jaehyun?" you ask, and his smile fades for a second, but it comes back as quickly, as if he was not used to hear his name anymore. You heard the neighbors talking, you asked about the doll, and you never wanted to believed what they said, but you are now facing the truth.

"You should have followed my mother's orders."

With that, he raises his hand and the light reflects on the blade of his knife. A kitchen knife that you haven't noticed was missing. "Johnny!" you turn on your heels to run, but it's a waste of time and energy, the hallway is not as long as you would have liked, and you soon find yourself facing a wall. Nothing more than a wall with a picutre of Jaehyun when he was still a child.

A child with long dark hair, big dark eyes and a smile filled with cute dimples.

"Did you take the doll?" you ask, at a loss for words, and he shrugs.

"Maybe if I had done it before, you would have taken better care of it." he says in a whisper, and you are not sure about that. A doll is still a doll and will never need food or stories, but now that you think about it the food was for Jaehyun, the real Jaehyun. And the stories were probably to keep him busy, not to make him feel alone wherever it is he is living.

Over Jaehyun's shoulder, you see Johnny approaching slowly. He is armed with a candle holder which he forces down on the back of Jaehyun's head and he collapses with a growl. "Come on, let's get the fuck out of here!" he grabs your hand and he pulls you towards the stairwell.

"You've been working here for a long time, did you know?" you ask while following him, your eyes stinging from the tears you refuse to let fall. He shakes his head as he tries to open the front door but it's locked, and you can't see the keys. You were so sure you left them on the lock.

"I was never allowed inside of the house, I didn't know." he reponds, pulling on the doorknob which does not budge. "Fuck, do you have your phone?"

"Yeah, yeah." you take it out of the pocket of your pants and dial the police's number. They are quick to respond, but a little slower at figuring out the address and location of the house.

"We are going to send someone to the house. They should be there in an hour."

An hour, a fucking hour during which you could be murdered by a kid who lives in hiding in the walls of his own house.

"Hold on!"

Johnny runs to the living room and he comes back with a metallic object that you saw several times near the fireplace, and he tries to open the door but it is way too big and too heavy.

"The door in the kitchen!" Johnny nods. He keeps his makeshift weapon and he walks into the kitche. You don't hear any noise from upstairs, Jaehyun is probably still on the ground holding his head. Fortunately the door to the garden is unlocked but when Johnny opens it, Jaehyun is right there.

"How?" you wonder out louder. He has blood running down the back of his neck, probably from Johnny's blow.

"The walls all lead somewhere." Jaehyun says in a slow voice, and he hits.

The blade of his knife goes straight into Johnny's shoulder and he screams. He could collapse but instead he rushes towards Jaehyun to hit him with his weapon, and when they both find themselves on the ground, in the heat-scorched grass, he searches for something in his pocket while Jaehyun looks for his knife. The keys to his car.

He swings them in your direction and you bend down to pick them up, incredulous. "Go! Leave the house!"

Johnny is willing to sacrifice himself so you can leave which you do not understand ,but the human is selfish so you nod and walk around them to run to Johnny's car in the driveway.

You unlock the car, and you sick in relief.

But you should not have, because when you look up you see Jaehyun's face through the car window. He is not smiling anymore and he is covered in blood. His, and most certainly Johnny's.

"You should have obeyed mom's rules." he says before pouncing on you. "You should always obey mom's rules."

#nct #nct imagines #nct scenarios #jaehyun imagines #jaehyun scenarios

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diavolosthots · 4 years

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I adore your work and I am so happy I caught you open request it's my first time! May I please request something with Diavolo handling his human exchange student being a kid who is like 6 who is convinced that Diavolo os their dad and clings to him crying when someone tries to take them away because they don't want to loose their dad scared of being alone again? 100000% platonic obvs. It just sounds cute and sad because Dia could probably relate to the poor kid and I'm a sucker for soft dia and found family stuff. As per your rules that I hope I'm getting right with mc being a kid being okay I want you to know this is not and oc just a basic sad little kid with family issues. Just don't want you to think it is when I swear ots not because of how detailed I felt I was giving. Sorry for rambling I really admire you and your skill and just am so nervous making a request.

Your rambling got cuter and cuter and I couldn't help myself from smiling. Yes this is okay and yes you've read the rules right :)

You're Not Not My Dad (DIAVOLO X GN!PLATONIC!CHILD!READER)

For a task he trusted the eldest with, he certainly didn’t think Lucifer would decide to let a literal child enter the Devildom. “Lord Diavolo, I swear I had no clue! On the paper it said 26, not 6!” Sure enough; a quick glance at the paper and it indeed said ‘age: 26’ and yet here they are, which a barely functioning human in a world they can’t even comprehend. “We can’t keep them here, under any circumstance.” Another quick glance at the child in front of him and then the pure fear they had in their eyes when they saw the rest of the demons in the room put Diavolo in a tough spot. “I will take them home immediately.” But the minute Lucifer tried to reach out for you, you jumped up and ran to Diavolo, clinging onto his pant leg and hiding behind him, “don’t let him take me, daddy!” Diavolo’s whole body stiffened at the name, “Daddy? I’m not your father.” But you would have none of it, still clinging to him and actually screaming out when Barbatos tried to pry you off. “It’s okay Barbatos, I’ll just take them.” He mainly said that because your screaming was unbearable but when he leaned down to pick you up so he could take you back, you had tears streaming down your cheeks and he hates admitting that it actually broke his heart, “why are you crying little one?” “Because the bad men want to take me away from you, daddy.” You snuggled into him, wrapping your arms around his neck and clinging to him for dear life, and for once in his own life, Diavolo wasn’t quite sure on what to do.

That was a couple months ago. No matter how many times he tried to take you back home, you’d find a way to cling to him, kicking and screaming for him to not leave you too, so he decided to keep you, at least for a little while. He made sure to remind you every day that he was certainly not your father, but you never believed him so he gave up at some point and decided to just have a serious talk with you when you’re older and more willing to listen and comprehend. “Daddy!” Sadly, having you around also meant that he barely had time to get enough things done and Barbatos was constantly running after you and not getting things done, either. Speaking of Barbatos, he’s still salty about the time you decided to bite his tail and has made it a point to never be in his demon form around you. “My Lord, I’m so sorry, I can’t seem to keep (Y/N) occupied.”

In all honesty, Diavolo’s eye was twitching because this is the third meeting you decided to interrupt, not this week, but today alone. “(Y/N). Please listen to Barbatos.” You climbed up in his chair, sitting proudly and taking random papers from his desk, pretending to read them, “vetoed! Trashed! Wait… this one looks cool, it has a seal on it!” Diavolo snatched that one from you so fast, you could’ve thought it was just your imagination, “(Y/N), are you listening to me? I said you ha--!” “Daddy look, if you take two pens and hold it up, it looks like Barbatos has horns!” Barbatos was also getting mildly irritated but he was trying so hard to keep his calm. “(Y/N), why don’t you listen to Lord Diavolo? I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to play with you at the en--!” “Look Daddy, I’m wearing your coat!” You seemed so happy, so full of life and as much as it inconvenienced him right now, Diavolo couldn’t bring himself to get stern with you, and he didn’t have to. “(Y/N)! Listen to what people are telling you!” Because it was Barbatos who lost his cool, and apparently also his manners.

The loud sound of his voice along with the fact that his smile dropped to a glare had the whole room silent. Even Lucifer who was part of the meeting, managed to stand at attention. No one remembers the last time Barbatos lost his patience and all of them wondered if he ever lost his patience before this, but that’s not the issue now. Your lip was quivering, tears threatening to spill over as small sobs escaped your mouth, “no…” Diavolo knew what would be next and he doesn’t have the heart or the time for it. “Ssh.. It’s okay, come here. Daddy’s got you.” He quickly picks you up, holding you against his chest and stroking through your hair lovingly, trying to keep you from screaming out. A crying you was a very loud you and he’s trying to save everyone’s ears from that spiel. “Barbatos, take Lucifer and leave, please.” The butler, as much as he wanted to just yank the kid back to human realm, could do nothing but nod, his usual smile returning to his face as he bowed, “of course, My Lord.” He waited until Lucifer went ahead of him, following suit and then closing the door behind him.

Diavolo let out a long sigh, seating himself back in his chair and then propping you up in his lap. He pulled you back far enough to look at you, golden eyes soft while one of his hands continued to stroke through your hair, “he didn’t mean it, but he does have a point. You can’t keep interrupting me all the time, (Y/N).” You brought one of your hands up to wipe some of the tears before leaning back against him, burying your chest in his face, “b-but…. I just want to spend time with you, Daddy…” Another sigh escaped Diavolo as his mind raced to find solutions, turning left to right in his chair kind of in a rocking motion as he did so. “I know that, but I have things I need to get done before I can have fun time with you.” Diavolo rested his cheek against your head, staring at the paperwork on his desk and then at the sealed piece of paper that he took from you earlier.

“What if… when I don’t have a meeting, what if I set up a small desk for you right here, right beside mine, and we can work together, hm? How does that sound?” Your head immediately lifted off of his shoulder, a wide smile evident on your lips and Diavolo felt his heart settle with content at the sight, “yes! I want that, Daddy! And then you and I can rule together!” Diavolo laughed softly, shaking his head, “hm… we’ll see about that. You have to promise me you’ll listen to Barbatos though AND you have to leave when I have meetings, okay?” You nodded, holding up your tiny pinky, “pinky promise!” which Diavolo gladly wrapped around his before kissing it softly, turning you back around in his lap so you can watch him go through some paperwork. Part of him just hopes you’ll find this boring and leave, but a tiny, other part of him hopes you’ll stick around for a little while longer.

You may not be his child, but you’ve grown on him, and at this point, he’d do anything for you so as long as it didn’t put the Devildom in danger. He loves you, as if you were his own.

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me headcanons #obey me scenarios #obey me lord diavolo #shall we date diavolo #om! diavolo #obey me diavolo #diavolo obey me #obey me diavolo x reader

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kurowrites · 4 years

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Arranged marriage prompt no.2 with wangxian if you're accepting prompts please!

Royalty AU - To end a war

I don’t really have the time or the energy to actually make this a cohesive narration, so let’s do this in bullet points.

Let’s make this canon slightly to the left - WWX has installed himself as Yiling Laozu at the Burial Mounds, but due to ~handwavy reason~, he actually manages to defend himself against any intruders, and the rest of the cultivation world realises that 1. this guy is even more of a threat than they had imagined and 2. they can’t get rid of him (or the remaining Wen, for that matter).

After much deliberation and more than a little shouting, they come to the conclusion that some kind of solution needs to be found. They can’t take the Yiling Laozu down, but they also can’t let him do whatever he pleases considering that he is actively dangerous.

What do you do when you’re out of options? You propose a deal.

They carefully approach WWX and are like... we are willing to do some things, provided we get other stuff in return. Like you sealing your own demonic cultivation. Or something like that. Idk, I’m tired.

WWX is probably equally tired, because honestly, if he can get guaranteed protection ot the Wen, that’s good for him. And so he bargains with whoever the sects send to him. It doesn’t work well, because neither really trusts the other side.

WWX, feeling a headache coming on: “I want Lan Zhan.”

What he MEANT was 1. He wanted to talk to Lan Zhan, because Lan Zhan is a rational person. And maybe also 2. He wants Lan Zhan as a security, because absolutely no one wants to harm Lan Zhan. Right?

What the negotiation committee hears, though, is “I want Lan Zhan as a human sacrifice.” He’s the Yiling Laozu, right? So he wants something nefarious, obviously. So if WWX wants LWJ, they can’t say no, but they also can’t let WWX kill LWJ. How else to bind a person to yourself other than marriage? So marriage it is. Perfect, problem solved! They’re like... sure, let’s do this, we’ll be back soon.

WWX, hungry and suffering from lack of sleep: Well, that was easy.

Soon, they return with LWJ and a whole delegation of cultivators in tow. LWJ is, for some reason, in wedding clothes. And before WWX really gets it, they’re being married.

WWX, after everything is over: Well, this is awkward. I was just trying to get you here to talk to me.

LWJ, turning his saddest puppy eyes on WWX: Are you unhappy with me as your husband?

WWX, quietly: ....what the fuck

And so he takes LWJ back to burial mounds, as his husband. He feels bad for LWJ, but he’s mostly concerned with making sure that the Wens are doing well and the conditions of this treaty are obeyed.

He had imagined that they would be left alone now that everything is over, but the problem is that everyone knows that LWJ is at Burial Mounds. And suddenly you have Lan disciples popping up in the hostile wilderness of BM, first frightened and shy, yet still willing to brave this environment to make sure their Hanguang-jun is well.

And after LWJ obviously keeps WWX from frightening the first ones away, visits become pretty usual. Disciples visit LWJ, and they bring stuff with them that they think he might need.

It’s a lot of stuff that suddenly starts collecting.

WWX: ,,,is this a pilgrimage site or what

It is a pilgrimage site.

Suddenly, Burial Mounds starts to look better and better, because the Lan disciples help with things around the BM every time they visit. And they’re really good at dealing with the resentful energy of the place.

At some point, WWX realises that he lives in married, agricultural bliss with a child and an entire village of chosen relatives while being feared by the common people as an evil overlord.

It’s fine, he thinks as LWJ picks out lotus seeds and feeds them to him.

He’s fine with being the bogeyman as long as he gets to keep this.

#kuro writes #wanxian #ask meme #mdzs headcanons #okay this is kinda cuta and way less dramatic than that prompt really should be #but I'm feeling le Stressed (tm) right now and this is how I deal #anonymous

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famej · 4 years

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Wake Up Call

Belphegor x Reader

« Stop napping without me. Wake up so we can cuddle »

Belphie’s voice rang through the room, pulling you from your slumber.

« Come on, wake up, I feel so lonely without you » the voice whined through the phone’s speaker.

You sighed deeply and stretched, then reached for the device resting on your bedside table. The wake up call was still motivating you to leave your bed, using sweet nothings as a bait.

Now that the wanted effect had proved itself effective, it was time to get up.

At first, it felt creepy to record someone’s voice to create an alarm clock, but it didn’t matter very long. The first time you’ve woken up to that special alarm, you realized you wanted every morning to start with the same sweet voice.

Out of the numerous naps you’d shared in the middle of the day, Belphegor and yourself never spent a night together in the same bed. You already worked up the courage to ask him if he was on board to record his voice for you in return of the time your did the same…This was already a giant’s step for you !

You slid in your uniform, still a bit groggy and left the room yawning the previous night away.

On your way, you crossed Lucifer’s path, the latter greeted you way too cheerfully for the current hour.

« Good morning Y/N, I see you didn’t laze in bed »

To which you answered with a « Hum…Morning », before resuming to walk to the living room.

There already were five brothers at the table. Beel, who obviously arrived first to ensure most of the food would be for him, Mammon, surprisingly early, too early even for his usual mischief ; Levi, eyes glued to his phone, Asmo putting up the final touches to his already perfect appearance and Satan quietly eating, as neat as ever.

« Good morning » you greeted all of them, receiving an uneven chorus of greetings back.

You sat beside the fourth brother and served yourself a nice amount of food to have enough energy for the day.

« Oi ! Why do you sit next to Satan ? How dare you ? Wen the great Mammon is around the table ! »

You looked up at him and rolled your eyes, giving him a playful smile.

« Don’t be jealous Mammon, I’m just trying to give attention to every one of you equally. But everyone knows how irrestibly cute you are » I included « But it wouldn’t be faire to your brothers » you punctued your sentence with a wink.

The demon’s face blushed furiously and his eyes swept the room, carefully avoiding you.

« Hum…yeah…I…I…Stop playing with me already, humans are so mean »

Even busy with their own morning activities, they all lifted their gazes on their older brother and then on you, sharing a common chuckle at his expense.

Maybe the fairtytales were wrong, if demons were supposed to be evil, eating humans and causing chaos all around them, then you didn’t know what kind of creatures you were living with.

Wait… for the « causing chaos » part you were right… Yeah, they were definitely demons, nevermind.

In the middle of the chorus of laugh, a yawn erupted, announcing the arrival of the younger brother. The sleep was pretty evident, showed by his half lidded eyes, still he slowly walked to an empty sit and slouched down.

« Good morning, Belphie » you cheered, offering him one of your brightest smile, still thinking about how his voice was the first thing you hear every day. The thought made you blush and you decide to focus your interest on your breakfast.

« Morning » he mumbled before yawning again.

His hair showed that he at least tried to tame it but it was still disheveled ; simply adorable.

« Did you sleep well ? » Satan asked him

Belphie blinked and nodded

« Yeah, but it’s so early. I’m lucky to have Y/N’s wake up call » he said, smiling a little, that cute little smile of his.

« A what ? » Satan questionned

« What the hell !? » Mammon interrupted « Why does Belphie has a wake up call from Y/N and I don’t ? »

« Belphie’s being selfish ! When I caught them recording them, he refused to let Y/N make me one, so unfair ! »

« Levi’s right, it’s totally unfair »

« I vant ode soo » Beel mumbled half munching

« Hey calm down ! I’m her first demon I have dibs on everything coming from her »

Satan leaned toward you and whispered, trying ot be as discreet not to get noticed by his brothers.

« May I dare to ask for one ? »

You chuckled and nodded

« Sure, we’ll do it together so you’ll tell me what you like »

With a wink, he ignored the quarell around him and left the table before the real mayhem break out.

As you turned back to the rest, you locked eyes with a pouting Belphie.

« Don’t make Satan a wake up call. I thought this was a thing between you and me only… »

His pleas caught the attention of the battling demons, who originally fought against their youngest but were now barking at each other.

« Why would you be prioritized on the right to spend time with Y/N ? »

« Because I spent way less moments with her than you all did »

« The bickering would probably go on and on if you don’t put it to a stop, damn you should have escaped with Satan !

« Guys, please. If all of you want a wake up call, then it’s only fair. I’m sorry Belphie but I have to show equity with all of the demons I have a pact with »

The avatar of Sloth crossed his arms over his chest and pouted even harder, just like a child would. He was honestly too cute.

« Yay ! I’m gonna have a record of Y/N’s voice ! HUHUHU »

« You should be honored to be the one pulling me from my beauty sleep, darling »

« Hehe, kank you »

« Amazing ! Wait, that’s not right ! Don’t take advantage of her kindness, you idiots ! »

Asmo looked at the shiny watch wrapped around his wrist and beamed.

« We should get going or we’ll be late for class !» Then he whipped his mouth with a napkin and stood up.

« Bye Y/N, don’t forget, you promised to spend the afternoon with me. I can’t wait for that wake up call of yours » and in a wink, he was gone.

« See you » Levi quickly mimbled before putting on his headphones

« Yet’ch go »

Beel stuffed his mouth with a whole bun in his mouth, got up, grabbed a few supplementary goods as well as a mumbling Mammon, who through protests was thrown over his younger sibling shoulder.

« Oi ! Beel ! What are you doing, put me down Grrrrr ! »

That was a pretty normal morning at the house of lamentation.

You averted your gaze to Belphie, still sitting and pouting.

« Are you mad at me ? »

He didn’t even move, keeping on staring at his plate. You got up and walked around the table, finally sitting in the seat beside him.

You poked his cheek with your index finger and when the first time didn’t make him react, you continued, intending on forcing a smile, even the smallest out of him.

« Belphie, please, forgive me. Are you planning to ignore me forever ? I won’t be able to survive without my favourite cuddle buddy » you whined and changed your strategy from poking to stroking his cheek in an affectionate manner.

You noticed how he scrunched up his eyebrows in exasperation and finally sighed to end up turning his head toward you.

« Am I really your favourite cuddle buddy ? »

« Yep, the best ever ! »

His face lit up with that small same smile again. It always made you think of how he probably forgot how to smile after a while of not doing so and that was why it was so small. Nonetheless, it was contagious.

« Okay, I forgive you, only on one condition, though »

« Anything you want »

« Hehehe »

His cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

« I want a kiss » he demanded shyly.

You tilted your head to the side.

« Where do you want it ? »

« W…Wherever you want »

You took a deep inspiration and got up from yoru chair, Belphie watched you intently. Towering over him, you gave him a long gaze, use you hand to gently push his fringe out of his eyes, revealing his forehead. As you watched for his reaction, you noticed that he blinked a few times before closing his eyes completely, exactly how he did it when he falls asleep.

To grant him his wish, you pressed a chaste kiss on his forehead, letting your lips linger against his skin for a long moment.

After pulling away, you let go of his hair, it fell unrullingly back in its original place. However you moved your hand to the side of his head to stroke his dark mane. He re-opened his eyes, displaying an even brighter smile, making your heart melt in the process.

The two of you stood like this for Diavolo knows how long, smiling at each other like two idiots.

#OBEY ME #obey me shall we date #belphegor #belphegor x reader #belphegor imagine #lucifer #mammon #leviathan #asmodeus #satan #beelzebub

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folderolsfollies · 4 years

Text

Sangyao Arranged Marriage ... Part 2

[Part 1]

Word Count: 2.5k Rating: t Warnings: None to date (there is discussion of canon events)

The Unclean Realm was a home first, and then a fortress, and then a home again, and it stands in stark, punishing angles against the mountains that enfold it. The expansions made by Nie Huaisang’s fathers and grandfather’s were hewn by descendants grimly aware of their oncoming death, who built the rooms and wrought the gates as much to keep demons locked inside as to rout the demons at their door.

But the private chambers for the family were fashioned as delicately as any Lan parlor room. These were commissioned by the butchers who founded the clan, anxious to be seen as refined as any other gentry, despite their rough origins, and so the architects were held to the highest standards of taste. And so they remain, gleaming like a pearl in the heart of the realm, embedded within its harsh grey oyster shell.

Nie Huaisang flits through its shining corridors, wrapped in grey robes woven so finely that in the moonlight they glow a pale, iridescent white.

“Da-ge, I’ve come to manipulate you”, he announces, barging into Da-ge’s private office late at night. Better to be upfront about these things with Da-ge, rather than suffer the consequences that come from him finding out about it later.

Nie Huaisang’s brother doesn’t even look up from his paperwork. His desk, a recent addition, is sturdy Qinghe steel, dominating against the elegant background. “No, you cannot get out of saber practice to go to some art show,” he grinds out, implacable as a knife on a whetstone.

Nie Huaisang, seeing that his brother isn’t going to pay any attention to his bravura performance, doesn’t bother to bristle. He just exhales noisily and says, dropping to his knees on the other side of the desk, “No, not about that,” and dutifully picks up a sheaf of letters from one of the stacks on Nie Mingjue’s desk. Stage one in his plan: here comes the filial child, helping with sect duties.

The first letter on the pile is a report of a horde of fierce corpses in a minor provincial town to the south-west of Qinghe. Nie Huaisang frowns, temporarily distracted, and reaches for one of the blank maps and ink sticks that Nie Mingjue keeps permanently on his desk.

“Do you have a map of just the fierce corpse sightings from oh, since the last new moon?” he says, absently, and wets his quill in Nie Mingjue’s inkwell.

“Decorum, Huaisang,” says Nie Mingjue roughly, and so he rolls his eyes around the flicker of annoyance, and starts grinding a fresh pot of ink for himself. Meng Yao would have let him. “And no. Why, do you see a pattern?”

“No-ot yet,” Nie Huaisang says, “No talking for ten minutes, let me draw it out.”

He’s thinking about what he’ll say if Nie Mingjue complains about being silenced in his own office, but his brother just grunts and returns to the accounts. He takes some bright red fresh ink as well as the black, and the thick sheaf of cultivator requests from the outlying counties, and places it all on his side of the large desk.

Maybe it’s just that Jin Guangyao was here, earlier, to draw out the comparison, but the office feels vaster and emptier than it did when Meng Yao’s steady presence at his own writing table anchored the other side of the room. There was something about his fine-boned face that came into focus when seen in candlelight, although it may have just been the proximity to gold.

“Look at this,” Nie Huaisang says finally, fanning at the paper to let the ink dry, “Red is the older reports, black are the corpse sightings from the past few weeks. We’ve been assuming that these corpses are all remnants of Wen casualties from the Sunshot campaign because of their robes, but Qishan is almost entirely volcanic terrain, so for a horde of mindless puppets there are only a few real possible routes of egress without being destroyed- here, here, and here.” He sketches rough circles around wide valleys. “But there’s a different pattern to these reports. If you draw a line,” and he places the ink stick down to draw out the path, “they all seem to be coming from one area in the south-west, and recently, since the older reports are clustered more south.” There’s a warm, pleased flush in his chest. Maybe he lacks cultivation skills, but there are other ways to be useful, he thinks.

Nie Mingjue glowers, and points to where the end of the ink stick lies with gathering anger. Baxia, ever responsive to his brother’s moods, lets out a warning growl in the corner. “Yiling? So this Wei Wuxian’s work?”

Nie Huaisang shakes his head. “I don’t know! I just don’t know, something about all of this doesn’t sit right.” He drags his fan over his lower lip, waiting for his logic to catch up with the conclusion. “Oh! It’s the frequency. Maybe he’s been slaughtering whole towns to get these numbers, but they would still have to pass through Jiang and Jin territory to get to us, at least, you’d expect it to be more thinned out. ”

Nie Mingjue slams his hand against the desk, but it’s his thinking rap, easily dismissed. “And we can’t overlook any non-related cause - a haunted amulet half-destroyed a town last year and caused a swarm, and that was never linked to any one sect.”

Nie Huaisang hums, flicking his fan open to cover his whole face while he thinks. “Also, Yunmeng is also pretty close to Yiling - it could be that Jiang Wanyin has decided to dip his toes into demonic cultivation.” He drags the fan down his face until it bumps against the bridge of his nose.

Over it, he looks at Nie Mingjue. Nie Mingjue looks at him. They burst into laughter as one.

“Did you hear him at the last cultivation conference when he pledged to break the legs of any demonic cultivator that crossed his border? He threatened me the exact same way when we were all at Gusu together,” Nie Huaisang wheezes. “Turns out falling asleep in class and raising the dead merit the same punishment.”

Nie Mingjue sobers suddenly at that, and says, “Sect Leader Jiang had to take on responsibilities too young, and now he’s lost his brother, and his sister has married out.” Baxia shrieks mournfully in her holder. “He’s shouldering his burdens admirably given the circumstances.”

Nie Huaisang feels his soft insides twist. There’s a cliff here waiting, and at the base is everything the two of them can’t - don’t - talk about. He tells himself in a familiar refrain that one day they will, just - not today. Instead he says, “Well, now that the Twin Heroes of Yunmeng are out of the running, maybe we can be a brother duo to rival the Twin Jades of Gusu! What do you think the two of us could be, Da-ge - the Mountain and the Small Plum?”

Nie Mingjue just looks at Nie Huaisang for a long moment, solemn and worn, and Nie Huaisang can see the edge of the cliff in his eyes. Are you dying? Nie Huaisang thinks. Would you tell me if you thought you were? “I’d be a bad plum. I don’t wear purple,” Nie Mingjue says finally, primly.

“I will tell the matchmakers you’re funny,” says Nie Huaisang, because he can’t help it.

“Brat!” says Nie Mingjue, not unfondly.

“And sensitive.” he continues, threateningly, wagging a warning finger in his face.

“Put the map away, properly,” Nie Mingjue orders, apparently electing to ignore him. “I’m putting you in charge of following up with this, including coordinating with the cultivators for more information if necessary.”

“Da-ge!” Nie Huaisang whines, slumping in his seat and pouting outrageously. “I came up with the idea, why can’t we put one of the deputies on it?”

“Nie Huaisang!” Nie Mingjue yells back immediately, not as loud as he can get, but loud enough to ring through the enclosed room. “You’re going to be sect leader! You have to start taking this seriously!”

Nie cultivators die early and violently as a rule, but not, as Nie Mingjue seems to be resigned to, in their 20s. Nie Huaisang’s father, who was strong, died when he was 48, and that after he was murdered. Nie Mingjue is 27, and stronger, and the world is at a tenuous version of peace. And yet he has this constant paranoia that Nie Huaisang cannot understand, as if the smoke and gore from the battlefield never washed clean from his robes. As if he knows something that Nie Huaisang does not. Nie Huaisang whips his head around, fully prepared to yell back at him, when his eyes fall on Meng Yao’s old seat. Pick your battles, second young master, he used to say, or you’ll find you’ve lost the war. He deflates. Okay, then. Okay.

“Fine, I will,” he says, a little mulishly, and starts putting away the papers and ink.

Nie Mingjue looks a little surprised. Then he puts his head in his hands like it’s an immense burden. “I never wanted us to have a title like that, you know,” he says hoarsely. “Not like the Twin Jades, or the Heroes… it boxes you in. It boxed Xichen in, him and Wangji.” When he looks up, his eyes are glassy. “I wish you could do whatever you want, Huaisang, I wish I could—“

“Oh Da-ge,” Nie Huaisang says, feeling the sting of matching tears well up in his eyes, and clasps his forearms across the table. “You’re a good brother. I know. I know.” A smaller part of him, the cold little whisper in his ear that he can never quell, tells him: this is your moment. You can use this.

Nie Mingjue smiles painfully through his tears. “Now what are you really here for?” he says, thinly.

Nie Huaisang stays silent and rolls the name of Jin Guangyao experimentally across his mind. It’s a powder-keg that will erupt the conversation when Nie Huaisang deploys it, but on the other hand, will allow his brother to wrap anger around his grief like a blanket. Da-ge is not a man inclined to accept comfort, except in the depths of despair, which he has not quite reached, yet. Anger is better. Nie Huaisang makes his choice.

“I saw Jin Guangyao today,” he says mildly, and braces himself for the explosion.

Da-ge starts ranting, of course, like an afternoon Yunmeng thunderstorm - suddenly, all at once, and just as quickly over. It is such a familiar chant that were it not for the volume, Nie Huaisang could be lulled to sleep by it. Jin Guangyao is a traitor, a murderer, a spy, vindictive and narcissistic, liable to stab you in the back, liable to stab you in the heart. The last one, of course, is not said out loud, Nie Mingjue, loudly and publicly, and perhaps even in the thoughts that he tells himself, detests his sworn brother. Really, it is no wonder that Nie Huaisang got on so well with Jiang Wanyin when they were younger. His bluster was nearly the same.

He occupies himself with thinking about his brother’s complaints. They are, of course, strictly true. And of course Da-ge can’t understand. If their places were switched, if Da-ge had grown up in a brothel and Meng Yao been a sect leader’s son, Da-ge would have striven and worked inexorably until he earned his place through merit alone. And he would have died in obscurity. At best.

As a torturer, Jin Guangyao tortured. As a deputy, he handled the accounts efficiently and well. He was the blade to be wielded, with the blade's cold pragmatism. It was love that would cut you with Meng Yao, that was the irregularity that would swing his quick, efficient strikes off target.

When Nie Mingjue finishes up, Nie Huaisang tugs at the two strands of hair hanging in front of his face. “So, will you execute him?” he asks. “You could get a tribunal.”

Over Nie Mingjue’s sputters, he sighs and says, “Manipulation, Da-ge, I told you.” Really, what would his older brother ever do without him? “But you either have to leave the war behind you or step into the future. Why would you ally with him?”

It’s a leading question, to which everyone and their sect siblings know the answer. “To lead him back to the path of righteousness.” Nie Mingjue says, dutifully as a prize pupil.

“And why would Meng Yao ally with you?” Nie Huaisang asks rudely, raising his eyebrows. “You can’t assume that it’s because he’s overjoyed to receive your lectures.” This line of questioning is dangerous, which is why it’s quite lucky that his brother has already burnt his temper out earlier.

Nie Mingjue, as expected, darkens but doesn’t explode. As a righteous and self-flagellating man, he automatically rejects the premise entirely, even as Nie Huaisang, used to chasing for expressions in Meng Yao’s ink-dark eyes, suspects it might not be entirely false. Nie Mingue says, “To ally the Jin with one of the two strongest clans.”

“Then be his ally, Da-ge,” Nie Huaisang argues. “Reprimand him in private, if you must, but in public let everyone know that the might of the Nie are behind him, or he’ll have no choice but to lean even more heavily on his father.”

Nie Mingjue sighs heavily. “You’re growing up, aren’t you, Huaisang? You almost sounded like-” He pauses awkwardly. “Well, why this sudden interest in Jin Guangyao’s welfare now?”

Who did he sound like? His father - his mother? He’s so caught up in thinking about it that when he opens his mouth the truth slips out almost unbidden. “I’ve always been interested in Jin Guangyao’s welfare.” He hastily temporizes. “You know that he always helped me establish my claim as a true Nie, even when others thought I was too weak.”

This was one of the many duties that Nie Mingjue had not thought to ask for, but which Meng Yao had anticipated. When Nie Huaisang played at giving orders to adults older and stronger than him, feeling a fool, Meng Yao would stand, properly deferential, until the soldiers relented and only Nie Huaisang could see the shadow of a smile playing around his mouth.

Rudely, Nie Mingjue looks doubtful. But the truth Nie Huaisang senses in himself is as scattered and hard to grasp as motes in the air - Meng Yao stepping in front of him automatically when the Wen attacked Cloud Recesses, the fans that appeared in his room, the way that Meng Yao looks at him, solemn and a little empty, more real than any of his daubed on smiles and thus infinitely treasured by Nie Huaisang. When his smiles reach his eyes, then I’ll have lost him, he thinks, and tucks the thought away.

Nie Huaisang sees his brother giving in on the line of his brow before he even opens his mouth. It has the weight of inevitability: his brother is constantly searching for justifications to forgive Meng Yao; to forgive Nie Huaisang.

“In public,” Nie Mingjue says. “In private, I intend to keep impressing upon him the virtue of the righteous path.” Of course he agreed, and of course he never thought to leverage the favor in order to extract any promises from Nie Huaisang about training. Nie Huaisang feels so much love for his brother suddenly that it is briefly hard to breathe.

“Of course, Da-ge,” Nie Huaisang says. “And… one more thing.” He smiles a little anxiously and taps his wrist with his fan.

“Spit it out,” Nie Mingjue says resignedly.

“Well, I was hoping that we could host a party?”

-----------

Small note on ages - I’m assuming that Nie Huaisang is 21, Meng Yao 23, and Nie Mingjue 27 at this point.

And here’s the poem NHS is referencing when he’s discussing a potenial title for the two of them!

Small Plum in a Mountain Garden

Among withered flowers plum trees brightly bloom, Dominating garden with beauty unsurpassed;

In clear and shallow water sparse branches loom, Floating in moonlit air with delicate fragrance; Eager are the winter birds who come to look, Spring butterflies they must equally enchant; To enjoy such beauty writing these few lines I have luck, Want of wine and song these blooms supplant.

—Wu Li, 2017

For a very in-depth breakdown of this poem (and why I think it fits Nie Huaisang particularly well), I really recommend Anne Lu’s essay! Essentially the plum blossom is a winter plant - delicate, fragile, and blooming best after other plants have succumbed to the harsh terrain. I like it for our Headshaker! :)

#nie huaisang #nie mingjue #jin guangyao #sangyao #the untamed #jin guangyao is technically not in this one

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takaraphoenix · 3 years

Text

Buffy Season 11: Review

This one was... a lot. I struggle calling it “good”, but more so because generally the media I engage with that I call good gives me happy feelings. This was very low on the happy feelings, but it was intriguing and interesting and... well, a lot.

It was, admittedly, a next logical step. The world knows the supernatural exist. Human-eating monsters exist. Demons are now in the open and work day jobs. Obviously would the internment camps and magic prosecution follow. Humans can’t even handle other humans with differently colored skin, if there’s a five-horned green-skinned demon working at their coffeeshop...?

The story inside the internment camp was intense. But also enjoyable, in that it was a different kind of story for this universe. And seeing Buffy, Willow and Spike going through these struggles, dealing with this directly, first-person was interesting.

I wish they had... leaned more into Willow’s Jewish heritage though, because quite frankly, the fact that the Jewish Wiccan woman ended up in an internment camp in the US for her religion was something that... should have had some actual screen time of thoughts and be brought up more. Sure, she occasionally yelled at the authorities about this being religious persecution but only in the very last issue did someone even put into words that Willow was Jewish and thus familiar with the concept of religious persecution. I really would have liked to see more into Willow’s thoughts - and not just her thoughts about the girl she kind of liked. Or see this angle be more vocal on the outside.

Which, in general, I would have liked to see more of. The story was incredibly centered around the trio of Buffy, Spike and Willow - and that might be my personal favorite combination of Buffyverse characters so this is in no means a complaint about that - but this was such a large scale thing, I would have liked to see the actual scale of it.

One issue, just one additional issue that focuses on giving us other in-universe characters’ perspective of what is happening and their experiences.

Giles got shipped off to boarding school for his own safety, but show me how he’s handling that, both posing as a child and also hiding his magic and supernatural knowledge.

Faith joins the fight at the very end, but how were things in England? We only see the US and how they’re handling it. But is it as bad in England, or is it perhaps better there? Or maybe even worse?And while we’re with Faith, how’s Angel handeling that, depending on how bad the situation in England is?

What about Andrew? He just fled to Italy in hopes it’s better there. Well, is it? Is he worried about his friends? What were his thoughts when he heard about the camp? About that Buffy, Spike and Willow got put into a camp?

Xander and Dawn were only mentioned once quickly during a phonecall, but show me, show me how they were adjusting to this, to the loss of their friends, the hiding. Show me the altercations that Xander got into. Show me the racism against the supernatural that is still happening on the outside.

Harmony fled the country. Did she go somewhere safer? What are her thoughts on this? Where is she? Is it actually better there? Is Clem with her? He’s visually demonic too, how bad is what he’s facing?

What about Satsu who was working with the government last we saw her, but oh boy do I hope that the Japanese-American Slayer quit when there were internment camps in the US. Or Kennedy and her deepscan? And them both learning about Buffy and Willow being in the camp?

Heck, how are things in Tibet? Are Oz and Bay okay? They’re werewolves and there’s a stigma to that. Are they in danger? Are they okay? Are they... considering the magic-removal, since that itself is not a negative thing for everyone, not for those infected with something against their own free will.

And I’m aware that there’s a whole Angel & Faith series and I think that this is where the Giles comic kicks in, but... I’m not even asking for one issue per character, I want one issue of the Buffy comics that shows the perspective of these other Buffyverse characters, particularly ones like Giles who spins off from this very season or Faith who comes back and joins us in the final battle. 28 pages on these 7 POVs would only be four pages per POV and I think it would have done wonders in showing us what the world is like now.

The story is so incredibly limited ot the US that they even kind of conflated the Americas with each other. Andrew immediately talks about leaving for Italy, they consider deporting Spike back to England. What about Mexico and Canada? That seems like a quicker get away. Are you suggesting they got as bad as the US, just because San Francisco was attacked by a dragon?

I think that all of these aspects would have been incredibly interesting.

I’m also undecided on the ending. On her returning the power to the Slayers. Not only are they just... going free? Like, they volunteered as guards in a fucking internment camp, they should be locked away. No, they get their superpowers back, the ones they used to oppress others, because they went teary eyed and promised to never do it again. That was an incredibly, incredibly bad take in a story that was written to mirror WWII. No, don’t give the Nazi soldiers superpowers after you let them get away with a slap on the wrist. What.

So, that’s the verdict. The story that was given was very interesting and I think it was mostly well-written, but I wish they had broadened the scope of it all and shown us more and goodness gracious change that ending.

(Lastly, a shipper note: Spuffy still going strong. Being domestic even in an internment camp. Giving each other strength. Getting each other through this. Buffy not being willing to abandon Spike. The “I love you”s. These comics are positively killing me.)

#Buffy Season 11 #Buffy Review #Buffy the Vampire Slayer

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aspoonofsugar · 4 years

Note

Hallo! I was the one who asked for a Ranpo Character Analysis :)). Can you explain Ranpo's personality and character in Chapter 80?. He definitely acted differently from the Ranpo we were introduced to in the first arc of the series. Not to mention his words: "Becoming a great detective is easy,just see with your own eyes", considering he believed he was the best detective out there and no one could reach his level so his words were a bit surprising for me hahaha. Thank you and stay safe!

Hello anon!

As far as this scene goes:

It ties with what I wrote in the Ranpo’s meta:

In short, what is really important for the series is not really to put some light on very complicated and very convulated plots, but rather to show the truth behind some human behaviours and why some characters chose to act in a certain way. This is usually the true focus of Ranpo’s cases, while the method used for the crime is something which comes second. The same can be said also about who the culprit is to an extent. In the case above there were not many suspects to begin with and in the other two cases Ranpo takes in the series we already know who the culprits and Ranpo’s opponents are.

So, we can say that what truly matters in BSD is the interiority of people and this is also why the protagonists are detectives. What they are really trying to do is to understand themselves and others and they do so as detectives which operate in a gray context. This is the symbolic meaning that the profession of detective has within the story.

In other words, the reason why Ranpo is so amazing is that he can see the truth in a complicated and ambiguous world.

Being a detective means to be able to understand the complexity of the situation and of the people involved. This is something anyone can do, but they need to be honest with both themselves and others. This is why the best detective of the ADA has no special ability. It is because ultimately one needs no special ability to be a great detective and this is what Ranpo is saying in the chapter. You must just observe what is around you and accept it.

The reason why Ranpo used to brag (and still does occasionally) about his ability as a detective is not that he wanted to feel special. His backstory shows that Fukuzawa invented the lie about Ranpo’s ability to make him feel normal. Ranpo’s intelligence isolated him, so Fukuzawa told him that the reason of his intelligence was not Ranpo himself, but rather an ability. Basically the idea of having an ability is used by Ranpo to compertamentalize a trait about himself he has a hate/love relationship with.

This is why it is so important that he finally comes to accept this trait while facing Poe. We can see that, after this realization, Ranpo is shown more active and less limited by his self-imposed ability. However, this also means he can occasionally fail.

In Cannibalism he is one ot the most active members of the ADA and is the one leading the others. At the same time he also makes a mistake against Fyodor. This mistake leads to the death of a child and and later on Ranpo goes up against Mushitarou to partially fix this miscalculation and free Kunikida. While facing Mushitarou, Ranpo openly admits that he has no ability and that he is just a normal person. However, he also states he won’t lose for the sake of his friends.

As you can see, all these details show how Ranpo is growing and is not the man-child he was at the beginning of the series. However, in order to grow more, I think he will have to make himself less dependent on Fukuzawa.

We partially see it in this arc, as I stated in this meta:

However, if Kunikida is Fukuzawa’s successor, Ranpo is literally his “son”. This also fits with the fact that, in a sense, Ranpo is introduced as a person who refuses to grow (almost a man-child) and so he has childish traits.

One of the most basic child-like attributes one can have is to be self-centred and this is more or less what Ranpo displays in the above mentioned scene:

He doesn’t want to help Atsushi because it doesn’t concern him and accepts to offer assistance only when Fukuzawa promises to praise him.

What is interesting is that Ranpo has grown from that scene and as I mentioned in his meta his arc is mostly about growing up. To do so he must overcome the defense mechanism Fukuzawa has given him in the shape of a pair of glasses. He does so in the Guild arc and this is also why it is interesting to compare the scene above with a more recent conflict between Fukuzawa and Ranpo:

The situations are similar. Both times Ranpo would like for the agency to avoid taking on a dangerous mission and is called out by Fukuzawa who explains how this goes against what is right. However, this time around Ranpo’s behaviour is far less childish and Fukuzawa’s one appears more rigid.

As a matter of fact Ranpo doesn’t want to refuse the mission out of selfishness, but because a friend had warned him not to. Fukuzawa chooses to ignore the warning and this is why the agency is in its current predicament.

This is interesting because it is as if the limits of the mentor are starting to show (well, at least they might; it was only an isolated scene, so we must see if this is leading somewhere). If this were the case it would be understandable because as I have written above I think that the members of the ADA will need to become strong enough to face their own demons without the coping mechanisms offered them by Fukuzawa. They must if they want to grow up.

I think that Ranpo’s behaviour in chapter 80 might tie to what is satetd above. On one hand, in the past, Fukuzawa used to be the one protecting and saving Ranpo. On the other hand we have seen Ranpo trying to save Fukuzawa at all costs in Cannibalism. However, in that arc, Ranpo ultimaley fails. What is more, his wish to save Fukuzawa in that situation puts the whole Yokohama in danger adn goes against what Fukuzawa himself wants.

However, in chapter 80 we see Ranpo successfully saving Fukuzawa and the other ADA’s members. He does so by taking action by himself with the help of a connection he himself made (Poe). At the beginning of the arc, he showed to have a better grasping of the situation when compared to Fukuzawa and in chapter 80 he manages to save his father-figure on his own. To me, it seems that Ranpo might have already reached a point where he does not need Fukusawa’s guidance anymore. However, he still chooses to depend on him, as seen when he asks for Fukuzawa’s order as if Ranpo himself doesn’t perfectly know what is better to do.

In short, I think that Ranpo’s actions in the latest chapter are proof of him growing up, but at the same time they show how much Ranpo cares and depends on Fukuzawa. I am curious to see if their relationship will be explored more and what will happen!

Thank you for the ask and stay safe as well!

#bsd #bsd meta #ranpo edogawa #fukuzawa yukichi #asksfullofsugar #anonymous

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mysticalmusicwhispers · 4 years

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bro how does it feel to live in a country without lny holiday i feel so free im vibing so hard 😌 and i have holiday on monday too so that's a total ot 4 1/2 days doing Nothing™

PLEASE WRITE IT I HAVE FAITH IN YOU...the chaos will come through!!

and YEA kids make friends so easily i wish i also had that ability tbh now i actually have to invest time and energy in people.. but baby indchu are just so powerful i guess

also help indus knowing that her kid is a chaotic little brat... that's so valid

i wasn't thinking that his crush was iran but that is such a good addition help. that is an AWFUL way to get noticed by a crush poor india (but also poor iran im so sorry if my stuff was set on fire i would never speak to the perpetrator again. wouldn't blame them if they decided to bring in a penknife to stab baby india either) (also glacial burn enemies to friends to lovers indran spanning middle school to after university... excellent concept)

my entire baby class hated each other 😔 this is why you don't let 12 year old kids compete academically with each other 😔 but honestly im just projecting most of the things baby me wanted to do but never did because i respected the law unlike indchu also im kind of glad baby me never thought of pouring the mix over someone's head because she mightve gone through with it lmaoooo it's much more plausible and easily explained away - it was an ACCIDENT my water bottle was just not closed properly when i ran into my classmate ms guntha :( - (and of course yao makes the more plausible, less likely to end in actual expulsion plan his backup plan.... such a terrible child)

AAA yes their Evil Elaborate Scheme!! hmm let's see.. let's say the bully had a smiggle pencil case, the big a5 kind because those were the ultimate Clout stationery in school. they set the bully's bag on fire and throw it from the third floor landing to the first at the back of the school where the bully has to try and find it, with the exception of the pencil case, which they fill with a dead pigeon they found. they frame iran's crush somehow but the framing fails because a) crush is a good kid b) she gets poisoned from yao's magic mixture which also has the addition, at aditya's request, of toothpaste and swimming pool water, and was spending her time at the sick bay when this happened. rip

ALKFSKFDSLFK this year it’s not that bad because I have 1 week of winter break after today lol but last year, when lny was in January? Bad and horrible. (looking back I had a 3 month break from school like a month after, so I guess that checks out as well....)

And ok I will try! Also yes childhood friends are literally like “I met you this one day at the park in detention and you were annoying me SO MUCH but whatever, you’re actually fine now because I just have a magnetic attraction to you as a friend” but now we actually have to put effort into getting to know people :|

What can I say, mothers know their children best lol. I think she would either be the Slipper Mom who loves her child but is also Aggressive towards him; or she’s just Tired and resigned to the fact that her kid is, unfortunately, a menace. But she still tries to teach him (and fails somewhat) how to be Respectful and how to RESTRAIN yourself from destroying all the property of the person you’re jealous of FOR GODS SAKE

Also indran enemies to lovers is tempting... my original headcanon was that they just.. fight it out in a good old one-on-one at school (Yao is quietly rooting for India on the sidelines) because Iran is like wtf man that was unprovoked and you are a DEMON for doing that to such a nice girl now I will get revenge. India doesn’t really want to fight his crush (they are meant to be LovERs not ENemIeS) but has some skewed logic that if he wins Iran will be impressed with him (lol). Neither of them really win but it kinda resolves itself quietly in that weird way kids have, and they become friends (but also whenever anyone asks what their first memory of each other was, India is like “......... o_____o” and Iran just goes “a bitch”)

Yeah that sounds like a Bad idea klskfsdfdsl idk how primary school was for you but for me it was like. way too easy lol I was not prepared for later stuff. Also I reread your explanation of the school system and ??? you guys have so many tests??? at least for me, you just go to whatever secondary school/junior high your town has (no tests) unless you want to be Fancy and get into a Private boarding school or something. Y’all should stop stressing kids out dslksslkl. Also yeah Yao is like “if I can’t get away with the big fish at least I’ll get away with a smaller fry”

AND THE LAST PARAGRAPH OF YOUR ASK I- the poor classmate omg... they’re so evil s;lskfsdlks headcanon accepted though. The dead pigeon was found in the park Yao lurks at because his supervisors want him to go get fresh air. He brings his homework there and has found a small corner that’s pretty much always deserted (because he was getting annoyed with adults passing by who see him alone and say “where are your parents, child??? Are you lost???”. No he is not lost and he would like you to mind your own business please and thank you.), and he just nestles there until like an hour has passed and he goes back. He finds the pigeon there one day, pokes it once with his shoe, and then brings it back to his room with his bare hands. He shows India at school later, and they stuff it in the bully’s pencil case the next day.

#ramble in tags please read lol #aph china #the ancients elementary #hws china #hws india #aph india #musings #luyous #headcanon musings #idk if my answer was incoherent but the paragraphs are supposed to correspond to the paragraphs in your ask lmao #theyre so awful #also the park thing is based on a short story i read for school once about a kid who met an old man at a park while exploring #it was apparently a really big park because he found a cave a hidden pond and a boat and he rowed across the pond with the old man #and the kid found a rattlesnake or smth and the man told him it was actually another species #and then one day the old man had to leave but he gave the kid his umbrella. the umbrella had a dragon head on the handle and it was a refere #reference to how some people said there were still dragons in catalonia #i think the park was central park in new york but i honestly dont remember #so yeah imagine the park yao is at is a really big one and he spends a lot of time exploring it actually because his hw is done Very fast #so he ends up knowing it like the back of his hand #in like the span of a month? two months? idk #also im still going along with headcanon that china has no parents #he just has a caretaker #idk who that is #but his backstory wont be very tragic #mostly because i think orphans appear with unusual frequency in a lot of things. but specifically self inserts and ive unfortunately read a #a lot of those so im kinda sick of it. anyways yao may be an orphan but he is not tragic #ok enough rambling #answered #ask musings #hws persia

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padme-amitabha · 4 years

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Is Anakin and Vader the same person?

I think I have talked about this before but I’ll reiterate the main points.

Of course they are the same person at different points in life. I don’t choose to follow Disney’s interpretation of anything about Star Wars. They hire writers and pay them to write their own fanfiction and interpretation and it’s far from George’s vision so I don’t see any reason to. Only 1-6 movies are canon to me with few exceptions such as 2003 Clone Wars and a few legends material but I’ll always put more emphasis on the movies.

Now from Revenge of the Sith movie we see Anakin become Vader (and by that I mean undergoing a surgery and being put into the suit). While the mask is being lowered we can see the fear in his eyes and his face is still recognizable. Fast forward 23 years and there’s no reason to believe he’s a different person. The only time he talks about his name is when Luke brings it up and he says “that name no longer has any meaning for me” not “I destroyed Anakin” or something similar to that. He is completely right because obviously it doesn’t hold any meaning for him - everyone who called him and knew him by that name (Shmi, Obi-Wan and Padmé) were all dead and his master called him Vader. And he had gotten used to the name in over two decades. Also, Palpatine probably preferred that he distance himself from his past hence referring to Luke as “the offspring of Anakin Skywalker.” Vader wasn’t a personality; it was just a new name he went by and since the mention of his real name brought back unpleasant memories he tried not to think of himself as the same person as a coping mechanism. This is why Vader tells Luke it’s too late for him to redeem himself - because he knows he commited some terrible deeds and hurt his loved ones and he can’t ever take that back. If he wasn’t Anakin, he wouldn’t feel that guilt or remorse for Anakin’s wife and mentor.

It’s the same as Padmé in TPM really - we see Padmé first as Queen Amidala who is a regal authoritative figure and then we see her true self when she’s in disguise.

Anakin winced, then quickly picked up another holograph, this one showing Padmé a couple of years later, wearing official robes and standing between two older and similarly robed Legislators. He looked back at the first holo, then to this one, noting that Padmé’s expression seemed much more severe here. “My first day as an Apprentice Legislator,” Padmé explained.

Then, as if she was reading his mind, she added, “See the difference?” Anakin studied the holograph a moment longer, then looked up and laughed, seeing Padmé wearing that same long and stern expression. She laughed as well, then squeezed his shoulder and went back to her packing.

Anakin put the holographs down side by side and looked at them for a long, long time. Two sides of the woman he loved.

This is from the AOTC novelization and this can be applied to Anakin as well. (More about similarities between Darth Vader and Queen Amidala in this post.) Just like Queen Amidala is really Padmé Naberrie, in the same way Darth Vader is really just Anakin Skywalker.

The reason why he has a different demeanor in OT is mostly due to his age and because he had years to adapt to his new persona. Vader in ROTS didn’t immediately become all stoic and impassive - he got very emotional on hearing Padmé’s death just like he would as Anakin. Vader isn’t some kind of demon possessing Anakin - Vader is Anakin after he has lost everything and he isn’t holding back as he did as a Jedi. It sounds very poetic to state both Anakin and Padmé died on the same day but Anakin truly didn’t though. Anakin lived on for years and died a redeemed man on the death star. The ROTS novelization supports this and it was approved by Lucas so it’s authentic to me.

And there is one blazing moment in which you finally understand that there was no dragon. That there was no Vader. That there was only you. Only Anakin Skywalker.

That it was all you. Is you.

Only you.

You did it.

You killed her.

You killed her because, finally, when you could have saved her, when you could have gone away with her, when you could have been thinking about her, you were thinking about yourself …

I do think it was Anakin who choked Padmé on Mustafar even though some people like to blame it on “Vader”. Anakin was unhinged on Mustafar but even in the beginning of ROTS, he was beginning to show some aggression. Though people complain the first part of ROTS is slow and too much happens in the latter half and he falls too suddenly, that’s not the case. This moment has been building up from the very first movie to the first half of ROTS. The fall isn’t just that one action of attacking Mace Windu, he was gradually falling to the dark side for years starting from his mother’s death and he only made the actual decision in the rumination scene. That’s when he finally sheds a tear and makes the conscious decision to join the dark side.

For the record, I think conflict has always been a part of Anakin Skywalker. The prequels portray him in a negative light, particularly in the last two films. Anakin in the movies is a very, very flawed individual and even meant to be unlikable at times. He struggles with his emotions, he struggles to communicate with others and he struggle to fit in the order. I wouldn’t say he was mentally stable either - he could be unpredictable and his actions depend on his mood. But the movies also show the good aspects of him, especially about people he cared about. He even starts off as a kid with a good heart. The conflict and his flaws cause him to fall to the dark side and his good qualities (like selflessness and loyalty when it comes to family) ultimately redeem him.

So I don’t think “Anakin” was the good side of him and “Vader” was the dark side. Vader is Anakin after he has lost everything he cared about and since he is not a Jedi anymore he is no longer required to hold back on anything. Ambition and desire to rule the galaxy is often associated with “Vader” but I think people forget Anakin was just as ambitious and in ROTS being denied the rank of Master deeply upsets him and increases his resentment towards the Jedi. He admitted that he wanted more in ROTS even though he knows he shouldn’t. He also told Padmé in AOTC that he would prefer dictatorship over democracy so it’s not like his ideals changed either. Vader until he discovered he had a son had no interest in ruling the galaxy. Later on he essentially offered Luke the same choice he gave Padmé on Mustafar. From the conversation in AOTC, it seems he’s more dissatisfied with the system and being from a lawless and harsh world he sees dictatorship as the solution. While he doesn’t want to actively take part in it, he wants to enforce the system which is exactly what he does later on (and perhaps he preferred leaving the actual ruling bit to Padmé or Luke). I don’t see Vader as “evil” - I mean the only times he killed people were for failure and he did keep Admiral Piett alive since he proved to be competent. Vader in OT (when Luke isn’t concerned) is just doing his job and punishing inefficient people who aren’t letting him do his job. He only serves the emperor and does his bidding. After Luke rejects his offer, Vader still plans to seek him out but in ROTJ his resolve definitely grew weaker and it’s more like he’s imploring him to reconsider than being forceful.

Anakin as we have seen in AOTC is very much capable of mass murder (and confessed that he felt they deserved it) so should he really be defined as the good side? You could even argue as Vader he killed people for legitimate reasons whereas Anakin killed defenseless people when he was blinded by rage. And even in ROTS he kills Dooku as revenge. I’m not saying Anakin is evil (that would be grossly oversimplying things); I am saying he was a complex character. The reason why he turned out the way he is has already been explored in the prequels but I also believe it’s a combination of nature and nurture. Anakin as a child has a good heart, wants to help others and free the slaves but in TPM script/novelization he lashes out at a Rodian who claims he won the race by cheating, meaning he didn’t handle accusation very well. It might be dismissed as a childish reaction but we see he struggled to control his temper in later years as well. A person has both good and bad qualities and that’s the case with Anakin here, though his negative traits were expressed more. But the prequels are all about exploring his downfall so it was necessary to highlight them.

Anakin to me was never a “hero” who fell to the dark side due to circumstances; he was a complex character who made some hard choices. If the roles were reversed and Padmé was the Jedi with Anakin’s life at risk, I don’t think she would go that far to commit murder. Sure Palpatine is very manipulative but at the same time he understood that it was in Anakin’s nature to be manipulated very easily. You need to have some form of fear, insecurity and resentment in you for someone to utilize them.

I blame TCW, Rebels and the fanboyish Marvel comics for dissociating Anakin from Vader. “Anakin Skywalker was weak, I destroyed him” again makes him very one-dimensional than accepting the fact that people can be morally complex. Not to mention the Marvel comics’ tendency to make him react violently and unnecessarily ruthless to prove he isn’t Anakin drastically reduces his character depth for me. It may also have to do with the fact that movie Anakin was not well-received so they are trying to distance him from Darth Vader, whom fanboys worship. Anakin’s story is incomplete without Vader - he made a choice to embrace the dark side and sacrifice his morality so like the tragic hero he is, he has to suffer and face the consequences for his actions. Similarly, Vader’s story is incomplete without Anakin - without Anakin he is a faceless man. Sure he’s mysterious but without his past we would not know what a complex character he was or sympathise with him.

If Vader wasn’t really Anakin, he wouldn’t have felt remorse for his actions or believe it was too late for him. If he wasn’t Anakin he wouldn’t refer to Luke as his son and if he was so desperate to erase any trace of Anakin, he would have definitely killed Luke as he was a reminder of his past. It was Vader who saved Luke in the end and while it is fine to figuratively say “Anakin was back”, taking it literally undermines his sacrifice. It takes a lot to come back from the dark side, face your demons and after being that way for decades, attempt to redeem yourself when you believe you’re far too gone. He redeemed himself as an old man after a long life full of sorrow and regrets, which also sounds much better than saying “he was evil no longer” and that “Anakin was back”. It makes everything seem black and white and the prequels were essentially all about exploring the gray area. Luke didn’t even know “Anakin” and really where was Anakin when “Vader” cut off his hand? Or fought him? Vader’s inner struggle was between accepting he was far too gone and going on as he did for years, and accepting change, letting it go and forgiving himself for his son’s sake - not a struggle between two personalities fighting to take control. If they were different personalities, Anakin wouldn’t have almost all of Vader’s qualities; he wouldn’t be morally conflicted both as Anakin and Vader. George said the reason why he later replaced his force ghost as a younger version was because he stopped being Anakin after he fell to the dark side and I have to say that’s the only time I disagree with George because Anakin in prequels still had dark tendencies so I do believe Vader never stopped being Anakin hence the original version with the old force ghost made more sense to me and the new version does rob some of the depth from his character. I’m sure George has his reasons - he might have wished to preserve the black and white simplicity of the OT but after the complexity of the prequels, it seems more appropriate for the saga to have a more imperfect, realistic ending. In retrospect, it seems to me they are very much the same person when you study his personality and consider his whole life, which was full of ups and downs.

#ask #my thoughts #anakin skywalker #darth vader

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popculturebuffet · 4 years

Text

Toons For Our Times: The Loud House: Strife of The Party/ Kernel of Truth

Lana plans her and Lola’s party with copius amonts of dirt and garabage while Lola tries sabotaging it and I struggle to figure out which one we’re supposed to be rooting for exactly. Meanwhile Lincoln and Co find an abandoned news room and attempt to start their own news show with the immediate threat of cancelation hanging over their heads. You know like most shows on nick. Also Rusty gets hurt a lot which automatically makes this a winner. News Team Assemble, under the cut.

Well this week was a mixed bag.. which granted could apply to this week as a whole but I meant it specifically for this episodes. Like last week one of them is a true classic that uses the series new status quo to create something intresting, and the other... is the worst episode i’ve reviwed so far. Yes not even one week and the show managed to go from having a boring episode to having a truly odious one. Both metaphorcially and literally as there’s a lot of grossout gags this time around. And unfortuantely since i’ts first in the pairing and the airing, I have to talk about it first. Pitter Patter, let’s get this over with.

Strife of the Party I”m not exaggerating either. I admit I was hard on Schooled! and Family Bonding, but the former sitll had some good content and the latter was .. well it’s still a boring lazy retread with a bonkers ending, but I admitted to having seen worse. But “I’ve seen worse” is never the best defense. I’ll admit usually I avoided the worse episodes of the loud house. I haven’t seen some of the more infamous episodes of the show like “No Such Luck” or “Kings of the Con”.. because as just a viewer I could skip an episode if it sounded like toilet dinner. Sure i’ve still ran into them: “Study Muffin” was just eh when it aired but now both post me too and post chris savino being rightfully fired for being a harassing dickweasel thanks to said movement, it’s realy fucking creepy, has Lori at her worst (Actively trying to cheat on bobby), and .. I have no third thing. All we really got out of it was Lynn Sr’s obsession with the British. And “The Green House”’s reputation proceeds it and there’s a reason I couldn’t finish it. Point is i’ve been lucky to only step in a few cowpies in the field of this show, and now i’m watching it as it comes out i’m accepting the hard truth that with the show’s hit and miss quality, i’m going to have to go panning in shit creek some weeks if I want to find the nuggets of gold. Now I will grant this episode doesn’t sound NEARLY as bad as “No Such Luck”.. but as opus would say....

Exactly my Pengy pal. Again not being worse than the worst episode of the show, still dosen’t make you a good episode. It just makes you marginally less terrible. It’s like saying Creed isn’t as bad as Nickelback. While tha’ts true they both still sound terrible, it’s just playing Creed isn’t a warcrime in some countries. And yes I just compared two episodes of a children’s show to bands my audience thankfully likely weren’t aware ever existed, I don’t care. If you haven’t left my blog running and screaming your either new here or tolerate me being an obscure weirdo.

Before we get in proper, I haven’t covered the twins yet so let’s do that quick. I haven’t really watched a ton of Lola and Lana’s episodes, their not bad characters htey just don’t intrest me much as i’ve seen their gimmicks a lot, but I will say lola’s slightly better and I will say I like Lana more when she’s doing animal antics instead of grossout. Not terirble characters and their acted well, just not my cup of tea is all. Okay enough stalling , pitter patter!

We open with Lola planning the twins upcoming birthday and talking to her stuffed animals which is cute and all.. before a POSSUM CHESTBURSTS OUT OF LOLA’S UNICORN DOLL.

The.. the fuck. Look i’m all for scaring the crap out of kids in children’s entertainment. I loved Courage the Cowardly dog as a kid and as a grown ass man writing about children’s entertainment. I love the lich from adventure time, i’m okay with scaring kids. But this is just.. a bit too realistic. Yes really. While doll that size probably can’t fit a possum it could sure fit something else and i’ve seen stuffed animals big enough for a posssum, so yeah.. this could actually happen to one of my nieces and that thought terrifies me. It happening to me also terrifies me but I’m a grown man not a small child who’d be scarred for life. Christ. The episode does get better, for a second I didn’t bitch for a few paragraphs for nothing. Lana comes in, claims the demon possum, and tells Lola she’ll fix the doll. Uh Lana i’m not sure she wants it back.. you’d be better off burning it and setting the possum free in a republican center’s home where it belongs.

Anyways Lana has a good point, Lola’s been plannig their parties ‘since before they were born”.. literally as the image above shows which is just.. fucking amazing. I cannot belivie they got to go there and it’s glorious they did. I can’t think of many, if any, other chlidren’s cartoons that showed a fetus on screen so kudos.

But yeah that was the one good moment of the episode. Next our twins go to a party suply store where Lola, clearly knowing the host well because these kids have connections, has her stash all the poop colored stuff away... which backfires as lana instead goes to the garbage for party favors and decorations. It fails to get better: Next they go to a bakery where Lana makes her own literal garbage cake and then go to flips for entertainment i.e. a bull. NOw i’ll grant both stops have good bits: The cake store guy asks if Lana’s a cop when she asks for grime and Flip has them sign a waver for the bull. And the bull being lana’s idea of entertainment makes sense.. but overal it just comes off as gross and mean spirited. I mean yes Lola’s about to do some terrible stuff herself and yes Lola ouvershadowed lana.. but she dosen’t deserve this abuse and none of this is healthy or tolerbale for.. well anyone, and could get the Loud Parents in serious trouble, which also leaves the obvious plot hole of “why don’t they step in in either situation. “

The episode would’ve made more snese if Lana went to them to get them to let her host the party and their guilt over letting Lola always do it means they don't’ reign her in despite wanting to. Instead their just.. there at the end for a great bit we’ll get to. It’s always the bad episodes that paint the loud parents as terrible parents honestly. No Suck Luck had them cast their son out into the cold over nonsense, On Thin Ice had Lynn Sr decide forcing his children to embarass themselves was more important than teaching one of them that maybe sometimes you don’t always get to force your family to obey your whims for dumb reasons, and the april fools eps have Lynn Sr so terrified of pranking retribution instead of you know.. GROUNDING Luann for going full joker on their asses. IN most episodes their kind and reasonable but it’s always the bad ones where they instead make Homer Simpson look like a good parent.

But yeah my rant aside the episode COULD work if Lola, encouraged by one of her other siblings, Luann would be a good bet as she could easily slide into the party setting when appropriate without being too distracting, realizes she’s been selfish and tries to hold her tounge for lana’s sake. Maybe then she tries sabotage.. or better she DOSEN’T, but both of them realize something; Lola realizes she’s been doing this to lana their whole lives by forcing her into a party she doesn’t like so LOLA can be happy while Lana realizes she’s being no better. Hell even if Lola did complain, which is in character, this plot woudl still work. instead.. Lana is just as bad as Lola while Lola is still pretty terrible. See the big problem is that NEITHER girl is likeable. As I’ve made clear Lana pushes a gross, dangerous party on her sister she clearly doesn’t like, and Lola, instead of trying tot alk to her parents or get Lana to tone it down.. tries to guide her to what she wants, then when that fails sabotages the party, makes it so Lana has nothing and gets her party. Both sides are being really bad, but instead of them realizing this, lana is treated as the one we should be sympathetic to when she gets mad when she finds out about Lola even though NEITHER of them are sympathetic or likeable and deserve to win 100%. But Lana does, lana gets her way, Lola apologizes and hte paradigm just shifts from one sibling being unhappy to another. We do get that one gag I talked about where when lola goes to make things right she has Lynn Sr stall and he pulls out a cowbell “You thought I wasn’t going to need this”. No bud, Rita HOPE you wouldn’t need this. There’s a difference. Thank god it’s the end.

Final Thoughts for Strife of the Party: They should be obvious but to be clear this is hippo excrement. i’ts not funny, it makes both it’s leads look bad, the parents look worse by inaction and just isn’t pleasant ot watch. I do GET the show has a young audience, and they like grossout, I get i’m not the target demographic, so I probably would just be okay with a good version of this episode.. but even with that in mind both twins come off so unlikeable it’s just not fun to watch or to see Lana win as she didn’t feel like she earned it. It’s bad and it should feel bad, and i’ts the first truly odious episode i’ve had for weekly coverage. I’ve had okay or eh ones, but this one is truly bad and belongs in the pantheon of bad loud house episodes.. or at least in the honrable mentions. Good gravy this blew.

Kernel of Truth

Okay now we’ve panned the gold nugget out of the crap creek, we can get on with the GOOD episode this week. I was excited for this one.. I was excited for both actually, even not being a huge fan of the twins I liked the idea of a loud birthday but as we just saw,.. didn’t work out so good. But this one while I thought it would just be average, promised another lincrew shenanigan and I like most of those i’ve seen, and plus I knew it’d allow me to refrence anchorman a bunch so i was llike :Fuck it let’s go”.. and this one ended up being REALLY damn good and probably one of the best episodes with this group i’ve seen, right up there with “Be Stella My Heart.” I’ts good stuff. But before we get into it you probably noticed my ranting about girl jordan but turns out, while I haven’t watched that episode, she’s in the sand field trip episode from last season hanging out with stella so I have an answer to if they forgot abotu her, they didn’t they just need to use her more, and a new ship so i’m satisfied and I apologize for bitching about it. Next time i’ll just check the wiki and see before I bitch about something. ON with the review.

We open with our motely crew searching for a hidden Game Room rusty’s cousin claims exists, with Stellas as lookout and the guys.. er all in stacks that make it look like their doing a team up move from donkey kong country 2?

I mean I have been playing the game a lot since it came to switch online, seriously if you have the service go play it, but i’m not hte only one seeing this right? Right. So yeah the kid stack fails and Zach doubts Rusty’s story.. because when has rusty ever been right.. well apparently just this one time, but we’ll get to that. They even checked the boiler room.

And then promptly vowed never to go back to the boiler room while Principal RAmierz just sighed at having to deal with a freddy kruger infestation again. They loose more children that way and the school board JUST got him out of the high school. Liam also gets the line of the episodes when he calls the group “Fellas and Stellas” Which is just objectively amazing and needs to be used every time this group appares from now o. Luckily= Stella noticed another closed door, this one taped off instead of just with a keep out sign and the Fellas and Stellas make their way inside and find themselves in.. a news room! But it’s nto a fox news room so it actually had news in it once and not Tucker Carlson, the answer to what happens to an 80′s or 90′s yuppie scumbag villian after they fail to get the orphange paved over for condos

Anyway, our heroes alll ohhh and all while Zach thinks this is where children are harvested. Nah Zach they just call them up on the pa system.

So everyone does what’s natural to them: Zach and Liam inspect the cameras, Stella looks at the old mic because she’s a natural for being an on camera personality and Rusty.. oggles an old group shot of the news team. You know I may not hate him with the hatred of a hundred suns, but he’s still objectively the worst. Zach gets mad at him over it because “That’s my mom”. Rusty defends himself by calling her hot and while th. no please god no dont’ talk about women like that you creepy little weatherbeaten Chucky doll that somehow became a real boy, or had dustin diamond transfer his soul into it befrore he died. Either is possible. The point is Ewww. The other point is while Rusty’s being his usual living proof of while he’ll die alone Zach has no right to get upset , AT FIRST because how the hell would Rusty know that’s hsi mom. You two have the combined braincell of a dead feret. Stella is the only one out of all 6 of you evenmy boy liam who has more than one brain cell. This argument is stupid and I hate you both, just settle things in the most humane way possible.. or at least THIS is what I consider the most humane way possible.

So while those two are being as stupid as expected, Lincoln suggets fixing the place and becoming the new school news crew. I mean they’d need new equipment since even if the stuff there still works’ it’s all worn out 80′s tech none of you know how to use but given their seen with a modern camera later int he episode, I assume they just sold this off and got new cameras. Even if the show flopped, more on that in a minute, the principal could still use those for other projects so it’s a win win. Stella Zhau agrees.. and FINALLY has a last name. Like holy shit i’ve been waiting a full season for this and it feels like that bit was JUST to give her a last name. Now they just need to do Liam but still, I needed this one more. Plus it also means we can now firmly say she’s chinese. Neat!

So after that blockbuster reveal Stella wonders where Rusty is, because fuck if I know, and they all find him continuing to oggle zach’s mom at their age....

Zach snatches it away and crumples up understandably annoyed. Rusty’s response is about what you’d expect.

So once Liam’s done throwing that calender into the school furnace, and saying hi to freddy as he passes the boiler on the way, our team heads to the principal to plead their case. They run into Meryl, the identical in personality, plot function and apperance outside of wearing pink instead of yellow to Cheryl, the receptionest at the elementary school who I really liked and it’s a clever way to keep the character at both schools and pays off the runnig gag of Cheryl asking liincoln or clyde who looks better her or her sister by having said sister show up and ask the same. Good stuff.

Meryl ends up agreeing to let them go see the wizard, I mean Principal Rameriz, because her soap is on. Also clyde’s a fan to his friends blank stares. Come on guys he watches romance movies, of course he’s going to love drama shows, even the non teen ones. I now imagine he joins the loud sisters on their riverdale nights. Riverdale the clusterfuck that has something for all of them: Teen drama and shirtless hunks for Lori and Leni, Music and scantly clad “teens’ of both genders and neither gender for Luna, something to laugh at for Luann who probably loves mst3king stuff, and violence for Lucy.. dosen’t seem like it’d be Lynn’s thing honestly but I rest my case. Also the rest of the sisters are too young but the parents figure Lucy’s desentised enough to violence and blind enough to sex to make an exception.

Now that fun headcanons out of the way our heroes pitch the principal whose skeptical, as the 80′s news show ended because it was boring, much like why that 80′s show ended. That and it was a bunch of 80′s pop culture refrences strung together. I do have a minor nitpick that it seems odd a school room would be in disuse for this long, but given the Principal has apparently spent years looking for aformetioned game room as we find out in the end, the school blueprints are apparnelty lost to the ages or if they exist are some sort of ancient treasure map buried beneath the school drawn in blood by an old witch. I mean this universe has cherry hating peach loving spies now, i’ not ruling anything out.

But our heroes beg them: Clyde has journalism experince on the school paper, Stella has the dedication and heart and Rusty .. thinks people need to see his face on camera. Rusty as far as we know your face functions like the vdieo from the ring and everyone in school is going to die 7 days after seeing it on film. That’s my theroy and i’m sticking to it. Thankfully everyone else is just as annoyed with him as me for once, and we get the glorious shot above of everyone just looking.. done with his antics and wondering why they keep him around. Finally for once I agree iwth the characters on something rusty related. Let’s show that agian.

Poetry. You can just feel the levels of “So done with this crap” seeping from every poor.. except for Poor Lincoln who just wishes his best friends and rusty woudl stop using him as furniture, and Liam whose covered but probably very much on team “Rusty Stop Being Yourself your blowing this for us”. They even have an action news pose.. which is botha dorable and breaks the principal’s bust of herself, so she relucntantly agrees to get them out of there. Plus as I said there’s really no loss for her here. If their sucessful the school gets a new elective, something to put on the tv’s every morning, a way to do announcments so she dosen’t have to, and free good publicity for her next bonus. If not.. then she has somehwere to store her new cameras she can use for other stuff, and come up with something else to do with the media lab. Either way she wins. Plus iwth phones and stuff noawaydays they only need the one new camera. Okay before we move on confession time: I was on a school tv news show’s crew myself. Not in middle school, we werne’te that lucky but in high school we had video media, an elective where seniors edited news segments and what not for the school’s WhamTV program. I hope i’ts still around honestly. I started on a field crew doing stories but my awkardenss and a blow up at my partner where my awkward rage prone ass threatned him by accident, got me bumped to doing credits.. which I genuinely loved. I got to something fun, creative and unique, I was still part of hte intros every week, and I got plenty of time to goof off and watch videos. It’s how I found channel awesome and first got to watch atop the fourth wall since it wasn’t on youtube back then, back before you know, it turned out Doug was abusing all of them and younger me was just unaware of it. But it was still good times so this episode does feel a bit nostalgic for me. But enough teary eyed reminciings of ten years ago, back to the plot. Our heroes air their newscast. It’s the Middle School Action News with with your Anchors Lincoln Loud and Clyde McBride, Stella Zhao in the field, Rusty Spokes on Sports for.. some reason, Cameraman Liam Wedon’tknowhislastname and Zach Gurdle somewhere out of the way. Middle School Action News, always on, always free.. no wiat tha’ts pluto. Middle School Action News, Taste the rainbow. Middle School Action News.. The Good Guys Always Win, Even in The 80′s. Yeah that’ll do!

But yeah while our heroes try their best, and to their credit this does feel like a middle school news show. The writers not our heroes. Anyways Lincoln and Clyde banter and we get our first segment Stella trying to interview mr. Bohlmer about his birthday.. which goes about as well as doing anything for him on ron swansons’ birthday.

Next we have Rusty on sports.. which I questioned when I first say this but as obonxious as Rusty can be.. yeah this is the best place to have him. Stella has the drive and the talent to be their field reporter, Clyde and Lincoln have a lifelong report that does well for the desk, Liam is nice and patient enough for camera work, and Zach is a paranoid weirdo so he probably has experince editing since thats where I assume where he is since htey ddon’t do weather and even if they did Liam’s just not the right shade of oblivoiusly nuts.

I do however at least get why they keep him around as Rusty needs someone to get fed up with him.. but as the above moment showed Clyde and Stella can do that easily, as can Lincoln, so he really has no functional purpose other than as a B-Grade dale gribble. ANd I know kids don’t know who that is but they frankly deserve better. Seriously Zach...

Okay getting back to the segement. For starters Rusty does a breath spray first.. but suprisingly despite interviewing a lady, specifically Lynn, he DOSEN’T hit on her and is actually professional and manages to get a quote despite her disintrest. LIke I know it’s the bare minimum but you’ve met rusty right? the Bare Minimum is hard for him to grasp. Earlier this episode he was oggling old pictures of his friends mom and saying he should take it as a compliment which, Hard No. So the fact hours later he’s talking to a woman without radiating creep after that is an achivment. For him and him alone mind you, most kids should know better. But still I may be hard on the kid, because DAMN is it fun and damn if he dosen’t give me plenty of joke fodder, but I will give him credit even if it’s the bare minmum. Good job rust you passed the very basic plateau of human decency.

Stella wraps things up with a look at the cafteria that’s about what you’d expect from a kids cartoon, shoe int he beans etc. Unfortuantley bean shoes, sportz and angry assholes aren’t enough to float the show and the principal is ready to can it. On hte bright side they have their first lawsuit from Mr. Bohlmer. I mean John Olvier idnd’t start getting sued by dickheads with no real case till he was 30, nicely done kids. And it’s not even why, it’s just boring and the kids aren’t enjoying it. So Stella, being again the one with her own brain cells here, proposes to let them find a big story, and Ramirez reluctantly but graciously agrees. And that’s why I like her so far. Don’t get me wrong having Steven Tobolowsky as principal was great, but I like Rameriz better: she’s smart, weary of the crap she puts up with and tough but fair.. which is a cliche btu fits here: She’ll be honest with her kids but will give them an honest chance and sees our news team really doees want this bad and her giving htem one more day to find something actally intresting is more than fair. So our heroes spitball about what to do for news. LIam suggests alien because again he has about one character trait, so everyone tells him for hte last time no. I mean it isn’t much worse than his last suggestion.

So once agian it’s RUSTY who saves the day, bringing in beet snacks.. which he tries to get them not to stone him over over the fact the popcorn was all gone.. which okay 1) I get the show’s tring to be healthy so maybe ther’es not chips, but I have a hard time buying that there’s no Chez Its, snack packs or other goodies between “Popcorn’ and “something with beetz that only two men would eat” For the record those two men are Dwight Schrute, for obvious reasons, and this guy my boy Tony Chu.

I highly recommend this comic, Chew for the record, to anyone. Just.. anyone whose not a children it gets voilent, but it is sublime. We’re not here for that, but I thought i’d plug it. It also has a spinoff currently running, Chu, following his criminal sister. Also real good and dosen’t really spoil anything for hte main series thus far so you can hop in there instead. Either way your in for a ride. Back on topic, while Rusty failed with snacks he actually brings up a good point: The popcorn isn’t just gone because it’s late in the school day, but because as the kids notice, it’s just missing in general despite the trucks arriving. They have their story and head out to investigate. And suprisingly, unlike last week’s investigation they find something: A mysterious hooded figure bribing the driver for popcorn, and taking it off somewhere. They fail to catch her, as Rusty dives over her telling Liam to “Make sure you get this”.. he instead gets a shrub and video of him attacking a shrub. I’ts a good runner and shows the writers are leanring to use Rusty better. They take the footage to the principal, who is impresssed, but states they need to find out who dun it for the story to be complete which is fair enough. They stalk out the nexxt delivery time later that night, but find the drivers have been switched and the mystery person has fled to canada. Rusty once again tries catching her and fall sin the water. Liam once again responds with a cheerful “Don’t worry rusty I got it”.. okay this dynamic is honestly better than him and Zach: Cheerful oblivious Liam and scheming dumbass rusty. Why isn’t THIS the “Those Two Guys” dynamic in the group, honestly.

Anyways Lincoln is dispondent the next day as iwth no leads, they have no programa nd prepares to do a spider-man no more with his anchorsuit.. which okay 1) you can use that for other things man. Peter Parker can’t really use a spider-man suit for anything but spider-manning but you can use that suit for dates and dances and stuff. and 2).. whya re he and the clyde the only ones with outfits? I mean.. it’s clear from this episode there will be more school news stories nad it just looks weird that they get to play dressup in suits but the rest of the crew isn’t. Liam at leat is working the camera and Zach is Zach but rusty and Stella are field reporters. Field reporters, while not always, usually get nice suits too guys.

ANyways Lincoln finds something in the garbage. And not his sister this time, as Lana oscar the grouched it up lat episode in sadness. Which to be fair will be her future career mark my words. At least I think that’s a career. Anyways, our heros find a ferry ticket meaning whoever fled to Canada is in the building. They trail some popcorn from the ticket to the locked door from earlier, which Rusty, finishing the rule of three, tries knocking it down hwile Liam gets it. Stella, again proving to be the real hero of this tale, uses her hair as a lockpick. Is.. is there anythign this child can’t do? She and Marcy should swap notes sometime damn.

And the culprit is MERYL! She was using the popcorn for insulation to get a quite room to herself and begs the kids not to tell which. is the weaker part of the episode> We don’t have the investment in Meryl we do in Cheryl, and she did you know.. steal school property.. or at least buy it off under the table. But the kids being the sweet kids they are understandably, schemes or not don’t want her to loose her job, and agree to not tell on her even if they loose their show. And to their creid and what keeps this from sinking the episode Meryl is genuinely greatful for this gesture, and gives them the scoop. And as i’ve been mentioning turns out RUSTY WAS RIGHT. Yes Rusty. That Rusty. Was Right about something. The Game Room exists. They find it thorugh a hidden locker entrance and unlock it from the inside, with af lodo of viewers coming in. Granted at first I didn’t know why Meryl didn’t just use this room but then I thought “Oh yeah she’s a full grown adult and can’t fit in the entrance and i’m assuming it was locked from the other side to the rest of the school”. So the kids have a new hangout and as the principal joins them, they havea show! Turns out she’d been looking for this place for years.. and doesn’t turn it into something else. What a legend. She plays Air Hockey with Meryl, is there something going on there or are my shipping goggles acting up.. probably both. Anyways our heroes have genuine thanks, a fun new hangout at school, their own headquarters and their own news show. It’s a heck of a day but it’s no time to rest as Rusty tells them he has another tip and i’ts off... to pick up a broom to sweep up the gumball machine they knock over.. THEN they can go find the hot tub for the teachers lounge.

Final Thoughts: OH me mow, this was a great one. For one the main complaint I had I mentioned at Schooled! of it not feeling like Lincoln’s friends were given enough personality sometimes? Gone enitrely. Everyone except Clyde and Zach get a moment and Clyde is still fully present and has gotten several focus episodes at this point, while Zach again should just leave already. But the rest of them? All on form. Stella continues to prove her competence, energy and adorability, Rusty is not only actually useful for once but was actually really funny his episode. The gag with Zach’s mom was actually pretty hilarious, my jabs at him aside, and the runner of him trying to do some epic stunt, telling Liam to film it and then humiliating himself while his pal cheerfully tells him he got it is just great and Lincoln’s Spider-Man no more moment with his suit was both said and kinda funny and I love him and Clyde’s reporter outfits. It’s why I wanted everyone to have them, especially since this will be a recurring theme and looks to be a fun one. It was fun, creative, and took me back a decade. It was a REALLY damn good one and I’m glad I watched this one first, a true highlight of the series and a true good sign that the season can, even with some hiccups, will apparnetly have some REALLY great episodes on average even with the weaker ones. That’s it for this week... and somehow for loud house coverage as, for now, their doesn’t’t seem to be any new episodes in October, but that could change. Until then, follow this blog every Monday for regular ducktales coverage and come back in October for more loud house, more the Casagrandes and some spooky spooky fun Until then, Go team venture.

#The Loud House #Lincoln Loud #Lana Loud #Lola Loud #Clyde McBride #Stella Zhau #Liam #Zach Girdle #Rusty Spokes #Principal Rameriz #Meryl #Lynn Loud #Girl Jordan #Lynn Loud Sr #Rita Loud

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starr-fall-knight-rise · 5 years

Text

Humans are Space Orcs, “Fear

Something I wrote for you all really quick this morning. Forgive any grammar mistakes :) Have a great day.

Fear….. I think it would be safe to say that it is the one universal emotion across the galaxy. For most of us, fear is a means to an end: a simple mode of survival, but for humans….. Well fear is something more. Fo us fear comes in situations where we might die, and that’s it. The only thing we fear is the loss of life before our time is up.

Humanity….. Humanity fears implication.

Sure humans experience fear in life or death situations, but sometimes they don’t . Humans will jump from planes, play with fire, and swim deep under the crushing weight of water well over three to four times the pressure of their own gravity. They will tie ropes to their ankles and then jump off of high places.

I don’t think I have ever seen a human that was truly afraid, or at least not overtly…. Not until today anyway.

Sure humans fear death, but they fear implications more. Life or death situations are hardly an issue when you have your own imagination to fear. Humans are a strange species that can leap from the sky for a thrill, but alone in the darkness and safety of their own homes, they conjure up things to fear in the dark. THey see shadows out of the corners of their eyes and reflections in mirrors at their backs.

They fear the implication of things that are unseen.

Believe me, the human mind is a horror house or personal torture.

Just watch their movies, and I promise you that some of the scariest ones to humans, do not involve natural disaster, life or death, or even dangerous killers, but they do involve the unexplainable, the uncontrollable. Those things that hide unseen in the dark and infect the mind like an insidious disease.

Man does not fear life or death, he fears his own mind and what might hide in it’s dark recesses.

***

“Get everything locked up, we do not want to be out here after dark.” The Commander ordered, pushing through a thick stand of deep purple foliage, and out into a large-circular clearing where three of their shuttles stood surrounded by that day’s camping supplies, and a group of waiting marines.

They stood as the second team of marines trudged their way from the bushes covered in dirt, slime, and sweat from their day’s work.

“Break it all down and get it back inside.” The commander ordered.

Krill, who had been waiting in camp with the marines floated over to absently eye the marines as if for scratches scrapes and bruises. Sunny was the last to break through the trees hauling her bulk over a mossy stone and onto the strange purple moss of the clearing. She snorted a leaf from her face, “Why in such a hurry, Commander, afraid of the dark.” Her voice was playful, but the expression he shot her was serious.

She stopped

“No, not the dark, but what might be hiding in it.” He began locking their food away into the climate-controlled lock boxes, “Plus, the last group of colonizers that tried to settle on this place ran screaming after one night. THe UNSC wants to know what’s up. The report had something to do with a ‘mimic” Now I’m ot sure what that means, the civilians were to shaken up to talk, but they seemed adamant that it was important not to go outside after dark, and I am not in the habit of ignoring warnings.”

Sunny nodded a tiny bit apprehensive. Whatever could have made a human run screaming was not something she particularly wanted to deal with.

Krill was as skeptical as ever, “Probably just some strange planetary creature, no big deal. They probably saw it, assumed it was some sort of folk monster and worked themselves up enough to run away.”

Commander Vir didn’t say anything, but didn’t look like he agreed. Then again, he was known heavily as the kind of man that likes to give people the benefit of the doubt.

They got the camp packed up just as the star was beginning to set in the north (the planet had a strange rotation relative to its magnetic field)), and Commander Vir made sure his marines had entered the shuttles and closed the door remaining the last one before coming into the third shuttle and closing the door behind him.

Two other marines were watching the monitors in the cockpit, so he took a seat on his bedroll next to where sunny sat by the wall idly tracing her claws through the striations on the floor. Krill floated not too distantly listening to the sound of idle conversation.

Sunset came and went, and nothing on the camera peaked the marine’s interest.

They left one person on watch for that night while the other came back to select a bedroll and get some sleep.

Commander Vir and Sunny were out like lights back to back with each other in the tropical warmth of the planet’s midnight atmosphere. It hardly seemed like a bad place to settle down. Even Krill had dropped into his half-meditative trance still partially aware of what was going on around him.

***

“Adam!.” Commander Vir jolted away in a cold sweat looking around for where the voice had originated. Most everyone else was still asleep. He shook himself a little. That was strange, for a second he thought that maybe the infected starborn had returned to take over his mind, but…. Starborn couldn’t survive on the face of a planet….. And he would have sworn that voice was the voice of a child.

He rubbed his eyes, stood and moved into the cockpit where one of the marines was still watching the cameras, “Anything?” He muttered, but the marine shook his head. He was just opening his mouth to say something when.

A baby began to cry just outside the shuttle door.

The marine leaped to his feet eyes wide, “What the hell.”

His voice caused everyone else in the compartment to store.

“Adam.” Commander Vir turned in a wild circle to face the wall behind him. Of course he couldn’t see anything because the voice had been just on the other side, like a small child pressing their mouth to the metal, whispering.

A few more of the marines had stood up eyes turned to the hatch with the sound of the crying baby still echoing through the metal, slightly muffled by the door. One of the marines got to his feat and reached for the handle, but Commander vVir caught him, “NO ... that's not a baby marinee. We are the only people on this planet.”

The marine turned to look at him eyes wide with concern, “But, Sir maybe it’s one of the settlers.”

“They may not have been coherent, but they would have told us if they were missing a baby.”

“Adam, Adam, Adam…..” As the voice repeated it plunged from the high chirp of a child deeper and deeper into a demonic growl.”

“Adam!” Something slammed against the side of the shuttle.

The marines yelled out in alarm. Commander Vir jumped back. Something skittered and clawed at the metal outside. More voices joined in whispering pleading. Voices rose and fell, more often than not mimicking the sound of children.

Sunny was up now and found herself at the center of a group of humans who had backed themselves into a circle eyes wide.

The sounds died away for a few moments, leaving them in the deep silence of the forest.

There was a knock on the door, “Daddy…. Daddy, let me in, I'm scared….. Help me.”

One of the marines turned his wide eyed face to the commander and then back to the door, “Jamie.”

A hand clamped around his shoulder, “No, marine, that isn’t who you think it is.”

“Daddy….. Daddy please help me.” The knocking turned to a frantic banging then a thudding, “Daddy please, something is coming!”

The sound of a small body throwing itself against the door repeated over and over and over again.

The marine’s face was streaked with tears, but he held his ground.

However, as they listened, the sound of thudding grew louder and louder. The shuttle rocked violently.

A child could not have had the strength to do that.

The marines cowered back against each other weapons pointed towards the hatch.

The voices faded turning themselves back into gibbering whispers.

Whispering died away replaced by the sound of something rushing through the trees. Thud thud thud on the pad of feet. It’s movements where unholy. It’s feet or hands, whatever they were were soft, and something dragged behind it.

Pad, pad scrape, pad pad, scrape.

“Let me in.” The voice was loud and sudden emanating from about knee height and right behind them. A girl’s voice throat torn and ragged, from fire….. Or from screaming.

The marines yelped and turned to the corner where something now scratched against the metal.

Commander Vir was the first to voice what al the humans were thinking, “Fuck this, let’s get out of here.” With that, he rushed into the cockpit giving a cursory glance to the cameras, but seeing nothing. Engaging the coms system he opened a line to the other shuttles, “Bravo, Charlie, this is Alpha leader ordering and immediate launch, do you copy.”

For a horrifying moment, it seemed as if they wouldn’t answer, but then two voices crackled over the line breathless and hopeful, filled with their agreement.

Commander Vir engaged the launch sequence as the other marines strapped themselves in. Krill and Sunny looked around the cockpit in confusion hardly understanding what was going on. Sure there was something creepy outside, but it was outside….

They had never seen the human’s cut and run so fast before.

And they Cut and run as fast as they possibly could, making it out of atmosphere in record time.

***

Back aboard the ship, only the graveyard skeleton crew was there to meet them surprised and worried to find three teams of frightened bedraggled marines, and their more than paranoid Commander eyeing the shadows in unfounded paranoia.

Krill watched from the side confused.

Sunny looked on in worry.

The skeleton crew got to work packing up the gear allowing the marines to return to the crew quarters for a rest. Commander Vir followed, but paused in the long hallway up to the Captain’s quarters glancing back at Sunny. She was about ready to head down the hall to her room when he spoke, “You know…. Um maybe it is best if….. If maybe, we set up a watch for-for tonight. I mean just to make sure nothing ended up hitching a ride or…. Or something..”

Sunny looked at him in surprise, “But captain, space….”

“Yeah yeah…. I know, I mean…. Just in case, but like in the rec room….. Where we have light, and space to fight…. If we have to.”

She tilted her head at him, but finally nodded in agreement.

She had never seen such a look of relief on anyone’s face before, and together they made their way to the rec room, set up one of the couches and began their “watch.” A watch that simply turned into Adam leaning against her arm and promptly falling asleep.

She rolled her eyes a little, and was about to do the same when a soft thud echoed to her from down the hallway. She opened her eyes suddenly awake and alert ready for some creature to come around the corner, but instead one of the marines poked his head in, “Er….. do you guys you know… need help.”

Sunny looked down at the sleeping Commander and sighed, “The more the merrier I suppose.”

“Oh… ok…. I guess I can help.” He walked over, selected a beanbag, pulled it up to her feet, and immediately followed his Commander’s lead.

Sunny sighed and closed her eyes, not even bothering to open them when the next set of footsteps moved up the hall, “Yes ... we are on watch, and obviously we need your help.”

This marine took the other side of the couch.

By the end of a half hour span Sunny sat lording over a room full of uneasily sleeping humans, and she idly wondered if this is what it would have been like to have a brood of her own. However, since she wasn’t likely to ever experienced that, she would happily protect these ones from the dark

***

Other species don’t mind the mimics so much. However, for some reason they have a profound impact on humans. My theory is that, like the starborn they have some ability in telepathy, and because of this, they have complete access to the one thing that humans fear most.

Their own imagination

#humans are insane #humans are space orcs #humans are space australians #humans are space oddities #earth is a deathworld #Earth is space Ausralia #humans are weird

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